FAMILY!!! I am alive and I have like 10 min on this computer so I will make the most of it. I went to the temple today with Sister Fitzgerald and her recent convert she had. Its actually a way cool story because Sister Fitzgerald was teaching her over the phone. The recent convert's name is Latrina and she had called Mormon.org thinking it was a suicide hotline. Turns out Sister Fitzgerald answered the phone and started to teach her about the Book of Mormon... then it turns out that Latrina is actually in the boundaries of Kirtland Stake. So she sent the Elders and the Elders started to teach her and she continued to teach over the phone once a week. Long story short, she joined the church and we went with her to do baptisms and confirmations today and it was the neatest thing!!!! I also had no idea how much I missed the temple. Man oh man I wish they had a temple closer to us so we could go more often. Well the rest of this week was great! We saw Cara last night finally. She was out of town forever! I was super worried that she was just avoiding us but she is doing so well and is sooooo open! Plus she likes to read so she is keeping her commitments. I think that is one of the hardest things here. No one likes to read in Ohio it seems like. Well at least the people I had taught in the past. What else happened this week?.... Oh we had exchanges two days in a row due to me being sick last week and having to reschedule. So I wasn't with Sister Fitzgerald in what felt like forever, and then we had two days at Kirtland right after that which were super packed so we didn't see each other much that day either. We had to take solo tours because of all the visitors. This is such a crazy weird mission. 4 days without really spending any time with my companion. But overall I am doing really great!The work is going well and these people are progressing. There is so much potential in our group of investigators so I really hope I don't get transferred any time soon. Well I love you family!!!! Take care! And thank you sooooo much for the package!!!!!!! I loved it!!!!! I am blessed with such a wonderful family :) I LOVE Y'ALL!!!!!! Love, Sister Katie Call This week has been a little crazy!!! It was another one of those really stressful weeks but there were tons of highlights as well!
First off, this week I met Elder Holland!!!!! He came to the visitors center because his family was having a reunion! I only talked to him for a split second but my oh my does he carry the strongest spirit with him! So that was way cool. Roughest part was I got sick this week and had to stay in bed for a day. It was terrible! I hate sitting around when I know there is so much to do. My body pretty much hates me though because I go to bed every night completely warn out. All the work has caught up to me, that's for sure. So the sleep definitely helped. But now I am ready to get to work again!!! Oh this week we also had Mission Leadership Council which was really cool because we got to see how the mission president was going to get this mission moving even more. And he for sure got down to business. He is all about working hard! His slogan is "just one more mile".... it's also some horse term. But still, its great! He's got drive which is always my favorite. So then a couple days after we had the mission leadership training we had our zone conference where we communicate all things that president wants to our zones. This is always scary for me because I have to be a leader and I had to call a lot of people to repentance. We had some people go over miles again this month and the Zone Leaders are too nice so they asked me to do the dirty work. I am pretty sure everyone in our zone is scared of me. Whoops. But hopefully they actually stay within their miles this month. Other then scaring them a bit, Sister Fitzgerald and I got to have discussions with our zone about goals and a bunch of things and we got the whole zone really excited! I have never seen them so pumped so that was neat! What else.... Oh the visitors center was sooo packed this week. We had a record amount of people come into the visitors center in one day. I think it was just over a thousand people!!!! Oh man my feet hurt so bad by the end of that day. I think with my birthday money that I am going to go out and buy a good pair of shoes!!! Plus my other shoes are falling apart from all the tours haha :) This week we saw Amber and Erin again and they are doing so great! They are a little slower at learning because they are so young but it seems like we will have the baptisms in August but still that is going good! We have now got into contact with their mom and it seems like everything is going to work out. These girls are just the best! They are so sweet and they have seen a huge change in their dad since he joined the church. Almost all our other investigators were our of town this week so we didn't get to see many people. I guess it was a good week though to get all the meetings and my sickness out of the way. But overall it went well and now I am happy its preparation day so I can take a nice long nap hahahaha :) Its much needed! Well Family I love you to pieces!!!! Thank you for being the