May 19, 2014

Hey Mom :)

So here is the reason why I have taken awhile to write to you. We had to take 3 hours out if our P Day today to compensate for a temple trip tomorrow. If you remember the name, Callie Davis was baptized a year ago this month and she is getting married on Friday in the temple so I am going to her endowment tomorrow afternoon :)

And then Sister Seaman wanted to go with our zone bowling so I was trying to write you and bowl at the same time. I did pretty good, I got a 95 :)

This week has been amazing! Two weeks ago we met a girl named Raquel, last week we invited her to be baptized, and this weekend she WILL be baptized! I can't believe how fast it all happened for her! I feel like that is how things will start being with missionary work. Not so much 40 years of investigating, but having those who are prepared only take a few months or weeks to  get there. The work of salvation is hastening!

So I spent $6.55 on a pair of sunglasses today... I hope that's okay!?

I love that idea from Sister Loftus! I was just talking about that same concept with the family we had dinner with yesterday. We had dinner with the Cherry family who is the fellowship of the Schafer family, and they came to dinner also. So we had everyone write on a sticky note things that are stressful right now, challenging, standing between them and their desires to be happy and serve God, and specifically for the Schafer family, things that are keeping them from baptism. Then we asked if there was anything on that list that Christ couldn't help them overcome? One of the teenage girls said, "Yeah, Christ can't help me keep my room clean." Another teenager had on "math" as one of their challenges, and the mom put on folding socks. We showed them a video about Christ and that because of Him we will live again and had them think about what that video is telling them about their challenges. We testified that Christ deeply cares about the small details of our lives. He desires our happiness, so He can and will help us to overcome any and all of our challenges. We invited them to all pick something on their list to pray about and to invite Christ to help them to overcome it. Mom, I know that the Atonement is much bigger than just to cover pain and sin. It is also to cover heartbreak, disappointment, embarrassment, guilt, fear, shame, pride, and anything else that reduces our happiness. You wanting to lose weight instead of just inches it TOTALLY something that the Atonement was designed for. Phillipians 4:13. All things, ALL THINGS, can be done, because of Him. I invite you to pray to know how you can receive the help that is being offered to you by Christ in all of your everyday matters.

The hair appointment sounds great :) thanks so much! And, ya know, I may finish up cosmetology. Might as well, right? We'll see. Something to think about much later :)

I go home from my mission 3 months from today :(

Life is really good. I love my mission. The best times are when we have teaching experiences and times where we talk with people and have truly meaningful conversations with them. There are some things about missionary work that I don't care for as much, but it's all part of the job and I really don't mind it. The hardest part about missionary work is having every little decision directly affect my companion and having every one of her little decisions directly affect me. It will be nice one day to be able to make little decisions that don't really affect anyone! I know my decisions affect everyone regardless, but it would be nice to be able to have a separate schedule. I wouldn't cut my mission short for that, though. And it's not a big enough deal anymore to complain. It is what it is. I hope to love every last minute out here.

Teaching is going well. I feel like I am pretty good at teaching on the fly :) I could whip out a spiritual thought easy, but I'm also getting really good at jumping right in to an unplanned LESSON. It's pretty fun :) we have had some days like that this week where we planned to do something and a teaching opportunity came up instead! We did really good with lessons this week. We only taught 2 lessons to investigators by ourselves. This week we had 11 lessons to investigators with members present :) total, we taught 23 lessons :) it was a good week for lessons. We usually aim for 0 lessons without members, 10 lessons with members, and 20 lessons total per week. So we did pretty good :)

I hope you are all doing well. I played soccer last P Day. It was really fun! I will be excited to play with you and to see the Littles play and play with them :)

I think that answers all your questions? Let me know :) love you, Mom!

Love, Kady

May 12, 2014

Hey Mom :) good to see you yesterday! It was fun to see more of the family, too :) I hope Dominic has a better day today. 

If I make an appointment for my hair, I would also like for it to be colored. Is that okay? But if not, a cut would be much appreciated!!! I'll take an appointment whenever. It's not like I know what I will be doing those first few days until they happen anyway :) haha.

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't be opposed to 5:30 am rec center classes :)

This week has been just amazing. Our amazing friends, the Schafer family, came to Church again yesterday! They love it :) I am sooooo excited for them. Please keep them in your prayers! 

On Friday we were in a certain part of the area, and thought, "Let's go see Linda." She is inactive and we found her from a list of names the High Priest Group Leader asked us to see who he didn't know if they even existed. We'd met her once just to see if she was there and if we could do anything for her, and reported back. But Friday we had the thought to go back and invite her to Church. We said, "Linda, will you come to Church with is?" And she said, "Yeah, I will." We must not have believed it could be that easy! We read her some scriptures and promised her some blessings and invited her again. She said, "Yeah, I said I will go with you." Guess what she did yesterday? She came to Church!!! I forget how easy it can be sometimes to invite people. That's all Hastening the Work of Salvation is; an invitation to invite those we meet to do something!

What? Booger Boy didn't like the zoo? What an egg sandwich. Just kidding ;) I love my Soul Sister!

The lesson I learned this week is how to practice temperance. A temperate person doesn't let her circumstances, environment, physical demands, or other people determine her mood or reactions. Even if I am stressed, frustrated, hungry, tired, annoyed, bored, frazzled, hot, cramping, confused, misunderstood, or if the person I am with is any of those things, I can still be in total control. Right now I am not, but it is something I am working on. I have focussed my energy on slowing my mind down and thinking rationally. My natural inclination when I am tired or hungry is to be snappy so the person stops talking to me. The one that has been getting me lately is when my companion is irritated and my reactions are either to correct her impatience or to ignore it and let it bother me. But with all the situations that may occur, I have been learning to take a step back and think about what I can do to immediately make the situation better. Maybe it's being humble and accepting criticism. Maybe it's making light of a stressful situation. Maybe it is taking a little break by taking a fun picture or talking about something silly and laughing. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. I want to be temperate, but my body is a roller coaster of emotions. Self control is the victory over this life. We are here to learn how to control our bodies by being obedient to God instead of doing whatever our body leads us to want to do. So, temperance is my current objective :)

Do you think I have changed since coming out on my mission? If so, can you share with me some examples? I don't feel like i have changed at all. Sister Seaman asked her family yesterday and they said she has changed a lot! So I am just curious :)

Love you, Mom! I think I spaced it and didn't wish you a Happy Mothers Day yesterday. I hope it was great :)

Talk to you soon!

Love, Kady

May 5, 2014

Hey Mom!

Sorry it took me a second to write you back. We had to hurry over to the grocery store!

