Finding Fury and a Goodbye to August.

Holy cow! I can't believe it's already Monday again! This week was good, kinda slow, but good :) 

Pictures::
. We found some cool sunglasses in our car on our way to the farm :) 
. A random elephant on someone's porch. I LOVE elephants! 
. Weekly selfies with my philipino :)

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The Holocaust Museum was more of a refresher for me because we studied it pretty thoroughly my senior year in English. It was good though! We hardly had time to shop and email because we live so far from DC, but that's okay :) 

We had a dinner every single night this week; this ward is almost too good at making sure we are fed! Monday night was with the Carrott family, and we had spaghetti :) 

afterwards we stopped by C's house because we hadn't seen him all week. We weren't able to share a message, but met his wife and followed up on some invitations we extended. He's a nice guy :)

 Then we went to see a less active and her dad who is a new investigator! The less active wasn't home, but her dad was so we brought him a Spanish Book of Mormon and taught him all about it. He has a love for his family, especially his daughters, that is enormous! You can see it in his eyes when he talks about them :) we testified of the joy that the gospel brings to families, and that he can be sealed to them for time and all eternity! We have a return appointment for this week :) I love that guy! He's the sweetest!

Tuesday was AWESOME!! :)

sister Donato and I studied, cleaned up the apartment, went to Pei Wei for lunch with sisters that we have stewardship over, and then exchanged! 

I went to Manassas with sister Walton and we had a BLAST! Oh my dear goodness. I love exchanges! We were jam packed with lesson after lesson. The first one was with a lady from Cambodia :) She is learning English and the gospel by reading pamphlets with the sisters :) she's already a member, but her understanding is slim. Because she can't read (any language) she hasn't ever read the Book of Mormon! We asked how she knew the church was true and she said, "I have the spirit! I know how I feel and the spirit tell me that it's true". You go girl! :) her English is good, though :) she gave us some Asian pears that look like dark green apples, as a 'thank you for coming over' gift. I love them!! They're super good! :) 

After that we went to see a part member family. The wife is a returning member and the husband isn't a member. He's an older, hilarious grandpa :) we hit it off really fast! We just got along great and sister Walton said he has never warmed up or opened up to any sister like that. It was a tender mercy to be a tool in the lords hands, and to feel the love that God has for him :) I'm sad I only got to teach him once, but grateful for the opportunity :) slowly the seeds are planting :) 

Afterwards we headed straight to dinner with a member family! Their daughter was there and had just come home from her mission to California a month ago. She was super sweet and it was awesome to talk with her!

 Then we went to a lesson with an investigator who is getting baptized in a week! She is STELLAR! I love her! She wants to be baptized like, right now. She has a huge testimony and we got along great, too :) she kept asking me to go to her baptism :) I love her excitement and love for the gospel :) we taught her about the light of Christ and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Sister Walton shared the coolest story ever about an experience she had with the Holy Ghost; it's too long to repeat, but just know it was awesome :) 

Straight from that lesson, we went to a lesson with another investigator named L. L is a man who lacks desire and real intent, but loves the way he feels when the sisters come. Why? Because they have the spirit, and the spirit feels good :) I don't think I've ever been so bold on my mission; he kept making excuses to not come to church, or keep any commitments, and it drove me nuts! So I lovingly called him out on these excuses and continued to be frank with him because he won't get anywhere if he doesn't do anything. We can't beat around the bush or cushion his excuses and say it's okay that he isn't making time for God. Because it's not okay! He went from excuse to excuse, to agreeing to come to church on Sunday :) If you find yourself in a similar situation, I hope you make time for Heavenly Father and set aside excuses. He doesn't make excuses when you need him :)

Wednesday morning was beautiful, so we ran outside! :) It was awesome! 

I did some training with sister Walton during comp. study before we left to exchange back. Sister Donato and I headed to district meeting, which was super good, and took a power nap before we went to volunteer at the women's shelter. I always love helping at that place :) Afterward we went to chipotle because a member had to cancel dinner, but dropped off a gift card to chipotle for us :) yumm :) 

The rest of the evening was full. of. rejection. 

All of our appointments canceled, nobody opened their doors, people who did open were quick to shut them, and we were running out of mental juice by 8:30. We tried though, and that's what matters :) sometimes you just have days like that! That's what missionary work is :) I signed up for those days :) We weren't going to let our night end in gloomy moods though, so we turned on our playlist while we got ready for bed :) somehow, good music always makes us feel better! Also prayer :)

We went to the farm again on Thursday and helped with the chickens! That lasted until the late afternoon and we were exhausted! So guess what we did? Took a nap :) because we could, and we deserved it. For dinner a member bought us Panera Bread, so that was nice! 

We called a ton of investigators and less actives and a lot of them positively responded! :) later in the evening we had a meeting with the ward missionaries. Not a super eventful evening, but still pretty productive :) 

Friday was busy! 

We had a leadership meeting with our zone and finished making plans for the zone finding day on Saturday! Then we made oatmeal cookies because we were in charge of desert :) afterwards we went to Centreville to have lunch with a former sister in the mission! She trained sister Donato, and she is engaged, so we met her fiancé and talked with them for a while :) when we got home we started weekly planning. 

Soon it was time to go to dinner with members who live right next door to Ph! The guy who was super stand-offish and we made cookies for a couple weeks ago... Anyway, we went to see him! It's cool to see the transformation just in the past couple visits! We are friends now :) we talked about fasting and why we do it. At this point we are only planting seeds and helping soften his heart for a time that he will be prepared to fully accept the gospel :) and we are happy to help :)

Okay. 

Now for the really exciting part of my week.

The Finding Fury. 

Sweet name, right? ;) 

Our whole zone (38 missionaries) got together at 11am to bear testimony, and split off into new companionships for a couple hours. Each companionship went to an area throughout the zone, but one of the companions stayed in their area all afternoon. I stayed in Gainesville with sister Walton for a couple hours, and then hermana mugleston came for a couple hours until we all went to the church to eat dinner with the zone. After that we went to areas within our districts and switched companions around within the district until it was time to go home. It was so much fun! :) it happened to be the hottest day of the year, and hardly any doors opened. We faced a good amount of rejection, but in all we got 10 return appointments and a couple solid potentials! Basically we all just tracted for 9 hours straight (minus dinner time). It was a blast :) 

I was pretty humbled and content the whole day :) Before the finding started though, during my studies in the morning I came across a quote that ended up running through my mind throughout the day; 

"Most things in life are neither important or urgent; Sharing the gospel message is both". 

