Fetch the smelling salts!!

You GUYS!!

Sister Austin arrived.  She is so cool.  She is from a family of 9, all home-schooled.  She arrived on Monday night and when we picked her up from the airport she just had this huge grin and we hugged each other and I felt like a burden had been lifted from my shoulders.  She just makes life nice.  I am thrilled to be working in São Miguel with her.  

We have been trying to use the essential oils that you sent, Mom.  We call them the 'smelling salts' and have had a lot of great Pride and Prejudice quoting moments.  For example, 

Me: (as we are walking) "Wow, I think I have been walking weird because of that huge blister on my left foot.  Now my right hip is feeling kind of stiff."

Sister Austin: "Maybe one of the smelling salts can help!! Lydia, fetch the smelling salts!"

(laughter)

She doesn't believe in them at all, but she does a great job of helping me find opportunities to use them.  :)

We had a District Conference this weekend with Elder Donaldson of the 70.  It was bomb.  I was really touched -- almost the main thing he did was bear testimony of US, the full time missionaries.  I cried my way through the whole meeting, which is saying something because as a missionary I don't usually cry very often.  I cried way more before my mission than on it.  (so far.  we'll see.  :))  But yeah.  It was really powerful.  I had a cool experience during the meeting that I want to tell you all about.  But I don't really have time.  It reminded me of something said in a talk in the MTC:  "God will reveal you to you."  I feel like that happened to me a little bit yesterday.

I am feeling much better this week.  We had Zone Conference today, which was really awesome.  I love the Fluckigers more and more each time I see them.  We got to have Sister Radvansky and her comp, Sister King, sleep over last night.  and guess who is an amazing pianist!?  Sister King!!  So we got to jam out together this morning and we played a really nice version of O My Father for Zone Conference.  Sister Fluckiger recorded us playing it afterwards and is going to put it on the christmas cd for all the missionaries.  Yikes!  But cool.

I really want to read your letters, so I am going to stop writing for now.  I will try to send a more cohesive, informative letter next week!

I love you.  Always have.  Always will.  

Sister Sandholtz