18 months in a nutshell

4 areas, 8 companions, 18 months. Quite the adventure. 

The past 7 months have been spent in Rock Springs, Wyoming, where everyone owns a truck and people actually wear blue jeans, cowboy boots, bolos and cowboy hats to church. During the winter time you have to plug your truck in at night to keep the diesel lines from freezing up. The previous 7 months were spent in my beloved Cottonwood stake where I was tried and tested, where the people loved the church or hated it. It was a well-off stake that was as humble as they come. A short 6 weeks previously I spent in the East Millcreek stake. Although time was short, the people were kind and I learned a lot. And of course my first 3 months of being a missionary was spent in the Parleys stake. The highlight of that was my wonderful trainer and the wonderful people who welcomed us as we whitewashed in. 

Sister Unrast, Sister Brown, Sister Talbert, Sister Britton, Sister Masih (twice!), Sister Carlson, Sister James and Sister Kennedy. 

There aren't words adequate to explain these past 18 months. My mission was the hardest thing I've ever done. It's also the most unexplainable. It is also the best decision that I could have made for my future. My mission has changed everything about me. It has made me love myself! It has converted me to the beautiful gospel of Jesus Christ! It has made me have an eternal perspective. It has given me so many life long friends. My mission has began my path of eternal discipleship. I finally feel like I am living my baptismal covenant to take Jesus' name upon me. I have learned that it is through obedience that I receive the choicest blessings and miracles. How can I ever thank my Mom, my Dad, Kamee, Elder Nathan Dodd or Nicole for supporting me? How can I ever thank my family and friends for supporting me, writing me and praying for me? How can I ever thank my Savior for his infinite sacrifice? How can I ever thank my Father in Heaven for supporting me in a decision I did not want to make? How did he know that I needed my mission? My convert, Mills, once had a dream that going on a mission saved my life...how did she know? 

My dear brothers and sisters, my mission truly did save my life. I love my Heavenly Father and my Jesus. "O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!" (Alma 29:1). I came on my mission to cry repentance and I leave with no regrets. I know that my Savior suffered for me, died for me, and rose from the dead for me. This is the truth that I have shared for 18 months and that I will continue sharing for the rest of my life. The gospel is restored! The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church, once again established on the earth preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and contains the fullness of the gospel. I testify of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Last week!

This week was awesome! I was able to go on exchanges in Lyman. We had
an appointment set with this lady named Ha**ah. When we went by she
said that she just got her baby to bed so now wasn't a good time.
Turns out she is the sister of a lady we are teaching in Rock Springs.
As we made small talk on the porch she eventually said that we could
come in and we started talking to her. Her baby, Lu**s, has major
heart problems and has underwent many surgeries. Every time they have
a check up they find another surgery that he needs to have. Ha**ah
opened up and told us about how she blames God. She said that she
knows that God can't control other peoples actions but her baby was
born with a lot of health complications and that was because God made
him that way. We let her just talk and vent to us for about 10 minutes
or so. The Spirit was strong inside of me. I told her that L**as is
perfect. He has no flaws. He is one of God's choicest children. We on
the other hand are blessed with these beautiful children so that we
can learn. I don't remember exactly what the Spirit told me to say but
I remember that it was all the words that God needed Han**h to hear.
She started to cry.
Fast forward to my return to Rock Springs, We went to visit Ha**ah's
sister and she wasn't home but her mom was. We ended up talking to
their mom for an hour. After I mentioned going to Lyman earlier in the
week she talked about how she knew it was me! She opened up about what
a blessing I have been to her daughters. She said that H**nah had been
struggling a lot and that she posted on FB about the sister
missionaries coming over and being exactly what she needed and she
wrote about my comment of Lu**s being perfect. Apparently it was this
big FB thing. Anyways D**tiny and Ha**ah's mom talked about God
answering prayers.
Moral of this story is not to brag about me being helpful everywhere I
go..it is to illustrate that God works in mysterious ways. There are
no such things as coincidences and as we have the Spirit, Heavenly
Father can use us as tools in His hands.
I love this gospel! I love being a missionary!

Blessings and miracles!

McK**zie was baptized on Saturday!
There are so many blessings and miracles that I am able to witness on
my mission. I know that blessings and miracles come because of the
Atonement of Jesus Christ. The Atonement has been one of the things I
have studied most throughout my mission and the more I study it the
more I realize that it is the study of a life time. The love that
Jesus Christ has for each of us is a love that penetrates any sin that
keeps us from God. The love that Jesus Christ gives us is the joy,
feeling, and spirit of Christmas. There is a reason why Thanksgiving
comes before Christmas, it gets us in mood for the most wonderful time
of the year!

I love you all

Sister Kennedy and I!

M***nzie's baptism!