GOOOOOOOOOOO COUGARS!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey everyone! How about them cougars!!!!! I wore blue on both Friday and Saturday and you better believe I was praying for them. Saturday night I couldn't handle not knowing and so I called a member who always shares with me the scores. He is a huge Utah fan and his wife is a huge BYU fan. So when I called I heard his wife scream "noooooo" and he said "guess who just won! I'll be wearing my Utah tie tomorrow." He told me that it was overtime and I informed him that BYU still had a chance but that I had to go into a lesson. Well, yesterday at church I noticed that he wasn't wearing his tie and he and his wife mouthed to me who was victorious. I'm so proud. I just wanted to rise and shout but decided it wasn't appropriate because Sacrament Meeting was just about to begin.
Thanksgiving definitely was different this year. I was reminded of all of my many many blessings. We first went to dinner at Mary's. It was her first Thanksgiving as a single mom and kind of rough. It was us, her 3 kids, her mom, her aunt, and cousin. We ate the normal Thanksgiving food and stayed for a few hours. After that we went to the home of some recent converts. We just love this family. They're really struggling financially (it's a mom and 3 kids 18, 19, 21). They're going to lose their home so it wasn't the happiest Thanksgiving for them. After that we went to Hermana Ughetto's. Her son is on house arrest and so the police told her that she can't leave her house either. It's pretty sad. Her husband is in Iraq too. From these three houses you can imagine how I just kept thinking of all of my many blessings. I'm so lucky to have an intact family who loves the Lord and serves him. It really didn't feel like Thanksgiving but it was really nice.
On Saturday this lady called us and told us that she was inactive. She asked us to come over to her house for dinner. So we went yesterday and she just wanted company. She's divorced and all of her kids are grown and live in different states. We had a really good time and she didn't want us to leave. Hopefully she'll come back to church because she needs the spirit with her more than when we are there.

When we were there I was thinking, that in some ways I sure have changed. Before I was way shy about going to people's houses and now I go over to complete strangers homes and eat their food without even thinking twice. Another way I've changed is that I'm not nearly as naive as before. I've heard about everything you could imagine that could happen to someone. This has just shown me that the world is crying for help and the source of healing and comfort is Jesus Christ. Because of my testimony in Jesus Christ and all of yours I haven't been subject to terrible things. I've been really really lucky.

We had an awesome experience this week. We were just walking through our parking lot and there were these 2 guys in their early 20s. One was super friendly and we were thinking that he must be LDS. Well it turns out that he is a returned missionary and was married in the temple! Also, his friend's girlfriend is LDS. So we started talking to them and we're now teaching this friend. He even came to church yesterday! This just shows me that when we're doing what is right the Lord puts people in our path, even when we lease expect it.

I hope that you all have an awesome week! Find ways to serve. Service brings so much real happiness. Let others see your good works and glorify our Father in Heaven. Also, there is a line in the Restoration movie that I love and think about a lot it says, "Do you have faith and are you willing to show the Lord the evidence of your faith?" Think about it. I know that when we show the Lord the evidence of our faith blessings are poured out to us. I love you all so much and am so thankful for all of you! It's snowing today in El Paso, crazy!
Love, Hermana Melissa Anderson