Happy December!

Hello, family dear!

This week was so good, but I have so little time. I hope I can fit it all in!

1// Family night with the Thomsen's!
Each week we do a family night with them and read from the Book of
Mormon, his week they switched it up a bit and invited us over for a
night that they would put on! So, on Monday night we spent an hour in
their home where we had a lesson taught by Dad and Erica about
gratitude. It was absolutely perfect and so spiritual and it felt
exactly how a family night should feel. At one point, we each went
around the room and shared something we are grateful for. This was my
favorite! Each member of this family has touched my heart and I love
them so much. Brother Thomsen shared his, he said, "I'm grateful for
whoever told you sisters that my family was less-active. Our lives are
so different since you've been in our home." Bah! I love them and I am
grateful too for the Ward members looking out for my Thomsen family
that sent us there!

2// Thanksgiving!
1. Wake up and prep for TURKEY TROT. Walk to Thomsen's to retrieve
Erica and force her to participate. Walk about a mile to the starting
line. Do the 5K! Go to the nursing home and sing songs to the
residents!
2. Run home, change clothes and try to freshen up. Run to the car,
drive to the Schalch's (non members we are teaching) for thanksgiving
breakfast! Eat pie, quiche, and herbal tea selections for breakfast
and have the best time ever with this family!
3. Speed over to the Thomsen's again to do games with their family and
with another member family! Attempt to teach eight people how to play
Third Times a Charm (the Kensey Christmas game). Fail! Then, just play
charades.
4. Go to Bishop Chandler's home and do their dishes and sample some
pie! Share a message with their family for the holiday! I LOVE this
family, they are so awesome. I hope you get to meet them someday!
5. Dash over to the Young's for a thanksgiving day feast! Enjoy my
first slice of sweet potato pie. Eat macaroni and cheese for the first
time on turkey day!
6. Coast back down the hill to hit up the Walker's who had over fifty
guests for the day! Stuff up on desert and play uno with all the
teenagers! This was a bumping place and probably my favorite! This was
the house you got pictures from! The boy in the picture that mom was
asking about is their son and preparing for his mission! The daughter
is the funniest girl alive I am pretty sure! She leads the music in
relief society and will stand up there cross eyed. We try to make her
laugh because she always looks so serious, the cross eyed was in
response to that!
7. Drive back up the hill to a girl's home that I met at Safeway back
in August! She is a member, but not active since she got married back
in February. She is only twenty three and so sweet! Enjoyed desert
with her, her non member husband and her parents visiting.
8. Fly home and pack for an exchange!

3// The Black Friday Exchange!
This was such a great exchange! We saw so many miracles of things just
falling into place for their area. The Washington Square Mall is in
their Ward and one of their potential investigators works at a store
there. The sister I was with couldn't remember what store it was
though. But! She did know that she was scheduled to work on Black
Friday. So, off we go searching for these sisters hopeful teachee! We
wondered the disgustingly hot, sweaty, packed mall searching for this
lotion store for about 35 minutes. I wanted to puke, it was so
uncomfortable in there! I hate shopping! We kept trying to call the
member who is friends with her and knows the name of the store, but no
response from her, until we were walking out the door and giving up.
She finally responded and told us the name of the store, so back
through the mall we go! We finally find her and the store and find out
that we arrived just in time for her lunch break! She wanted to come
spend it with us and talk about the church and her desire to learn
more. Timing miracle or what? It was so perfect that we ended up at
her store right at that time! You and I both will probably never hear
about Grace again because she was not in my area, but I witnessed a
cool miracle! Malls are hot and terrible places on Black Friday, but
this one was an incubator for a miracle!

4// Christmas Eve with Cannons
One of our favorite couples here in the Ward is leaving on a mission
to serve in the Washington DC Temple next week! They have a big
Christmas Eve party with their family every year. So since they are
leaving, they did the party early and had us be the spotlight! They
are so sweet. It was such a fun family party to be at! I love the
Cannon's and am really going to miss them when they go. I really am
bringing some of you to meet them when I get home down at the DC
Temple! You will love them to pieces.

