Ain't Nobody Got Time for Dat!

Hello Everyone! 

Greetings from it's-so-hot-i'm-asking-complete-strangers-for-water-Colorado!  

I'm so sorry, I don't have long today.... 

It's been a GREAT first week here in my new area and I know I'm going to love this place!!!! I love being with Sister Johnson... she is amazing... I know we will learn some awesome lessons together...... 

This area has AMAZING potential... it's not without it's own challenges, and so I've had a chance to do some great self-reflection to know if the Lord is pleased with me and to seek His vision for what He wants me to accomplish here.... 

My spiritual thought of the day is from Helaman 3:35   "They did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God."  beautiful.  I was thinking about the word choice of wax stronger and stronger in their humility. I love it.... why didn't they say, grow? or they had strong humility?  It's because like old school candles, they are created one dip at a time.  It is gradual.... but the choice has to be made to choose humility over pride when a situation comes up.... one dip at a time.  Candles, for some crazy reason, over time will burn away to nothing... (does wax evaporate? weird) so it shows us the need to continually dip our candle and add to it...... 5 or 6 transfers ago I had an experience that taught me humility, but if I don't continually dip the wax, it will evaporate as it were.  I love the Gospel.  We don't have to be perfect right now. We just have to choose to let Christ change us, one dip at a time.  I love Him. I'm so glad that He is walking beside me here. I know He will walk with you too if you let Him. 

I love you all.... I pray for you and hope that you are happy, and loving the Gospel as much as I'm loving it. It is amazing..... I know it is true.  

Onward Christian Soldiers!

From me to you, Sister Kinzie Lou 

A New Chapter in a Familiar Place!

Hello Everyone! 

Greetings from I'm-back-in-Brighton-a-year-later-and-this-is-sooooo-weird-Colorado! 

That's right folks.... I'm here in Brighton in the Riverdale ward... and guess who I'm with???? SISTER JOHNSON! The AMAZING missionary I shared a ward with when I was here... She is seriously one of my favorite people in the world. I love her... and to be her companion..... I'm in a dream I swear... but I'm not!  I am sooo happy,To think I consistently feel this happy, MAN I LOVE THE GOSPEL! I'm so grateful to Heavenly Father. He knows me so perfectly and is soo good to me. Time and time again. 

CLAUDIA'S BAPTISM

CLAUDIA GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!! WOOOOOWWWWW!  It was amazing. So much love and support was felt from the ward and she just cried and smiled the whole time. Her confirmation was also amazing and I know she is a special soul. Wow.!  She just fits right in and she bore her testimony.... Incredible.  Her journey was up and down and so miraculous. I know God's timing is perfect because if she had been able to get baptized in April, I don't know if she would have wanted it sooo badly and prayed for it to be able to happen every single day. It was a perfect chance for her to learn and grow, and in the end it happened at a perfect time.  She is amazing. 

Leaving Green Valley was happy and sad at the same time.  Sad because I'll obviously miss being there and seeing those people and always having someone I can talk to about the Gospel. It's a great area... and to see the amazing changes that have happened... Heavenly Father has REALLY been blessing us.  I'm happy because I look back and see how I have changed since being there and how the ward has changed. That's what the Gospel is ALL about.  I love it!  I feel peace and acceptance from the Lord, and I couldn't ask for a happier feeling.  I'm also excited for a new chapter to continue learning and growing and stretching and improving and coming to Christ.  It is soo exciting to me, that I can be a better person today than I was yesterday, and an even better person tomorrow too.  It's a happy path regardless of what detours and obstacles come.  I felt a lot of love from the Green Valley ward as I was leaving and I'm so grateful. They have been good to me. :) 

My testimony is that God lives. He loves us so perfectly that we can't even comprehend.  When we recognize a small taste of it, it changes us forever. It is amazing. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior, and that He is yours too.  He is not just waiting for us at the finish line, He is with us every single step of the way ever waiting to help and life and bless us.  I love Him, and He is why I'm here.  I know this Gospel is true, and that understanding it and living it will change us to become the best us that God intends us to be. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God and an incredible example of how loving and kind the Savior is.  I know this is true and I want to "cry with the voice of a trump" to every person and prairie dog here in Brighton.  I'm so happy, because of Him. 

I love you all so much! Thank you so much for your prayers. I feel them. I am grateful for your thoughts and letters and emails. I have the best family and friends in the world. Thank you so much!!!!!   Don't forget your daily scripture study and prayer... the little things matter soo much! They determine so many BIG things, so keep it up!!!! I know it will bless you! I love you!

CLAUDIA'S FAMILY

Onward Christian Soldiers!

From me to you, Sister Kinzie Lou

pics:

Claudia's baptism with her fam..... i love her kids! 

WORK IN PROGRESS

Hello Everyone! Greetings from feeling-like-my-days-are-numbered-in-Green-Valley-Colorado! 

It is the last week of the transfer.. and I would LOOOOVE to stay here with Sister Grenfell for another 6 weeks.. but we will see what the Lord has in store for me! :)  Man... I feel so blessed!!!!!!! Ella and Alexandria got baptized on Saturday and it was amazing. I love baptisms.... the Spirit is always so strong, and I always feel sooo much love in the room from Heavenly Father.  In the Bible, when Christ was baptized it records Heavenly Father saying "Behold my Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased."  I feel like at EVERY baptism you can feel that in the room because God feels the same way for us when we take that step too. Amazing. 