It's so true. With that in mind throughout the day, knocking on doors became exciting and rejection didn't phase me because I was doing what I knew I was supposed to do. It was almost like a game :) when one door didn't open, or when someone declined the invitation to learn more, I knew we hadn't found the elect yet. It was like a scavenger hunt for the elect :) haha when you think of it that way, tracting isn't such a drag :) It was a great experience! Also, sister Donato and I have never slept better than we did that night. Ever. :) 

At church on Sunday we had 3 investigators there and a handful of less actives! We heavily focused on the sabbath day and how to keep it holy. We talked about preparing ourselves at home before even leaving for church, and ways we could keep it a spiritual day. I'm grateful to have a day set aside for the purpose of resting! For the purpose of growing closer to the savior, taking a break from the world, and doing good :) I remember going to my grandmas home on Sunday's to visit her as a family because we hardly had time on any other day of the week. Those memories are precious to me :) I'm so thankful for family; eternal families at that! 

While tracting on Saturday, I found myself bearing testimony often, right away, of the priesthood power restored to the earth, enabling families to be sealed together for time and all eternity. I make sure everyone knows that the truth has been restored whenever we talk to them! that's our job isn't it?? As missionaries and members of the church, to spread the RESTORED gospel?? :) 

I love being a missionary. Even when we have slow, hard weeks like this one :) Thank you for your love, support, and prayers. They make a huge difference :) 

Today we are spending time with the zone at President Huntsman's house, so that's why I'm emailing early this morning :) Have a wonderful week! 

Be safe. Be smart. Be happy :)

Love,
Sister Kailey

Exchanges and Chickens

Hey Hey Everyone :) 

How goes it? I hope you had a great first week of school!! I am in awe that summer is already over. Where is time going?! 

Monday
Sister Donato and I had a pretty good week! After Pday came to an end, we spent our evening at dinner with a member and then we had FHE (Family Home Evening) with a less active and her daughters (who are investigators) at our bishop's home. 

While we were at dinner with the Hansen family, I learned that we have a ton in common! The parents names are Chad and Kathi, they have a daughter named Evelyn (but she goes by Evie) and a daughter named Kailey (just not spelled that way). It was super funny! Great family :) 

Family home evening at the bishop's was great! We taught the 10 commandments, as well as a couple other commandments, and the bishop took over for a game and treats. At first you could tell that nobody really knew each other, and the family that we teach is really shy, but once the ice broke it was awesome! :) I am so thankful for members of the ward (in this case, the bishop) who genuinely reach out and develop friendships with people at church. Nobody is a stranger in the church; you will always have a friend, and you will always be aware of because that's what we do! :)
When that was over, we checked on a few people and went home.

Tuesday was busy! 

After studies we went to get our car washed/vacuumed for zone conference the following day, and baked cookies to give away to a few people. 

One of them being P! The inactive who we visited last week, who was stand-offish for a bit, but then became our friend :) He has his own business working with those inflatable jump house things for parties. He owns a ton, and every day he has to clean X amount of them, so when we pulled up to deliver cookies, that's what he was doing. He was super excited! I really think the poor guy just needs friends. He isn't from Virginia, and he doesn't get out.... Ever... so he is always pretty bored. So whenever we hear of an activity, we shoot him a text to let him know :) we had a good conversation! He gave us some things to take to the D.I. 

And then we went to dinner with a part member family! This is the family that just got their son's mission call right before we knocked on the door last week :) guess where he is going?? The Philippines! Where my companion is from! So guess who is going to help him learn the language?? My companion! Cool, huh? :) we played a game with the restoration after dinner and it was awesome! To show C, the soon to be missionary, how easy teaching the gospel is, we would give a topic such as, "God is our loving Heavenly Father", or, "Prophets", or, "the Book of Mormon", etc. and slid a water bottle across the table. Whoever had it would say something they know about that topic. It was fun because the dad isn't a member, but has had the lessons a lot :) They also had a non member friend over, so it was fun to hear some of the things they came up with :) 

When we came home we prepared for a lesson we were asked to teach at zone conference. Our given topic was on member present lessons.

So we woke up early Wednesday morning and drove to zone conference! 

This is where our whole zone meets with President Huntsman and his wife for about 4ish hours. We receive some training from both President and Sister Huntsman, the A.P's, the zone leaders, the sister training leaders (us), and a couple senior missionaries :) each for about 15-25 minutes. 

it's a revelatory experience every time, but for some reason it was the best zone conference I've ever been to! And it wasn't because we presented ;) the spirit was just super strong the whole day, and it was obvious that everyone else felt it, too! I am so thankful for my zone! Being surrounded by such wonderful missionaries is truly a blessing :) I was also able to get to know the sisters that I have stewardship over a lot better! So that was nice! 

We came home and had studies when that was over, and then went to the women's shelter to help organize again! First she gave us a project to move food storage into a different area, but the place where she wanted it was chaos! So I asked if we could organize and fix that first. She loves us :) haha it was super fun though! and now we will be able to do what she originally asked us to do, so much easier! Thank you, mother, for teaching me how to be tidy :) 

As soon as that was over we headed straight to Centreville because guess who we had dinner with?? C!! :)) she is moving to Texas next week, and Centreville just happens to be within my zone boundaries, so we were able to see her :) it was so great! We had a really good discussion on testimonies and how to develop them. She's a rock star :) the spirit speaks to her in the coolest, most clear ways! Im excited for her and her husband to be sealed next year :)

On Thursday we went to a FARM!! :) 

It was SO fun! I held a chicken :) They're actually quite cuddly once you catch one ;) 

We went with some sisters that live below us because we were going to exchange right after! There is a sister in our ward who owns over 100 acres of farm land, and she has a massive project that our zone is going to help with in a couple weeks, but on Thursday we just helped collect and store the eggs from the chicken coops, feed the chickens, and clean up around the farm. We had a blast :) 

Afterwards we went and had lunch at our members home, and then went home to take a nap because we were wiped! When we woke up we exchanged :) I went to a different area with sister Orr, while sister Palmer went to gainesville with sister Donato. It was awesome! We went to the women's shelter to help there; apparently the lady we organized for has bragged about our organization skills, so the other women working there already have a list of projects for us :) then we went to dinner at Chili's with a member. When we walked outside it started POURING. We haven't had a thunder storm for a long time, so it was fun :) Our evening finished off with one of the most memorable moments of my mission. 