We had a really great week! We went on exchanges on the weekend. I was with Sister Barnett and Sister Seaman was with Sister Summerhays :) I love Sister Summerhays!!! I miss her. And I really love Sister Barnett. We have gone on exchanges 3 times now :) She really is a lot of fun. Some of my favorite things about mission life include getting to know other sister missionaries. They really are such special women :)

Sister Seaman and I pretty much had the best day of our lives yesterday. An investigator family that we have been loving and helping came to Church for the first time! The whole family! All 5 of them! The father is a little nervous about being baptized and the teenage daughter has complications with her mom (the family consists of second wife and half siblings) that is keeping them from being on date, for now. But their fellowshippers are outstanding! I am really, really excited about them. I know they will be baptized soon, they just need to know for themselves! They know the Church is true, though! They are basically already Mormon! The mom was teaching and testifying in one of our lessons last week. She always says she is ready to be baptized as well as her sons, just waiting on dad. They even went with their fellowshipping family to the Stake youth baptisms on Saturday! It was so sweet, yesterday, after Church, we went to their house for a lesson and we went back over the Plan of Salvation for the dad's benefit. The 10 year old boy said, "So it's all kind of like a car! Our spirits are like the gas and the car is like our body. We put the gas in the car for it to go, but it can only go a certain distance before it runs out. And the gas coming out as smoke is like our spirits going up to the spirit world." Uh.....WHAT?! This boy isn't Mormon?!! We are soooooooo excited about them :)

I want to tell you about my study of Preach My Gospel this week. I was reading in chapter 4: "How Do I Recognize the Spirit?" The first sentence after Joseph Smith's quote really stood out to me. It made me think about how the Work of Salvation (the new name for missionary work) isn't my work, the ward's work, my family's work. I shouldn't do things my way, my companion's way, the ward's way. We need to do the Lord's work, the Lord's way. That's what we have Preach My Gospel for! True, we receive revelation for our specific needs, but it all boils down to the true and everlasting principles of the gospel. The "how" might be a little different, but the "what" and the "why" and the "when" are all the same for every person who wants to help God in Hastening the Work of Salvation. Will you as a family read Elder Ballard's talk "Following Up?"

Next week we will call at about our 3:15 which is your 4:15. I hope that still works :) I love you so much! Thanks for everything, Mom :) See you soon!

-Kady

April 28, 2014

Hey Mom!!!!!

Are you so excited to see my face in 2 weeks? :)

Yeah I'm pretty sure I will just serve in these 2 areas for my mission. It actually isn't typical to do that! There are many missionaries that stay in areas for 6 months or so, but there are few missionaries that only get transferred once! My companion has served in 5 areas and has been out 4 months less than me! Every transfer about half of the missionaries are swapped, so I get to know lots of missionaries, but for some reason a lot of missionaries I served with in Flagstaff get transferred to my zone in Glendale! So I've been working with some of the same ones more than once! Both my current zone leaders were district leaders in Flagstaff!

This week has been pretty good. It felt like the longest week ever! The first week of the transfer always feels like that, though :) 

We learned how to "plank" while riding our bikes. It was really hard and scary. We scoot back on our seats and then stick our legs back while still holding on to the handlebars. When I did it, I almost lost control of my bike but miraculously sat back upright before that happened. Don't try this at home ;) it was a pretty dumb idea, I don't think we will be doing it again!

Did I tell you that the week before last we went to the Mesa Temple Easter Pageant? If I did, I won't give you too many details, but if I didn't, I thought it was pretty cheesy and my favorite part was when Jesus ascended to heaven! It was pretty fun and cool :)

My hair is getting out of control. It's too hot to wear down and I can't wear it up with my helmet so I have to just tie it back. I really want to cut it...but I have been growing it out all this time :( I guess I'll just keep it back for now...but it is killing me!

We have seen many miracles this week! There is an investigating family that is very promising, but we lost contact with them for over a week :( we got pretty worried, but then we got a text from her friend saying she lost her phone and we can stop by anytime this week because she isn't so busy! Pray for the Schafer family!

There are also several families we have been trying to help be more active in the Church who CAME yesterday! We just need a little more ward support in retaining less-active and nonmembers. It's really exciting though! The Work of Salvation is hastening. I feel so blessed to be a part of it. I plan to be as big of a part of it as I can the rest of my life. I watch the Work of Salvation videos on LSD.org about families working together to share the gospel, and that is the ideal i have for our family and my future family. I am so grateful to be on my mission now, so i can see how important the gospel REALLY is, so I can help Heavenly Father spread the truth more than I could have without my mission. Missions aren't for everyone, I know, but for me it is vital skills training, and I can't imagine a mission being the wrong choice for anyone. Maybe not the best choice in some situations, but never wrong.

I am starting to get really attached to this ward. These are my people! I love them all so much! I have never been so involved in people's lives before. I know it's different when you are a missionary, but I have really grown to love these people :) this is my ward! If you ever want to move to Glendale, this would be the best ward to be in!!!

I hope everyone is doing well. Did you all get my letters from last week? I miss you all!

Love you, Mom! Miss you, too! See you soon :)

Love, Kady

April 22, 2014

Hey Mom!

 

SURPRISE! Today is transfers :) Sorry that I didn't remind you last week. There is a transfer P-Day on Tuesday, June 3 and then Tuesday, July 15, and then I go home August 19. So you only have 2 more weird P-Days to worry about :)

 

So, transfer news...I am staying in Glen Lakes with Sister Seaman another 6 weeks :) Yay!! We both had the feeling it would be this way. I am pretty sure I will be staying in this ward for the rest of my mission! But I am really okay with that :)

 

Easter was great! We had Stake Conference :) Missionaries are invited to the Adult Session of Stake Conference nowadays because the theme for the next while is Hastening the Work of Salvation, in case you didn't remember :) It was so good!!!! I have really grown to LOVE Stake Conference :) It was hard to love as a kid, but I love it now! As well as General Conference, Ward Conference, and other big meetings like that :) Some notes I took are: "There is no question the work is hastening. The Lord is hastening His work, and by definition, we need to be hastened. Work a little faster. Work with urgency, pray with urgency, act with urgency; if we are already, act with more urgency." from our Stake President. "Go to the temple REGULARLY. That doesn't mean once a week, but it means to be going on a regular basis, if that's a couple times a month, once a month, or whatever, GO REGULARLY." from our Mesa Temple President's wife. I also received the personal revelation that when I go home and continue to be a missionary, I want to have a "teaching pool" of friends that I am constantly working with to share the gospel with. I don't want to have time in my life where there isn't SOMEONE that I am inviting, testifying to, and being an example for. And if there isn't someone, I want to be continually looking for the next person I can influence :) Not necessarily a whole Area Book full of people like I have now, but maybe just one or two friends at a time that I can think about and pray for and help to have the opportunity to accept the truth of the gospel.

