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

January 6, 2014

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I sent you a letter in the mail, so I hope you got it :)

 

And about my birthday, I don't need anything and I don't really want anything, either. I know that's probably annoying to hear, but seriously! Everything I get from people I end up giving away to someone else anyway. I'm going to come home with less stuff than I came out with! My suitcases are shrinking. So please, all I need are contacts and a white handkerchief for the Gilbert Temple Dedication, and I don't need the contacts until the 22 when I change them or the handkerchief until the first of March. I'm sorry, but I don't really want to make my birthday a big deal! And I don't want food or candy or clothes. And I don't need anything else! My birthday can start being a big deal again when I'm not a missionary anymore.

 

New Year's Day was weird. We went in early on New Year's Eve and then stayed in all day on New Year's Day. I didn't like it. 2 weeks in a row of being stuck inside for a day and a half! We didn't really do anything, either. Just weekly planning.....my favorite thing! Every week we alternate trying to be faster and trying to be more thorough. It's a constant battle! We don't know what to do! This week I think we will try again to be more thorough. It seems to take some stress off when we have a great plan :) I love planning!! I love having a plan and that security of knowing that we will be spending our time doing exactly what we need to do.

 

This weekend was incredible! Our ward started a 40 Day Fast on the 1st where each family who wants to or is able to participate signs up on a certain day that they would like to fast for missionary work, one family per day for the next 40 days. Yesterday was fast Sunday, as you know, and we saw SO MANY BLESSINGS! We got 3 new investigators in less than an hour! We've had great fellowship from members! Our investigators are feeling the Spirit stronger now than ever before in our lessons! It's amazing and I can't wait for the next 34 days of the fast to see what other miracles will come of it!

 

The Spirit has been teaching me so much the past 2 days. I've learned to make sure that I enjoy every part of my life no matter where the Lord takes me, whether it's on a mission, at home, at school, or whatever other adventure I'm led to. I do enjoy my mission. I love it soooo much! I cried on my 9-month mark and again on my 10-month mark because I am so sad to see my mission end all too soon. But I have been learning that even when my full-time mission ends, my mission doesn't end, and that I can keep feeling the Spirit and learning and growing and helping people, but in different ways. "Real" life is life after the mission anyway! I can't be a missionary forever! So I'm learning to have a light heart about time and just let it come and go as it will, and to be happy with the time I have and always excited and looking forward to the time ahead. I will love my family life better than my mission life, otherwise the rest of my life will be really sad! So the lesson is to love every part of life no matter where you are. Don't let yourself have a "bad year." You can have a bad day or a bad week, but if it lasts longer than that, there's something deeper that needs to be figured out, and a lot of times I would guess it has to do with fully keeping the commandments or not. If you are keeping all of God's commandments, your bad times shouldn't last that long! Even if it's hour by hour, not every hour can be bad if you are doing all that the Father has asked of us. (I'm not having a hard time, I'm just learning to be optimistic about my future :) I want to be happy and excited to go home from my mission! But not trunky!)

I also had a crazy experience the other night! Sister Clark and I pray as a companionship before we go to bed. I started my personal prayer before and got into some deep conversation with the Spirit. I heard Sister Clark finish her prayer and then turn around to wait for me to pray with her. I wasn't done with my prayer for a long time and didn't want to cut it short! I felt bad as I was praying and I said, "Lord, please send Sister Clark to bed. I feel so bad!" And immediately she crawled into bed! My prayer ended up being about 15 minutes before I went to bed. In the morning I told her about that and she said, "I was waiting for you and the Spirit told me 'Go to bed, she needs more time to finish her prayer' and I knew it wasn't just a thought, it was definitely the Spirit!" Isn't that amazing? The Lord answers prayers, but not only that, He conveys messages and really does speak to us!!!!!

 

Well, that's about it. We see Elder Holland on Saturday in a Tri-Mission Conference :) :)

Love you!!!!!

 

-Kady