Monday, March 23, 2015

lame e-mail

So this week was great. Sister F and I had a great week filled with lots of lessons. As far as key indicators go we did great. But we both feel like something was missing. Maybe we could have worked harder. Maybe we could have talked to more people on the street. I don't know. But we've promised each other, and the Lord that this next week (our last week together) is going to make up for it.
We are teaching 2 families right now. Neither of them are really progressing very fast. But then again we did just find them.
Transfers are coming up on the 3rd. It makes me light headed. Only 2 more left!
I'm sorry that my emails are the lamest. But I know that where I am and what I'm doing is where I'm supposed to/want to be and what I'm supposed to/want to be doing. I love this work. It's the most rewarding work there is. My testimony has grown and I know that it will only continue to grow in the next 5 months.

Monday, March 16, 2015

Our newest little member plus Geghard Monastery and other cool sights

Momma,
This week was a slow one but a good one. We've been visiting with a lot of less/not active members lately and it has had great results. V (our 10 year old investigator) was baptized on Saturday. He is one the most elect people I've ever met. He's only 10 years old but he's more mature than most adults I've met. His parents don't come to church but he still comes and even brings his friend. His friend sits in on our lessons with us. His friend will mess around during our lessons and slouch and make silly comments because...well he's a kid. But V will tell him to sit up straight and be respectful and listen to the message. One time V started kind of chuckling in the middle of a lesson and I asked him what was funny. He immediately apologized for "being disrespectful" and said,"I don't want to interrupt the lesson. I'll tell you after." Sister F and I were both shocked. We soon learned that that's just how he is. The most amazing 10 year old you'll every meet. One meeting we noticed that he kept pulling a little bit at his eye lids. I asked him what he was doing and he shyly said that his eyelashes were too long! It was absolutely the most heart melting thing that I had ever heard. He definitely has the longest, thickest eyelashes that I've ever seen. So cute.
The first thing V asked me after his baptism was, "So, when is our next lesson?" Another heart-melt. He loves learning so much and reads from the kids BOM everyday by himself and is always so excited to tell us all about it in our next lesson. He remembers everything we teach him and even started teaching his friend on his own what he's been learning with us in our lessons. I wish I could accurately describe how elect this future leader is.

Today we went to a few really cool churches and it was a super cool experience. The churches were so beautiful.

We're again in a finding stage and we were blessed with a new family to teach this past week. We are really so blessed here in Charentsavan. Sister F and I are really happy that we were able to meet our transfer goal of 5 baptisms. 5 people brought one step closer to the house of God. The work here really is amazing and I'm so blessed to be apart of it.

I love being here serving these people by sharing my knowledge of the restored gospel. There's no where else I'd rather be and there is nothing else I'd rather be doing.

I love you,
Mads
Two soon to be slaughtered roosters :(

Cool church door - Geghard Monastery




Column at Geghard Monastery with carved cross and hewn out inscriptions


Huge pastry called gata


Temple of Garni


Mosaics

Monday, March 9, 2015

Women's Day



Dear Friends and Family,
Yesterday was a day called Women's Day. It's my new favorite holiday. Everyone just walks around saying Շնորհավոր! People give flowers AND it's a great way to spark up a conversation on the street. We definitely need a Women's Day in the states.

This past week was quite slow. We have been visiting a lot with our active members.
We have 1 investigator right now. He's 10. I think I already told you about him last week. His parents are both members but haven't been active for a few years. He came alone to church yesterday. We were sad that his parents didn't come again but we were really happy that he was brave enough to come without them. He even brought a friend! It was so cute. We haven't been able to meet with him as much as we'd like though. His baptismal date is for this Saturday but we still have quite a few lessons to do with him so we might have to push it back.

Obviously, Sister F and I have been focusing on families and finding families to teach. We have 5 potential families right now. We try to "establish a relationship" with all of them first. We're really excited to see how they work out.

I've been making an extra effort to make every single one of my prayers meaningful. I've realized lately that I am nothing without the Lord. I've read Alma 26:11-12 at least a 100 times. But I've realized that my mission has been pretty easy so far. Most of my converts have been so elect and have just found us and wanted to be baptized. But now I have to find them. I've had the easy life for so long and I think the Lord is trying to hint that I need to turn to Him more. And I sure have. I have been on my knees a lot lately. For myself, for my family, for this people. I need the Lord's help. I just wish I had included Him more even when things were running so smoothly.

I love my companion! I just don't know what I'm going to do without her when transfers come! Transfers are on April 3. I'm really sad that I'll be leaving her. She has truly become my best friend and I'm so blessed for that reason. It's amazing how much we can all learn from each other when we are willing to humble ourselves.

I know that the Lord's hand is always in our lives. Even when we feel alone. He is always just waiting for us to turn to Him. He loves us and knows each so personally. If you don't have a testimony of the personal love the Savior has for you I invite you to find that out. We will never be able to understand the extent of His love but we can come to know of our worth through His love. We just have to ask. Pray to be able to feel His love and I promise that if it is sincerely from your heart you will know.

I love you all so much. Thanks for your support and love.
-Sister Kuykendall (the only)