 

We aren't doing much for P-Day today. We didn't plan to do anything because we didn't know if we would be spending the day packing. But we kind of knew we wouldn't be :)

 

Did you all participate in the #BecauseofHim Easter initiative? Did you at least watch the video? Over the course of the 10 days we had access to the video, Sister Seaman and I watched it, probably over 50 times. We showed it to EVERYONE! I love it so much! I cried one of the first times we watched, but I also cried one of the last times we watched it! It is seriously so good. It's not even really an "Easter video," just a video about the truth about Christ and the Atonement. I might just have to keep using it :) But it was really cool to see so many people sharing the video and putting up pictures and testimony about Christ. I don't really remember Easters before this one, but this Easer I will remember for the rest of my life. It lasted for 10 days for me! I received so much inspiration and revelation from pondering on the resurrection and looking forward for Resurrection Day! I hope you all had as spiritual of an Easter as I did :)

 

I haven't eaten snacks, treats, desserts, or candy for over a week now! Even though people have been giving me lots of chances to eat it lately! I am really proud of myself :) I'm not even tempted! I probably won't eat stuff like that ever again, with the exception of weddings and birthdays :)

 

One thing that I am really grateful to have learned on my mission is optimism/positivity. I didn't think I was a very negative person, but I have noticed in myself the positive energy and comments that I make now, that are different than what I might have said before. I am able to see the good in the world! When things don't go according to plan, you know what? It's okay! And I mean it! My heart is so happy and my spirit is at peace because my attitude and outlook on life is so optimistic, now. I think that is a spiritual gift that I have. This week, I was able to help two of my sisters to see the positive about themselves. One who was really struggling. She has 3 kids and 2 dogs, a tiny house, no job, and a husband that is going through some emotional and mental struggles. She broke down a little bit when we popped in to see how they were doing. I could feel only love for her as I showed her what was right in her life. She cried, and I cried. The love in the room was so thick! I don't know if anyone else felt it, but it was because I really could only see the positive at that moment. "You are so strong! You are doing so well! Look at all that you have been able to do so far! You will continue to do better as you pray to our Father for help, and as we come to you to help lift your burdens!" My outlook on life is just better. Every day is a bright, sunny, happy day! Life is good! I'm weak, mortal, and make mistakes every few minutes. But that is nothing to be alarmed about, and everything is just fine anyway :) What a blessing it is to see the world through hopeful eyes. I know that there are still troubles and problems and lots of things are just not okay, even things that are wrong with this world. But I don't dwell on any of those things. I look at what positive things can be done to improve, if necessary, or I just turn my attention to something that is good :) LIFE IS SO GOOD! God is good :) I love my life and I love being happy! I am on my mission to help others be swallowed up in this same kind of godly happiness :)

 

I know I've gotten kind of cheesy on my mission, but I am expressing to you exactly how I feel :) I love you so much! Miss you, too :)

 

Love, Kady

April 14, 2014

Hey Mom!

Yeah, I am wearing the shirt you sent me in my picture :) haha! So about that, the Church is doing a #BecauseofHim this week for Easter. It is a big promotion to inspire people about Christ. If you will please go to easter.mormon.org, watch the video and read the page, that is really what it is all about. The Church wants us to take the video and share it with our friends or lead them to it on our social media pages. We also can use the hashtag to post pictures or share posts that the mormon.org Facebook page will be putting up every day. It all leads up to Easter Sunday when The Church has paid to out the video on the main page for YouTube where they estimate 109 million people will be watching it, just that day! It already has close to 100,000 views. Our finding efforts this week are geared toward the video and inviting people to share it. I sent Victoria an idea to use for this week. But people can also do what Sister Seaman and I did with our profile pictures and hashtag #BecauseofHim to be part of the worldwide efforts the Church is putting out. It is only this week, so will you help others to participate with us? Just sharing the video on Facebook or email, and just giving it to everyone! Thanks :)

This week was really great. We went to the temple for an endowment session on Wednesday morning. We went down to the Mesa temple for the 5:30 session so we could be back before studies were over. We had to get up at 3:40 :P but it was soooooo worth it! I saw the new video for the first time! My mind was blown! I guess there are 3 new ones? I have one more to see :)

We had another sleepless night the other day. Sister Seaman crashed her bike and we are worried she might have a concussion, so I woke her up every hour or two throughout the night. She's probably okay, but I wouldn't have been happy letting her die on me!

President Uchtdorf said that on Sunday morning ;)

I need to send you the rest of my winter stuff. My coats and boots mostly. I just need to get a big box :)

This week I was able to really see a lot of growth in myself. Sister Seaman told me I am the most forgiving companion she has ever had. I think I have always been a pretty forgiving person, but this week I could really see the strength that the Spirit has given me in my relationships. One of my favorite scriptures is Matthew 5:9 and I always strive to have that quality, as well as the others in matthew 5! But mostly "peacemaker." I am learning to be humble enough to change my attitude, apologize, and choose to speak in a spirit of love instead of how I usually am when I try to make people feel bad by putting them down when I am offended. But I also must say, General Conference has been so much in my mind that everything i think of to say relates to something someone said in Conference :) this just makes me think of President Holland's talk. "If your eye offends you, pluck it out. If your arm offends you, cut it off." But I hope that I can learn to continue to be more pleasant and peaceful at all times :) it definitely comes quicker now!

This month, I have been studying hope and faith from the Christlike attributes in PMG chapter 6. My faith has certainly grown! And I have learned what hope really means. It doesn't mean that there could be a hint of uncertainty and doubt, but hope is to have secure and determined assurance of truth. I know that by the end of my mission I will be faithful and full of hope :) I'm pretty excited about that!

Love you, Mom :) Be safe, smile every day, go to the temple often. 

Love, Kady

April 7, 2014

Mom! :)

I'm good (happy and healthy!), I had a great week (learned a lot, especially from conference), it was fun I guess (we had some funny times and awkward/embarrassing moments!), interesting also (a crazy story with a man who thinks he is Jesus...), didn't crash (I've gotten pretty good at riding, it almost feels natural!), watched all of conference (had one of the less-active ladies we are helping take us and she watched 3 sessions when she was planning on one or none!), my favorite talk was Elder Cook (he said "hastening the work of salvation" maybe 8 or 12 times! I wasn't counting, that was just an exaggerated guess for emphasis), getting along fine with my companion (she is a lot like me so our issues are silly because we are both always working hard and being righteous and obedient! We are just remembering that there are many ways to do the right thing :)), and don't mind the district or zone (I've had zones where I have more fun, but everyone works hard and don't annoy me!)

So, I wanted button up shirts because I am trying to look more professional. I don't want dark colors because I don't want to get hot and I don't want bright neon colors because I want to be more conservative. Maybe red or lavender or mint green, maybe grey or peach, but not blue because I have basically all blue! And could you get size small so they fit me nicely but not medium and have it baggy or extra small and have it too close to me? I just don't want print shirts because they are harder to match with stuff :) thanks mom! You could even just go to the DI if you want :) and maybe if you want to put another handy thing in my box, a fannypack for carrying water would be great! I've been thinking about it for weeks and still think it's a good idea, you do what you gotta do!

You don't need to send me the picture of the letter. She let me read it before she sent it to you :) she really wants to meet you someday. Can we come back in September one weekend so you can meet all my friends while they still remember me?

We went in companion exchanges this week. Those tend to be a little crazy! I was with the craziest sister! The first thing she did in the morning was burn a chunk of hair off her head with the blow dryer...she came walking into my bathroom with it in her hand and at first I thought she was holding a clip in hair extension! It was fused together at the place it burned off! Things got crazier from there including a time when we were sitting in a lady's house inviting her to General Conference. We were in there about 15 minutes before her dog realized we were there. But as soon as it saw us, it charged us on the couch and got up real close to me growling and barking, but not barking like all dogs do, but like it wanted to rip me to shreds! It was snarling and shaking its head and I really thought it was going to attack me. It stood there for about 20 seconds before the owners took it into the back room. I noticed in those 20 seconds that I had curled up in a ball with my foot closest to its face. In my head, I consciously decided that if it moved at me as if to bite me, I would kick it in the face. I also decided in that moment that if I kicked it and it started attacking me, I would do everything I could to kill it. Let me say, it wasn't a small dog, and the lady says it's a kind that they breed in Africa to run in packs and take down lions. But anyway, I didn't have to kill it. But do you ever think "What would i do if...?" Well, I am pleased to say that I know exactly what I would do if a dog was trying to attack me. I really believe I would have killed it if I had to!

