Oh-Hi-o {7/29/13}

People that I love!!!

Hello from Ohio! I'm finally here!! I'm serving in the Eastgate ward in the Cincinnati East stake. Most of my ward lives in Cincinnati and some of our ward is in a little suburb called Batavia--where I live. It is BEAUTIFUL here! Seriously, I can't get over it. It's so green everywhere and there are so many trees and hills and fields. I feel like we're driving through a jungle sometimes. Sister Parker, my companion, probably gets so sick of my constantly saying how green and beautiful it is. I wish you could all see my area!! Anyway, I have so little time so this email is going to be so short and probably all over the place, so bear with me.

Wednesday morning we left the MTC at about 5 am and drove to the SLC airport. There was 30 of us traveling together--all going to Cincy. They dropped us off at the airport and we were on our own in the real world! The flight was only a few hours and somehow I was not nervous at all. Which is so not me, as you all know. I have had so many tender mercies on this journey. The guy I sat next to on the plane ordered 6 bottles of vodka so that was fun. Haha. We landed in Cincy and met the church media director of Ohio. He explained to us how we were to be presented to the press and put us into formation (I was in the front row!!!) Then we marched through the airport, in formation, and came out into baggage claim where we were greeted by a camera crew and reporters! It was pretty exciting, as you can imagine. We got to meet President Porter and his wife and they recorded a few of us singing Come come ye saints. So go look up Cincy news from the 24th of July! I saw the online article and I'm in the picture!! They did the report on us because of it being pioneer day and we were the first new missionaries to be transferred into the new Cincy mission--I didn't get to read or watch it but it sounds pretty cool. Then we drove to Ohio to the mission home (The airport is in Kentucky). We were interviewed by the president and we had Cafe Rio for dinner!! Like I said, tender mercies :) That night President and Sister Porter did a little devotional for us--very inspirational and powerful. They are a pretty incredible couple. I love them already! We had a big slumber party and all of us slept in the mission home. Bright and early the next morning we headed to transfers! I was the second transfer to be read and as soon as they announced the area and the trainer and just had this thought in my head and knew it was going to be me. Sure enough--- Eastgate Ward, Sis. Parker, and... Sister Rolfe!! I was in a bit of a daze for the rest of the transfer, but when we pulled up to our house afterward I thought it looked familiar--like the one I saw on Sis. Allen's blog (a sister who served in Cincy and I blog stalked her before I came). I figured there was no way though. Well, we walk in and there's a picture of none other than... SISTER ALLEN!! I am living in the house that she lived in that Mom and I talked about countless times how cool it would be for me to live here because it's so beautiful. Yep. The Lord is in the details of our lives!!! I still can't even believe it. There are 60 areas in our mission and this is where I am called my first transfer. What?! Life is so crazy like that. There are no coincidences, though, so I know I'm supposed to be here and I know that God knows what he's doing! He was probably the reason I found Sister Allen's blog! Crazy crazy. I live with 3 other Sisters and we live with the Blackhams. Basically the sweetest people in this world. I love love love them. They do SO much for us. They're even finishing their basement to make more room for missionaries! They have a married daughter who lives is Utah and a son on a mission in Cali. Bro. Blackham actually just got home yesterday from a motorcycle trip to Alaska to raise money for some organization. He cooked Sis. Parker and I steaks last night and Sis Blackham made us peach cobbler. Like I said, I love them.

As for our investigators and teaching and all that good stuff.

Where to start?! I don't even know so I'll just share a couple stories.

We have an investigator getting baptized this Saturday!!! I've been able to teach her a couple times and I'm so so excited for her. I've also been able to teach her little sister who is really struggling. She has had a lot of challenges and struggles with evil spirits. We had an emergency meeting with her the other night and were actually able to get her to pray out loud with us at the end-- something she has never done before!

My first night here we finished an appointment at 8:20 and were trying to decide what to do with our last 40 minutes. We knelt and prayed at the church and decided to go to a certain apartment complex. We pulled up and saw a guy walking down the sidewalk and decided to park and talk to him. After we got out of the car he was completely gone--seriously nowhere in sight-- but there was a group of boys smoking on a balcony right behind where he had been. So we talked to them! Two of them actually were interested in what we were saying and we have a lesson with them this week!! We made it home right at 9. Wow, already seeing miracles on the first day.