{Pixies}

Well, all my love to you, family! I am thankful for all that you do
for the times I get to hear from you. Thanks for he emails and
letters. Xoxoxo!

<3 Sister Kerr

I Love Missions!!!

Hello, family dearest! Happy week before Thanksgiving! I cannot believe that it is almost that time. Mom sent out a cute email at the beginning of this week with all the weather across the country where all of us are, looks like things sure have gotten chilly for us...except for those stinkin' Texans! And now, we will have to add Louisiana onto the list! Congratulations to my sweet little, Macey. I know she will make the best missionary ever, she is beyond ready for this! Yay! What happy news. I love love love it! 

This week was incredible! It really was so good. Last night we had the very special opportunity to have a Travis Tuttle come and speak for all of the missionaries, the people we are teaching and all the members here in the Lake Oswego area. It was so incredible! Travis Tuttle served his mission when he was 19 years old in Saratov, Russia 16 years ago. While he was there, he and his companion were kidnapped and taken hostage. They were held for five days by two captors who were hoping to receive a ransom for these two Mormon missionaries. He spoke about his experience in deciding to serve a mission and of course the highlight of it was this experience on his mission. He was amazing and really personified faith. He was serving a mission because he loved God, but he experienced severe trials in that expression of his love. The people we brought to it absolutely loved his talk and were so touched by the spirit. I feel so blessed to have been there for it and to have met such an incredible person! One of my favorite parts was when he explained to all of the non-members in the room, why all of us decided to come on a mission. He told them all that we were here not to focus on our worldly desires, such as jobs, school, cars, family, houses; but, we were here to focus on them - those specific individuals in that room with us. He told the row we had there with us, that Sister Jensen and I had given up 18 months of our life to serve them, to focus on them, to share God's love with them. It was truly impacting!  

Also special to last night...I got to see Heidi! I am sure you all remember hearing about my Heidi dear! Well, yesterday marked one year, to the day, since her baptism! I cannot believe it has been an entire year since Sister Dittmar and I taught her and helped her prepare for that special day. And I feel so blessed that I got to see her on that very day a whole year later! It was so fun to run up and give her the biggest hug in the whole world! I got a picture, but it looks terrible... I'll ask her to send me one from her phone! She is doing so well, I love her so much. She is working on her preparation for the temple! I promised to come back for it when she can come, who wants to come with me??? :) I also got to see Darin who was baptized in August back in Oak Hills, and Kyle from May! It was a happpppppy day. 

The past couple of weeks we have been working really hard as a mission to figure out how to use our online proselyting tools in a more effective and focused way.They are an absolutely wonderful tool, but it has been really easy to see the missionaries and myself lose focus while using them. I am a firm believer that the reason they are so hard to use and control is because they have the potential to be the most effective tools in missionary work! Just look for the most opposition in the entire world, and you will find something that has the potential to progress God's work being attacked! It's that way in people too, I mean look at the life of Jesus Christ. The most perfect and wholesome person, who changed the world had more opposition upon him than anyone who has ever lived. Anyways, as a mission we have been trying to reset and refocus on our purpose and using the tools we've been blessed with, not being used by the tools. It made my heart so full as we presented this to our zone alongside our zone leaders, to see the humility and desire of the missionaries I serve with. They want to do good and be good, but Satan has a very tricky way of leading us off, even if it is off into other good things, it takes us off our focus. The mission has been called to change and we are excited about it, we are excited to improve and to be the servants God needs. This week felt like it could have been a chapter in the Book of Mormon! We all were in the wrong and needed to be brought back, and as a mission, we worked together to get us all there. I love the opportunity I have to go out and share this with all of the sisters in the mission. I love accountability and humility; we are all on the same page and holding each other to it! I have never been involved in such a neat meeting, I hope to never forget it! 

