Milk

Friends and Family,

First off, happy birthday to my best friend. Man, Madie is 20? I feel old. And happy Father's Day to the best daddy in the world. I miss you a lot. But I totally agree with Madie: I have never missed my family less, but loved them more since I've been here. So, I love you all a whole bunch.

So honestly, this week was a little sad. Our investigator that came to church last week told us on Tuesday that he didn't think he'd be able to come to church ever again because he gets extreme anxiousness and mini panic attacks when driving in cars. He was in a super serious accident about ten years ago which he miraculously survived, but left him in a wheelchair for over a year. We were devastated. I had no idea that a little piece of news could make me as deeply sad as it did. He told us he'd like to continue to learn, but he wasn't sure if he would ever progress. Anyway, we continued with him throughout the week. On Saturday, he cancelled a lesson because he fell off his roof, so he was in the hospital. In my head I was like, "Really? This cannot be real." We decided to call by his house later in the evening, even though we weren't sure if he was home yet. We just wanted to check up on him and invite him to church. So, we prayed that miraculously he would say, "Yes! I'd love to come to church and then be baptised next week." As we walked up to the door, I expected a miracle. I wanted it so bad. We knocked on the door... And he opened! He said he wasn't doing too well, and sorry he had to cancel. We invited him to church and... He said heck no. He could barely move, let alone try and get over his panic attacks from driving and travel the distance. We walked away feeling really let down.

Sunday morning, we were both a little silent. This investigator had been quite solid, and seeing everything sorta fall apart made me want to run into a wall. On our way to church, we got a text from our investigator saying, "Sorry to be a pain, but could you get me a lift to church?" And then a text immediately after that saying, "Nevermind, I found a ride. See you soon." I was dying. I felt like it was a joke. We both hurried to church, and sure enough, there he was! With his back brace and everything. He explained that he'd gotten up this morning, and he didn't know why but he woke up and decided he was going to church. He found himself walking to a member's home around the corner and asking for a ride. He came on his own. This never happens. This was truly a miracle that I will never understand. I don't even think our investigator understood completely why he'd made a whole bunch of sacrifices to come to church. But in Sunday School, he admitted that he didn't know why, but he felt a burden lifted from him after coming to church, and a peace throughout the week that he'd never felt and couldn't describe.

Funny: Thursday night, after a long and sad day, we got back to the flat and were about to plan. As I walked across the flat to pray, I tripped over my bag, and landed flat on my face pretty hard. Sister Allred laughed pretty hard. I did too, until I felt this super sharp pain on my foot. I looked down, and the metal part of my bag had stabbed my toe super deep and ripped a huge part of my skin off on my left big toe. The bleeding didn't stop for a while, but luckily I didn't need stiches. But now I have special permission to wear sandals until it's healed. 

Weird Milk Lady: On Wednesday, we were talking to some people in Lampeter. One woman told me I was of the devil and a hypocrite because I drink milk. I tried to ask why, and she just kept saying, "Vegan life! Vegan life!" Sister Allred drinks about a gallon of milk a week, so I think it sorta upset her.

The ward: I've grown super close to this ward, and I'll miss it a bunch when I leave. I've made some really good friends. They even told me I was part of the family. I wanna stay here forever.

I love this. I love being here. Even the hard days are worth it. Do you understand how much fun I'm having? And how many cool people I get to meet? I get to walk around the streets of Europe and tell people that Jesus loves them.

Sister Kuykendall

My toe at a non-gross angle

Me with an Armenian that met Madie

Sheesh!