best ever!!!!!! The church is true and Heavenly Father is truly preparing people everyday!!!!! I LOVE Y'ALL!!!! Love, Sister Katie Call FAMILY! Hi! Its been a much better week! Sister Fitzgerald and I are doing so well! She really is a boss! We have only been companions for a week but I have seen why Heavenly Father sent her here to the to the Rootstown Easthill area. Our investigators needed her!!!! She is super different from me but that is what makes our companionship work. We strengthen our weaknesses together to help not only us, but most importantly, to help those we teach. When Sister Fitzgerald came, miracles happened! So many of the little kinks with our investigators were cleared within the first few minutes of our lessons. It was amazing! Throughout my whole mission its been amazing to see how different teaching styles, personalities, insights, and testimonies can affect people. We all have those little niches that can help our investigators move along. Heavenly Father has blessed us each with different gifts that helps us press this work forward. It helps me to stop comparing my success to others and makes me desire to be the best missionary that I personally can be. Okay so I'll give you an update on some of the investigators-- Amber and Erin! They are doing great but it seems like we are going to have to push back their baptismal date. There are some family problems that we have to work out. THeir mother isn't a member and doesn't want the girls to be baptized. She doesn't know much about our faith, but we are planning to start teaching the girls at their mothers house every other lesson or something like that. That way she knows what they are being taught, and also she can know for herself the truth :) works out, right?!? We haven't met her but the Elders (who we are working with) have met her and says she has some major potential. So we are hoping for the best. Ikel! We did service with her again this week and then we taught her about the Book of Mormon. She is very very smart and knows the Bible back and forth so lessons can be intimidating but she is progressing like crazy!!!! She is very much excited about reading the Book of Mormon and she said she wants to find out for herself. A bunch of her friends keep telling her anti but she insists that she uses her agency to find the truth and not be indoctrinated by the many preachers and her friends. She is looking for true conversion! Shes the best! Plus Sister Fitzgerald had been studying Revelations without even knowing that Ikel had lots of questions about our beliefs on the book of Revelations. She has been able to answer more of her questions then I could. So meant for her to be here. Michelle! She is doing awesome! She went a whole week with out wine tea and coffee. Shes getting places! Another one of those obvious"sister Fitzgerald is suppose to be here" moments. Sister Fitzgerald is really good friends with the girl that introduced Michelle to the church. These little connections are crazy. Plus Michelle has a bunch of questions that Sister Fitzgerald knew how to answer perfectly. Basically my comp is the bom.com. Okay now about the new mission president and his wife. They are awesome! Hahaha they definitely have their own "flavor" that's for sure. They are horse people. Like they compare everything to horses. They are also so excited that when they talk they tell you every detail and just giggle or get caught up in their words. Its hilarious. President seems like a stud though! He showed us a video of him jumping off a horse to catch a bull which I thought was pretty cool. Also they say "y'all" so I am no longer alone. I swear every one makes fun of me for that. In fact I got called out in our YSA branch yesterday 5 times. I bore my testimony in sacrament and said yall and they all chuckled. During the meeting the two elders got up and a member of the branch presidency got up and they all said "y'all" in their testimonies to make fun of me. I was bright red and our whole ward was looking at me. Plus in another meeting, the branch president did the same as well as relief society teacher. Why is everyone picking on me?!?! Hahaha its probably because they are jealous that they aren't from Texas. Last but not least, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE BIRTHDAY THINGS!!!!!! We are going to a members tonight and they are going to help us eat all my BBQ :) OHHHH I AM SO EXCITED!!!!! Plus cream corn is my second fav part about Rudy's so I think I am going to dye of a happiness overload. Thank you thank you thank you!!! Plus my package was the best! I don't think I am going to ever have to starve again. Wooohooo!!! But my favorite part of every package is the letter in the box. My family is the best and I just miss you more than you can imagine. The work load never decreases, but a supportive family makes it easier to press forward and get it done. Missions are the greatest! I have such a testimony of Heavenly Fathers direction in this work. He calls everyone to where they are suppose to be, when they are suppose to be there! The church is true!!!!! Take care family! I love you soooooo sooo sooooooooooo much!!!!!! Love, Sister Call Hi hi!
