DC Week 41!

November 18, 2013

Hey Family!!!  How's everybody doing so far this week?  Dontcha’ just love Mondays??

Okay first off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ASHY ROSE!!!!!  Yay for November Birthdays!!  I love you so so much sweet girl, and can't believe you will be turning double digits!!  I remember the day you were born, and how excited I was to hold you for the first time...Time goes by so fast...

Well let's see, it's been a good week.  Lots of success with our little ward lately... It is growing stronger and we have been able to see lots of miracles since we have focused our efforts on our part member families.  There is so much good work to be done there, and I think that for me, those situations are my personal favorite.  There is something so spiritually satisfying about helping whole families accept the gospel.  The rewards?  Priceless.  And eternal, really.  The blessings that come to those families have ripple effects for generations to come.  I would love to go through the temple this summer with a few of the baptisms I had been a part of at the beginning of my mission...I imagine it is something beautiful to see that deep wrought, and genuine change in one of God's children.

Story time: So yesterday evening, Sister Clement and I had rushed out the door for some appointments and right as the door slammed shut behind us, I probed, "You got the keys, right?" We immediately froze where we were.  Looked up at each other.  And then with big smiles beginning to grow on our faces, we both answered together: "Nope." Hahaha!  We just died laughing.  Well turns out, the only things we grabbed on our way out were our bags, and a big fat book of classic Christmas songs--we wanted to sing in the car because we are sick of listening to the same David Archuletta CD that has been on repeat since, oh...about September.  So naturally, we sat on the fourth floor of our stairwell caroling to passersby within earshot of us until the maintenance guy came.  Needless to say, we had some good practice, and I have been working on my harmonizing.  It's quite fun, actually!

Well family, it's that jolly time.  I love you to pieces.  Please check out this little Mormon Message.  You may have already seen it...Such a powerful message.  It's easy to think that Christ is always there when life is dandy...but what about the difficult times?  That's when I especially find it hard to turn to my Heavenly Father...but if we can master that skill...and realize that not only is He there, not only has He sent a Savior for us so that we can overcome...but He wants us to turn to Him in need... We chose to come into this life, knowing it wouldn't be easy...knowing it wouldn't be perfect...and knowing that neither would we...but that it would be worth it.  That through the healing and sanctifying power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ...anything...anything is possible.

Here's the link. Watch it together.
http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-01-003-mountains-to-climb?category=mormon-messages/mormon-messages-2013

Oh how I love you!  Continue to look for ways you can serve others this time of year!

Hermana Graff

Alma 32:16 http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/32.16?lang=eng