Happy New Year!

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all had a great Christmas! It was a great one here in the Kettle Moraine ward. Probably the warmest Christmas in Wisconsin history... around 55 degrees! It was a beautiful day! Today is a big snowstorm, though, and the word is that this year's "vacation from Wisconsin weather" is now officially over. From here on out we're supposed to have snow, ice storms, and (finally!) negative temperatures! I'm actually pretty excited to experience it! Well, maybe not the cold temps as much, but I love snow!

Skyping my family was the best! I miss them so much! The time went way too fast and the connection wasn't the greatest and I was kind of speechless the whole time just staring at everyone's faces but it was great :) (P.S. for anyone who doesn't know, Alex sounds a whole heck of a lot like Batman these days!)

We found out today that because the MTC time is being extended for native speakers, our mission time is being extended a week. At least I'm pretty sure that's what the email meant. So if all goes according to plan, I should still be home for Christmas in 2016, folks! :) 

Hmm, as far as actual work goes this week was interesting. We had several member appointments, but most nonmembers were unwilling to meet with us until after the holidays. So hopefully we will be teaching more lessons in the upcoming weeks! We did, however, meet a new investigator named Mr. Malone. He's a high school teacher and he's read portions of the Book of Mormon but is highly skeptical of it; he definitely doesn't believe it's divinely inspired, or written by prophets. Basically, he was looking at it from an entirely logical perspective, and only finding faults in what he was reading. The lesson was a good reminder to me that it's not enough to  have a testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet just because he was uneducated and there's no way he could have written something like the Book of Mormon. We need to know the Book of Mormon is true, and that Joseph Smith was a prophet, because the Spirit witnesses to us that it's true. Spiritual knowledge comes spiritually, not logically. Which isn't to say the gospel shouldn't make sense logically - it should - but that it's CRITICAL that we don't rely solely on the logic of it, and instead put special emphasis on the feelings and promptings we get from the Spirit testifying of truth. Just like how it's great to believe in God because the world around us is incredible and couldn't have been created by accident... but it's even BETTER to believe in God because we have personal, CORE experiences with Him in our lives. It's good better best, I guess! (Sorry if this is all a jumbled mess, it all makes sense in my head!)

Love you all! Hope you make some good New Year's resolutions. Even better, I hope you still remember them come February! ;)

Have a great week!

xoxo

Sister K. 

Merry Christmas!!!

Hey Everyone!

Hope you are all having a great Christmas season so far! In my case it hasn't really hit me yet that Christmas is THIS WEEK because the weather has been oddly warm lately, especially for Wisconsin! It got down to the 20s this week but now its back up to the 40s and 50s. God must really love me because I am just a baby about the cold!

This week we saw many miracles! One of those is the Lyons family. They were investigators about a year ago, and we re-established contact with them a couple weeks ago and started teaching them this week. On Thursday was our zone conference, and right after zone conference was our lesson with the Lyons, and EVERYTHING we learned in conference directly applied to the lesson! It was AMAZING! The Lyons' daughter Erin said the closing prayer and it was one of the happiest, sweetest moments I have ever experienced. I love that family so much!!! Sister Tidwell and I both feel a really strong and special connection to them, even though we've only known them for a short time. I think that's one of the greatest gifts we receive as missionaries; the ability to love people genuinely and intensely from the very first moment we meet them. For me, that love is something I've really prayed to have, and so many people I meet are answers to that prayer! 

We also had a lesson with Joy this week. We taught the Plan of Salvation, and along with that, I am always pondering about the premortal life and what it means. The fact that our personalities, talents, and natures are all so different from each other, even from our infancy, attests to the truth of our premortal existence and that we learned and developed skills before coming to earth.

We're still doing LOTS of finding as we try to build up the area. Even though progress is hard to see, the work is picking up because the members are getting more involved! Kettle Moraine is an amazing ward, it really is! The past couple nights we have been going out with the ward mission leader and his wife and other members to carol to investigators and families who need a boost. I love love LOVE Christmas caroling, and it's a great way to bring in the Spirit!

The Ward mission leader and his wife, Brother and Sister Bonner, gave me the greatest Christmas gift ever yesterday. Each of us missionaries got an orange (because we've been "especially good" (sis. Bonner) ) and a box of cereal!!! That's right Mom and Dad, a box of cereal just like our long-standing family tradition!!!! It totally made my day. I love you all and have been thinking a lot about you as I anticipate Christmas, but I want you to know I am so happy and the people here are really taking care of me :)

Have a great week! Merry Christmas!

xoxo

Sister K.

P.S. I tried to send me and my companion's Christmas photo, but if it didn't work, let me know! I'll try again next week! :)

14 Dec 2015

This week was great! I am loving being Sister Tidwell's companion. We're getting along really well and working hard together! I am also so happy to be serving in Kettle Moraine and being able to focus all my time and efforts on ONE ward and ONE area. We're not running around crazy all the time anymore and it makes it easier to keep track of the miracles!

One miracle that happened was a lady named Linda! It was about 6:00 and pitch black outside and we were tracting in a random neighborhood that I now realize we were undeniably led to. We knocked on Linda's door and it looked like no one was home... but Linda answered and immediately invited us inside and took our coats and let us sit down in the living room! She's this sweet grandma with a nice husband and three boys who are all grown up and away from home. She was wearing a cute ugly Christmas sweater and Christmas socks, which made me so happy, and honestly she reminded me of Mrs. Claus or something. But we had a great discussion and she seems to be really prepared, and she even said she would have invited us over for Christmas but she'd be out of town!! The second miracle happened when we were about to leave... she gave Sis. Tidwell and I a big Aldi pack of dark chocolate-covered cashews, which were the BEST things I've EVER tasted. #blessed! People like Linda make me realize how much better I want to be; I want to be the kind of person who invites in random strangers and makes them feel at home, because why not? Why not be so friendly and generous and kind? I am grateful every day for the people who are placed in our path who are disciples of Christ, no matter the denomination. 

