Hello! :) 

This is truly a crazy week! On Monday it is going to be below -50 degrees with wind chill, so we are not allowed to go outside at all. Apparently it's an "arctic freeze". Tomorrow will be quite bad as well, so we're only allowed to go to church if it's 5 minutes away or less (luckily ours is!). So, we are not going to be able to email Monday. Lest you worry, or anything like that, President asked us to email and explain the situation. :) Thanks very very much for the jacket! I'm wearing it right now :) and probably will wear it everyday until it warms up. It's perfect because it fits on top of my 4 different shirts, and under my coat! Haha I look like an eskimo, I'll send pictures, you will all get a laugh :) My companion and I had a lovely new years. We stayed up until 10:29! Haha gotta love the missionary schedule. We did have fun though, her mom sent us some noise makers and popper things that made noise and confetti fly everywhere, we took some crazy pictures and video :) The other very exciting news of the week, is that we have a new investigator! We haven't had a very solid investigator since our baptism, so we have been doing lots of finding (meaning lots of knocking on doors). It has been a struggle, but we found one! She is a wonderful lady with an 8 year old son. We have taught her three times, which has been really neat. She talks a lot though, so we really struggle keeping control of the conversation and getting out on time. It's good though, new challenges and struggles are always good, they keep me on my partially frozen toes! 

So funny story of the week, I have a new habit of waking up at 2-3 in the morning, getting out of my bed to pray, then looking at the clock,realizing that it is way too early and exclaiming "really? It's 2 o clock" waking up my companion in the process. Haha poor Sister Hartley, her companion is a nut! Haha it's great though, I'm only halfway coherent, so it's quite amusing in the morning. I have done it several times this week....I don't know what that says about my mental health! Just kidding, it's great fun :)

I talked last week about reading the Book of Mormon again. It has been such an incredible blessing! We read 6 pages a day, and it takes me a solid hour. I feel like I am receiving so much knowledge and insight. It's neat to read what I marked up last week, it's just like a spiritual journal. I was reading in 1 Nephi 21:15-16 and I just loved those verses! It's so true, The Lord will never forget us. He loves us, and always is there to help if we will just turn to Him. This morning I read 2 Nephi 9 and 10. They are incredible chapters. This morning I felt like my eyes were opened a little bit to the wonderful gift that Resurrection is. Our physical bodies are so important, they are incredible gifts that we have been given. Sometimes when I think about the Atonement I almost forget about the resurrection, but that is just as important as the suffering for our sins. It's an interesting thing to think about. I'm so grateful for the knowledge that we have. We truly are so blessed. Yes, life is quite hard sometimes, but we know that we can do it! We know that we have a Father in Heaven who loves us. Anyways, that's my spiritual thought of the day. Thanks again for all the letters and pictures! They make me smile :) I hope you all have a lovely week, and good luck to the kids in school! Yyyyoouuuuucccaannndddoooowwiiittt!!!! (with the accent ;) )

I love and miss you all!!

Love, Sister Christina Rose Trickler