I love miracles.

Hello, family! Happy December! Our first full week of December and I
must confess, I sure do miss the snow. Winter is pretty boring and
plain without it. Luckily there will probably be plenty of that in New
York to make up for how much I've been missing it! We went to a
Christmas parade this week down the street from where we live. These
Oregonians had to make their snow and it wasn't even real fake snow,
like it didn't melt. It was shredded foam. Haha! Everyone is still
asking and talking about Buffalo too. I need some more details on it
so I can tell them stories. They're fascinated by it!

This week was really good, a lot of amazing things happened. I hope I
can tell you some of them and that you can understand!

Gwen and Scott. This couple is friends with the Thomsen family! They
are the ones who were invited to come and watch conference with them.
This last Sunday we had an amazing miracle with them. Bishop and us
went to their home to talk with them, getting in their home with
bishop was a miracle in and of itself! They had been stuck up in the
snow at Mount Hood, buried in their trucks for the fifteen hours prior
to us coming. We thought it was a no brainier that they would cancel,
but they didn't! The spirit was so strong as we were in their home and
talking about the blessings of faith and of the gospel. Scott told us
that he feels like he is an outsider looking in when it comes to
religion, especially our religion, but he wants to learn about it. He
and Bishop set up a time to sit down and chat and Scott plans to come
to church! Gwen is so sweet, I love her to pieces! She has not been
progressing, basically since we started teaching her, she just wasn't
ready. But, as we sat and talked with her and her husband, it finally
became clear at she needed Scott to be on board with her and on the
same page. Gwen couldn't do this alone, she needs him to be there
alongside her in it. I see them progressing now, slowly, but
progressing. It is amazing to see the spirit bring peace into their
hearts and see it change people for that moment and forever. I am so
excited! Gwen is so talented, she does acrylic nails and can do about
any design on there. She loves to sing and sang to us as we helped her
set her house up for Christmas. She is so very sweet. You should watch
"Men's Hearts Shall Fail Them" tonight, it is a Mormon Message and one
of my favorites. We shared it with Gwen and Sister Thomsen, it was
spot on for their needs and for mine too! Faith conquers fear, nothing
else does.

Working with members. Our mission has experienced a HUGE push to work
with members more consistently. I don't know if it has been as
emphasized in the Utica Mission, but we have had general authorities
come do training for us on it and then return to do the training for
us and our Ward leaders. This past week we developed a plan with
Bishop Chandler and Brother Wolthuis and went to it! We prayed and
selected ten active families that we are going to work very closely
with to strengthen them and push me in their missionary efforts. We
had a miracle from it on Tuesday! First of all, I have a huge
testimony of God directing our lives to benefit us, but also to beep
edit our brothers and sisters around us. I know that God knows where
we are, physically and spiritually. He knows where we are and he has
placed us in locations where we can reach out and share with those
around us. I read a letter from Daddy this week, it was an old one,
where he was telling me about our big move east over twenty years ago.
How he and Mom didn't know why we were going there, didn't know how
long we would stay, didn't know why we had to be thousands of miles
from family. But, I know and my parents know that God knew what was
best and they trusted him! Now we can see ways that it has blessed
each of our lives, and blessed the lives of so many that we have gone
to church with, gone to school with, worked with. God knew where the
Kerr Family was and was going to use us. I saw this again in one of
the members we had selected. We went into their home and taught,
brainstormed ideas for their efforts, and asked who was coming to
their mind as they felt the spirit. Immediately, the husband gave us a
name and address to go and visit! He knew him from work, very randomly
because they worked in very different departments. Right after we
asked, he told us he had been thinking so much about this guy
recently, but couldn't figure out why. I love seeing the hand of God
in our lives and especially in the lives of the members here. I love
getting to point that out to people and help them act on the pro
prints of the spirit.

Service miracles! This week was the week of our volunteer family
dinner. Oh my gosh, it was so much fun! I have been serving every
Thursday for the past four months at the West Linn Food Pantry and I
have made the best of friends there. I love being around the happiest,
most loving people in all of West Linn, I feel spoiled to have so many
fantastic friends here in town. I love it! Hal and Kristen, the
cutest couple ever had us over for dinner on Thursday night. Let
me tell a quick story to illustrate how adorable they are. One of the
first times talking with Hal, we asked him to tell us about his wife.
He went off about how wonderful she is and all this sweet stuff,
they've been married for fifty plus years. We asked him his favorite
memory of all time with Kristen, he thought for a minute and then
said, "I really think it would be our first date. We went and saw a
movie together and had ice cream afterwards." That was when they were
14 and 15 years old! And it's still his favorite, I love their
simplicity and ah! They are just too cute. Dinner was one of my
favorites of my whole mission, I will remember it always! They invited
their friend, Jan who recently lost her husband from cancer. They are
all wonderful Christian people and they had so many questions about
Mormons and especially missionaries. We had the opportunity to share
with them about everything we do and why! I have never felt so praised
in one sitting in ll my life. They loved us and what we represented.
They loved our willingness to sacrifice and the willingness of our
families to sacrifice as well. They appreciate the focus of the church
on family values and on our Savior. It was absolutely wonderful! We
shared the new Christmas video and shared our testimonies of God as
our loving Father and Jesus Christ as our Redeemer. A perfect night! I
love them so much.

Christmas set up! We had dinner with a family returning to activity in
the church. They had called us before and asked us to spend some time
with their family afterwards setting up Christmas with them. We agreed
and thought it would be really good to be in their home and help them
out with it. It was a good thing we were there! If we hadn't, I'm
pretty sure things would have been a disaster. First, we start by
putting the tree in the stand. It was a little crooked after the
husband screwed it in and we (his wife and I) were directing him. He
stood up and blew up at the same time. He was so mad that we had let
it go crooked. His wife is so calm and comes up with a plan of how to
fix it, he hated the plan and stormed out. Luckily, we were there to
help the wife put up the rest of Christmas. Haha, it was so funny! We
ll just laughed and she joked about how he is a perfectionist and
always wants things done his way. It was hilarious, but slightly
frightening. I just wanted to start rocking and saying, "Remember the
reason for the season. Remember the reason for the season." Haha, all
in all it was good fun and the husband returned and approved. He hated
the way I put the lights up though.

It was such a good week. I love being a missionary, I love sharing my
testimony and I love serving the wonderful people here in West Linn. I
love to feel the spirit and be deified by it daily, actually hourly. I
know our Savior truly does live again and I am thankful for this time
that we have to remember his life. And to remember the significance of
his birth and the life he lived. I know that Jesus Christ is the
embodiment of the love our Father in heaven has for us. I cannot fully
understand God's love for me and those around me, but I do know it is
real and that we can feel it always. Think of what you can do this
season to show our Father our love for him, since this season reminds
us of what he did to show us His love.

I love you so much! So so so so much! Xoxo.
<3 Sister Kerr

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