But that has little to do with missionary work. We have found ourselves in the right place at the right time a lot this week! And it is never how we expect. We spent a little bit too much time looking at sheep the other day, but because of our delay, a person walked by that we would have missed that we were able to give a Book of Mormon! Another time, we went to see a former investigator who wasn't home when we knocked on the door, but as we were leaving we noticed they have stuffed monkeys hanging from their tree. We thought we were being quick and sneaky when we hung from their tree like monkeys to take the picture, but they were coming around the corner from their walk and caught us in the act. But when we talked with her, she said that she views it as a sign from God that we came to see her in her time of need, even when she was dropped a little over 2 years ago! We were borderline wasting time and doing inappropriate things, that ended up being perfect timing! We aren't going to be looking for ways to goof around this week, but we can see the miracles in the silliness :)

This is going to be the best week ever, though! Sister Seaman and I are getting a ride to the temple on Wednesday morning :) I am so excited!!! Speaking of temples, Callie who was baptized in May is going to the temple next month and had invited me to attend! I'll tell you about it if I go :)

What are some things we can do as a family together to apply the things we learned in General Conference?

This week we are really going to do our best to help our friends be on date for baptism! We have some who say they will, but we need to help them to actually do it. I'll let you know how it goes :)

I love you so much, and miss you, too! 

Love, Kady

March 31, 2014

Hey Mom!

You can send me some shirts. I don't have the kind of time I used to have on P-Days now that I have a bike. Thanks :)

I was reading in an Online Proselyting guidebook that just came out for missionaries, and it recommends that missionaries using Facebook don't have their weekly emails home posted. Now that I am an Online Proselyting missionary, would it be okay if you discontinued my missionary page? I know it will make a lot of people sad, but i want our family to be obedient. Thanks, and sorry!

Mom, you didn't watch the Women's Conference? Why!? That makes me sad :( I hope you read it when it comes out with the Conference Ensign! But you need to go back and listen to the music. It made me cry like a little baby!

This week has been great! I have been learning to love the people more and more. I think I figured out what the hardest thing about my mission is/will be; to see people who I love who has the Spirit working in them and then at one time or another, chooses to go away from the truth that they once acknowledged. There are two families we are teaching that I want to see baptized SOOO bad! But there are things that are happening to cause them to be in the middle between commitment and disinterest. I have the faith that if it is their time to receive these things, Heavenly Father will prepare the way for them. But my heart aches to think that the answer might be "no" for any of them! I have no doubt they can do it. I have no fear that they won't. I have faith that they will. Things just haven't been going according to plan lately....

Our friend, Caty, was baptized :) she moved, so we don't get to keep her in our ward, but it was good to see her! She was so happy :) Baptism is so important. I am so grateful to be a member of the Lord's true Church. I'm so grateful to know that I have entered the gate that opens the path that leads to Eternal Life. We are so blessed! I learn more and more every day how truly blessed we are as members of the Church. The more I come to understand these blessings, the more I see what privileges are available to me. It is easy to take these things for granted when we do it every day. I WILL go to the temple every week. I WILL read, study, and pray every day. I WILL magnify all my callings. I WILL consciously keep my covenants. I WILL be an example of my beliefs at al times, places, and things. When the truth is taken for granted, it is taken away. Life is too short to risk that. I need my Savior every hour. I need the Spirit constantly and steadily. I cannot live a single day without speaking with my Heavenly Father first. This is serious! But it's also beautiful, enjoyable, and peaceful. There is no need to fear. Christ has overcome the world! We just need to remember it, at all times, not just when the words are spoken at Sacrament time. That's my goal. Lifelong discipleship. 

Sorry, sometimes I don't know what to say so I just start saying stuff :P

I love you so much! Miss you, too :) see you in 44 days!

Kady

March 24, 2014

Hey Mom!

If you didn't suggest it, I was actually going to request a package anyway! hahaha  I was wondering if you would be so kind as to send a few button-up, short-sleeved shirts? Size small, not bright or dark colors, and if you want to play it safe and not get pattern shirts that would be fine  We had a Sisters Specialized Training last week and they made suggestions about our appearance, which was also confirmed by the Spirit that I need to dress nicer. So I would like more professional looking clothing, and I'm wearing my hair down and more makeup. Yep! So if you could do that for me I would appreciate it 

Yes! Things are going so well! I love Sister Seaman sooooooo much! She is amazing and we get along so well  She has been the easiest companion to get along with  I get along with all my companions and love them all so much, but it has been so smooth with Sister Seaman  Heavenly Father must really love me to give me such a good companion 

Things have been going really well! We are excited about some new investigators we met this week. We will let you know their progress, but we're sure they will be baptized in April  so many great people, so many miracles!

Oh, but here's the awkward story for the week. We went to see someone in YM as requested by the YM President. We tried a couple times to see him but he was out of town, then at the movies another time. Finally, last night, he was home. They were having a family card game and his nonmember girlfriend was over. We asked if we could just take a few minutes of their time to talk about missionary work and fulfilling our callings/responsibilities in our different quorums with him/them. We got talking a little, and the. The father said to the girlfriend, "This isn't typical 'Mormon family night' and we promise we didn't call them over because you were coming." Turns out she was meeting the family FOR THE FIRST TIME! It was so awkward! I just became one of "those kind" of missionaries. They were all pretty laid back about it, but I was pretty embarrassed!

So here is what I think about keeping our family close: we all need to take more of an interest in each others' lives. We need to trust each other to talk about stress and difficulties, go to each other for advice, support each other in plays, sports, classes, performances, etc., and speak loving/kind words to each other. There needs to be an emphasis on love and The Spirit in our home that draws us close. It all starts with loving kindness and covenant keeping service  I don't know what else I can say! But I promise to be more helpful in this when I come home 

Love you! Have a great week

Kady

March 17, 2014

Hey Mom!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I actually don't have anything green to wear, so I am just wearing brown  tell Dominic to pinch himself for me!

So, I just have to say, I am already LOVING this transfer! My new companion is Sister Seaman and she is amazing! She works really hard and is also really fun  it really takes a load off to have a great companion! I'm sure we will have issues down the road, but I can't imagine how bad they could be when we both just want to do our best and work hard every day! We have seen so many miracles already!

Yesterday was crazy. We had about 20 minutes before we were meeting our ride to go to a cottage meeting, so we went across the street of the Church to a little neighborhood to see if there were any potential or former investigators we could visit with. A man from inside his house saw us and came out to talk with us. We invited him to come to the cottage meeting with us and he and his wife decided to! It was so crazy! They also were walking with us to the Church and their cat was following them. They started to get really upset! I was reassuring them, "he knows his way home, he will be okay!" After the cottage meeting, we got a blessing for the man for his Crohn's disease. It ended up taking way longer than we wanted to and we drove back to the Church 2 hours later. And guess what? Their cat was sitting there still, waiting for them! It was so hilarious! I wish you could have experienced this; it was the strangest evening! But such a miracle! Who woulda guessed these random new friends would want to come with us to a cottage meeting of all things? 

