October 27, 2014   ALMOST HER LAST EMAIL HOME!!!

Wow! Lots of fun stuff happening back there in Oregon, no rest for the weary I guess!

I am glad that you got to go to the trunk or treat! How cute Clara looks in her dress :) She looks happy and enjoying the attention and time from Grandma and Keira.

That's too bad that Janie is not coming, but I am glad that everyone is okay with how things will be working out. Hopefully you and Keira will be able to be there and work wont get in the way for Keira, and I hope you find some place for Clara! Im certain you will. Someone should be around! haha, but like you said NOTHING is simple about bringing a baby into this world.

And I am okay with new baby Wilson being there when I get there, or if he wants to wait, that's okay too :) Hey, I wouldn't mind sharing my birthday with him either!! My birthdays aren't big deals anyways anymore. Why not have someone else to celebrate too?! Makes it more fun that way :)

Well sounds like you will have plenty of fire wood this year or maybe for next year if it all so green!!, yeah! And with the weather the way it has been, maybe you wont use a ton either. Winter I think is thinking about coming soon here, and I am okay with it waiting for another week. Hopefully we wont get snow before I leave. Id like to drive to DC and get Temple pictures without snow! but who knows. Apparently President is having to work on getting us all to the Temple, we have the biggest group the mission has sent home! And I was in the biggest group the mission every got! (Thus far in its history). So that is kind of fun.

Lets see, how was my week this week? Pretty good. I am learning a lot about how often teaching opportunities are put in our path, and the fact that we must be ready for it. Always prepared right?! Its neat.

So we met a man at the library and were able to teach him about how the Gospel of Jesus Christ was lost after He was resurrected and after His apostles were killed and died. We were able to teach him about how the Gospel was off the Earth for years! But how it was brought back to the Earth through Joseph Smith being called as a prophet.

It was neat. I think one of my favorite moments on my mission was seeing Ed listen to Elder Jones (the senior couple we were teaching with) tell Ed that Christ knows who HE is and loves him. Ed was listening, and you could tell the very moment he felt the spirit because we grinned ear to ear. It was so neat to see someone soooo happy and to know the spirit was working with him.

Then Ed came to church yesterday! It was awesome! We weren't expecting him to come because we didn't talk to him after he cancelled the second appointment that week and we were going to set up another one, but we weren't able to yet. He showed up and luckily sister Jones saw him and motioned for him to come and sit with them.

We were sitting with John and his parents. John was baptized last week and yesterday he was confirmed as a member of the church and given the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was neat to be able to see him and his parents enjoying the service together and knowing that he is officially a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

SO COOL!

Then after sacrament meeting I stood up and turned around and guess what? I saw Sister Stevenson who drove down from Souderton ward to see me! I love her! SOOO much!

She was baptized in May, and we had started teaching her the lessons after baptism. she fed us every Thursday and we love going to see her! So you can imagine my surprise when she showed up and brought a little gift for me. A key chain that says "love you to the moon" I love it.

And it was AWESOME that she was there, because she was able to talk with Ed after church and between the baptism and things about her experience and helping him want to stay and watch. We were busy helping the Elders because their investigator was baptized yesterday! And they asked us right before the service if we would teach the message of the Restoration during the time that everyone would be changing.

Sure, give us 10 minutes heads up.... awesome planning! But we did it.

And it was neat because there were a ton of primary kids there, last week we showed the movie about the Restoration and so we thought that would be a lot to show to the ward twice... so they asked us if we would teach. Well we did it more through questions and answers to keep the kids entertained, in their seats and involved. It was right after church so they were ready to eat and run around, but we somehow got their attention. I have to say, I have never taught like that before, but it was neat. And I was greatful for the opportunity to teach the Restoration at Annabelles baptism, one more time before I leave! I loved it, no notice or nothing, it was great.

Its neat to have the opportunity to really be in sync with your companion and listening to the spirit to help teach others and helping them learn. We had a hand full of non-members in the audience, but I think most of them spoke Spanish. I hope they could at least feel what we were talking about! I did end with my testimony of the Book of Mormon and how excited we are for Annabelle.

Man. Life is great!

In other news, this week Elder Jones and I lost at the infamous marble game he loves to sister Maybury and sister Jones. But that's okay. We might be able to play once more and re-deem ourselves. We shall see.