We also had miracles happen as the result of fasting. Our mission is doing a collective 90 day fast where each companionship takes turns fasting for 24 hours. Our turn was last Wednesday, and we found 2 new investigators (Lori and Tammy) and contacted 2 former investigators who have since become investigators. It is so exciting to be a part of this work!!!!

Our ward is incredible and is helping us to feel at home. Also, to those of you who have sent Christmas letters and packages, THANK YOU!!!! It always, always makes my day!!!! :D

Something I've been thinking a lot about lately... the Savior really was born, all those years ago. Think about it. It changes everything!!!! I love how Christmastime points our thoughts to the Savior's life and the miracles he wrought... but I love even more picturing that tiny, innocent baby being held by his mother. It makes him more real to me somehow. I know you all are remembering the Savior as you celebrate this year, and I just want to thank you for making this time of year special!

Love you all!

xoxo

Sister K.

First week of new Transfers

Hey All!

Hope you are loving the Christmas season so far! It makes me so happy to see all the Christmas lights around the neighborhoods. We have a lot of time every day to enjoy them, too, because it gets dark here before 5:00pm now. It's getting colder, too, but it's still not too bad. My Colorado upbringing has prepared me for this so BRING IT ON Wisconsin!!!! Haha. 

Well this was the first week of a new transfer! Like I said last week, I am training a new sister! I met her on Wednesday and we had some trainings by the President and his wife. The mantle of being a trainer is SO real. I felt it a little before, when I was finishing Sister Decker's training, but this week it has been an almost tangible thing. I feel extra accountable for every decision I make, and even though that's a stressful thing it's also a blessing. I know that the best way to teach is by example, and I want to be the best example possible for my trainee!!!

Her name is Sister Tidwell from Huntsville, Utah and she's super sweet and very very pretty! (Sorry folks, I forgot my camera cord so I can't send pictures!) Also she likes running and it has been FANTASTIC to be able to run in the mornings again - it's chilly but it helps me so much to de-stress.

Since we're in just Kettle Moraine now, we are going to have more time to find new investigators, something I am VERY excited about. I can't wait to see what this transfer brings as we dig in and strive to build our teaching pool! 

As we tracted around this week, we have met a couple pretty amazing individuals. One of these people was Jim, an older gentleman. He didn't want to take the survey and he didn't want to "be converted," but he let us in (don't worry folks, his wife was home) and made us some hot chocolate and let us warm up for a while. I saw that he had a nice acoustic guitar and he told me to play it for a while! So I played a couple songs for him and I think it made him really happy. It made me really happy too, so it was a win-win! Well, nothing really came of our conversation with Jim that day, BUT when I was reading in Doctrine and Covenants the next day I found a verse that says that we will be able to recognize the disciples of Christ because they will be the ones who invite us in and feed us. Well, Jim did just that, and I got the impression not to give up on him!

Speaking of which, I am realizing more and more how the Spirit speaks to me, which is awesome! I think I've been getting more promptings my whole life than I ever realized. And to a certain extent, it doesn't really matter if I know if something was a prompting or not; as long as it's a good thought or impression and I follow it, I know I'll be doing the right thing!

Have a great week!!!

Sister K.

TRANSFERS!!!!

Hey Everybody!

It was a nerve-wracking week leading up to transfers, and I had a LOT of predictions that didn't end up happening.... but guess what?!?!

I'm LEAVING WAUKESHA and STAYING IN KETTLE MORAINE full time, and I'll be TRAINING A BRAND NEW SISTER!!!!!! AHhhhhh!!!! I'm so excited!!!! There were some crazy events that happened this week that led me to believe I would be staying in Waukesha for quite a while, so I was shocked when we heard I was staying in Kettle. But after the shock wore off, I was able to feel that this really is right! Ahh, I finally know where I'll be for Christmas! And my little trainee is still in the MTC at this very moment. I feel so lucky and so honored! :D

My Thanksgiving was GREAT! I hope you all had a great one too! I definitely thought a lot about my family at the Cabin in Arizona, and I could picture so clearly exactly what it would be like. So I was there in spirit! Luckily there are some awesome families out here that made me feel at home for the holiday. 

We had two dinners, one in Waukesha and one in Delafield, with two awesome energetic families. We got to play some games too (shout out to Momma for the Would You Rathers!) and that was a ton of fun. I feel so blessed to be here, and especially in this season of gratitude, I am grateful for these past 6 months! I have learned so much about myself and the gospel. Can you believe that, folks? This Thursday I will have been out for 6 MONTHS!!!! Crazy how time flies!

We FINALLY saw Teri this week, hallelujah! She's doing great! It was so great to see her again. I got a picture with her because I knew I MIGHT be leaving Waukesha, and now I'm SO glad I did. I'll send it! She's a sweetheart!

We are still working with a couple families and several less-actives who I have come to love with all my heart. That's something else I'm grateful for; I'm grateful for the gift of love! I think as a missionary we are blessed to feel immediate and genuine love for the people we meet, and it's a gift I marvel at every day. When I found out I was leaving Waukesha, my heart was completely broken; there are SO many people there who I LOVE, and it's my first area, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. But luckily, I already know the Kettle area and I already love them all, too, so the transition will be hard but happy all at once! I love being able to feel so much love!!! 

And I love you all! Tell me about your holiday! Hope you enjoy the Christmas season! (and the pictures I am going to send because.. it's a lot of pictures!)

xoxo

Sister K.

Thanksgiving

Hey Everybody!

Hope you are all loving this Thanksgiving season. The best time of the year is upon us! Life just can't get better than being surrounded by family and food! :)

Well.... I have OFFICIALLY survived my first Wisconsin snow storm! On Friday and Saturday it snowed about 5 or 6 inches. I love snow so much, it totally made my day! And it made me feel like a little kid, looking out the window at night and seeing the beautiful flurries! I was kind of expecting it to feel like doomsday or something but honestly, Wisconsin snow is a lot like Colorado snow. Beautiful and I love it!!! It's also gotten down to 10 and 20 degrees in the mornings and evenings, but I think it's kind of refreshing. Maybe I love winter more than I thought, because it hasn't been too bad? Or maybe the Midwesterners have been exaggerating the cold this whole time? Or maybe this is just a mild winter. Probably the last one but who knows? Haha.

