Terra -- Pork chops and Applesauce!

Cebre, this is an ode to our Library photos

We can't hold babies, so we hold bears!

Giving our babies a head ride.

I love my watch!
People always ask,
"Did it come like that?

Sister Ward and I woke up very very tired this morning. But as the morning went on, we ended up singing Hanukkah songs and dancing around the Blackham's kitchen in our matching slippers, and laughing our heads off. It ended up being a wonderful morning. Every morning should be wonderful, I think. But I am a morning person. I think it's really hard for non-morning-people (Emma for example) to understand how mornings are for morning people. And vise versa. And I feel that the majority of the people are non-morning-people. Actually, I think Cebre and I are the only morning people on the planet. And I herebynow start the "Morning People Club" (and also am creating the word "herebynow") and anyone who wishes to join, may. But their is a process to joining and that is to write me an email or a letter telling me how much you love me and 100 great things about me. Well, we'll lower that down to 10. Also, today is "Terra Day", I've decided. Exactly two weeks before my birthday. Every year we're going to have "Terra Day" two weeks before my birthday. It will be the first day of the celebration that will last for two weeks until my birthday. And everyone will be happy and wear red-headed wigs and celebrate that I'm alive. 

Planning and a little bit of photo fun :]

After planning, we went a little crazy and took zillions of pictures.      
Most were horrendously ugly!

Okay, Sister Ward wrote all of that. Okay, no she didn't. I did. But I think it's a great idea still. :]

Sweet little mini Terra so cute on my bed

This email is going to be a special one, because it will include a very special moment that I've had on my mission so far, but first we will talk about some other things. I want to talk about food first. This week I ate porkchops!! Porkchops and applesauce! Minus the applesauce. But Sister Ward and I kept saying "porkchopsh........and applesaush...." because she knows what that's from too! I love the Brady Bunch. Too good. And they were good! That's the first time I've ever eaten pork. Our investigator Jody actually made us that dinner. She's incredible and we love her so much. Also, this week, I made egg salad. I can't even begin to describe how yummy egg salad is. It is just SO GOOD. It's ridiculously delicious. Also, I had honeydew this week for the first time. And THAT is delicious too. 

The Blackham's have a harp and a piano in their home, and it is right next to our study area. So on lunch breaks Sister Ward and I like to play the piano. Neither of us can play the harp, but we try. :] Today I figured out how to play "Mad World" on the harp, so I taught Sister Ward what to do on it, and we played it together. It was so 
beautiful! It was. It was glorious. Music is 
amazing. 

We went on exchanges this week. I got to spend a day in Little Miami with Sister Green. She was super fun. Super hard-working, but super fun. We've had a lot of investigator appointments this week and a lot of them are progressing. We've also found some miracles. One night while we were in a lesson with Jody, we got a text from the second counselor in our bishopric saying that there was a lady at the church with SEVEN kids who wanted to learn more about the church. Instantly after our meeting we called her and set up an appointment with her for the next day. Her name is Elizabeth and she is just taking in the gospel so well. She's had a really rough life and is just so ready to turn it around. She's been struggling with the adversary fighting against her through this all, but last night she got a blessing and it was a pretty neat experience and I think it helped. We have an investigator on date! Paige! She wants to surprise her sister and bro-in-law with an invitation and cookies on their doorstep, so we're doing that tonight. We're praying and hoping that she'll see through with this plan. Jody is amazing. Her family is amazing. She's been smoking since she was 9. She said a month ago she said she would never quit smoking and that she would die with a cigarette in her hand. And now she's on day 4 of quitting. It's amazing what the gospel can do. We haven't even gone over the commandments or the Word of Wisdom yet, but she wants to get baptized so badly and she knows she can't smoke, so she's already made the decision to quit. And it has been so hard for her, but she is pushing through. And her husband Denny is quitting today. Their whole family has really felt the Spirit. They know the gospel is true. Denny is the only one who is a little unsure, but they are all working towards being baptized at the end of April. We are so thrilled and just love them so much. 

So, this week was pretty rough. Actually, it was really rough. One morning I woke up just completely depressed. But of course, I bounced out of it by the end of the day. But I have just been so on and off with having it be good and bad this week. It's been a struggle with Grandma Allen and Grandma Fridae passing away. It has. I still don't quite know how to deal with it, and it's messing with my mind a lot. But Saturday was miraculous.

Nancy and I
What a blessed day

There was a stake Relief Society activity on Saturday, and two of our investigators were going, so Sister Ward and I decided it would be important for us to go as well. We all started out in the chapel and listened to a speaker. After that there was a musical number with 3 singers and a lady playing the harp. It was GORGEOUS. It was beautiful. The harmonies, OH the harmonies. I miss harmonizing. I wanted them to sing forever. It just brought tears to my eyes. After that we went to lunch in the gym. There was a really long line for the food, so Sister Ward and I went around talking to people at different tables. I saw one of the singers walking towards me, and I said to myself, "I HAVE to tell her how much I loved her song." She walked right up to me and gave me this huge and long hug. I told her how much I loved her song. She told me, "I'm so happy that I can meet you and give you a hug today." That puzzled me just a little. Then she looked me in the eyes and said, "I'm so sorry that I couldn't make it to Dyanne's funeral." And tears started coming to her eyes. I said, "Wait, you knew my grandma?" She said, "Yes! I'm her cousin!!" I can't even describe how precious that moment was. I gave her another big hug right then. It was such a tender mercy to see a relative, even though it was one I had never before met, but she knew exactly what I was going through, and loved Grandma Allen just as much. It filled my heart. We were able to talk about her, and find comfort in each other. It was truly amazing. I loved seeing Nancy. Her eyes were so beautiful, just like Tracy's. I knew they had to be sisters. And she had the same sweet and loving spirit that Tracy has, and I just felt like I already knew her. After this rough week of heartache and confusion, Heavenly Father blessed me with feeling the love from Nancy, a distant but close relative. That was a miracle to me. I'll never be able to convey to her how much that meant to me. It meant so much. 

Shoutouts:
-Melody: I don't need a letter, but at least please email me! :D I want to hear from you so badly!!
-Jenna: I've thought a lot about you this week. I hope you're doing well. I need my sweet Jenna! <3

It's still hard being a missionary. Sometimes I want to quit, but I know I never really will. This is my life right now. It's grand, like a piano. I can never say that enough. But it's true. I love you all!

Love, Terra

I've been taking all of my notes with my right hand in cursive.
I CRAVE it during the day.