This one's for you, Dad. We had a lesson with a recent convert yesterday. His name is Tony, he's about 20, and he has such a strong testimony but he doesn't even realize it. He was telling us how he's been trying to put God first and how he keeps this book of inspirational quotes in his car and reads them every day. So of course I had to share a few of your quotes with him :) He really enjoyed the one about turning challenges into opportunities.

Mom--I love the cover you made for my bedding!!! SO CUTE!!! Please send me the CD called The Work that's part of the Nashville series. Thank you :)

The other morning we did a service project at another church. It was a mobile food pantry. They drive around to all the grocery stores and pick up there leftover food at the end of the day then they donate it all to homeless shelters. We got to unpack the food onto tables and help people "shop" for it (get bags for their family). It was the coolest experience. We met so many amazing people. They also let us take home a few boxes of fresh peaches!!! We've been living off them the past couple days and delivered a ton to investigators! Sis Blackham also made us peach jam and cobbler :) 

Oh one cool thing! I've been making most of our phone calls (we have a phone but don't use the internet or FB or anything yet) because Sis. Parker drives and the other day I was talking to a member and when she found out I was knew she said "wow! You sound like a seasoned missionary!!" Then we met a recent convert/investigator family the missionaries have been working with forever and at the end they told me they were worried about getting a new missionary but were so happy that I'm not shy because then I just would not work for them! But they approved of me, so that was good :) I love all of our investigators SO much! Even though some of them have bed bugs and we have to spray ourselves with alcohol after we visit them.. the joys of living in the backwoods right? ;) Don't freak out Mom, I'm taking EVERY precaution, trust me.

Ah, I could go on and on but just know that I love being a missionary and I'm working so so hard and I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!

xoxo
Sister Rolfe

Oh, one more cool thing. Sis Parker and I were talking after we got home the first day and she told me she had been talking to new members the day before I came and they were worried about getting a new missionary and she told them not to worry because I was... (and totally started describing me!! blond, tall, friendly, and on and on) Then she stopped and realized she had never met me or heard of me! Then she came to transfers and saw me and knew it was me! Also, the Sister AP, Sister Ward travels during the week training Sisters and lives with us on the weekends. When she was here she told me how protective she is of Eastgate because she was here practically her whole mission and when she saw me at transfers she knew I was the missionary she wanted here. Family, I am EXACTLY where I'm supposed to be!! This ward and this whole area are incredible!

All ready to go!

Sis. Rolfe and Sis. Parker

Sister Rolfe's new home!

These four sisters all live in the Blackhams' house.

Sis. Parker and Sis. Rolfe

The countryside where Sis. Rolfe lives.

New address!

Sister Rolfe has a new address! You can send letters here, or you can email her at kayla.rolfe@myldsmail.net. She would love to hear from you!

Ohio Cincinnati Missionaries Meet the Press

She's famous! (Kind of )

Sister Rolfe arrived in Cincinnati safely on Wednesday (7/24/13), and was greeted by the press! You can read the article here, if you're interested.

Surprise Letter! Getting Ready to Leave the MTC {7/22/13}

People who I love so dearly,

 

Surprise!!! They let us use today as a P Day since we're traveling on our P Day! YAY! So Mom and Dad good thing I get to talk to you tomorrow since I haven't heard from you!! I think you're liking having me gone more than you thought ;) Thank you all so so so much for all of the letters, cards, packages and prayers! WOW. Ya'll are seriously the best. I have felt so much love since I've been here and want you all to know how much it means to me!

I'm still loving the MTC and don't really want to leave this week! But, I know that I'm supposed to be in Ohio and am excited nonetheless! There are 28 of us going to Cincinnati on Wednesday but I've only met 10 or 12 of our group and I haven't met our cousins neighbor (confusing) yet, but I'll look for her!

Speaking of love and people, sorry I'm doing my best to tie things together because I know this email will probably be all over the place, I LOVE everyone here so much!! I know I said this before, but I seriously have never felt so much love in my life. My district gets closer every day and they really are my family here. Today is my last day with all of them because half of them leave for Reno in the morning :( I also love my teachers. So so much. I love seeing all of my friends from St. George!! It's so exciting every time and I think that's part of the reason I feel so at home here--I counted and I've seen over 20 people I knew from home! So cool! I've also made so many friends here, not only in my district, but other missionaries going all over the world. Like I said, I don't want to leave all of these people I love! Mom and Dad, did I tell you about Jessica Van Alfen?? She was in our ward in Vegas!!! Do you know her parents Scott and Dana? Isn't that crazy we randomly met each other? She's going to Italy!