Well as far as work goes we've done a LOT of service this week. We had the opportunity to hand out the Thanksgiving food at the Food Pantry of Waukesha County and that was really fun. I always look forward to helping out at the food pantry, but around the holidays everyone is so much happier and more grateful. Yet another reason this time of year is the BEST!

We had several good lessons, one with a new investigator Joy. We found her through a ward member. Joy is an awesome mom and is very involved in her own church, so I've done a lot of studying to know how our church adds to what she already has. It's an interesting process! 

This week was awesome because we had Mission Tour on Thursday! Elder Gregory Schwitzer of the Seventy came and taught us about repentance and how significant it is in the conversion process. He pointed out several examples of figures in the scriptures who weren't fully converted until they went through a rigorous repentance process. I think at some point or another we all have to be torn down as low as we can possibly go so that we can rebuild ourselves in God's way, and that's what the process of repentance is. Also, I've started calling the Plan of Salvation the Plan of Eternal Progression instead, because the Plan isn't a road map, it's a process! (I sure hope that's not sacrilegious to say, haha!)

Well, love you all! Happy Turkey day! :D

With Love,

Sister K.

Christmas Stuff at Walmart... What?!?!

Hey all!

Another great week, and like most weeks I can't remember most of it! We've done a LOT of service for less actives and investigators, and actually through service we found a new family to teach! It's a mom and three daughters and they are all so precious. They've been taught by Sisters before but we're hoping this is the time it sticks!! 

We've also had some pretty awesome ward activities! In the Waukesha ward the youth did a "mini-mission" activity where they all got calls and companions and nametags and were assigned into "districts" to go around to a bunch of different stations learning what missionaries do. My companion and I were in charge of the P-day station, which is ironic because P-days are like the least missionary-ish of our weekdays!!! And they're the days I'm worst at, too, because there's always so much to do and so little time to do it! It was funny because I asked everyone, "First of all, what do you all THINK we do on P-days?" and they were all like "laundry, groceries, emails..." and I was all "Yeah that's pretty much it" and then we let them write letters to their ward's missionaries. Haha, maybe missionary life isn't as much of a mystery to everyone else as I always thought!! :P

At the end of the activity I got to bear my testimony to all the youth about missionary work, which was an awesome experience. I definitely cried, haha. It was so humbling to see all the youth in the black nametags, all dressed up like the future missionaries they are! This is SUCH a marvelous work, you know? I feel like it was JUST YESTERDAY that I was the one going to Young Women activities and looking in awe at the missionaries, but I've realized that I've grown SO much since then. My testimony and my understanding of the covenants I have made are so far beyond what they were even a couple years ago. I love moments like that, when I can acknowledge that I still have so far to go... but I really have come a long way! Also, our two investigators Althea and Autumn were at the activity, too, and seeing them there in nametags was the coolest thing ever! I got a picture with them and I'll send it today!

We also had the opportunity to go to a "worship night" at an investigator's house, which was a cool but strange experience. There was someone playing piano and guitar and two violinists and we sang songs of praise and stuff. So it was super cool, but strange because everyone there was swaying and chanting and holding up their hands when they felt the Spirit (I'm guessing) and just kind of did elaborate outward displays of what they felt on the inside. I've always wondered why our church isn't more preachy and hallelujah-y, if you know what I mean, but after the worship night I think I know. There's something to be said for that feeling of the Spirit burning in your heart that has nothing to do with what the people around you are doing. You know? The Spirit is something I can feel in the quietest moments, and I don't need to listen to loud and powerful music to feel it, or sway and wave my arms to let other people know I'm feeling it. It's all about me and the Lord and what's happening on the inside. Maybe it's just because I was raised this way, but I really like the way we worship :) It feels right to me!

Love you all! Hope your weeks have started off great! Enjoy the Christmas stuff at Walmart and Kohls because even if it's not even Thanksgiving yet... We always need a little Christmas!

xoxo

Sister K.

9 Nov 2015

This week was even busier than the last!!!! We didn't even have time for scripture study the past two days, and WE'RE MISSIONARIES!!!!! Haha that's how crazy it was! Obviously that's no excuse though so I'm repenting and I'll be better at making scripture study more of a priority... even missionaries need it every day! And without it I can DEFINITELY tell a difference!

Satnam, the sweet 84 year old man we were visiting and teaching for a while, passed away in late October. It broke my heart when we went to visit and only his wife Marilyn was there. She told us that he passed away at 5 in the morning, holding the hands of her and their niece, which is just the way he wanted it. She invited us to his memorial service, which was on Saturday, and it was really really neat! We got to see a bunch of pictures of Satnam in his younger days. I miss him! He was an incredible man! Something about the funeral that really struck me was when Marilyn was giving the eulogy, and she said that she and Satnam were married "for 58 years, right up until the moment he passed away." And in my mind it just clicked for me that Satnam and Marilyn... aren't married anymore. 58 years of being at each other's sides, and now the bond of marriage is broken. That absolutely broke my heart!!! I KNOW that marriage was meant to last so much longer than this life. Marriage is more than "til death do us part." With God's authority and in His Holy Temples, husband and wife can be sealed together for time and all eternity. I am SO grateful to know about the eternal nature of marriage and families, and THAT's what I'm out here sharing with people. The end of this life is really a greater beginning, and that's what we can hope for. Satnam taught me so much, and meeting him and his wife wasn't a coincidence! I was honored to be there at his memorial service, and it was a sweet reminder to me that death is not the end!

