Amor do Pai Celestial

If I only had words to express to you my feelings this week... I´ll do my best. 

How the time has flown by. It seems like yesterday I hugged you all goodbye. Hard to believe that next week I´ll be on a plane coming home to you. this will be my last email to you as a missionary, next week we won´t have time to enter into email. My heart has been overwhelmed and grateful to be able to share my thoughts and feelings with you this week. 

This week was so incredibly special for me. Last week was so rough, but this week was everything that I needed. Heavenly Father answered my prayers so clearly, so tenderly and lovingly. How grateful I am. Monday after we emailed we went to lunch with José and his family. We had a great time, chatting and laughing. Graça is a hoot and keeps us all clutching our stomachs with so much laughter. After we ate, and shared a message, they told us to wait a moment becuase they had something to give us. José sat down and started to tell us taht he had finally made the decision. That finally his time had come and how grateful he was to Heavenly Father, to his family, and to us. Graça told us that we had entered into their lives at exactly the right moment, as two angels from Heavenly Father who brought renewed hope and faith in José, who encouraged them to not give up, who brought the spirit, who were obedient tools in the Lord´s hands to answer the prayers of their family. Everyone was full of emotion and the sweetest spirit accompanied us there. Then José gave us each an invite to his baptism, signed by him, with the date May 01, 2014. Thursday night. They told me they´d changed the date because they wanted this to be my last present before I went home. And we were the first ones to be told the big news. I don´t know how to explain the deep feelings I had in that moment. I felt so incredibly grateful and honored to have taken part in such a miraculous story and felt their gratitude and love for me and felt the love and approval of the Lord as well. My heart was filled with perhaps the greatest happiness I have felt throughout my whole mission. That family blessed me and helped me in ways they will never know, and to feel that same love radiating from them touched me so deeply. They are already well into their plans to be sealed as a family next year, and I plan to be here for it. They truly have entered into my heart as a second family, in a period of my mission that was so trying and so often so difficult, they gave me hope and happiness each day. They loved me in a way that helped me to feel how much Heavenly Father too loves me. On Thursday night he was baptized. Yesterday he was confirmed and received the priesthood. I am so deeply grateful for the privelege the Lord gave me to be able to know this family and to help them on their way to the temple. It was absolutely the most wonderful present of my whole mission. the peace that I felt that day was indescribable. 

I had the wonderful opportunity also this week to work with Sister Lima for the last time. It was incredible. We taught and taught and taught the whole day and the spirit was perfect. At the end of the day she turned to me and said, "Com dias como hoje, Bem poderíamos fazer isso para sempre." "With days like today, we could easily do this forever." Yes, yes we could. It was perfect. This work is perfect. 

So many experiences this week, so many answers to my prayers. And the sweetest peace confirming to me many time this week that the Lord has accepted my work. How grateful I am for this feeling. Weaknesses, I have many, but I know that through the atonement, the Savior has helped me to correct and overcome many shortcomings and has helped me day after day to serve the Lord. And looking back, to recognize the moments in where the Lord has been able to use me as a servant in His hands to bless the lives of others, I feel the greatest joy. 

I thank you with all my heart for your endless support. I want you to know that your prayers on my behalf have been answered and felt each day. I have reflected this week on how blessed I have been to have been so well prepared by such incredible parents, and how your support and love through my mission has blessed and helped me tremendously. I love you. So so so much. Words can´t thank you enough. But I pray Heavenly Father helps you to feel my eternal gratitude. 

I´m excited for this next week. Miracles await us. Hard goodbyes will come. But I know that this is the next step. The mission has changed my life in a way that even I can hardly compreend. It has changed my heart entirely. I wouldn´t trade this time for anything in the world. Thank you for helping me to get here. I thank Heavenly Father each day for this sacred privelege, that has truly molded me and blessed me so much. I love this people. There are so many people here who the Lord placed in my path that truly changed my life. That have entered into and will stay in my heart forever. As we serve, we find true happiness. As we love others, we feel the love of our Heavenly Father. His love is eternal and perfect. This work is eternal. I love this gospel with all my heart. I have never felt such greater joy and seen so many miracles. The gospel of Jesus Christ is true. His church is on the earth. Joseph Smith was called of God as a prophet, and President Monson is the Lord´s prophet today. The atonement of Jesus Christ is for everyone. His sacrifice is eternal. How grateful I am to know these precious truths. How grateful I am to knwo that because of all of this, families are eternal. I love you. 

