Was that just a dream?????

Dear Family and Friends, 

It's getting so cold here! I think that they are going to have an early winter! I just hope it waits until I get home, I misplaced all my tights somewhere! Oops! ;)

This week, I had a pretty funny experience that helped me see my mission with new eyes! On Thursday, we got mail, and I got a letter from Tyson and Zach's Sunday School Class. They have done a really good job of writing occasionally and I really appreciate it! 

As I opened the letter, there was a bunch of different notes from different members of the class. As I read the notes, I read about school starting and sports and homework. But then I noticed that most of the notes had a common theme, "We may be sending a package soon". I thought that was REALLY weird, considering that I go home in like 4 weeks. But I kept reading. 

Then I got to the note from Zach. He said that BYU football lost to Utah by 7. I was really confused, because BYU hasn't played Utah in football this year... Then he said that his football has lost every game so far, and I was extra confused because I know that they won at least one. 

Then I got to the note from Tyson. He said that he was really excited to turn 13. 

WAIT a second, I thought that Tyson was turning 14 this year! 

At that moment, the following thought flashed through my mind, "This last year has all been a dream and it's still last year and I still have a year left on my mission". It was a freaky thought, but then I realized that there was probably another more probable solution. I examined the envelope, only to see that the letter was postmarked 27 October 2013. It took almost a whole year to get to me! Haha. It was a super weird feeling though, like I had been dreaming for the last year. I'm so grateful that my mission isn't actually a dream and that it all really happened, trials and blessings! :) 

Seriously though, Sometimes I feel like this is all a dream because the days are passing so fast, they feel like minutes or seconds going by. No matter how much I try to slow the days down, they are just flying by! Super fast! I can't believe that yet anther week has gone by! Wow! 

This week was fun! I spoke in church yesterday! It was really good, I spoke about covenants! The first speaker spoke for 25 minutes, and the Stake President was visiting and needed to speak after me, so my talk was basically 5 minutes, instead of 15 minutes like I had planned, but it was good. Covenants are so cool! I learned and realized that you really can receive blessings and power by keeping covenants that you make with God! There are huge blessings promised for those that keep their covenants! 

Also this week, we took Sergey to a YSA Fireside. President Packer and his wife spoke. We warned President Packer that Sergey was coming, and President spoke just to him for a lot of the meeting, talking about the importance of baptism and how to hear the voice of the Holy Ghost. It was perfect! They also talked a lot about marriage! AHH! But they have a super cute proposal story! ;) 

 I bought a ukrainian headdress :)

Sister Batalova and I, sharing some love with another sister :) 

Look! Gluten free banana bread...

except it wasn't. :( 

Did you know that baking 

powder has gluten in it... now I do!

Speaking of Sergey, he is progressing super well! We have focused on teaching him this week about how God speaks to people, because he isn't sure that he received an answer. So we watched a Mormon Message with him and asked him to try and ask God to explain and help him know how He (God) speaks to him (Sergey). He did that and his prayer was answered in a pretty special way. He was waiting at the bus stop, and just barely missed his bus. As he was standing there, he looked around and saw a billboard. On that billboard was written, "Ask and you shall receive, seek and ye shall find... You will find the kingdom of God where you see faithful people gathered" or something along that lines. He was pretty shocked and took that to be an answer! It is so cool to see someone that has never had much faith in God receive answer after answer and come closer and closer to God by the day! It is such a miracle! 

I know that God hears and answers our prayers. In the last conference, Sister Stevens spoke about prayer and said,

 "Wherever we find ourselves on the path of discipleship, whatever our worries and challenges may be, we are not alone. You are not forgotten. We can choose to reach for God’s hand in our need. We can face our challenges with prayer and trust in the Lord. And in the process we become more like Him.Speaking to each of us, the Lord says, “Fear … not; … I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; …I will help thee;yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

It has been fun to see Sergey progress and learn this lesson and to continually relearn this lesson myself! I know that God helps us and that He loves us! :) 

Have a great week! Don't forget to watch the women's meeting on Saturday night! :) 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TYSON! 14 years old! :) Yay! :) Have fun at those stake dances ;) ;) ;) 

I love you all! 

Sister Kati Ford