**There is a family that has been less active for 10 years, and had to move across the country for the fathers job. When they got here, they found the bishops number and asked for help to move in! I guess that started their journey back to the gospel because now they have an 8 year old preparing for baptism in a couple weeks :) it was a beautifully humbling experience! We taught about prophets, and how Heavenly Father doesn't leave us alone. The dad- a big, burly guy- just wept, and wept, and wept because of the spirit. He mentioned multiple times that every time the sisters come, the spirit is so overwhelming :) Sister Orr asked them to bear their testimonies, and throughout the lesson, the wife seemed to dodge the questions we asked her. She would say, "dad said it all", or "he said what I was going to say". I asked if she had a testimony of any small part of the gospel such as prayer, scripture reading, the Holy Ghost, etc. and she started to cry out of sorrow. She shook her head and said, "I don't. I don't have a testimony. It's been so long". What a tender mercy and such a humbling experience it is to be a tool in the lords hands, to help others develop that testimony! On our way out the door they said, "We feel like we have known you our whole lives!" And I had only met them an hour before :) Charity is REAL! Heavenly Father's love is REAL! The spirit is REAL! I am so grateful for this gospel :) 

While working with sister Orr, I was able to help her with struggles she is facing as a trainer. It's nice because I was just in her shoes! Although, I'm pretty sure sister jones came pre-trained so I didn't have a rough time :) nonetheless, I was able to share some thoughts and ideas and experiences that helped her. I also helped her figure out how to work with her ward members better! Apparently they don't go out with the sisters, they aren't very fond of having the missionaries in their home to share a message, etc. This drives me nuts. Absolutely nuts! I don't know the reasoning behind why this ward is being weird, but I do know that having the missionaries in your home is a blessing! Not just to feed them, but have them over to help strengthen your testimony/conversion. Without food! So what if you know everything! (You don't) let them in. Work with them. It's a team effort, people! I may or may not feel very passionate about this topic ;) I could write a novel about members and missionaries, but I'll stop now before I get carried away :) Bottom line, I hope with every ounce of my being that you have missionaries in your home, sharing messages with you and your family. I hope you're offering to go to lessons or check on people with them, I hope you make time if they want to get to know you better, and I hope you're showing them your love and appreciation for them. Missions are hard! Remind them how awesome they are when you get a chance :) okay. Rant over, I promise!

We exchanged back Friday morning so that sister Donato and I could go to our weekly zone leadership meeting. It was awesome! We are planning a zone "Finding Fury" where the entire zone will get together at noon, explain the outline of what's happening to everyone, and then get together with a companion that's not your own and go tracting/street contacting for 2 1/2 hours. Then switch with a different companion, and do the same thing for another 2 1/2 hours. We will all meet together for dinner and bear testimonies/share miracles before we split up again and continue that pattern for the rest of the night. This is going to be on the 29th, and we are super excited :) it will be a spiritual, motivating adventure :) We planned other events as well. Our zone leadership rocks! Our meetings are timely, effective, productive, and focused. Not to mention super fun :) 

Sister Donato had to go to lunch with a recent convert of hers from another area, and she took sister Orr with her to meet his parents (non members who happen to be in sister Orr's ward boundaries). I feel like that sounded like we are setting sister Orr up with a recent convert... No. haha we wanted her to meet them to start teaching them if they're interested :) while they did that, sister Palmer stayed with me for lunch! It was like another mini exchange :) she has only been out for 2 weeks now and it was SO cool to see her in this phase of the mission. The phase where you're still stuck in your ways, but trying to change, but it's hard, but you want to be your best self... the adjustment is a process :) I remember being there! A year ago! I remember facing the same challenges that she is facing, and not knowing how to find a balance between normal life and missionary life. I loved being able to talk with her and help her find comfort/peace/reassurance that in time she will figure it out :) it was so great! I love being a sister training leader! :) 

We ended up falling asleep until the sisters came back. Then sister Donato and I did some weekly planning before we went to dinner with a member. Our evening was spent checking on people with an 18 year old sister in our ward. We had a couple lessons and then went to a less active's home for a lesson! Her son is not baptized and turning 9 next week. He is preparing for baptism though, so we are teaching them :) we taught the restoration and he knew a lot! We also gave him a picture Book of Mormon and they loved it! Have you ever seen those?? They're GENIUS!! Whoever came up with that idea deserves a pat on the back; even our adult investigators love it because it helps them understand the Book of Mormon better :) 

The sky was extremely clear that night! Sister Donato and I like to stand still and look up for a good 5 minutes when they sky is like that :) The stars and the moon were gorgeous!! it's not my Idaho sky, but it's better than it was in the city :) speaking of the stars and the moon, when the 8 year old said the closing prayer he thanked Heavenly Father for literally everything. The good bugs, the bad bugs, food and shelter, water... and then we heard him whisper to his mom, "Did he give us the moon?" :) He proceeded to thank Heavenly Father for all of the planets, the moon, sun, and stars :) it was a sweet prayer and reminded me to be grateful for the little things :)

We had our usual Saturday breakfast at our Bishop's house for correlation with him. Pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes :) It was good to update him on our week, and see who he wanted us to check on. The rest of the afternoon was spent weekly planning, and then we went to a recent converts home for dinner! We were stuffed! :) 

Afterwards we met a member at the church and went to see F, an investigator. He's an old guy from Ghana :) we taught the restoration (again; he was taught it once and the sisters gave him a Book of Mormon) to refresh his memory. He said he had been reading the Book of Mormon so we asked him to show us where he was. He's half way through Alma! He loves that book! :) we invited him to be baptized once he knew these things were true, but we didn't give him a day because we want to make sure he really understands what we are talking about before he makes that commitment. He's great :) 

Then sister Donato and I went to check on a less active who is the only member in her family, her dad answered the door and said she was at work, so we taught him the restoration and invited him to read the Book of Mormon. He mentioned that he could only read Spanish; good thing the book comes in a billion different languages! ;) he was pretty welcoming to the idea of us coming back to teach him! So we have a return appointment for tonight :)

Church on Sunday was good. 

We only had one investigator there. What?? We don't know what happened, but we have appointments with all of them this week so we will see :) in second hour we taught 13-14 yr. olds about eternal families and how we use that while teaching people we meet. The rest of the day was good! We had dinner with a member family and learned a lot about the FBI because the dad is an agent; it was pretty cool :) we also learned that sister Donato might be allergic to gluten because she keeps breaking out in hives after she eats, so we are keeping a food log and avoiding gluten starting today to see if that's what it is. If she is allergic to gluten, Heavenly Father is seriously answering my prayers! We already cut sugar out of our diet, and now gluten! My body is on its way to healthy again :) I feel good! 

After dinner we went to take a thank you card and cookies to a member in the ward who does a lot for us, but no answer. On the way to the car we stopped to talk to a man who had just finished doing yard work all day :) as we began, I felt impressed to talk about how the gospel blesses families, including the fact that they can be together forever, and he loved it! He said he wants to talk to his wife about it because they discuss everything together and he'd give us a call :) we got his number, too, and we will stop by again this week. It was awesome :) you could really see that he really wanted that for his family! 

