My Friend Brendah, Who LIVES in Uganda

 Hey Everyone - 

We are shutting the door on Facebook for a while. On Thursday we will be getting new iPads with no Facebook. As a mission (as well as every other mission that has iPads) we will undergo new training with technology which is really exciting.

In honor of closing a chapter on Facebook, I am going to share a huge miracle I had with FB over the past few months.    

If you are serving in a mission that uses iPads and Facebook you "on-line proselytize." Back in December I came to the conclusion that whenever I went on Facebook, I was honestly just wasting time. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and went on some "I Love Jesus" pages to find some potential investigators. Pretty much the worst idea of my life since most of the people I talked to were downright CRAZY. 

Eventually, I lost track of the people I had talked to or "friended" so I was a little surprised when a woman named Brendah from Uganda kept tagging me in pictures with African children.

I am not even kidding. EVERY DAY I would get tagged in these pictures of African children. It became this huge joke in our district (group of missionaries in my area). I was so confused and decided to stay clear of this Brendah lady. But for some reason, I always forgot to unfriend her so we always remained friends on Facebook. 

One day in January, I had this feeling I needed to FB message her. I was planning on politely telling her to stop tagging me in photos. I decided to ask her about religion since HELLOOOOO, I am an on-line missionary. 

Brendah and I ended up getting into this great discussion about Christ. We discussed that despite the trials in life, the Lord always comforts us. I learned that she is the director of an orphanage in Uganda. She figured out that I was some sort of missionary and thought I would like to see pictures of her orphans...hence the tagging. 

We immediately became really good friends and we always had these great discussions. One day, I shared with her my favorite scripture, Ether 12:27. I copied and pasted the link to the scripture on lds.org. 

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men their weakness that they may be humble.; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. Ether 12:27

The next day, I asked Brendah her thoughts on my favorite scripture. She told me that she really loved that verse as well as the WHOLE CHAPTER.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN SHE NOT ONLY READ THE VERSE BUT THE WHOLE CHAPTER!

I started giving her chapters from Book of Mormon to read. She not only read the chapters alone, BUT WITH HER ORPHANS! She reads the Book of Mormon every morning with them.  If you would like to know, their two favorite stories in the Book of Mormon are about the Jaredites in The Book of Ether and King Benjamin in The Book of Mosiah.

Crazy, right? 

I called our mission president, President Riggs to have him email the mission president in Uganda. When the Uganda Mission President emailed back...he told us that where Brendah lives is 3.5 hours away from the nearest Mormon Church and missionaries never go in that area. And, since Brendah runs an orphanage, she probably wants sponsorship or money. 

I was devastated. Here is a lady who reads the Book of Mormon everyday with the children and teaches about our gospel.  Through email, I told Brendah that as missionaries we do not sponsor anyone nor donate money; so I knew that wasn't a concern. How were missionaries supposed to get there? I decided to fast and pray that somehow, some way, missionaries would get to Brendah.

I would like to bear my testimony that prayer and fasting really work. A few Saturdays ago, two full-time missionaries/elders travelled over 100 miles to see her. Brendah told me that the children at the orphanage prepared a song and dance for the two elders. HOW AMAZING IS THAT?!

THEN last Sunday, Brendah travelled 3.5 hours by bus with 12 of her children/orphans and ATTENDED CHURCH! WHAT?! Could this get any better? 

I am so grateful for Brendah. She is truly amazing. The Uganda Mission is sending sister missionaries to her so she can be taught all of the lessons before she can be baptized. 

Two days ago, Brendah told me that a Mormon family sponsored one of her older orphans to come to the US to get an education. Brendah told me that she knows it's because of daily scripture reading that her prayers are answered.  

I am so grateful that I never unfriended Brendah on Facebook and that I felt strongly to speak to her through Facebook messaging. I know this church is true and that Mission Miracles can happen. Fingers crossed for Brendah as I sign off Facebook for the next six weeks! 

Love You All 

Sister Kelly

A Facebook Missionary Miracle.
Brendah is the gal with the white t-shirt, standing to her right of the sign. 

