DAD's ARE THE BEST!!!!!!

I know I'm a day late, but I just wanted to give a shoutout to my favorite Dad!!! Yesterday in Sacrament meeting all the seminary kids were asked to stand up and share their testimonies of the Old Testament, and it reminded me of my favorite story in the Bible: the story of Joseph of Egypt. Reflecting on why that was my favorite story, I remembered that it's also my dad's favorite! I remember especially one scripture study many years ago, when we were reading the last couple chapters of the story - when Joseph forgives his brothers and saves their lives - and Dad was tearing up because of the intense POWER of the spirit of forgiveness in that story. I don't know if you remember that, Dad, but I know I'll never forget it. Thank you for loving the scriptures and teaching us to love them, too! :) (Also I still brag about the fact that you are an Ironman. That's cool too. Haha.)

Well, Lia (one of our favorite Asians) is getting baptized on Saturday!!! I can't remember how much I have said about her already, but we literally met her on the 1st of June and she is getting baptized on the 25th! I've never taught someone in so short a time before, and we've had to do a lot of fast-paced teaching in the last week and in the next few days, but she really wants to be baptized before she leaves for China! We found out that there is (MIRACULOUSLY!!!) a church building only 30 MINUTES away from where she lives in China!!!!! WOW!!!! We also found out that only baptized members are allowed to attend, so she HAS to be baptized here first! It's been stressful getting done all the things we need to, but the Lord has provided a way! And Lia is so happy and so excited :)

Bailey is doing FANTASTIC!!!!! She's absolutely incredible. Only been a member for 2 weeks and she's already signed up to feed us and the Elders, AND she's bringing her boyfriend to church in a couple weeks, AND her roommates don't pester her about drinking anymore because they know she won't do it, AND she is an amazing fellowshipper for another soon-to-be investigator in the YSA, AND she wants to be sealed in the temple!!!!! I can't even begin to say how WONDERFUL she is!!!! One of my best friends out here for sure. I just can't get over it... what if Sister Wise and I had never called her that night? What if she hadn't answered the phone? We never would have met her! She still wouldn't be a member! She wouldn't have the Spirit with her and be reading the Book of Mormon and be doing all the good that she is doing! It blows me away. I am so amazed by her and thankful for her every day!

We were on an exchange with the Milwaukee Sisters again this week, but this time it was for an actual working day! I was with Sister Mansfield in the Milwaukee First ward and got to meet some interesting characters! Milwaukee is quite the jungle! There are many humble people there though. I met the cutest lil' fella named Prince William... He is two years old and just precious. (I'll send pictures!) Made my day for sure! I LOVE little bros!

Also! Saturday was one of the BEST DAYS EVER!!!!!!! And especially one of the best days of my mission! We got to go to the Milwaukee Polish Festival to help with a family history booth. Being surrounded by all that European culture, plus getting to help people find ancestors and spread the word about Family Search... it was absolutely wonderful :) I've never felt the Spirit of Elijah so strong in my life!!!! But I LOVED it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (also it made me miss Germany HUGE. I can't even say how much I love the Fatherland!!!!)

Anywho. I love you all! It was a busy and full week... hope you all had a great Father's Day!

xoxo

Sister K.

P.S. Too late, Mom.... my hair is gone!!!!! And much shorter than I was anticipating (the Walmart lady butchered it a bit and Sister Wise and Sister Gifford both had to fix it for me... It's basically up to my chin.) Do I regret it? Yes. Yes I do. That is all I have to say about that!

Reunited and it Feels so Good!!

Hey all!

You'll never guess who I'm with right now... SISTER WISE!!!!!!!!!! My companion and her companion are going to the temple today, so we're back in business and it's a "Pday" and it's been the best day EVER. :) It's nice that Sister Wise is still serving so close to me (we share a church building), but it's also kind of hard that way. But oh well. We are both just enjoying this lovely WARM day! (so warm, in fact, that I'm considering chopping off all my hair. Kind of rash? Maybe. But I really might do it. Stay in tune! haha.)

Literally, there have been SO many miracles in the past week that I can't even count! Lia, who I mentioned in my last email I think, is now preparing for baptism on June 25th! She wants to be baptized and confirmed before she leaves for China for the summer. She is so prepared and so sweet... she is learning to love "the God" (that's what she calls Him, haha) and has an insatiable appetite for learning more and more! I'm just... wow. She's progressing so quickly we don't even know what to do with her!