As we continued to let the spirit lead us to where we needed to be, we ended up at a less active's home and were warmly welcomed inside :) we got to know her, found out her husband isn't a member, and shared a message. We have a return appointment for later in the week :)

I'm so grateful for the gospel! I know with my whole being that it's true :)

Today we are going to the Holocaust Museum with sisters that live in our building :) we are so excited! It'll be sad, but it will be good :) I promise to take lots of pictures! 

Have such a wonderful week!! Make good choices. Ponder on your priorities. Be happy :)


Sister Chandler


Pictures:
.dinner with cynthia!! :) 

Incredible

Friends, Family, Strangers... Hello! :)

Have I ever mentioned how amazing it is to serve a mission?? 

My heart is LOADED with gratitude for the work and this experience in total :) Sister Donato and I are working our tails off, seeing a lot of less actives and part member families, as well as our investigators. I thought training was exhausting, but being a Sister Training Leader is even more so! But it's a good exhaustion and I don't ever want it to end :) 

Monday was Pday, and quite relaxing! 

• We took a 2 hour nap because the late night baseball game was still taking a toll on our bodies. Much needed! :) 
• we had a member come out with us to check on some people; we ran into a couple investigators whom the sisters haven't seen in a while, and made appointments with them for later in the week. 
• THEN, we ended the night with a part-member family. Ready for the coolest story ever? 

Two seconds before we knocked on the door, the father of the home had just gotten the mail. By the time we got up to the door to knock, it flew open and a big envelope was launched into our faces as a giddy parent exclaimed, "Is this what it looks like?!" The oldest son of the family was currently out of state, but his mission call had arrived! The dad isn't a member, so he asked us tons of questions regarding a mission. We were able to testify of the blessings that come to both the missionary, and the missionary's family while one is in the field. It was... adorable, really :) to see the countless number of emotions run through these parents. It's a big deal for them! They don't really come to church a whole lot, so it was super fun to witness and experience with them :) They invited us over for dinner this coming week :)

Tuesday morning we went to MLC (Mission Leadership Conference). 

• It's a conference held once or twice a transfer with president huntsman and the leadership of the mission; zone leaders, district leaders, and sister training leaders. We spent a good amount of time discussing changes to be made regarding transfer meeting, and even the length of a transfer. Currently a transfer is 6 weeks long, but President Huntsman opened discussion on the topic because his handbook mentions having 6-8 month transfers. Eek! We made a good chunk of changes for transfer meetings, but the length of a transfer is still 6 weeks as of right now. It will probably change. 
• After lunch we received some spiritual, enlightening edification and the spirit was so strong. Later in the day we taught English to a woman who escaped Isis!! Yeah. Super cool. She showed us scars from her escape. We love her :) for exercise every day, she does the hula-hoop :) 
• We also visited with a sister in our ward who lives with her inactive daughter and her family. We shared a message and were invited over for dinner with all of them this coming week. 
• When we were walking to our car, we stopped a guy who was in the middle of an evening run. I felt a little bad, because I personally hate when I have to completely stop in the middle of my momentum, but at the same time I didn't feel bad because the gospel provides lasting happiness while running is only temporary happiness ;) While testifying of modern day prophets, a couple members of our ward happened to be walking their dog right by us! So they stopped, bore testimony as well, and kept on walking. How stinking cool is that?? Heavenly fathers hand is in ALL things :) 

Wednesday was jam packed!

• We had district meeting,
• and then after lunch we went to help a less active move out of his house. 
• When we were done there, we went to a women's shelter where we volunteer weekly. The project they had for us was to organize a closet full of school supplies! It wasn't until that moment that I realized how much I truly am my mothers daughter; I found an immense amount of satisfaction and joy in organizing! It was therapeutic! :) 
• when we finished it was time for dinner. The day just flew by! Our evening was packed full of lessons with recent converts, less actives, and members. The spirit was so strong in each lesson, and it was amazing to hear the testimonies of the individuals that we met with. 

Each time I teach, I learn that much more and I can literally feel my testimony being strengthened :) 

Thursday morning we went to a meeting with our zone leaders and district leaders to plan some major events taking place this transfer. 

• Our zone leaders are stellar! I love working with them because they are on their A-game, always trying to be creative and productive, and their focus is on unifying the members and missionaries. We talked about how we can help members strengthen their conversion and testimonies of the Atonement, because it's at that moment that the gospel becomes something one strongly desires to share. We have a lot of fun things planned and I'm excited to write about them when they draw closer :) 
• We had a couple lessons in the afternoon, and taught English to our middle eastern friend again :) we will call her A :) 
• Our bishop gave us a couple people to check on, so we started with P! He didn't answer the door until after the second time we knocked, and when he did open it he didn't seem super happy. We told him we were new to the ward and our intention was simply to become better acquainted with the members. He was definitely closed off and hard hearted for the first 5 minutes, but eventually he softened up. So much so that he decided to step outside to sit on the porch and talk to us! But before that, he pulled a gun out of his backside and set it on the table inside. Apparently he doesn't get many visitors, so when we knocked twice he got suspicious. His interest in the church is nonexistent; he doesn't want anything to do with God or church, but he is so bored most of the time so he enjoys going to social events that the church puts together. We are going to make him cookies and bring them over tomorrow. He needs friends. And God :) 
• After meeting P, we went to a lesson with a less active and her children who are all over the age of 8 and not baptized yet! One of the daughters is 13 and asked the sisters when she could be baptized; we are waiting for the mothers approval :) so we taught the gospel of Jesus Christ! We had the relief society president with us, and the spirit touched all who were present. This family is coming back into activity, and it's so neat to see the blessings they encounter as they do so :) please keep J and her family in your prayers! They are progressing and hopefully we will be able to assist her daughter to the waters of baptism soon! 

Usually Friday's are pretty relaxed because it's weekly planning, 

• So we stay home all afternoon in our most comfy dresses and sit on the couch while we plan the up coming week! However, this Friday was not so relaxing. We were going going going from lesson to lesson with members and less active members, so by the time we got home to breath, we had about an hour and a half to plan. Which is totally fine! :) 
• After dinner we checked on some referrals and then had a lesson with our investigator, C. We had the lesson in a member's home, and it went SO great! C mentioned again that he can't stop thinking about our discussions, and he knows the spirit keeps strongly prompting him to continue to meet with us. He still thinks it's because he needs to convert us, but we are getting there :) Sister Donato taught a brother in another area who had the same motives, but eventually softened up and found the truth for himself! He was baptized and is now the strongest member of that ward, so, there is hope :) 
• Anyway, we answered a ton of questions that he had about the Book of Mormon and baptism. He said he finds a lot of red flags while reading the Book of Mormon because they contradict what he understands to be true from the bible. He apologized for asking so many questions, but we explained that the gospel is designed for us to question! 

