85 people in our Branch Building!!!

Hey Everyone!!

First off, Happy Birthday to Jenessa and Wesley!!!!!!! Congrats! Another year older, and hopefully another year wiser. ;) I hope you have a great birthday. It sounds like Jenessa will certainly have a great birthday with Prom just around the corner. Wow. I honestly can't believe how old you two are getting. I'm sad to have missed it, but I hope you feel my love. Enjoy your special day.

Second off, I have the best family in the world. Particularly the best mother, but the best family too. :) Thank you SO much for the Easter basket. It was absolutely perfect. I loved it so much. Mom, you are the only missionary mom that I know of that sends things for her missionary, and her companion. (and my companion says, "Thanks! Your mom seems So adorable!") You are so incredibly sweet and thoughtful. Thank you so much. I am so grateful to have such an incredible mom. (Because she really is something special.)

I hope you all had an incredible Easter. Here in Alabama it was a beautiful, balmy day. We spent the day with our branch mission leader and his family, and it was a CRAZY experience. :) They have 5 or 6 grandkids under 12, so there were a lot of little kids running around with baskets, Easter eggs and chocolate. The two Whoopie cushions were popped within the first hour, and the boys were having a heyday with the squirt guns. It was nice to be in a fully home filled with little kids again. After the Easter Egg hunt, Sister Stahle sat them all down and put on Finding Faith in Christ. That was probably the best part of the afternoon. It was so neat to see all of those kids huddled around the TV learning about our Savior. If you haven't had the opportunity to go onto mormonchannel.org and check out some of the Bible videos centered around Easter, I would highly recommend them. They are incredible. 

Also this week, we had 85 people in Sacrament meeting this Sunday. It was the most people we've ever fit into our branch building, and we were feeling the squeeze. It was nice to see everyone come to church for Easter, and honor the Savior. Although, it also made me very grateful that my parents were so good about teaching me how to be reverent. The Sacrament is such a sacred time, and such an incredible opportunity. I am grateful that I was always taught to reverence that time and sit (somewhat) quietly during the talks. I really really hope I'm able to do the same with my kids... at least to the extent that kids will allow. But, other than that, it was so nice to see everyone there. We had quite a few Less-Actives come to church, and I am so grateful they were there (ironically, they were not the talkers...). I hope we are able to keep them coming just a few more times until they are hooked on the Spirit and can't get by without coming!!! Yes, that is my devious plan.

One of the great things about serving a mission is realizing just how much my family means to me. I love you- each and every one of you. And I think of you often. I hope you are having a wonderful time. I hope all of your activities are going well. I really hope you are growing in the gospel. I miss you so much, but I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity I have to see you again soon. Your letters mean the world to me. Thank you so much for taking the time to write them. I love you all. I can't wait to see you on Mother's Day.

Love Always,

~Sister Pratt