Brendah, with the two Elders and the Ugandan children.

The wonders of modern technology.
In a blizzard in Alexandria, VA and preaching the gospel in Uganda.
All at the same time. 

I am from Milwaukee. The snow feels great. 

The Many Perks of Journal Writing

Hello Everyone!

I finally finished a journal. Hmm Sister Kelly, that took you quite a while. My journal has got to be one of the spottiest, random, sloppy journals ever. But anything for posterity, right? 

In honor of getting a new journal, a new month, a refreshed missionary checking account, and celebrating Justin Bieber's 21st birthday today (live it up Big Guy), I decided to really take a good look at my missionary self...how much I have changed...and the areas where I still need a lot of self-improvement. 

In reflection, I am amazed with all the things that I have achieved on my mission and the person that I am continuing to become. 

I am so grateful for the Savior's Atonement. I am so grateful that when I fall short, there IS someone who knows what I am going through and forgives AND still loves me! I have realized on my mission that repentance shouldn't be a thing to fear, but a habit of wanting to improve. Repentance = Change of Heart. Repentance is NOT a grueling hour-long lecture of how we are all failures. The Lord is perfectly aware of us and loves us so much. I am grateful I can share that with people everyday! 

4 big miracles happened this week:

1. Sweet little Keilani is hopefully getting baptized on March 14th. 

2. I ate an orange. (Did you see that mom???? I ATE AN ORANGE!!!!!) 

3. Sister Wright and I survived an ice storm and we never slipped on the ice. 

4. I have discovered the magic of Taco Bell.

Love You All, 

Sister Kelly

The Weather Outside Is Sort Of - Frightful

Hey Everyone!

All of Fairfax County literally freaked out this week because of the snow. This is their definition of "freaked out":  clearing out the grocery store, canceling school for 4 days and the mission advising us to walk instead of drive. Being a Wisconsin-ite, I did nothing but roll my eyes this week. I am NOT a wimp when it comes to this kind of weather.

I took this pic of Sister Wright #photographyskilz 

Another fabulous photo by Sister Kelly  

We have a sweet new investigator. She is 10 and so adorable. Her mom recently moved into the ward and also recently got baptized. She wanted her daughter to get baptized and so we're teaching her. Not gonna lie, it's kind of an adjustment teaching a 10 year old girl but she is so amazing and it was such a miracle that the Lord trusts us in teaching her. She is really special!

Realized that the Oscars happened last night and I literally have no idea what happened, what movies were nominated, or who wore what best. 

The whole mission is getting new iPads this week with NO Facebook on them. Drama! Sister Wright and I are now scrambling trying to save all our notes, videos, and priceless photos from our current iPads! The struggle is real. 

Love you all!

Sister Kelly

Is this how missionaries serving in Russia feel? 

So star struck right meow...

In honor of last year's Valentine's Day card...shout out to Elder Ahlstrom and Hermana Crawford
Happy Valentine's Day 2K15

In keeping with traditions... 

Lunch with Sister Kennedy and Sister Malufau before transfers. We went to IHOP.  

Our Zone selfie...this is the best zone ever.

Wondering why the people in Virginia are so upset about this weather. 

One of the Elders in our district had the flu and this is the text his companion texted us.We are still laughing about this.
The text gets better every time you read it. 

7 Month Re-cap

With Jonathan Stewart and his wife. Jonathan is a dear family friend.. His parents were at my parent's' wedding .
He is the ward mission leader in the neighboring ward. Here we are at lunch. Such a great connection.

Hey Everyone!

The other day I was thinking about my mission. What it's done for me. How I've changed. The people I've met. The amount of vinyl siding I've seen. And, I just started to laugh! Seven months ago I had a completely different perspective on life. I was so caught up in things that I rarely think about now. Do I still ask people what their favorite movie is? Yes. Do I still hum John Mayer songs in the shower? Yes. Do I still take really long showers? Yes (sorry Dad...some things never change). But my whole perspective on life has really changed. Sounds generic but it's true. 