Questioning is a GOOD thing because Heavenly Father wants us to truly seek Him out! He wants us to FIND the truth, and that comes from asking questions :) 

• Lessons with Craig are my favorite. They are challenging because I'm not a scholar in history, and I don't know the exact everything about the gospel, but I learn SO much from our discussions. My testimony is strengthened every time we meet, and it's never a contentious environment. Both parties are respectful and try to understand one another's point of view, which makes for a wonderful learning environment! :) he keeps all of his commitments, so he is progressing :) I truly have a gigantic amount of charity for that guy. That's just something I've been blessed with on my mission; an immediate genuine love for people we simply say, "Hello" to. 

Saturday morning we went to our Bishops house for the weekly breakfast and correlation with him! 

• His wife makes a big breakfast; this week it was French toast with fresh, orchard picked peaches :)
• when we finished updating him on the work, we went home to study and weekly plan! I am so grateful for my companion! I have been incredibly blessed with each and every one of my companions. I was pondering that thought earlier in the week and came to this realization: on my mission I have recognized my weaknesses. We all do. But I have been praying for help to develop the Christ like attributes that I lack, and I notice that in every single one of my companionships so far, my companion possesses every quality that I lack. In turn, I recognize that I possess every quality that she (all of my companions) lack. Throughout my entire mission thus far, Heavenly Father has stuck someone with me who balances me out, and teaches me by example how to develop the qualities that I so badly desire to cultivate. Heavenly Father is so smart ;) It's taken me 11 months plus to figure out how to develop those qualities, but hey, some of us are slow learners and we do have eternity to master them ;) 
• For dinner a recent convert took us out to a restaurant called BJ's. It's a lot like T.G.I Friday's and Texas Road house; yummmm :) this sister who took us has a very small testimony of the Book of Mormon, and she doesn't agree with a few principles taught in the gospel, but she holds on to what she does know which is what matters most :) this is the same sister who lost her dog last week, so she is slightly depressed :/ we are going to see her again this coming week :) The rest of our evening was spent checking on referrals. It was successful in that we did everything we could/were supposed to do. 

On Sunday morning the YSA committee had a breakfast that we went to so we could get to know the YSA in our ward. There are like... 3 :) haha but it was fun! 

• Then we went to church and it was so good! When we walked into the chapel I saw the father of a family who I ADORED in centreville, my first area. He shook sister Donato's hand and looked for my name on my name tag without even looking up at my face! My hair was covering it though, so while shaking my hand and searching for my name, he looked up with a big surprise on his face and I just bursted inside with so much joy! I love love love his family. We talked for a bit and caught up. I met them almost a year ago! It's crazy how time flies. 
• We had 2 investigators at church and 3 less actives! It was so great! :) 
• We had dinner with 2 member families in one home, and didn't get out of there for a while because there was so much going on. Even while sharing our message, people (including the adults) were talking over us. Super weird and disrespectful. We left as soon as we could and checked on a couple people before we went home. 
• Just as we were climbing in bed, we received a text from our bishop saying he invited a less active/part member family to his home for FHE tonight and asked us to come share a message for the lesson portion! What a rock star :) 2 members of that family are our investigators :) 

Something I've been learning recently is living in the moment. On a mission it is inevitably easy to reflect back to your past, or day dream ahead into your possible future. Sister Donato only has a couple months left on her mission, and one of her goals is to truly live in the moment. As her companion it's my job to help her in any way that I can to accomplish that goal! So I've been trying to do that as well, and not talk about anything back home or anything in the possible future. It's helped me see the joy that I do have right now, and I appreciate every small moment of every day so much more. Duh, right? :) I've developed a testimony of the importance of living in the moment; if you find that you reflect or day dream of future possibilities a lot more often than you live in the moment, you should try it some time :) 

Thank you so much for the emails, letters, pictures, and prayers. I am full of gratitude for, well, everything :) have a superb week! 

Oh, one other thing that I find super amusing: my companion's first name is legitimately, "Princess". I guess it's a common name in the Philippines, like the name, "Sara" is common in America! 

Remember who you are. Remember why you're here. Stay classy. Love you :) 

Sister Chandler

Ps. I have a solid ZERO pictures from this week. We didn't take any because we were so stinking busy! Maybe next week :) sorry, mom :/

Change is Good

Friends and Family,

Last day with Jonesy

I can't even begin to express my feelings of everything that took place this week. It was insane, humbling, and exciting all at the same time :) 

Monday was wonderful!! 

• We borrowed some bikes from the elders and rode 5 miles to DC. When we got there, we ran into some sisters that we knew super well from our mission, so we had lunch with them :) After riding around and taking lots of pictures, we rode home to get groceries and email. The weather was perfect! It was so much fun!! We were crazy sore for a couple days, but it was worth it :) 
• For dinner we ate with Lynn, the old lady we visit every once in a while. She is so funny :) I am baffled at how much knowledge that woman retains! We learn SO much every time we see her. I love it :) then we went to grab a member and visit a less active with cupcakes! She wasn't available, but her mother was. She started talking about how she wants to come to church and be baptized, and take the lessons. 

....what.
Okay.
No big deal.
I think we can do that ;)

• While driving home, the spirit brought to my remembrance a phrase that was said in my blessing when I was set apart to be a missionary. It said something about not seeking to council right away, but to really listen before I just speak/teach. It was so incredibly random, and with 2 days left in the transfer I wondered why on earth I would be remembering it right then. Why wouldn't I have remembered that when I started training? My next thought was, "because clearly I didn't need to be reminded earlier". 
• After we got home and started to get ready for bed, the thought, "You could get a call to be an STL tonight" came to mind. {An STL stands for a Sister Training Leader. It's similar to a zone leader, but for sisters } 

Not long after, the phone rang. It was president Huntsman. He said something along the lines of,

"Sister Chandler, I have been staring at this transfer board for quite some time now trying to figure out who needs to go where and what they need to do. I'm calling because the Lord has asked that you be a Sister Training Leader. What do you think about that?"

In just a millisecond a trillion things ran through my mind. What do I think about that??

I think Heavenly Father trusts me more than I trust myself. I think Heavenly Father sees more in me than I see in myself.

"I would love to!" Was my humble response.

Humbled is the best word to describe how I felt. This is going to be a kick in the behind; I'm going to have to really step it up, but I am extremely excited for the growth that it will bring!! I will get to go on exchanges with sisters that I have stewardship over every week, and train them on whatever president huntsman trains us on. I will be able to help them with any concerns/struggles they may have, and I'm expected to set a prime example. I am sincerely grateful for this opportunity :)

Tuesday was jam packed! 

