New Year, New Companion {1.13.14}

My dear loved ones,

Once again, I find myself not knowing where to start. So let's start at the beginning of this week.

Monday-- snowed in! Kendallville was in a level 3 snow emergency (still) so we didn't leave the house for a grand total of 48 hours. We had a bit of cabin fever, to say the least. Those of you who received the video we made will understand :) We actually had some powerful lessons over the phone though. The work will not be stopped! :) I also found out that Kendallville was colder than the south pole that day. That's never a good sign!

Tuesday-- FINALLY got out of the house!! We didn't even care that we were plowed into our parking lot and had to risk frostbite to dig ourselves out.

Wednesday-- transfer calls. President Porter said the Lord loves everyone, but he doesn't trust everyone and He trusts me enough to let me train again--that was cool. Found out we were being separated :( Shed a few tears (understatement of the year). Visited some of our loved ones so Sister Fox could say goodbye. I didn't ever want the day to end but of course it was the fastest day of my mission yet! I don't know how I got so lucky to be Sister Fox's trainer, but I'm so grateful I was!! She is one of a kind and I love her with all of my heart and soul. Oh man, I feel like a proud mama with my baby leaving home. It's amazing how close you can grow to someone so fast!!

Thursday--- woke up at 4 to get down to Ft. Wayne so the Hereth's could drive us to Ohio for the transfer meeting. Sister Fox was transferred to Huntington, Indiana (in my stake!!!!!) and she is opening a new area and training!! She will be amazing. Huntington is one lucky ward! I am staying in Kendallville and training Sister Wight!! It's going to be a great transfer! President told us about a missionary who was being interviewed and told the reporter, "I spend most of my day in dark places." Well, it's true. But we are the light! We bring the light of Christ into dark places and invite the captive to come forth into the light. We are showing them a more excellent way and we are changing lives. Isn't that powerful? It makes me want to be the best missionary I can be. I have seen that light enter people's lives and it is something special. D&C 115:5 is my scripture of the week. Light is contagious.. spread it!

Friday-- We had two very powerful lessons with a few investigators who are extremely close to coming onto date for baptism. Pray for them!! One of our investigators has refused to pray out loud since we met her-- even alone. She was in the hospital last week, reading the Book of Mormon with her husband, and decided to give it a shot. Wow. There relationship completely turned around. They used to fight like cats and dogs and now I've never seen a couple so in love. Before we left today, she offered (without even being asked!) to say the closing prayer. It was so beautiful It brought me to tears. The Gospel changes lives.

That night, I felt like we needed to visit a less active member of our branch. She has poor health and we found her disoriented and not well. We called a family in our branch to give her a blessing and make sure she was alright.. long story short, she ended up in the hospital in Ft. Wayne that night. :( We were able to visit her with a couple women from our branch the next day and she was doing a lot better. It was so neat to see our branch pull together so quickly for her though. Within 10 minutes of calling, we had two priesthood holders at her house administering to her and one of their dear wives taking care of her. They didn't hesitate to drive her down to Ft. Wayne at 10 o clock that night and to stay with her so she wouldn't have to be alone. That is something I love about the Church. We really are a family and I know that no matter where in the world I go I have that. How comforting!

Saturday-- After visiting our friend, we stopped in the cafeteria for some gelatto (yum!! Mom, reminded me of our MANY gelatto stops in Italy :) and ran into another member! Her father in law was also in the hospital, so we visited him as well. He is in one of the Ft. Wayne wards so their elders (our zone leaders) gave him a blessing that morning that turned around his health and strengthened quite a few testimonies. In fact, they were able to go back the next day and teach the restoration to this man's nonmember girlfriend and she committed to be baptised in February!! Once again, I am so grateful for righteous priesthood holders and the power of the priesthood.

Sunday-- 5 investigators at church!! I love how at home I feel at church. There's been a lot of change this week and it's so nice to have that as a constant. I love my people here in Kendallville.

 

And an announcement for the coming week.... Ian is being baptised Saturday!!!! We cannot wait :) Saturday is also the social media split and I'm going to tell the memebers to tag me.. so when you see the pictures pop up SHARE them!! And make sure you use the hashtags... #mormon #socialmediasplit....... you'll have to check out the other pictures with those hashtags too. The Ohio Cincinnati mission is going to flood the internet with the Gospel :) If you're curious, we've chosen the 18th because that's the day the Book of Mormon musical opens in Cincy. We are prepared!

 

Wow, what  a week. I love you and I'll leave you with this thought from my studies this week:

Don't pray for your circumstances to be changed, pray for the strength to deal with your cirumstances. Through the enabling power of the atonement we can receive strength to adapt (school of life, woot woot) to our circumstances and act as the agents that God created us as.

 

With all of the love in my heart,

Sister Kayla Rolfe

xoxoxo