Also we got chased away from a house by a dog. Closest encounter on my mission, and it was not even close. Which I am fine with! Ill leave it that way. The dog was just loose in the yard, but it was quite a steep long driveway and the dog definitely had the advantage on us! So we left.

Also the Relief Society president made us an Apple pie :) Delicious! Even for a not so pie lover like myself!

Lots of finding, teaching, bingo, facebook, service, dinners <-- love those! The Flygares took us to Olive garden :) Only time Ive been there on my mission! And life is grand!

And guess what? 10 days until I get to go to the Washington DC Temple :) LOVE that!

also doing a trial pack today... don't love that. But I need to de-junk and we are going to try and go to Philly next week since sis Maybury has never been. We shall see what happens.

Anyhow. Life is grand! 9 days until my birthday, 10 days until Temple and 15 until I hug YOU.

The work is moving along and we are making good progress. Life is great! Missionary work is exhausting, and I am enjoying every minute of it! Well... okay I am enjoying the rest of my time. There are still things that are not enjoyable about missionary work, but it is well worth the sacrifices!

Love you all!

Thank you for your letters and love and prayers and all your support! I love and pray for you all.

Love you tons!

Sister Kindra Wilson :)

Oct 20, 2014

I will probably be sending all the books and manuals I have home, since they are heavy and annoying to pack. We shall see, I think they make us do a trial run soon, so we shall see what the weight is at, and then I will probably send stuff home from there.

We are getting some beautiful fall colors this year! They were taking their sweet time getting here, and we got a cold patch, and then an Indian summer so its been quite warm these past few weeks. But Sunday might have been the turn to boots, scarf and jackets. We shall see if it stays. I would be okay with it staying now! Its about time it felt like fall! I kept dressing for what it looked like outside, COLD, but then it would be 75 and I would be in a sweater, stockings and boots. It made for some warm days! So hopefully it will turn and stay that way!

We had a few miracles this week! We were at the library when this guy named Ed asked us if we were nuns. We explained who we were and he then started talking about how he was trying to find a church and the truth.... WE CAN HELP! It was awesome! We invited him to church and he gave us his info, he wasn't able to make it yesterday but we set up an appointment for tonight, hopefully he gets home in time for it and he doesn't get called in this evening. So keep Ed in your prayers! We are going to teach him the gospel for sure!

We got to go on exchanges this week with our Sister Training Leaders which was fun! My last exchange! Sister Sagers came to Broomall with me so it was fun to be out working again like we had done in Souderton. I am still fairly new with Broomall area so it almost felt like we had doubled into our sisters area for the day or something! haha.

But it was really helpful to talk with her about the change of pace from Souderton to Broomall. Its been kind of a hard change. Going from being a Sister training Leader and running around never having enough time, to here where we have too much time and not enough work.

We have been trying to get to know some of our less active families and who we can strengthen and trying to find people who we can teach. Its amazing what happens when you just get out there and talk to people! They find you in the most random places, like the library! haha. Its been good.

Oh we went and volunteered at the old folks home to help them with Bingo and there was almost a fight that broke out! Words only of course, they don't move fast enough to get to each other before help could prevent it... and they know it.

So John the investigator, who we have been teaching, moved in with his dad. Which is great! A better situation than what he was in, but his dad lives in New Jersey... so now he has to commute 45 minutes to church, and we have to teach him over Skype.

He talked with Bishop about the situation and they worked it out so he can still come and be a part of our ward.... somehow not quite sure how it works. But we just keep teaching until we are told we cant! So we have been teaching John over Skype and Facetime, which is quite the adventure! Its been a lot of fun actually. We are able to go and meet at a members home and teach with them over the devices we have. Its amazing the blessings that have been given to us to reach out to so many people!

I am so grateful to be a part of the work at this time. So many miracles and help!

And the most exciting thing of the week:

JOHN WAS BAPTIZED!

It was awesome! The room was packed, we did the service right after the block of church meetings, and lots of people stayed. John bore a beautiful testimony, we showed the Restoration movie which was really touching to both of his parents, and there were great talks and words shared.

Then we had refreshments of course, you cant hold a Mormon function without food.

