We even got See's turkeys!

So this week has been a good one as usual. We have a baptism on Saturday with one of the YSA girls! She is truly amazing. So I haven't talked too much about her but I think I will today. So she had sat in on a lesson about two or three months ago when some missionaries were teaching the word of wisdom. And not much happened after that. So for the first two weeks I was here we were trying to contact her and set up something with her and finally like the day after the election we met up with her and had a lesson on life. And how we are supposed to be good people generally. It was a really weird lesson and I wasn't too sure if we should set up a follow up lesson with her but we did anyway. And since like Nov. 7th we have seen her basically every day and set a baptismal date and taught her all the lessons and commandments. She has caught hold of this wonderful gospel and ran with it, not ever looking back. She has been through some tough times in her life but wants a change and what I love most is that we as missionaries get to be there for the whole complete change. She looks different she acts different she has been changed by the Atonement. I love my mission. I'm so dang lucky to be able to do this. 

What else happened this week? So there is this crazy girl that we talk to every once in a while and she is pretty funny but she is trying to quit smoking. So we came over and she was saying she was going to stop after her last three cigs inside. I was like "no no no that ain't happenin' go get those cigs and we are going to step on them". And she is like "no you wouldn't".  But we just stared at her until she went in and got two of them. We threw them on the ground and each stepped on one. We then proceeded to tell her to go get the third one and it was her turn to stomp on it. So she did and she did step on it. It was cool. Since we did that she has smoked just a couple packs but still has a desire to quit. We will keep checking up on her and hopefully get her to quit. 

Our Thanksgiving was awesome. We started the day like normal with our studies and all that good stuff then went and played dunk ball. It was so sweet. Then we went to a member's home and had this huge dinner thingy and it was amazing. We even got See's turkeys. [editor's note: See's chocolate turkeys are a tradition around here... I am so happy that some wonderful family in Redding invited the missionaries for Thanksgiving AND also recognized the yumminess and necessity of giving See's turkeys!] And then after, we went to the stake center and played some more ball. It was so sweet!! I love basketball. 

Anyway life is so good. I'm starting to really love Redding. I wonder if I will finish my mission here. I wouldn't mind it. But thanks so much for everything you do!