Bailey is doing AWESOME. She came with us to a lesson with our investigator Stephanie, and bore her testimony about the Book of Mormon and prophets. I told her that it's amazing to see how her countenance has changed since accepting the gospel... and she agreed! Her family and boyfriend have noticed a big change in her, too. It was cool, she said that reading the Book of Mormon has helped her to identify the role of God in her life; it's easier for Him to find Him in the details because of the Book of Mormon! Just another reason it's the best book ever!!! :)

God has been too good to me on this crazy mission thing. I don't even know how to express my gratitude in words. I feel a lot like Bailey recently... like a new girl! A new girl with a fresh view of God, myself, and others. (That's a phrase Preach My Gospel uses to describe repentance, and I LOVE it!!! Because it's so true!) The people I've met, the places I've served... This area, especially. At first I was so terrified of serving in this area... but now, I don't ever want to leave! We're about halfway through the transfer, though, and our new Mission President comes in on June 30th... so anything can happen!

Along that note, I just want to take a sentence or two to say how much I'll miss the Cutlers. President and Sister Cutler are some of the most loving, consecrated, hard-working, intelligent, uplifting, spiritually-minded people I know. It's been a real privilege serving in their mission. I can't believe their time is almost up... We're seeing so many miracles in our mission as their time comes to a close. I'll sure miss them!!! On that same note, I am excited to see what President and Sister Williams bring to Wisconsin. I've heard getting a new mission president can be pretty drastic... but usually I think it's a good thing. Anyone with any advice, feel free to chip in! Haha. We'll be the first Sisters to meet them, because we're taking Sister Williams out to work with us the night they fly in! So that will be exciting!

Anywho. Love you all. Stay cool in this blasted heat!

xoxo

Sister K.

Miracles up the Wazoo!!

This week was great but fast fast FAST!!!! We had Mission Leadership Conference on Friday and I got to see my sweet little Sister Hunt (MTC companion) again for the first time in AGES! And I saw her exactly a year to the DAY from when we reported to the MTC... extra sweet! Wow, can you believe that? I reported on June 3rd of 2015... This year has gone by so fast. It doesn't even feel real. Sometimes I randomly realize that I'm really a missionary... I'm really in Wisconsin... in the city of Milwaukee, nonetheless... And I'm so beyond grateful to be here. It's never easy - there's always something to challenge and push me - but I am so SO grateful to be here doing what I'm doing :)

So many miracles this week... on Saturday in particular. I am trying to learn more about the Spirit and trying to let it guide me, especially because... um... I am NOT the best planner. In fact, I am kind of the worst at planning! I want so badly to be doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing every day, but in this area it's really hard to tell if I'm focusing on the right things. So anyways, Saturday comes around and there were stacks upon stacks of miracles... seeing random church members around Milwaukee, seeing the same girl on two different bus rides and getting to talk to her on both, bumping into the people we were trying to visit right when they were about to go into their apartment, right after I realized I didn't know which apartment was theirs... small miracles, but miracles all the same!!! I realized that when we WANT to follow the Spirit, and then make a plan, and then follow that plan to the best of our ability... we are guided to where we need to go! Sometimes I think Heavenly Father even uses our "mistakes" to our advantage!

As for a BIG miracle... We met Lia this week! She is a Chinese student and friends with a member, and we met with her and taught her more about Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon, since she comes from a non-Christian background and knows next to nothing. She is DRAWN to Christianity though... she is SO curious and wants to learn, and has definitely been prepared for the message of the Gospel. Anywho, she came to church yesterday and LOVED it so much that right after Sacrament meeting, she asked, "What can I do to become a Mormon??" Haha. She is so ready! We'll be seeing her today and explaining more about baptism and the church. Man, oh man... Lia is a miracle!!

Another miracle! Kayla BORE HER TESTIMONY in fast and testimony meeting yesterday!!! My heart was pounding so hard when she walked up toward the stand... and I definitely cried when she spoke. She still doesn't believe the Book of Mormon is true, necessarily... but she DOES love it. Which is definitely a start! Even if she doesn't believe it yet, she admitted that through her study of the Book of Mormon and through learning more about the Church, she has come closer to God and Jesus Christ. I realized that I have taken all this truth for granted my whole life... We know SO MUCH about the Atonement because of the Book of Mormon. We know SO MUCH about Jesus Christ's mission on earth. And it's cool that Kayla's mind has been opened up to that. She just needs to know this is true all for herself, not for anyone else... we point it out to her as much as we can, but it's up to her agency at this point. (I love agency but I also despise it. haha.) We love her though and will do anything we can to help her!!! And I am grateful for her friendship and love every day.

Love you all! Have a great week!

xoxo

Sister K.