In 7 months, I now know that no one has a perfect life. Trials make us stronger. And, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is really the only answer to the question, "How can I be truly happy?" These little realizations are constant reminders of the importance of life. Every day, something happens. Whether it be laughing at district meeting or driving around like wild bandits with my main gurl, "Sister #choosethewright" that make me realize, "Wow, I'm so grateful to be here." 

Northern Virginia may not be the most "exotic" place with the "greatest weather" but it's the perfect fit for me. I used to have a hard time with the fact that out of all the places in the world, Northern Virginia is where God wanted me to be. But being out here, I realized that I wouldn't trade my experiences here for ANYTHING. Not even a mission in London ;) I have made some life-long friends and angels have truly been surrounding me while I've served. (Shout out to all the angels in Oakton and Franconia...you know who you are!). 

This week was a really good week. We had some tender things happen to us. For example, I love our progressing investigators, Whitney and Andrew. As you know, Whitney's mom will not let her get baptized until she is 18. And, Andrew's dad won't let him get baptized until he is convinced Andrew "knows what he is doing." So frustrating. But the miracle is that WITHOUT FAIL, they still come to church every week. They still have lessons with us. They still grow and learn. For example, Whitney is already planning on attending BYU and reads General Conference talks in her spare time. The ward considers her a member at this point. Same with Andrew. This past week, we took Whitney to the temple visitor's center. Since she has already been there four times, we just looked around and talked and laughed. She wants to get married in the Rome temple and Sister Wright and I will be the bridesmaids. Yes! 

Another wonderful experience happened at the temple that day we went with Whitney. Sister Wright and I realized that we didn't have a ride home from the temple. We were worried because we had an appointment with Dara. She is one of our investigators who is the Olympic boxer in training. We freaked out. We called Dara, told her the situation that we would probably be really late to the appointment. We prayed and prayed to find someone to take us back to Alexandria. I felt like such a loser. I was tempted to take a taxi home! BUT DARA PICKED US UP. I REPEAT DARA DROVE 45 MIN AND PICKED US UP. AHHHH! she's so great. We had so much fun with her in the car! 

Also, last night...it dumped buckets of snow and we couldn't drive. So we had to WALK. It was freezing but we had a blast. We got a little sidetracked with taking pics but we were able to teach a family from Ghana! 

Have a great week everyone! Love you!

xoxo Sister Kelly 

Sister Kelly Emails From the Local Target

Dear Everyone:

Because it is President's Holiday, the local library was closed. Sister Kelly and Sister Wright did errands at the local Target and they emailed family and friends from their iPad. A blog post will hopefully come tomorrow. What we do know is that Elizabeth had a busy week. She was off to Mt. Vernon, again. Because it was President's Day, Mount Vernon was free. Always more fun when you get a bargain.

Love, 

Marya and Meredith

7 Things

Hey Everyone!

Today is my seventh month mark. SO, in honor of this glorious day and to honor my favorite Miley Cyrus song, here is a list of  "7 things":

My favorite 7 things that happened this week:

1. You already know that I really loved serving in the Oakton Ward. One of the many reasons why I loved the Oakton Ward was the Sonntag family. From playing "Apples to Apples" on Thanksgiving Day to numerous inside jokes...Sister Rossi and I made so many memories with that family. Well God knew that not having the Sonntags in my life would be rather difficult when I got transferred to the Franconia Ward. He blessed me to be in the same area where Sister Sonntag's parents, Elder and Sister Rothermel, are serving a senior couple's mission. I knew the Rothermels because they would often be at the Sonntag's home when Sister Rossi and I visited. It was such a treat to have the Rothermels in my new area.  Well, last week, the Rothermel's received permission for Sister Wright and I to have dinner with them and THE SONNTAGS SURPRISED ME AT THE ROTHERMEL'S HOME! Such a tender mercy. It was so good to see them again. Ahhh, Sonntag Family, I love you so much! So does Admiral (ha!)

Me and Samara.

Beckham Sonntag and me. Buddies 4 life. 

2. Going to the Arlington National Cemetery on Monday with a beloved member.

The faces of two missionaries who walked around the Arlington Cemetery in 20 degree weather.
So rough but so worth it. 

