This is the testimony that is in me.

Hello Everyone!

Greetings from it-started-snowing-and-wouldn't-stop-snowing-glitter-snow-all-weekend-it-was-celebrating-my-departure-Colorado!

I can't believe it.  My last week as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints... until I put in my papers again. haha... I'm not sure mama Sheri would stand for that.  I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! I feel like Alma... wishing I could be an angel spreading the gospel forever...

The work is going great, and I'm a happy camper. I feel just happy knowing I tried my best and I've finally realized that our best does not equal perfect. Sometimes I think it has to for me... but I'm repenting of that.

I am so grateful for the chance I've had to serve the Lord and come to know Him in a very real way.  Here are some wonderful things that I learned for myself on my mission.

*it's not all about me.

*The Savior lives and is still playing an active role in my life.

*God loves me and is perfectly patient.. even with my impatience. Amazing.

*Repentance is simply letting go anything that separates us from God, and replacing it with good.

*Jesus Christ is the perfect gentleman and will never steal our sins or trials or pains from us, He will only take them if we give them to Him. So do it!

*The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God's organization that offers us Christ's full Gospel and Atonement because of the Priesthood.

*The Priesthood is REAL.

*The Holy Ghost speaks to us in our own language if we will just ask, and listen.

*We can ALWAYS change. It is the purpose of the Gospel.

*Sharing the Gospel brings the utmost joy.

*Open communication solves every problem in relationships. that and the Atonement.

*Thomas S. Monsen is in fact a living prophet of God.

*Joseph Smith was not only a good and honorable man, who was human and made small mistakes in his life, but he was the humble servant chosen by God to restore the Gospel to this earth. He did in fact see God and he did in fact give us access to Christ's saving ordinances again in these days.

*It is happier to choose to be happy than unhappy.

*Jesus Christ will walk with us, hand in hand if we let Him.

*Angels are very real and are all around us.

*Repentance is the key to happiness

*there is no growth in the comfort zone and it's not comfortable in the growth zone

*The Book of Mormon is still my favorite book, and is unquestionably straight from God. There is no other option.

*I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!

I love you all. Thank you for your love and support and letters and emails and prayers... and wow that was the worst grammatically written sentence ever! Thank you for reading and putting up with my ranting. 

I love you, and I love my Savior with my whole soul. I'm going to continue living for Him and His work, just in a different way. We all can. I invite you to think about all of the things that you are grateful for, and promise God one thing you are going to strive to do til the end of the year to be more consecrated to Him.  He will help you and bless you.

Onward and Onward and Onward Christian Soldiers!

From me to you, Sister Kinzie Lou

pics

some of my best friends on the mish at my final zone conference

me and our investigator Makenna. love her!

Reverently and Meekly Now

Hello Everyone! 

Greetings from out-of-nowhere-an-arctic-wind-straight-from-Canada-arrived-to-usher-in-winter-Colorado! 

Our warm and sunny parade just got rained on... sadly.  But I can't complain, I've been so spoiled! 

It has been a great week! I can't believe how fast it has been going!!!   Next week will be my last email home.... hmmm I had better think of something profound to say...

This week I've been able to have great conversations with people and we've been able to clear up A LOT of misconceptions... and just bear testimony of the Book of Mormon. I'm trying really hard to make that my legacy that I leave. I want everyone in Parker that I talk to know that I love the Book of Mormon and know that it is from God.  My testimony of it is etched into my soul.... when everything gets hard I will always refer back to that testimony. I'm grateful for that gift God has given me... I realize that a testimony is a gift from God.  We have to work for it... study, pray, apply, live, experiment, talk about it, and pray some more.... but that is a gift that God is very eager to give us. He just wants to make sure we truly desire it because He won't give us something we aren't ready for that we are then held accountable. He is very merciful that way... but when we show real intent then He is ready to give. 

I'm so grateful for reasonable people in my life.  My companion has been so great at helping me see the good and positive and to not listen to the voices of doubt and worry and regret that Satan is trying to plant in my head to make me sad.  I know that I'm not perfect. I have a pretty perfect knowledge of that fact.  But I'm so grateful that because of Christ's love, I can change. 

I've been studying about meekness as of late.  Jesus Christ is the epitome of meekness... as with every other good attribute.  In Moroni 7 it teaches us that faith and hope and charity come from having a meek and lowly heart.  Well what is meekness? I often just interchanged it with humility, but that's not entirely accurate.  Meekness is being teachable, patient in suffering, good, kind, submissive, and humble.  More important question is HOW do we become meek?  Many of you would probably agree that submissive is NOT one of the words that would be in my dictionary entry.  In Ulysses S. Soares talk "Meek and Lowly of Heart" he teaches us how. 