ELLA'S BAPTISM

 

At Ella's baptism her mom said the opening prayer (she is coming back to the path after being away for 8 years or so...) and she got choked up. So tender. Her dad (not a member of the church) said the closing prayer and he was so sincere. So grateful. He was so happy and glad that his daughter got baptized. He's next???? He has a lot of questions, so it's just amazing. They are an incredible family. :)

 

ALEX'S BAPTISM

The confirmations yesterday for Zack, Ella, and Alex were so special. 2 of them mentioned that they would go on to serve missions if they were faithful. And that made me cry just seeing a glimpse of the potential they have, and that every single soul has to serve the Lord in amazing ways.  It helped me see I wasn't just helping one precious soul come to Christ, but hopefully with time many souls will be impacted because of their examples.  That's why sharing the Gospel is so amazing... we never will fully see the fruits that come from the tiny seeds we plant. God works wonders.

 

I AM SOOO HAPPY! My happiness right now, isn't all from seeing a lot of great things happen with the work (that really is a huge part cuz this is incredible) but it is largely in part of being Sister Grenfell's companion and learning from her about who I really am.  She is helping me to see that I am one of God's creations. She related this to me so I'll share with you.  Think of a famous sculpture... like the David or something. It starts off as a giant hunk of marble. Made of great stuff, but not quite finished.  the beginning process is using big tools to remove big unnecessary chunks to get closer to the shape we want.  (big sins) next comes medium sized tools to help form the arms and legs and help define what the sculpture will really be. (commandment keeping) Follows is the small tools that carve definition of the clothes or muscles or facial features (living high standards and giving our hearts) then comes the Finisher's touch. With painstaking care comes the sandpaper to cover every surface and make it as smooth as glass (acquiring Christ-like attributes) .... sometimes... well, all the time... I had gotten hung up on a small scratch or grit and tried to obsessively scrub and scrub with sandpaper only seeing the slight flaw,,, not ever taking a step back to look at the masterpiece God is creating of me.  I took a step last night and looked and I feel so liberated. God is so good. He loves us. No matter what stage we are in in the sculpting process He knows exactly who we can become and it is amazing.  So let us trust the Sculptor, Jesus Christ. Every trial and happiness that comes is an opportunity to be sculpted... to have His image in our countenance.  I feel like I really am seeing who I am and becoming who God wants me to be...

 

So many of my great family members and friends have been telling me similar things... but it finally entered my heart.

 

That's why I love the Gospel. The Gospel is the tools that Christ uses to sculpt us... so live the Gospel! It's soo amazing! Have faith in Christ and trust Him. Repent... man it's so good! Be baptized... or keep taking the sacrament to renew your covenants, and share the gospel and serve others to keep your covenants. Receive the Holy Ghost in your life every day. Make the choice to invite Him there. And just keep on keepin on.... endure to the end.

 

I love you all soooo much! I pray for you! thank you for your love and support... I LOVE YOU!!!

 

OFA ATU FROM GREEN VALLEY!

 

Onward Christian Soldiers!

From me to you, Sister Kinzie Lou

I don't need dots OR stars!

Hello Everyone!

Greetings from it-was-literally-111-degrees-in-my-car-and-it-was-so-hot-I-couldn't-touch-the-steering-wheel-Colorado!!!!! Oh summer time, how I love you.

What a week in Green Valley it has been.... a great week in fact. So many miracles!!!

1st - Zack was baptized!!! He is the sweetest and most mature 9 year old I've ever even imagined can exsist. I love him.  His dad plays the primary music cd's for him before he goes to sleep every night and he really loved "the Nativity Song" and wanted it to be sang at his baptism.... so there were were singing "this is the season beloved all the year, sing a rhyme Christmastime soon will be here"  in July. And I loved every moment of it.  A song for Jesus' birthday sang on Zack's REbirthday... perfect.

2nd - We were teaching Amber and Chris about the Gospel and we really tried to teach them exactly what THEY needed.... at one point there was an Indiana Jones analogy that Chris brought up that related to faith.. it was brilliant.  But the Spirit was sooo strong and we shared with them that we see them entering the temple and being an eternal family. Chris smiled the BIGGEST smile I've ever seen! (I can't and won't ever forget it)  We then invited him to be baptized again (previously he didn't want to commit to it before knowing) and he agreed!!!! He is working toward mid august so we will see if he can receive his answer!!! It was sooo incredible!!! (and they've been coming to church each week.)

3rd - I filled the baptism font without a major catastrophe!!!! Miracles!

4th - CLAUDIA'S HUSBAND AGREED AND SHE CAN GET BAPTIZED !!!!!! yaaaaaay! thank you all for your prayers in her behalf.  amazing.

My spiritual thought is a brief spin off of something I learned this week about myself. It is based on Max Lucado's book "You are Special"... I urge you all to read it... it's a short children's book Cade so don't worry about it taking a lot of time... ;)   What I learned this week is that the ONLY thing that matters is what God thinks of us.  God is perfect, and He doesn't make mistakes.  All of us have our own quirks and weaknesses that give us opportunities to grow, but we should not base who we think we are based on what someone else has to say.  In the story there are dots (bad things people think) and stars (good things people think)... how many of us don't want the dots to stick... all of us... but how many of us still want stars??? all of us.  Complements are great, and a way to show our love for others.... but at the end of the day, if I haven't received any stars it doesn't matter.  What matters is what my perfect Father in Heaven thinks of me.... and same goes for you.  When you understand who you TRULY are, a child of God - the most powerful and perfect being in the universe - it changes everything. 

My invitation this week is to pray really ask and find out how God truly feels about you.  I know you feel loved, and I know you will recognize things you can do that will enable you to make it home with Him.

I love you all... sorry if this doesn't apply to anyone but me.... but I love you all and pray for you daily!!!! Ofa Atu from Green Valley!!!

Onward Christian Soldiers!

From me to you, Sister Kinzie Lou

pics:

zack's baptism!

Happy birthday 'Merica! It poured in the middle of the day... summer storms! obsessed with em.