I've learned about the power of inviting. We had about 30 minutes before District Meeting on Friday and were already at the Church. We saw a pair of folks walking toward us on the sidewalk. We waited for them to get closer and just talked for a minute. Then we invited them right then and there to have a Church tour, and they said they would! Afterward, the man said he would like to meet with us the following day! All we have to do is invite people to do SOMETHING, and then either they will or won't! Instead of saying, "Would you like to hear our message?" just tell it to them, and then invite them into the Church or to an activity or program  Anyone could do that! It's so simple and I am so grateful to have seen the blessings that comes from doing it with everyone we talk with! If it's in the front of your mind, it is easier to come up with meaningful things to say. It's one way to apply your studies; talking about what you know with those you meet 

So we have a baptism coming up! I don't know if I told you about it. But she will be moving a few days before her baptism. Just across the street, but the wrong street. She not only is moving out of our ward, but out of our stake! So we need to help her with fellowship, and that is our main concern. She's so great, though 

Well, I better quit. My letter is getting too long already  I love you sooo much! I hope you have a great week and a great time at Scout Camp! I think it sounds fun, I don't know why anyone is complaining! But anyway  miss you!

Love, Kady

March 11, 2014

Hey Mom!

 

So, when we have a transfer week, P-Day is on Tuesdays so that's when I email :) 5 weeks of Monday P-Days, and 1 week of Tuesday. You were right :)

 

Transfer news...I'm staying in Glen Lakes!!!!! I'm really happy about it :) I would be so pleased to stay here the rest of my mission! I seriously love this ward and these people! Sister Clark is getting transferred. She is my second companion that has been with me for 3 transfers. With Sister Harrah (2 transfers), I feel like I loved her a lot, and Sister Summerhays (1 transfer), too, but that third transfer really makes a huge difference in relationships. I feel like I just love Sister Connell and Sister Clark so much! And it's because of time, and finally being able to work through problems. I'm excited to have her as a friend forever :)

 

I have emailed President and talked with other people this week about a release date. I will see him tomorrow at transfers, so I will be able to talk with him about it (hopefully) directly and we will finally get it all taken care of.

 

A new Ward Mission Leader was called this weekend. We are so excited! Well, I am....Sister Clark isn't on the team anymore :P ha ha :) But I had no idea what kind of a difference having a solid Ward Mission Leader would make. Our recently released one was AMAZING! But he was just really, really busy with school and his new family. Our new WML is retired and very anxious to work hard and be useful to the missionaries. I am really excited for this new transfer! I have a lot of goals and things that I want to try and we will have a lot of support from the ward, now :) And it's good, because I've been here for awhile, so more people know me and trust me. So when my new companion comes in, we'll have a lot of things to try together to increase ward involvement :) I want to start watching those Work of Salvation video segments to match my vision with the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve's vision. AKA God's vision for missionary work!

 

We had a really cool experience this week. About a week and a half ago, I had a dream that I was home from my mission and the family was down here with me meeting some of my friends. We were at a certain apartment complex meeting Eydie and Timothy. As we were leaving, one of our former investigators, Marta, came out of her apartment. I went over to her and gave her a hug and said, "Ya know, you should listen to the missionaries. What they have for you is of more value than anything else in this life." Then, I heard a voice, not in my dream, tell me, "You have the opportunity to tell her that now, don't wait until you are off your mission." I was thinking about that for awhile, then we saw her driving a few days later and she asked us to come see her. The next day, we visited with her for a bit. She said, "I feel like there is more for me than what I have." That was my cue! I said to her, "We've been thinking a lot about you, and I just feel like I need to tell you something. What we have for you is of more value than anything else in this life. Will you have us back to share a message with you about the Lord's true gospel?" She got out her calendar and there was already an appointment on it for Thursday at 3:00. She must have written one of our appointments down on the wrong month! We kept that appointment, and now she's learning again! Heavenly Father really is looking after His children!!!

 

My beautiful friend, Olivia Torres, was baptized over the weekend! You know her, she stayed at our house over night once with our other friend, Coral, from Corvallis :) Even though our friend who we've been teaching didn't end up getting baptized, I was still so happy and filled with the Spirit knowing that one of my dearest friends WAS taking upon herself sacred covenants with The Lord :) The Church is sooooo true! And so are the scriptures that describe the joy you feel when you help bring your friends to the truth :) I want everyone to be able to feel this joy that comes from missionary work! Those who are teaching, helping, and learning are able to feel the love of God swelling and growing, and I know this because I feel it! I'm so happy for Olivia, and I know that she will be continually showered with blessings and love from our Father. I also feel so happy for all of her friends who can share in that joy, who also are being showered with love and blessings! I hope that others will be able to take a shower :) ha ha ha ;) Just kidding, but these blessings are available to all, so why not share that what is most dear to us to those of our friends, who are most dear to us?

 

Did I tell you that a few weeks ago I crashed on my bike really bad? We were late for an appointment so we were going really fast across town and I hit the curb really hard with my bike and "taco-ed" my front rim and our vehicle coordinator had to come and take the tire off and take it to a bike repair shop. I had bruises all over my body and a cut up ankle and calf. The scar on my calf looks kind of like I had surgery :P I think it's because I didn't take care of it when it got infected. But I just didn't remember if I told you about that! I'm fine now, though :)

 

Hopefully I will be getting my coat back at transfer meeting tomorrow, so I will be sending the last of my winter stuff your way next week :)

 

I love you so much! I can't believe how fast the time is going...I will be talking with you face-to-computer-screen in just 2 months! What the?!

 

Miss you :)

 

-Kady

March 3, 2014

One more week until transfers. Either Sister Clark or I will probably be transferred since it isn't very likely that companions stay together for more than 3 transfers!

So today, we were at the grocery store and there was this old man that walked by us and squinched his face really tight and stuck out his tongue at me. I was like, "What the flip?" It was pretty funny  I feel bad for the people who think WE'RE the evil ones when we are going about doing good! I'm not saying he's evil, just apparently misinformed 

We had the Gilbert Arizona Temple Dedication yesterday  It was so great! But way too dark in the chapel...I felt a little sleepy in there! But the Spirit was so strong! It's amazing how The Spirit can set the tone for the meeting. As soon as we walked in, it felt like we were in the temple. People were talking and distracting the Spirit more than I would have liked, but it was such a beautiful feeling. I felt the Spirit the strongest, though, at the end when we all sang together. My heart just wants to sing sometimes and exclaim my joy! I got a little choked up singing The Spirit of God! I loved it!

This weekend it rained really hard. Remember when it rained back when I first got into this area? Here's my theory. It was super warm and nice in the beginning of November, then it rained and got pretty cold. This weekend it rained again, and now I feel like the heat is going to turn on.....I'm so scared! Please feel bad for me! I promise I'll start feeling more bad for you in the snow!!! Okay, but anyway. It rained really hard! We were caught in the storm a couple of times on Saturday. The rain gets stuck on the sides of the street so we were pedaling through rain up to the middle of our calves! It was cold and wet and I was pretty ticked. I did my best to stay in the middle of the road where there weren't really any puddles. Then I look over and Sister Clark is grinning and laughing and purposefully splashing her bike through the gutter. You can have this one Sister Clark!

