Happy Thanksgiving!

FAMILY. FRIENDS! HI! 

This is not the first time I will be not with my loved ones for Thanksgiving. Thinking back on Thanksgiving of all Thanksgivings...there was Disneyland one year where we ate weird French food, remembering 2 years ago I was in India and boy, would I never give that one up, ate some curry & some more curry stuff and NOW, I'm here, NY, food can only be more appetizing than those.. probably will eat some amazing feast because The Darger's and Lanier's are just those kinds of families. They'll have all the good stuff, minus grandma's heavenly rolls.

Okay... The week began with the opportunity to go to an innerfaith Thanksgiving breakfast with around 300 people where we sat around a table and got to know each other. Jumpstart on the Thanksgiving festivities! There are far more similarities than there are differences! As we listened to the different speakers, I thought it was cool to hear Palmyra pop up out of the many different places that may be important to each of us. He then said you can ask someone at your table about these places.. Palmyra, New York. We have the opportunity every day, especially living in New York, to share the facts about Joseph Smith and The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's a wonderful thing that I know the spirit can confirm to each of us who earnestly prays to know. That was really neat to see so many people come together, especially with everything going on around us.

We had met this man after tracting this whole neighborhood and no one was home. This one man said we could come back another time so we said okay, Thursday! Well Thursday came and mid weekly planning, I did not think we should drop everything and drive all the way to Valhala...not super close and it was pouring outside. Sister Hislop said we probably should since we said we would come back even if he did not seem so interested. We made our way back to Valhala through the rain to Robert's home. Robert opened and talked to us for about 45 minutes just about everything. Kindest man in all of Valhala. I've met maaaany. People call him Bobby Z. He told us about his lack of interest in the religion he's been raised in and a little about his life. His wife passed away and he has raised his 2 kids and mom for a long time. He is single and a selfless man. He asked us all sorts of questions... Even if we have events for single men like him :) yes we do Bobby :) And temples :) he wants us to come back after the holidays to discuss and feed us!  I felt so humbled that this man, I didn't think much of, is soooo prepared and I almost let him fly by us. Heavenly Father taught me of integrity also that every person we meet could be that one he has been working with because they are turning to Him. We don't know who our Heavenly Father's trying to communicate with. This day, Robert was that one. This man is a saint and absolutely needs the Gospel in his life. 

A small thing that was big for me that also happened was a specific prayer to find just one person to talk to. Just one! When we went to look someone up there was a group of people in the elevator. I opened my mouth and we were able to go into this ladies home to share with her a message and set a time to come back. Simple things like that are the big things here. This work never happens though if we don't open our mouths. Open your mouth= miracles. Heavenly Father will always answer a specific and sincere prayer if we do our part afterwards.  

Then, on the way down. I asked this man if he'd had a good day and if he's staying warm or something (it's getting supa cold) and he said, "no!" he works outside. I said, "do you do construction? Do you know Jeff Lanier?" He said yes!! He's grown up with him!! Nice guy. We gave him our card. Open your mouth!! You never know. 

Well, I am really thankful for each of you. I know that as I have been here the times I have had to dig out happiness I have tried to take a step back and look at the many things Heavenly Father has done for me. He blesses each of us so much. The secret is, the happiest people are the most grateful people so I want to be one with an attitude of GRATITUDE. 

Thank you for everything you all do for me! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and show some gratitude to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. This is something I feel grateful for, especially now, is the closeness I am able to have with my Savior through the holidays away from home. 

Love, Sister Vassau