We have had quite a few good lessons this week, actually. I don't remember if I told you about Mari - the cute 16 year old girl we tracted into a couple weeks ago - but we had our first lesson with her! Something we did NOT anticipate was that her dad joined us a few minutes into the discussion, and started asking some pretty tough questions about the Book of Mormon and where it came from and why it matters. Funny how questions like that used to shake my testimony, but now they only serve to strengthen it! The Book of Mormon has been criticized and degraded and ridiculed and questioned for almost 2 centuries now, and even back when it was being written there were people who mocked the prophets writing the records. But guys... that book is true. It's because of the Book of Mormon that everything else falls into place; the doctrine, the ordinances, the character of Christ and His Atonement. I love the Book of Mormon, and sometimes I get a little too heated up when I'm trying to defend it! It just means so much to me! And for all those people who reject it because they already have the Bible... The Bible is a GREAT thing. And the Book of Mormon is ALSO a GREAT thing. What's wrong with more of a great thing?? Just read 2 Nephi 29!!! That says it all! See? I am already getting a little carried away. I just want you to know that if you haven't yet, READ THE BOOK and pray about it. Let a little bit of that power flow into your life! This is something I want to tell everyone in the whole world!!!!

Hmm, I am realizing I need to be better at telling stories in my emails because that's what makes them interesting! But my mind is blank and so this is all you're getting for now :)

Love you all! Have a great week!

xoxo

Sister K.

BEST WEEK EVER!!

Hello Everyone!

This was seriously the best week ever!!!! We got to go to the Trunk-or-Treats in BOTH wards (two nights of family fun, it was AWESOME and we got to meet several non-members as well!), we had Stake Conference on Saturday and Sunday and ELDER RENLUND (that's right, the 100th Apostle of this dispensation) came to speak, and he reorganized the Stake presidency!!!! My companion and I sang in the Stake ward choir, and after the meeting we actually got to shake his hand!! I'm a lucky duck :)

We also found a couple new investigators, which is super exciting!!! I used to be so down on myself because I never seemed to be able to get people to listen with me or want to meet again, but I'm learning that nothing I do here is because of my own abilities; I just have to be open to the Spirit and let God work through me, and things happen! Also, a lot of miracles are happening in our mission because we are doing a 90 day fast to get 75 baptisms by the end of the year. For 90 days, at least one companionship is going to be fasting per day, so it's a continuous stream of fasting! And so far the miracles really have come! For example, we were tracting a couple days ago and I had a feeling we should go down a certain street, and at first NOTHING was happening and I was feeling all foolish... but then we bumped into a sweet lady named Alexia who agreed to meet with us again and learn more in a couple days. I'm so thrilled to be seeing these little miracles daily!

Like I said, Stake Conference was awesome! One of the DEFINITE themes of the day was that THIS is the Lord's church on the earth, that He DOES direct it and us through modern-day prophets, and that Joseph Smith was a restorer of truth and a prophet of God. Throughout the meeting the Spirit was so strong, testifying that these things are true!!! I am so grateful for the knowledge we have and I have a hard time putting my feelings about these things into words, but I want you to know that I know these things are true :)

Love you all! Can't believe we're in November!!!!

GO PACKERS!!!

Jk jk.

xoxo

Sister K.

Tracting Miracles!!

This week was busy and full and there are so many things to be excited about. We finally were able to meet with the mom of a part-member family that we've been working with, and both of her kids really want to be baptized!!! They are 11 and 8 years old and are both so cute :) We haven't been able to meet with Teri at all, but hopefully we will soon! 

The most incredible miracle happened while we were tracting! Sister Decker and I had pretty much been knocking on doors all day (we've fortunately been busy enough lately that we don't have much open space, but that day everything fell through and the whole day was wide open!) and we were starting to lose faith because people rarely answer the door when they see it's us, and if they do they only tell us to go away. Well we knocked on a door and a sweet 16 year old girl opened up and started talking to us and she was AMAZING!!!! She offered to pray for both of us at once and then she prayed for both of us individually, and then she let us in to her house and we talked for more than an hour about our relationship with God and about the Book of Mormon and the Bible. Her dad had a guitar, too, and I was able to play the Nazarene song I wrote!!!! Made my day! :D We have an appointment with her a couple weeks from now and we are really excited about it. It's cool to feel like we are making connections with people and making a real difference, even if we only touched one person that whole day. And I keep being called to repentance about my attitude towards tracting; I don't really mind it much anymore, but I always think of it as a time-filler and not real missionary work. Well, not anymore! Amazing things happen when you put your shoulder to the wheel and do what you don't want to do but what needs to be done!!

I've been thinking a lot lately about my relationship with God. I feel like whenever I'm in a time of struggle or trial I stubbornly try to find ways to deal with it besides calling on God; for example, before my mission it was songwriting. I would go insane if I didn't have my guitar readily available so I could vent and get out my feelings and deal with things that way. Or it used to be running, too, or calling Mom or talking to Kayli or my roommates and friends about how I felt. But out here, I can't really do any of those things!!! So I am literally in the position where the ONLY thing I can do that will actually help me to cope is to get on my knees and put all my worries on Heavenly Father. I'm learning how important it is to turn to Him FIRST, before trying any other way to de-stress or vent. It's been a learning experience but I'm trying my best!!!!!

Love you all! Hope your week was great! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!

(I tried to be all fancy with my Halloween typeface but that's as good as it will get!)

xoxo

Sister K.

Transfer News!!

Hey Everyone!

I can't believe my third transfer is practically over! We got the transfer board in our emails today and... drumroll please... Sister Decker and I are staying together, and we will still be covering both areas!!!! Ahhh!!!! I don't even know what to think. I guess I am grateful that neither area will be closed for sisters, because that was my worst fear! I am finding that I seriously REALLY care about all these people and leaving would hurt a lot. And it looks like I will pretty much be in Waukesha or Kettle Moraine (or both!!) at least until Christmas... a weird thought!