And the elders have an investigator being baptized next week as well, so its an exciting time in Broomall!

Well, sorry its short this week. I had to email some stuff to the office, and I checked my school stuff, all the holds are gone! YEAH! So now I will just have to ask President if I can register or if he wants family to do it for us. We shall see.

Anyhow, 18 days until my birthday everyone :) Yeah! And that means 19 days until I get to go to the D.C. Temple! HUZZAH!!! I am SO excited to go to the Temple again! I miss it SOOOO much! Its a place that I truly do love!

P.S. this may sound self absorbed or something, but PLEASE don't send anything for my birthday that I will have to turn around and pack to bring home 4 days later. Candy or cards are perfectly fine! But nothing that I will want to keep please, I have WAY too much junk that I need to get rid of already and I am hoping to not just leave everything in my apartment.

I hope that wasn't presumptuous of me, but yeah. We can just celebrate my birthday with lemon chicken and scotcheroos upon my return :)

LOVE YOU! More than you know! I will talk to you again next week, know that I love you and I am thinking of and praying for you daily!

Love, Sister Wilson

October 13, 2014

Oh how this time is flying. I feel like I was just emailing you. And I probably say that every week... Sorry. But it's true. This time is flying by! But the end is surreal. It won't ever actually end... This is my life. And that's fine.

Broomall is turning out to be a pretty good area. 

Our investigator John is doing wonderfully! His dad came to church with him this week and then they stayed for the ward potluck. After the potluck John had his baptismal interview and we got to talk with his father which was awesome! We talked with him about the Temple, we gave him a Book of Mormon and shared some scriptures with him. Then I invited him to come and be a part of the reteaching, when after John is baptized we teach him the lessons again so he can learn more and feel more comfortable with the doctrine. 

This will be a great opportunity for him to learn and understand the things that John is learning and experiencing.

So that's great! We have been able to meet some interesting people, and we have had some really nice people. The people here are pretty receptive and open to the messages we share which is nice!

This week we had ZONE CONFERENCES! It was awesome because we got to view 'meet the mormons' movie before it was in theaters! Which was sweet. That was requested by the first presidency so that we can encourage our investigators and members to watch it, and we aren't allowed to go with them. But it was really good! I am not sure how many of you got to see it, or how long it will. Be in Oregon, but if you get the chance to! It was neat to see the members in Costa Rica and in Nepal and how religion influenced their lives! It was really neat. I enjoyed it. I hope you get to take ode friends to see it, they will enjoy it I am sure. It was really well done.

Then I got to bare my dying testimony... They have all of the departing missionaries bare their testimony at the end of Zone Conferences and it was harder than I thought it would be! But it was neat. I was grateful I was able to share about the change of heart I have experienced from being on my mission and seeing the Lord work in my life.

I am so grateful for His hand in this experience of mine! I would not have been able to make it this far, and I would not make it to the end without my Father in Heaven! But I have, and I will because I know that God has given me everything that I have, and the time that I have to dedicate my life to Him wholly is little remaining. 

We had a lesson with a man who is schizophrenic and it was a hard lesson. He said that he wants to be in agreement with himself before he is baptized. It's rather heart breaking and hard to witness. But it was nice to be able to teach him and help him see how the gospel will bless his life. He comes to church every week! Which is commendable and a lot more than others give so he is doing pretty well all this considered. 

Oh on Wednesday we woke up after the alarm was supposed to go off, and we had no power. And we had a meeting we had to be at, so we showered and did makeup by candle light... It would have been quite romantic if we hadn't been two sister missionaries trying to get out the door and praying that the fire truck who showed up in the parking lot was not going to come and pound our door since the fire alarm likes to go off from the shower steam... It had gone off three or four times. But it's always an adventure! 

We went and volunteered at bingo this week again and there was a swearing match between two 

Residents which was lovely. But the people I was sitting with won several rounds so they were happy.

We had a lesson with a less active named Andrew, he was wearing a sword on his back when we showed up. It was kinda funny, the member asked him why and he said for personal protection. But we had a great lesson with him about Christ and repentance and the gospel of Jesus Christ. We talked about how we are each able to return to live with Heavenly Father because of Jesus Christ but that we are the ones who must take the action. We are the ones who must accept His sacrifice and then act on it.