I watch the Bible Videos on LDS.org when they come out. I've been working on finishing the 4 gospels and right now I'm in John, so I'm almost done! It has been cool to come across the stories that I remember from the Bible Videos because it helps me to visualize and really understand what the scripture is showing me. Have you seen the Bible Videos? You need to watch them! My favorites are "Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind," "The Good Samaritan," "Peter Preaches and is Arrested," and the one about the lost sheep  I also liked the Come Unto Him music video for the 2014 Youth Theme. You should look those up!!!

I just want you to know that I have a testimony of this gospel. It's truer than true! Having the gospel in your life makes you happy. And not having the gospel in your life makes it harder to be happy. This week I made it a goal to try to be happy no matter what. It's really hard! When I feel like someone is doing me wrong, I like to be mad at them so they know it! I also like to be sad about things that hurt me. But it's sometimes really hard to be happy through it all. I've been praying for that. I know that Heavenly Father likes that goal that I set for myself, because He has been helping me so much! Things that normally do make me mad or sad or hurt or frustrated, did for a second, and then when I took a breath, the smile came on automatically. I've been able to laugh when there is tension and smile when I want to cry! My heart is filled with such joy! I also made the connection with that silly saying that people have on their car windows and stickered on their walls, "Peace, Love, and Happiness." When you have one of those, you have all three! If one is weak, they all fail together. If I want to have a peaceful life full of love, I need to be happy! As much and as often as I can! I don't think it's that silly anymore So that has been my goal and I'm excited to see where it takes me in the next week 

Remember that P-Day is on Tuesday next week  I love you so much and hope that everything is fun and safe for you at home!

Love, Kady

February 24, 2014

Hey Mom :)

I'm not sure if Dad still has his bracelet on, but I would have mine on, except I took it off yesterday because it was getting thin and I didn't want to lose it. I just wanted him to know how long I wore it :)

(Kady made a friendship bracelet for herself & Doug before she left in her mission. He wore his a long time until it stretched out enough to start falling off...)

I liked your letter! And I asked my president today when I can expect my release date. I'll keep you posted :) Time is going by soooooo fast :( I can't believe I'll be home in 4 transfers! Less than 6 months... And I've been in Glendale for almost 4 months. 

Crystal says her mom doesn't post her letters. Deni is doing well, I think! She has written me a few times but it's been a little while. Mindy is in Guatemala but I haven't heard from her. I don't think anyone else is out though!

(College soccer friends who are also all on missions right now)

I can't even describe to you how much I have grown in the past week. I've said that several weeks in a row now. I can't even begin to tell you how my testimony has grown. I have learned so much about the power of prayer. Heavenly Father answers prayers, without a doubt in mind He does. I have never experienced such free and open communication with The Spirit before now. I can't even describe to you over an email how incredibly blessed I feel! I just hope that it continues to increase and improve, not decrease, especially when my mission ends. My progression has accelerated because I feel and recognize one-on-one mentoring by The Spirit! I know this probably doesn't make much sense, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm doing AMAZING!!! I will tell you more about it someday :)

We have been focussing on helping our friends do Family History work lately. It has been so incredible to see their success! I have been so excited to find their family names with them and help connecting them together! Family History is such a blessing! One day it might be fun for me to find someone to do the work for in our family :)

I'm sorry this letter is pretty short. I love you tons and tons! I pray for you every day, at least twice :) I don't know what I would do without you! And, I feel bad for you that your winter is cold. Please keep that in mind when my summer is hot!

Love you :)

-Kady

February 17, 2014

Hey Mom!

 

President's Day doesn't mean anything for our Business Office at our apartment complex, I guess! I didn't even know it was a holiday ha ha :)

 

Yes, I write Crystal! I don't know if she has a blog, but I can ask her :) Then I will let you know what she says about it next week :) I didn't get the medical card in the mail? And someone else told me that that same character in Frozen reminds them of me! Now I HAVE to see it! ha ha!

 

This week was great! We had a baptism over the weekend :) He is turning 17 on the 26th and he's really amazing! Yesterday, after his confirmation, he said that he thought it would be awhile before he felt ready to receive the priesthood, but that his baptism and confirmation gave him more confidence and he feels like he is ready for it! He also asked how he can be a missionary right now, and is going to Mission Prep and planning on going on his mission next year! We're going to teach him about family history this week and take him to the temple in 3 weeks :) He's amazing!!!

 

We have another friend from Iran who came to the Church looking for a way to join, and meeting her just one week ago she's accepted the invitation to be baptized on March 8th! She says she feels like this is her family and she loves the Spirit :) It's hard for her to say how she feels, but she understands English well. We're pretty sure she has a testimony, but we have to ask a couple more times...

 

This week has been so amazing. Nothing significantly different or out of the ordinary happened, but it has been such a happy week! My heart has been light and joyful! It has also been full to the brim and spilling over with love for my mission! I know that sounds way cheesy, but I can't describe it any other way. I love this area soooooooo much! I love this ward! I love these PEOPLE! They are a part of my family and I can't wait for them to meet you!!!!

 

We had a Zone Conference this week and it was so fun! I love meetings :) I always learn so much from them :) I also saw Sister Connell! She seems to be doing so well :) And I'm glad, because it seems like all my companions struggle when they're with me, so I'm glad she's not struggling anymore!

I was thinking about the things I like most about missionary work. Of course, my number-one favorite thing is seeing the gospel and the Spirit change people's lives! I celebrate with people and am always way more joyful when I see their progression and conversion :) But, I thought about it, and I realized that I really like planning and organizing and seeing things come together that I work really hard to make happen. There are a lot of things that go into a successful day. We have goals, then we make plans to reach those goals, then we do everything we can to put our plan into action the BEST way we can. I live by good-better-best. And I don't do anything that is "good" or "better" if I can help it! It is so fun and challenging to try to make everything the "best." So, I decided this week that if I ever have a career, that it would be something with planning or organizing. I don't know what, but it would be something like that! So that's pretty cool :)

 

We have a friend that we have been visiting with every week to try and get to come to Church. She lives right next door! This week she came!!! She was telling me a story about what caused her to come. She wasn't going to! She turned off her alarm! But then Sacrament Meeting started and she couldn't finish her story. I think I might know what happened, though. She is a very special spirit and I know that it is the power of prayer that brought her. On Saturday afternoon, we went to visit her, and invite her, like always. I said the prayer, and in it I asked Heavenly Father to let everything fall into place to help her to get to Church. I have been trying this week to increase my testimony of prayer. In the Book of Mormon, Alma the Younger has his experience with the Messenger, as an answer to his friend's and family's prayers for him. Later, I don't remember the reference off the top of my head, but I'm pretty sure that Alma and Amulek are explaining to the people (of Mulek or something like that) who they are preaching to that the only reason they aren't being destroyed for their wickedness is because the righteous were praying for them. I know that people receive answers to their prayers. I receive answers to my prayers! I get answers to my questions and revelation to help me to do better, but I wanted to increase my testimony in the fact that prayer brings power! If I PRAY for something, I ask the powers of heaven to assist in making something happen. I know that because I prayed for this sister to make it to Church, she did, as an answer to my prayer. My testimony of the power of prayer has increased this week! When you and everyone else pray for me, and when I have faith in those prayers, I really am strengthened and supported! I'm excited to see what marvelous things come of prayer as I continue this week to increase my faith in it.