As far as the work goes, we had a great lesson with Teri, and later with Autumn and Althea. We taught them the Plan of Salvation and really emphasized the fact that our choices in this life really do matter; they have eternal significance!! I am so grateful to know that I am a daughter of God, that I lived before coming to this earth, and that I will live long after. Having that knowledge changes the way I make my daily decisions because I understand that there are consequences and blessings to everything we do/ don't do. I also have a whole different perspective knowing that I am entirely responsible for the kind of person I become in this life, and that whatever I become will be the only thing I take with me when I depart this life. Deep stuff, right? Yeah, I like to ponder about the Plan of Salvation!! Haha.

Really though, I was reading a talk this week by Lawrence Corbridge (of the Seventy I think) and he said that our whole purpose in being here on this earth is to CHANGE. To become more like our Savior, to experience life, to be shaped into something much better than we were before. That gives me hope and makes trials seem much less painful. Well, they are still painful but there is a real purpose to them! I don't know if I have changed much yet as far as actions go, but inwardly I feel the changes every day. I hope you all are feeling yourself grow and change for the better too! :D

Well that seems to be all I have to report. Basically all our appointments lately have been falling through, and so we are now tracting missionaries more than ever before!!! Also, we are always and forever short on miles and so we try to walk/bike more, especially while the weather is still decent. Apparently it is supposed to snow in a week or so! Ahh! Winter is a-coming! But the fall is SO beautiful while it's here! I will try to send pictures:)

Love you all! Hope you are well!

xoxo

Sister K.

P.S. MIRACLE OF THE WEEK!!!! I almost forgot!!! Kaylee Crossley and Lauren Case (now Hancock) came to visit the Waukesha ward!!! They are my good friends from my student ward at BYU. It was so great to see them, I almost died of happiness!!!!!!!! :D :D :D

Temple Day!!!!!!

Family and Friends!

Today was the best day ever because we got to go to the temple in Chicago! It takes about 2 hours to get there from Pewaukee so it was an all-day event, and now I have hardly any time to report to you for the week haha but it was SO worth it!!!! Some members from the Kettle Moraine Ward took us, and they are incredible. If there's one thing I've learned on my mission so far, it's that there are AMAZING people EVERYWHERE in this world, even in such random places as Pewaukee, Wisconsin. (But don't worry; I've learned a LOT more than just one thing!!! ;) )

We haven't been able to work with Teri this week but we have a lesson tonight we are really excited for, with our 14 year old investigator! We are hoping she will get her mom's permission to set a baptism date... I would be SO thrilled if that happened! She's the sweetest girl and I care for her so deeply!

A lot of our work this week has been with some sweet ladies in the ward who don't come to church very much anymore. Whenever I meet with them I am blown away by how amazing they are and by how much love I feel for them. I know that our church is demanding; I know it requires a lot of heart, might, mind and strength to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; in fact, it requires everything we have and are to be disciples of Christ! But I know it is well worth it. This isn't just another church; it's not just another religion. This Church is Christ's Church, and through Him is the only way we can return to be with our Father in Heaven. The Gospel of Christ isn't a side dish to the way we live our lives; it's not even dessert. The Gospel is the MAIN dish!!! It should define us!!!! It should be at the center of everything!!! I am starting to see this so much clearer than I ever have before. Seeing it, intellectualizing it, is one thing, though; now I'm trying to realign myself and my actions to fit what I know. I know that God lives and loves me and is involved in my life! Just an example: yesterday I woke up feeling like I got hit by a truck - thankfully it was just the flu! - So I was praying all day yesterday that I would feel well enough to go to the temple today and actually enjoy the session, instead of feeling sick and miserable. Well, I did! I made it to the temple and felt great all through the session. Afterward the sickness came back, but I don't even care because I'm so happy I was able to go the the temple! It's just a little thing, I know, but it means the world to me that Heavenly Father cares enough about me to make me well for a few hours so I could feel the Spirit. Today was amazing and I love you all! Hope your week is going well! There will be no emails next Monday, but the Monday after that I'll have news about Transfers!!!! Crazy!

Love you!!

xoxo

Sister K.

Better than a Hallelujah!!

Hey All!

Since General Conference is so fresh on my mind, I'd like to geek out about it first thing, if you don't mind. AHHHHH IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've heard for years that General Conference as a missionary is pretty much like Christmas, and it definitely exceeded my expectations!!!! I had several favorite talks, but my top favorites were the ones given by President Uchtdorf, D.Todd Christofferson, Russell M. Nelson, and of course David A. Bednar. (I cried like a baby when I saw the picture of L. Tom Perry. He has a special place in my heart for many reasons, but mostly because he started the Men's Volleyball program at BYU and also because I worked in the L.Tom Perry Special Collections part of the library while I was at BYU.) Anyways, I have felt the Spirit witness to me that these men are called of God. They carry the Holy Ghost with them so strongly and speak with so much power that it can be felt even through a television set thousands of miles away. I am so grateful for their love, wisdom, and experience! And I am also blown away by the fact that, even though I know little about the three new Apostles who have been called, I already feel love and appreciation for them, and I can see how they have been prepared by God for this purpose. (Also, Elder Renlund was my mission president's mission companion!! Cool, right?)

We had another amazing lesson with Teri, with the same member we brought last time. It makes such a difference to have her there! We testified of prophets in this dispensation. Even though we have the Holy Ghost with each of us, we still need a prophet to guide us as a whole and as individuals. I know this to be true! Just speaking of the prophet Thomas S. Monson strengthened my love and testimony of him as a servant of God. It's satisfying to see that my testimony has grown to a point where I don't balk at the questions other people ask me anymore. I'm learning how not to let one doubt or concern shake everything I've built my faith on. Just a couple months ago, I kept doing just that, and it resulted in much more stress and heartache than was necessary!! I am learning how to ask questions while keeping my faith, and it's a process I am eternally grateful for!

I am also excited about Autumn, one of our 14 year old investigators. That may seem young, but 14 is the age Joseph Smith was when he was looking for truth! We were finally able to set something up with her, and watched General Conference with her too. She's amazing and understands gospel principles so well. I am excited to keep teaching her!

