Happy New Year! Bring on 2013!

Dear Family, Well, It was wonderful to talk to you all last week. Jules I am so sorry you have been having problems with your kidneys! That is no bueno. Thanks for the Christmas Gifts. They made my day so special. We spent Christmas with a familly in the ward. They were so pleasant and sweet that I forgot all about not being home. The next day we went to presidents house and had a wonderful dinner with a special devotional. I loved it. He is a great president. His wife is very sweet too. We visited with several missionaries which is always nice. Sometimes you feel like no one is having weird things happen to them, however, as you visit them you realize they are. Haha We have a girl we are teaching who has cancer. Please pray for her. She needs every prayer a person can offer. However, although prayers can sometimes be what we want, it is more likely that our hearts will be changed to understand what God's purpose is. Prayer is an interesting, but powerful work we do as latter day saints. I have learned more in the kneeling position than i care to count. Yesterday, I was praying for somethings and the thought came to me...Sister Braten, do you love me? I thought for a second and responded as peter did, Yeah, Lord I love thee. and in thought I added, " feed my sheep." His answer was simple but poignant, "feed my sheep". Immediately, I understood what he was saying. When all is said and done in the day, did you love Heavenly Father by feeding his sheep. As you come to love and serve his children, you will understand the Love he has for you. At the end of the Day or in the middle, I have been asking myself the question, " Do I love him?" If I can answer that question in the affirmative, with the understanding of what that truly means, than I have had a successful day.

Saturday, Every appointment fell through. So, what do missionaries do...they trackt. We were freezing cold. The wind was biting my face, and just about everything else, still we trackted. Each person we trackted into that day, we felt the calm assurance that we were suppose to see them this day. I am learning very quickly that the Lord guides our footsteps very specifically when we are about his work. I absolutely know that to be true. We had some wonderful conversations where the spirit was present. Just so you know how diverse my area is, on one block I trackted into someone from the Phillipines, from sierrra Leon Africa, Nigeria Africa, Albania, and someone from south america. One block. Pretty intense. Another block, we met a guy who said he would read the book of Mormon if we would read the Koran. Why not? I don't have one so after my mission i sure will haha. He was super nice, but very strong in being muslim. Church was wonderful. We learned a lot about grace. I will admit, I didn't understand grace as well as I am starting to. Like the atonement, grace is infinte and eternal. I am so grateful for the atonement and grace. I am learning quickly that surely we can do nothing without Chirst. A scripture that I found this week made me realize how much we rely on him, "Yeah, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the Children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him." that was in 1 nephi 7:12, the other scripture that stirred my conscious was in Isaiah 26:3-4, "Thou wilt keep in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever: For in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength." Each day, as I ask for my Heavenly Father's strength, he gives it to me. A funny experience that happened this week was as we were out trackting, we placed a card in a door the door mysteriously opened, and the card was pulled inside. The door was then shut. HAHAHA some people kill me. Sister Calton was a little weirded out by this, but in the end we had to laugh. Also, paul put some jokes in the back of my binder, which has saved my life, and we had some good laughs at that. Well, I love you all so much. I hope to hear from you soon. Ben and Abe I need your address. Mom did you get that number from my phone? If not, my letter I am sending today has her address. Also, it is the first of the Year. Thus, my gifts will be coming to you soon. The first Gift is love....you should be getting the package this week. Mom, I didn't get an email from you today. Are you doing all right? Love you all. Love Sister Braten