This week really was a great one, I loved it! And I am so excited for this coming week too. I really feel so full of love for this area, the people we are teaching, the other missionaries, and the people I have yet to meet, but know are prepared! There is much to be done all around us! I'm grateful we each get to go out and do it.

Love you, family! Xoxo.

Sister Kerr

p.s. Kyle who was baptized in May, saw me while I was on an exchange and serving at the Visitor's Center this week. He met me there to tell me some exciting news! He has started to work on his mission papers and will be submitting them on his year mark!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE MISSIONS.

 

                   {Reunited with Heidi!!! (2nd from Right) 1 Year Anniversary of her Baptism!!}                              

I'm Feeling Blessed!!!

Hello, loves!

This week was a really good one! Are you surprised? I feel like I say that every week, sorry I am so boring! Exciting news, I got to go to the dentist this morning, that is unique news for me! One of the incredible members here in the Willamette Ward offered to clean our teeth for us - I've missed it. It felt so good! And the sweet ladies who work in the office were just so fun, I don't know what it is about dental hygienists, but they are so nice! I felt disgusted when I had to tell them it had been at least 16 months since I had been to the dentist... Never again.

Our week started off great when we got to meet with our dear recent convert, Phyllis! It was such a great lesson we were able to teach her this week. We talked about the sacrament and the importance of partaking of it weekly and what we are promised with doing so. The lesson was at a member's home who is leaving on her mission in less than a month! She and her husband are going to serve in the Washington DC Temple. I am so excited for them and already promised to go down there and see them! They are so sweet, I can't wait for you guys to meet them! The lesson was so uplifting for each of us and the spirit was so strong. Phyllis really loved it and needed it. She loved the idea of having the spirit as a greater part of her life, She recognized the need she has for that and is committed to this lifestyle because she knows it is what will give her the lift and spirit that she needs! I love her so much! Sister Cannon also gave us and Phyllis lots of clothes, she cleaned out her closet since she can't take it all with her! I seriously am spoiled rotten in this ward. 

We had a stellar lesson with our friend, Emily! We went to the visitor's center and had our lesson there. I may have written about this last week, I just realized. Anyways, she is doing exceptionally well, I love her to pieces. I love her because she is open to finding truth in her life. She doesn't know that it will be from us, but she does recognize the difference she feels in her life since we met 3 months ago! I love that she is conscious of that difference. Emily is one of my favorite people! She loves family, which makes me so happy! All her life, she has dreamed of having her own family and being a good mom and teaching her children to love and respect themselves. She told us that the things we have taught her and talked about with her have helped her to gain that self-love and respect for herself. She is just a couple years older than us and I love her intentions in life! I really respect her so much and will be friends with her FOREVER.

We brought our good friend, Erica to the food pantry this week to help us with service! Holy fun! Macey and Addey know how much I love racing and making every chore a competition! Who can stack wood the fastest? Hah! And you two always avoided it or put me off! Well, I found some people who will play that game with me. We did an assembly line for bagging granola. These are huge bags that come in bulk from a company and we fill smaller plastic bags to hand out to people. I asked the people to start a record board, and as of Thursday, we hold the first record! We bagged two of the huge bags, and cleaned up in 8mins 12secs. You should have seen how fast we were moving! Oh my goodness! That is bagging, labeling, and tying each individual bag. It was beyond intense. This same Erica came on a Mini Mission with us this week. We got permission from President Ballard and from Bishop Chandler! She is from a recent convert family and this was the MOST incredible experience for her ever. We had so much fun. We made her a nametag and everything. She got to spend the night and do everything missionary style! I loved it so much, made me feel like I was with my sissies! She did so well too, just a natural! Their family hopes that Macey gets called to this mission and just comes and replaces me when I go home. Not going to lie, I think that would be the best thing ever!!!