 

I love you so much and I am so grateful for you and all you do for me! Including and especially your prayers and support :)

 

Have a great week!!!

 

-Kady

February 10, 2014

Oh, hey Mom!

 

So did JD get the lead role? Is he going to kiss a girl? ha ha ha! {JD tried out for the jr high school musical...Honk Jr.  He isn't the lead, but a main character that does NOT have to kiss a girl. Much to his relief :)}

 

I know I shouldn't be talking about this, but what about the movie Frozen? I have no idea what that movie is, but two different people at different times have told me that the character Anna reminds them of me. One because of the voice and one because she is awkward? Yeah that's nice! But I was wondering if you liked that one and put it on the "list" or not?

 

I can not even begin to tell you how much I have learned and grown this week. There was a really long time where I felt like my life was on pause and we were stuck in the mud, but there has been a rapid explosion of miracles, blessings, growth, and change! The best change is that I am absolutely IN LOVE with Glen Lakes! I wasn't so sure about it for awhile, but it is so dear to me! I would be so pleased to spend the rest of my mission in this area, which is EXACTLY what I was praying for! Not that I would stay here my whole mission, but that I would want to because I would love it so much, and I do! And I don't even mind Brittany :) She doesn't hurt me anymore and I could ride her all day long! Well, I do, but I mean I don't mind it and it's gotten easy and convenient :)

 

Thanks for the Valentines Day package :) I don't remember if I got it last week or not so I don't know if I thanked you for it yet or not. Did you the two packages I sent you? Did the sister like any of the clothes?

 

I have learned such an important lesson in following the direction of the Spirit this week. There were so many times where we had made plans to do something and the Spirit had directed us somewhere completely different. I felt so blessed that we were able to recognize that and follow it. We didn't get hardly anything done that we had planned to last week, but we did everything Heavenly Father wanted us to, I think. I'll give you one example. Yesterday, Sister Clark and I were making some plans after Church to incorporate things that our Bishop and Ward Mission Leader had asked us to do this week, then we were going to do some Online Proselyting and go to our investigators' homes to invite them to our ward devotional. We called one lady to invite her and she said to call back in two hours. So two hours later we call again and her mother-in-law answers and said she wasn't home. Not 10 minutes later we got a call back from the same number. It was the mother-in-law again. She was drunk, and telling us about how she just misses her late son so bad and wants to know if he's okay but doesn't know who to talk to about it. So we went over to see her and found out that her son had killed himself 8 years ago and that she had become an alcoholic because of it. She takes some pills because she is disabled (somehow) and was planning to take them all that night and go to sleep...but because we were there, we were able to invite her to hear our message and schedule time to go by and see her again. I don't know what might have happened if we didn't go, and I don't know what will come of us going in the first place, but I know that the Spirit was prompting her in her drunkenness to call us and then prompting us to go see her and meet her. So many other little things like that have happened for us this weekend, it is amazing! I just know that the Lord knows His children and He knows what they need and when.

 

I love you so, so much! Thanks for all you do for me. I'm sorry that this school thing is such a pain. I don't think I want to write an essay, but I will go back to counseling with the Lord to know what is best. Even if I'm not a full-time student and just take some classes at UVU that might be okay...I don't know! I'll pray to know what I can do, will you pray for me, too?

 

I hope you have a great week and I will talk with you again soon!

 

-Kady

February 3, 2014

Hey Mom!!! :)

 

Yeah, I got my package :) And I shared with Sister Clark. She ate all the candy so fast! It was pretty hilarious :)

 

I don't know when or if President Taylor will tell me about when I go home...I assume he would but it doesn't appear to be the most important thing on his to-do list. Just keep me posted if you would and I will see what I can do, too :) Thanks for doing all this for me!

 

So last week was pretty good. It was way hot in the beginning of the week and then it got pretty cold again at the end. But it's not cold here like it is cold there, it just isn't very fun to be out in it for a few hours on a bike :) But I'm not complaining too much because it actually is the nicest weather I've ever had for a winter! It actually feels kind of like Fall, and it feels like I'm about to have all of those holidays again with Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc....it's weird ha ha.

 

I don't know who the Gillens are! They must have moved in after I left? I was pretty sure I knew most of the ward and especially anyone who was close-ish to my age! But I would be happy to let her have whatever she wants from the clothes I am sending home :)

 

I have a question for you and for Dad. Was your mission the hardest thing you have ever had to do? Were the months on your mission the hardest times of your lives? I'm just wondering. I've had an ongoing conversation about this with Sister Clark and I would just like to know how it has been for you :)

 

My testimony grew this week about the importance of loving life in all seasons. I do love being a missionary! I love my life today and every day. But I have been learning about the importance of choosing to love life no matter what it is like. To be honest, I would have liked to be transferred. But I am still here! I like to think of it as if my future husband and I live in a nice neighborhood with great friends and a cute house, when he gets a job transfer that causes us to move somewhere that I don't like as much. I could either wish every day that someday we will move again, or I can be happy wherever I am and love life for what it is. I choose to love Glen Lakes, even though it is harder to love than Flagstaff. I choose to love my mission even though I expect to love the rest of my life more. It would be really sad if I love my life the most on my mission! So I will love it all the same, but I will also love my life more and more as time goes on, as I have more experiences, and as I see all that there is to love about life :) I hope that makes sense? Smile, laugh, be happy, and love every day :)

 

I'm sorry that I don't have a lot to say. I love you a lot and am so grateful for your emails and letters! Tell Vic congratulations for me :) {Victoria earned her Young Womanhood Medallion}

 

Love you, Mom :)

 

-Kady 

January 28, 2014

HEY MOM!

 

Well, I'm staying here another transfer. And so is Sister Clark. So can I expect my contacts to come by the end of the week? I really want contacts :(

 

I talked to President Taylor at our Zone Interviews (which is what you saw photographed; it was good :)) and he said to just let him know what we decide about going home. I think I should try to go home as soon as I can to my release date, like a week early max. I've been pondering on it and soccer is not my priority for going home early from my mission, just school, so I think I will request to go home a week early if you think that is wise? This is really it. I am calling this my decision and I will not be changing anymore. I will tell President that I need only a week maximum, today. Sound good? :) And Vic has a year to decide where she wants to go to school, and I would have a year to decide to transfer to Dixie with them after all :P ha ha

 

It's been getting warmer which may seem nice...but it's actually really scary. Probably only one more transfer of nice weather getting nicer, because then it will start to get hotter and hotter! I'm so scared! So I love it right now and try not to think about the future weather :)

 

On Friday, Sister Clark and I went with our friends, Gary and Jasmyn, to the Gilbert Temple Open House :) He is less-active and she is investigating the Church. It was so big and beautiful! They herded people through really fast, though. The best part was that our friends liked it :) She said she wants to get baptized in the font! We had to explain to her that it is for the work of those who are dead and she was a little bummed!