• District meeting was good; since our district leader went home this week, he wanted to do a lot of reflecting and talk about things we have learned on our missions so far. It was neat because nobody said the same thing twice! 

My eyes were opened to see how much it truly changes not only myself, but everyone else who has this experience. Only when we let the spirit work in us, and humble ourselves do we actually experience this change, though. It's hard because our natural man is so stubborn! We are naturally selfish and change isn't something that the natural man is willing to accept, but when we submit our will to Heavenly Father's, we become our best self; our real self. It's doable :) 

• After the meeting we all brought ingredients for a big taco salad party for lunch! It was delish! 
• Then we went to see a few members and say goodbye before we went to dinner with a member. We had the coolest conversation! 

In the scriptures we learn that this life is a time to prepare to meet God (Alma 12:24). 

So what are you doing to prepare to meet God? 

When we die and stand before God to be judged according to our hearts and our works, will we be able to say that we feel like we did a pretty solid job preparing for that moment? 

I was the laziest bum that ever did live before my mission! I remember at one point my sweet mother getting frustrated with me for not trying to cultivate any talents, or progress in any way, shape, or form. She expressed her desire for me to go learn and do something productive because I had so much time that I was wasting! I didn't really care. 

Now, on the other hand, I hope I never fall into that lazy bum trap ever again! Repentance is real :) I just thought it was such a great question to really ponder; "If part of the purpose of this life is to prepare to meet God, then what am I doing to prepare to meet Him?".

On Wednesday I just packed all afternoon and deep cleaned the apartment. 

• In the evening we saw A and T. A was sick a couple weeks ago but she is doing better now, AND she got both of us going away gifts. Even though I'm the only one who was leaving :P She bought us both shirts from Hollister! Super cute ones I might add. She is so kind. I will have to go back when she decides she is ready to be baptized :) 
• T is in a deep rut and wasn't really open to any spiritual help that night, but it was good to see her and bear my testimony of Gods love for her. 
• The next day was transfers! It was a little different, seeing as how we have a new mission president, but it was still pretty normal. I traveled to Gainesville to be companions with Sister Donato, who is from the Philippines, and serve as sister training leaders together. She is 21, has 3 months of her mission left, and we are so similar!! I seriously love this sister and I am so excited to work alongside her :) 
• I'm back in a family ward! The reputation for the area is that missionaries GAIN weight in GAINesville. I am determined to LOSE weight in Gainesville :) 

Oh my gosh.

Guess how good Heavenly Father is to me?
I went to the gym and found a DANCE STUDIO. Heaven?? Paradise. I'm in love. I couldn't be happier :)

• Anyway, in the evening after transfers, I unpacked for a little bit and got to know Sister Donato a little better. 

Then it was time for dinner with the Lamb family :) it's weird to see little kids again! I really haven't been around kids under the age of 17 at all for the past 6 months. But I love it! :) 

we shared a message and headed over to visit the Carrot family! This was amazing. Brother and sister Carrot are converts to the church and are incredibly consecrated. Brother Carrot has a cupboard full of copies of the Book of Mormon in every single language. 

And then... He showed us the coolest thing I've ever seen. I'm not exaggerating I promise :) He had a golden copy of the Book of Mormon that has the hieroglyphics that Joseph Smith translated from, on the front cover. The actual ancient Egyptian language that the Book of Mormon was written in was right in front of my eyes! It was SO cool to see what Joseph smith saw :) Brother Carrot rocks my socks :)

• To finish off the night, we went to check on a new investigator who the sisters have had trouble getting in touch with. She opened right up and we shared the restoration on the doorstep! We gave her a Book of Mormon, and as we were scheduling a time to go see her again, I felt prompted to ask that if she had one question she could ask God, what would she ask? After a thoughtful pause, she asked me what I would ask Him! That question stumped all of us :) haha we agreed to think on it and discuss it when we see her again :) 

What would you ask God if you could ask one question?

As we went from house to house, meeting a handful of different people, I was blessed to feel an immediate genuine love for every single person. I don't even really know them yet! But I felt so much love for them and I know that's only a taste of what Heavenly Father feels for all of us :)

On Friday morning we went to a meeting with the district and zone leaders 

• to discuss transfer visions/goals/activities/meetings. It was so spiritually edifying and we came up with some really good ideas! 
• After lunch we began weekly planning. Sister Donato told me more about the people we teach, and members in the ward. We set awesome goals for the transfer and have both made a firm decision not to eat sweets until September 14th, because that's my birthday and I will want ice cream ;) SO that being said, if anyone feels the desire to send me a package this transfer, please do not include anything that could go in the "junk food" category. I think this will help my stomach issues, too. 
• After dinner we went to an investigators home to bake cookies to give away! She didn't have all the ingredients though, and we were limited on time, so we postponed it for Sunday. 
• Our next lesson was with C, a southern baptist who felt strongly prompted to let the sisters in. After talking with him, we realized that he feels the need to plant the seed in our hearts and help us see the truth. Ah. My heart breaks when this happens. He does have a lot of good questions though, and he's been softening up according to sister Donato, so we will see how the next lesson goes! 
• Right before we went home we decided to check on a less active and her son. She invited us in and we really got to know her! She has the strongest testimony and such an awesome conversion story, but she's been working every Sunday for the past year, and her son is almost 9, so she wants us to teach him the lessons before baptism. She said she is usually never home and it was divine intervention that we caught her home and at a good time :) Heavenly Father is so good to us! 

The Nationals Game was on Saturday, and our whole mission went! 

• But before that we finished weekly planning and rearranged our apartment :) we left at 4 and the game started at 7; we got there just in time! I saw so many missionaries that I love! Sister Lewis, Sister Jones, even people from the YSA ward I just got out of came up to me and said hello :) I miss those people! We didn't get home until about 12:30, and weren't in bed until 1! I haven't done that forever!! We got permission to sleep in until 7 though, so that was nice :) 

Sunday morning was so fun! 

• After ward council we went to church with C! I felt like I was at a concert, and I actually knew some of the songs they sang because I listened to the christian radio station quite often back home! So it was fun to be able to sing along :) it was a very different experience from what I'm used to, but we enjoyed ourselves :) later in the day, C came to church with us for ALL 3 hours! Trooper. He enjoyed it! :) 
• Every second of the day I felt like I was going to fall asleep; my body and my mind were exhausted from going to bed so late, but somehow Heavenly Father got me through it :) 
• Before we went to dinner we visited a sister named C. She is probably the most beautiful human being inside and out. She is spiritually starving! 
• we had dinner with a member family who lives in an RV :) that was fun! :) 
• To finish off the night we went to see a recent convert, B, who just lost her dog :( she had to put him down and that dog was her baby. We shared a message and she signed up to feed us dinner this coming week :) 

There have been so many tender mercies in the last 5 days than I could ever imagine happening. Our days have been jam packed, investigators hearts are softening, people the sisters haven't been able to see for 3-4 months have been so easily available, there is a dance studio in my apartment building that's completely empty in the mornings when we are down there, another set of sisters live right below us so it's like I have roommates again because we see them so often, my bed is the most comfortable bed I've ever had on my mission, my apartment is like the celestial kingdom compared to the Aspen, and I have a companion who is extremely helpful/supportive of my goals, both physically and spiritually, and wants to work super hard because she leaves so soon. 

