Last transfer, staying put! 7.10.2013

Wow! Lots of awesome things happening. I think it's great! It's funny that they are happening during my last transfer. I'm going to have to stay really focused because those are some amazing blessings that I can't wait to participate in.

We've had a great week in Danbury... and we're going to have 6 more awesome weeks together here. I'm not leaving!! Danbury to the end! :) I am really excited to keep working here. I'm still Sister Training Leader too. I'll be working with Sister Richardson and Sister Peterson in Monticello, Sister Dunn and Sister Aguirre in Poughkeepsie, and Sister McCurdy, Richeson, and Wilkys in Newburgh. It'll be a great cycle for sure. :)

For the 4th of July we went to Brother W*******'s house with M***** and her friend. We had a great day there and then visited with I***** and I*****. It was a fun day. We visited with O******* in the morning right before she left on her trip. She'll be back in three weeks.

We've had two baptisms in the branch the last two weeks. R***** from Brazil was baptized on the 30th of June  and then C**** was baptized on the 7th of July. We sang a song in Portuguese for R*****'s baptism. That was a pretty fun day. P***** came and we had a wonderful lesson. And A**** and A******(D******' grandchildren) came to C****'s  baptism the following week. They are great girls... A***** is ready for baptism, but A**** isn't ready. We will keep preparing A***** and hope that A****ll understand and make the decision to be baptized. She wants to follow the Lord.

We had our Leadership Council again last Friday. It was good... Those meetings are always a lot of fun.

We started meeting with an amazing sister named D****. She was baptized a year and a half ago, but recently moved from Washington. She hasn't been able to go to church, but we encouraged her to fast. And just a few days later she texted us and told us that she now has work later on Sundays so that she can go to church. She was thrilled!

P***** is doing great and still preparing for the 28th of July. Now her boyfriend is taking the lessons as well and he has a lot of interest. Unfortunately he doesn't speak Spanish. We are still going to teach him though. We will be issuing him a baptismal date soon. :)

We had a miracle happen the other day. (Well.. they happen everyday). We went to go pick up I***** and we had 20 extra minutes, so we decided to tract. We had only knocked three doors when we found C*****.  C***** was baptized five years ago in the Dominican Republic. He wants to start coming to church again and he has a beautiful little family that we are going to start teaching tomorrow.

I love the Lord! I love that He gives us the Spirit to direct us and guide us and we don't have to rely on our own limited understanding and abilities. I'm so grateful for my mission and the chance that I have to serve!

Love,

Hermana Kin

Happy 4th of July! 7.3.2013

Happy 4th!

We had a wonderful week!

OH! I forgot to tell you! Sister Wankier threw a surprise party for me the day after my birthday (such a good daughter!). All the elders went over to Elder and Sister Eberhard's house and she made nachos and tostados. The elders made a three-layer cake that was super impressive. :) I love my distrito!

This week...

M**** read from the Book of Mormon. We have been working with her for 2 months! She refused to read from the Book of Mormon. But last week, she asked us why she felt empty and why she didn't have peace... We told her that it is because she is not keeping all the commandments. We asked her to pray about what the Lord wanted her to do, and promised we would come back the next day to follow-up. When we went back, she had read the Book of Mormon. She really is looking for peace, and I know she will find it. We read the 3rd paragraph of the introduction to the Book of Mormon with her. 

We went to R******'s wedding. It was beautiful! It was supposed to start at 5:30. We showed up at 5:30, and then at 6:30, and then at 8:00. haha. But finally she arrived and we were able to be there for a little bit. 

When Sunday came around, O*******, C******, and P***** came to church. They all loved it, and are wanting to come back. O****** told us that her husband is making bad decisions and she realizes now that she needs to do even more to be a good example to her children. She loved church and will be coming back after her vacation this next week. 

C****** is O*******'s daughter, and she loves church. She wanted to be baptized last summer, but her mom told her she needed to wait. Maybe it's her time now. :)

That family has started to read the scriptures and pray together everyday since school got out. It's obvious the difference it has made. :)

P***** loved it. She made lots of friends. She knew all the young women already, because they had mutual this week and P***** joined them. I love watching them make friendships and get involved. 

She is getting baptized on July 28th. She came to the baptism afterwards, and was just so excited. We talked about how baptism means that you have promised to stand as a witness of God. It was a great lesson!

We also had D****, L**, R***, M*******, and M****** come to church too. 

