Jones, Talmage T

This was a slower week for sure. It's okay though! Thanksgiving was part of the week, so that part wasn't as bad. I got to make some cookies with several other missionaries, and we took them to friends and members! It was a neat opportunity to serve on this wonderful holiday. We ate our big dinner at a kind member's home, and we felt welcome and loved! Things are definitely getting colder! It's surprising how we haven't received any snow yet--at least not in Auburn!! It is getting foggy and icy little by little, so driving safety is a huge priority for me at the moment. The reason I said things have been slow is that being committed and serious about the gospel takes time. For some people, it clicks with them really quickly; however, with our friends, it develops over time and comes with a relationship not only with us but also with Heavenly Father. I am learning patience with this. I want our friends to grow and feel meaning in their lives, but the timing is up to ...

I don't have a ton of time to write this email, so I'll summarize. We set goals as missionaries, and one of them for this week was to find six new people to teach. We found four! This was exciting because one or two of those are solid. We look forward to visiting them again. Our goal for this transfer (6-week period) is to put someone on a date for baptism. We have the potential to set one or two of our friends with a date, so this upcoming week is going to be a great one! I went on two exchanges! One was in a biking area. I take car air conditioning for granted, I realized. I learned a lot! I am working on my teaching skills lately. These two exchanges reminded me to always be heartfelt and obedient about what I do. I had some amazing experiences with my two companions! We had some disagreements, but we resolved them with Christlike love and humility. I grew so much from it! I am so thankful for both of them and the way in which they love and serve me! Audry, our student from ...

¡Mucho ocurrió esta semana! Me encanta servir con dos compañeros que son divertidos y quieren trabajar duro. I hope you all understood that part above. In all honesty, being in a trio is the BEST. I love it in almost every aspect. It's great especially because both of my companions want to serve the Lord and get experience in the language. We laughed so much together this week too! Apparently, here in Auburn, the Veteran's Day parade is a BIG deal. I heard from various people that it's the biggest one in the west. It's hard to believe, but several of my photos of this past week are from the amazing parade. The Washington National Guard came with a smaller tank (bulletproof and all!!) and three guns--a sniper and two machine guns!! The guns were completely empty, of course. There were about 12 soldiers, and they were so nice to us! We got a sneak peek of the tank, and it was amazing to see the power of such a vehicle! I'm grateful for our U.S. defense and army. It ma...