Oct 29...busy!!!

With so much happening in the past little while I really am amazed at how fast time is going! So it has been 7 months now and it feels like it was just yesterday! I got some exciting news this morning. I will be staying in Orem and I am going to be getting a new companion from the MTC! I don't know who it is yet but I am excited to find out. If I had to describe this week in one word it would be BUSY! Which is totally awesome when you are a missionary! Our nights are booked all the way into the end of the week and are days are filling up too!

 

Monday was P-day and was super fun. I got to hike "Y" mountain with Sis. Quist who is leaving this week because her 18 months is up! We also had a Zone sisters activity and we got to go mini golfing! Then we finished off the day right with lessons! Tuesday morning we had President interviews and we had such a great conversation about how happy I am to be a missionary. Then President and Sis. McCune surprised us and took us out to lunch at Café Rio! It was such a treat! Through out the week we have had some really incredible lessons where the spirit is just so strong and I can tell that I am not the teacher, the spirit is! We have also had a lot of opportunities this week to work with the wards and get to know them better. It helps when they have ward parties. We thought it would be a good idea to go to the parties and to go reverse trunk or treating. So we went and handed our numbers to all the parents so that they could start calling us if needed help or knew of anyone who could us the gospel. I really think they enjoyed seeing the missionaries. It seems sad that it is a once in a while opportunity to see the missionaries here in Utah.

 

I am really grateful for the members in the area because they really desire to know how to best help the missionaries. We had many call us and ask if we could come tell them how we would like them to help. We even got to do a mini youth fireside for one of the wards. And it was the youth that asked to do it, not the leaders! I really hope that I can be the missionary that these members need!

This week we got to do exchanges and it was so much fun! I don't know why I love going into the Spanish area's so much. The people are just so nice and inviting. I got to meet this amazing family that the Spanish sister's are working with. The 2 year old boy was born with out a face and was told that he was only going to live for a few weeks. He is now 2 years old and still doing great. He has had lots of surgeries to help him out. It is such an inspirational story! I am so glad there are miracles in everyone's life!

I have also had some really amazing experiences with sharing the gospel on Facebook! I didn't really think I was ever going to start to love it but I have finally got the courage to ask some people to learn more about the gospel. I am so grateful for the wonderful tools that Heavenly Father has given me!

Thank you every one for the support you are giving me. I am really starting to notice a difference in my mission and in myself. LOVE YOU!

 

                                                       a different kind of "sister"

Oct 21...trust in the Lord

This week has been full! I was thinking back on what I was going to write today and as I think of things I really can't believe they just happened this past week! Where do I start... 

Okay so we have been really struggling in our area because we can't find any one to teach. Then it occurred to me I am not a full time finder I am a full time teacher, the members are the finders. So we really tried hard this week to work with the leadership of our 22 wards and also the members. And our work paid off. We got a call about someone who wants to be baptized. He is about 80 years old. His wife who passed away about 5 years ago was a member and about 4 months ago he was brought to Utah to a retirement home and has been going to church every week since. He is super accepting of everything we have to say and he told us that he believes all of it he just wants to be able to know for sure for him self. We also are now working with a less-active family who has 2 kids that need to be baptized. I love working on reactivating people, because I know that some one in the past they have felt the spirit and I know that I just need to remind them. So I have such a strong testimony that as we find the Lord's Way to do His work everything comes together. 

So it was quite the week of service projects which always makes me happy. I love doing service (not only because I get to get out of my skirt). But we got to help someone clean out her garage. It was full of old broken furniture. I don't really know why people keep stuff like that but it must have meaning or something. We also got to help some clean their house because they are moving soon. I think service projects is one of the best ways to show people how much Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ care about each individual on earth. 

This weekend was so special. So Vanessa's family is just coming so far in the gospel and I am so proud of them. I help teach her daughter Jackie and watched her get baptized and I got to teach her son Benji and this weekend he was able to be baptized. I hope in 4 years when her twins turn 8 I will be invited back to witness that too. I have just fallen in love with this family and I have seen them come so far! 