Until next wednesday...... 

Sending all my love and prayers and so much gratitude your way, for the last time from Brasil, 

Sister Kane

Olá gente!

Note from Katie's Mom:  Katie finishes her mission on May 13th.  She will speak in our Church on May 25th at 11:00a (Riverton Tithing Hill Ward).  There may be an open house the Saturday night before, but I will leave it up to her how she wants to reconnect with everyone (our son preferred to connect one on one and not have an open house, dunno what she will want).  She'll probably post on facebook when she returns, and she can let you know.  Thanks everyone for your support!  We can't wait to see her!  Cheers!

Olá gente! Posso escrever em portugues por favor? é bem mais fácil! 

I´m very short on time... and there´s so much to tell you! 

Quick updates.... 

Miracles are REAL. Many miracles have happened this week. José marked his baptismal date!!!!! We aren´t even in his branch anymore, but the live on our street so we pass by to say hello. His granddaughter, Isabele,( remember?) was baptized on SAturday and José was touched deeply. He said the closing prayer and asked perdão..... ai ai my brain is not working in english with the stress o time hahah... anyway, he was very touched. Yesterday we went he he has marked his date. I cried with the sweetest happiness. How I love that family. They have captured my heart completely. 

We are loving the new area. Think of the most backwoods place you can imagine.. with dirt roads, nothing but fields, horses, cows, crops, chickens in the road, in the house.... that´s our new area :) hahahah we are having a blast. So much fun. There were so many pictures I took this week that I wanted to send you but I don´t think I have time! Next week :)

We cross a bridge every day.. it goes over a big lake. The most beautiful place. It reminds me of daybreak lake... always brings back several memories haha.

I gave me last testimony today in our zone meeting....... very very strange.

We have FAMILIES here. Big families that we are teaching. So special. This week a family of SEVEN came to church. All  of them. It was incredible. I was so so happy.

I love the mission. So much. I don´t feel like I`m in the end.... Nor do I want to haha. I am happier than ever. I love this gospel. In this area I have learned so much about my Heavenly FAther and my SAvior Jesus Christ. I have come to know them in a much truer way than ever before. I have developed a sweet relationship with my Heavenly Father here and felt the sweetest peace.
I love each of you. Thank you for the endless support. I am so so proud of each of you. I wouldn´t be here without you. I wouldn´t be who I am today without you. Thank you for getting me to this point. My life has changed for all eternity because of it. This gospel is true. Let´s spread the good news.
I love you! Have a wonderful week! 

My love and prayers,
Sister Kane

O Bom Fim

Bom dia! 

Looks like everyone´s doing great. Thank you for the updates and the pictures! 

This week was great. Finally the things started picking up here! We found 2 incredible families this week! And José is close.. really really close. We´re hoping to officially and finally mark his baptism for this Saturday... it´s already marked for his granddaughter, Isabele (I´ll send a pic of her.. I´m absolutely in love with that little girl) and now it´s time for José to finally commit to his word and be baptized with her. Oh how I love that family! 

Well with all the long awaited success this week we were shocked to receive the news about the transfer... we´re headed out. To a place really really far away...... the other side of the city :) We´re going to switch branches. We´ll stay together, Sister Pereira Silva and I, but we´re going to work in the other area now. I was very surprised... opening an area in my last 4 weeks haha.. but I know it´ll be great. They are leaving a great group of investigators for us. It was interesting because we found out when all the missinoaries were at a combined activity with the two branches on fridaynight. there was a young woman there named Daiane who was baptized on Saturday from the branch where we´re headed to. When we found out we´d be switching branches, that young girl caught my attention right away and I felt strongly that we were headed there in part because of her. To help her stay strong and (hopefully!) get prepared for a mission, and to help the rest of her family enter into the path. That night when we were going to sleep, Sister Pereira Silva said that she felt exactly the same thing. Interesting how Heavenly Father works, huh? Well, guess what the name of the new branch is... Bom Fim. Know that that means? Good End. hahah. It will be a Bom Fim indeed. I´m excited. I believe I have the record in the mission of the person who stays the least amount of time in each area. Heavenly Father´s got me switching things up all the time. :) But I´m grateful. He knows me well and knows that change is good for me. 

