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!

sept 23...in a nut shell.

So me and my companion were trying to think of creative ways of doing door approaches if we ever needed to go tracting and our favorite one is "Since you live in Utah we were wondering if you would like to know about the people you are surrounded by." We were just trying to be funny.

 

So on Tuesday we were at the doctors office when a set of Sisters texted us telling us that they got left at the temple by their ride and they were wondering if we could come pick them up. Luckily we were near the temple and very able to pick them up. As we were driving home there was the most random hail storm ever! I thought it was going to break through the windshield for sure! That night we were so busy. We were running from appointment to appointment and then out of no where Sis. Mabey calls us and tells us that Sis. Farthing needs to be at the new missionary orientation and she is going to be spending the night at the mission home. That left me companionless. I found some sisters to go with me for the night and then I got Sis. Balero and Sis. Shultz to spend the night with since my companion was gone. The next morning I got to go to transfers to pick up my companion and see a bunch of old missionaries that I have served around. Wednesday afternoon we had an awesome lesson with one of our investigators. She is getting baptized Sept 28th and she has so many people in the ward there to support her! Then we had an interesting night at mutual with one of the wards. There was a past mission president that came and spoke to them and he was telling them that none of them had testimonies and none of them were worthy to go on missions. I was taken back by this a lot. I could tell that a lot of the kids would be wonderful missionaries and that they did have testimonies. It is so hard when you are a teenager to feel confident of your testimony and he just bashed any testimony that they did have. But luckily we got to talk to them about preparing for missions.

Thursday we had a great DTM that helped us understand the importance of extending commitments to our investigators. We also were able to have some wonderful lessons through out the day. Friday was my 6 month mark!!! Yay for 6 months! I can't believe it has already been that long. 1/3 of the way done. But some times it still feels like I just barely got here.

On Saturday we made someones day by doing her yard work. She was so happy that we were willing to do the yard work for her. I love making people's day and I love doing service projects! Sunday was a wonderful day at church. There was amazing talks given about member missionary work and I love being able to work with so many great members here in Orem!\

 

Love you all and I hope you all have a fun week and keep staying strong!!!:)

Sept 16...busy and happy

okay so this week was a great week! I don't really know how to explain it all but it just seemed like it was a week that made me happy. And when I am happy and busy working I know it was a good week.

We were able to really challenge our selves with some of our investigators. They want evidence and to use logic when finding out if the church is true. It just seems weird that they won't just take the feeling they get from the spirit as an answer. They tried to prove to us that Joseph Smith is a false prophet but we had answers to show them differently.

We have also been able to teach a lot of people that are progressing so quickly. We have a lot of people who have changed so much since we started teaching them and they are finally gaining an understanding of the happiness and peace the gospel brings into our lives. We have two of our investigators getting baptized on September 28! 

On Saturday we had a super fun day. Sister Farthing(my companion) had a baptism from her old area that we got to attend. Then we had a BBQ with a family that invited a bunch of people from the neighborhood over and we got to know a lot of new people. Also on Saturday I got to do a service for one of our less-actives. She is a cancer survivor and ever since she hasn't had hair she has been wearing a beanie. It has been about 2 years and so her hair is now really long but since she has been keeping it in a hat it is a tangled mess. So me and one of the bishops wife got to work on combing out her hair for about 2 hours, and it still wasn't done. I really hope that we can help her so she will start coming back to church.

Sunday was also a super fun day full of meetings and church. So we went to a 9:00 church and then we got to help out with that ward's primary. We talked to them about missionary service. We then got to go to a ward council and I love how much the ward is ready to get involved in missionary work. Then we had a stake coordination meeting and talked even more about missionary work. I really hope that it means the work will start picking up. I really want to be so busy teaching people that we need another set of missionaries in this area! We will see. But I have really loved this past week and all of the miracles I have seen!

Sept 10..moving forward at a faster pace

I can't even start to explain how this week has been! it seems like it has been a whole 3 weeks stuck into one! I guess that is due to all the changes happening. I didn't think I would have to cope with change 2 weeks before transfers! But its okay because I know that Heavenly Father doesn't give me anything I can't handle.

I got to attend an incredible meeting on Wednesday all about moving the work forward in Orem. Elder Monday from the 70 was there and discussed how it is ward and stake counsels job to find people for the missionaries to teach and that each of them should be having the missionaries in their homes to teach lessons to non-members and less-actives. I really hope that all of the wards start doing this because if each ward even got us one lesson a week we would be having at least 22 lessons a week and we could even be more busy.

