Change in my attitude. 06/27/11

Hello family and friends!


How are you all doing? Okay so sorry not a ton of time. These computers in Centralia kick you off in an hour.  So anyway... This week has gotten better.  I'm really sorry that I sent such a depressing email last week haha.  I was just having a hard time with the transfer.  I really needed to change my attitude.  So I have tried and things are better.  Sister Fisher is great.  We are still getting to know each other. Her sister is getting married in like a week and her brother is on a mission too.  I kinda feel like a baby because she doesn't seem to be to affected by her sister getting married.  But oh well.  So Sister Craig called me last night and The Gresser family in Puyallup went to church!!!! Miracle!!!  Its way awesome!  And Sister Craig misses me like crazy haha.  Its great.  I miss her too.  We are buddies!  So we actually have quite a few investigators here in Rochester.  Its great.  We have been teaching them and hope to have a baptism soon . One of our investigators is named Daphne haha she is so funny.  The first time I met her she came to the door in a little tiny bathrobe and its like kind of an old hick town haha so she was like lets sit on the front porch.  So we did and her robe kept falling off and she was totally naked. haha.  Oh how i love being a missionary.  She also didn't have her teeth in, so it was pretty funny. Hahaha anyway... we had another Miracle.  We met with a part member family and the boyfriend actually came to church on Sunday so that was pretty cool.  It is a lot different than Puyallup but I like it. I miss Puyallup and it will probably always be my favorite place but we will see.  A lot can happen in a year.  I am learning a lot, and I hope to continue to find the reasons that I am here.  Some days it is hard and I am so tired I just want to give up.  But I know that, that is Satan working hard on me.  And we all know how competitive I am... so I just have to kick Satan away and keep working hard.  I am trying to love tracting . It just is hard sometimes because its the same thing over and over every single day.  But I know that if we do it with Faith then we will be blessed.  I have a testimony of all of this.  I know that the gospel is true. Otherwise I wouldn't be here. And if I didn't know it was true I would probably already be home by now.  But the gospel is amazing and it can fix ANYTHING!!! I know that for a fact.  I know that Heavenly Father hears my prayers.  Even though they aren't always answered how I want them to be.  I know that my Savior lived for me and died for me.  And I know that he has felt every single pain that we go through!  So Mom I am doing GREAT!  Stop worrying about me haha.  I love this gospel so much and I will do anything for it!  And if that means leaving Puyallup and Sister Craig its what I will do!  I love you all so much!  I hope you have a great week!  And try to go to the temple.  There is a peace in the temple that we can't find anywhere else.  Go with a question that you have for Heavenly Father, and I promise you that he will answer! Pres. Weaver will be here on Wednesday and i will meet him Thursday so that is pretty exciting!  Well anyway... I love you all so much.  And I have a ton of you that I need to write back but we didn't have time today so Please be patient and know that i am thinking about you and that I love you! Thanks. I love you all so much! Have a great week!

Love always,
 Katee

BUMMED!! 06/21/2011

Hello everyone!
How are you all doing?  Sorry this email is going to be very short because I have no time today. Well I got transferred and it was probably one of the top five hard things that I have ever had to deal with. Sister Craig and I just pretty much cried for two straight days. I didn't know what else to do and neither did she. We became more than companions. We were best friends too.  And now I just feel like a little piece of me is missing.  Its way hard.  It was so hard to leave Matt and Emily and the Gresser family in Puyallup.  I just cried and so did they.  I can't even express how I feel.  But I know that Heavenly Father needs me in Rochester and I will be okay... soon... I hope.... My new comp is Sister Fisher from Nevada.  I don't know much about her yet.  She doesn't talk a lot. Well at least yet.  And I hope she will soon.  Rochester is a tiny little town that kinda reminds me of Escalante.  It should be fun. There are lots of investigators so thats good. Sister Craig is still in Puyallup and she is training a Greenie.  I am so happy for her. But we are both way sad. We moped around for days. And really I feel so lost. I had a little break down last night when I got into my new bed and she was not there to talk too. :( But don't worry I will be okay. Please keep me in your prayers and Keep Sister Craig in your prayers too. She is stressed haha.  I love you all have a great week!  Sorry this email was so depressing. Hahaha. Love you.


Love, Kate

P.s. I am trying to write everyone back who has written me but I am so short on time.  So be patient. Thanks I love you and daddy I hope you had a great fathers day. Love you.

Kate

06/13/11

Hello everybody!