I love this work. I am happy as can be. I don´t feel like I´m at the end. Two feet in the mission, as my wise brother always counsels me :) I am grateful for the way the Lord teaches me each day. I am grateful for the love that I feel for the members and the people wherever I am, no matter how little time I stay. New beginnings, new adventures :) Our new area is over an hour away from our house... we´re going to get thin haha. 

I love our Savior Jesus Christ. Each day as I learn more about Him, I feel a greater desire to become more like Him and to help Heavenly Father´s children know about Him. I know He lives. May we remember Him even more as we prepare to celebrate Easter this week! 

I love you so much! Have a most wonderful week! You´re in my prayers. 

Sending my love and prayers from São Gabriel, 

Sister Kane

A melhor conferência

Good morning, my dear family! Thank you for the wonderful emails. I loved every one. I love that you all loved conference as much as I did. My goodness, it was incredible, wasn´t it?? There´s so much a want to share with you! But for lack of time, I´ll keep it short and sweet. 

I.LOVED.THIS.CONFERENCE.

I have never loved a conference quite like I loved this one. I felt the sweetest spirit through the entire weekend. It was absolutely incredible to me the way that Heavenly Father instructed me and answered all my questions through each session. Earlier this week I was looking back to my notes from conference exactly a year ago... looking at the questions that I had written down.. wow how my life has changed in this last year. I could hardly believe it. I also was looking at the number of missionaries.. one year ago: 65,634. This year: More than 83,000. Incredible. I feel absolutely priveleged to be part of this incredible work in such an incredible and historical time. It´s truly an honor. There are so many things I loved this conference, so many talks that touched me deeply. I have to admit that I had an inkling of hope that President Monson would get up on Saturdaymorning and say that sisters could serve for two years... haha didn´t work. But I felt a very very sweet peace through this conference as the Lord taught me from on high and gave me the answers that I needed to help me in this last transfer and also to prepare me for the next phase of life. My hearts been overwhelmed with emotions this weekend and tears have been present at more than a few moments. I love this work. In a way I never thought I would. My hearts hurts to think that I have little time left to participate in it as a full time missionary. I can´t fathom the thought of leaving the house without this little black badge! But I know that the Lord has a plan for me. As President Uchtdorg so wisely told us, "There are no endings, only everlasting beginnings." During the last hymn yesterday, I felt a deeper peace than I have possibly ever felt. A peace that comforted me deeply. A peace that has stayed with me. I love this gospel. I love the idea of eternal progress. I love that wherever we are, there is work to do, there are hearts to lift, and people to serve. Now it´s time for me to continue running, to give it all to the Lord. There´s people here who need me. There´s people here who need help taking the first step to eternal life. How grateful I am to be a servant of the Lord with the authority to help them. I love our Savior Jesus Christ. I am certain that He lives. That He loves us. If I´ve learned one thing above the rest during this beautiful journey, it´s that our Heavenly Father and our Savior are so keenly aware of us and love us SO. MUCH. I have felt it in my life, and I have seen it felt in the lives of others. 

I love you. I am so grateful to know that we are sealed forever. I am so proud of each of you. Have a wonderful wonderful week! May you feel my endless love and prayers! 

Sister Kane

CONFERÊNCIA!

Bom dia começa com alegria!

Thank you for the wonderful emails! Seems like everyone´s doing great! Getting excited for conference, are we? Wooohoo! I am so so so excited. I can´t wait! It´s truly the most wonderful time of the year. The most rewarding weekend of all. Joe, I´ll try to at least take a sneak peak of you translating! You´re the coolest! I am so proud of you! We´ll see what announcements the prophet has for us this week :) 

This week´s been great. Lots and lots and lots of learning. As always :) This week I´ve learned more about the importance of looking UP. Many times we look to our side, to our friends and family for help, before looking UP. I´ve always had the dearest of friends at my side through the mission and I often made that mistake of looking to them for advice instead of looking up first. Here I´ve learned to look up before looking anywhere else and I´ve felt the greatest difference. It´s incredible to see how Heavenly Father is so ready to answer us and to help us. He literally is just waiting for us to look up and to ask Him and He answers us immediately. 

