Hello November

Mi familia y amigos,

    Hope everyone had a fun Halloween and an amazing week of Fall weather! It's so crazy that it's already November, time sure does fly! The weather here in New York was pretty cold for a few days especially Sunday, but today its been pretty warm and beautiful, and makes me really love Fall and all the gorgeous leaves and just everything about fall:)

    Halloween actually ended up being a really fun day for us! We went up to the Scarsdale chapel (by the mission home) for Mission Leadership Council (MLC). I'm pretty luckily I got to go since it's only for zone leaders and sister training leaders, definitely a perk of being a companion to an STL. We took the Metro-North up and upstate has so many more trees....we took a lot of picture, it was just too pretty not to! 

    President gave a really awesome training on how we can become more prepared for 2015 and all the changes it will bring. We talked a lot about the Doctrine of Christ, which is amazing every time president gives a training but this time it was really cool to focus in on specific aspects that individually can help me to improve, to become a better missionary and person. Overall it was just a really spiritually uplifting day and I really learned a lot of things that I personally needed. Also President and Sister Morgan a few weeks ago went to a mission president's seminar upstate and spent the weekend with Elder Holland in the sacred grove. As you can imagine that was probably one of the most amazing experiences, and I am definitely jealous of the spiritual fulfillment I'm sure happened. And being the amazing people they are, President and Sister Morgan brought each of us a leaf back from the sacred grove! Just the fact of where it came from was amazing but then President related the leaf to us and the side of the leaf that is turned towards the Sun has color and pattern and definition, whereas the reverse side is colorless. He then said we need to look to the Lord for our true character and definition. All the leaves are unique and beautiful but only when they are turned towards the Son, we are facing the right direction, we look to God and live. SO AMAZING.
   Sister Morgan made homemade chili in sourdough bread bowls, and homemade donuts all from family traditions, it was perfect. Sometimes it really amazing to have more of a taste of home on holidays! We came home through the Bronx and I got my first bodega sandwich (picture included) and then we mostly went home right after that since we had to be home by6pm for safety and such! But it was just a really fun day and it was nice to get caught up on some journal writing and sleep and such. We even went and chatted with Sis Spencer for a little while so she wouldn't be alone the whole night. Great Halloween for a missionary, spiritually and physically well fed is always good!

   Despite the pretty cold and rainy weather saturday and sunday we still had a lot of good lessons this weekend! We even, after waiting over 40 minutes for a bus, got to have dinner with the Giffords sunday night and his parents were there visiting so that was super fun! It's always awesome to have a good sunday dinner appointment makes it feel a little more like home :) we also got to go to a lady in the English ward's house too, kind of a second dinner? haha it was really good. Monday we had a really cool zone meeting that kind of followed the pattern of MLC but ended up being a really cool spiritual time for the zone. After that this cold I've been fighting really caught up to me, but somehow we still were able to teach 4 lessonsmonday! We met with a member and got fed mashed potatoes and sorbet (among other things) which is always great because I love those and was getting sick so it was perfect! And then we taught 3 of our investigators and had really good lessons so it was good we pushed through me being sick....but by the end of the night I was pretty sick. So Yesterday, and mostly today we've just been home sleeping and me taking nyquil and drinking fluids and all that good stuff. But I'm already starting to feel better today, so hopefully we'll be back to our full working schedule this weekend!

  Well sorry this email isn't super exciting, it was a bit slower of a week due to Halloween and me getting sick, but it was still a good week! And we took lots of good pictures, hope y'all enjoy them! :)
Have an amazing week! I love you all so much and am so grateful for the support you continually give to me, seriously wouldn't be who I am without all y'all so thank you:)

xoxo
Hermana Smart