Week 20: 'ello

Family and friends,

What a productive week I had! :)

On Monday after we emailed, I was with sister Davis and sister Morris so we went to lunch at 5 guys, then played basketball with our sister training leaders and wrote letters. We totally got stuck in snowy traffic for 2 hours when originally it's a 20 min. drive! 'Twas great bonding time though :) during that drive, we got a text saying nobody was allowed to drive that night so we had to cancel our appointments and call it a snow day. The roads get crazy icy here when it snows, so that was fun! We got pizza on the way home :)

Tuesday morning we had district meeting, and then it snowed again!! :) that night we had a dinner at a buffet with a recent convert. Coolest/ sweetest thing EVER happened. We were talking about the priesthood more in depth with the recent convert, and after a while our waitress stopped to read our tags. After telling her who we were and what we did she said, "I knew it! I knew it because there's something in your eyes!" :) is that not the most awesome thing ever?! We talked to her for a bit but she lives outside of our mission, so we gave her a restoration pamphlet :) 

I definitely impressed the recent convert with what Spanish I do know, so that was fun! We taught sister Morris (who is from England) how to roll her "R's" but she couldn't :) later that night we taught an investigator and then her friend happened to knock on the door in the middle of our lesson. When she answered the door she was like, "come in! Come listen to this! This is the real deal here, no foolin around with this one! It's the real thing". :) so he came in and we taught him, too! He's from Africa :) 

Wednesday wasn't so busy because Thursday was transfers, so we just packed and cleaned . Then in the evening we checked on less actives.

Thursday: Transfers (in Centreville!! Yay!!) So we basically didn't have a clue where I would go or who I would be with. We heard I would stay with sister Davis because I was on the list in her district, but my area book was synced with the Potomac ward with sister Waldron. So it was a big guessing game, and transfers were exciting because I ended up being companions with Sister Morris!! This is too funny because sister Osmond (Donny Osmond's niece) trained sister Lewis, and then trained Sister Morris! So that's cool. I'm in a singles ward now which is way fun! Different, but fun :)
Later that night we had dinner with a member who gave us like 4 referrals! Ya, what?! Singles ward RM's are the BEST! It's like they never left their mission! Then we had a lesson with a member. It was FREEZING COLD that night!

Side note*** we are getting new iPads on Wednesday and having a 4 hour Facebook training-- president Riggs says we won't have facebook for a couple months :/ not sure how that will work out because a lot of us have investigators online... We'll see! 

On Friday we cleaned and reorganized the apartment because the spirit cannot dwell in unclean areas and it needed to be done! So after that we got to weekly planning, then checked on potentials and referrals. I met the ward mission leader, and then we checked on those referrals. One guy answered the door saying, "I grew up in salt lake. I'm very happy with my episcopalian church and I got my wine right here!" :) haha and another guy at a different house said, "you're mormon and I know that because of your tags that say sister. I was almost a brother but I'm Jewish and I think I'll stay that way". I love tracting! The stories are so great! :)

Saturday was fun! We were doing our progress report when a random lady in the library warned us about the weather :) so sweet :) 

THEN on Saturday our stake did a mini mission for the youth! So our zone and one other zone got to pretend to be normal people (because we definitely aren't normal anyway) that the youth would have to street contact. They were taught how to share the gospel through media, showed what a district meeting was like, knocked doors (in the church), and had a companion that they spent the day with. It ended with a testimony meeting which we were going to stay for, until we saw that it had snowed a few more inches. Our car is awful in this weather (I strongly vote against a Ford Fusion in the winter, but am so grateful to have a car!:) ) so we had to leave early in order to be home for a lesson on time. That night we weren't allowed to drive again, and we couldn't find a ride to our lessons, so we had Skype lessons! 

Remember the man from Africa I mentioned earlier? We had a Skype lesson with him on the plan of salvation! He so badly wants to come to church, so he is going to ask for work off this Sunday; pray for him! He's awesome. I love Africans :)

Sunday morning was spent digging our car out of our parking space for 40 minutes, in a dress, with a window scraper. So fun :) Church was good! The members are so willing to come to lessons with us, and it makes me so excited for the work!! Members are my favorite :) then in the evening we just checked on potentials/less actives :) 

This week I've really felt a change of heart! To strive harder to be my best self, and exactly obedient in the work. It's super easy to be relaxed on simple rules, but the blessings and miracles that you see from being exactly obedient are amazing. It's not worth it to shrug off something that seems simple, and okay to be relaxed with. 

