Dear Family and Friends,
The weeks go by so fast! I've been out for 3 months already! Holy wow! Does it seem like it's been that long for you guys? Pretty soon I'm going to be home...ugh. Mission life is so amazing, I love it.
This week we have found 7 NEW INVESTIGATORS! They are pretty solid. We met one on Tuesday, invited her to be baptized and then put her on date on Thursday for November 29. So solid. We have been doing a lot of finding and we are trying to find by the spirit now, really seeking inspiration as to where we need to be and who we need to talk to and it has been helping so much. There are so many people who are ready for the gospel in their life.
Investigator #1: Ivette. She is the one we put on date. She is so amazing and has a newborn baby, like 20 days old. She is awesome and so funny. When we said that she could be together with her family for all of time and eternity she laughed. Straight up laughed. She doesn't know what to think about being with her husband for all of time and eternity...
#2-4 : Familia Garcia. This family has been taught by the missionaries before when they lived in a different area. It was so cool that we met them because they had just taken their dog out to go to the bathroom and we were looking for someone to talk to! The lord has a plan...they accepted the invitation to be baptized as they came to know these things were true.
#5: Maria. She is so amazing as well. She has so many daughters, like 5, and they are all super cute and love us! We got to teach her the restoration and she accepted the invitation to be baptized as well. She said she wanted to come to church but she was going to ask her husband what he thought.
#6-7: Linda and Lupe. They are mother and daughter. Linda is about 20 and has a gorgeous daughter with her boyfriend, and they live with her mom. Their family has some contention, but hey, what family doesn't. We know that the gospel can bless any family not matter their challenges. We invited them to read the hook of our in and they accepted it. They actually did it, didn't understand everything they read, but the effort was there. We are excited to keep working with them even through we have to refer Linda to the English elders...
Cool experience this week. We were knocking in a neighborhood with a member this week, creo que Tuesday, and we were trying to get into an apartment building so we rang every doorbell like 5 times. Well finally this lady comes to the door, and she is pissed! We explain to her that we are missionaries and we share a little bit about the gospel but she says she doesn't have time because she is taking care of her husband who is sick. We gave her a Mormon.org card with our number on it and the member said that some priesthood holders could come by and give him a blessing of she wanted. She said thanks and we were on our way. Well, Friday she calls us bawling, her husband was admitted to the hospital. When she said he as sick she forgot to mention that he had cancer, the doctors found out the cancer was spreading and they didn't know how much time he had, she called us for a blessing. Let me tell you, finding priesthood holders to give a blessing on Halloween is like trying to find a basketball hoop on a baseball field...finally after much struggle, we were able to find a few priesthood holders who could go give a blessing. They did and it was cool, then Sunday we went to visit her. It reminded me a lot of when my grandpa Lobdell was in the hospital with the interpreters and all of the beeping and weird smells, but the spirit was so strong. We said a prayer with them, read some scriptures, and testified of the plan of salvation. So powerful.
This really is the lords work and we don't know who is ready for it. As we follow the spirit, we will be led to those who are ready or who need it! That's what we learned this week. It was awesome.
We also met a born again Christian, taught my first Jehovah's Witness, and I scared my companion this morning! It's her birthday and I was super sneaky and didn't say happy birthday when she woke up like she was expecting. I waited for her to go to the bathroom, quickly made her bed, then waited outside he bathroom door. When she opened it, I popped out and yelled happy birthday! She screamed. It was so funny.
It snowed on Halloween and everyone was crying but it was wimp snow. Didn't even stick. Other than that it has only been freezing one day, cold the others. The jacket you sent me is amazing, it's super tight on my butt but it keeps me warm! Sometimes I look like I'm on my way to a funeral because I wear so much black...but hey, I'm getting some boots today which will add some contrast in there...
