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

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

                                

                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

                                             

                                    

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

New Area: Newcastle Emlyn, Wales

Family and friends,

Transfers were this last Wednesday, and I have been sent to west Wales (my prayers to stay in Wales didn't quite go how I hoped). I am serving in the Newcastle Emlyn ward, and I live in a tiny little village (of about 15 houses) called Llandysul. This place is absolutely amazing. There are more sheep and cows than people, but that's okay. We can even see every single star at night. So here's how transfers went:

TRANSFER DODGE NIGHT

District Leader: "Sister Kuykendall, you'll be leaving Cardiff for Newcastle Emlyn!"

Sister Kuykendall: "....."

District Leader: "I don't know where that is. But good luck!"

TRANSFER DAY

As we're waiting in Cardiff for the coach to take us to the mission home and then to our new area...

Zone Leader: "Sister Kuykendall, your ride is here."

Sister Kuykendall: "My ride? I thought I was taking the coach."

Zone Leader: "Did no one tell you? You're in a car area. Also, your companion is from Armenia and doesn't have a drivers license, so you'll be driving. Here's the keys. You should probably start driving home now as it's starting to get dark."

Panic starts to set in as I realized I have to figure out how to get to an area in the middle of no where, drive on the left side of the road, in the dark. Right now my nana might be panicking, but no need to fear. I was just fine. And my driving skills improve each and every day.

Also, my companion's name is Sister Grigoryan. She's from Armenia (yaya Madie!). She's super bold and fearless and likes to give me compliments. She's about half my size and likes to cook Armenian food for me. Which includes lots of meats and spices.

I went to my first Sacrament in my new ward yesterday, and as we were saying hello and greeting all the members, I started to get super homesick for Rhiwbina. I miss my family there. If I ever come back to Wales, I'll be going to Cardiff. However, I must say that where I am now is the prettiest place I've ever been in my entire life. No exaggeration. It seems like a place that Dad would like. In short, I miss Cardiff. But I'm SUPER glad that I get to stay in Wales. I'll most likely be spending most of my mission in Wales, as my mission president said he might want me to get a UK driver's license. If I do, I'd mostly likely be driving for the rest of my mission. And 3 of the 4 car areas for sisters are in Wales.

This past week I've received an incredible amount of support from friends and family. I wish I could be home to hug each one of you and thank you. I've really been looked after and have had some really comforting and personal experiences that remind me that I'm not alone. Though sometimes it may feel like it out here when you knock about 4 doors and have to drive a half hour to the next 4 doors. I love you! Jesus loves you.

Sister Kuykendall

Sad to be leaving Sister Heikki

Leaving for her new area

"Forget yourself and go to work!"

Family and friends,

Though this week felt a little long, it was filled with miracles (one in the form of a baptism!). At the beginning of the week, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to work as hard as I knew I needed to. I remembered the letter that President Hinckley's dad sent him during his mission saying "forget yourself and get to work." I decided to try that. Sister Heikki and I worked hard, and in turn we forgot about our worries. I especially found that the promises I've been given of peace and comfort through prayer are real. I love my mission. I love this area. I wouldn't change anything about about it thus far, as each direct or indirect experiece has helped me to grow. I love you all a whole bunch, and can feel your love and prayers!

Sister Kuykendall

Christmas in Wales

This past week was probably one of the best of my life thus far. Though it was a little slow, we were able to see quite a few miracles and tender mercies. With each day that I spend here, I hope more and more that I'll stay here at least one more transfer (or all transfers). And let me just say that holidays on the mission are way better than holidays at home. There was a whole new feeling to Christmas when the only thing I was thinking of was the Savior. In a letter I recieved (received?) just before Christmas, it said "Christmas is a time to reflect on the Savior and be with loved ones, and if you open you heart loved ones are all around."

This week started off quite crazy with the anticipation of Christmas. It was a little harder to actually find people to teach, but we continued to work hard and trust that we could meet our seemingly impossible goals if we did all we could. After Christmas, we got a little nervous as we felt like none of our efforts were changnig anything. However, like I've said before, God loves us and the Welsh and on Saturday night we had the wonderful opportunity to find and teach a family of four that came to church with us the next day. As they walked in to church, I was praying so hard that they would like it and the members would befriend them. I was so proud of our little ward as this family walked in and immediately people began to talk and laugh with them. I felt like they fit in so perfectly! During sacrament, the nine year old boy whispered in my ear "This is a nice church. The people are so friendly, and I feel something different here." I felt like I was in an Ensign article.

I have said this before, but I am assured of it each week: we cannot delay obedience in the pursuit of understanding. Many times out here, I've felt like I'm not making any difference, and right after I push through what I think is the impossible, that's when the miracles have come. I love my mission. It's perfect. I love my Savior and know that He lives.

Proverbs 3

Family and friends,

Transfers have come and gone, and I'm still here in Rhiwbina with Sister Heikki. We were extremely excited to hear that we would get to stay here for another six weeks. It still feels like winter over here in Wales, with quite a bit of rain, mist, and fog. Temperatures continue to drop, but it's not as cold as Utah. Thank goodness.

This week was incredible, as we got to attend a Christmas conference with the entire mission. It's nice to be reminded every once in a while that you're not alone in this. Seeing the other 280 missionaries all in one place made me incredibly happy. We are almost 100,000 strong across the globe, each of us with the same purpose. There are always challenges that arise, but I have support wherever I look.

Though this last week was good, it still had a few disappointments. We've been teaching a man who has really come to accept everything we've taught him the past few weeks. He agreed to be baptized, has been coming to church, and then told on Saturday that he has to move to Manchester on Wednesday because of family issues. I seriously almost started crying. As we talked with him and tried to find out what steps we could take next, I realized that I wasn't sad that we would be losing an investigator, but that as he moves to Manchester, he might not accept the gospel there. We've been praying hard for him the past few days and as we've done so, we've felt that everything will be okay. Though he won't be baptized right here at this time, I know he'll accept it someday. We've truly come to love this guy and become friends with him. I just hope and pray that having the beginnings of the gospel in his heart will help him later.

Well, Merry Christmas! I love this season, and am so excited to celebrate it here in Wales. I love you!

Sister Kuykendall

Proverbs 3 - A chapter that has defined my mission thus far.