I'm grateful for the atonement in my life!! Seriously Jesus Christ is my best friend. I am so grateful for Him! This gospel is true people!! You can only know for yourself when you search with real intent, truly desiring to know if this mormon stuff is the real deal or not. I PROMISE that when you do this, you WILL receive an answer that it is true. I can only testify of this because I've done the searching :) 

"Ask and ye shall receive, knock and it SHALL be opened unto you..." Shall! That's an absolute. 'Tis a promise, and God doesn't break His promises when we do what He says :)
I love being a missionary! I love this work, and I love you!! 

Have a most awesome week!! 

Sister Kailey 

Ps. Tomorrow is my 5 month mark being a full time missionary. Time is cruising!! :)

Life at the MTC

Hello!! :)

Oh my dear goodness SO much has happened since I've been here. 

This is the typical day of a missionary in the MTC:

• Wake up at 6
• Get ready to go to breakfast at 7:15
• Go to class, stay in class for 5 hours
• Go to lunch
• Gym
• Class for another 5 hours
• Dinner
• Class for 3-4 hours
• Then you have 45 minutes before lights out at 10:30. 

I am in a trio so I have 2 companions: Sister Harris (also from Nampa) and Sister Todd (also a dancer). 

They are WONDERFUL! We have become such close friends already and I just love them! Having a companion was difficult for the first couple days because you literally can't go ANYWHERE without them! Like, even to the bathroom haha until you're in your residency hall; I don't need to shower with them standing outside the curtain. I can do personal things like that alone, but they must be within sight AND sound from me.

 
I have SO many stories!!! Random facts: 

• Monday was rough, so I bought Nutter Butters, and my neighbor gave me her birthday flowers haha :)  

• These are sticky notes from MY zone training leaders that they left on our door. 

• As of day 2 here at the MTC I was called as the zone sister training leader (whaaattt??!), travel leader for my district, and the music coordinator for my ward at the MTC.

• A british bloke asked for my email! I informed him that I was seeing someone but that didn't matter to him haha gross. I didn't give it to him. No worries. 

• My companions and I can rap! It's sick. We're so good. 

• I take advantage of gym time to stretch and run a mile! It's a nice break from the spiritually filled day. Don't get me wrong, I love it! But sometimes you need a sanity break to at least remember your first name.

My companion and I wear our dance team shirt from the same year to the gym!

• My curling iron broke!! It's sad. 

• I saw Kalin Lister the first day here and flipped out! Hand shakes are lame when you're so excited to see a familiar face. I've seen him a good amount of times since, as well as the night before he left! Good luck, pal! You're going to do so good :)

I'm mimicking a picture Christian took at the temple when he was in the MTC,
but I'm not sticking my tongue out like he did hahah (love you :))

My district has 5 elders and just us 3 sisters! I was having trouble focusing the fist few days so I asked for a blessing from one of the elders and I am SO much better!! I have felt the spirit in more ways here at the MTC than I EVER have! It's so cool!! 

A letter from my punk district leader that gave me a blessing!
He's so mean to me, but it was a very spiritual experience. 

We have taught so many investigators, and the spirit has been so strong! I learn so much! The teachers are WONDERFUL! I love it here! No stress AT ALL. It's fabulous :) 

We really have to watch our language and actions while being here on a mish. I can't say "totes", "pee", "probs", "crap", "guys" etc. and we can't give the elders high fives? ya idk. So just two thumbs up I guess!! 

I've learned that obedience is key! EXACT obedience I might add. D&C 4:3 I think? The verse that says if you have a desire to serve God, then you are called. I read that in the temple this morning (my companions and I went) and realized that I wasn't just called because I put my papers in, but because I had a desire to serve! I was called long before I put my papers in, and I felt it. I knew it. That's why I just did it :) I am becoming personally converted! Elder Bednar gave a devotional called, "The Character of Christ" and in it he stated that, "It's not enough to have a testimony. If you don't become personally CONVERTED to the lord, you WILL fall away eventually". That was intense. I am trying my hardest to learn as much as I can and become converted to my Savior :) I love Him!!

I miss my best friend, and my family, and my missionary, but it's all worth it :) Thanks for all the emails!! I had 29 when I logged on hahaha Just a heads up; it's easier for me to respond to letters compared to emails, so the more hand written letters the better :) 29 Emails and 1 hour to email stresses me out. I can't read them all!!

Thanks for the love and support! I love being a missionary!! I keep seeing name tags on everyone and think, "Oh my gosh I want one so bad!.... Oh wait! I have one!" hahah it took me a while to get used to that :) 

I need to go! But just know that I am feeling the blessings and prayers and spirit every single day. THANK YOU! I love this work :)

Love,
Sister Chandler