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 :)

Another week in Virginia

Gooooood Afternoon! :) 

Before I begin telling you about my week, shout out to the best human on the face of this planet (my sister) for being born today x amount of years ago :) I love you! 

Alright, so Monday was awesome :) we didn't do a THING and it was beautiful :) 

• Aside from the norm like emails, laundry, groceries, and writing a couple letters. 

• In the evening we went to dinner with a member and checked on potentials. 

• Meanwhile there was a massive storm occurring! Virginia + rain + thunder = the best summer storms I've ever seen! That's why God sent me here ;) to be able to enjoy those things :) It also makes up for the lack of sky over here. I miss my western night time sky. But it's fine :) It could be worse!! 

Tuesday was quite busy! 

• The morning began with district meeting which went super well; always does :)

• Lunch followed,

• Then we went to visit a sister in our ward who just got hip surgery! She is bedridden for a solid 2 weeks! I think I'd go insane. Actually, I know I'd go insane. She can hardly sit up, too so she has to lay down most of the time! I know. Poor thing right? She just ran way too much and busted her hip. She would run like 12 miles a day, and she always ran marathons. Not anymore! So we shared a message and kept her company for an hour :) After that we made brownies and a thank you card for the member who took us to the temple and lunch a couple weeks ago! 

• And then it was time for a lesson on preparing for the temple with a recent convert :) 

• when that was over, we went to dinner with A! :) She is DARLING! I love her so much! We learned that members of our ward have been inviting her to activities and such so that made us happy :) I'm telling you. Serving in a singles ward is one of the best things that's ever happened to me on my mission. These people are stellar. 

• The rest of the night we spent checking on potentials. 

On Wednesday we studied all morning, which was so good! 

• Sister Jones and I received a lot of inspiration as to how we can become better teachers and missionaries in general. I love the spirit :) 

• When that was over we did a little bit of cleaning up in the area book, and then we did some serious DEEP cleaning in our apartment. I kid you not we cleaned everything from the baseboards to the corners of the ceiling and everything in between. For like... 4 hours. With music (the uplifting, spiritual kind) blasting through the apartment. I was in love :) 

• Oh also, mom guess what? We've totally had reoccurring black mold throughout our apartment since I've been here. And everyone that's lived here for the past year has had health problems, but as soon as they're transferred they get better. But don't worry!! We called the maintenance guy for the 47th (that's a legitimate number) time and he came to paint over it :) hahah ohhhh the apartment :) There have been so many things about this apartment that have fallen apart and I have totally forgotten to mention them throughout the past 3 months!! I'll list some for you :) 

| ADVENTURES IN THE APARTMENT|
1. Our light switch in the bathroom didn't work, nor did the outlet for about 3 weeks, so we plugged a lamp in on the outside wall and stuck it in the bathroom :)
2. The carpet was disgusting and our 2 vacuums didn't work. So we got a new one about 2 months in and it's slightly better!
3. The sisters bathroom had black mold growing on their ceiling, so the maintenance guy took out the wall and put a new one in.
4. The black mold is back.
5. We have black mold inside our shower, but no worries. The instructions from our maintenance friend were to throw bleach on it and let it sit. He then told us it would come back though...
6. The air conditioning unit in the sister's room was leaking, so their carpet was wet and their room smelled like wet dog. They've been sleeping in the living room for 2 weeks :)

7. When we want a drink of water, we have to let it sit for 5 minutes so it isn't so foggy

Basically it's been an adventure!! And despite the grossness of the apartment, it's not necessarily awful. It's livable... For the most part... And we find joy in these things because it creates memories that we can laugh at later :) In fact, we laugh as they occur because it's hilariously ridiculous :) Nonetheless, we truly are grateful to have a roof over our heads, food in the kitchen, and a bed to sleep in :) Also, after the deep clean it was better :) 

• Dinner was with a member at a Peruvian restaurant which was pretty good! 

• Then we met another member at the church and went to check on potentials. It was a pretty quiet night when it came to potentials, but when it comes to the member we had with us, it was the opposite! :) haha which was perfect because we studied listening earlier in the day, which is exactly what she needed us to do :) it was fun! :)

• we were exhausted by the end of the night and slept super good :) 

Thursday morning I was not feeling well at all, 

• so after studies I took a nap for half an hour and that helped a little bit. 