How are you all doing!? I am doing great! Things here in Puyallup are good. This week has been crazy. I feel like so much has happened and I don't even know where to start. First off, transfers are at the end of the week. We will get out call on Saturday and transfers will be a week from today. Sister Craig and I are hoping and praying like crazy that we will both get to stay. I have never really felt like I NEEDED to stay this bad before. I really think I need this area and Sister Craig. So I guess we will see what happens. It is all up to the Lord and he knows whats best. So anyway... if you are going to write me this week make sure you send mail like before or no later than Wednesday cuz I don't know if I will still be here or not. So anyway... we have had a few kind of miracles this week. So first I will tell you about Angel. We were tracting some apartments and we ran into a less active who was moving. She said "sisters come in... how long can you stay?" So we stayed and helped for a little bit. It was kinda awkward. But anyway.. so a member was there helping as well and she walked up the stairs and said "sisters this is Angel, I have been sharing a little bit about our church with him." So we get all excited and he says that he wants to come on a church tour and bring his family. So genius Sister Craig says " how many people are in your family? And he said " I have seven kids." SEVEN KIDS!!!!! I about peed my pants! Hahah it was pretty great. So we set up a tour for the next day at 4 o clock. And I was so excited! So we go to the church to get ready the next day... and I am just pleading and praying with Heavenly Father to help this guy to actually show up. So four ten rolls around and no Angel.... We tried to call and he didn't answer. I was so bummed. Sister Craig went in the chapel and started playing the piano, and it was hard to sit there and not cry. But after wallowing for about 15 minutes I was okay. We have tried to call Angel probably 10 times this week and he doesn't answer. But we will keep trying! So yeah that was a miracle that we found him and I am sure some day he will hear the gospel, and he will see how it blesses his family and I am sure that he will just grab on to it. Sister Craig and I have had our share of trials this transfer but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I know that Heavenly Father hears us. Even though some days its like really Heavenly Father... really! But I always think about what Colton says. haha. He says "sometimes Heavenly Father works in sick and twisted ways!" And I feel like that is way true sometimes. haha. I know that Heavenly Father has a great sense of humor. I kind of think of it as how our family has a sense of humor and is sarcastic with EVERYTHING. Anyway... I know that he hears us and that he is mindful of our needs, and he is not going to give us anything that we can't handle! I am really grateful for this gospel. I feel like there is so much of it that I don't know, and sometimes I feel like I need all my questions answered and it just doesn't happen. But I have learned that EVERYTHING we do or go through happens in the lords time. And he knows when we need things and when we can handle them. So maybe I'm not ready to find a new investigator yet. So this week I am going to try to prepare myself spiritually for that. I'm not really sure how I will do that yet but I will figure it out I'm sure. I love this gospel so much. It is so hard to express how I feel about it. I have learned so much in the past six months. (oh man can you believe its been six months! that's half a year !) I have learned to rely on my Heavenly Father and Savior. And that I just need to do all I can and then put the rest in his hands. Because that is what the Atonement was for. It was so I could do all I could and then the Savior would help with the rest. I have a strong testimony of families. I have never felt more love for my family in all my life. I can hardly wait for the day that we are all back in Utah and we can all go to the temple together. And be there sitting side by side all dressed in white. I am so excited for that day because I know that, that is exactly what heaven will be like. My heart ache's for families that don't have what I have. And I see it everyday! I love you all so much and I am so thankful for the love and support that you give me. Always remember how much our Heavenly Father and Savior love you. And they WON'T give you anything trial that you can't handle. Endure!!!! Pray always, and if you want answers to your prayers... read your scriptures! Have a great week, I love you all so much.

Love, Kate

06/06/11

Hello my dear family and friends!