I gained such a strong witness this week that God is with us. Even when we may feel alone, we are NOT alone. I sat with a sweet woman who told us all of her concerns and her fears of trusting God and cried her heart out. As I was there with her, I just had the most overwhelming feeling that God was there with her throughout all those times she was claiming that He had deserted her and left her abandoned. I didn't know quite what to say, but I know that I cannot deny the witness that came into my heart and mind that He was there for her. Before she can begin to progress or move forward, she needs to learn to trust Heavenly Father and believe that He is there for her. To build that foundation with her, we have started sending messages to each other, every single day, telling how we have seen God in our life that day. A way that he has blessed us! It has been so great and moving. Even with it being less than a week since we started, the feeling while talking with her has changed. I can't believe how much changing our thoughts and perspective can change us! I really feel like this a small way for her to gain trust in him, day by day, without being scary. I'm excited to continue! I love her so much and I know that God loves her so much more than even I do.

I love you all more than I could possibly express! I am so well taken care of here, there is nothing for you to worry about or be concerned about in the slightest! This morning we went and did Yoga with a member who lives down the street, then during studies she knocked on our door to deliver pancakes and almond butter for us! Then, the dentist called us and asked if we could come in today. Then we drove over to a member's home and she helped us with our laundry. SPOILED! Plus, we have some of the funniest youth in all of Oregon! I love 'em! This work is amazing and I love being a missionary. I love serving my God through serving His children. I am feeling blessed! 

Xoxoxo, Sister Kerr 

I LOVE WILLIAMETTE!!!!

Hey, fam! Welcome to the start of my 12th transfer in the OPM (Oregon
Portland Mission). Uh whoa. That's a lot! So transfer news, Sister
Jensen and I are both staying in Willamette! Yay! I am so so so so so
so so SO SO SO SO SO SO happy I am staying here. I was so beyond
nervous waiting to find out what would happen, but this was such good
news! I really am hoping I get to stay here until the end! It's like
home here. I love it!

This week was so good and so fun.
I really loved this week. We have been really trying to focus on
service in our area and reaching out and helping anyone and everyone.
It really has helped develop a greater, deeper love for people and
helped me to see how Christ loves people. I love it and I love when
people realize that you really do love them and they realize that's
why you are there. That is why I am here on my mission in general! It
is to help others feel Heavenly Father's love for them individually.
We have seen so much progress with a young woman aged girl we have
befriended and been working with. I love her to pieces! Oh my gosh, I
am falling in love with the youth here! And whenever I say that in
front of any ward members they start laughing and say, "Well it's
because you're still a youth!" Hum, not really, thank you very much!
Regardless of my age, I love them! I'm pretty obsessed with my
favorite family in the ward. They are converts of about 5 years and my
best friends! Each of them is working so hard to stay afloat and to do
what they can to live up to all that Heavenly Father has in store for
them.

I have become pretty obsessed with my favorite family here, the
Thomsen's! They're recent converts of about 5 years. They amaze me and
are so strong and dedicated! They are hit with so much opposition,
more than I have ever seen any family hit by, and they refuse to give
up. They make mistakes and they're open about that, but never have
they given up! They have strengthened my testimony and really hope my
testimony can strengthen them at this time when they need it. We have
been working a lot with their daughters who are both teens and they
have become my little sissies! I can't wait to come back after my
mission and spend time with them and I can't wait for my real sisters
to meet these sisters! We are all family!!

One of the members we are working with had an amazing experience with
prayer this week. So amazing! It's one of those moments that just
fills you and makes you grateful for the experience of a mission! We
had taught her last week about prayer and this week during our lesson,
she told us of an experience she had while praying where she received
a very direct and clear answer, revelation given to her from God. It
was one of the first times in her life where she had felt so strongly
that it was directly from God. It was so wonderful! The revelation was
concerning her husband who is no longer active and has no interest in
becoming active again. She found direction from Heavenly Father on
what she can do to help him remember and feel Heavenly Father's love
for him. It was so sweet! I m excited for this very special, sweet
woman.

