Week 12 - Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello Friends,

Well it's been two weeks since I last wrote, and a lot has happened, so hopefully I can do some of it justice! Honestly it's tough to think back to a couple weeks ago, but one thing that I definitely want to mention is the baptisms of Sammi and Ambri Hart-Norris! I've had the opportunity to know and teach these girls almost since I got here to Fruitland, and to see them take this major step in following Jesus Christ was a beautiful experience. The Spirit was super strong and you could see the happiness just bubbling out of them. Elder Bacon and I had planned on giving a short presentation at the baptism about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and it got a lot more stressful when we looked to the door and watched the mission president, his wife, and about 20 missionaries from Nampa walk in. But it all went well and I'm so happy that this family could come closer to each other and to the Lord.

The Meridian Temple was dedicated yesterday, along with the Cultural Celebration on Saturday. Both were beautiful experiences where the Spirit was strong. The Cultural Celebration was the closest thing to TV I've watched in quite awhile, so I think I was even more entertained by it than I would be normally. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf dedicated the temple yesterday, and he blessed it that it will be a light to this area. We've already seen that light in action as thousands went through the open house and felt the Spirit of the House of the Lord, and I'm excited to see it continue in the future!

With Thanksgiving coming up, my invitation to all of you this week is to get down on your knees and thank God for all that He does for you. You may not see a lot of great things in your life now, but as you begin to search for them, you'll see more and more. We've been teaching a man in his 30's who is a great example to me of this kind of gratitude. He grew up on the streets in a gang, and watched as some of his family and friends were killed. He spent time in prison, where he decided to turn his life around. When he was released from prison, he got a job and got married. Shortly thereafter, he received word that he had diabetes, and since then, that diabetes has caused him to go almost completely blind and lose his job. This guy has lived a seriously tough life, but he is the most grateful man I've ever met. His life and prayers are filled with gratitude to God. I've been honored to learn from him, and I hope that I can recognize God's blessings as well as this man does.

Praying for you always,

Elder Doyle