Sister Rowland's Thanksgiving Email

Hey family!!! This week was one of the best weeks of my life. It was also one of the most difficult because I wasn't with you and I really missed you all! I hope thanksgiving was fun! You will have to write me and let me know all of the fun things that happened! Thanks for the letters and the package a couple weeks ago( sorry so late, i forgot to tell you last week)

So this week, on TUesday, Dallin H Oaks and his wife spoke to us. Their message was incredible. I wish I had more time on here to describe it but I'll include it in my next letter.
On Thanksgiving, Jeffrey R. Holland spoke to us. He requested all of the missionaries to ask questions for him to answer. It was very interesting and a very uplifting experience.
I missed you all so much, and I know I am where i am supposed to be because I learned something yesterday.
I would never have been able to appreciate you so much this season if I hadn't been away from you. Boy i took you all for granted! I am beginning to realize how incredible and how great of a blessing family is. I've always loved you all but I realized just how much you mean to me because I am not with you. Forgive me for not seeing this sooner.
The spirit is so strang here all the time, as you have heard. But I was thinking about how sweet the reunion will be when we have our Thanksgiving dinner together in 2 years. How wonderful it will be! The reunion that we will have when i get back will mean so much more to me because I have gone without it.
Elder Holland said it was okay to be homesick and to miss you all. It made me realize that Heavenly Father has the same feelings of homesickness and love and missings (saudades) for me...For all of us. I am sure it was hard not to have me or Ty with you. It sure was hard for me. And so it is with Heavenly Father. Every person who hasn't recieved the gospel up to this point hasn't been there for "thanksgiving dinner". Those people and empty seats are reminders of the work that we need to be engaged in. We must do everything we can to help those who are not with us "spiritually" make it there for next year. It takes lots of hard work, but if you think of it that way, the love that we have for others makes it really easy. THe feelings of longing for someone can work miracles and make us thankful for the things that mean the most to us. I am so thankful for all of you. For your support! Strength and examples. You mean the world to me. I am so thankful for Jesus Christ and for his Atonement. I am thankful for Repentance. Each of us has something we want to change in our lives and this makes it possible to be better. I'm thankful for the Holy Ghost. I'm thankful for Prophets and I'm thankful for the Priesthood and Temples. I love you all!!!! I'm especially thankful for trials and difficulties. THey are blessings!
Love you all!
-Sister Ash (Nashlay, pilicins, meem)
xoxoxoxoxoxo