 

I have so many experiences to tell you about but so little time, as always, so I'll start with this. Sundays at the MTC are celestial. Let me tell you about my day yesterday. Relief Society is all of the Sisters in the MTC combined. We get to watch Music and the Spoken Word before it starts! We really need to go to that live in a couple years. Then we all stand and sing the new verses of Sisters in Zion (and I bawl). Later is sacrament where I lead the music! It's so different because it basically feels like other days at the MTC but then we take the sacrament (in a classroom) and have these powerful talks from Elders and Sisters leaving and our District presidency and we realize it's Sunday. And it's powerful. After sacrament our district gets together and has a little lesson before we go on our Temple Walk (hallelujah!!). I love love love the spirit at the temple. Even though the spirit at the MTC is powerful, there's always a spirit at the temple, even outside, that just isn't quite like anywhere else. Especially when you're there with a few hundred missionaries. Even though there are protestors on every corner holding crosses and yelling at us. There is a spirit surrounding the temple you just can't find anywhere else. We hiked up a hill overlooking the temple and found a shady spot in the grass to sit and have a little district bonding. Did I mention how much I love these people? Later that night (after we had BYU creamery ice cream at dinner) was our departure devotional--what?! The MTC presidency spoke and it was so, so good. One thing that really stood out to me what a quote by one of their wives, "Your mission is the MTC for the rest of you live and lives to come." Think about that for a minute. What a cool way to think of my mission. Afterwards was Sunday night devotional where Jolene Allphin spoke. She writes books and stories about the pioneers and shared some of their stories with us. Every time I hear pioneer stories I am so humbled. I have absolutely nothing to complain about my mission when I think about all that they went through for the Gospel. We watched a talk by Elder Bednar after that really tied it all together for me. It was called the Character of Christ---everyone go read it now. He gave it on Christmas Day (don't know what year) in a devotional at the MTC. He also talked about the pioneers and how we often rely on their testimonies instead of gaining our own. He said when someone stands in church and bears testimony of the heritage he thinks "That's great--what have you done recently?" Wow. Blunt but so true. It's so important to remember and honor our ancestors, but what are we doing in our lives that our posterity will be able to say about us?? His talk was pretty bold but I think it's exactly what us missionaries need to hear. The next couple years are not about us. They are about losing ourselves in the service of others and in the work of the Lord. If we let ourselves do that, we will become selfless and humble. But, if we focus on becoming selfless and humble, it will have the opposite effect! I have a new commitment for myslef for the next 18 months. I can't state it better than President Hinckley's father-- Forget yourself and go to work. I'm counting on all of you to remind me if ever I forget! Don't be afraid to be bold about it either. There's so much more I could say about his talk. Please please please read or listen to it. It will change your life, I promise!

 

With that being said, I can't believe how much I have learned and grown these past two weeks. I seriously am not the same person I was July 9. I have learned so much about teaching, about the Gospel, about the Book of Mormon, about myself, about Christ, and maybe most importantly about how the Spirit works and learning to work through and with it. I've had incredible experiences with the spirit and my investigators. My progressing investigator I've been able to teach the whole time I've been here, Tommy, accepted the invitation to be baptized last week!! I have my last lesson with him today and am so sad even though he's not a real investigator. As my teacher says, the Spirit is never fake. Our trio decided to start every lesson out with a hymn and wow. It is incredible the spirit it brings to our lessons and our investigators.

 

I have to go, but let me leave you with one last thing to think about-- "The Spirit is a lot more eager to help you than you are to receive help" -Elder Holland

Be eager to receive that help from the Spirit!! I know He is there waiting for you to turn to Him.

I love you all so much!

 

xoxo

Sister Rolfe

Oh and please thank all of the little ones for their sweet drawings and notes. They make me so happy!!! I'm promise I'm trying to write them all back! Tell them Sister Kay Kay LOVES them!

My Comps and I on the first day

Sister Earl and I!!!

comps being cheeseballs in class

trio at temple!

Our roommates!! They left for South Carolina at 3 a.m. this morning!

Me and my comps with Henrie Walton from Snow Canyon! He's the one standing next to me.

Me and Sister Abbey Hafen!!! I get to see her all the time and I love it.

Trio at the Marriott Center for Tuesday Devotional! We sang in the front row of the choir. It was celestial.

Elder Chase Evans (from Desert Hills) and I

The classic Map picture with the trio (sis Morris is going to Reno)

I got to see Elder Vance!!!!