How are you all doing!?  Okay so this week has been a good week. We have done better which is good. Sister Craig is still amazing and I love her more and more everyday. I love it because we can always talk to each other. Whenever it goes silent Sister Craig always says... "What are you thinking?" haha its fun. She is one of the first companions well besides Sister Bradley that I actually have inside jokes with, and it is so great! The Elders in our Zone love us haha. One of our zone leaders is going home soon so they keep asking us about dating and what girls like. haha its funny cuz really I have no idea but I just tell em what I think haha. Grandma Harward and Jodi THANK YOU so much for the package that you sent!! I LOVE it all! The one skirt doesn't fit my big butt so I will take it and get another size. I am lucky because they do actually have a Macey's here in Puyallup! So thanks for all of that I really appreciate it. I was going through the stage of staring at my closet thinking what should I wear today? Haha and then the package came! So this week I have learned some way cool lessons. The Ridecrest ward had stake conference this past weekend and it was great. Pres. and Sister Bowen came to the adult session and spoke. The whole conference was on missionary work! It was so awesome! Something that I thought was way cool was something that the stake president said. He said, "the value of ONE is infinite in the eye's of the lord." Now I have been thinking about that and I don't really know what it means yet but I will have to let you know my thoughts on it. I absolutely love how our Savior loves each of us individually. Kind of like how in 3 nephi 11: 14-15 when it talks about each person going up to the Savior and feeling the prints in his hands and feet. He loved them so much! And I know that it is the same way for us! He loves us so much and he is just waiting for us to get back to him. I can only imagine how that day is going to be for us! Anyway... so that was pretty cool. Also yesterday the stake choir sang "I know that my Savior loves me." And that is the primary song the Brenna and Ter would always sing before I left. So needless to say I got a little teary eyed. Haha.I miss those little girls. And I am glad that Brenna is doing good. I am so happy that Brayden was blessed yesterday! That is so cool! I am sure Davey did a great job! This week we had a couple Miracles. We have been trying for like a week to get in to see all the part member families, and it has been hard. No one is home during the day. Or I love when we get what I like to call "peep holed" haha. NO ONE in Utah has peep wholes! But everyone in Washington does! So if they see us sometimes they won't answer! haha its funny. Or my favorite is when you can hear the kids talking and all the sudden you hear a shhh! haha funny. We just laugh about it! But anyway... we finally got in to see a part member family this week, and it went good. They want to have us for dinner sometime. We still are having a hard time finding people to teach! But I know that if we continue to work hard and tract (even though it is so hard to do sometimes) we will be blessed. To me tracting is like how it was for me to go running. I loved the feeling after words, but getting myself to do it was hard! But before the mission I made running a habit and something that I liked. So hopefully I can do the same with tracting! I am loving it here in Puyallup and I am praying that I get to stay with Sister Craig for at least one more transfer! That would be AMAZING! We have interviews with President Bowen tomorrow. It will probably be my last one with him, before they go home. So that should be good. Then we have a zone conference on Wednesday. Family and Friends I love you all so much. I am so thankful for you in my life. You are the most amazing people I know and I think about you all and pray for you everyday. If you are reading this email, I think about you and love you so much! You guys are amazing! Thank you for your letters and all the support you give me. If you wrote me in the past couple weeks I am trying really hard to write you back so be patient with me, and you will get mail soon! Court HAPPY late GRADUATION! You are amazing! Well I want you all to know that I love this gospel with all my heart! I know that it is true! I love my savior. And I know that when things get hard in our lives all we have to do is trust in the lord and heavenly father and they will help us. All we have to do is ask! I love you all! Have a great week!

Love, Katee

05/31/2011

Hello my dear family and friends!


How in the world are all of you doing!?  So sorry we could not email yesterday, the library was closed for memorial day. I have decided that missionaries are not to fond of holidays haha. So yeah... but it was a good day. Last night as we were tracting there were a few people having bbq's and I thought hmm... I bet my family is bbquin tonight too! How funny... its funny the little tiny things that I miss like memorial day bbq's haha. Anyway... so our week was still pretty slow last week. We struggled to get 20 lessons in because it just seemed like no one liked us haha. So on Sunday night I felt like the guy off the RM who was doing his home teaching at the last minute haha we drove around and tried to see people and it didn't work to well but we ended up hitting 20 lessons. Thank goodness. Sister Craig and I have been talking... and we have been trying to figure out why we have been struggling to find people and to teach and things like that. So the other day we were sitting in the car, and she looks at me and says, "I think its my fault." And I said, "whats your fault?" and she said, " that we are having a hard time." And she kind of grinned a little and I looked at her and said, "oh my goodness! you prayed for patience didn't you!?" haha I was just kidding with her but it was funny. As a missionary I have learned that when you pray for patience you really get it haha. But that wasn't it. She said that she prayed for trials. And I have been thinking about that, and I was like why on earth would you pray for trials. But it really makes sense. I feel like because we are struggling a little bit, I am learning more about myself, and how I can deal with things. Its so awesome because we just laugh all the time. We are so funny haha. I love it. So anyway... if you could all continue to pray that we find people that would be great. So yesterday I played some bball with the elders. It was pretty fun. I love it! If I stay in Puyallup for another transfer (which I hope and pray that I do... with Sister Craig.) then I will probably break down and by some bball shoes. I know I am way cheap, but I might not be able to help myself. Haha maybe I should just have you send me my Jordans. I guess we will see. So anyway... this week we have worked hard and we hope to see Miracles happen soon. Being a missionary is the best thing in the world. I am so glad that I chose to serve a mission. I have experienced things here that would have never happened if I hadn't have chose to serve a mission. I am so thankful for all that my savior has done for me in my life. I can't even imagine where I would be without him. I know that when I pray to Heavenly Father he hears me. The past couple of weeks I have wondered that... Does he really hear me? But I know that he does. He just answers in his time. Or he answers my prayers I just have to put forth the effort and look for the answer. Anyway... I am rambling... sorry. But I want you all to know that I know this gospel is the truth restored on the earth today. I know that Joseph Smith saw our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ, and through him the priesthood was restored back to the earth. The Book of Mormon is the true word of God. It is another testament of Jesus Christ, and I know that if we read from it daily we will be blessed, and reading the scriptures is how we find answers to our prayers. I love you all and I hope that you have a great week! You are amazing and I am so thankful for each one of you. Jodi good luck tomorrow, and Brenna I love you so much and I know you will feel better with your tonsils out. And I will pray for you both! I love you have a great week!