One of the best things about mission life is Sunday's. For some reason Sunday's are just so much more powerful when you are a missionary. Yesterday's fast and testimony meeting was just so remarkable. A few of the members who have come out with us in the past few weeks got up to bear their testimony on missionary work and how they haven't felt the spirit so strong in such a long time. It was beautiful. And so powerful. The closing prayer was said my Hermana Kitch. Hermana Kitch never cries. Never. Except during that prayer. It was that powerful. I am so thankful for the many blessings that have been given me in my short time here in the field. I know that this truly is the lords work and that as everyone gets involved in the work, it'll really take off and everyone will really feel the spirit.
In my reading in the Book of Mormon this week I have been learning a lot about faith and how faith can help us overcome our trials. One of my favorite things I learned was in Alma 34:40-41 which basically says if you have patience and bear with the afflictions that you have, you will have the rest from your afflictions on the life to come. Why is faith so important? Well, for me, I know that my savior overcame the world. Did I see it? No. So how do I know? I feel it, every time I pray and ask for help or ask forgiveness for the things I have done wrong, I feel the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ working in my life. I feel the truth of his sacrifice as I read in the Book of Mormon through the power of the Holy Ghost. Faith is having hope. In my trials, I have hope, I know that if I bear with patience the things in my path and keep working towards being more like my savior, I will one day have eternal life with my family and my Heavenly Father and my savior. Faith is something that changes people. It gives us strength in our times of need. So if you feel like you have something in your path that seems like it is too big to overcome, pray to Heavenly Father and immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon. As you increase your faith and your testimony of the atonement of Jesus Christ, you will receive the strength you need to overcome your trials. Remember, even if we are faithful, this life is a time of testing. It will not always be easy, but as we continually fight to follow Jesus Christ, we will find joy in the journey.
I love you all! Thank you so much for everything each and every one of you for what you have done for my family and for me. You are in my prayers daily. Thank you for your letters, packages, and most importantly for your thoughts and prayers. I love you all! Have an amazing week!
Love,
Hermana Kunz
P.S. I've gotten some emails about what I would like for Christmas...anything that is colorful would be fantastic! Please believe me when I say I look like I'm on my way to a funeral most days. I wear so much black. I love you all so much! Thanks for everything you do!
The weeks go by so fast! I've been out for 3 months already! Holy wow! Does it seem like it's been that long for you guys? Pretty soon I'm going to be home...ugh. Mission life is so amazing, I love it.
This week we have found 7 NEW INVESTIGATORS! They are pretty solid. We met one on Tuesday, invited her to be baptized and then put her on date on Thursday for November 29. So solid. We have been doing a lot of finding and we are trying to find by the spirit now, really seeking inspiration as to where we need to be and who we need to talk to and it has been helping so much. There are so many people who are ready for the gospel in their life.
Investigator #1: Ivette. She is the one we put on date. She is so amazing and has a newborn baby, like 20 days old. She is awesome and so funny. When we said that she could be together with her family for all of time and eternity she laughed. Straight up laughed. She doesn't know what to think about being with her husband for all of time and eternity...
#2-4 : Familia Garcia. This family has been taught by the missionaries before when they lived in a different area. It was so cool that we met them because they had just taken their dog out to go to the bathroom and we were looking for someone to talk to! The lord has a plan...they accepted the invitation to be baptized as they came to know these things were true.
#5: Maria. She is so amazing as well. She has so many daughters, like 5, and they are all super cute and love us! We got to teach her the restoration and she accepted the invitation to be baptized as well. She said she wanted to come to church but she was going to ask her husband what he thought.
#6-7: Linda and Lupe. They are mother and daughter. Linda is about 20 and has a gorgeous daughter with her boyfriend, and they live with her mom. Their family has some contention, but hey, what family doesn't. We know that the gospel can bless any family not matter their challenges. We invited them to read the hook of our in and they accepted it. They actually did it, didn't understand everything they read, but the effort was there. We are excited to keep working with them even through we have to refer Linda to the English elders...