Elder Vance and I again. We got to eat lunch together!!

Me being really excited about having a real life name tag my first night

Annie Horne and I!!! I love this girl so much. She leaves me notes and brings me packages! What an angel. What a family!!

The trio at bedtime, our favorite time of the day :)

New elders in our district! One of them plays the piano while I lead the music--we're a good team. 

Elder Jake Lindsey and Elder Joey Sargent from Snow Canyon!

Loving Life in the MTC Part 2: This Trio Was Meant to Be {7/17/13)

Mom and Dad please forward this! I found out I have a little more time so I can tell you some more!! YAY!!

I have had so many incredible experiences and lessons I would love to tell  you all about but I just do not have time so I'll tell you this:  I know without a doubt that I am exactly where I need to be. I know that I was specifically placed with my companions, teachers, district, zone, and branch for a reason. I have had that confirmed to me so many times. I have one particular experience I NEED to share with you. The other night our trio was having companion inventory where we talk about our strenghts and things we need to work on, set goals, etc. It was going really well (we get along great and really work and teach well together!) and we were almost done when one of my sisters asked how we were doing emotionally. The two of us enthusiastically answered, great!! ( I really am, wow! ) Then she broke down crying and told us how homesick she was. We had no idea, she had hidden it so well! I felt horrible because I know exactly what she was going through and how hard it is to deal with those emotions. They are powerful. Even though I'm not struggling with that now, I told her about my London experience and how I had gone through exactly what she was going through and how I overcame it with the Lord. Even though my heart was broken I was so excited to share my story with her because that is exactly what I was promised I would be able to do in my setting apart! Dad, you're amazing. Did you know that? I did, but it was confirmed to me the minute I had this experience. You told me that you had revelation that this Sister would need my help, but the first few days I brushed it off becaue she seemed fine. How naive I am!! If I had been paying more heed to your concil and to the Spirit of course I would have seen it because I went through it! But, it's okay because I was still able to help her and I learned so much from this experience.

As we kept talking, our other companion share with us some experiences she had before we came that once again were exactly like experiences I had! We were close before, but talking about these personal things brought us so much closer. We all were amazed at how obvious it was that we are ALL supposed to be together! And we weren't even supposed to be a trio--one girl didn't show up! The Lord works in mysterious ways, but he knows what he's doing, that's for sure.

One more cool experience. We get to role play and teach our companions and other missionaries a lot. Yesterday, we were teaching our comps about the Book of Mormon and got to share with them one of our favorite scriptures that has taught us as missionaries. I was impressed to share with my sweet sister a scripture in Moroni about boldness. She is very quiet and reserved and I bore testimony to her about how passionate I am about the scriptures teaching us to be bold! I know the spirit was able to work with her through that and that it wasn't me AT ALL. Seriously, I didn't even know what I was going to say!! That night we had our devotional and Elder Hinckley talked about being bold!!! The only way to explain how there are 4000 missionaries here and every message still seems to be directed exactly at me is that the Spirit is working through and with me. My testimony has grown leaps and bounds since I've been here. I can't even imagine what it will be in a year and a half. I feel so blessed to be able to serve and to learn and grow so much as a person.

Elder Hinckley also said "This is the most exciting moment in the history of missionary work!" I believe that with all my heart and can't even describe what it's like to be a part of this HUGE Army of Helaman!! We took a picture of all the missionaries, only the 3rd time in the history of the MTC they've ever done that!!, and right after Elder Hinckley stood up again, in the audience, and said, "You are going to be the best missionaries on the face of the Earth!" WOW!! What?! That is a member of the 70 telling us that!!

Oh! We got to sing the new verses of Sisters in Zion and since the words aren't available yet I'll share them with you: **They are powerful!! I couldn't even sing about half of the song because I was just crying!**

v. 1

The sisters of Zion are called to God's labor. We willingly serve Him with spirit and might. We go to the nations with truth everlasting. WE teach of the Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ.

v.2

We thank thee, oh God for a prophet to guide us. we trust in his words and our purpose is dear.

The angles of heaven are walking beside us. We'll share our glad message with all who will hear.

v.3

We go forth enlisted with Helaman's army in numbers much greater than ever before. With power and spirit we'll faithfully witness. The heavens have spoken and trust is restored.