3. Teaching the gospel to our investigators who are teenagers and are such a blessing.

4. Shout out to my amazing San Francisco grandma (Moo), for giving me the sweetest letter and a really beautiful poem she copied for me. It talked about leadership and how sometimes true leaders are the ones backstage, with no glory to their name. I love you, Moo.  

5. Shout out to Grandma Kay, my other amazing (Provo) grandma, for shipping out COOKIES FROM SWIG!!!!!  Grandmas always know the keys to their grandchildren's hearts. 

My Swig cookie. 

6. Conquered indexing a family tree in Ipswich, England from the early 1880s. They had the coolest handwriting. But the handwriting was very hard to read. But, I did it. 

7. My companion, Sister Wright and I discovered 1 Peter 1:7. Our trials, especially the ones of our faith, are rough sometimes. But in the end, they are so valuable to our progression. 

My not so favorite 7 things that happened this week:

1. A family from Cameroon dropped us. Via text. 

2. One of our investigator's dad said, "No" to his baptism. So, no Valentine's Day baptism :(

3. The other investigator's mom said she can't get baptized for another year and a half :(

4. Our apartment reeks of marijuana sometimes.  

5. I thought something was stuck at the top of my eye. I had to go to Urgent Care because it was THAT BAD and found out it wasn't a mote in my eye but a CUT 1 cm long inside my upper eyelid. 

6. The doctor at Urgent Care "flushed out my eye" for 10 whole min. Top 5 most physically uncomfortable things to ever happen to me. 

7. I look like The Exorcist in the pics Sister Wright took at Urgent Care.

Gold stars for anyone who can figure out where my eye is in this pic. 

Straight-up Exorcist.

I love this work. Thank you for your love, prayers and support...especially the poem and the cookies from Swig. I love my grandmas.  

Have a great week!

Sister Kelly

My district. The one and only.

Called to Serve in Style.

Sunrise outside of our apartment window. 

Elder Styles, a Renaissance Fair Wedding and The Love of God

Hey Everyone!

Another week of miracles and interesting experiences. 

First off, I LOVE Virginia. The drivers and roads are crazy and the weather is awful but I really LOVE it out here. I have made some life long friends and have had so many learning experiences out here. Also, my companion, Sister Wright is wonderful.  She's so chill and yet such a hard worker! We get along so well and have already made many memories. The work here is on fire.....ANDREW IS PLANNING ON GETTING BAPTIZED ON VALENTINE'S DAY! This will be the best Valentine's Day ever! I just hope and pray his dad consents and lets him get baptized. As I shared last week, Andrew is the young man who at age 15 wears a suit to church and regularly reads The Book of Mormon.  

This past week, we found two people who once upon a time had investigated our church. We have developed really good relationships with them and are teaching them this week. One of them is a Japanese lady named Misako.  She is super sweet and her husband Will, is a historian and has read the entire Book of Mormon! 

Also ELDER STYLES WAS A SUCCESS! Teya came to church and has offered to say the closing prayer both times we have taught her. Gosh, I love that girl. She is so sassy and is a total mix of me and my sister, Meredith. Her mom, a recent convert, is so amazing. I love her a lot. 

We made this cake...

We have formed a really amazing relationship with this less active. We have family history indexing parties with her and then she takes us out to lunch! I love her so much. She and her husband are really into Renaissance Fairs. They had a Renaissance themed wedding at the Maryland Renaissance Fair. The wedding ceremony took place on stage and people thought it was a show! The wedding photos are priceless.  She told us that she doesn't like a lot of the members who reach out to her but she loves us. She and I bond over the TV show, "Grey's Anatomy." 

It was such a great experience seeing Tian again and being with her in the Washington DC Temple this past Saturday. She did temple work for her Chinese ancestors. She was glowing and was so happy! 

With Tian.

At the Temple's Visitor Center with Tian.

This week, I discovered Dieter. F. Uchtdorf's talk,"The Love of God" from the October 2009 Ensign. It answered a lot of my prayers and everyone needs to read it! 

Love you all!

Sister Kelly