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Family and friends!

This week, we decided to cancel our exchange and have a little training meeting over the phone. With so many Sisters, it's been tricky to balance our responsibilities between them and our area and just don't feel right about it. These Sisters are top notch so we thought it would do more good to stick around here this week. I hadn't realized how much I missed being in one place for a week.

We've started working in a new part of our area this week. By new I mean we were previously scared to go in. It's a little forest of old apartment buildings and we're loving it! I thought I'd knocked my last door in Miss'ippi but I was happily mistaken. We've found some great people thanks to President Uchtdorf's "15th floor, last door" theory. (Thanks Kevin!)

We have also finally met with our newly called Ward Mission Leader and our Bishop and made lots of great plans! That's something that seems to happen a lot, in the Church and in life - we only make great plans.

I heard a General Conference status talk in Sacrament Meeting yesterday. She talked about success. She talked about the millions of meetings we have in the Church and all of our self-evaluations. This is only the of the preparation for success. In the preparation, we must plan to succeed.

As we plan, we must determine what's going well - plan to keep doing what's working because if it ain't broke, don't try 'n fix it; We must also analyze and determine where we want to end up. As we ask, "what's missing?" we make plans to focus on what's lacking.

Beyond the preparation, success can only be reached with dedication. We must plan to be constant in the search for excellence and be our own source of determination.

The thought of the day comes from her talk:

"If a ship is left without a sailor, no amount of good planning can fight against the tide; the ship will end up where the sea takes it. We must take control of our boat. We much plan our course with purpose, direct our sails with persistence, and we will make it to the dock of excellence." - Shirly Godinho

Amen!

In other news, I ate a cow's stomach this week. #youonlybrazilonce And we killed a tarantula on the side walk. Yup.

Here's to another exciting week!

love, love, love,
Sister Vaughn