20 Nov 2016

Hey family!

I am just overflowing with gratitude right now for this mission thing. Gosh I'm not ready for it to end. I love Sister Tidwell so stinkin' much - she is the biggest tender mercy EVER. It's absolutely incredible how much she manages to build me up and help me grow and push myself and become better. We knocked our goals out of the park this week - well, the goals that were up to OUR agency. The goals that had to do with OTHER's agency, not so much... but I feel satisfied in knowing we're doing all we can to help people to come closer to Christ!!!

We had Zone Conference on Thursday, and it was amazing! Something really cool that happened was that Sister Tidwell and I were in charge of a 30 minute training on "finding," and 5 minutes of that was going to be about family mission plans, but when we got to Conference it became clear that "finding" wasn't what WE were supposed to train on. So we switched it up last minute and went up and trained for 25 minutes on family mission plans instead!!! And it went alright, but the coolest thing was that EVERY SINGLE THING we were GOING to say about "finding"... was said by somebody else! Literally, EVERY scripture reference, every planning idea, EVERYTHING! It was an evidence to me that the Spirit guided our planning (because we felt so strongly that "finding" was something the zone really needed to be trained on), and then guided the conference like CRAZY!!! I don't know if this makes any sense - but trust me, it was the coolest! And I love President and Sister Williams. They are ministering angels to us!

Amanda and Charlotte are now working towards a baptism date in December! We were so bummed, they weren't able to make it to church yesterday :( But it's important to them and they understand why it's important - next week they will be there for SURE!!!!! And we're going to do ALL we can to help them get there!!!!!!!!!!

Blitzes this week with Sheboygan - Sisters Garner and Reid. They're the cutest ever!!! A great companionship and I LOVE them!!!!

I am exhausted. I can't think of anything else to say.

Oh!!! TENDER MERCY!!!!!!!! Sister Tidwell and I saw BROTHER AND SISTER BONNER at Stake Conference yesterday!!! They are our sweet dear friends from KETTLE MORAINE!!!!! And we served there together!!! The Bonners were shocked to see that we are companions again, haha! But it was a SWEET reunion! THOSE TWO are ministering angels, too!!!! Brother Bonner is President Bonner now - he just got called to be a counselor in the Chicago temple presidency, under President Doll!

Anywho, I think that's all!!! I love you!!!!!!

xoxo

Sister K.

13 Nov 2016

Well these first few days being reunited with Sister Tidwell has felt like a dream!!! I'm going to be her companion EXACTLY a year after we were companions before... which means I'll be with her for her YEAR MARK!!!! Never ever EVER expected or dreamed that would happen!!! But it really has been wonderful reminiscing and sharing the new experiences both of us have had since being companions!!! She is so incredibly WONDERFUL and CAPABLE and it brings my heart so much PEACE to know that she'll be carrying this area when I leave! I <3 SISTER TIDWELL!!!!!!

We had an AMAZING lesson with Karina, Charlotte, and Amanda!!! We invited Amanda to prepare for baptism with Charlotte and she ACCEPTED!!!!!! The Spirit was so strong!!! She has the greatest desires to follow Christ and change her life for the better! I know the Lord is working in that family to bring them into the fold - something that they have been needing and missing for a long time! They were going to work towards November 26th, but didn't make it to church yesterday, so now they'll be working towards a date in December. (Amanda's phone died in the middle of the night on Saturday so the alarm didn't go off, so they missed church. Bahh!!!! Can I just take a moment to say that Satan works RIDICULOUSLY HARD on people who are preparing for baptism? I KNOW I'm not the only one who's experienced this... Just kinda shows how TRUE the church is though!!!)

One of my FAVORITE PEOPLE EVER, Miss Cherie, had a birthday on the same day as my Mom's birthday - Nov. 12th! We celebrated with her on Sunday and it was a tender mercy because I know my family was celebrating my mom's birthday too! Cherie requested marbled cupcakes with green frosting... haha wherever that idea came from! But we made them and they turned out great!

It gets dark at 4:30 here now! So that's cool.

It's supposed to snow this weekend. 

That's about it for the week! Sorry to not have any exciting stories... just know we're doing great and life is wonderful and I'm so grateful for all of you!!!

xoxo

Sister K.

Sis K will miss Sis Killian

It's like a reunion tour - back with Sis Tidwell

Karina got baptized!!!

That's right everyone! Karina got baptized yesterday!!!! It was a wonderful baptism - so many people from the ward came to support her, and there were great talks and beautiful music too. But the best part was definitely when Karina came up out of the water, and I heard Amanda (Karina's nonmember mom) whisper under her breath, "That was beautiful." (and then Charlotte, the nine year old, said, "That was weird." haha.) But baptism really is beautiful! I LOVE the symbolism and the power of the Priesthood that can be felt in that holy moment of redemption. It was a lot of work but a really great day! And because of the Regional Conference yesterday, Karina will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost next Sunday! So we'll keep working with her really closely up until then. Also, we were talking to Amanda before the baptism and found out that she quit smoking 2 weeks ago and is working on quitting coffee so she can "take all this more seriously." THAT is repentance!!!! And it is beautiful!!!!! We are SO excited for the spiritual progress of this wonderful family!!!!!

So yeah we had a Regional Conference yesterday! Which apparently all my Colorado people were watching too! That made me happy :) It was great - a lot of talk about temples, which is always good to hear. Our mission policy just changed so we are no longer able to attend the temple in our mission, which is really sad, BUT when I was pondering about it, I decided that when we don't have things for a season, we often appreciate them MORE when we have them back. So I'm making goals for temple attendance when I am back in temple boundaries! :)

We also had the opportunity this week to BLITZ Sheboygan! (Meaning Sister Killian and I drove down to Sheboygan and worked with the Sisters there for a day!) I was with Sister Reid - this is her first transfer! - and it was cool because she had a lot of the same questions and struggles that I had in MY first transfer forever ago!!!! But I could see so much potential for GOOD in her work ethic and attitude. It was an honor to work with her for the day and we found an AWESOME new family!!!! (and an added bonus: I can now say I've driven all the way around Lake Winnebago!)

Well transfers are coming up on Wednesday, and today we found out the transfer news.... Sister Killian is getting transferred to Wausau, and GUESS WHO IS COMING HERE TO REPLACE HER?!?!?!   SISTER TIDWELL!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's right!!!!! My little bestie from Kettle Moraine!!!!!!!!!!! I am so beyond thrilled!!!!!! These next five weeks are going to be the BEST WEEKS EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't think of anyone I'd rather spend my last transfer with!!!!!!!! :D :D :D She is exactly what I prayed for!!!!!!!!!!

Hope ya'll have a nice week!

xoxo

Sister K.