• We then had to go to the mission office to take in our driving log. Elder Lowe is in charge of everything when it comes to the mission cars, and he asked if we wanted to see our driving record from the Tiwi! This thing is high tech. Elder Lowe can see when and where our car is at all times, including how long the car sits in one place! He can see where on the road we make a violation (according to the Tiwi), and the route in which we take wherever we go. If we ever lose our car we can just call elder Lowe and he can look it up :) too cool! My driving record was spotless so that was good :) 

• We did some area book mapping for a while and then went to dinner with a member! I learned so much from her while we shared a message on the spirit. I learn so much from everyone that we teach! 

• Our evening finished off with T! She is doing well :) I brought the Book of Mormon I made in college (where I wrote questions of the soul in the front and found the answers and marked/tabbed them) to show her how beneficial the book is in our lives today. She started going down the list of questions, answering them according to her knowledge, and then when she got to the question, "Does my infant need to be baptized?" She said, "oh I know this one! Absolutely!!" We just smiled and explained that we don't believe that's true. So we flipped to the answer in the Book of Mormon; Moroni 8:8-12 and even a couple verses after that, where it explains that baptism is for sinners. Repentance and baptism are for those who are accountable for their own sins, not for Adams transgression. It goes on to teach that little children are whole and not capable of committing sin, so if thy die before the age of accountability (8 yrs.) then they are golden :) 

• When we got home we found a note from the maintenance guy saying we had gotten our faucet replaced in our kitchen? Later the sisters explained that it started to gush out water and the kitchen flooded! hahaha remember everyone, adventures in the Aspen ;) 

On Friday I woke up feeling super sick, and felt like I was going to throw up all day. 

• Luckily it was weekly planning so we didn't have to go anywhere all afternoon! 

• In the evening we went to dinner with a member, but that made me more sick so we went home after so I could sleep for half an hour before we had a lesson. The enabling power of the atonement is so real. I had a prayer in my heart that I would be able to sleep off whatever bug I had, within that power nap, so that we could go teach our new investigators the message of the restored gospel! When I woke up I felt much better! 

• I could feel the Lords support as we went about the rest of that night, which was such a blessing because that lesson was so great!! When we got to their house, Dre opened the door and said with a big grin, "Oh hey, ya'll did come!!" :) he went and gathered his brother and friend (now a new investigator) to hear the message we had to share :) We asked if they had read from the Book of Mormon yet and Dre said, "Ya! I figured you gave me this for a reason, so I read a couple verses". Um, yeah! We totally did give you that for a reason! They all wanted us to text them a scripture every day, and then asked us to come back on Sunday to hear more. Two. Days. Later. 

• What if I stayed home that night?! What if I hadn't accessed the enabling power of the Atonement and just slept for the rest of the night?? Oh how good is Heavenly Father??! :) His hand is absolutely in our lives every single moment of every single day. I LOVE being a missionary :) Sister Jones was tickled :) It was so fun to experience that with her; she rocked it! She is doing so well :) 

• Sister Williams is one of the sisters we live with, and she woke up sick Saturday morning. It's gotta be the mold or something that's making us sick! Anyway, she stayed home all day so sister Jones and I took turns going on splits with Sister Kennedy, Sister William's companion, to cover the lessons they had set up. It was a good switch in routine, and gave Sister Jones more opportunities to teach! So that was awesome! :) I also think Heavenly Father needed us to be with them because all of our appointments for that day canceled. 

• I went out with her for the night and we went to dinner with a member, who lives with her brother, who has 4 kids ages 1, 5, 6, and 8 :) I wish we got our dinner conversation on video because we were crying laughing the whole time! 

Benson is the 5 year old, and he started talking about how he was married. He said he was 31 and his wife was 29. When asked what he liked about her, he said, "her cute little face!" :) hahah then we talked about ways we could be righteous. I asked if he was nice to his siblings and with the most straight face he said, "Yeah. But sometimes I want them dead". Everything that came out of this kids mouth was so funny because he's so little and we kept thinking, "Where did you come up with this?!" By the end of the night we were serenaded by little Benson singing "Let it Go". But not like a normal 5 year old would sing it; this kid had the riffs and level changes and everything! It was sooo cute :)

AND dinner itself was super good because we made our own pizzas, watermelon was the side (including yellow watermelon!), and for dessert we had a pazookie :) For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a chocolate chip cookie fresh out of the oven with vanilla ice cream on top. It's life-changing :) 

• After dinner we picked up a member and went to a lesson! But he wasn't home, 

• so we checked on a few others and they weren't home either! 