1st) pray for the gift of meekness. 

2nd) control our temper.... how do we react when we don't get our way? 

3rd) take it one day at a time... it is a process. Be a little better each day

4th) be humble... seek God's will and recognize His hand.. trust Him

5th) always look to the example of the Savior.  How could he possibly forgive and treat with kindness those who scourged Him and crucified Him? He was Meekness personified... Pure love. 

Why is meekness so important?  Because after the Savior's Atonement fulfilled the law of sacrifice (yes folks, we don't sacrifice lambs anymore... thankfully) Christ taught us that now what we are to sacrifice is a broken heart and a contrite spirit.... that is synonymous for being meek and lowly of heart.  Be kind. Be good. Trust God. Be patient. Love others. That is what I will be striving to do a better job at. 

I invite you all to reflect and think about the state of your heart. Are you meek? Are you full of love? Are you quick to anger? Are you quick to be proud and defensive?  We can all change.. together. 

I love my Savior.  He is so patient with us. He helps us become more like Him. If we didn't help us with His grace, there would be NO way we could do it.  He is pulling with us. 

I love you all!!! Thank you for all your love and support. You are the best. 

Onward Christian Soldiers!

From me to you, Sister Kinzie Lou

ridiculous picture:

they made me sit in a chair, and they pretended to "kill" me.... oh the weirdness of missionaries. 

It is well with my soul -

Hello Everyone! 
Greetings from it-was-the-first-snow-of-the-winter-and-it-already-melted-away-oh-how-I-love-it-Colorado!   I've been so blessed to have had such a warm fall... I've only worn boots 3 times this fall season. awesome. 

We had a fun Halloween party on Saturday... a Soup and Spook. I got to be a judge of the chili and soup cookoff... tough job, let me tell ya.  haha. it was fun! 

On Halloween day, for some strange reason all of the crows in the Denver metro area wanted to be where I was. 1) i don't like birds in general 2) crows are my LEAST favorite of the species 3) HOW DID THEY KNOW IT WAS HALLOWEEN? #socreepy  It was slightly terrifying. 

The lessons with the Foreign exchange students are going well! I love them all so much!!!!  the 3 girls love us...It's so neat to be a part of their lives in a small way.

I love the investigators we teach. Robert and Diana are AMAZING! They are close friends with a member family (which is how we started teaching them) but they are just getting closer to baptism every lesson. I love them!  

You all know that I've been an open book in my emails, and I don't try to cover up if I've had a hard week... Missions are hard.  We feel a small part of the rejection and heart ache prophets, and even the Savior felt during His mission (a very small part thankfully)... but I'm so grateful for my companion talking sense into me. I was just wanting the last transfer to be the best... miraculous... accomplishing all that God wanted me to accomplish (or what I thought He wanted me to do) 
She lovingly called me to repentance and just told me to let it go. So I did. I let go of my righteous desires and my bad desires too. I gave them all to the Savior and told the Lord that it's His mission and not mine. This is His work and not mine. I would love to see conversion, but maybe He is wanting to see refinement in His daughter. I was wanting to be a difference maker, but maybe God wanted me to be here so a difference could be made in me. I know that I'm learning so much about how to be an effective member missionary so that I will be able to CONTINUE sharing the Gospel in the Lord's way all my life. When I had a change of perspective, and when I repented and really said "Thy will be done... and I'm ok that I don't understand thy will all of the time" I literally felt the burden lifted from my shoulders. Christ was just waiting for me to give it to Him so He could take it while respecting my agency.... It was an amazing experience. 

I love my Savior so much.  He is the best of all best friends we could have.  In the Hymn book if often uses the word friend, but is sure to capitalize it.  He is my kind wise Heavenly Friend... so true. 

Sometimes God lets us struggle and face opposition even when what we want is a RIGHTEOUS DESIRE! He is the perfect investor, because He has perfect patience. Sometimes He is able to hold off in blessing us with what we WANT and what will make us immediately HAPPY for giving us what is BEST for our GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT AND lasting JOY. I'm glad He is smarter than me, even though I like getting my way too often.  

My invitation to you this week is to have a conversation with the Lord.  He knows what you want, but I invite you to offer up all the desires of your heart and then hand it over. Trust Him. Do the best you can and have faith that He is the High Priest of Good things to Come.  

I love you all. I miss you! I can't believe that in 3 weeks I'll be home... In the meantime I'll cherish every day here in Denver. 

Onward Christian Soldiers!

From me to you, Sister Kinzie Lou  

pics... happy halloween!