MONDAY
To
start this past week off, we went and visited with Heidi, who was
baptized back in November. SHE GOT A CALLING! Which was so exciting, she
was freaking out, actually we were all freaking out. I love her SO
much, she is one of my best friends! She is planning on going to the
temple soon to do baptisms for her family members and she kept going on
and on about how great it will be for them to feel what she has felt. I
cannot express how much I have learned from this woman. She is truly
amazing.
TUESDAY
We
had another lesson with Daniel! Daniel knows that the Book of Mormon is
true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet, but he hasn't quite come to
know that the church is true. He is getting there though. He amazes me
as well! He loves the Book of Mormon so much! This past lesson he said,
"Where has this book been all my life!? We need to get a copy to
everyone!!!" Hahah, he is so funny and so awesome. He expressed to us
that he doesn't feel ready to progress any further, but would like to
continue sometime in the future. He thought that since he didn't want to
join the church right then, we would no longer want to meet with him!
How wrong he was. When we asked to see him again the following week, his
face lit up and he was so thrilled that we weren't going to just drop
him! We love Daniel, SO much.
Today was our first trip to the temple for the week!
We went to the visitor's center with a woman from the ward and her
daughter who is 4. It was so much fun. The spirit is truly so strong at
the temple. It is so easy to feel of His love while there!
WEDNESDAY
I
am now TWENTY. Whoot. Whoot. Whoot. I feel so much older now that I
don't have to end in "teen". Thank goodness! It was a very happy day. I
felt loved by so many people here and at home! We started the day off by
going for a walk, WAY early in the morning for our exercise. We came
home and I walked into the bedroom and found my bed covered in balloons
and confetti. I bursted into a huge smile and turned around to go thank
the Heslop's and there was Sister Heslop, shoving a cupcake in my hand
and bursting into the Birthday song, while showering me with more
confetti! Hahah, it was so much fun! She then made us a high stack of
french toast, fried eggs, bacon and sausage! And she didn't even know,
but french toast is my favorite!
{Happy B-day to me!}
{Happy B-day to me!}
{Happy B-day to me!}
{Sister Lyons and i with all my balloons!}
We had a really good visit with Emily too! She has
committed to reading everyday on her own and we will talk about the
things we learn from reading the chapters together every single day. We
are super stoked. Emily always has the best insights while reading!
The wonderful Levenseller Family brought us to Red
Robin for my Birthday dinner! She also baked me a cake. Golly, I sure do
love so many people here in this ward!! It was a really, really fun
time. I actually realized that I got a birthday sundae there last year
with the family right before heading back to Provo! So much has happened
since then. It is so so crazy! I have loved this past year so
incredibly much. I think it is definitely my favorite thus far!
The day ended on a great note. We had a lesson with
the Daley family, which was one of my favorite lessons EVER. Their dad
surprised them today after being away for 4 months! They were all
beaming and just about to explode from pure JOY! Holy goodness, it was
so amazing to be in their home with them! I love that about a mission.
People open up to you and share their most precious, joyful and happy
moments with you; even when they hardly know you! The moments that we
share together though, bring a closeness unlike anything else, the love
we feel is just so immediate! It's da best. They are working towards
baptism and are praying as a family to pick a date that they will all be
ready for! Happy, happy birthday to me!
THURSDAY
Today
was our second day at the temple this week! Our district got to do an
endowment session at the temple this morning and it brought me SO much
joy. Ah, I love it there! I felt the spirit so strongly and felt like i
received so many answers to my prayers. I know without a doubt that God
knows me. I know my Savior lives and that He loves me so so much! He was
happy to look each of us in the eye before coming here and promise that
He would redeem us from our sins. I know that it is because of Him that
we have the opportunity to be here and to experience joy!
Our dinner appointment was hilarious today. We
walked onto the front porch and were warned that their dog was a
"jumper." Immediately I think it is a really small, lap dog. No, no, no.
This is a black lab and it is a JUMPER! He kept jumping up on our backs
like it wanted a piggy back ride. Oh my it was so hysterical! And the
owners acted like it was completely normal. Sister Porter, Lyons and I
could not keep from laughing all throughout dinner!
Sister Dittmar sent me a package today! It had
M&Ms of course and one of her skirts that i had loved! She is so
dang thoughtful.
FRIDAY
Today
we started teaching a new woman named Shauntah! She is awesome. The
elders in our area tracted into her this last week and gave her a Book
of Mormon. By the time we got there, a few days later, she had already
read the first three chapters! Haha, she said to us, "I was wondering
when someone was going to come and tell me where to read from!" She is
so great and very interested. Yay!
Today was beautiful, it was in the 50's. Greatest weather I have ever experienced on January 24th!
My
sweet companion revealed her talent today at one of our lessons! She
sat down at the piano during one of our lessons and played and sang a
song that she had written that bore her testimony about trials. It was
SO beautiful, she made me tear up! Sister Porter is such a great
missionary and is so excited and happy to be here serving. I am so happy
to have her in this tri-panionship :)
SATURDAY
I
received my regular bday gift from Whitney today! My calendar full of
family pictures! It is so darling, I love it so much! I have the cutest
family EVER. EVER. EVER.
We also got to go to a mission meeting where Elder D. Todd
Christofferson spoke to the Oregon Portland Mission! It was so
incredible. He talked about how we will come to give our whole hearts to
these people and love them, EVEN when they continually break our
hearts. This has happened to me so much. I just love the people I have
met, in Oregon City, Aloha, and Hazeldale with ALL of my heart! He then
compared this to the life off the Savior and how he loves EACH of us
with that perfect love even though we have continually broken His heart -
over and over again. But, He still loves us! This is so true. It was an
incredible meeting and an incredible opportunity to hear from an
apostle of the Lord.
SUNDAY
Church
was great today! I realized today how much God really knows and loves
ME. He has shown that love through so many ward members here in Oregon
who don't know me at all, but sstill know exactly how to love and take
care of me. The only way they would know, is if a loving Heavenly Father
would tell them. I know He is taking care of me through them and I want
to do the same. I want to be someone God can trust to take care of His
children.
Third time at the temple this week: Visitor's center
with the Daley family! Eyes are set on the temple and eternal family is
the goal! They are so excited and such a happy family :)
//It was such a beautiful week and I STILL feel so blessed to be
here on my mission. Everyday I come to know my Savior a little more and
see more and more of God's tender mercies in my life. He loves YOU. I
promise that! He wants you to experience joy, so trust Him and let Him
help you experience that joy. Thank you so much for being such an
amazing support to me. I always know that I have so many people that I
love who are right behind me and encouraging me in this work. I love it
and I love you!
I don't want to say this out loud, but yesterday
marked my "one year to go." I am so not ready to even think about it,
but, or course, I did last night. I realized how much I have grown and
changed since I have been here on my mission. Life will never be the
same after this mission and I will never be the same. I didn't think
that I wanted to be any different, I was happy with who I was and my
life. But, I know that I have changed and I have allowed God to change
me these past 6 months and now I am so GRATEFUL that things will never
be the same. I want more than anything to keep these changes. I want to
be exactly who God has made me when I go home.
I love you all dearly. xoxox
Sister Kerr
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