• Eventually it was time to head home, and then Sister Kennedy and I had a really cool spiritual experience. Earlier in the day we had taught N, one of her investigators. We taught about prayer and fasting. N is SO close to baptism but is, for lack of a better word, bipolar when it comes to commitment. We called him to tell him that he had a ride to church, but suddenly he didn't want to go anymore. Sister Kennedy, acting on the spirit, told him to kneel down, say a prayer, and open the Book of Mormon to a random scripture to see if it answers his question- should I go to church tomorrow? Bold, right? But even while she invited him to do that, I felt the spirit and knew that it wasn't her idea; it was Gods. He called us back to tell us the scripture he landed on- Alma 21:6 which talks about assembling ourselves together to worship God, and that its a righteous thing to do. If that's not an answer then I don't know what is! 

He still chose not to come, but we knew God had followed through and it was up to Nick to make the decision. Sometimes agency is frustrating haha Nonetheless, it was a good day :)

On Sunday we went to church, which is always good :) 

• The Relief Society- a women's organization, that happens to be the biggest one in the world, that teaches us how to become better wives, mothers, and daughters of God. As well as focusing helping on those in need- lesson was on happiness! It was such a good lesson!! I loved it :) 

• The rest of the day our appointments fell through so we just checked on potentials with a member all night! 

Sometimes the weeks are amazing, other times they are just alright, but that's life right? :)

 I'm grateful to be here!! I love my mission and my Father in Heaven :) I'm grateful for the love, support, emails, letters, pictures, and prayers on my behalf! My heart is continuously full :) 

Happy birthday to Erica, again :) And happy birthday to my Mama on Friday! :) I love you!! 

Love,
Sister Chandler

And the Miracles Continue...

You guys. I am so humbled. This week started off with one of the most memorable moments of my mission so far, and the miracles just kept coming every single day.

P-day was busy! We got the basics done and spent a good amount of time in the mall shopping for summer clothes :) sister Morris has never had Panda Express before, so I asked if she wanted to try the Americanized version of Chinese food :) she liked it :)

We went out with a member that night to check on some people. One of them being a new investigator, but he wasn't home. So we went to a less actives home. 

On the way to his door, we saw a woman hanging out on the porch with her dog. I told her I liked it because it reminded me of my dog :) she said it wasn't hers, and we began talking. We learned that she had been out of a job for 2 weeks, and was in a rut. Despite the circumstance; however, she was so positive and hopeful. She's been through a lot. Without us even saying anything, she told us that she had talked to elders before, and they tried to get in contact with her a few times but she was so busy she just never had time. 

We asked if we could share Because He Lives with her and not even 5 seconds into it she asked, "Do you want to come inside?" Um. Yes. Yes we do :) this sweet woman truly has had it rough, and the spirit was incredibly strong in the room as we listened to her. It was a tender mercy to be able to lend an ear to someone so sad, and to reassure her of the love that her Heavenly Father has for her. To help her understand that she has someone to lean on, and she isn't alone. I bore my testimony about how I know that God is so aware of each one of us. She said, "I know God sent you to me for a reason. Please, can you come back on Thursday?" The love that I automatically felt towards this child of God was massive. Her soul is beautiful, and she is so humble. I was humbled to be a tool in the lords hands so unexpectedly. It's funny how important listening really is ;) 

To top off the night, we had a huge thunder and lightening storm that came with a tornado warning. Apparently president Riggs texted us and told us to go home but we didn't get that until after the lesson, when the storm was almost over. Whoops! The lord protects his faithful servants! :) 

We spent the next day with President Riggs! From 8:30am to 4:00pm receiving instruction and inspiration like crazy because it was zone conference :) 

This is the meeting where the cleanest car gets to switch cars if they want. We lost, but got to switch our car because the winner wanted ours!! Which was awesome because I wanted their car! :) it's the same one I drove in my first area :) so that was great! 

