HAPPY THANKSGIVING

From: Kristen Owens
Date: Mon, Nov 19, 2012 at 11:21 AM
Subject: HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
To: carolyn owens <carolyndowens@gmail.com>


Hey family,

Thanks for the sweet letter mom and the awesome package! I loved it! especially those cool bracelets--you better believe sister Taufer and I will be strutting those around ;) Well this past week was great. We had an interesting experience. We decided to stop by a less active lady in our ward and found out she had actually passed away about 6 months ago. We were a little shocked and decided to quickly make a note to update our ward list (haha) then we started talking with the man who was living there...then his girlfriend showed up and said, "hello Mormons." She had apparently lived in Utah for quite some time and lived with an LDS family and had gone to church and had lived in Provo, etc.... we are seeing her tomorrow night! Super cool. I guess the lady we thought lived there was an incredible missionary :) so that's kinda cool.

We are getting a new missionary couple here in our area and we are really excited about it! It should bring a boost of work :) They are going to help with our west African population mostly. I never remember things to write back home when I sit down and type....I should start making notes ahead of time.... Um....Our mission has been praying a lot and really seeing a lot of success. We are really trying to find those whom God has prepared in this area through much prayer and fasting. Our zone is praying and fasting this week to know who specifically we can invite to be baptized on a specific date. Faith is an interesting thing. We are trying to move from faith as a principle of action to faith as a principle of power. We are really trying to ask everyone we meet for referrals because many people are prepared.

Jaylen is going to Chile! Whoo whoo! :) cool! she'll be awesome!

So to answer your questions... I might need more money in my account....if possible...I didn't realize I had so little....and I can buy stamps here :) on p-days. and cards would be great! I am excited for Christmas! :) you can either put money in my account and I will just buy cards here or whatever is easiest for you :) today is not our p-day so we only have an hour and it's almost time to go! but, I just want to say we had Elder Gavarret from the seventy came and spoke to us at our mission conference. he was so great. I learned so much! Before hand we were suppose to prepare a five minute talk on how we have accepted the blessings of the atonement in our lives because he was going to choose a few of us to give it.....guess who had to speak! I was so nervous because we went through this line and met him and his wife and then Elder Gavarret told the person who was conducting which three people to speak... so they just called you out without time to collect yourself! haha I was nervous and I don't even know what I said.... I should have been more prepared actually because that morning before study I prepared a talk and kinda had a feeling I would have to speak....ah! But, it was a good experience. I need to learn preparation precedes power. Thanks for all of your prayers and all your examples. I love you so much and I am so grateful for my family. I am grateful to be apart of this great work and I know Heavenly Father is in the details of our lives. He really is. I know we can see miracles this week as we pray with faith and act on those promptings! Happy Thanksgiving! I love that Thanksgiving preps us for Christmas....being grateful for our Savior.

I love you,
 hope all is well,
 talk to you next week!
 Love,
   Sister Owens

P.S. thanks for sending the letters of my friends. I was reading Alma 27 today and thought of them all when it says in vs. 17-18 how happy Ammon was to see his brethren! "Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness." He was so happy he fainted. :) I think that's how I want to be every day serving! fainting all the time! haha but, seriously. I love you, thanks again!