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