It was just barely a new year, and now 10 days have come and gone already. I am grateful for a few of those days to be gone, as we had some pretty cold weather this past week. Hopefully, there won't be any more of those while we are here. It is not that I am complaining (okay I am), but our wardrobe doesn't consist of sweaters and such because it wasn't suppose to get so cold. People were picking their citrus and covering plants with whatever extra blanket they had. We have been given lemons, oranges, and grapefruits a plenty, which we are so enjoying. If it didn't cost so much, I would mail some home.

The office was busy this week which we thought would happen after the holidays. We worked with 17 people and was able to actually sign some of those onto ldsjobs.org. We had a good question and answer day with Brother Stotts who was here on Thursday from Houston. He brought news that an Elder and Sister Anderson from Mt. Pleasant, Ut will be entering the MTC on February 1st and will be the couple replacing us. So, sometime in March we should be on our way home. We still have a lot we want to put into action, so will keep pressing forward in our service.

Missionary résumés have starting coming in, so I am working at keeping up with them as there are 11 going home in January. There was 19 that came out in December, so the missionary work continues to move forward. We really want to sign the missionaries that are going home onto the new web site and hopefully we can make that happen. President Miller gave his consent for it to happen on their departure day, so we need to somehow make that happen. We are thinking that the office couple, Elder and Sister Goldsberry, could do this so we didn't have to be out of our office. It sure takes a lot of planning to make things happen, but in the end, everything seems to work out.

I attended two Sacrament Meetings today and enjoyed both very much. We planned on attending one ward and then just as we were about to leave this morning, I got a call from Sister Brandt to play for her ward. Thank goodness they were in the same building, so I just left Sunday School class a little early in the 1st Ward so I could start prelude in the 2nd Ward.
The leaders are always so appreciative and again I am grateful to my mother for her persistence, and that there was a piano teacher in our little community so I could have the opportunity.

There are always such good articles in the Ensign and worth every minute of reading time. President Uchtdorf's words that we have a celestial pedigree and therefore have all the necessary talents to make our life an eternal success story, is something everyone needs to hear and believe is true. I was pleased to see that the Relief Society message was on Self-Reliance, which is the emphasis we have used on this mission. Elder Holland's counsel that the past is something to be learned from but not to be lived in. Faith is always pointed toward the future. Faith always has to do with blessings and truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives. In these troubled times, it is so comforting to have these great leaders to inspire us to have hope and courage; to remind us of who is really in charge.

With love,
Los Averys