Gratitude

Family-Well, I didn't get to go to the temple this last week. : ( I was very sad that I we didn't. Very Sad.It has been so cold here! There is a phrase in Tennessee however: "If you don't like the weather here, just wait 15 minutes." It is true. The weather has varied from 2 degrees to 60 degrees in the last two weeks. Very strange. We were walking a lot last week because we ran out of miles for the car. We live really far away from our investigators so it eats up miles really fast. I am chopping off my hair today. I am so sick of the perm. It will be pretty short. I would do a pixie cut but my companions have almost talked me out of it. I was thinking a very short A-line or a Pixie. I guess we will see. I'll have Sister Gieseke send pictures so yall can see it. I hate hair... well, when I don't have time to do it.The work is going great. There are a whole bunch of part member families here to work with. Some of them are pretty stubborn though. I love them all so much, I just wish they would listen to the Spirit, but 'there's a wall there.'I don't remember if I told yall about the lady that Sister Smith and I found named Sherri Smith? She is a less active lady that I really love who was baptized with her family when she was 18 by President Laney of the Salt Lake City South Mission when he was a missionary. (He was the same one who spoke at the stake conference that I spoke at before I left.) Well anyway, her boyfriend Mark is taking the lessons right now!!! He is so cool. He used to be a Baptist Deacon (that is comparable to an Elders Quorum President in our church (prestige wise)). He knows a ton about the Bible. It has been so exciting to see him making connections and growing. Pray for Mark and for Sandi. Her father is having some serious medical problems right now and she is in Utah with him. Pray for him too. Have I told yall how much I love Mt. Juliet? It is like my second home. I got to see Ginny and Gordon yesterday. They are doing well. I love them and miss them at church. Well yall, it has been fun. I hope all is well for you. There have been a lot of crazy things happening with the economy so I have heard. Stay strong and keep praying. I know that if you are doing all that you can to keep God first on the priorities list, He will help you with your righteous needs when you ask in faith. This is a time of humbling. Unfortunately many are being compelled to be humble. But take the oportunity to share your testimony with someone this week of the love that God has given you and your families.Read D&C 59:21. President Monson said, "If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues."I know that God loves yall so much. Stay strong!Love,Sister Thacker