Week 28: Still in Oneida!

...And she's still with Sister Larsen!! 🎉🎉🎉 I really didn't think they'd get another 6 weeks together, but I'm so glad I was wrong!! 💕

She sent Marissa an email with a fun picture, and three additional pics to me, so here they are for your enjoyment! 

1- She squished a penny for me on the train tracks and sent it to me a couple of weeks ago.
2- She sent this to Marissa, and asked her to identify what was wrong in the pic...
3- Eating at "Darla's Place"
4- Taking General Conference VERY seriously

Here's the group email:

Good Morning! 

Transfers happened on Tuesday, but Sister Larsen and I are staying in Oneida!! Crazy! We're so excited and we absolutely love Oneida. We celebrated the good news at Nicky Doodles that night. We got a New York specialty called a trash plate! They call it the Doodle Dumpster and it was delicious. Pics included. :) 

This week has been full of good lessons and fun days. I love being a missionary. This weekend was General Conference! I am so, so grateful for the opportunity twice a year to hear from our Prophet and other leaders of the Church. It gave me a much needed spiritual boost! And they announced astonishing changes! Starting in January, church will only be two hours instead of three, and I can tell you right now that that will make it easier to get people to church. Haha. The Church is focusing on a new home-centered church-supported curriculum that is so exciting. I can't wait to see how this changes lives, including in my own current and future family. I love the gospel and can't wait to discuss it even more with my loved ones. They also annouced 12 new temples!! Amazing!! I absolutely loved Conference! 

Something else I noticed that they emphasized in Conference was to not be too hard on ourselves. It can be so easy to see our shortcomings, big or little, and start to see ourselves as less than. Well, stop it! Haha. They talked about how much our Heavenly Father loves us and that we need to be kind to ourselves. We will always have struggles and trials in our lives. That's part of being human. But we can be confident that as we take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, show kindness and love to those around us, and grow and improve spiritually we can and will be happy! SO happy! 

Love you all! 

Sister Fairbanks

1 - trash plate

2 - Conference shenanigans at Sister Sreca's

3 - fall is coming...!