Could it get any better?? :) 

we are dynamite together! The lord is the 3rd companion in our companionship and we turn to Him for every decision; big or small. I am so grateful for all of my many many many blessings :) my heart is full :)


I hope you have a wonderful week!! :) stay safe. Make good choices. The gospel is true :)
Sister Chandler

I learned to hem my dress!

Service, miracles, and bliss

Hello Hello!! :)

Good morning! :) I hope you had a wonderful week! Mine was pretty wonderfully amazing :)

Nothing super special happened on Monday; 

just the usual zone BBQ/volleyball game in the afternoon. 

Tuesday, however, was so good!

• After studies we went to the post office to grab a big box (that I could throw my winter things in) to send home. I'm pretty sure I'll have too much to pack for transfers, so sending things home for a bit will be MUCH helpful! 

This is how the box arrived at home. Unbelievable!
It looks like the UPS truck ran over it.

• After lunch Sister Jones and I went to a homeless shelter to see what we could do to help! We called beforehand and were told they needed help in the garden that they have! So we threw on some grubs and pulled weeds/watered the garden all afternoon! That place was L O A D E D with weeds! I couldn't help but think about the parable of the wheat and tares :) we didn't get them all, but we cleaned up over half of the garden, and it was looking good! Mosquitos were everywhere and I was sure I would have a million mosquito bites later, but I walked away with one! How?! I don't even know. Heavenly Father has my back ;) There was a lady there who has a green thumb, and gave us a lesson on male and female tomatoes! Did you know there was such thing?? We didn't! 
• Afterwards we definitely went home to shower and get ready to go out with a member! Traffic was super bad! It's amazing what rain does to the traffic over here; nobody knows how to drive in it. 
• So we checked on two people before we went to institute with A! :) guess who else was there?! C! Our inactive atheist friend :) During the class, we studied a talk by President Uchtdorf entitled, "On Being Genuine". There was one particular paragraph that stood out to me more than anything. The spirit was overwhelming when I read it, and when the teacher asked for thoughts/comments, C shot his hand up!? The paragraph talked about how if the Savior sat down with us, he wouldn't focus on our statistics or programs, but more-so the condition of our hearts. He would, "want to know how we love and minister to those in our care". When C shared his thoughts, he explained his situation; a former member of the church who is now atheist and hasn't stepped foot into a church building since he was 14, and mentioned how when he left the church, nobody in his ward seemed to notice. Nobody reached out, no one seemed to care. Then when he came here and met us, along with everyone in both our ward and the other sister's ward, he felt welcomed/accepted/cared about. He said it makes a huge difference; the way we genuinely care. I loved that! He is so right! It makes a massive difference!! Whether we know it or not. Whether we see it or not! It's so incredibly important to be genuine with everyone around us. That whole talk was so good! We also learned that C is praying and is in the book of alma in the Book of Mormon. I didn't even know he was reading it!? God is so good :) 

Wednesday and Thursday 

• were supposed to be the most humid days of the year, but they weren't bad at all! we have been super lucky thus far when it comes to humidity; I feel like this summer has been beautiful! #blessing :) 
• In the afternoon Sister Jones and I went to help at AFAC, the food bank over here in Arlington, and it was so fun! We organized all different sorts of breads and pastries. We didn't think we would be able to fit everything on the shelves, but somehow we did and it looked good! :) 
• Our evening was pretty uneventful. We checked on a lot of people, and while we did that we received a text from a member asking if we had a Portuguese Book of Mormon to give to her roommate! So we grabbed one from our zone leaders and headed over to her house. The roommate wasn't home, but her brother was! He spoke super little English and really didn't understand us at all. So he pulled out his phone, spoke Portuguese in it, and the phone translated in English out loud for us to understand what he was saying :) smart guy ;) hahah it was funny :)
• Eventually it was time to go home. We really hadn't talked to anyone, and I always feel unaccomplished when that happens. I was downloading my feelings and thoughts in a silent prayer to my Heavenly Father, when suddenly the phone rang! It was our district leaders who said, "We have 2 solid investigators for you. Both of them are seeking truth and are willing to do whatever we ask them to do in order for them to find out for themselves. Please don't say you have an appointment on Friday at 8...". Ah. We do! But that's the beauty of splits with members :) we decided since sister Jones will be here longer, she should go to that lesson, and I went to a different one with another investigator and a member. 

Heavenly Father sees our efforts. Not only missionary efforts, but YOUR efforts in whatever you're doing. Blessings... Even miracles... come, we just need to be diligent and patient :) So just because we haven't met anyone ourselves who is prepared for the gospel, we have been doing all we can do each and every day, and because of that Heavenly Father blesses us with prepared people that we can teach :) even if it happened through other missionaries. Answers to prayers come in all different kinds of ways :) He is always looking out for us.

• District meeting was on Thursday this week because our district leader had a departing meeting on Tuesday. It was so good! I loved district meeting this week; we played a game where we had random note cards with a situation and background. Whoever grabbed the card first was the investigator and the other person was the missionary. We had to act the whole situation out, but the teaching was all on the missionary. It was a fun practice teach :)
• Later in the afternoon, the sisters we live with came with us to an assisted living center where we painted old lady's nails! :) There was a sweet, younger lady from Brazil; I painted her nails :) she kept saying that she liked to shake her bum, but reassured me multiple times that she wasn't a prostitute, and then she said she was 28! Later in the conversation she mentioned that she was born in 1984, so this was our conversation :) 

Me: Wait, I thought you said you were 28? But you were born in 1984?
Her: ... How old am I?
Me: you're 31 :)
Her: I'm 31?! I'm old!
Me: that's not old! You're still young and beautiful :)
(Not even a full 60 seconds later)
Me: how old do you think is old?
Her: umm I don't know, but I'm not old. I'm 28!
Me: but we just figured out you're 31! :)
Her: oh yeah, I forgot. 31, 31, 31, 31... How am I going to remember that??

