Hello Everyone!
As this is the week to be thankful I would like to share just a few things I am grateful for. First and foremost, of course, is my Savior. What a blessing it is to find freedom through Him each day through service and the use of His wonderful Atonement.
I know that at this point you are all probably thinking, oh great this is going to be another one of Hermana Levanger's philosophical tyraids...I'll try to restrain myself!
The next thing that I am incredibly and forever grateful for is Hermana Dollahite. What an incredible friend. She is my family, and the one I look to for confirmation and example. She is wise, loving, kind, and unfailingly accepting. She has influenced my life for the good. I will miss her desperately when she leaves and hope that I helped her even half as much as she has helped me.
I am so grateful for my family, for their love and support. They each have different ways of showing it, but I know that they do.
I am so grateful to be a missionary and to have the chance to share the Gospel with God's children. I have met incredible people and will be changed forever because of the calling I received. It seems like so long ago that I sat on my bed locked in my room by myself in Tucson, Arizona and with trembling fingers opened my call. I know without a doubt that I was called here at this time for a divine purpose, and I will be forever grateful for that.
Yesterday, Maria and Jose (who were baptized just last week) came to church early. Maria showed Hermana Dollahite a tithing envelope and asked, "Who do I give this to?" I watched with joy and admiration as this 74 year old woman walked over to the second counselor, the only member of the branch presidency in the room at the moment, and handed him the envelope, I was just so happy. I remember when we taught them the Law of the Tithe, and that tithing is paid with faith. They were so happy to pay their tithing! That is something I am grateful for, the example of others, even those who act simply because of their love for the Savior and their desire to do His will.
There were 62 people in Church yesterday! Last week we had 60, and that was the highest we had ever had. I keep thinking that we might hit some limit, wonderful as it might be, but just sort of level out and stay there...nope! When we first got to St. Pete, weekly attendance at church was 18-25 people. Hermana Dollahite and I wanted to take out the back row to make everyone sit closer to the front (the back row always fills up the fastest!). But now, if we took out the back row, people would be standing in the aisles. Our Stake High Councilor attended our branch yesterday, and he suggested to our branch presidency that they consider moving up the date of when we move to the chapel! (I honestly think we might be in violation of some fire codes or something!) The biggest blessing is that, where only one family member used to come to church, now families are sitting together. People have come back to church. People have joined the church. We count the people and get a number, but every single one of those people is known to us by name. We care about them. We know how hard they work, each week, to get to church. We see the blessings they receive in their lives because they have the gospel. What a joy it is to be a part of it, to have it! I am grateful for that.
I love you all, and I am grateful for each and every one of you!!!
Hermana Levanger
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