Yesterday was such a busy Sunday. We were out of the house from 8:45 am- 8:30 pm. We got to speak in one of the wards and we also got to teach 2 hours of Primary. The kids were so excited to see missionaries. One of the little girls asked me "are you real missionaries?" I am so happy that I could say yes. I am a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I get to help people come closer to their Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I also love that I get to teach people about the Book of Mormon and all the answers it is just full of!! I am so grateful that because I am a member of this church my family can be together FOREVER and there is seriously nothing in this world that makes me happier! 

I am looking forward to this next week because a lot of wards have asked us to come help with their Halloween Parties! I hope that it is an opportunity to reach out to all the members and let them know how much I love missionary work and how badly I want to teach their friends about this great gospel!

Love you all and I hope you have a wonderful successful week!:) You are always in my prayers!

 

I  (Kaylynn's mom) also asked Kaylynn some questions which she answered briefly. Here is what she has to say about some of the details of her life

For PDAY-

I am going to hike the Y and have a sisters activity, mini golfing

 

Breakfast-

Cereal...Strawberry awake!

Good companion-

I am trying to help my companion come out of her shell more and I try to serve her daily. I do her dishes.

Gold Star-

Vanessa and her family

Favorite member family-

The Rojas's they are such a fun family and the craziness reminds me of home.

Preparing for winter-

Lets see I have already pulled out my winter coats and boots and I love wearing tights and boots

Candy- I really don't eat a whole lot of candy but chocolate symphony bars are my favorite

closest store-

Hobby Lobby and a whole strip mall of awesome stores. Old Navy, TJ Max, Ross and more.

Christmas list-

I haven't been thinking about what I need or what all I can think about is my investigators. 

 

 

 

 

Oct 14...few words

I don't really know how to explain or describe this week. We had a real struggle to find people to teach and it sometimes feels like the member also don't think there is work and anything we do to try to motivate them doesn't really do much. I had some spiritual highs and some lows. One of our former investigators came back to Utah, because he works on the Disney Cruise Ship and as we were teaching him this week he seems a lot more open to accepting the gospel! Hopefully the next time he comes back he will get baptized!! We had some good opportunities to try and contact some referrals we got.. none were home or they needed the Spanish Elders. So on Saturday night I was super overwhelmed with stress not knowing what to do. Luckily I have a wonderful district leader who was so kind to give me some ideas and tips about how to revive a dead area. On Sunday I gave my 7th talk!!! woot woot! And we also got to talk to the Elders Quorum and High Priests about missionary work. We are starting to really learn how to put our trust in the Lord. One of my favorite scriptures this week was 1 Nephi 3:7 because the Lord has commanded me to preach his gospel and I know he will prepare away for me to accomplish this great commandment. I love sharing the gospel with so many people and I love being able to serve in Utah where we are treated so well! I love being a missionary!

P.S. I feel so blessed to have had Kade in my life now for 13 years.... holy cow you are growing up little bud!! LOVE YOU!!

 

 

oct 7...modern day revelation

This week has been a wonderful one full of many miracles and blessings. I am so grateful for the Lord's hand in this great work. Last Monday was not like any Monday I have ever had. When P-day ended at 6:00 we were able to teach 2 lessons to new less-actives that we are starting to work with. They were both amazing lessons and the spirit was so strong. I have realized that it doesn't matter what we teach if the spirit is not there. All of this week has been kind of a Less-active kind of a week. We did a lot of stop by's to see if people were home. We had very few scheduled appointments. Wednesday we got to go to the Temple as a district and it was a wonderful experience like all temple trips are. We also had a DTM after the temple trip that by the time I left I was so frustrated. I am really struggling getting along with one of my zone leaders and no one in the district can take him seriously. It is definitely something I am going to have to work on. On Thursday we had a zone conference and the zone leaders told us it was going to be about stress management. When we got there president McCune had to take a phone call from Salt Lake and then in walks the tech guy from the mission department and asks us if we want IPads! So now as a mission we have IPads and I really hope that they help move the work forward. On Friday the only thing I could think about all day was Summer getting married. And when we woke up at 6:30 to go running there was snow on the ground! I can't believe it is already cold enough to snow! We had a fun time trying to update our area books on the IPads...its going to take a long time!! Saturday was probably the most amazing day ever!! I had the opportunity to go up to Salt Lake to the Saturday Afternoon General Conference. We took the front runner which was super fun! While I was in Salt Lake I saw Mason and Riley Disney, Marisa Deitz, Kenzie Cornelison, Janae Frei, and best of all my wonderful Family!!! It was so good to talk to them and get caught up. especially after Summers wedding the day before. At the conference center we were 7 rows back from the front! It was so amazing!!! We didn't arrive back home until 7:00 and by that time I was so exhausted and so hungry since I hadn't eaten since breakfast! So we went to Wendy's! Yummy! Sunday was a fabulous day as well. We went over to Bishop Lawyers house for General Conference. In between sessions we were able to get in a lesson and then after conference we had appointment after appointment and we didn't get home until 9:30! I got to go with V*** to get her Patriarchal Blessing. It was so amazing the friendship I have developed with her. We also got to go to a meeting with 5 parents who have kids out on missions and they talked about all the experiences they are having on their missions and all I got to say is I am so grateful that I am in UTAH!!! I feel safe and taken care of! I have seriously loved this week and I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for this up coming week. I am so grateful I get to be a part of this great work and I know that what I am doing is true and it is for the true church and for a loving Heavenly Father!