Halloween was a blast! We went to a ward party and got to run one of
the games for the kiddos. Oh my goodness, it was so much fun! It was a
cute one where we played music while the kids walked in circles and
then when we stopped the music, we picked a number and whoever was on
that number got a FULL SIZE CANDY BAR. Whoa. It was a huge deal and we
had a long line waiting to join in in the missionary game! I loved
being with the kids.

Saturday we were invited out to lunch with two couple who serve at the
food pantry we serve at here in town. Neither of them are members. We
are so in love with them and so blessed to know them! I felt pretty
lucky, what 20 year old girls get called up and invited to lunch by
two 70+ year old couples? We do! And I will miss that one day! They
were so beyond funny, I loved being with them. Such, loving, giving,
charitable people. I really look up to them!

Today we got to go to the temple visitors center for a lesson with a
girl named Emily, she is such a good friend! I love her to pieces! She
is progressing really well and I want her to finish connecting all the
pieces and accept the gospel int her life fully. She is so sweet, and
has the biggest heart in the entire world. We had a member take us
there. Her name is Amy and she just got home from Kansas where she
served her mission. Oh my goodness we had a fun time! Then Amy took us
out to lunch, her sweet mama paid for us to go to sushi! Yummmm. It
was so delicious and so fun! I love Amy! I wish we still had sisters
when I get home. Sad, sad timing that they were transferred from
Pulaski!



                      {Sushi .... Yummmm!!!}

         

                       {Lobster Nose!!}


Well, I hope this catches you all up and didn't bore you to death. It
may have done that. Know that things are going well and I am so happy!
I miss you all and I love you even more than that! Have a good week,
thanks for the emails! I'll be enjoying my NY Honeycrisp apples
through this whole week from MamaKerr! Best surprise ever!

Love you all!

Xoxoxo ❤️ Sister Kerr

Lets swap stories. What did you learn this week?

Happy Monday, everyone! 

This week was a good one, filled with lots of learning experiences. I think one of my favorite things about serving a mission is being exposed to so many of my weaknesses and having no way to run away from them. Haha! The only way to get rid of the uncomfortable is to humble myself, turn to God and let Him strengthen and fix those things. I've realized at several different points on my mission that I have been a runner in the past, my pre-mission past, and I think several of us either are that way or have been, or switch back and forth. I realized many times in my life that when I became uncomfortable with a situation or a requirement, I metaphorically "packed up" and left it behind. Don't get me wrong, I mean I have endured things, but I think that most early-life things we endure are tangible ones. Things like a big upcoming test, or a cross country race, or an argument about who's turn it is to feed the fish. But bigger things, like flaws in our character, wedges in our relationships, long-term goals - those one's all seem to frighten me a bit more, so I'll leave them behind for the time being and say, "Oh, I'll take care of that when I have to." I know that I personally needed to come on a mission, to be placed in a position where I would have to analyze where I have been, what I have become, where I am now and where I want to be. This can be extremely painful and really hard and trust me it has been. It is the hardest, scariest thing to apply the things you are teaching to others to yourself. I often feel like I am one of my own investigators being humbled and put back and committed to a deeper conversion to Christ. But, I am so grateful to say, I am not a runner anymore! I am learning how to confront my weaknesses and my fears and my discomforts! I know that my Heavenly Father loves me perfectly and is pleased with who I am and who I am working to become, but I know there is always more I can do. And that doesn't scare me anymore. I'm not afraid anymore to acknowledge the fact that I'm not perfect, nor have I ever been perfect. Believe me! I always have known I am not perfect, but the idea of not being perfect scared me because I didn't even know where to begin, nor did I have the faith that I really could improve. My mission has been my refining fire that has given me the faith to know that I can change. Not only the people I teach can change, but I can change too! I have often heard people tell me this quote, "The greatest convert from your mission is yourself." I always thought that was sweet and a great idea. But, as I sit here this morning and think about where I am, I know that's true. I came here to Oregon to help others and strengthen them. But, on my mission I found myself and I truly feel like I have been saved, lifted up and brought home, closer to my Father in Heaven. It really doesn't seem fair that I have gained so much personally, while trying to give, but I now see why God called me to serve Him. He needed to save me, His daughter. 

