Oktoberfest in September

Good news! Sister Killian and I have survived another transfer cycle and we'll stay together for the next 6 weeks :) I'm absolutely thrilled - I love this area and I love Sister Killian! We have a lot of great things to look forward to!

󾓨 Miracle alert! A couple days ago we were praying for a chance to invite Karina's mom to take the lessons with Karina because we know how much it will BLESS their family! When we showed up to our next appointment, Karina's mom was sitting on the porch and said, "If you don't mind, I'm going to be joining you for your lesson today." We looked at each other in shock and said we didn't mind at all! She's really interested in learning more and has great faith in Christ! Sadly neither of them was able to make it to church on Sunday, and we're going to move Karina's baptism date back a bit just to make sure she's ready, but we're so excited to teach their whole family!

󾓨 We had the brilliant opportunity on Saturday to go to Appleton's Oktoberfest! The Neenah ward does a fundraiser every year at Oktoberfest selling "tiger paws" (fried bread dough with cinnamon and sugar - they're always a bestseller) to pay for youth camps and such. We were surprised when we showed up to help at how BIG of an operation it was; literally 600 pounds of oil in a hot-tub sized fryer! THAT big! And at least 20 people manning the booth at all times! I wish I could take a picture but I was up to my elbows in dough! But believe me, it was a BLAST! I love Mormons. 

󾓨 Women's conference on Saturday was unbelievably wonderful. I'm wondering if they've always been this good and I've just been too caught up in the world to notice??? Because on my mission it feels like General Conference might as well be a holiday! I LOVE it so much!!! President Uchtdorf's talk really touched me - he shared a story about missionaries who kept knocking a whole apartment complex until they hit the fourth (top) floor, last door... and THAT'S when a miracle happened. It motivated me to keep working and striving to NEVER GIVE UP!!!! 

󾓨 Another miracle alert! Through a series of incredibly small and seemingly insignificant events, we came in contact with a less active in the YSA named Mikaela. We met her at a Kwik Trip (best gas stations EVER) and she wants to come back to church! I don't have time to list all the things that brought us to that Kwik Trip, but it was a much-needed reminder to me of how TRULY involved the Lord is in the details of the work! I was blown away!

I think that's all for this week! Love you all!

xoxo

Sister K.

Happy Birthday to Sis Killian!

Today is my companion's 20th birthday! Woohoo!!!! They grow up so fast.

This week was Zone Conference! Our first with President Williams. That man. So incredibly inspired! He gave a powerful training on the Atonement. It always blows my mind thinking about how real and how expansive the power of the Atonement is... and yet, it can only influence us to the degree we allow it! I love that.

The reason we had a conference was because every single mission vehicle needed to be brought in so the Tiwi devices could be adjusted. (Tiwi is the little box that yells at us when we go too fast or drive aggressively. Our car commander has been known to say that for now, we need to abide by Tiwi's rules... but in the Millenium we'll use Tiwi for target practice!) Usually when Tiwi yells at me, I get all defensive and yell right back... but during conference I felt strongly that I should NOT do that anymore because it was driving the Spirit away! So Sister Killian and I made a new resolution. Whenever Tiwi yells, we clap and do this little chant : "Hey, Tiwi, you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind, hey Tiwi!!!" Haha. It's a silly little thing, but it totally WORKS! We've had the Spirit with us a lot more since this recent development!

That's probably the most exciting thing about the week. Haha.

󾓨 This week Karina kinda relapsed into some of her past behaviors and it's been really sad. Last time we saw her, we had a lesson planned, but we just pulled out the Book of Mormon and started reading. She left off on 1 Nephi 4 - when Nephi is commanded to kill Laban in order to get the plates. We read that chapter with her and it was SO COOL to see the impact it had! She LOVED the story and said that she felt so much happier with every verse we read. (And it was about a teenager cutting off some rich mean guy's head!!!!!) THAT'S the power of the Book of Mormon - no matter what or where we read, it can apply to us personally and we can feel the power of the Spirit the moment we open up to a page!

󾓨 The Vandenlangenbergs... well they're doing great and they still want to meet, but it seems that no matter HOW MANY times we teach the Restoration, they don't understand the concept of one true church. I guess because I was raised in it, it's so common sense to me, but for the dad especially it's SO hard to grasp. It all comes back to the Book of Mormon, which they know. It's just a matter of reading, applying, and praying about it! We've said that repeatedly but something always seems to get lost in translation.

󾓨 I got my "trunky papers" in the mail on Saturday. :( Made me want to THROW UP!!!!!!! Haha jk, it wasn't as big of a deal as I thought it would be. Kind of exciting but also a lot happens in 3 months on the mission so I'm trying not to think about it. 

I love Wisconsin! I can't wait for the Fall to hit full-blast! I can't wait to bring my family back here next summer! 

LOVE YOU! Have a great week!

xoxo

Sister K.

12 Sep 2016

Family and Friends!