Haha, I just remembered! My poor companion fell into a ditch on Monday when we were riding bikes! We spent pretty much the entire day in clinics/the ER on Tuesday. Poor Sister Decker! She ended up with a concussion, which is sad but better than breaking a bone or a serious head injury. She's such a trooper! She says she now has a testimony of helmets :) (But I am starting to think I have a curse... I've already had 2 ER visits with 2 different companions!!) Haha.

Have a great week everyone! Love you all :)

xoxo

Sister K.

28 Sep 2015

This week I am really loving both of my beautiful areas :) We had an amazing lesson with Teri on Wednesday! We brought a Sister from the ward with us, and she bore such powerful testimony of the Atonement and the Book of Mormon. (Fun fact: as a mission we are doing an Atonement study of the Book of Mormon, and I have learned the most incredible things! For example, just today I was reading in Moroni 7 and I found new meaning in verse 16: "Every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ." What is the "power and gift" of Christ? The Atonement! Therefore, everything good in life comes from the Atonement. It straight up says that a couple verses later, in verse 22, and again in verse 24: "all things which are good cometh of Christ." I know this to be true! Because of Christ and His goodness, we have an example to follow that leads to all good things in this life. Incredible!) But anyways, that lesson with Teri made me the most hopeful I have ever been. I know the Book of Mormon changes lives, people!!

Also, I am like a CHILD AT CHRISTMAS when it comes to General Conference. I absolutely CANNOT WAIT to hear from our prophets, seers, and revelators, as well as the other leaders in the Church. I talk about it to all the members and investigators I meet. Women's conference on Saturday was AMAZING!!!! I particularly loved President Uchtdorf's talk; I was hanging on his every word! In a strong sense I feel a lot like Ava, and her summer with Aunt Rose is like my mission. I really feel that one of the most important things I will learn on my mission is how to be happy despite my circumstances; on a mission, you don't choose what your area is or who your companion is, so you need to learn how to work hard and LOVE IT no matter what! I want to be the kind of person who radiates happiness and pure joy even in my trials. I have that vision in mind for myself, and it's time to put it to action! I have gotten a lot better already but I still have a looong way to go!

We are struggling to find new investigators (that's something that seems to be on my list of "Not Strengths") but we keep trying. I came up with a way to motivate myself: I want to spend my mission looking for the people I call my "Premortal Pals"; the people I made promises to in the Pre-existence that I would find them here on earth!!! Every day I tell myself, "Let's go find a Premortal Pal today!" Hahaha. Sounds dumb, but it's the little things that make the biggest difference.

Love you all! Hope you are loving the beautiful Fall and looking forward to Conference as much as I am!

xoxo

Sister K.

P.S. I will try to send pictures... next week...

Hey All!!

Hey All!

Another great week. We are finding a good balance between Kettle Moraine in Waukesha and for the first time I think it's really working. We have time for all the most important people we are working with, and we have time for some finding activities, too! 

I had a humbling experience this week I'd love to share with you! 

Sister Decker and I were tracting in Waukesha and no one was answering any of the doors, when finally we knocked on a door and the lady who lived there came out the side to see what we wanted. When we told her we were missionaries and we were there to share a message, she got all offended and waved her arms at us and yelled, "Go get a real job!" and went back in her house. For some reason, this really really got to me! Here we are, offering the best thing in the world to someone, and she totally misunderstands what we are here for. We're not here for money; we're not here for any reward! We're here because we love God and we want to share our knowledge with everyone! 

As we were walking away, I started crying because I was so flustered. I felt like I still haven't touched or helped anyone even though I've been here 3 months already. So we stopped at a Subway to go to the bathroom/wipe my tears (haha, embarrassing!) and everyone in the Subway just stared at me! I came out of the bathroom and the Subway guy gave me some napkins (he was actually quite sweet, his name was Ben and he said he'd come to church just to make me happy), and I was trying to explain all my feelings to Sister Decker when a cute blonde woman came up to me. She said something like, "I know wiping your eyes with a napkin is the pits; here, take this," and she handed me a cute patterned handkerchief. She gave me a hug and told me everything would be alright, then walked away. That act of kindness absolutely made my week!!!! Not only that, but it humbled me in a major way. Here I am, the missionary, the one who is supposed to be serving other people instead of getting caught up in my own inadequacies, and this random nice woman reaches out and serves ME. It should have been the other way around! Folks, I have SO much I need to work on. So SO much! But I know now more than ever before that Heavenly Father loves me. He loves me, and He loves all of you, and He loves all of His children! He puts people in our path to touch us, and whom we can touch. Any difference I have made so far in anyone's life is very much worth the sacrifice. 

I love God, and I love all of you. Hope your week was great!

xoxo

Sister K.

14 Sep 15

Hey All!

This week was great! As crazy as it is to be covering two areas, I think going back to only one someday will seem boring! Both wards are awesome and the land here is so so pretty. I'm telling you, there's nothing quite like Wisconsin skies! And I am especially happy because FALL IS OFFICIALLY HERE! Well, I'm not sure if it's technically fall on the calendar or anything, but the weather broke a couple days ago and the air is all crisp and cool and smells all nice :) And Halloween stuff is being sold in Walmart, so that defines autumn in my book!!!

We had several small miracles happen this week! First, Teri! We had a lesson with her on Tuesday, and we invited her to come take a tour of the church building on Saturday. She agreed! And she brought her fiance Rick (who we've never been able to meet) with her to the church tour, and it went really well! I've never noticed before how strong the Spirit is in our church buildings, but when it's quiet and no one else is there and you take a minute just to feel it, the Spirit is so strong. Teri said she felt peace when she was there. She couldn't come to church the next day, but I think next week she'll be able to make it! That makes me SO happy :)

There is a family in the Kettle Moraine area that is amazing, and we're really hoping to make progress with them. The dad just got baptized in July, and his wife and two kids have been investigating the Church as long as he has. His wife feels kind of pressured into joining the church and wants a break from studying with the missionaries for a while so I haven't even really had the chance to teach them yet, but we have such high hopes for them. I already love them and I've only met them twice! So that's exciting!