LOVE YOU!!!

Sept 30...missionary work is now my lifestyle

So the main thing I learned this week is that Satan will never win the fight as long as we are staying faithful and doing what's right. There was so many times this week that the people we work with had trials come up in there life right when they were about to make a big change.

For example K*** is our investigator that got baptized this weekend and if any of you know what its like when some one is making that big of a step you will understand how hard Satan is going to put trials in their way. K**** is one of the strongest people I know. There was so many forces in the world telling her not to get baptized but she knew it was the right thing to do and to top off the forces pushing her away from this decision my district leader didn't show up for the interview after Krysta had walked about 5 miles to the chapel. I can not believe how understanding and sweet she was about it all.

There is also my wonderful and favorite person ever V****. She is doing so good at getting involved in the gospel again and she has so many things fighting her. Her ex-husband is filing for full custody of J**** who was just recently baptized. We also went over there this week to teach her son B*** and we found out that she has to get out of her house as soon as possible because there is mold in the walls and it is decaying. I have never heard someone be so grateful for the little amounts of things she has. I have never once heard her complain about the trials she is going through but instead she thanks Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for the growth that it is going to give her.  

 

I think the best thing about being a missionary is the people I get to be surrounded by that help strengthen my testimony. I have really felt this week that Missionary work is now my lifestyle. It might be because I follow a very planned out schedule but I also feel like it is because I have truly gained a great love for this gospel that I don't want to do anything but share it! I hope all of you understand the important role we have as members of this great church. I have heard it said over and over again that we should be inviting people to come to this great gospel. Mom and Dad who do you have that is being taught in our home? If no one I hope you start praying for the opportunity to have some one over for the missionaries to teach.

Also I think especially this Sunday it made me feel like all I have time for is missionary work, which is great and how it should be. One of the Bishops told me that it is a day to rest from our labors but not His labors. I love it and it felt so true yesterday. We had to be at 2 different sacraments at 9:00. One for a confirmation and one for a talk that V*** was giving. So as soon as the confirmation was done we got in our car and jetted off to the next one. We also had another confirmation to go to at 11:30. Then a lesson at 1:00 and then a Sunday school class at 2:00 and then we had a 30 minute breather. The we had another Sunday school at 4:00 and then dinner at 5:00 and then appointment until 8:30. It felt like the craziest but best days ever. I loved being so busy!

 

I got an opportunity to watch the Relief Society Broadcast on Saturday and there was something that President Monson said that is really true in my life. He said "the need of your help is ongoing" he was talking about the relationship between parents and their children. I seriously hope you know mom and dad how much I have the need of your ongoing help. I know that you are crazy busy in getting ready for the wedding and running the boys around to activities and I am sure your church callings keep you busy. But I want you to know that I seriously would not be the missionary I am today if I didn't have your ongoing help. I know how much you pray for me and I can promise that your prayers are being answered. I constantly feel your love for me. Thank you for raising me in such a good home. I can not tell you in words what a HUGE blessing you are in my life and I need your help until the day I die!:) O boy how grateful I am for my family! Love you all and I hope this week is a great one for all of you. I wish I could be there for the wedding to see Summer as a beautiful Princess but I guess I am going to have to depend on pictures. I love you all and keep you in my prayers!