Family,
Oh my goodness!! How ya'll doing! I cannot believe that I've been officially out for a little bit over a month now. Where is time going haha? I feel like I say this every week, but it literally is just flying by. Ah! It needs to slow down a bit! Let's see, where to begin. Last week in Waxhaw was a pretty good one. It rained every single day except Friday and that kind of made our missionary work a little bit difficult. It's nothing like little Utah sprinkles, this is like DOWNPOUR take cover kind of rain. You literally step outside for 30 seconds and are completely wet, shoes completely soaked, hair a complete mess, and just everything else haha. I finally cracked down and bought me a rain coat. haha it's red and white polka dots & reversible red on the other side. & it was only $3.00 so I just had too. it's absolutely hideous but it is fulfilling its purpose and that's all the matters right? :)
Dad, first off, I want to thank you so much for the TWO packages that I received this past week. The ipad case is PERFECT. not to mention my wheat thins and my favorite cereals. I have to admit, I opened that up and just busted out laughing I was so happy. I just knew it was from you because of the amazon tape and I just got the biggest smile on my face. Me & sister Ekstrom are set, that's for sure. you should probably start sending me healthy things though because I am putting on the pounds I swear haha. the members here feed us like queens. okay, I'm not really putting on the pounds quite yet, maybe like 1 or 2, but still, haha I'm eating well, lets just put it that way. And, thank you SO much for your thoughtful email papa. I can always count on my daddy to send me an email every week and that has been something that I have been looking forward to the very most on Mondays. your words are so inspiring and I am forever grateful for them. I found it so interesting that you sent me Elder Ballards talk because last week I chose one conference talk to focus on, and GUESS WHAT. that exact talk just so happened to be the one that I studied all week. like what are the chances of that. It's unreal isn't it? I am so glad that you shared that with the family. I learned so much from it and it has truly helped me re-focus and become a better missionary, and become the best missionary that I can be. So, thank you! :) I encourage you to continue to have those solid family home evenings and show Mormon messages!! & use the power of technology. Since we have everything on our ipads, I have been able to access EVERYTHING just so easily and have absolutely loved it! I also want you guys to make a family mission plan. Come up with something that you can do as a family to start working on missionary work. Such as, reading in preach my gospel once a week, sharing the gospel over social media in some way, shape, or form, or start praying for someone by name, as a family that really needs help, just come up with like 5-10 things that you can do as a family to hasten the work and post it on the fridge or something. My ward here does that and it's been amazing to see the power that has truly come from that! I am going to follow up on this, so you better get it done! Mom, thanks for your sweet words as well. There is never more powerful words, than that of my mother. Thank you, I love you the mostest.
We were able to teach our investigator Harrison again this week and he came to church yesterday!! AHH! it was miraculous. He just came in some jeans and a plaid shirt, with a cute little blazer over it and it was just the best thing ever. I was so nervous because Sister Ekstrom and I call him our little baby bird and we just don't want to do anything to ruin this and so we were a bit nervous for him to come to church, but it ended up being really good and he seemed to really enjoy it. We are still progressing to the baptism date of May 2nd so I will be sure to keep you posted on that! Other than that, we have been focusing on just trying to find new investigators and new people to teach. We came about a really sweet guy, but literally 10 minutes ago he just called us and said he is happy where he is at and that he doesn't want to meet with us anymore. We had 3 people this week do that to us. It literally just breaks my heart. We teach them and we see the spirit work in their lives and it's like we know that they know it's true, they just have something holding them back and then all of the sudden they turn away. That has been the hardest thing for me this week. THREE of our steady investigators are gone and now we are left with one. It's just interesting how the lord works and it makes me so sad to think that they think they don't need it anymore. So, with that being said, we are trying to work on our finding methods and are trying to find new people to teach. With the rain, it has been really difficult. We have had to do everything inside and there aren't a whole lot of places here in Waxhaw to find people inside, so I am hoping that this next week will be better! There has been 2 tornado warnings this past week so that has been kinda scary, but I think we are pretty safe here in NC. :) I am eating super well, the members feed us every single night and feed us like champions, so I cant complain haha. I really haven't had like any southern food though.... so that's been good. I think I've had BBQ like 3 times... and surprisingly no fried chicken yet, so they need to step it up! Tomorrow we go into Charlotte for a new missionary training meeting and I am so excited for that! We get to hear from President & Sister Craven and I am SOOOO looking forward to that. Then- on Wednesday, we get to go to Charlotte again and have interviews with president! I am really excited for that as well! Lots of driving, but if the president and his wife are involved, I am so there haha. They are the greatest things ever. I am soooo sad that they are leaving me. Mom, who are those 2 people that were in your picture last week? Were they missionaries serving in my mission or what? I am going to show him that picture tomorrow, but I wanna make sure I know who it is first haha. Kaiden & Chels, how are you two love birds? I miss you, and I miss all of our rook games. I haven't heard from ya'll in a little while, so I hope all is well. Ya know. when Chels sent me a letter on like my 2nd or 3rd day I was really excited... like thinking you were going to email me every week, but I mean I guess you find out who really loves you the most while on your mission....hahhahah. JK. love you sugs. Ty, Todd, Mike.. feeling the love as well. thanks so much for all of your letters, you guys are just the best!!! Kidding kidding. I hope you are doing well and that all of those kiddos are happy, healthy, and well!
