June 11th 2012

Dear Mom and Dad,

Thanks for all the updates! It is good to know what is going on back home.

As for me, I had a really good week! I don't know what happened this week, but so many people were nice to us! It was weird...but nice. We ended up getting so many lessons in this week! It felt so great.

We are still teaching our investigator named Boris. He is amazing we talked to him about baptism and he committed to be baptized on July 7th. He is very excited and has been coming to church and has started to become friends with some of the members. Every time we meet with him the spirit is so strong. These are the times when I realize how even though I talk to people everyday for months and nothing happens, finally I get one person like Boris to teach and it is all worth it.

We continued to have another Young Women's with Annie. We taught her about talents and decided to teach her how to make "no-bake" cookies. She loved it. We ate them after we finished the rest of our lesson and they were so good! She was so happy they turned out good since she made them by herself.

Also yesterday was the first Sunday in Bulgaria I didn't have to do anything. Normally we teach primary but President had us go to gospel principles and then I went to Relief Society for the first time in months. The Sister's here are few but they are so strong! We had a great lesson about he holy ghost. There was a part of it when they talked about the "gift of tongues" they looked at us and explained how we have the gift of tongues right now and it is amazing how we can understand everything they are saying and can respond. That lesson really helped me because I sometimes feel as though I am not doing well with the language or am not learning it as fast as I want to. However, I am doing well. I can understand and say things that I want to say so that people can understand. It may not be perfect, but I can do it.

Another thing, I have been reading the book, "Standing for Something" by Gordon B. Hinckley. If you you haven't read it, you should! There is a chapter devoted to talking about gratitude. After reading that I just couldn't stop thinking about all of the things that I am grateful for, and the list is endless. Sometimes when I get caught up in my own troubles I don't really see all the amazing things that I have in my life. I have the best parents in the world, the best siblings in the world, such amazing friends, great missionaries to serve around, strong members here in Bulgaria to know and come to grow close to, and even the nice people I see everyday in their shops on my way to church and they always say hello to me. I know that I have been blessed with so many things in my life and I want to make sure I express how grateful I am.

I am still having a great time with Sister Tate is Sliven. We have become great friends and enjoy being companions.

I hope you have a great week! I love you.

Love, Jodi