It was so cute :) haha I loved it :)

Dinner was at a members home and went so well! There were a few people from another ward there, too and we talked a lot about missionary work. I love the singles!! I'm secretly begging Heavenly Father to let me stay one more transfer :) Then we went to pick a member up to come out with us. After prayer and pondering, everyone we thought of to check on felt wrong. After driving around and listening to our sweet member download, it was clear that we needed to be with her that night :) it was good :)

Good ol' weekly planning happened on Friday! 

• We went to the church so we weren't stuck in the apartment all day. It was good! It went quick because we already had a ton planned, so that was nice :) Every companion I've had (except sister Lewis) for comp inventory on our last weekly planning, we write each other letters! I have LOVED this! It's so nice to go back on a hard day and read about how cool you actually are to someone else ;) haha seriously though! It helps! And I love love love complimenting/uplifting others, so writing a letter like that for someone else brings my soul an enormous amount of genuine joy :) 
• Anyway, later in the evening we went on splits with members! Sister Jones went to the lesson with a member to meet some new investigators; the elders are passing them to us, while I went to a different side of town to a lesson with another member and investigator! It was so fun! The lesson I taught went super well. Ch, whom we met with last week, had a rough week. We talked about how if he would have read from the Book of Mormon he would have had a better week, and we also talked about prayer! He feels like the majority of his prayers are never really answered, so he doesn't see the point in praying; therefore, he hasn't prayed in a long time. We invited him to pray and read 2 pages of the Book of Mormon before bed. He has a lot of questions! We explained that through prayer, the Book of Mormon, and meeting with us, he would find the answers. It was good :) 
• We didn't get home til like, 10:00... Whoops! And then when we started talking to the sisters we live with, we ended up climbing in bed around 11:50! I don't think I've ever gone to bed that late on my mission, and we woke up at 6. I decided the conversations we had needed to happen though; I mostly just listened, and Heavenly Father blessed me with the energy that I needed in the morning! I didn't even feel the lack of sleep affect me :) #blessingsagain

Saturday was an adventure! 

• Right after studies sister jones and I went through a list of members in our ward and she took notes on all of them from my memory :P 
• My stomach has been having some serious issues for the past month, so we called the mission doctor to see where to go to be tested for food allergies. She gave us a couple addresses, and so we went! The first place was 20 minutes away and when we got there, they said they didn't test for allergies. The second place was 10 minutes further and when we got there, they were closed. Lame! 
• So we drove to a lesson with T, but 10 minutes before we were supposed to meet with her she texted us saying she wasn't home because she forgot. Sweet. So then we see if D is home; we tried to call him, but no answer. Suddenly we remember L, the sweet old woman who is like my grandma out here. We went to see her, and she WAS home! She's the cutest. I love her :) she invited us over for dinner tomorrow night because I told her I was most likely leaving the area, but also said that I would come see her again before I go home to Idaho. She was SO sad! 
• Eventually it was time to go to dinner with a less active. She taught us how to make fried chicken because we told her we'd never had it home made. It tasted just like KFC :) super easy! Also I felt like my insides were going to deteriorate just looking at the oil they are soaked in. Why is yummy food so bad for you?! Oh well. It was fun :) we invited her to a fireside Sunday evening and she said she would go :) 
• When dinner was over we headed to a lesson with one of the investigators that sister jones met on Friday. He isn't currently practicing any religion, and is seriously seeking for truth. So much that his questions are SO good and SO hard to answer! That was probably the hardest lesson I've ever taught. We tried to answer his questions the best we could, and he is reading the Book of Mormon. We see him again on Wednesday and we are bringing someone who knows their religious history :) I haven't felt so inadequate in a long time! It was hard, and frustrating, but we kept calm and patient; as did he, and it ended on a good note :) he asked if he was hard, and we explained that his questions were hard to answer because we aren't perfect teachers, and we don't know everything, but they were good questions and we will do our best to help him find answers. Ah. Keep him in your prayers! And us :) haha 
• Before the night ended we received a phone call from D! He said he was coming to church and he already arranged a ride with a member of our ward. What?! Okay. That's cool :) also incredibly confusing because of how unresponsive and flakey he has been lately, but we aren't complaining :) 

Sunday was miraculous!! Sunday's are always so good :)

• D never showed; we aren't sure what happened, A is still sick :( she was on her way to church but turned around because she wasn't feeling well. We called her on Friday and she sounded super congested :( but C (atheist friend) came! He even stayed for the second hour, and because we are anticipating my departure from the area this week, he said he had something he wanted to tell me that he hasn't told anyone else yet. The suspense! So right after class he had to go, but wrote something on his hand to show me. "Thank you. God is real". That's what our dear friend had to tell me. How did he find God? He prayed, and he read the Book of Mormon. How does anyone draw closer to God? By praying and reading the scriptures!! It was so cool :) I was at a loss for words, so I just smiled and nodded my head :) he went to a fireside that we also attended later that night. 
• Our ward mission leader rocks my world. I appreciate him so much! I'm so sad I've only had a couple weeks serving with him, but also grateful for that short time :) He is so ambitious about missionary work and getting on top of things! It's great :) 
• After church we had a couple voice mails to listen to from a sister at the temple visitors center who gave us a solid referral! So we called the referral and set up an appointment for Wednesday morning! Heavenly Father is taking such good care of us :) 
• To top off the evening, our ward mission leader took us to a fireside that a less active met us at. It was for new and returning members to bear their testimonies and tell their stories. AND it was in Centreville!! :) my first area! We walked in a little late, and when we sat down I looked over to find SISTER LEWIS mouthing words at me like, "I love you" and , "Marry me" ;) hahah I haven't seen her in what feels like forever! It was such a tender mercy :) a ton of people I feel like I haven't seen forever were there! It was so nice :) 

• The spirit was strong as new members told their stories and bore testimony. 

Lately I have been hearing a ton of people say that a huge part of the reason they joined the church was because of the genuine fellowshipping they experienced. I testify that what you say and do inside and outside of church MATTERS. People are watching! It pleases me, and I know it pleases God, to know that members of the church live what they believe and keep their baptismal covenants. I love this gospel. 

I don't know what I would do if the fullness of the gospel wasn't on the earth or in my life. I'm grateful to have been raised in the gospel, and to be able to partake of the precious blessings that will lead me to eternal life. It's true people :)

I know it.
I live it.
I love it. 

Sister Kailey :)

Ps. Sister Williams had this brilliant idea of borrowing bikes from some elders to bike to DC! It's only 5 miles there and 5 back; it'll be an adventure!! :) so I'll send this email off now, but respond to individual ones later :) stay safe and have a good week!!

A select few captures of our adventure today! I don't think my butt

has ever been so sore. 10 whole miles, and then some because we biked

around DC. SO fun!!! :) also, SO burnt! We are exhausted! That's what

the picture at the end is trying to demonstrate :)