Monday, February 24, 2014

Madie

Friends and family,
Words cannot express how incredibly proud I am of Madie. Literally (used correctly) every e-mail I got today spoke of her maturity and the power of her farewell talk. Let me just talk to her for a second.
Madie, through the years, you and I have "got" each other like no one else has. Though our interests are different, I have no doubt that we were put in the same family for a divine purpose. It kills me that I wasn't able to see your farewell or see you off, but I will be the first to hug you when you return. There was a time in my junior year of college that I was feeling overwhelmed and alone. You lived in the flat below me. I called to see if I could come over, only to find that you were at work. I sat in my room, wanting to talk to someone, but all my roommates were gone. A few minutes later, you walked in. You had left work early to come be with me. I even found out later that you'd ditched a date to spend time with a poor pathetic sister. You probably don't remember this, but I do. I love you, girl. You have a great capacity to love. You have an incredible desire to serve. You are stronger than any girl (or boy) I know. You are my best friend. You will never understand the impact that you have made on my life. I am proud of you. A mission will be hard, and you will feel alone. But I know you can do it, because I've seen you overcome hard things. Don't give up, okay? We're in this together! A success for you is a success for me. Work hard and be obedient. You're going to the second best mission (next to mine) in the world. Though each day brings its own challenges, for some reason happiness always prevails. Let the Lord be the centre of your mission! Pray harder than you ever have. You are never going to have some of these feelings again, so make sure you write them down so I can read them later. Remember that your sister in the middle of nowhere in Wales is rooting for you and thinking of you.  
Wassermellon.
Anyway, I had a really good week. We're working on finding new people to teach, and have been involved in quite a few service projects. I'm really loving the area, though it's still not the same as Cardiff. The people I've met and associated with are incredible. I am so lucky to have the opportunity to go out and talk to these people every day about something that makes me undeniably happy. I love you!
Sister Kate
Alma 36:27

Monday, February 10, 2014

H2O

This week was filled with lots of finding, service, and water. So much water. There is a huge piece of farmland next to our flat that literally looks like a lake with a few tree tops poking out of it. It's insane. Luckily our flat has been just fine, but some of the people in our area aren't so lucky. So we're involved in lots of service at the moment. There's not much we can do to help, but for the most part we organize the rubbish and make sure everyone is happy.
Because of all the rain, our finding efforts have been hindered a bit, but we had an exchange on Saturday with some other Sisters in our zone. Sister Miller and I worked in the rain for a couple hours, and we came across an incredible tender mercy.
Though most of our clothes are constantly damp, I still love the rain. Perhaps by the end of my mission I'll be sick of it. Though I don't like the area as much as Cardiff quite yet, it's growing on me. It is seriously breath-taking over here. Absolutely beautiful. As I've come further into my mission, I honestly can't see myself anywhere else. I don't know why this was ever a hard decision for me to serve. Thinking about Madie serving with me as well makes me that much more excited. Anyone who is worthy to serve yet decides not to is out of their mind. Just kidding. There are other good things to do. But coming on a mission has been perfect for me.
I'd like everyone to know that I know that my Saviour lives. I have a loving Heavenly Father who has become my best friend the past few months. He loves you too, and wants to hear from you. I know that miracles are real. I love this gospel. I love what I'm doing. Jesus loves you!
Special K  

                                                                    Beautiful coastline of West Wales  

                                                                                   


                                                                        The accidental coordination


                                
                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
                                             
                                    





Thursday, February 6, 2014

Prayer

Friends and family,
This past month has brought the largest amount of rain in the history of this area. So we've been racking our brains quite a bit to try to come up with an idea of how we can work effectively in an area that for the most part is flooded. For the most part, we've done quite a bit of service for families in the area whose homes have been flooded or need repair.
This place is absolutely incredible. I think I said that before, but it really is. It constantly smells like pine, and the greenery and hills make me feel like I'm in a fairy tale movie.
In other news, in this area there are many people who speak Welsh as a first language, or speak only Welsh. So my companion and I have been assigned to learn Welsh. I now have language study. This should be quite interesting, as many of the words don't have vowels, but I'll give it a go.
This last week, we had a lesson with a woman who was brought up Catholic. As we explained prayer, she started to tear up. She said that she always wanted to pray directly to her Father in heaven, but felt like she had to go through someone else. She loved that she didn't need to have an appointment or set wording. This last week, I have thought about this and found that I've really taken this knowledge for granted. I love being able to pray in the middle of the night, early in the morning, any time and know that I am heard.
I love you all! Jesus loves you. Sorry there won't be any pictures, as I left my cord at the flat.
Love,
Sister K