Love always, Kate

Hello Everybody 05/23/11

Hello family and friends!


How are you all doing!? Okay wow... so this week has been... hard/good/full of laughter! I don't really know how to explain it all. So this week has been hard because we have been trying to stop by all the people on the ward list that are part member families or have ubc's (sorry unbaptized children). And yes you guessed it... no one let us in. haha. Being a missionary is just so awesome. lol. Some days we just don't know what to do. Its so funny though. Like on hard days we can't even cry anymore haha we just laugh. So we have laughed a lot this week and I love it! I absolutely LOVE Sister Craig and if I could stay with her for the rest of my mission I totally would lol. She has helped me a lot. She is so great. So I have been thinking a lot this week, about a lot of different things. Which is weird because the gospel has always just made sense to me. And I always just went a long with everything and I had no problem whatsoever with it. But this week I was thinking a lot about Faith. So I asked the question... How do we have faith? The question seems very simple and when someone asks it your like well duh... its faith. But really... think about that question... How do we have faith? I have been thinking about it a lot, and after talking to Sister Craig about some stuff last night, I decided that for me to have faith I just have to put ALL my trust in my Heavenly Father, and Savior, and know that they will take care of it for me. So anyway... just something to think about. Sister Craig and I lay ed in bed last night and talked about all of this until like 1:30 in the morning haha so needless to say we are a little tired today, but it was so worth it. She has taught me a lot and I am really grateful for her. I keep telling her that when she gets home she will just have to move to Utah. So something that was way cool this week... I met an APOSTLE! Sweet right!? Elder Neil L. Anderson came to the Firgrove ward stake conference because they were re organizing the Stake Presidency. It was so awesome. He brought Elder Bennett from the quorum of the seventy with him. It was really cool, and I shook both of their hands yesterday. The spirit in those meetings are always really amazing! It makes me feel like I never want to take this name tag off. I don't really know how to explain it. Another thing that I have learned this week is that I am so excited to be a mom some day. Every time I think about I just think what an amazing thing that is. Elder Anderson talked about the women in the church yesterday. He was talking about the priesthood and then he said, "But women are naturally more spiritual than men." I thought that was really neat. He basically said that if men didn't hold the priesthood, then there wouldn't be very many men in the church. I thought that was really interesting. So anyway... I am really excited that I am part of that. And that I can have some of those responsibilities that women get to have. I am so thankful for that. I am just so thankful that I was born of goodly parents, who taught me and raised me in this amazing gospel. Sister Craig looked at me the other day and said, "How can people not have the gospel? Can you imagine not having it!?" My answer was No! I can't even imagine what I would do without it! It scares me to even think of that. So anyway... this week has been hard because seeing people wasn't easy this week, and tracting was hard too. But it was all okay because we just laughed about it. It always reminds me of the talk that Elder Worthlin gave called, "Come what may and love it." In that talk he says to learn to laugh. I really like that. Instead of crying just laugh because it is just so much better. Haha. So all week we were laughing. Then last night we were talking and Sister Craig's older sister got married when she had been in the MTC for two weeks. And so she was really able to help me with some stuff, and we were able to FINALLY have a good cry. Hahaha cuz sometimes you just NEED to cry. So it was awesome, and I am so thankful for you. I love this gospel with all of my heart! I know that it is true! And even though sometimes I feel like my faith wavers, I know that it is true, and I know that Satan is just trying to work extra hard on us because something good is probably about to happen. So pray for us this week. Pray that we find some new people to teach! And pray that they will come to church! I love you guys so much. I love my Savior with all my heart! I know that because of him anything is possible! I love you all, and I hope that you have a great week!

Love always,

Katee

Hello 05/16/11

Hello everybody!