These are some of the most precious thoughts that I have right now and what I just shared with you is know one of my most valuable testimonies! I hope that it makes sense to you and I PLEASE want to hear from you your thoughts on it and your experiences regarding that topic.Tell me a story! Please, please share! I encourage you to find yourself in that process and figure out what you need to do next, allow yourself to change and improve. And most of all, please do not be afraid. I know how it feels to live in fear and to feel like things are not even possible, but I promise there has been a change in me that is much bigger than myself. I will never understand how it works, but I know that it is because of our loving Heavenly Father. One of my favorite scriptures, will always be, Isaiah 41:10. "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." I know with all my heart that is true! He will not leave us alone. 

I am experiencing so many miracles here in the Willamette Ward and am so happy. The members in this ward are absolutely incredible and are heaven sent. They take care of us so well and are willing to support us in anything we ask. I have never experienced a ward quite like this. I think my favorite things this week come from two less-active members we have been working with. Their families have been working with us since I came into the area about two months ago. We have been exerting a lot of effort on them and really trying to strengthen their testimonies of the gospel. They both are convert families too, of between 5-6 years. This week, one of the families called us and gave us our second referral from them. They had set up a dinner with one of their friends, asked her to listen to a lesson and invited her to church! My heart is so full as I get to experience the joy of sharing the gospel with this family who joined the church and gained so much from their testimonies. Now they want it for each of their friends! And all it took was a rekindling and patience, then they were ready! The second family did a similar thing. We had set up a time to come see them, the day before she texted us and asked if we could teach her boyfriend at the lesson instead of just their family! Then he came to church as well. It was just so beautifully miraculous. I know the spirit changes us, it fills our souls and helps us to know the actions we need to take. It has been so amazing to be the missionary and to take the spirit to these members who hadn't felt it in awhile, and see what the spirit was prompting them to do! And then to see that they had enough faith to do what they were being prompted to do, was absolutely wonderful. 

Overall, it was a great week and bonus - we got to go to the temple and participate in a session! I love this week! 

I love you family, I am expecting some emails back with stories next week! And even if you're not family and you're reading this, write me about it too!

Xoxo, Sister Kerr 

The days go by, I can feel them flying!

How is everything going for each of you?? I feel a little behind in each of your lives, which makes me way sad. You all get to hear what's going on in mine every single week, I need an update from you each please! Just a quick one :)

This week was an interesting one. I am not quite sure what was so weird about it, but it just felt...weird. Haha! You all know how it feels when things are a bit off. Well, that was this week! It was still way good and we saw several miracles though. God is with you in weird, off, different weeks as well as in the awesome ones!

We got to know and gained traction with several of the people we have recently started to teach or were looking to start teaching. And we saw miracles with this! Favorite example! There is a young adult living in the ward with her parents, she is no longer active in the church and has chosen that she no longer believes in several teachings of the church. We went out for hot chocolate with her this week so we could catch up and talk more with her, totally not preachy at all! After our little cocoa date, we nonchalantly told her about the ward chili cook-off that was going on that evening for the ward that she has gone to once in the last 5 months of being here. We asked her if she wanted to come with us and she agreed to stop by for a bit. Earlier in the day, one of our members had called to tell us that they had invited a less-active man and his non-member, 22 year old daughter to come to the cook-off as well. When we heard that, we called a friend of ours who is in the local Young Single Adult ward and asked her to come to the cook-off with us to meet this non-member girl and invite her to volleyball. Sweet plan! The dinner comes around I start talking with the non-member girl, building a friendship with her! She is darling, but I was waiting for the YSA member to show up. She finally showed up and I was super excited to have her start talking to this girl. They started talking and it was going well, but not nearly as well as I was anticipating. Haha, funny how that works. Then the less-active who was going to stop by for a bit showed up and her and the YSA member hit it off like no other! It always amazes me how in control God is. I LOVE IT. My plans were good, but His were so much better! They had the same background in life, which I had absolutely no idea about either of their backgrounds. But, Heavenly Father did and He loved each of His daughters enough to bring them together and help them feel of His love. It was so awesome. We ended up staying for an hour after the dinner finished talking in our little group and really building relationships and coming to understand each other's beliefs. It was incredible!

