February 17, 2014

Bom dia, querida família! 

Well, this set of emails has been a fun one hahah... Jessi totalled my old car...my first companion, Sister Nascimento, is well in the works preparing for her wedding, other nutty news,and I also nearly cried when I received the email asking for my information for my flight home..... ai ai ai. I remember one year ago when my trainer received that email and she nearly cried as well... I never thought my day would come! It´s a strange strange strange thing. I can´t believe how fast it´s going. A little bit of a whirlwind today! hahah.

This week has been a great one. Every week, every day is great. I couldn´t be happier. Perhaps my emails seem a bit redundant with that phrase haha, but I can´t explain the true happiness that fills my heart each day here. It´s priceless. 

This week I´ve learned more about how the Lord places certain people in our lives,always in exactly the right moment, to enter into our lives and stay in our lives for eternity. There are so many people here who I absolutely love, who I am certain were placed into my life to stay for eternity. Companions, other missionaries, recent converts,members...so much love fills my heart. Can you believe I´ve been in Cruz Alta for nearly 8 months now?? I can´t believe how fast it´s gone. I love this place. I hope the Lord lets me stay here until the end...! 

One of this people who entered into my heart during these weeks is Vitoria. A young woman, 13 years old, who has passed through much more than any 13 year old should have to pass.She was baptizedon Saturday, and was able start a new life. She´s got a complicated past, but Heavenly Father wanted to give her a new chance,a new beginning.That´s what I Love about this gospel.It´s perfect. Our Heavenly Father´s love is so infinite, it doesn´t exclude anyone,it invites every single person to partake of the happiness of the gospel.Vitoria is changing her life.Little by little, her face glows a little more, her smile gets a little wider. This gospel is for everyone.

We had zone conference this weekend.We gave a training about listening and loving the investigator.Big crowd this time.. it was a good experience. We were reunited with many friends in this conference and we had all our sisters there.. so fun. It was so great to see everyone and remember some of the great memories together. Eternal friendships here. How grateful I am for each of the people the Lord has given me the opportunity to meet. I love this place. It´s passing far too quickly...But we´re embracing every singleday and loving every moment. The happiness is deep and eternal.

I love each of you!! Thank you for being so incredible and so faithful. How blessed I am. Have a wonderful week! 

Sending my love and prayers,

Sister Kane

Some Pics

Tuesday Night Radio Show to share the Gospel!

The Girls

Katie now serves as the female version of Zone Leader.  She gets to travel all over to help the Sisters and see old converts.  She loves it!

Hotter than Hades; Happier than ever!

Bom dia! 

Se eu pudesse escrever em portugês, eu ficaria muito feliz... mas.... 

Well, if I could write to you in portugues I would be very happy! My mind has quite a challenge with english...

Thank you for the wonderful emails and updates. You fill my heart with happiness! I am glad to hear everyone is well and happy and working hard. Baby B is the CUTEST. Take advantage of the cold!!! Here it´s like walking in a sauna everyday... I´ve never sweat like this in my life hahaha... drops of sweat fall from my face.. drops. Daily. Yuck. But, it doesn´t stop the happiness :) 

This week has been wonderfully busy and wonderfully exhausting and wonderfully happy. We had the opportunity to go to São Borja again this week to work with the Sisters there. Eeshh... Let me tell you... São Borja is the bordering city with Argentina. It´s called a "fronteira" city where the weather gets all the extremes. (I´m sorry, I feel like my grammar isn´t making sense.. and the other american elder here is just as lost as I am and is not helping haha). It´s hotter than hot and colder than cold in the winter. 44 degrees celsius. Eesh. If i´m not mistaken, I believe it´s over 110 degrees farenheit. Imagine that! Hahah I decided after that that I´d accept willingly the 37, 38 degrees here in Cruz Alta. But we had a great time with the sisters there, even with that glorious heat. It´s so fun for me to work with Sister Claret, one of my dearest friends and roomate of 5 months here in Cruz Alta. 

