Merry Christmas! :)

After this last transfer Kierstan is still in Oldham with Sister Jones as her companion. They have had snow and cold weather and a wonderful baptism to go along with it. She sends her love and Christmas Wishes to all her friends and family. Kierstan will be calling at 11:00am on Christmas so we are looking forward to hearing her voice (probably with an accent) for the first time since she left in May! Merry Christmas to Everyone!!

Kierstan in Oldham!

Part of the Town of Oldham

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I hope all of you have a wonderful day filled with reasons to be grateful! And if my missionary is reading this (by some miracle) Happy Thanksgiving my darling! I love you :)

Big Thank You!

Thanks to everyone who gave me something for Kierstan's Christmas package, it is much appreciated! Also thanks to those who are mailing gifts separately or sending a birthday card. I sent her a card last week but forgot to mention it in my email to her this past Monday. She didn't forget to remind me that she is having a birthday on the 23rd so I hope she has her card before her birthday or she will for sure think I forgot. I am looking forward to the Holiday's with a missionary serving. I keep thinking that I should be sad, or miss her terribly bad, but somehow knowing that she is serving our Heavenly Father takes away the worst of the emotions and just brings a wonderful Peace to my heart. I think that this will somehow be one of the best Thanksgiving's and Christmas's our family has ever had! Happy Holidays to all of you!!

Birthday and Christmas

Just a quick reminder that Kierstan's birthday is November 23rd. It would be great if she could get cards sent to her from all of her friends! Also, Christmas packages must be mailed by November 15th in order to arrive in time for Christmas. This recommendation comes from her Mission President and his Wife along with a reminder that all packages have to be carried by the missionary back to their apartment and big packages could be difficult to transport. Something small and meaningful would be wonderful, or I know she would love a Christmas card with your testimony written in it. I am mailing packages by Nov 13th so if anyone would like to send something with the things I am mailing let me know. My phone number is 8014141999 or you can email me at catsmail@rocketmail.com. Thanks for your love and support of Kierstan!

SEND LETTERS IN THE POST!!

As always, Kierstan would love to receive mail from all of us, and a quick friendly reminder from me that if you are sending her birthday or Christmas cards it takes a while for them to get there!

Transfer!

Kierstan was transferred today to Oldham England and she has a new companion named Sister Jones. She was very excited about the transfer and said that she and sister Jones have done splits before and they really like each other. They were whitewashed into the area which means that neither of them were in the area before. I guess there were Elders there who got transferred out, and they have been working with several investigators that Kierstan and Sister Jones will be working with now. Kierstan is very excited to continue the work in a new area and asks that we all continue our prayers for the members and investigators in England.

To have Faith in Jesus Christ means to have such trust in Him that we obey whatever He commands

This message comes from a Gospel Principles lesson and Kierstan shared this with us. "Our obedience shows how much faith and trust we have in the Saviour. Moroni 10:32 talks about denying yourself of all ungodliness. What I know to be true, is when we feel that love we have no desire to lose that love, and so we have no desire to sin. By acting upon that desire we are showing our faith in our Saviour. He really can help us through whatever we go through. That scripture is one of my favorites"!

Update

Sorry it has been so long since the last post. Life is crazy, both in Utah and in England! This past week was transfer week and Kierstan got a new companion. She is still in Liverpool and her comps name is Sister Kerr. Kierstan said they get along very well but are complete opposites in every way. She says Sister Kerr is so amazing; she is a hard working missionary and very motivated to be among the people and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Kierstan's letters, as always, are filled with the Spirit and her love for the work. Before the transfer, she and sister Holbrook had one baptism and have a couple more that now she and Sister Kerr are working on together. I hope everyone will include them in your prayers and send her lots of letters. I am posting her physical address where you can send letters but not packages. She loves receiving mail! Thanks to everyone for your love and support of Kierstan.

So. Stinking. Funny!

I have always known that Kierstan has a sense of humor, but this is the funniest thing I've heard from her in a long time. She sent me a letter last week in the post (as she calls it) and told me to read these scripturs from the bible in the order she posted them.

Zechariah 5: 1, 2
1. Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.

2. And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.

Ezekiel 3: 2
2. So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.

Kierstan laughed so hard and in her letter she put her laughter as Baaaaaaaa!! So funny !!!

Spirit Formula

Speak Slowly
Pause
Identify
Reinforce
Invite The Spirit
Testify Together

Kierstan had a wonderful teaching experience during this past week using this formula. The Spirit was so strong, and the gentleman they were teaching felt the Spirit testify to him of the truth of the Restoration and the Prophet Joseph. She gave the message of the First Vision with her eyes closed, and invited him to do the same, so they could feel the power of the Spirit as it testified. What a wonderful way to teach!