Sacrament meeting was one of my absolute favorites this week! It was the Willamette Ward's Primary Program. Oh my goodness, it was incredibly well done and so spiritual! We had two of the people we are teaching there and they absolutely loved it. Gwen, the friend of the recent convert family in the ward, cried several times throughout it because of the spirit she felt and the sweet, simple testimonies of the children. Heck, I cried a few times too. These kids are so precious and their testimonies and the truths they spoke really touched my heart. I miss my nieces and nephew!! I am so glad sacrament meeting went so well. Sweet Gwen stood up in Relief Society and introduced herself to the whole class and told them how excited she was to be there and to know them and how happy she is to be taught. She is so stinkin' cute!

Last thing, we had an awesome experience at the Visitor's Center last night with a new investigator! We got him to come and meet us there and we had a member family as well. They clicked instantly! The member is probably 25 years older than him, but they became like best friends and it was awesome. Dylan, the one we're teaching is a rapper and he is going to be writing one about his experience at the temple last night. Cool beans! I can't wait to hear it. Our member sang him his rap that he had written while serving his mission 20+ years ago about the Book of Mormon! I'll send you a copy when I get it, it was so great! Such a fun night!

I love you all, have to get going! Please send me a quick note and let me know how you are doing. I love you tons and tons!

{Some cutie pie young women from our ward! We are working with each of them and just ADORE them all!}

Xoxo, Sister Kerr 

p.s. I heard a Keith Urban song on someone's radio the other day and my heart started racing! I still love that man and the title of the email is in honor of him!

My heart feels really full!

Happy Tuesday, I hope you all are dying to read this email because I was absolutely dying to read each of the ones I got! I had to wait until today because of a couple of reasons. Reason number one, yesterday the library was closed so I couldn't get to the computer. Usually this would not matter anymore because I have an iPad and can read my emails throughout the week as I receive them. Well, I had a working iPad. Now I do not. Bah! We were at a member's home baking cookies with our recent convert, Taylor and her sister Kassidi. They wanted to use my iPad and try and guess the passcode. Sure, whatever, go right ahead! Bad idea. Apparently, when you try the passcode too many times, it resets your iPad. Totally resets it, like brand new from the store type of reset. So, everything is wiped from my sweet iPad that I have had since February, EVERYTHING IS GONE. I now do not have one that has the materials downloaded onto it that I need. And now I will have to patiently wait for a replacement! It is so sad. Haha, I could NOT believe that happened when sweet little Taylor was playing with it. I haven't told her yet because I don't want her to feel bad or get in trouble! Hopefully Salt Lake will make it snappy with my replacement! 

Onto the week...

From last week, I talked about one of our recent convert families inviting their friend's over for conference. Well, her name is Gwen! We got to meet with her twice this past week and she is absolutely incredible. She has been so prepared to receive and accept the gospel into her life. The first time we met her we did service and helped her to clean her kitchen. As we talked with her, we learned about her past and mostly about the things that are causing her stress at this time in her life. We continued to turn the conversation back to our loving Heavenly Father and she just cried and cried. We gave her a Book of Mormon and told her about the blessings that will come to her from studying it. Right after our lesson, she called her friend who had invited her to conference and told her, "They gave me my own copy of the Book of Mormon! I have one now!" She was so excited! She is really praying about baptism and when she should progress to do that. One of her daughters is interested at the time and we are so excited to start teaching her too. SHE WENT TO SEE MEET THE MORMONS! That was good news. She texted us after and told us how much she loved it because it showed her "how accepting Mormons are of others, no matter their background." Those were her words! What an amazing movie that was, I loved it!