Ok where to start.. My new companion!!!! Its Sister Fitzgerald! She also shares the same last name as my favorite singer so shes destine to be great! Sister Fitzgerald was born in Portland Oregon and then spent the rest of her life in the good old Utah. In fact, I met her way long ago because we were both at BYU at the same time. She worked at the BYU book store and I remember vividly. I was looking for a poster and she totally made fun of me. It was one the the cliche black and white posters that every BYU girl was buying. I was totally judged lol. But its funny now and we joke about it all the time. Sister Fitzgerald is the best! She also works freaking hard which is my favorite! But all that being said, this has probably been the most difficult week of my mission. Having Sister Stone leave after one transfer made everything so difficult. I felt like I knew nothing but then I had to try to teach my new companion the ropes. In fact the first two days she came to the area were full of cancellations and craziness. Plus we were biking because of the miles situation. Plus I spent my MSF funds too fast so we had to get clever with food. But the biggest stress was/is our area.It has been a mess. They have changed the boundaries and this and that so often that we have three area books full of crap. That has been stressing me out the most. Soooo Sister Fitzgerald and I have been taking some time to really clean it up so our work is effective. Its been so good and now there seems to be some hope. I am now really really getting to know our ward as well. Its been especially hard to get to know the Rootstown ward because we have to leave the second after sacrament ends to get to our other ward. But we are working out the kinks and getting places now. The coolest thing about Sister Fitzgerald is she isn't afraid to try new things. We have been getting a bunch of new ideas on how we can really get our area places. Plus now we have about 9 real investigators. This is so rare here!!!! So miracles are happening. Its just taking lots and lots of work on our part. But work builds character as dad says. So now that I have told y'all about all my problems hahaha :) I will tell you the goods. We taught Michelle this week and it was so good! She agreed to go without wine for the week. We basically asked her what her priorities were in life and then asked her where she places God. It was a neat lesson. Also she is going on a vacation this week and we all know how people like to drink on their vacation. So hopefully she stays strong! We also saw Amber and Erin this week and taught them about the Book of Mormon. These little girls are great at reading, oh my gosh! Plus they comprehend a lot more then I thought they would be able to so that is awesome. I can't remember if I told yall, but we have a baptism date set for July18th. The only problem is that we have had a hard time seeing them because their parents are divorced so they are only in our area a couples days in the week. So the date might get pushed back, but they are really progressing so that is great! Oh this week at sites was pretty neat as well! Lottttssss of bus tour. Ooo also I took a tour of New Zealand Rugby players with Sister Fitzgerald and it was so cool! I had a super difficult time understanding them the whole time because of the strong accents but it made for a fun tour. They were playing a game in Cleveland and so they came to Kirtland in their spare time. But man oh man can Sister Fitzgerald give a spirit filled tour. In the beginning I thought It was going to be a more difficult tour because I mean, its a bunch of New Zealand jocks, but the spirit was so strong! My bad for judging them before hand! So that was another one of the million humbling experiences I have had on the mission so far. But seriously, this mission has been one of the most life changing experiences I have had! I have come to more fully know, understand, and love my Savior. I am constantly learning through my area work and when at the visitors center. I have seen so many miracles that it would be impossible for me to deny my Heavenly Fathers love for each of us. He is real. He is there! And He literally is in everyone one of our lives and He knows our full potential. What a blessing it is to be able to help others come to know that! I love my mission!!!! And I love my family!!! I miss y'all all so very much! And I also especially miss hearing from my little sister Emily *hint hint* I LOVE YALLLLLLLLL XOXOXOXOX love, Sister Katie Call |
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