Hello Mom!

  How are you?? Tell me a little more about your talk. You could have just sent your letter to my apartment. Our interviews were up here in Portland. I haven't gotten your letter yet. It always takes a few more days for the mail to get forwarded up here from Manchester. I'm glad Amy's showers went well. I'm so excited she is going through the temple this week. That is awesome!! She is going to love it! I can't wait to see her wedding invitation. As for things I need...I'm not sure! Sorry I'm not much help!

  The leaves are starting to change and it is gorgeous! I'm waiting for more of them to change before I send you pictures. The Fall is beautiful here! I love it! My interview was great! President Stoker is wonderful! He is so inspired! He told me how he decided I needed to be serving in the Portland ward and that is was very clear to him that I needed to be with Sister Beus. It was great to hear how the Lord works. I know that President Stoker is called of God. He told me some things that I needed to hear and he gave me great counsel to use, especially when I'm on exchanges with the other sisters in my zone. The Sisters in my zone are wonderful! I got to see all of them at interviews. I love getting to know them all. The Zone Leaders taught us about extending commitments and why it is so important. Extending commitments is definitely a loving way to call someone to repentance. It was a wonderful day! We are starting our English class this week. I hope it all goes well! 

  This week we met with Lisa. She came to church this week. She is really connecting with Sister Campbell (the Seinor missionary). Relief Society was all about starting with a belief and going forward on the faith that we already have. She was taking notes in Relief Society so I hope she enjoyed it. We are hoping to meet with her this week again. A lot of people came and said hi to her. It was great! We taught her this week about the Atonement and how it can help us get through anything in life. We shared Alma 7:11-13 with her. We are trying to help her understand that God loves her and will help her. She doesn't really feel God's love for her right now. I know that if she listens to what we teach and acts on the invitation we extend to her that she will start to see God's love for her. 

  The ward had a "Meet the Mormons" activity on Saturday. There were a lot of members that came. It was an open house for people to come and see who and what we do at our church. We didn't have very many non-members come but we did have a woman who hasn't come to church in 40 years come to it with her husband that is not a member. She is from Utah and she has been feeling like she needs to come back to church. When she saw the sign for the activity she decided to come to it. For all the planning that went into it, it was all worth it just for this lady. She is now really thinking about coming back to church. God works in wondrous ways!  

  This week I have been thinking of all the little miracles in my life that I don't notice. God blesses us with miracles everyday. I was reading in Mark 6 and I noticed that Christ's Apostles didn't understand all of the miracles that He performed. In Mark 6:35-52, Christ made the loaves and fishes be enough and He also walked on water. These are two very apparent miracles but then I started wondering about all of the miracles that happen around me that I don't see or recognize. There are so many miracles! There isn't a day that goes by that I don't try to notice at least one miracle. I am going to try a lot harder to notice all of the little miracles! What miracles do you see everyday? I love our Heavenly Father! I know that He loves us so much! I love you so much! You are in my thoughts and prayers!

  Love,

    Sister Griffin