Friday we had interviews with President Cutler! He is the most amazing man. He carries the Spirit with him in a way I have never witnessed before. He helped me to see that Sister Decker and I are in this situation because the Lord trusts us to carry the work in both areas! Before I had kind of been thinking it was a fluke, but he built up my confidence that this is exactly what needs to happen. He also gave me a blessing, and I am so SO grateful for the power of the priesthood and the worthy men that hold it. I am counting down the days until General Conference!!!! I can hardly wait to hear from our prophets! It's going to be a good one, I can tell!!!

Love you all! Have a great week!

xoxo

Sister K. 

Transfers This Week!

Hey All!

Hope you had a GREAT Labor Day yesterday! We had an awesome ward activity in the morning and ran (walked) a 5k (it killed me) and had pancakes and played kickball! It reminded me of the great times in CO when I was growing up, when we would play frisbee at Fox Run! The Waukesha ward is so great, I am really starting to feel at home here!

So... TRANSFERS are TOMORROW! And just like pretty much everyone predicted, I will be finishing Sister Decker's training!!! Something I didn't expect, though, was that we are still going to be covering two areas!!! It's both super overwhelming and super exciting because it's a lot of work, but the pace is going to be a lot faster (fun!) and we're going to have to plan and execute our plans really well in order for it to work long term. It'll be so great! 

My companion Sister Casas, who is leaving us, is going to MILWAUKEE to be the FIRST SPANISH SPEAKING SISTER MISSIONARY in our mission! How cool is that?! She's practically famous! Haha. It makes me happy to see the cool changes that are happening. This work is great!

Did I ever tell you all about Satnam? Well he's the sweetest old man (84 years old!) ever and I just love him. We stopped by to visit him this week and he isn't doing very well; he has cancer and is probably in his last few days. I remembered he had said he liked a certain kind of vegetable soup, so we brought him a can of it and a card and it meant a lot to him. He said he had been hoping we would come visit him! He started crying, and then we all started crying, and we shared a scripture, and the Spirit was so strong! The Plan of Salvation is real, folks! Death is so scary, but in this case death is going to set Satnam free. I just know he is going to accept the gospel in the afterlife, and I feel privileged to know him.

This week I was praying to receive a witness of the Book of Mormon and some other questions I've had. My mind has been so plagued by these questions, to a point where I'm not sure I should have even allowed myself to go. But Moroni promises in the Book of Mormon that those who receive these things and ask the Father about them, in Christ's name, will receive a witness that the book is true. Well, I asked... and my answer came later than I demanded it... and it's kind of a long story I don't have time to share now... but I KNOW that book is the word of God. I know it is scripture! It has changed my life! Through the Book of Mormon I am coming to know my Savior on a far more personal level, and the things I learn astonish me every day. I'm so grateful to have this truth!!!! I know this is the Lord's work, and it's where I need to be!

Love you all! Hope school is going great, for those lucky ducks who started this week :) Keep on keeping on!

With Love,

Sister K.

Crazy Week!

Can I just say that I LOVE WISCONSIN?!?!?! I do, I really do! It's so pretty here, and fall is DEFINITELY on its way. The past few days have been all cloudy and rainy and it feels like a personal gift from Heavenly Father. I have needed that for sure, since this has been one of the most stressful weeks of my life!

So Sister Hunter left, Sister Decker is with us now and we are covering Kettle Moraine and Waukesha. That makes for 6 hours of church which is another huge blessing. Church is the best place to be! I love the wholesome spirit of the meetings we have each week, and the people we meet. If I haven't been clear on this, let me say it now: the people here are amazing!!!!! I know that in my emails I haven't been giving them enough credit. This week I was really struggling with the stress of handling two areas, and it was the incredible ward members and people we are teaching who really got me through. I can't say enough how wonderful these people are; sometimes I am surprised by how much I feel towards them, but I am so grateful to feel it and I think it's a gift of the Spirit for sure!!!

We are at a standstill with a few of our investigators since we haven't been able to meet with them, but hopefully this week we will be able to find a balance between both areas that allows us to get some good work done.

With all the craziness going on I have learned so much about the power and peace that comes from prayer. It's so true that prayer changes things, but I think it mostly changes people. Because I don't know how to describe what's happening to me exactly, but I feel more vulnerable than I have ever felt before; like I am in God's hands and He is shaping me into what I need to be, whether or not I want to be shaped!!! Every day I see more of my weaknesses, but every day I learn more about how I can overcome them. I am so grateful for the Atonement, that lifts and strengthens me beyond anything I can comprehend!

I hope you are all well and happy :) Good luck starting school!

xoxo

Sister K.

P.S. I'll be sending lots of photos from the past few weeks!

A Week in Wisconsin

Hey Folks! 

There have been some tough moments this week as well as some really good ones. First of all, Althea's mom (Althea is the 14 year old we are trying to teach) refuses to meet with us and refuses to give Althea permission to be baptized. So we are back to square 1 with that one. Second of all, we dropped Starlita because we are pretty certain she is "loco in the coco," to steal a phrase from Giuliana Gillespie. (Note: I heard a rumor that in Wisconsin 50 PERCENT of the people have mental illnesses of some kind, making it the #1 state as far as crazies go. Can anyone look that up to confirm that rumor for me?! Not that it would give me peace of mind or anything. I just wanna know.) 

As for Teri, well... she is still difficult. I really feel strongly that she is my purpose in being here in the Waukesha area, but she has so many hang-ups and downright weird theologies that it is SO HARD to teach her. But we are still trying. We are going to show her Tad Callister's "The Blueprint of Christ's Church" BYU devotional video today and if that doesn't clarify things for her I don't know what will! 

We have been doing more street contacting and I actually like it a lot. It feels so much more productive than knocking on doors. So that's a miracle!!!! :D 

Sister Hunter goes home this week. I am freaking out about that just a little. She has been so good for me! And she's been so instrumental in getting the work in Waukesha going stronger. I've been so blessed with my companions so far! 