Afterwards we taught a lesson to our recent convert's friend! We taught him the restoration last week; he's the guy who speaks only Spanish and didn't seem interested at all. We taught the beginning of the plan of salvation this week, AND remember how he hasn't prayed in a looonnggg time?? Well he and our recent convert were chatting away in Spanish when all of a sudden our convert was like, "okay. He wants to say the closing prayer". Um. WHAT?! Okay! :) by all means! I had no clue what he said in his prayer, but the spirit was so strong. I felt it! We gave him a pamphlet and told him to read it and bring questions next week :) the entire lesson was filled with the spirit :) 

After that we had a meeting with the ward missionaries and our new bishopric! It went well! I'm loving the change and I'm excited to work a lot more with them :) by the time that was over it was time to go home. Every day seems to have a miracle lately, and I know that is the result of the massive amount of faith and dedication we have towards the Lord. When we trust Him, we follow His commandments which makes it so that He knows He can trust us! Which then brings an overflowing amount of blessings :) Seriously this gospel is the coolest thing. It means SO much to me! I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now than serving my Heavenly Father, and the people of northern Virginia :)

Random fun fact: In the middle of the night sister Morris and I BOTH got a Charlie Horse!? haha weirdest, most painful experience of my life.

On Wednesday we had district meeting on the topic of faith; my favorite :) 

Then we had exchanges with our sister training leaders! Sister Osmond came to Alexandria with me (she trained sister Lewis) and it was MUCH needed. I have not genuinely laughed so hard in a while. She really made me feel like I am doing a great job at this whole missionary thing, and the reassurance was appreciated :) 

We had a lesson with a potential which was so divinely inspired!! His name is W :) we taught the restoration! He is an extremely intelligent individual but so relaxed and respectful. Sister Osmond helped us gain some brownie points because their career path is the same,so they talked big words and intelligent things whereas I just smiled and nodded like I knew what was happening, and then tied the restoration into the topic of discussion. The spirit was strong as we bore witness of the truthfulness of the restored gospel. He said he would read the Book of Mormon and pray about it, so we will see where this goes! 

Thursday morning was so great. Sister Osmond shared some super cool insights with me and helped me resolve some concerns that have weighed heavily on my mind throughout the past few weeks. Sister Training Leaders rock my world; they're the best! :) It was such a tender mercy, as much as I love sister Morris, I think we both needed a break :) 

Then we exchanged back and went to work! We had dinner with a member, and then a lesson with T (the miracle lady on Monday) but she texted us and said Friday would be better. SO. We sat in the car and said a quick prayer asking for guidance because we want to be where we need to be when we need to be there, and only Heavenly Father knows all of that information. 

We checked on a potential who's address didn't exist, and on the way out there was a man all bundled up in dark clothes. He was right next to the stop sign that we stopped at and the spirit was like, "sister chandler! Roll down the window and give him a pass along card!" But for some dumb reason I kept driving. So we got onto the main road and the spirit kept nagging at me like, "you blew it! Better turn around now. You're gonna have to repent for passing that one up! He even looked like a YSA from behind. You better turn around..." 

Eventually I couldn't take it anymore so I told sister Morris I think we should go back. I turned the car around, went to the street he was walking on and didn't see him. "Dang it", I thought, "I totally missed that chance. Sorry Heavenly Father, I'll listen next time". Then sister Morris goes, "is that him??" And it was! So we pulled up to him and I'm thinking out loud, "well this is slightly creepy and awkward...". Then I yelled out the window, "Hey! :) can we give you a card really quick?" He was like, "um...a card? For what?" I explained it was for church and said, "okay this is probably going to sound really weird, but God told us to pull over and talk to you, so... We did :)" he laughed and was really receptive! He was happy to give us his information and seemed interested in coming to church. He said that usually he would be at the gym at that time, but not that night and I was like, "see! God has a hand in all things! :)" and he was like, "seriously! Divine inspiration!" So we are gonna go see our good friend Tim this week and teach him about the restored gospel :) Also, he is single, in our area, and within the right age range. 

