Catey's weekly email 12-8-09 - 0 degrees in Utah

Dear Family,

Your email made me cry as usual..:) Man, I am such a crybaby.  You will see when you come to my departing testimony.  I will bawl like you would not believe.

By the way, um... can you drive up here instead of flying?  I... um... am going to have a few more bags than I came up with...:)  I have gotten some pretty sweet things from different countries that members/investigators/companions have given me... Thanks. :)

So, let's see... To answer your questions:

Yes, I am reading the scriptures (on the gifts) before I open them.  I have loved every single one of them.  It was really funny, because just the other day, Sister Yamashita and I were like "Man, we need some mugs to make hot chocolate..." Lo and behold, mugs!!!! :) It's the little things in life that make us missionaries extremely happy.  Of cocurse, the book "The Last Straw" made me cry as I thought of all of the amazing memories that I have had growing up.  (Just in case you didn't know, I cry every time I write out an email... Yes, I am crying right now.) :) I hope that someday after I get married and have kids (someday in th FAR fufture), (Mother's note: I hope not too far, I want to see all my children married and lots of grandchildren while I still have my eyesight). :) my kids will be able to have good memories like I have.  I know that they will have good memories of their extended family (especially their grandparents). :)

Haha...Yes, patience is a very hard trait to develop.  You know how I am... :) It's been tough, but I think that I'm getting the hang of it.

I was hoping that Dad would see the email (the last email she wrote) and not let you (her mom) read that part.  Yes, I still get headaches.  I think it's just due to lack of sleep, and trying to adjust to the 3 degree weather.  Literally, it has been 3 degrees.  It even got down to 0 degrees Sunday morning (Tooele is colder than Salt Lake).  A lot of missionaries have been having trouble sleeping, and when they go to the doctor, they just give them sleeping pills, which I don't wat to mess with... :) So, I think that I will just pray... :)

I haven't started counting down to my birthday, although I did celebrate my 1/2 birthday with myself. :)  I am counting down the days till I get to talk to you on the phone. Maybe I'll get a voice recorder and record my voice for Little Princess Codie.  Of course, I will teach her piano lessons. Yeah, so I'm chopping off my hair today, again.  We have zone conference on Friday (we will be seeing Sister Sonne), and since my hair grows like a weed, Sister Yamashita and I are going right after this to get it chopped off. :)

I can't wait to see a picture of my baby girl. :) (Mothers Note: Codie, who is Preston's daughter - her oldest brother)

Yeah, the mission minimum of lessons that you have to teach a week is 20. My first transfer we really struggled to get that many lessons.  Last transfer, I decided something had to change.  It has gradually increased and now we sometimes have to give up some of our P-Day just so we can teach everyone. It has been amazing to see the Lord's hand in the work as we do our part and work like CR-AZY...

The members here are awesome!  Last week, we received 16 referrals.  It was pretty awesome.  Don't worry, they are feeding us... a lot. :)  My last 2 transfers before I come home, I am not going to eat at all.  Otherwise, I will come home .... chunky. :)  We have already gotten a few invitations for Christmas dinner.  They are really good about taking care of us....

Daily Dose program??? That's so sweet! We have Daily Dose missionaries in our mission.  No, I don't teach in Spanish. (I asked President Sonne if he would switch me to Spanish speaking, and he said, "No, I don't want to take a good missionary and change them to Spanish speaking/" (Mother's note:  We think that President Sonne didn't want to take Catey from teaching to learning lessons in Spanish - we know without a doubt that he loves and appreciates both Spanish speaking missionaries and those who speak only Spanish). But, we do run into a lot of Spanish speaking people, and it really helps to be able to commnicate with them.  That is why I am working on learning Spanish... I'm definitely learning.  I can understand it pretty well, and I read it really well, but I struggle speaking it... Hopefully, when I get home, we will be able to speak to each other in Spanish. :)

I am trying to write in my journal as often as possible.  Sometimes, it is hard to find time, but I'm working on that... I can't wait for ou to read it!

Hopefully, that answers all of your questions. :)

So let's see, the work  is going really good. It snowed a lot the last few days, so I am trying to learn how to drive in the snow. It has been quite scary, especially driving on the Interstate, but I am learning ...:)

Well lastly I just wanted to tell you... thank you so much for sharing your missionary experiences and testimonies with me.  It always helps me be strengthened.  (I don't know if that's proper English.  Sorry, my English gets worse and worse.) :)  I love you all so much!  Again, I cannot express my gratitude for you all.  I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who has blessed us with so much.  You are so right; we have so much to be thankful for.  I am so grateful for the Savior, Jesus Christ.  I constantly strive to be the best I can be, but I stumble a lot along the way.  I am so grateful that I have a way to overome those stumbling blocks.  It is only though the Savior's Atonement that we can overcome these and be strengthened.  I know that this is the true Church, that it is because Heavenly Father loves us that He restored His Church on the Earth today.  He wants us to b happy and it is through the gospel of Jesus Christ that we can accomplish this.  I pray that each one of us will be able to remember the Savior this time of the year.  Heavenly Father's most precious gift that He could give us is His Son's life.  That is what this time of the year is all about... In the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Again, thank you so much for everything!  I really do appreciate it.  Hugs and kisses to all of you.

Love,

Sister Stroud