Well hello!!! I love my new area. It is wonderful.. the members are brilliant and sooooo loving. I already feel part of the branch!! Adam Miller the 'musician' in the branch learnt that I sang at our DA with him and his wife on Thursday and I have now had 2 invitations to sing... the ward christmas presentation thing for the public that he is putting on and then for a funeral of a family in the wards grandmother that died recently. He told me after the 2nd invitation now that I you sing and well I will probablyask you loads. I said as long as it doesn't take away from the Lord's work that's great!! I need it. I am losing it big time. I tried to sing defying gravity once and bached the living day lights out of it. I just have no range and the strength is a little less, but I still have some soul. yay for mix!! ANYWAYS!! unnecessary.... It is great. This family the McKee's are great!! We had a DA with them and it felt soooo comfortable. They called me a character and then my companion said I am bascially British.. I think she exaggerated, but I also think Newcastle Emlyn prepped me well. Anyways, we will spending Christmas day with them and probably calling or skyping from their home. I have this feeling we can just pick a time that is best for all.. but we will see. I would imagine that's the deal though it's the length their stingy on. I am sooooooo excited for Christmas to talk to you and hear your voices... hmmm 'sweetest thing granulated sugar' (is that what Tim said to me in a letter once.. I think so... ) My companion is great. She hasn't had the easiest go of it for life, for mission... but we are working on breaking that trend for the mission part of it. I really do just love her and think she is great. She isuch a hard worker and just so easy going, yet not about the important stuff. ... so I guess we are similar in the good ways. we just have fun.. I have realized being on a mission though how much I like to have fun when working hard.. thankyou LIGHT for teaching me that work isn't achievable or effective unles you enjoy it while you do it, so loosen up and laugh while you get tuckered out!! it's great.

I feel that i have learnt so much about why I am here though in the past few days. We have been talking alot about how some missionaries focus loads on the numbers and that is their drive and how it affects those we teach. I have not yet (thank goodness) been with a companion like that. I realized that my motivation is when I feel a Christ like love for someone.. I came on a mission to help save souls not to get many numbers. D£C 18:10-16 The worth of souls is great in the sight of God and if it be I only bring one unto Him His joy will be sufficient for that one than it will be for all the numbers in a planner. Sister brooks said it will 'numb3ers are to motivate those who don't know why they came out, people motivate those who came out for a reason'. So Matt you are going to be brilliant because you know that.. just don't beat anyone else up who doesn't.. just help them find their reason. usually our reason for coming out changes all throughout your mission. So your reason to stay becomes stronger and more profound than the reason you came. Matt did I leave tyhe 4th Missionary talk with you? dude you gotta read it!! it's sooo helpful before and during the mission. I think it's saved under one of my files on the laptop I used.

Oh hey Mum did you get my post about the CD thing? Don't rush it, just thought I'd send it now so you can figure it out before I get home ;p I LOVE YOU...

So that missionary was trying so hard to incollpate your brain... don't let her. if she has that attitude then she's going to get no where with the members. Is she a' baby' or almost 'dead'? either one has tendencies to act like a total jerk about things that they can't control but desperately want to. Mum you are a star though just recognizing she was probably having a bad day. It does happen and sometimes it's all you can stand, but at some point we all learn to just keep calm and carry on..I am obsessed with that British saying.

So onto lame stuff I hate discussing... money... I am running low and things I should have bought but haven't are really important. I need to get reimbursed for a few things by the mission for driving stuff so you know, that's where it's gone... but some of it won't be completely because it's our pay. Anyways I realized I am gonig into my credit card account and I am not too excited about it, but desperation right now is leading me to it... so bear with me, but any little bit counts so I don't have to as much. I love you soooo much and I am soooo grateful for everything. I am sorry I am so expensive. I don't try to be. Anyways, please know how grateful I am for all you do for me. I love you all more than I can stand.

Remember God loves us and if we ever struggle with things in the gospel .. the deep trivial stuff, return to the basics and work back up. Never forget that WE ARE CHILDREN of GOD we don't know everything and just like ballet you have to return to the basics continually to be able to handle the great big stuff without hurting yourself. Don't get out of shape with the gospel because the basics aren't touched. THEY ARE THE PRIMARY ANSWERS FOR A REASON.  The PRIME part of it all. it was the primary presentation yesterday in church and I learnt soooo much. Kids know where it is at. These kids her are soooo confident and the light in their eyes is unmistakeable. The songs they sang pierced my soul and strengthened my testimony. I know this is the true and EVERLASTING gospel of Jesus Christ. I know it more now than I ever have. There is no way to get around it once you know. God lives and I know it as clearly as I know that the sun shines in Arizona. Sometimes it seems like the sunshines brighter on another part of the world greater than it ever will on my part, but that's just because of cloud coverage difference. It's the same with us. Sometimes we have cloud coverage that makes the sunshine hard to see, the sun still shines- we can still see the light of day- it's just being grateful for the little you have and enjoying the lessons you learn in the bitter cold so you can ppreciate the warmth of the bright beaming clear sky with the sun held high. Never lose faith, it's the only thing we really have control over. I am grateful for all my many blessings and especially for each of you. You've changed my life in so many ways and I hold dear all the memories we've shared. Sometimes they are what keep me going. Love you love you love you. Talk to you soon (literally) (13 days!!!)

Love, Sister Filichia

 

scripture power- primary song- study those words out.. they are literally so POWERFUL!!!