D**** is 14 and has been nervous to come. Even Sunday morning, we called to remind her and she really didn't want to come, but she did. As she left that building, she had a huge smile on her face and you know that she had missed her friends and the teachings. 

L** came, which was an absolute miracle. R*** is her son and he passed the sacrament. We have been working with this family from week 1 here. They were offended years ago and haven't been back very often. They still have their testimonies though. We are hoping that they will be able to forgive and keep coming. 

M******* is doing great. She loves what she learns at church and know that it is Christ's church. 

M****** is another sister we have been working with. She has been coming regularly and I consider her active now. We need to check with the bishop though. We love her and are so happy that she keeps coming. :)

It was an amazing week in Danbury. I'm so grateful for my time here. I hope I can stay another cycle, but I think I may be leaving. We will find out this week though. 

Love you so much!

Love, 

Hermana Kindlespire

This is my letter to President this week... I cried while writing it. This is truly how I feel. 

Hola Presidente!

Wow... What an amazing humbling week we have had. 

The Lord has seriously proven all of our faith. Not one prayer has gone unanswered. 

 M**** opened up the Book of Mormon for the first time in 30 years. We have been working with her for two months. 

O******* and her children came to church. She is reading the scriptures and praying everyday. She has been talking lessons on and off for a  year. 

M****** let us in to visit her after we came by weekly for a month. She has recognized the Spirit again and has been coming to church for the past two weeks. 

And several other miracles. Danbury has taught me so much. I love this place and the people here. I would love to stay here my last cycle. But like I said in the interview, I will go wherever I need to be. :)

Love you so much!!

Hermana Kindlespire

"It's Me!" 6.26.13

Hello! Have fun in Lake Powell! I sure do love that place!

We went to the temple today, and it went much smoother than it did last time. :) We got Metro-North figured out... Almost. The trickiest part now is Grand Central Station. It's like a maze in there!

Our investigators are doing great! P***** (Dominican) is reading the scriptures faithfully everyday. We just need her to come to church. I'm so grateful for I*****, who has been a member missionary since her baptism last year. 

B**** (Ecuador) is doing great too. The Spirit is working in her, and she is learning to listen. We just need her to come to church too, and get married. 

Speaking of marriage, R****** (Brazilian) is getting married this weekend, and she invited us to attend! We are excited. We only taught her once, but we must have made an impact for her to invite us to her wedding. We are hoping that we will be able to meet with her more often. 

A**** and A***** (Dominican) are the grandchildren of D******. They are adorable! They need a lot of support, so we are helping them a lot. Baptism seems to be pretty far away with them, because their mom won't give them permission, but we are praying for her heart to be softened. 

We saw a miracle with a less-active sister. M******* was baptized five years ago, but fell away shortly after. We have been trying to meet with her for weeks, and she just wouldn't buzz us in to the building. The last time we went, When she asked who it was over the door buzzer, instead of saying "The Missionaries." like we always do, we said, "Me". She let us right in! And we had a wonderful lesson! Haha! :) We talked about how the Spirit will tell you the truth and invited her to come to church again. AND SHE CAME! It was amazing to see her walk in that door. But the most amazing part was during sacrament meeting, she passed us a note that said, "I've received my answer." She knows that she is in the right place, and she is thrilled to keep coming. 

What I find interesting about her story is that, I wasn't ever once worried about the outcome. When we first met with her and her Jehovah Witness friend in the house at the end of May or beginning of June, I wasn't even concerned. I was sure we had planted a good seed and was happy with that. I had no idea that we would be reaping the reward of that planted seed!

I'm so grateful for these experiences. God is so merciful! The mission is so great!

Love, 

Hermana Kindlespire

Happy Birthday Hermana Kindlespire, 6.19.13

Hello Mami!!

First things first: There is a play coming to the Hale Theatre called "The Heights." Can we go?? IT's about Inwood and Domincans! It would be so awesome!

The Newsies was so awesome! I highly recommend it. It's weird that I am at that point in the mission.... That's what old missionaries do!

P****** has a baptismal date! She is a friend of I*****, a new convert. We are so excited for her! She is geting baptized in July. Definitely a miracle. I'm so grateful for members and the examples they set for all their friends. Because of Isamar's example, she is interested and ready. She has seen the difference in her friend. 

I'm sorry the letter is so short this week! We are really short on time. It takes a few hours to get to the city and everything. But I love you! 

I love you. I am so grateful for a loving and merciful Heavenly Father. He's the best!

Love, 

Hermana Kin