Moral of the story: ALWAYS follow the promptings you receive because it will never go wrong! :) 

Weekly planning is always a success with Sister Morris, so Friday was good! We had a lesson cancel so we prayed for guidance and once again, the spirit led us to the right person and provided us with inspiration to know exactly what that person needed to hear. I love being a tool in the Lords hands. The gift of the Holy Ghost is AWESOME when we listen to it :) 

Saturday night was so good. We had a lesson on eternal marriage with a recent convert, and then later in the evening we brought a member with us to teach a new investigator! His name is C; he is cousins with O, a forever investigator. When we pulled up to the apartments we could see them smoking on their balcony (bummer but it's whatever), and when we walked by them O was like, "oh! Sisters! Hey!" Fumbling to hide his cigarette :) haha we just smiled :) when we went inside we taught the restoration! C had such great questions and we taught boldly; my favorite :) but with love. We taught him how to pray and invited him to pray to know if the things we taught him are true. He said he will and he is looking forward to our next visit :) 

Story #10: Sunday was so. Cool. We had a regional broadcast which was so great! I received a lot of personal revelation which is always a good thing :) 

Then we had dinner with a member and taught a lesson on the Holy Ghost. 

Afterwards we went to check on a less active, but her boyfriend answered the door and said she wasn't home. When we were walking away he yelled, "pray for me!" And shut the door. You bet we turned right around and knocked on the door again :) when he answered I asked what we could do for him; why did he want us to pray for him? We told him who we were and what we do, and then he was like, "can we go on a walk and talk??" Of course we can! :) after a lot of listening we learned that he has serious problems with the word of wisdom but has a strong desire to turn his life around. He said he was hoping we would stay and talk to him after he said, "pray for me" and later expressed that he felt like we were sent from God. We so were :) we shared a message on the plan of salvation but focused on the atonement and how we can have a fresh start; a clean slate! His girlfriend came home eventually, so she was able to sit in on the lesson, too :) we see them again on Friday :) 

The love that I have for this gospel is immense. There is nothing like it! There is no greater source to an honest, pure, genuine happiness. Heavenly Father has blessed sister Morris and I like crazy over the past few weeks, and I know that he is so very aware of us. The Holy Ghost real! He truly does comfort, guide, warn, and confirm truth. I know this to be true with my whole heart. Thanks for the love, support, and prayers for not only me but all the missionaries around the globe :) It is much appreciated, and we feel it :) 

I hope you have a fabulous week, and pray for missionary experiences! :)
Sister Chandler

Ps. Mother's Day is in 2 weeks. I'm making a paper chain ;)
Pps. I finished the Book of Mormon again this week! I do love that book :) 

Picture: I held a gecko last night

Week 13: Happy New Year!

Hello, Hello! 

Earlier this week we had a family history training. It was neat to see how much work needs to be done in my family, and how much it's becoming apart of missionary work!! 

During district meeting we had a lesson on unity and we had to make a paper airplane as a companionship. We then flew them in the gym and I'm happy to report that ours won.  I definitely had an elder walk me through the folding of the paper though because I am not trained in this technique.

A lady in my ward crocheted me a blanket!! It's big, and warm, and I love it :)  I forgot to take a picture of it though.. Sorry :/ maybe next week :) 

Funny story! Sister Lewis and I taught an investigator, E, this week. We taught her the word of wisdom, which basically teaches us how to take care of our bodies. To avoid harmful or addictive substances and to exercise and eat healthy. As soon as we got done teaching her she stood up and said, "Do you want some coffee?? :)" hahah E is slightly mentally unstable so it was more funny than anything, but we are working on it :) 

                                                     << N E W  Y E A R S>> 

On Wednesday evening we got together with our zone to eat tons of junk food, (just what I need) and watch two G rated movies! After multiple votes, we decided to watch Over The Hedge and How to Train Your Dragon 2. Over the hedge was not my favorite but it was okay. How to train your dragon 2 was SO CUTE!!! Such a good movie! I've never seen it so that was fun :) 

The next day, Sister Lewis went on an exchange with one of our sister training leaders and the other one, sister Anderson, came to Centreville with me. This day was SO FUN!! Sister Anderson served in Centreville when she first got to her mission. It was her second area, so I made sure we had a handful of members for her to visit. We taught a lesson at each one, too so that was a good day for member lessons! She and I are a LOT alike. She also giggles... I repeat... Giggles, not laughs, at everything! hahah it was so much fun and I learned a lot from her! She's a hard worker and helped me focus while still being normal :) 

Yesterday Sister Lewis and I taught school for the 14-16 year-old kids. The topic was on how to recognize the Holy Ghost and how he speaks to you personally. This week during my studies I read a talk given by Elder Richard G. Scott in the April 2012 conference entitled, "How to obtain revelation and inspiration for your personal life". He defined the difference between revelation and inspiration; revelation being crisp, clear and essential, while inspiration is a series of promptings we often have to guide us step by step. He then gave a few points on how to receive revelation! Here are a handful of some that I liked :) 

{I know it's a lot but read them!! 