Our trio  is teaching two investigators right now--Tommy and Aloni. Tommy is so ready for the gospel but is having a hard time accepting it. He's also had to put up with us getting used to teaching together and well, teaching! He's really our teacher, though, so he's been able to help us improve so much!! Aloni is a real convert who we are teaching in a life like situation. She has already met with the missionaries and is so open and receptive to our message!! She is incredible!! It is truly amazing how missionaries are blessed with Charity. I have loved my investigators since before we met them. Honestly, I have never felt love like this before.

Basically, the MTC is amazing. I love it. I love you. I love the Gospel. And I want you all to be happy--- so live the Gospel!!!

xoxox

Sister Rolfe

I hope you enjoy the pictures!!  I've seen 20+ people from St. George and run into more every day!!! It's such a comfort, I love it.

Sister Rolfe's "Tripanionship"

Outside the Provo Temple.

The Trio! Sister Morris, Sister Ellis, and Sister Rolfe.

Loving Life in the MTC {7/17/13}

Family!!!

Okay, I literally don't even know where to start. There is so much to say and I have so little time. So hopefully some of this makes sense and I'll apologize right now for jumping all over the place!

First of all, thank you all SO much for your letters, cards, packages, and emails. I have felt so much love since being here!! I can never get too many letters so feel free to send as many as you want :)

I haven't had a chance to read all of your emails yet, like I said my time is VERY limited on the computer, and I had almost 30!! Ya'll are amazing! One of my companions didn't get any emails from her family and one only got one. I am so blessed! I love you all so much!!

So, I'm in a trio!! Sister Ellis, from Arizona, and Sister Morris, from Texas, are my companions. Everyone feels bad for us but we are really the lucky ones. We love being a tripanionship!!! We have two other roommates and well all get along so well. It's awesome. We're the only sisters in our district and there are 6 elders. Half of our district is going to Cincinnati and half to Reno. We really struggled with being unified the first few days and some people is our district were really struggling. We all decided to work on it, though, and literally by Monday the difference was like night and day. Sunday and Mondaywere honestly two of the best days of my life!! The Spirit was SO strong and we became so united so quickly. Now, we eat every meal together, spend all day in class together, and still decided to spend basically our whole P Day together because we just love each other that much. I seriously LOVE every single person in my district.

It's been pretty miraculous that I literally have not felt one moment of homesickness since being here. Seriously, I don't even know how that's possible. Well I do--through the Lord!!! He has helped and blessed me SO much! I have never felt the spirit so strong all the time, felt so happy all the time, or felt so much love for so many people so fast. My companions and I always talk about how there is no place else in the world like the MTC. There are litterally 4000 teenagers and young adults here and the spirit is unlike anywhere else. Everyone is respectful, spiritual, and most of the elders do pretty good with not being roudy :) Everywhere you go you see missionaries praying, teaching, and speaking ALL KINDS of other languages! It's SO cool and so powerful. I seriously don't want to leave. Time her is going so quickly! I'm already half done!!

AH, I have to log off the computer and I haven't even started saying what I want to! I will write a letter this afternoon and have mom put it on FB or send it out of something.

The gospel is so true!! I cannot deny that. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH.

xoxo

Sister Rolfe

Kayla's First Letter Home {7/11/13}

Kayla sent her first letter home to Mom and Dad after her first 24 hours in the MTC. They tried to read the letter aloud together but couldn't make it through without tears (of joy!). She is already having amazing experiences. We love our missionary!

Click on the pictures to enlarge them to make reading a little easier.

I hope they call me on a mission

Adorable video, as promised.

So long, farewell

Sunday June 30 was a day that felt like it would never come. Well, it came and went and now I leave for my mission in less than 24 hours! Life is too crazy.
Almost my entire family was able to come for my farewell--even my brother who had moved less than 2 days before! I am so blessed to have such a loving, supportive family. Even though we only got one quick day together, it was one that I will never forget. I soaked up all the time with the little ones that I could and told them to stay exactly the same. Reed (who's 4 right now) told me he would see what he could do. :) We played games, ate great food, listened to the little ones sing I Hope They Call Me On a Mission (video to come), and everyone gave me wonderful advice that made me cry like a baby.
When I get nervous about my mission, feeling like I'm going to miss my family way too much, I remind myself that that is exactly why I'm serving a mission--so other people can be with their families for eternity, too.
Thank you so much to everyone who came to my farewell and all of the love and support I have received from friends and family! I love you all so much and can't wait to begin my service as Sister Rolfe!

xoxo,
Kay