Leaves, My Banana Wreath and Transfers

Hey!

How are you!?!?

In answer to Dad's question... It REALLY depends... LoL. We seem to go in waves- we will have two months with 31 baptisms, and then we will suddenly have 55 baptisms (that was the month Andy was baptized... we had 13 baptisms in our zone alone). So it is kind of crazy. I though we had a bunch of baptisms this past month because I have seen 5 people get baptized, but we only had 31. But it depends... by a lot. 

Transfer calls came on Saturday. I'll be staying in Monte Sano, and Sister Nokes will be leaving. I'm sad to lose Sister Nokes- she has been an incredible blessing to this area and she has been an absolutely incredible companion. But I'm also super stoked for this next transfer. Monte Sano is lush and ready to be harvested. I am confident this next transfer will be a great transfer where we will be able to do great things. Hopefully my next companion will be ready for all of the awesomeness.

This past transfer has been a rather difficult one for me, but now I know the area (somewhat), the holidays are over, and I'm just having a good feeling about this next transfer. Prayers would be much appreciated!

~Sister Pratt

The Pictures

I have this on going joke with a recent convert- Christine. :) She found out I didn't like bananas, so she decided to put a banana in my stocking. I decided to make her a banana wreath. You know I've been in the South too long when I start making wreaths. Her face was priceless when she saw the wreath. She is also has 10 bananas she now has to take care of. LoL. Tonight we are eating at her place, and I wonder if she is going to serve us the banana fritters she said she made.

 It has been FREEZING lately. Today the windchill is -10 F... Last night we had a rain/snow/sleet/ice storm... the temperature dropped 10 degrees in about 30 min. It was crazy. Last week, when it was only "pretty cold" we were out, and all of our appointments fell though. When that happens, it typically means go find someone, which is easy enough in the warm... but when it is that cold, you have tracting, Walmart or a restaurant. Tracting isn't really doable in our area (Super rich- no Soliciting signs), We had just spent an hour at Walmart, so we prayed and went to the nearby Sonic. My companion froze, we talked to the waitress, and left a mormon.org card. Oddest, randomest bit of inspiration that didn't really reap any fruit, but hey! We got a picture, and hopefully someone will appreciate our mormon.org card.

So... Sister Gauchay and Sister Nokes decided to secretly rake a ward member's lawn, but they did not have garbage bags, so they left the piles where they were. This man has back problems, so he wasn't able to pick them up either, so they just stayed there. The other day we were talking to him, and he mentioned how sweet it was that someone would do that, but he wished they had not put them in piles because it was going to kill the grass under the piles. The next time we were out there, they were not home, so Sister Nokes decided we should probably make up for her mistake. :) We had 4 grocery bags in the car, no rake, and it was FREEZING. But we picked up those wet, soggy, rotting leaves with our bare hands, and put them into the grocery bags, hopping that he wouldn't suddenly appear and ask what in the world we were doing. It was perhaps the funniest and oddest service project I've ever done.

Sister Nokes received 4 stockings for Christmas. :) She asked what she should do with them, and I said, "Wear them." Well. She did. And this is her picture.