Repentance changes us. It helps us to live life on a higher plane and to know and become what God wants us to become.

Well that's all for this week. Not a ton of exciting things, mostly just still living the life! We are hanging out in the mission office today emails since the libraries are celebrating Columbus Day like the post offices and no one else. So it's fun :) we are here with the Jones and the Ballards and the assistants and the service elders. It's a fun time. 

But I must go. Loves to all!

Also there is a frog that lives in our parking lot and comes out at night. He's rather large more like a toad, and we are friends :) he doesn't know it but I help him not get run over by cars!

Love you guys!

Sister Kindra Wilson 

Pennsylvania Philadelphia Mission

721 Paxon Hollow Road suite B

Broomall PA 19008

October 6, 2014

So I was transferred and I am now in Broomall PA. Which is where the
mission home and mission office are. We drive past Presidents house
almost daily, which is new and I don't know that I will ever be used
to that haha. But Broomall is good thus far.
We have an investigator John who is scheduled to be baptized in two
weeks. We are teaching him and his fiancée is a member we are working
with too. They are awesome. I am excited to be working with them, we
see them several times a week. We got to read the Book of Mormon with
John last night and it was neat. He was telling us about some stresses
in his life, and we can't tell anyone what to do, but the member that
was with us said pray. And as we read that was what stood out many
times in chapter. It was awesome! So neat to see that the Book of
Mormon answers questions and resolves concerns.
Man life is good here!
We have closets from Heaven in our apt too, which is nice :)
Oh and my comp is Sister Mayburry. She is from Utah and she is a hoot.
We laugh a lot! And we both have a sweet tooth... So that's unifying
:) and fattening... But all is good! I have a work out video from Sis
Shaia that I am doing everyday this transfer.
I have lots of dying goals: finish the Book of Mormon once more,
finish Preach my Gospel once more, be caught up in my journal before
going home, work out GOOD EVERYDAY - pray for that one for me will
you? Sister Sagers was the first comp to get me to really exercise and
to work out good. We ran almost everyday for two transfers so I know
it's possible. Now I just gotta do it!

Just do it!

That's my new motto. Not exercising? Just do it! Not journaling? Just
do it! Not reading..... JUST DO IT EVERYONE! I do not ask, tell,
invite or talk about you doing things I have not done or am not doing
myself. I don't know how else I can say it but reading, praying and
attending church are vital! More so than I ever realized.

That is one thing I will change when I get home. I need to be better
at studying my scriptures everyday, not just reading a verse before
bed to get rid of my guilty conscious. Anyhow, that is one thing that
will change for the rest of my life.

I did get your box mom, thanks for the taffy :) Glad you got to enjoy
your time at the coast :) sounds like things are going along crazy as
normal. I'm glad your able to be spending time with Karen and Deanna.
And that your enjoying some time after being released.

I was released as a sister training leader, I had a feeling I would be
so I was semi preparing for it, but you never really know with
transfers what will happen!
But I am enjoying it. I didn't realize how much time it really took to
hold such a calling, and I am enjoying having the evenings to talk
with Sis Maybury, journal, or just sit for a few minutes and do
absolutely nothing! I literally haven't had five minutes to sit and do
nothing in 6 months. It's nice to have a little bit of time for myself
again.

Well life is grand here. We are working and living and loving life.
Oh by the way a random man came to the chapel during conference and he
lived in Beaverton area for a while. He asked if he could get your
phone number to call you and tell you that he saw me... So I gave it
to him, so you will probably be getting a phone call from a random old
man if he has not called yet.
Sorry.

Hum, well life is grand. We still have to do laundry so I jump off so
we can head out soon. I love you all! Thanks for your continued love, prayers and support!

Oh and as for mail, we are at the mission office quite frequently as
of lately so you can send all packages there. Letters you can send
either place to the office or to:
my apartment address till Nov 10^th!!

15 Dougherty Blvd N-4
Glen Mills PA 19342

Or the mission office is listed below.

Love you all! Thanks for your love and prayers, keep em up! I still
need them all :)
Sister Kindra Wilson

Pennsylvania Philadelphia Mission
721 Paxon Hollow Road suite B
Broomall PA 19008