Kindra as a Sister Missionary!

March 17, 2014

:) This is my favorite thing I get to do. Which might sound bad, but I love the fact that I get to email my family once a week, I know for Stuart and I, we grew closer by emailing over those two years, and then being at school together. So I love being able to email and hear from home and get to grow together in a way we wont when I get home. Because I can just pick up a phone and call! haha. Anyhow...

Thanks for sending that article Garret was in. That was really cool to get to see and read. I am glad that he is making the most out of his time in Hawaii and spending his time doing worthwhile things. He is pretty great :)

I am excited for you  to get to be in Texas for your birthday and celebrate with family and Val and Gary. That will be a very fun birthday for you indeed. Plus youll get the biggest group of family since they will be coming for the wedding. Sounds like so much fun! Im sad I dont get to go, but thats mission life right?! I also hope Keira gets to go to state! And if Lindy and Stuart are that close maybe Lindy would get to go and see, depending on where the competition is. But anyhow, that would be an awesome experience for her to have!

I also had trouble remembering the exact date that Dad died, but then after I figured it out someone pointed out that it was pie day... you know 3.14, March 14th? Way to ruin pie day dad.... but now you wont forget! But thats funny that you did mistake it. haha. I wasnt able to post on that friday, we had our day explode and we werent around internet. But I got to post something on saturday about it being a hard week for the family in marking the 2 years, and then I was able to bear my testimony of the plan of salvation and how the gospel has helped me to grow and learn and to accept and cope with a loss. You know, maybe Ill just copy it for you. Its short:

"This week is a hard one for my family, it is the two year anniversary of losing my dad. Death is something that has caused a lot of pain and hurt for many people, but it has also brought my family closer together. Since losing many friends and family we have been able to truly ponder what matters most to us. After my dad's death we were able to lean on each other and gain comfort in knowing we will be together again when we have all left this world.

I am so grateful for the knowledge that God loves us, and because He loves us He did not and does not leave us alone. He never will. He has given us the ability to pray and talk with Him, to learn from His prophets about our purpose on earth, where we came from and where we are going. I am so grateful to know that I can live with my father and the rest of my family together after this life is over.

I know that there is more, there is purpose in being here. There is purpose in our families! I am grateful for mine. This life has not been easy, but because we have fought together we have grown closer together. Happiness does not happen by chance, it takes time and effort.

I would invite you to take a step back and think about where you are spending your time, and is it with those that truly matter most? If not, do something about it! Where you are is the perfect place to start improving."

I was grateful to be able to share my experience and to reach so many people in so many places. It was neat because there were a lot of comments from different people, thanking me for sharing and a lot of support from many people. It helped me to see how truly blessed I am. I have an amazing family, awesome ward family, friends from school, support from the members here and all of the people I have been able to meet. Its been truly amazing  to see how people band together and support one another. I feel so blessed to have been able to come on a mission and to meet everyone that I have. I have learned so much from watching different situations, hearing others stories of how they deal with their trials and how beautiful it is to watch the gospel heal people and bring them back together.

Yesterday in church we talked a lot about  The Family: a Proclamation to the World. It was neat to be able to study it so much and get many peoples insights on it. I am so grateful for having grown up in a family that has been built around the gospel of Jesus Christ and who understands the principles of "faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities". We each shared our experiences and my favorite one to talk about was work, and to talk about growing up as the managers kids, and spending Saturdays cleaning apartments (which is what I spend Mondays doing here apparently, people just clean a little bit each week and then you dont have to deep clean so badly! Anyhow, just do it! ) and working on the pool, building the play ground, picking up trash to get an otter pop! Mom you are so smart! haha.

Anyhow, this week was very focused on the family and how we can continue to build ours into the strong family everyone desires. How lucky are we, I tell people that happiness comes with work, and tears and sweat as well though. Life isnt easy, but thats what makes it worth it. I am so blessed, and I am so grateful for each of you! Especially my mommy :) I know I wouldnt be the person I am today without the influences that I have had. So thank you all for being a part of my journey. I have learned something from everyone I have interacted with. And I should apologize for my hardened personality that many have had to deal with. I am working on it though! Not loosing the sass at all :) But I think I have softened at least! Which is a good thing. I interact people who are similar to what I was like and I just think, man do I owe a lot of people for those years! So thank you everyone for putting up with ridiculous me! I do appreciate it, a lot now!

Anyhow, this week was good. Not as hard as I thought it was going to be with the two year anniversary of losing dad, but it was a good one.

And mom you are not a bad grandma, that just means that Clara gets another birthday party! Which I dont think she will be offended by! haha. Anyhow, I love you all! Keep being awesome and thank you for the prayers and thoughts and notes and love and kindness. I love you all! Stay strong, the gospel is so beyond true!

Love, Sister Kindra Wilson :