I honestly am just loving every second of my mission and I know that I say that every week, so please forgive me, but honestly, it's just the best thing ever. Sarah, Makale, kamryn, Anna, Kenzie, any of you, if you have one slight desire to serve a mission-- GO! It will seriously change your life. Best thing I have ever done. This week I have really learned what the definition of LOVE is. Love is truly the word that rules this world. I am amazed every single day as I go out and serve people and meet new people, of the love that I have for every single one of them, individually. It honestly just blows my mind. I am not quite sure how it is completely possible, but somehow it works. I guess it just comes with being able to represent the savior. Each and every single door we knock on, is basically someone of a different church. They weren't kidding when they said that I got called to the bible belt. oh my goodness. That has been really hard for me because everyone just is "satisfied with where they're at" and no matter how hard I try, how strongly I bear my testimony, or how many times I tell them that this message will change their life, they just still have no desire and it drives me nuts! I just wanna hug the crap out of them and knock some nonsense into their brains haha. It's killing me!! Like just let me inside your home already!! Anyways, aside from that, missionary work is fantastic. Don't get me wrong, it's really hard and it's teaching me some serious lessons, but it's exactly what I need and I am figuring out myself and am becoming so much closer to my savior and am becoming so much more like him each and every day that I serve, and so I guess I cant complain. It's amazing to me how much my knowledge of the gospel has grown. I love my savior so much. I testify that he is real. his atonement should be the center of our lives and should be the reason that we want to wake up and live each day. Truly do everything in your power to access that and do everything you can to truly convert yourself. That is definitely one thing that I am working on, TRUE CONVERSION. It is something that will take a life time, but it something that will end up being one of the most important things! I read another really good talk this week entitled "Missionary Work and the Atonement" given by Jeffrey R. Holland at the MTC in June of 2000... dont' know if anyone can get a copy of that... but if you can. DO ITTTTTT and please send it to me. Some girl had a copy and let me read it. but oh my goodness. changed my life. it's pretty focused on missionary work, but can apply to every single one of us. One of my favorite quotes from that talk was "Missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints, this is the truth. how could we believe that it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for him? Missionaries have to spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane. Missionaries have to take a least a step or two toward the summit of calvary." I just loved that, and I know that it applies to every member missionary out there in the world today. Elder Holland also said, "When you struggle, when you are rejected, remember you are standing with the best life this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived". and that is what has been on my mind this past week.
Family, friends, we know the truth and it is now our job to share it. Don't be afraid to open up your mouths to those whom you love. I have been thinking about meike and her family so much this past week, keep being an example to them and keep loving and supporting them! I am so excited for Meike to come and I am so sad that I wont be able to be there, but love her for me and don't forget to send me pictures! I cannot wait to see what this week has in store, and I am so excited to get out and serve my savior and serve my family in North Carolina! I love it here and I know that this work is real! Missionary work is the BEST!!! Thank you all for all of your love and support. I feel your prayers. every single one. I keep thinking about my cousin Nate too, I hope he is doing well. :) Thank you for the letters, packages, and everything else! You truly don't know how happy they make me. I truly feel so blessed to be part of the best family in the entire world. I don't know what I did to get so lucky, but I definitely did something right. I have the best of the best. Keep doing what is right, keep working on your conversion to the lord, and keep strengthening each others faiths!! I love you all so much. Sending all my love, hugs, & kisses your way!! I LOVE YOU!!
Sister Kyla Joan Worthington
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