How in the world are you all doing!?  I am doing so great!  It was such a great week!  It went by so fast!  I can't believe I've already been with Sister Craig for a week. So crazy!  Man I love her so much. I am just having such a great time. The work seems easier and it is so awesome!  Sister Craig is an amazing missionary!  So anyway... I hope you all had a great week.  I decided that I would tell you of the little miracle that happened to us yesterday.  So last transfer I met the Hixon family. The dad is a member, but he was less active, and his wife Becky is a 7th day Adventist.  So they all the sudden just started coming to church.  She said that having two separate religions was hard and it wasn't good for their marriage. So she said that she would go to church with him.  So like my first or second week in Puyallup we were having dinner with some members. (The Stutz family, they are AMAZING) And so we go over there and sister Stutz says, "sisters I invited the Hixons over for dinner." So Sister Soelberg and I were like this is great!  So they came over, and we just talked with them and I don't remember a lot of it but I do remember that the spirit was there for sure. Me and Sister Stutz and Sister Soelberg, and Sister Hixon (Becky... haha I already call her Sister Hixon, lol) just cried.  It was mostly when I talked about families, and why I was on a mission.  It was way cool. So anyway Becky told us that she didn't really have any time to meet with us because she is never home she is so busy. Which really is true haha sometimes people just tell us that but she was being for real.  So we didn't think to much about it.  But Becky and I instantly had a connection because she is an athlete! So she likes me haha.  So anyway... I just felt like she would come around sometime.  So the past couple of weeks Sister Stutz said, "sisters I have a great idea... we can just teach Becky during Sunday school because she is always at church and that would be the only time to do it."  So I have been kind of nervous about it because Becky is really knowledgeable about the bible and stuff like that.  So anyway... I didn't ever really think that it would happen, but yesterday Sister Stutz gets to church and comes up to me and gives me a huge hug and says, "guess what? Becky wants to meet with you guys during Sunday school and she is really excited about it and she wants to start TODAY!"  I was so excited but so scared at the same time haha.  But it was so awesome! So I fill Sister Craig in on the whole situation and she said, "okay... what should we teach her?" and Sister Stutz had said we should teach the restoration because Becky still has a problem with the priesthood.  So we said lets pray about it haha.  So all through out Sacrament I was just praying and praying.  And this week Sister Craig and I talked and I was just like. I feel like my prayers get so mechanical sometimes.  I mean I probably pray over 50 times a day and its kind of just the same thing. And Sister Craig said that the answers were in the scriptures.  So I prayed and prayed and then during sacrament I decided to open my Book of Mormon to a random spot. And I turned to Helaman 5 and it was talking about Faith.  So at that moment I knew that it was all going to work out and all I needed to do was have Faith.  So sacrament ends and we go in and we start teaching the Restoration.  It was so awesome!  I'm pretty sure as I recited the first vision Becky got a little teary eyed. And it just went so great, and Sister Stutz is amazing!  And so Becky is going to pray, and I promised her that she would get an answer! Yay!  It was pretty cool. Then the next thing we were just talkin and Sister Stutz said, "last week I told Becky that one of the sisters was getting transferred, and she looked up and said, "Which one!? Not Sister Balmforth?" And Sister Stutz told her that it wasn't me. haha. That made me feel really good. Then Becky said, "well I really like Sister Soelberg too, but me and Sister Balmforth have a connection because we are both athletes. Haha I was just lovin life haha. What a great day! Then last night we were having dinner with one of our Relief Society Presidents and her family. (The Stecks) and we asked her if there was anyone that she would like us to visit. And she said, "Oh yeah you could try Patti Bates" So we were like okay we can do that. Then she told us about her haha it was so funny.  I guess this lady stabbed her husband once, and went to jail,and then stabbed him again and went back to jail haha.  It was so funny we were just laughing. Brother Steck was like "her husband probably deserved it." ha ha, so I am excited to meet Patti Bates!  Well anyway... last week was a great week. I have learned a lot this past week, about myself. I have learned that I need to have more Faith.  Faith is everything. "We won't receive a witness until after the trial of our Faith." I have also learned that the power of prayer really is one of the most amazing powers. It is our only communication to our Heavenly Father, and we shouldn't take it for granted.  I think I do everyday, and I am really going to try harder to make my prayers more meaningful!  I love this Gospel so much. Being a missionary has changed my life. The Book of Mormon is true. That was another thing that I learned this week. I thought about it and I thought about my own conversion. And mine I feel is very different. Just because I never saw a vision or I never heard a voice telling me that it was true. But it was a gradual process. And it has taken 21 years but I think I am close. I have never felt so close to the Savior in my whole life, and it is amazing! Anyway... sorry this was so sporadic haha I hope you all have a great week! You are amazing and I love you so much and pray for you everyday! Have a great week! I love you!

Love, Katee