Can I just say that I LOVE FALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A couple leaves are starting to turn and there's a bit of briskness in the air every now and then....... I LOVE IT SO STINKIN' MUCH!!!!!!! As much as I'm sad that this year is beginning to wane.... I just LOVE this season and all the beautiful tender mercies that come with it!!!

Life is SO great here in Menasha for several reasons!

󾓨 ALL SIX OF THE VANDENLANGENBERGS CAME TO CHURCH YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mission MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! They only stayed for Sacrament meeting, but we were able to teach them the Plan of Salvation on Saturday and they had GREAT questions. I don't think it's really clicked for them all the things that our church claims to be - they did like the service, though, and there were some stellar talks given by ward members about scripture study and prayer. Their 17 year old daughter is probably the most interested out of all of them; she even went to the Bishop's Youth Discussion last night, and wants to meet with us extra times instead of just with her family. (she requested that we meet in a "cool" place, like a cafe or something. Haha, she's the cutest!) We are SO excited about this family, and so grateful to the Milwaukee sisters for finding them! 

󾓨 Karina also came to church! She seems to be making great friends, and the Young Women leaders have taken her under their wings to help her come to mutual activities. She's a whole different person than the first time we met her, and her mom is still supporting her baptism on October 8th. YAY!!!!!

󾓨 We had a SWEET lesson with Sadock, a YSA from the Congo who speaks French and very little English. After our Ward Misson Leader asked around a bit, he found out that the Bishop of the Appleton 2nd ward speaks French! So we brought him to the lesson with us, and it was SUPER powerful. Sister Killian and I were both blown away by the pure understanding on Sadock's face as he heard the message of the Restoration in his OWN language - a message we've tried to teach him in English 3 times now! Reminds me of the scripture 2 Nephi 31:3: "For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding." The Lord knows us and speaks to OUR understanding - sometimes He even provides a French translator!!!!!

I have SUCH a testimony of the power of daily scripture study and prayer. THOSE ARE THE CONVERTING HABITS OF THE GOSPEL. Scripture study leads us to know Christ and to repent - I KNOW that there is power in the words of Christ!

Love you all! Sorry I'm the worst, I forgot to take pictures! Hope your week is GREAT!!!!!!

xoxo

Sister K.

September

Fam Family!

The work is really picking up here in Winnebago! We have done a TON of finding lately. Something our mission has been emphasizing - I'm not sure if I've told you about it yet - is called "First Vision Lessons"; basically, every companionship is to strive to teach Joseph Smith's First Vision at least TWO times every day. We've been promised that as we do so, the individuals who are prepared to receive the gospel will be touched in their hearts by the message, and it will ring true to them. I've TOTALLY seen that to be the case as we go out and testify of Joseph's experience; every time I recite the First Vision, my own testimony of it grows, and I've been able to see people's hearts soften and interest pique as they consider something they've NEVER considered before; that God has reached out to His children in LOVE and called a Prophet once again! It's incredible. (Both the knowledge, and sharing that knowledge. Absolutely incredible!)

Friday was MLC! I LOVE PRESIDENT WILLIAMS. What a man. He's friendly and loves to have fun, but also knows how to get to work and make results happen. The perfect balance! Something I LOVE that he said was, "If missionary work isn't fun, then you're doing it wrong." Over and over again on my mission I've needed that reminder - yes, we are here to work... but we are here to find JOY! And if we're truly obedient and working our hardest, that joy will automatically come, regardless of results! That's something else I've really found this week - even if people reject us, when I've worked my hardest I go to sleep at night feeling WONDERFUL. I'm SO GRATEFUL for this mission thing. Every day, in every prayer... SO grateful. I love this place so much I can't even describe it - I will ALWAYS be eternally grateful that I was called to serve a mission!

 Karina is progressing really well! Her baptism date is set for October 8th, enough time to get the ward members more involved. If the Young Women leaders and girls support her, I'm not worried at all for her future activity in the church. If she falls through the cracks somehow... not so much! I feel like I'm shepherding ducklings sometimes - trying to get all the ducks in a row so NOTHING can go wrong! But I know if we do our best, follow the Spirit, and teach Karina how to live the gospel, her testimony and activity in the Church will be fine. And she'll be so SO blessed for it! She's just the sweetest. 

󾓨 The Vandenlangenbergs are LEGIT. They have good questions about our church specifically and religion in general; one of those questions is HOW could there be ONE TRUE CHURCH if there are so many people and denominations who think that THEIR OWN CHURCHES are right? And the only answer I really have is my testimony of the First Vision. I KNOW it happened. Everything in the history of the world points to Christ Himself atoning for us, and to the glorious restoration of the fullness of His gospel here in these latter days so that WE, as children of God, can ACCESS that miraculous Atonement. It's true. I don't know how else to say it - all of this is TRUE.

I love you all. Fall is in the air - my favorite of all favorite seasons - Hope you enjoy it!

xoxo

Sister K.