Cool experience this week. We were knocking in a neighborhood with a member this week, creo que Tuesday, and we were trying to get into an apartment building so we rang every doorbell like 5 times. Well finally this lady comes to the door, and she is pissed! We explain to her that we are missionaries and we share a little bit about the gospel but she says she doesn't have time because she is taking care of her husband who is sick. We gave her a Mormon.org card with our number on it and the member said that some priesthood holders could come by and give him a blessing of she wanted. She said thanks and we were on our way. Well, Friday she calls us bawling, her husband was admitted to the hospital. When she said he as sick she forgot to mention that he had cancer, the doctors found out the cancer was spreading and they didn't know how much time he had, she called us for a blessing. Let me tell you, finding priesthood holders to give a blessing on Halloween is like trying to find a basketball hoop on a baseball field...finally after much struggle, we were able to find a few priesthood holders who could go give a blessing. They did and it was cool, then Sunday we went to visit her. It reminded me a lot of when my grandpa Lobdell was in the hospital with the interpreters and all of the beeping and weird smells, but the spirit was so strong. We said a prayer with them, read some scriptures, and testified of the plan of salvation. So powerful.
This really is the lords work and we don't know who is ready for it. As we follow the spirit, we will be led to those who are ready or who need it! That's what we learned this week. It was awesome.
We also met a born again Christian, taught my first Jehovah's Witness, and I scared my companion this morning! It's her birthday and I was super sneaky and didn't say happy birthday when she woke up like she was expecting. I waited for her to go to the bathroom, quickly made her bed, then waited outside he bathroom door. When she opened it, I popped out and yelled happy birthday! She screamed. It was so funny.
It snowed on Halloween and everyone was crying but it was wimp snow. Didn't even stick. Other than that it has only been freezing one day, cold the others. The jacket you sent me is amazing, it's super tight on my butt but it keeps me warm! Sometimes I look like I'm on my way to a funeral because I wear so much black...but hey, I'm getting some boots today which will add some contrast in there...
One of the best things about mission life is Sunday's. For some reason Sunday's are just so much more powerful when you are a missionary. Yesterday's fast and testimony meeting was just so remarkable. A few of the members who have come out with us in the past few weeks got up to bear their testimony on missionary work and how they haven't felt the spirit so strong in such a long time. It was beautiful. And so powerful. The closing prayer was said my Hermana Kitch. Hermana Kitch never cries. Never. Except during that prayer. It was that powerful. I am so thankful for the many blessings that have been given me in my short time here in the field. I know that this truly is the lords work and that as everyone gets involved in the work, it'll really take off and everyone will really feel the spirit.
In my reading in the Book of Mormon this week I have been learning a lot about faith and how faith can help us overcome our trials. One of my favorite things I learned was in Alma 34:40-41 which basically says if you have patience and bear with the afflictions that you have, you will have the rest from your afflictions on the life to come. Why is faith so important? Well, for me, I know that my savior overcame the world. Did I see it? No. So how do I know? I feel it, every time I pray and ask for help or ask forgiveness for the things I have done wrong, I feel the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ working in my life. I feel the truth of his sacrifice as I read in the Book of Mormon through the power of the Holy Ghost. Faith is having hope. In my trials, I have hope, I know that if I bear with patience the things in my path and keep working towards being more like my savior, I will one day have eternal life with my family and my Heavenly Father and my savior. Faith is something that changes people. It gives us strength in our times of need. So if you feel like you have something in your path that seems like it is too big to overcome, pray to Heavenly Father and immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon. As you increase your faith and your testimony of the atonement of Jesus Christ, you will receive the strength you need to overcome your trials. Remember, even if we are faithful, this life is a time of testing. It will not always be easy, but as we continually fight to follow Jesus Christ, we will find joy in the journey.
I love you all! Thank you so much for everything each and every one of you for what you have done for my family and for me. You are in my prayers daily. Thank you for your letters, packages, and most importantly for your thoughts and prayers. I love you all! Have an amazing week!
Love,
Hermana Kunz
P.S. I've gotten some emails about what I would like for Christmas...anything that is colorful would be fantastic! Please believe me when I say I look like I'm on my way to a funeral most days. I wear so much black. I love you all so much! Thanks for everything you do!