On Thursday morning we had a great Zone Training Meeting. We were taught about how important a sure foundation is and President McCune said as missionaries that sure foundation is obedience. I know that it is so true. The more obedient you are the more the Lord wants to bless you because he can see your dedication and hard work. Also on Thursday we taught an amazing lesson about the Plan of Salvation. When we were talking about the 3 kingdoms and what they would be like K***(the investigator) asked us how to get to the Celestial Kingdom, and now we are excited to teach her the Gospel of Jesus Christ and show her the path she needs to take. We also got a text Thursday night asking if we had time on Friday because someone had a new investigator for us. Luckily we had quite a few open slots in our planner for opportunities to teach. So we got to start teaching A***, he is from England and has recently got married to a member and so he had a lot of questions that his wife didn't know how to answer. He was only here for a few days so we taught him as much as we could so that he would go back to England and find missionaries there to start learning from. We were a little worried to teach him the Plan of Salvation because he is very big on evolution. I didn't even know where to start with him. But I figured it out. Start from the beginning and teach simply. I feel like he has a better understanding of the creation and why it happened the way it did. On Saturday we had a really interesting baptism. One of the kids we are teaching didn't get baptized when he was 8 due to his fear of water. Luckily he has been working to get over the fear and has been swimming in his neighbors pool all summer. So he asked if we could do the baptism there. We cleared it with the mission president and I never thought I was going to witness a baptism in a swimming pool. He also got permission to wear goggles and a nose plug. We really wanted to do everything we could to make him feel comfortable with the baptism. It was a short program but we are so proud of the courage and strength he was able to have to make this decision and be that example for his 7 year old brother. Saturday was also a very weather bi-polar day. In the morning it was really warm and sunny and around 4:00 the clouds started moving in so quickly. I seriously have never seen a storm roll in so fast. I am so grateful that we were in a members home at the time the storm really hit, or else we would have been drenched. It was seriously a flash flood with crazy winds. It kind of reminded me of home. We didn't really have any appointments set up for the night and so we were planning on just doing some stop-bys but the Elders called us and asked if we could help them move all of the furniture and stuff out of the basement of the member's house they live with. When we got there we were surprised to see the whole basement had flooded, it is a new house too! So we spent an hour or so helping move everything upstairs so it didn't get water damaged. I really love doing service projects!

I had the opportunity on Sunday to give a talk in one of the wards we cover. It was on missionary work of course. But I really find it interesting how much the church has been talking about "hastening the work" "being good member missionaries" "reaching out". But I figured it out. It's because it is IMPORTANT! and it is our Heavenly Fathers work and if he said it needs to starting moving forward and a faster pace then I guess we need to be willing to help.

Love you all and I hope you are all looking for opportunities to reach out. Be the one to find the one!

Love, Sister Kaylynn Harrison

look who She ran into in Provo this week!

Sept. 3...count your many blessings

Well this week I was reading in the Ensign an article from Henry B. Eyring. He was talking all about how we need to be grateful for all the many things we have. I took the opportunity to start writing down all of my blessings and I was just so surprised by how many of them I have. I then got on my knees and said one of the longest prayers I have ever said just thanking my Heavenly Father for all I have! I have had some amazing things happen this week that just made me feel even more blessed. I just want to list a few of my big blessings this week to share how grateful I am. This week we had the opportunity to do exchanges and I feel like every time we get this chance the Lord just puts people in our path to teach so our days are just FULL! I also feel blessed that I am not in a Spanish area. I know this sounds bad but let me explain, when I was in the Spanish area on Thursday I got fed so much food that I thought I was going to explode. We went to go check on this lady who husband is less-active and she was cooking food and asked if we wanted some. We said we would take a little and she handed each of us a plate with one full pork chop and a few huge spoon fulls of macaroni. And then for dinner that night 2 hours later we were given a HUGE plate of Venezuelan spaghetti. I thought I was going to explode! But I guess I should feel blessed for having people who want to feed us. The next blessing was the opportunity to speak to a group of young women about missions. I just loved being able to answer all of the questions they had about serving a mission, and I hope all of them will be missionaries some day! Next was a great baptism. We had a 29 year old guy move here from Salt Lake about 3 weeks ago and he was more than ready to be baptized. The first lesson we had with him he asked when could he be baptized! I just know that Heavenly Father is preparing people! On Sunday when we went to the confirmation we were talking to the Bishop afterward to finish up some of the paper work and you will never believe who walked up to us!? Elder Dallin H. Oaks!! He talked to us for a little while and then told us it was a pleasure to meet us. I can't believe I met an apostle! It really has been a week full of many, many blessings and I am so grateful for all of my family and friends that are supporting me! I hope everyone takes a chance to count all of their blessings because its amazing how many each of us have and how different they are from one another's. I Love you all and wish you a happy successful week and just remember when times get hard turn to the Lord. The atonement is for more than repentance, it is for comfort, help and trials. I know that our Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers!