Glory

So I was able to go to the temple this week again, but the Rexburg temple. We went for a sort of "sister missionary bonding experience". I like the sisters in my zone. We are all so different, but we enjoy each others company.

A foreign exchange student from Taiwan who lives with a member family in our family stake is getting baptized the first of February. He is the funniest 16-year-old. Awesome personality and loves to learn. His young men's president actually told us that he was in class and the teacher was asking him all these questions that a priest-aged young man should know and Brian couldn't answer them. The teacher asked Brian after the lesson why he didn't know an of the answers and Brian told him that he had only been in America and going to church for 6 months. The teacher was shocked and didn't know he wasn't a member. Brian is one of the most active priests, and isn't even a member! He has to have special permission from his parents and the foreign exchange program he is in to get baptized, but all that is taken care of. He is an awesome kid and will be a pioneer to his family!

Last night we went to the Idaho Falls Temple Visitor's Center to hear a fireside on conversion through the Book of Mormon. If our investigators didn't get anything from it, which i know they did, then I sure did! The speaker connected the Bible and the Book of Mormon working hand in hand so clearly. I left the meeting with a stronger desire to learn more and strengthen my testimony of it truthfulness. This morning I was reading in the Book of Mormon for my personal study and came across a very empowering chapter. Second Nephi chapter 29. This chapter explains the obvious purpose of the Book of Mormon and the reason why Heavenly Father needed another testament of Jesus Christ in writing.

The snow is melting, it's been in the 30's all week. Quite nice, I don't even have to wear a coat during the day! I've struggled the past months on being able to buy all of my groceries with $120, but this month I have been able to do so. I miss seafood so much. Salmon, shrimp, and talapia sound so good right now. We do eat a lot of potatoes, I got sick from one of the meals this week. It was a baked potato with a chicken taco soup concoction on top. Better than nothing I guess! Let's just say I love when I get to cook my own meals. But on the other hand, President Sterm (President of Religion Dept at BYUI) made us some mean burgers. Reminded me of home! I still have my kashi and almond milk for breakfast and my peanut butter, oats and banana smoothies other mornings. YUM.

One last thing...A talk shared in a student ward we attended this Sunday really stood out to me. He said, "There is no glory in being better than someone else, there is only glory when we find ourselves better than our former selves." WOW. How true is this. We each have been given different talents and challenges. The Lord gave us these to see if we could build upon them, not to compare them to others. This really helps in missionary work and life in general. I hope this sticks with me, and each and every one of us as we go about our days.

I love you all with all my heart. Keep keeping me updated.

Sister Fredrick