Happy Thanksgiving week! I was reflecting on my last year's Thanksgiving when I first came to Zimbabwe. I made chicken and mashed potatoes. It was probably the saddest Thanksgivings I have ever had, BUT a funny memory to look back on. I hope you are all reflecting on what you are grateful for, and recognize the Lord's hand in your life. He is there, I promise! This Thursday we are going to dinner with members who are from America, and they work for the embassy. To say I am excited would be an understatement. We get a real Thanksgiving! I am excited that Sister Lalampaa gets to have a Thanksgiving experience as well. 
We had a second zone conference for the transfer where President and Sister Makasi introduced the new "Light the World" initiative. It totally goes hand and hand with our mission initiative, "Come see, Come help, and Come stay." We are really excited to use both of them together and help the members also help us in our missionary work. The members are amazing, though. We taught a Gogo that lesson and gave her some pass-along cards. She gave a card to her friend that she works with, and then took us to go see her and her two daughters! Their names are Tendai, Leanna, and Vanessa. They were not able to come to church on Sunday, but her daughter Leanna went to the young women's activity on Saturday, and they told us they are definitely coming to church this Sunday. Finding through the members is the best!
We had a baptism yesterday, and it was so sweet! Gogo and Sekuru, Chido, and Sipo entered into the waters of baptism. I don't think I told you about Chido or Sipo. Chido was a referral from the sister's recent convert, Amanda. (Amanda is also Gogo and Sekuru's granddaughter) Sipo just started coming to church with her friends, and comes every Sunday without fail! For the closing song at the baptism, we sang "Families can be together Forever." It was so amazing to see a family on a path that will lead them to be together forever. We already taught them about Temples and Families, and they were so happy to hear that Zimbabwe is getting a temple!
The Amidu family is doing great! They were able to come this last week, and they are really looking forward to their baptism next week. Manasa is also working towards a legal marriage, and he will be baptized on the 15th of December. Panashe has been coming to church with that member, Kudzi. He is also preparing for his baptism! Hatcliffe and Borrowdale are golden areas, and I am just loving these people SO MUCH! They are inspiring me. We had 18 people that we are teaching at church this last Sunday. 18!!!!!!!!!!
There is so much to be grateful for! I am SO, SO, SO grateful for my family, for the gospel, and for my life. There is a lot of joy in those three simple things for me. I don't know what I would do without any of them! In difficult times, the best way to deal with them is to find what you are grateful for. My mom always taught me to do that. When you are in a rough time, don't focus on what is going wrong, but focus on what is going right in your life. You will be a lot happier! I never forgot that, and I use it all the time when the rough days come because they do.
I am missing everyone a little extra today. But I know this is the last Thanksgiving in Zim, so I will enjoy it. Eat lots of good food for me Love you!
Sister Kershaw
I found cows... obviously, I had to take a picture with them
I ate termites at a dinner appointment last night. They actually tasted good, because they were fried and salty. hahaha, Don't judge!
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