We´ve been running around to prepare everything for this upcoming week, and trying to keep up with our work here and in helping the sisteres. Heavenly Father has helped us so much!! Even though our time is often short, He always makes time for us to accomplish everything and to able to visit our investigators and recent converts, etc. This week I have felt such an outpouring of love from our Father in Heaven, and an overwhelming love for the people we are teaching. Many times throughout this week I have found myself choked up as I testify to God´s children how much He loves them. I´ve felt it so clearly this week, for the investigators, the other sisters, the recent converts. So much love and true desire to help them in their difficulties. It seems like my own worries and difficulties have simply gone away, because my greater worry is for each of them. I remember Dad always telling me that when I was younger.. if you´re having difficulties or not feeling happy, go and serve someone else. Make them happy, and you´ll find happiness and solutions to your own problems in turn. How grateful I am so be here. The time flies by. Each day has become increasingly more precious to me and I pray to able to help each of God´s children in this area in the way that He needs me to. I love this work more than my words can express. I am so grateful for the daily growth and progress here on the mission. I love you so much! Thank you for your examples and support! 

Sei que Cristo é nosso Salvador. Ele nos conhece e nos ama perfeitamente. Que vocês possam sentir isso durante essa semana. 

Amo vocês!

Sister Kane

April 28: 3, tres, 1-2-3... TRIO

Oi cute family!! How is everyone doing? Thank you so much for the WONDERFUL emails this week. Seriously. Loved every single one. You are the best :) Sounds like you guys are busy as every with the yard and everything else. Lots of work! Summer cleaning haha.. we are preparing to take on the winter here :) But how great to hear that everyone is well. Jess, way to go on your talk :) I know you did wonderful, because you have such a powerful testimony that it doesn´t even matter if you were nervous because your testimony was certainly carried into the hearts of everyone there :) Love hearing about all the mission calls. Crazy things are happening! The Lord is hastening the work. So cool to see it all rolling forth. 

Everything is going great on this end of the world. One sister who lived with us went home this week because of health problems, so we are in TRIO now :) Haha I´ve never heard anyone speak highly of a trio, and admitedly it´s not proving to be my favorite thing in the world. I think we have 3 of the most opposite personalities in the world. But it really is going well :) We are laughing up a storm in the streets. We´ve started a new game that we play in the streets.. it´s a word game, it´s rather ridiculous, but we never cease to laugh throughout the day. It´s good to keep our spirits hight, no matter how ridiculous our ways are :) Our teaching as a trio has definitely got some work to do... but we´ll get there. Besides it´s only going to be for two weeks until transfers. 

We´ve got a great group of investigators right now. We have two baptisms set for this week. One is the mom of the young girl we baptized a few weeks ago. She is SO special!!! Ah, she brings such joy to my heart :) The sweetest spirit is always present when we teach her. They are truly the humblest of families. This family has nothing. Nothing. But they are deeply rooted in their faith in Christ and find joy in what matters most. It´s going to be such a special baptism! Yoohoo!!

Yesterday was a conference via satellite with the 4 (i think) southern states of Brazil. We heard from various area leaders and then from Elder Richard G. Scott. Oh, he´s so wonderful :) He speaks Portuguese... he also speaks Spanish... and sometimes he forgets which language he´s speaking and mixes the two :) Hahaha is portugues is very difficult to understand, but it was great anyway. He´s such a dear! 

In other news.. I have athlete´s foot... hahahah seriously Brazil is not doing much for my beauty or for my feet. Gross. But... I´m treating it and it appears to be getting better. (Thank goodness for that first aid kit you sent with me mom! It had exactly what I needed :) ) 

Passed 5 months in the mission this week...can you believe it?? Holy cow. It goes fast. 

This week I studied the sermon on the mount again. It´s so beautiful. If you´re needing something to study this week, study that. It´s great. So applicable. Also if you haven´t read Our Search for Happiness, READ IT. It´s perfect. This goes for family, friends, members, and non members. This book is perfect. It will help your faith and answer any questions you have about the gospel and the church :) 

Well.... I think that sums up the week okay. I am one happy little missionary. Life is wonderful in the service of the Lord :) 

Have a wonderfully happy week!! Know that you are all in my prayers. Thank you for your love and example! I feel your prayers and support daily. I LOVE YOU, family!!! 

