Keep on Keeping On

Hello Everyone!!

This week's letter is going to be shorter due to a nasty cold.  I think that some chicken noodle soup and hot cocoa is calling my name. :)

So, I have come to decide that one of the funnest things I have done on my mission was last week when I played ultimate Frisbee in the rain then went to the mall for food.

Being goofy while doing a cleaning service project

Tuesday was the all day Mission Conference where President Rogers told the whole mission what the vision for the next three years was going to be.  I had already known pretty much of what he was going to say, but it was great to see some missionaries that I had not seen since the MTC or for months.  It was a fun reunion.

It was also really good to hear from the missionaries that are currently serving in my past units. (Corning and Utica) One of my fears was that after I left, that things never changed and that I didn't play a strong enough role in the area to make a difference in the 3-4 months I served there.  HA!!!  Wrong.  Corning is on fire!! They have 6 progressing investigators, 4 of which I found and taught and a few are even on date to be baptized.   The Branch is doing great and they are opening up the over flow to the Chapel for the first time for Sacrament :) Also, less actives that didn't want to meet with us are all of a sudden back at Church and the members are plunking along doing good.

In Utica, Jim, (The half naked guy I found while he was washing his car) is progressing and has been to Church every week.  He is getting baptized on September 20th!  The Ward is also doing splendid.  It was the best thing that I could ever hear.  Because, the measure of a missionary can sometimes be found in the 'after effects' of how well an area is doing 2-3 transfers after you leave.  It really strengthened my testimony that I was really making a difference even when I thought I wasn't.  More and more people are coming into the church  So, my week was made :)

On Exchanges with Sister Munez

Then, when we weren't learning about our new mission expectations and standards, we were driving.  It was a 4 hour round trip from Carthage to Liverpool and back.  It was good to see more of the countryside, but there is a slight changing of colors now.  Yayy!  The fall is going to be so pretty.

This week was a little slower, lots of families moving in and out and returning from vacation.  We lost 4-5 member families this month and gained 6 just this past Sunday.  So, just when I thought I knew who everyone was, ha ha, there is a switch-up.

Many of our investigators are busy this week with family and job problems.  So we did a lot of less active family work.  We do have some of the sweetest less actives, but it is so frustrating sometimes with the "Why don't you come to Church?? You know it is true!"  But laziness and complacency is a killer.

When we weren't busy we had to go find people, because that is one of the key aspects to President Rogers new vision.  We honestly aren't teaching enough people and not putting our faith in finding others.  So, we went one evening and tried some former investigators in the area book.  The only real success story is an older man named Wayne.  He is super sweet and we kind of broke into an Assisted Living Apartment complex to find him.  He couldn't figure out how to buzz us in.  We went in, talked to him for a little while and he gladly accepted us and wanted us to teach him.  Because we didn't have another female with us, we have an appoint with him tomorrow to teach the Plan of Salvation and also family history because he wants to learn where he came from.  It is actually the only real success story I have from using the Former records.  Normally, people are listed as former for a reason or move.  But he is the sweetest and we can't wait to start teaching him.

We also went to the middle of no where and gave a Book of Mormon to this guy named Kim who is neighbors with another former who wasn't home.  Hopefully, we can teach him this week too!  We also have to contact 3 other part member families with people that we can pick up as investigators this week.  Hopefully all goes well with that, because we really need to pick back up our investigators pool because they either got baptized or moved.  So yayy, more 'finding'.

I know that the Lord's hand is in our lives all of the time, even in the little things.  This is the last week before transfer calls and I honestly have no idea what is going to happen.  Lots of sisters are leaving and not a whole bunch are coming in, so there will be a shift in demographics and areas for sure.  But the Church is true and I love the gospel and being able to follow the impressions from the Spirit to help people in their lives.

Toodles!
Sister Kylie W.