last week before transfers

This week is transfers. I can't believe that the transfer is gone! Sister B and I feel a little bit jipped!! It's been one of the funnest transfers and it just flew right by! But despite that I'm excited for transfers.

We took the opportunity to fast yesterday and I made a list of things to improve on during this next transfer. I really felt the Lord's spirit and his guidance as I set new goals and plans to be a better missionary.

Investigators: V is FANTASTIC!! I don't know if she could get any more perfect. She is almost to 2 Nephi and wanted to bear her testimony at the Elders Baptism on Sat! I love her with all my heart. We found out her brother is leaving before he can be baptized which is sad but I'm grateful to have been able to plant a seed of faith in his heart. He is a good kid. I know the Lord will take care of him and help him come back in contact with the church after 2yrs.

I learned an important lesson this week -- Even "after all we can do", it is still "by grace that we are saved" (2 Nephi 25:23). So, if it's all about grace, why do we work hard? "If ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants" (Mosiah 2:21). So why do we bother to give our all?

As President Uchtdorf taught us in General Conference, it is out of a love for God! We give our all to serve the Lord because we love him, and we are eternally grateful for His Infinite Atonement! It is our Redeemer that makes us able to "stand blameless before God at the last day".

I love my Savior. And it's my testimony that keeps me going. I know that miracles come as a result of faith, and we can have more perfect faith as we more fully understand our Savior and His will.

Love,
Sister Kuykendall

gratitude and Sister Kuykendall's birthday!

Hey everybody!!

We did some fun service this week and had some good meetings with investigators.

​V- is doing so well! she has so many great sincere questions!! I love her so much. We were talking about the purpose of the priesthood this week and we noticed that eyes were full of tears. We asked her about how she was feeling/thinking. She said she couldn't explain it .. it was good ...then she asked if she was allowed to have a blessing. The Spirit was real folks.
She is the key for the rest of her family too. She was reading her BOM the other day and her brother walked in and asked her what she was reading. She explained all about the BOM and pretty much taught him a First lesson. He asked if he could have one to take with him to the Banak (army). Fingers crossed that he will progress before he leaves.

I think I read 3 Nephi 13:25-33 at least 10 times this week.

Gratitude is so powerful... just saying.

Whenever we feel like nothing is going right, that we aren't seeing the results of our efforts, as we make the effort to recognize blessings and enthusiastically express our gratitude for those tender mercies, we will have greater love for our Savior and our Father in Heaven, and we will have greater faith in their love for us. We will know with a surety that God is by our side, and it is that knowledge, testimony, and faith that will make us "mighty even unto the power of deliverance".

I have marveled this week at the tender mercies of the Lord. It seems that everywhere I turn, as I look, I see the Lord's hand in my life and in the lives of those around me. Every time I recognize a tender mercy, my love and appreciation for the Lord are strengthened, and I know with greater assurance how much he loves me and each of us, despite bummy weeks, and mean people :)

Love you!
-Sister K

Only selfies this week. Sorry

O

Cherry picking

Dear family,

So lately we've been trying to pick up one of our member's sister L as an investigator. She's super sassy but really nice. She's one of the cool kids and is a little TOO cool for school :). We have had progress though. She actually really likes us coming over to play games and we always sneak in a little lesson. She's a really nice girl and I know she'll come around eventually. Just maybe not this transfer.
V is one of our investigators. She is 16 years old but she is so mature and LOVES learning from us. She has so many questions! It's really great! She called us the other day and asked us if we would bring another BOM next time we came because her brother wants one. I guess he walked in on her reading it and asked her about it. She was a good little missionary and told him about it and he asked if he could have one. We're so stoked!! The sad part is that he leaves for the army soon. :( Their mom and younger sister also ask really good questions. We always invite the whole family to listen and they're all really great.

Last night we were not sure what to do. Our last appointment for the night had fallen through but we didn't want to just walk around. We said a little prayer to know where the Lord needed us to go. We then found out at church from one of our members that one of our former investigators's sons had just committed suicide the previous day. She really wanted us to come visit her so we arranged to go over with our member that night to pay our condolences. We were a bit nervous because it's a little bit of a fragile situation and we didn't want to mess anything up. We got to her house and walked into the living room and found 12 women all wearing black from ages 30-80. When we walked in, the 5 women that already knew us from previous visits immediately said, "These are those darling girls we were telling you about! They're from America. They speak Armenian better than we do! Ask them questions!" So Sister B and I found ourselves on different sides of the room teaching multiple groups of ladies about why we were here. They had so many questions about where their relative would go because he committed suicide. They asked about the after life and what our views were on it. We gave them our number and told them where our church was. They couldn't stop talking about how amazing and courageous and mature we were as we were leaving. We left with lipstick all over our cheeks. We felt good leaving a group of 12 mourning women with a little bit more hope in their hearts. We are just praying that they will find peace and comfort.

Well this church is true. As soon as I made that realization my life got 100 times better. I don't think it's a coincidence. If you don't know for yourself that this is the way to happiness, give it a try. There is a saying in Armenia that translated says this,"a try doesn't bring a trial." I love this gospel so much. I love my Savior, my Heavenly Father and my family. I have seen the difference that the gospel makes in lives and I don't know why anyone WOULDN'T just try it. Just try and see if it could be true. Because I KNOW it is and I've never been happier.

I love you!!!
-Sister Kuykendall

Cherry Picking