Sending ALL my love from Brazil, 

Sister Kane

April 15

Bom dia familia! 

Thank you so very much for all your emails and wonderful words of wisdom :) I love you! So great to hear about all the happenings back home. You all sound wonderful. Keep the good news coming, okay?:) Did you guys enjoy conference? How´s school, work everything going? Mom, glad you got connected with the branch president here!! It will be so fun to have that link! He´s great and loves talking to our families :) 

Então... I´m here in São Borja!! It´s going great! So much to tell... let´s begin eh? Well, leaving Parque Pinheiro was very difficult... I cried, Sister Nascimento cried, we all cried :) A lot. But, eventually we had to just rip of the bandaid and I had to leave my little family there and my mommy and head on to new adventures! I don´t know if tranfers get easier over time, but I hope so! Haha because it felt like I was leaving home all over again. And leaving behind our investigators was one of the hardest parts.. to now leave them in the hands of other missionaries after you develop such a love for them and desire for their well being and progression in the gospel. But I suppose that´s the way the mission goes huh? And of course, Heavenly Father kees a close eye on all of them. But, we arrived here late Tuesday night and entered into the nightmare of a house we live in :) it´s horrid, but.. i was also very spoiled with the house in Parque Pinheiro, so... I guess it´s only fair to have a crappy house now haha. But it´s right next to the chapel which is SO nice. Everything is very close to home here which is great. We live in the city here.. it´s refreshing.. civilization :) It´s a nicer area here than the other area.. there´s some beautiful homes here! And there´s stop lights.. also something we didn´t have in the last area haha :) My companion, Sister Prisbela is great. She works so hard! She has a huge desire to talk to everyone, to teach everyone. I think that she and Sister Nascimento are possibly the two most opposite sisters in the mission :) But she really is great, and I know I`m going to learn a lot with her. She has a great love for the work and for the Lord. 

We had two baptisms yesterday! It´s a little different because I met them just a few days ago and haven´t been a part of their journey, but it´s still wonderful to see people take this step in their lives and to see the happiness that shines from their eyes :) I´ll send pics. 

This week has been a little bit of a whilrwind and I´m not completely settled in yet. But I really am very excited to be here. The Lord always knows best, and though it was a huge surprise and challenge to be transferred, I know the Lord has great things in store here in São Borja and that the timing of the change was wisdom in Him. It was time for the baby bird to leave the comfort of the nest :) The Lord is truly in the details of our lives. Every little thing. He organizes it all. And with so much care and love. I know that this is truly His work, that the gospel brings a deep joy and happiness that nothing else in the world can bring. I know that our Savior lives and that He sacrificied everything that we might have JOY. The Lord desires nothing more than our happiness in this life and the life to come, and the gospel is the way to obtain it :) 

Have I mentioned how great the mission is? :) It´s really really great.

I love you to the stars and back, cute family. You are my light and joy! Thank you for the prayers, love, and support. I feel it daily and couldn´t do this without it! Have a most wonderful week, FULL of joy and laughter :)

Sending all my love from Brazil, 

Sister Kane

April 8

Bom Dia Familia!! Como vocês estão?? 

Well, I just had a whirlwind of a moment... I logged on, was reading emails chipper and carefree as can be... then we got a phonecall from the LZ... I´m being transferred! Holy cow... I´m in a little bit of shock right now... We thought we were safe :) President had told us both that we´d be together until the end, all our leaders ensured us yesterday that we´d stay together until Sister Nascimento goes home after this transfer... but..... the Lord has other plans it looks like :) Bah... I´m a little shaky and the tears are fighting to come out. I´m headed to São Borja tomorrow morning... 6 hours from here. My new companion is going to be Sister Prisbella, a Brazilian. Very sweet. A little bit nervous based on some of the things I´ve heard, but.... we´re walking forward with faith :) I´ll say tchau to my sweet companion tomorrow morning and hope to see her again at some point after the mission. She is an angel. Funny how the Lord works... I sent an email a couple weeks ago feeling stressed and frustrated with the companionship, and now I´m sitting in tears at the thought of having to say goodbye to her. We´ve grown closer than ever this past week and half or so and are genuinely the best of friends at this moment. Ah, minha nossa. But, here we go :) This is the mission and I know the Lord knows what´s best for me. I know that I´m headed onto a new area, new adventures, and new experiences. It´s going to be great! Faith in every footstep. :)