Each one is key to receiving personal revelation!} 

• There are some practical principles that enhance revelation. First, yielding to emotions must be eliminated (anger, hurt, defensiveness). They drive away the Holy Ghost and our chance to receive revelation is slight.
• Exaggeration in the things we say is an enemy to revelation.
• Spiritual communication can be enhanced by good health practices. Exercise, reasonable amounts of sleep, and good eating habits increase our capacity to receive and understand revelation.
• It is important that our daily activities do not distract from the spirit:
  ***I love music, and I would always listen to it in the car whenever I was driving somewhere. I found, at times, that the song on the radio wasn't necessarily the best lyrically, but it had a good beat so I kept listening to it. Little did I know, every time that happened I was allowing the spirit to leave! And the spirit isn't like a light switch. I can't flip him on when I want/need him and then listen to whatever I want when I don't think I need him. We need to be living our lives in such a way that we can take a selfie at any minute and think to ourselves, "in this moment I was doing something that I would do if the Lord was standing beside me".***

• Revelation can also be given in a dream when there is an almost imperceptible transition from sleep to wakefulness. If you strive to capture the content immediately, you can record great detail, but otherwise it fades rapidly. Inspired communication in the night is generally accompanied by a sacred feeling for the entire experience.
• Inspiration carefully recorded shows God that His communications are sacred to us. Recording will also enhance our ability to recall revelation: ***always write down inspiration! I find that when I do this, I notice how often Heavenly Father really does speak to me.***

• One must be ever mentally and physically clean and have purity of intent so that the Lord can inspire. One who is obedient to His commandments is trusted of the Lord.
• For spirituality to grow stronger and more available, it must be planted in a righteous environment. Haughtiness, pride, and conceit are like stony ground that will never produce spiritual fruit. Humility is a fertile soil where spirituality grows and produces the fruit of inspiration to know what to do.
• An individual who is arrogant or who lets his or her emotions influence decisions will not be powerfully led by the Spirit.

{And then a couple more that I really loved!}

•  Sometimes we unwisely try to face life by depending on our own experience and capacity. It is much wiser for us to seek through prayer and divine inspiration to know what to do.
• If you feel that God has not answered your prayers...then carefully look for evidence in your own life that He may have already answered you.
• That guidance in your life does not take away your agency. You can make the decisions you choose to make. But remember, the disposition to do right brings peace of mind and happiness.
• As you continue to live righteously, you will always be prompted to know what to do. Sometimes the discovery of what action to take may require significant effort and trust on your part. Yet you will be prompted to know what to do as you meet the conditions for such divine guidance in your life, namely, obedience to the commandments of the Lord, trust in His divine plan of happiness, and the avoidance of anything that is contrary to it.

We receive help from our Father in Heaven in response to our faith, obedience, and the proper use of agency.

{Challenge to my family and members of the church}

For this new year, create a family mission plan! Each month do at least one thing that will help build the kingdom of God. For example, in January decide that you're going to write your testimony in a Book of Mormon and give it to a friend. In February invite a nonmember to church. In March, invite someone over to your home for FHE with

the missionaries. In April find a service project to do as a family. Etc.  This is the invitation we are giving the members in our ward, and I know as we come together to build the kingdom of our beloved Father in Heaven, miracles will take place :) Not only that, but relationships within your family and with your Heavenly Father will be strengthened! Bonus! :) 

I am so thankful to know that God has a plan for me, and he doesn't leave me alone to make decisions. He provides me with direction given by the Holy Ghost, and all I need to do is listen and act. Our Father in Heaven can see far more than what we can, so trust Him! Even if it's a prompting as simple as taking a different way home from school or work; DO IT.

I'm grateful for all of my many many blessings! :) Have a most wonderful week! :)

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Sister Kailey Chandler