Dang Gina, that's a whole lotta news! I love it :) I'm so glad the reception went so well! I sure love each of our family members and all the others you mentioned.Also, I love that you entitled it "FAT DOG". Nobody here believes that it helps. Poor saps.
Our area's doing pretty well. I think I wrote last week that we're working a TON with members to strengthen the ward and organize the ward roster, but we're finding quite a few new investigators. Apparently missionary work has been super slow lately so finding 3 new investigators per week is awesome. Also we've been surpassing our goals for having members with us at lessons and meeting all our other goals for the number of lessons we teach to members, etc. IT'S SO COOL! Our ward is really great and the members are so so generous. We're working on helping them be more missionary minded, so if you have any ideas of what we can do for them, please let me know!
Sister Jensen is from Gilbert, Arizona and is a Special Education major at ASU. She's a good, hard worker, and very practical when it comes to setting goals. She's so sweet about helping me relearn English :)

We taught Gospel Principles yesterday and talked about Christlike attributes. We had planned to talk about a few of the less commonly mentioned/examined ones, but we ended up talking about virtue for most of the hour. We talked about how virtue deals directly with purity and power. When we focus on keeping the commandments and living well, we allow the Holy ghost to penetrate our lives more fully, which not only purifies our spirits, but empowers us to be greater representatives of the Savior. That's why it's so important to have "virtue garnish our thoughts unceasingly." The idea that spiritual healing promotes physical healing has been rolling around in my mind a little bit...which is interesting, considering what you wrote about trauma observed being recorded as trauma experienced personally....

We found a new investigator at a frozen yogurt shop: David who's 20 years old. He's recently gotten his heart broken, so he's looking for help to feel hopeful again. We have another named Jeff who's about the same age and we'll be teaching him more aobut Joseph Smith this week. He seemed like a pretty spiritual person, so we're hopeful.
Also Raj, an investigator from India who is married to one of our members (both are AMAZING people...i would love to be more like them) they are both going to visit the LA temple today. Raj has been to the SLC temple and he LOVED it. Please pray for all of them that they'll be touched by the Spirit and feel motivated to come closer to Heavenly Father.

As far as Christmas and birthday, to be honest, the vast majority of things I would like are things I have at home. I have a bunch of CDs that I would LOVE to have here.... like Josh Groban, Coldplay(it fits the mission standards, so far as I can tell), The Rocket Summer, Nickel Creek etc. I might not actually have the Rocket Summer CD, but if it's not there, that's one that I'd love to have. Also, the Little Women soundtrack would be lovely :). Aside from that, fun earrings would be cool...I have a bunch at home that I left. Also, a page-a-day calendar. A good one, like DIY crafty stuff or something. Also, some cool paper to write letters. Aside from that, whatever you think I'd like I'm sure will be AMAZING. you tend to have great taste :). Oh! also: footie socks. but the ones that just cover the toes, not the ones that come halfway up the foot.
I talked to Sister Martin about my unusual tiredness and she says that generally when they check these things out, it's just mission exhaustion and I haven't been sleeping as well as I need to be. Incidentally, I did get a new mattress the same day I talked to her. I can't tell yet if it's helped. I've been having super vivid dreams un/fortunately I remember all of them. Last night's involved elders tracting with pink bras over their suits. Anyway, we're going to ask the mission doc what he thinks this week.
Love you more than all the holes in my socks,
Hermana B