5/11/15 ONE YEAR

Hey, so this week was good--rough on numbers, but nothing unusual for Montrose. 

We went after that media referral, but it was bust.

District Meeting was amazing! We talked about prayer and inviting others to baptism! Elder Christensen made the most amazing, faith-filled promise that if invite someone to be baptised every week for the rest of our mission, that we WILL see a baptism on our mission! We felt the Spirit so strong! We're going to make it a goal from now on! 6 months to make it happen! 

We invited more members to set a date, so we're hoping they'll find success! (the Crawfords and Sister Craib)

Friday was my year mark! Amazing how time flies! We saw Louise and then Sister Craib for lunch, and then we saw Tracy for dinner and a lesson and she made the most amazing dessert! Waffle-berry pudding! Oh. my. heck. I LOVE that stuff! The lesson was about sharing our testimonies/missionary work, but we find it hard to extend bold commitments, because she seems to deflect them. She and Lesley both seem to shy away from testing their faith! :( Then Tracy drove us and picked up Lesley to go to the Ward Activity at the church, to watch Meet the Mormons! It was a great night, they loved the film, I was slightly trunkified and exhibited my gift of weeping.... But it was great, and members invited non-member friends, one of which invited us to come over this week, so we're excited for that! 

We got to Skype on Sunday, and I wish we could Skype every Sunday! I love my parents and appreciate them so so so much! <3 <3

6 more months to get down to business! Then, we shall weep once more. 

Okay, not much happened this week, I'm sorry. It was a lot of unsuccessful tracting. But I know that the Lord has prepared His elect children to receive the gospel! If you read from pmg ch. 9 "faith to find" and then christ-like attributes, faith. Then read ether 12. Its pretty much awesome. Oh, and D&C 100:7-8 and 29:7. our district leader assigned us to give another instruction in dm, but he always seems to assign us the topic WE need help with! Ach. I guess study is the best way to find your answers.

I love you all so much! Never let the fire die!!!!!!!

Love Forever and Always,

Sister Kirkpatrick

May 8, 2015 ONE YEAR!!!

May 4, 2015

So, I have to rush, because I'm out of time, but this week was good! We saw a lot of members, and it was so great. We are working hard, trying to find people, but I think the most rewarding moments have been to invite members to set a date in faith, and already seeing them find success! Our relief society president texted us one day about the opportunity she had to speak with the deputy head at her school--not really a friend, only a colleague--but she was able to testify that she KNEW God was there, not just believed it, like this lady had heard a minister once say--that he could only believe and hope. She bore her testimony about it on Sunday, and another shared her desire to testify and share her faith more, and another testified of the experience she had on a joint teach with us. I truly believe there are elect sisters in this ward--they just don't seem to have the priesthood support. I'm really praying that they'll see success and that we'll see some referrals come in! Keep in your prayers: Kirsty Watson, The Maxtons, Susan Buchan, and the Dibdins, who have all set dates! And we've set a date for the 21st of May! 

Speaking of referrals, we got one today from media/HQ, so we'll see how that turns out! 

We had Zone Interview Training, and I got the chance to talk to President Brown about the ward, and he thought the most important thing would be for the members to lose themselves in their service of their Lord, because that will help them to rekindle the flame of faith and Spirit and testimony! Some quotable quotes from Z.I.T. would be:

"The more time we spend with God, the more we become like Him."

"They (investigators) have to show their faith to align their will with His, by experiencing the answer to a prayer, even if its a trial of their faith."

"When we better recognize our relationship with God, then prayer becomes instinctive." 

"The pathway to the Garden of Gethsemane first goes through the Sacred Grove."

and the talk "Teaching After the Manner of the Spirit"

All excellent. Had some really spiritual experiences in the meeting and in my study this week. We applied what we learned in a lesson about prayer with Tracy this week. 

I love you all, I have to go, but DON'T EVER FORGET--the Book of Mormon is true. The church is imperfect, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ is perfect. the Fullness of the Gospel is within the Book of Mormon. Don't ever lose your faith.

Love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sister Kirkpatrick

Mixed-ups in Montrose 4/27/15

So, Mix-ups this week! Sister Skagen repacked, madly, and we said goodbye to wonderful people, and we set off Wednesday morning for Dundee. Disembarked... waited... Kirkcaldy sisters arrived... Sister Skagen got on the train... sign language attempts exchanged, and the train pulled away from the platform. I had an hour and a half or so before I had to make the newly formed Dundee sisters walk me back to the train station where I met Sister Norin. She was coming off the train when I was like, no no no, get back on, this is our train... only to find out it didn't actually stop in Montrose. Got off at Arbroath, waited for the next train, and got on the train we were actually supposed to board in Dundee. haha :) oops. 

Settled in. 

We had a LOT of lessons this week that I shan't all recall, because they're all a blur. We had some really good moments with investigators and less-actives this week. Tracy read the Book of Mormon, Fred is quitting smoking, and Lesley is changing her question from "should I change?" to "is the Book of Mormon true?" 

Sister Norin is sweet, she reminds me of myself at 6 months out sometimes. She loves Montrose so far (as do I ;) ) We are making it a goal to receive a referral this transfer!! 

We saw a tender mercy yesterday yesterday when the members invited us over for dinner each night this week, which will help our grocery bill this week, since we had to send in a build-up of travel reimbursements from moves.

We were supposed to have two investigators at church yesterday--the hardest goal to achieve, but Tracy was called into work and Fred didn't show--not sure why. Sometimes I wonder how I handle how hard the work is out here, but then I think... the Lord's just waiting to show us miracles--He has before and He still will.

I studied about Spiritual gifts over the last couple of days, because I realized I really need to figure out what mine are, and what I need to develop to be a more sanctified, capable servant of the Lord. I was studying about the gift of wisdom, looking up the footnotes to D&C 46:17/18 in 1 Kings and James 1:5-6, and I realized how important it is to be wise, and how its something I need to develop and ask the Lord for, as Solomon did, because sometimes I feel as even the great king did: " I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in." I love to study the scriptures and see how even the rough starts: Moses, Enoch, Solomon, etc. had great finishes. I'll spare the rest of this tangent for now :)

I'm sorry I can't remember anything else right now! I left my old planner at home! 

I love you all! I miss you desperately! Keep the faith!

Love,

Sister Kirkpatrick