We found out that after Sister Hunter leaves, Sister Decker will be coming and joining us from Kettle Moraine and we will be covering both areas again, like we did a few weeks ago. Sister Decker came out one transfer after me, so there is a pretty high likelihood that I will end up finishing her training next transfer. I don't feel ready to train by any means, but at least I had one more transfer to prepare than McKenna Floyd did! Training after 6 weeks, that is crazy!!! Haha. But probably the BEST thing about being on a mission in my mind is that you always, ALWAYS know that you are in the right place with the right companion at the right time. So things work out just the way they are supposed to. I'm so grateful to know that!!!!! 

Miracle of the week: We had the opportunity to teach Joni Neugebauer the Plan of Salvation this week! Joni's husband is Brother Neugebauer, who is an awesome active member in the ward, and Joni came to church for the first time ever yesterday! It was incredible! I was actually surprised by the intensity of the joy I felt in seeing her there. I had always been told about the joy of missionary work, and I have felt it a little here and there, but that was my first real taste of it and I'm so SO grateful for that. It was exactly what I needed!!!! Funny how Heavenly Father gives us what we need at just the right time, eh? :) 

I will try to send some of the pictures that I forgot from last week (oops!). Hope you are all well and enjoying the summer while it lasts! Love you so much! 

xoxo 

Sister K. 

Cultural Blitz!

This was my favorite week yet when it comes to Wisconsin culture!!! Last p-day after emailing we got to go to Holy Hills, which is a pretty hike up to a Catholic church and the view looks JUST LIKE Germany. What a tender mercy!!!! I loved it so much. We also got to go shopping at Woodman's, which is just a Wisconsin thing I think... They had an entire aisle just for cheese. Like, a whole big long stretch of nothing but cheese... incredible! And I am really getting a feel for the heat and humidity everyone had been warning me about... the air is like a wall of water. I feel like I'm living in Jell-O. I don't know how else to describe it but it is actually a pretty remarkable sensation. Also, we had a CRAZY thunderstorm a few nights ago and the sky was green! And the lightning was purple! I loved it :)

Last Saturday one of the ladies we are working with invited us to a Laotian festival-type-thing at a Buddhist temple in Waukesha. The Buddhist temple was so legit and we were the only white people there. A bunch of kids danced and sang in Laotian and played awesome Asian instruments. It was SO cool. I felt like I was serving my mission in Asia for a minute, which was nice little reminder of how grateful I am to be serving in the states because all those Laotian people spoke English just fine and I was still scared of them! And I was like 2 feet taller than everyone else! Haha it was great.

Let's get to the real stuff! Teri still has a lot of concerns we are trying to work with. Her assignment for this weekend is to watch a talk by President Monson and pray about it. I KNOW that if she has real intent as she does this, she WILL know for herself that we have a prophet! I think back to my first semester at BYU when President Monson came for Kevin Worthen's inauguration ( I think...), and the second he stepped into the room... Whoompf! the Spirit! He really is a prophet. I know that's true!

We are working with some others too but they are not as promising. Starlita, one of our investigators with a baptism date, hasn't been returning our calls or showing up to appointments so that's a downer. We're still doing a lot of finding and trying to get to know the ward members better.

GUESS WHAT?! I have come up with an awesome plan to get my new song to you guys. Next time I'm at a member's house with a guitar, I'm going to have Sister Hunter film me singing it and put it on a drive or dvd or something then have Sister Hunter take it to Kayli in Logan. Man, I love it when my companions go home to Utah! Haha. (Not that I love it when they leave, or anything.)

What else? Hmm, I had my first Zone Conference on Friday! it was absolutely incredible. I love the way the Spirit can call me to repentance and build me up/inspire me all at the same time. 

Sorry my emails are becoming so lengthy. I guess I mostly want you all to know that I am really loving Wisconsin. It took me a while to appreciate it really but I do love it!

Love all you, too! hope this email finds you well :)

Have a great week! 

xoxo

Sister K.

p.s. the first picture is one we took on exchanges with sister casas, me, and sister tenney. the second is at the buddhist temple! I'll try to send one of me with sister hunter :)

August in Wisconsin

Hey Everyone!

This week was great. I can't believe how fast time is going, and yet so slow all at once... every day feels like a new eternity, but it has been more than 2 months since I went into the MTC! I feel lucky every day to be where I am. Lately I have been studying a talk called "the Fourth Missionary" (don't remember who it's by) that is incredible. It says that our hearts and our minds are the only things we can give to the Lord, since everything else we could give Him (our time, our efforts, our talents) already came from Him. I am realizing just how much better I could be at dedicating my heart to the work. A lot of the time my heart is back home with you folks and my guitar, and while that's not a bad place for my heart to be, that's not where it should be right now! So I am working on that :)

This week a lot of our lessons fell through. I am realizing that okay, tracting can get you some new investigators, but rarely do they actually remember the appointments you set up!! The only lessons that really worked out were with Teri and Althea, when members were there with us. This is why member missionary work is the bomb!

Speaking of Teri, she has been studying the Plan of Salvation pretty thoroughly and now her main issue with our church is the Apostasy. Again. She doesn't understand why God would take His Priesthood away from the earth for such a long span of time and let His children live without it. Also, she wonders why Joseph Smith was the one selected to be a prophet when there were many other truth seekers throughout history who could have been called. Tough questions, but we're doing our best to bear testimony of the Book of Mormon as the best way we can receive our witness of Joseph Smith and the restored Priesthood authority.

And speaking of the Book of Mormon, I had my first real Bible Bash a couple days ago! We were on exchanges so Sister Hunter was gone, but it allowed me the opportunity to step up and try to answer questions and testify of what I knew. I left that experience with an even stronger testimony of the Book of Mormon and the fact that it is ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL in clarifying the gospel of Jesus Christ as well as His nature. I love that book and I love being able to defend it with all that I have.

Well I can't think of anything else worth mentioning! The Tripanionship is great, but I am scared for Sister Hunter to leave. She's a pro!

Love you all! Have a great week :)

xoxo

Sister K.