 

We have a new investigator named D! He is 16 and really funny :) He came to Church a few weeks ago with his less-active friend/roommate who is probably 30 or 40. But he is already making such progress! When we first met with him, he said he believed that God is a Spirit who went into a body and called Himself Christ, so basically he believed in the Trinity. We explained the Godhead and showed him some scriptures to read. In the next lesson he said he was thinking about the Godhead and says that it makes sense and he agrees with it! He also said he had been reading and praying to know if the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and he says he believes the answer is yes because he recognizes the Spirit when he reads and prays and ponders :) Then we met with him again (3 times last week) and invited him to be baptized on February 15 and he said YES! Well, he said "sure" but that is an affirmative answer and we are excited about it :) He's amazing and I can't believe we've only known him for a week!

 

I was sick all week. I think I had a cold. I have a painful cough now, coming off it. It was rough! I didn't eat very much and we don't have a scale or else I might say that I lost some weight. But I am feeling a lot better. My body is tricking me into thinking I'm still sick, though, because the only time I wear my glasses is when I'm sick, and I happened to be sick when I ran out of contacts so now my brain thinks I'm still sick, which is giving me a headache and making me not want to eat. It's weird.

 

And, I'm not having a lot of struggles. I'm having the normal amount of struggles. I'm probably having the below average amount of struggles just because the things that get missionaries don't really get me; like homesickness, feeling burnt out, and discouragement. Everything really is fine! I think the only thing I would struggle with is having to deal with things at home, which I don't, or if someone here died (that I know). Struggling just isn't something I do ;) ha ha ha just kidding :)

 

Something that I keep learning is the peace of mind you can have for letting go of unnecessary stress and forgiving yourself for being weak. The standard I set for myself will always be really high, my whole life. But I can't let that standard be impossible to make every time. I might be able to perform at 100% a couple of times, but not every time. So when I learn to do my best but see only 80% come out, that that is okay sometimes. I don't compare myself to others, but I always compare myself to my best self. Sometimes it can tear me apart! But, if we were able to repent of every sin only once, we would all be a lot closer to perfect. But I know that perfection is EARNED, not LEARNED. I will never learn how to be a perfect missionary, but one day, after doing my very best on this earth, Heavenly Father will bless me with the gift of perfection. It's really relaxing whenever I remember that lesson and can give myself a break! I push myself way too hard sometimes, but when I can look back and say, "I did the best I could," then I don't have to be upset with my efforts, but instead I can move enthusiastically forward! I like looking at what I could have done better and improve, but the difference is that I don't always try to dwell on the negatives and the weaknesses. Instead, I look at the strengths and see where they can be even stronger! Sometimes Satan likes to trick us into thinking our strengths are actually weaknesses. But Heavenly Father likes to remind us what our strengths are when we just ask Him to show us :)

 

Another 6 weeks in Glen Lakes, then we'll see where we're at. I love you a lot and am always so happy to hear from you :) 

LOVE YOU!

 

-Kady

Arizona Phoenix Mission Photo 2014

January 20, 2014

Hey Mom :)

Thanks for doing all this for me! I really appreciate it. I can't believe I'm tot he point where I need to be thinking about this and talking about school/life after the mission! It came so fast...

I think I told you I got my package. Thanks so much :) and thanks to everyone who sent m birthday cards and wishes! I can't respond to any of them on Facebook but I appreciated them :) My birthday just felt like any other day. Yesterday we went to a family's house that was having a big extended family dinner (we stopped in for a quick lesson) and it was one of the men's birthday. They knew it was my birthday from Facebook so they put my name on the cake, too, and made me blow out the candles! It was so embarrassing! But really nice, I guess :)

My transfers are next week! This is my 12th week in Glen Lakes. Oh my heavens, I must tell you. It might be like this in all other places (I don't know, I'm not on the streets much anywhere else) but there are dead birds everywhere in this area. All kinds of birds but mostly pigeons and some dogs and cats. But I have to report I've developed a new phobia. Sometimes I will wake up int he middle of the night having a very real dream about bugs and spiders which creeps me out and causes my heart to race and my breathing to be almost hyperventilating. Well, let me tell you, the other night I had a similar experience, but because of a traumatic dream about a squished, bloody, dead bird in the road. I had to turn the light on the phone to make sure I wasn't kneeling in it in my disoriented state. Yep, I have a new phobia of roadkill and dead birds! Yay!

I have had so many amazing experiences on my mission learning to recognize the Spirit. I have never been able to tell you that I receive revelation, but I can see it now so much more clearly. I have had experiences where I know I have been conversing back and forth with the Lord. I have had thoughts come to my mind in sentence form. I'm not the kind of person who can say that I have heard the voice of the Spirit whisper in my ear, but I have had Him speak to me in my thoughts. I had an experience with that this week. Revelation is such an incredible blessing. I have been so touched! Even when I am being chastised, the Spirit speaks to my gently. Like someone telling me, "I love you, but you're being absolutely ridiculous!" The Spirit does not offend me. He gets in my face a little sometimes, like Elder Holland in that talk where he calls himself coach :) I don't know if you know which talk I mean...but I am so grateful that the Lord loves me enough to be straightforward and tell me how it is. Sometimes I am out of line! My feelings get hurt, but I see myself being refined every day to become a stronger servant. I am so grateful to be a missionary! I ams o grateful for the things I'm learning! I'm so grateful for the trials and experiences I've had that have strengthened my faith and foundation in Christ!

I want you to know that I know the Book of Mormon is true. I know Joseph Smith is a prophet. I know Thomas Monson is a prophet. I know Christ is my Savior. I know this Church is true. I know that I am assisting in the work of salvation. This is bigger than me, and more than just something I am a part of. This is who I am. I know it, I live it, I love it.

Love you :) you're amazing! I don't know where I'd be without you :) I pray for you always. Be safe!

-Kady

January 13, 2014

Hey Mom!

This week was good. Elder Holland didn't end up coming to our tri-mission conference, but it was amazing anyway! We had every single missionary from Phoenix, Tucson, and Tempe in one chapel! Elder Wright of the Seventy, his wife, and all three Mission Presidents and wives spoke to us. Then our mission went over to the Phoenix Temple to take a mission picture. The only time we will be and have been together as an entire mission! It was cool :) look for that picture on Sister Taylor's blog :)

I hope Mariah is doing okay! Let her know I love her :)

I don't know how much longer I have left on my mission. 6 or 7 months, but I have been trying to work a lot harder these past few days. I've been learning about trying to make every area on my mission the best and every area my favorite. I want to leave the area better than how I found it! So I've been putting a lot of pressure on myself and it kind of gives me a headache, but I want to understand the principle of diligence and of obedience. So I will be putting my heart into that more as the days go. It's like the homestretch when you only have a little ways left to go, but still every chance in the world to finish strong; when you've run most of the race already, and it all comes down to the last few meters to give it all you've got. No more pacing yourself, it's time to start the "kick" and bring it home! I've been talking in analogies a lot lately...probably due partly to my study of the New Testament when it's all filled with parables. Or because I'm strange!

Now that I have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to do after the mission, I am ready to laser focus on the rest of the mission :)

I love you so much! Have a good week :) talk to you soon!

<3 Kady