Okay, anyway... thank you so much for all the emails! Everyone sounds wonderful! Joe, look how cool you are on TV!!!! I had a feeling you´d be interpretting for conference finally :) How neat. I really wanted to watch conference in ASL.. but the other Americans weren´t all over that idea :) But what a neat experience! You are incredible! Glad to hear you guys had such a wonderful time in St. George :) 

This week was great. Really. Sister Nascimento and I had more challenges and more difficulties, but more laughs and friendship than ever before. We have some wonderful people here that we are teaching and I know Sister Nascimento will continue to help them progress to baptism. It´s been a wonderful, wonderful journey here in this area and ward. 

Conference!!!!! Yoohoo!! Oh, it was so so so wonderful. I was on cloud nine all week anticipating conference, and on cloud ten the whole weekend. It was amazing. Conference was a little different than sitting at home on the plush couches with the smell of mom´s homemade food, but it was just as wonderful and sweet. We watched it in English which was the first greatest blessing :) I was a little worried that we wouldn´t be able to. But we had 6 of us americans crammed into the ward secretary´s office and watched it online :) It was so great. And we only spoke english while we were in there which was also great haha. It´s refreshing once in a while :) But the talks were absolutely incredible. Exactly what I needed. And definitely powerful for our investigators as well. Oh, how I love this beautiful gospel. What a blessing to have the truth. What a blessing to have a living prophet and apostles. THIS is true, and everlasting happiness that ONLY comes through the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Well, my mind is a jumble right now so I´ll leave at that for this week :) Until next week from São Borja.... bah. Send prayer please, I need them :) I love you to pieces. You are the light of my life! Thank you for all your love and support! 

I LOVE YOU!! 

Sister Kane

March 25

Hello cute family! How are you doing?? So lovely to hear from all of you! You are such rays of sunshine. Time is super short so I apologize in advance....

This week has been a little slow.... Lots of walking, lots of trying to find new people. But its been good. Lots of learning and trials this week, which always brings a little bit of growing pain, but it´s been good :) The weather is a little nuts... hot, and cold, hot and cold. Sound familiar, utah? :) 

We found a very special family this week! They have great desires to change and accept the gospel fully in their lives. We found them when they were at the lowest of lows, the dad without a job and food nearly running out, and they were desperately searching for some light in their lives. Good thing we´ve got light to share :) The dad has since found a job, they are growing happier each day, the son will be baptized this Saturday, they are preparing to get married and the rest of the family will be baptized in April :) They are wonderful. 

This week has placed many challenges in our way, and the difficulties of a companionship have shined through many a times this week. As much as we love each other, there´s always going to be difficulties. But each difficulty presents a new way to learn and to better ourselves! 

The Lord is completely in control of our lives. He is in the details of every day, every moment. He knows our thoughts, our feelings, our difficulties, our desires, everything. And He knows exactly how to help us as well. He stands ready to help us and walk with us. But it all depends on us--it depends on our faith, our willingness to do our part, our diligence. And it´s only after we exercise our faith and do our part, that the miracles come. That the changes we desire come. It all comes down to faith and work. But I´m certain that when we do what He asks, He jumps at the chance to help us in every single way. 

That´s been the majority of my thoughts during this week. Lots and lots of learning. And lots of outpouring of love from Heaven :)

Thank you so much for all your support! For the many emails of love and support I received this week. I am so very blessed! 

I´m sorry this email is so short... and boring.... :/

I love you all so much! You are incredible! You are always in my prayers! Have a most wonderful week, filled with joy and blessings and lots of laughs :)

Sending all my love from Brazil, 

Sister Kane