Phyllis participated in her first ordinances this week! She was baptized on 11 October and received the gift of the Holy Ghost on 12 October! It was such a happy weekend for her and for us. She was so nervous when she first arrived, but ended up feeling much better. I blame that on Bishop Chandler! He is so amazing and brings the spirit into each and every conversation he has. This was only the third time he had talked with Phyllis, but he completely understood her and made sure she felt comfortable at all points of the baptism. It was so wonderful! After the actual baptism, Phyllis came up out of the water, stood there for a moment, then said, "Is that it??" Haha! It was so hilarious. We kept trying to tell her that the actual baptism was nothing weird, or complex, but very simple. But, she didn't get it until it happened! She is so cute and funny, I adore her! Before the baptism, we were in a room with her and Bishop talking and she said to him, "These girls are my helpers. They helped me learn about how to get to heaven." Then she sat there for a moment and added on, "They're like my friends!" I love becoming friends with those sweet individuals I have taught. How do you not become friends while you are sharing such sweet, spiritual moments together! It was a good weekend 

Now, for a funny story. We didn't have a dinner appointment this Wednesday, so we picked a less-active family we have been working with and asked them if we could come and make them dinner! Of course, they said yes! It was a blast. We were working on the dinner with the kids, while we had the parents go relax for a little bit. They both work long schedules! It was so fun to cook with the kiddos, they're 15, 13, and 10. We made stir-fry, it was delicious! The youngest, Jason decided to make chocolate chip cookies before we finished so they would be ready for dessert. Then, we all start pigging out on the cookie-dough. Well, Sister Jensen and I did! We all eat dinner together, then go over to begin the clean-up. The cookie dough is still sitting in the bowl and Jason is beginning to put them on the sheets. Sister Jensen goes to roll up the bag of sugar and put it away in the cupboard, but sees something moving inside. She looks in and the sugar had maggots in it!!!! AHH!! Oh my gosh, haha! We had eaten so much cookie dough and 10 year old Jason can't remember if he had seen them while scooping it before. AHHH! The mom was freaking out and so embarrassed, the dad tells us we'll all be fine. I am just dying laughing and Sister Jensen thinks she feels one crawling up her throat. It was so hilarious! I don't recall being sick this past week, so we were safe. It was too funny, I couldn't believe it had really happened!

A woman we are teaching finally was able to make it to church this week! It was such an amazing experience to really get her there! Right after, I asked Shani if we could go to the visitor's center at the temple after church and talk about the temple and explain what had just been talked about. It worked out and was such a miracle! She understood so much better, and she understood how it related to Jesus Christ, which is the most important. Thank goodness for the Visitor's Center that is only 15 minutes away!

I fell in love with my Bishop and his family this week! I am slightly obsessed with them and so grateful for their testimonies and the experiences they are willing to share with us. Bishop and Sister Chandler are incredible people. I am so impressed with their faith and with how far they have come from their past. He gave us a copy of his story and testimony that I really want to share with you, so I will definitely read it to you when I get home. I just am so grateful that God loves us enough to reach out and speak to us individually! We are blessed. 

I hope all is well for each of you, you mean the world to me! Thank you for all you do, thank you for your examples and your hard work in taking care of me and those around you. I love your testimonies, I love seeing you share your testimonies online and through the stories you send me. I love that my family is a family centered on the teachings of Jesus Christ. I know of the devotion that each of you has to our Savior, thank you for that, it strengthens me! I hope your week is happy. Xoxo!

Sister Kerr