Sept 9

My dearest family,
Things are going good out here! I can't believe that we are already
half way through the transfer! Time is going WAY too fast!!!! I have
been here in Grand Forks for 5 months now?! it's crazy!!! but I still
love the ward and the people with all of my heart :)

We were able to meet with both Stacey and Dakota this past week and
they are two of our investigators that I am the most excited about
teaching. Dakota is the one who is a senior in high school. This
wednesday we are going to go and teach her and we are bringing Brianna
Poppe along! so that should be a super strong lesson which I am
excited for. Oh! and Stacey is now officially on date for baptism on
the 12th of Oct. So I can't get transferred at the end of this month or
I will miss it!! :) They are both doing well and I am so thankful that
I have gotten to meet them.

So in the Ensign this month there is an article about a girl who
started out making a list of 100 things that she is thankful for and
then her sister encouraged her to find 1000 things! so she talked with
all of her family about the things that they were thankful for and
with their help she made a list of over 1200 things! so the other day
I started to make my own personal list of things I am thankful for. So
far I am at almost 300 :) but I want to hear what things you are all
thankful for too!! so everyone take time this coming week and write
out a list and send it to me!!!! I am determined to find 1000
things!!!! :) it's really helped me to appreciate all of the small
things in life and to think about very specific things in the gospel
that I am thankful for. I mean their are silly things on my list like
peanut butter and flip flops but then I also have things like knowing
that I am a daughter of God and my eternal family now and in the
future. It's been tons of fun! so get thinking, get writing, and send
them to me! :)

Sister Arrington and I are doing well. We are having more and more
silly funny moments together. I mean this is me we are talking about
here of course there are silly dorky moments :)  The church actually
just came out with this new stress guide which I will be honest when I
first saw it I was like... this is going to be super dumb.... but I
have since repented! I love it! It's been super helpful. It has you
identify different areas of stress that you have in your life and then
you only read about the suggestions for those specific things. So it's
not something that you are supposed to read from cover to cover but
only study the areas that will help you at that specific time in your
life. I think it's amazing :) it's helped our companionship a lot
that's for sure! So the other night (saturday) Sister Arrington and I
decided to have our own little party. So after we got in from teaching
and did our planning for the next day we had an hour before lights out
at 10:30. So we painted our nails, ate candy and chips, and watched
the movie The Testaments. It was great! so much fun :) I just love
being a missionary!!!!!!!!!

Something that I wrote in my journal last night and that I have gained
so far on my mission is how much I appreciate the Sacrament more now
than I ever have before. It's starting to become such an amazing
experience for me. Every week I get to pray and ask for forgiveness
for the mistakes that I know I have made and ask for the strength to
do better in the week to come. I also pray for all of the people that
I have met with in the past week, either less active members,
investigators, or the members of the ward. I especially pray for
those who made the decision to not come to church. As I ask for
forgiveness and pray for others the Sacrament has become one of my
favorite parts of my week! and for sure my favorite part of Sunday.

I am sooooo excited for the baby!!!! I keep telling everyone out here
about her :) I tell everyone out here about my amazing family! People
are of course always shocked that I am the shortest child in my family
and they are in awe when I show them our family picture (well I carry
the picture of all us kids at grandma boudreaux funeral in my
scriptures with me, that one and the one of mom and dad and I when I
opened my mission call) I show you guys off to everyone! :) because of
course my family is the best one out there!!

We are having a zone conference tomorrow (well it's like half of the
mission coming to it) where a member of the 70 is coming to talk to
us! so that should be super amazing! I will write about it next week
in my email home. and we have tons of appointments this week so we
should be busy! it's an exciting time to be a missionary! I am just so
grateful for this opportunity to serve! and I am thankful for all you
back home who love and support me! thanks for all that you do!

Love always, your favorite sister missionary,
Sister Boudreaux
aka your crazy youngest child Denae :)