We are teaching some great people. Janine is the greatest. She´s 24 and she is loving everything about the gospel. She wants to be a missionary :) Haha. But sadly she´ll have to wait becuase she´s got two little boys already. But she is really special. She honestly accepts everything we teach with so much excitement and willingness. People like her bring so much joy into a missionary´s heart! José is progressing.. haha he´s a stubborn one. But we marked is grandaughter´s baptism for the 12th and we´re praying that he´ll finally make his choice and be baptized with her. But I love this place. The Lord is touching hearts here. Mine included.

My companion is doing well. I am so grateful for her. She teaches me so much! She is one of the most special people I have met on my mission, who is changing and blessing me more than she thinks she is. I have no doubts that we knew eachother before we came to the earth and that we were already chosen to be companions one day here. The Lord placed us together at this time for a wise purpose in Him. How grateful I am. 

Well, gotta run. Have a wonderful week, and a marvelous conference!! Woohoo! Oh how I love that Tommy Monson. I´d like to be more like him! 

I love you! Thank you for the endless support and love! You´re in my prayers. 

Sending my love and prayers from São Gabriel, 

Sister Kane

Pics from Sis Kane

February 24

Bom dia, família! 

Thank you for all the emails and updates. Everyone seems to be doing so well. I am so proud of each of you and so grateful for your examples in my life! Thank you for the endless support!! I think I´m the most blessed Sister ever. :)

We´ve had another wonderful week here in Cruz Alta. Have I mentioned how much I love this place? So very much. I hope to stay here until the end! We´ll see what the Lord´s got planned :) The beginning of this week started off a little nuts, a little stressful, but the weekend was perfect. On Saturday we helped in a stake service project, painting and cleaning a school. We had way too much fun! It´s always been a dream of mine since the beginning of the mission to be able to PAINT in a service project, and finally my dream was fulfilled :) I´ll send some pics. I think I ended up painting myself more than painting the school haha. The Lord placed some very special people in our path this week. People truly prepared for the gospel. Yesterday we had several people confirmed to come to church with us, but on our way when we called to confirm again, they all cancelled and said they wouldn´t be able to come. I was a little stressed with that and started to reflect on what I need to change and improve so that we might be able to help our investigators better. We set some goals, and headed on to church, praying for a miracle, that someone would show up. There´s a recent convert, Carol, who´s 14 years old and an incredible young woman. Pure missionary already (she´s been a member for 4 months). We started teaching her family this week and it´s been incredible to see Carol´s joy as she watches her mom and sister accept the gospel. They both had confrimed that they´d go to church but then cancelled.. when we got to church we went to find Carol and decided to go to her house and talk to her mom and sister to come to church. Carol was a little doubtful and had a hard time believing that they´d come. But off we went, the 3 of us praying and asking for a miracle. When we got to her house, her mom (who´s paralyzed from the waist down) had gotten herself up and was getting ready to come to church. The look on Carol´s face when she walked in was perfect.. she was so surprised and so happy. When we got in the car, Carol hugged us and quietly said, "I love you guys. Thank you so much." Her joy was indescribable to have her mom at church with her. She was so so happy. It was the miracle of the day. The Lord is so very kind. So so so very kind. I love this work. There´s nothing that brings greater joy. Last night as we walked home, there was a thunderstorm collecting on the outskirts of the city... it´s the most incredible thing when this happens because there´s lightning within all the clouds..before the rain starts to fall. i don´t know how to explain. I´ll send a few pictures, but the pictures don´t do it justice. It was the most incredible sky last night... we walked home feeling so much happiness, so much love for this place. My heart is captured here in Rio Grande do Sul. Days like yesterday, I could stay here forever. I love this gospel. I love learning and growing each day. I love being able to feel closer to the Lord each day. There´s truly no greater joy than this. The time is running before me... I can´t believe who fast it´s gone. I´m so grateful for the time here and for the precious time I have left in this blessed place. If you could all stop praying for the time to hurry up and pray for it to slow down I would greatly apprecite it ;) haha. I love you very much. Have a wonderful week! May you feel the Lord´s great love for each of you and recognize His hand in each day! 

Sending my love and prayers from Cruz Alta, 

Sister Kane