I love my family!!!

Hey!

How are you all doing? How is life going? I'm glad Jenessa was able to go to the Leadership camp. That is an incredible opportunity. Based off of the emails you sent, I'm guessing your week was pretty much like mine. A good steady week, but not really much to report on.

We had transfer calls this week, and I am going to be staying in Cullman. Sister Nalder will be leaving me. I honestly can't believe how quickly this transfer flew by. I feel like I blinked and it was over. I hate to watch it happening. I really don't have much time left, and this transfer was yet another reminder of that fact. Augh! I feel so much pressure and urgency right now. There is so much do be done, and so much that needs to happen before December. I wish I were a better, stronger missionary because then I feel I could get it all done, or I could at least absorb everything the Lord is trying to teach me... but for whatever reason, the Lord doesn't work that way. I still don't quite know why, but He works with me and He works on me. And somehow I hope by the end of my mission together we'll figure out how to get enough work done to cover everything that needs to be done.

We saw an investigator a couple of times this week, but our Saturday visit pretty much convinced us that she is not going to get baptized any time soon.  We had a really powerful lesson on Tuesday with her where God gave one of the straightest answers I have ever seen through the Book of Mormon. It was really cool. But she didn't get it... And then we had a really powerful lesson with the Restoration video. It was super powerful and amazing, and my companion was a champ in testifying... but her favorite part of the video was the great technology we had (it wasn't great- we had a really small, pretty old DVD player), and the fact that they were farmers who were harvesting were like the people in the Bible- harvesting what they sowed (that was a 20 second blip of the 20 min video). Haha- that was certainly NOT the answer I expected. So, the jury is still out on her. I'll tell you if anything ends up happening.

And just so you know- I don't say it enough, but I love you all. I think you are an incredible family, and each one of you does incredible things. Mom is so loving and so giving. She has such incredible strength and she is so faithful. Dad is incredibly diligent and wise. I have learned so much from his great counsel, and I am so grateful for how diligently he fulfills his responsibilities as a father. I am so privileged to have such great parents. Miranda is so beautiful- both inside and out. She has a way of expressing herself beautifully through dance and art and she is very hard working. She is SO hard working. Someday I hope to be half as determined and hard working as she is. Jenessa is so incredible. She also has a good head on her shoulders and has such an incredible sense of how to use it. If I were to pick my guess for the most successful person in any given field in 30 years, I would have a good guess that it would be her. Not only that, but Jenessa is very caring and sweet. She reaches out to everyone and lets them know she they are cared about. Sabrina is so good- she is so good. She has a big heart, and she has a way of letting people know that they are loved. And that love can change the world. She is very much herself, and that is the most refreshing thing a person can be. Julia is so enthusiastic and loving. I'll never forget when I came home from college, and she was always there to give me a hug and prattle on about her day. It made me feel so good. I love her bright personality and her way of just making me feel happy. Wesley is very strong and very good. Heavenly Father certainly sent our family an incredibly strong spirit when he sent Wesley, and I am so grateful we got him. We need his strength and his love. I have absolutely no doubt that Wesley will be one of the most incredible missionaries in his mission because of his solid strength and his vibrant energy. Steven is so sweet, so kind and so creative. He is always coming up with something new. I love it. I love listening to him talk and I love getting a hug from him. He is so full of energy and life. And he is So good. I love him so much. I love all of you so much. I am so grateful for all of you, and for all of the support you've sent me on my mission. I love my mission so incredibly much, however when it comes time, the only thing that will bring me home is the thought of getting a hug from each of you at the airport.

I love you so very much!

Love always,

Sister Pratt

~Steadfast in Christ