This week was kind of a crazy week for me; full of change and newness. It was a little overwhelming at times, but now I’m pretty good, just working through my everyday challenges. This area is very different from Lynden. So, I started out at the very top of the mission. Now I’m at the very bottom! Lynden was a cute little Dutch town with lots of farm land. Harbor Pointe is FILLED with homes.😐 And there are so many people! Which is great, there are more people to hear the true gospel! Sister Bell, my companion is from the Blackfoot, Idaho area. She knows Kelsey Glenn! They saw each other at a school states contest thingy and they became facebook friends. Then they saw each other at the MTC. It’s so funny how small the world is!😱

For Thanksgiving we went to an older member’s home, the Durland’s. They had the Elders over, too, because our area is split with them and I guess they wanted both sets!😁 After feasting on turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, and other Thanksgiving food, we ate pie and played Scategory with their divorced son and this other divorced lady. On certain holidays we aren’t allowed to proselyte after 6 pm. So when we got home I took like a 3 hour nap! I then had the energy to unpack the rest of my suitcases. 
This week has been an exciting time of meeting new people and knocking on lots of doors, as well as trying out my street contacting skills. We have like 5 investigators right now and two are on date to be baptized. Trevor, or 26 year old investigator with Asperger’s, will be baptized on the 10th of December, and Ed, our 66 year old investigator who needs to stop smoking, is working for December 31st. We have other people that we are so excited to teach! I know I’m going to learn so much from Sister Bell and I am very excited for those learning opportunities.
Today’s study was a study on gratitude and how I can have more gratitude. I was reading in 2 Nephi 11 and 12. I know that if you read the scriptures that you will delight in them and you will become so grateful for what the ancient prophets wrote for us. We can learn so much from the people in those times long ago.The scriptures also testify of Christ and tell they tell of all that He did for others. When we study the Savior’s life we are always filled with gratitude. He overcame death for us. He has redeemed us of sin through the Atonement and made repentance a possibility. Without Him we could never return to live with Heavenly Father and we would have to bear the pains of our mistakes. We can also develop more gratitude when we study the Plan of Salvation. I am so grateful to know that there is a plan for us to have everlasting happiness. Making mistakes is part of the plan and we knew in the pre-earth life that we would make mistakes and be able to be forgiven. 
I know that focusing on what we are grateful for makes us more happy because we can see what God has blessed us with. I hope you have a fantastic week to come!
I love you!
Sister Tomkinson