Good vs Evil

Kierstan and her companion had a rather profound experience the other day that makes me, as her mother, sick inside. They were on the double decker bus, up on top, and there were 4 boys behind them that asked if they were nuns. They replied no and told them they are missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and asked if they would like to hear their message. The boys laughed at them and because Kierstan was on the seat just in front of them they began to make derogatory remarks to her about the things she was saying. Innuendo, vile and unfit for any young woman to hear, so this is where her naivety and innocence can be a blessing and a curse. Kierstan was so focused on the Gospel that she didn't understand what they were implying. She has always tried to keep her mind clean and not let Satan put unclean thoughts where they weren't wanted. It is an amazing gift to have so much control over your thoughts, but this time, it could have gotten them hurt. Her companion quickly understood what was happening and pulled the cord for them to get off the bus. Kierstan said it was such an awful experience, and the Spirit was completely gone from them. They went to a member's house, someone they knew would help them get the Spirit back, and stayed there until they were able to feel the sweet peace of the Spirit again. I think it was a great blessing to Kierstan because she was able to see, probably for the first time, that she needs to be a little more aware of the world and the evil's that are in it. I think she was able to finally understand what it means to live in the world, but not be of the world.

Favorite Kierstan Quote

"If it weren't for the Spirit testifying of the truth we speak, we missionaries would have messed up the gospel a long time ago!"

These are the only sisters in the England Manchester Mission!!

I will forward her emails...

To any friends that would like to receive them. They are very inspiring and you can practically see her testimony grow :)

Sore Feet and Gratitude

Kierstan's letter came on Tuesday this week. She is so excited about several contacts they have and a few that they are teaching and she talks about how many they have met in the streets. She mentions that walking takes quite a toll on your feet and that her feet were swollen and very very sore. She says that after walking all day they soaked their feet in the tub that night and while they felt better they were still swollen the next morning. She prayed to Heavenly Father and asked him to help her because she didn't know how she would get through the day, and practically instantly; her the swelling went down and her feet didn't hurt any longer. My sister had given her a pair of boots and she put those on (she loves them to pieces!) and she said that even though the boots were wonderful, she likes to believe that it is the prayer and miracles from heaven that eased her foot pain so it has plagued her no longer.

Kierstan is in Liverpool !!

Kierstan arrived safely in her first area and has met her new companion and trainer, Sister Holbrook. She said that they already have a baptism set up for a week from saturday, and have started teaching another man that approached them on his bicycle and begged them to teach him. They are also teaching a gentleman named Gary, and she says he has an amazing testimony. She was able to meet her Mission President and his Wife before leaving the MTC (I posted a pic below) and said that was pretty cool. She was interview by him but didn't say how that went, she only said that when everything was done with talking to him they left for her new area. She seems happy and excited and would welcome letters from everyone. I will post her address on the blog so you can send her lots of mail !!

Kierstan with President and Sister Bullock; her Mission President and his wife.

Week 2 In The MTC

Kierstan seems so very happy and it comes through in her emails. She said that their are 47 missionaries in the MTC in England and all of them were able to sing in the MTC choir. She was able to sing a solo in one verse of I Know That My Redeemer Lives! and President Quentin L Cook was there, so she sang for an aopostle. He told them that they were all Apostles with a lower case 'a', because it is their mission to spread the good news of the gosple and to testify of Jesus Christ. They had an opportunity to go into Manchester this week and to speak to people in the street. She was very motivated by that experience and is looking forward to being out of the MTC and share the gosple. She is only there until the 25th and then she will be assigned an area so I will keep you posted with her address.

Beautiful Scenery

Week 2 :)

Kierstan had a wonderful week!

They look like they are soooo happy!!

Kierstan's companion is to her right, Sister Kullick. Kierstan said she has a twin sister, but I don't know if her sister is on a mission or not.

We Heard From the MTC

A little earlier today, I received an email from the wife of the MTC president. Kierstan made it safely to England, and will be able to send an email on Wednesday. I will pass along all she has to say once I receive it. :)

Kierstan is in England!

Yesterday we dropped Kierstan off at the airport. She is headed for the MTC in Preston England. I am not really sure how long she will be there before she is let loose on the Brits, but when I know, I will post it here. Also, as soon as I have pics to post I will get them on here. I don't know if she can check this blog, but she would love to hear from all of you, so post post post. Happy Day!! :)