Sept. 30

October is just about here! Everyday just flies by! I'm working my tail off and having a blast doing it! Winter is just around the corner!

Monday (9/23/13) - Had dinner with a family! They are a super missionary oriented couple. We are actually helping her present at a Catholic Church about Mormons this coming week. Super excited, a lot of people usually turn out. We also found out that we can watch any movie as long as it's produced by the church (not that we ever have time to watch movies - but maybe one of these P-days we can)

Tuesday - New Curative! We went on another tour of the Lambeau Hall of Fame. We went to Oconto Falls (45 minute drive, the very out skirts of our area) to have dinner with a Sister and went and tried to visit a lot of less actives out there. The sister  is such a sweet heart and has a cast on from a surgery she just had - but still insisted on feeding us. For dessert we had apple crumble cake (a lot like cobbler) really made it feel like fall! After that we saw a previous investigator and she accepted our invitation to be baptized (again)! We just need to get her to church some how.

Wednesday - PERKINS MISSION TOUR! from 8-4 we went to Appleton to hear from Pres and Sis Cutler and Elder and Sis Perkins. IT WAS AMAZING! He asked us to write 2 questions down and promised us that if we paid attention we would have our answers by the end (needless to say I got my answers). I felt like crying a lot of the time simply because the spirit was there so powerfully! I loved the question Pres Cutler asked "Do you have enough faith to believe the Atonement will save you?" and the scripture Sister Perkins shared (D&C 64:29) "Wherefore, as ye are agents, ye are on the Lord's errand and watsoever ye do according to the will of the Lord is the Lord's buisness"  Afterwards we saw one of our invesetigators and had the Elders come and give him a blessing. I'm ever so grateful for the priesthood and for all the worthy priesthood holders I have around me! Then a member called and had us over for Stripped cookie salad (fruit salad with stripped cookies in it) it was delicious!

Thursday - We had some homemade tomato soup! She keeps us well fed ;) IT'S HUNTER'S BIRTHDAY!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIDDO! (I'm sending you a letter today!)

Friday - Did service with a former investigator. Real nice lady and had a lot of fun. We are going back this Friday too. We also helped investigtors move - into the house next door. Finally had dinner at Bishops, he has been super busy and his daughter just left Wednesday for the Mexico MTC.

Saturday - Spent most of the day going to the list Bishop gave us and tracking everyone down. Met with an investigator again and explained the Book of Mormon (again, but it more detail) he is eager to learn and let us get in a few words.  He is quite the talker :) He loved the idea about Christ coming to the Americas and said it makes sense AND he accepted the invitation to be baptized too!! Got to go to the Relief Society Broadcast and his wife came! along with another investigator. Such a great broadcast! I highly recommend it if you haven't watched it! I love the story about the sheep and about the woman with homemade bread. Loved it! Can't wait for Conference this weekend! Those men are truely called and directed by God!

Sunday - Three investigators all came to church! Really wish other investigators could have come though! We will get them next time ;) One investigator participated and provided a lot of good comments in class, he already understands a lot of concepts that we haven't even taught him yet! He was definitelyprepared by the Lord!

Our investigator went out of town so we got a good one on one (or two on one) lesson with his wife. She really opened up and the spirit came in really strong. Oh and we got to see Sister E! I just want to sqeeze her! So cheerfully and hillarious! Sister B said "I just want to squeeze you" and Sister E cheered "Do it, do it!" I was laughing so hard!

Monday (9/30/13) - Played volleyball with all (I mean all 7 sets) of missionaries today. Had a blast! Happy to have other sisters there so we weren't completly surrounded by Elders. I had my first fried cheese curds today with my companion! They are great! Taste just like mozzarella sticks. Stopped by a thrift store and looked at some funny things to wear on Halloween too. Great day!

The best part of the Mission Tour was when Elder Perkins talked about patriarchal blessings and challenged us to read through them and write down "Who you are" and "what you can accomplish" from it. I also want to extend that challenge to all my family who have theirs. Read it. Daily. Look at it and find out who you truely are. God doesn't want to change who we are, he wants us to become who we truely are. If you don't have your patriarchal blessing then I challenge you to read in the Book of Mormon to find out who you are. It's in there, you just have to look a little harder. I love each and everyone of you! I wish I had more time to write about all the other spiritual experiences I've had, I'll try to send a letter out today! I LOVE YOU!

With buckets of love,

Sister Kern

Sept 23

Hiya Everyone!

I'm into my 3rd transfer and loving it! Monday and Tuesday were full of good byes for My companion. Fall is definitly here! We are taking the car (well until Thursday when it'll be in the shop). Frost covers the grass when we walk each morning for exercise, soon it'll be too cold for even that! This year is suppose to be a long harsh winter. I'll probably need to go winter shopping soon. I'm excited for the leaves to start changing color. There are sooo many trees here, its goning to be gorgeous! The only times we don't proselyte is Packer Sundays (when Packers are playing) and when it gets to be -30 degrees.

Monday (9/15/13)- We didn't have anytime Monday to do our normal "P-day stuff", but it was fun. We ate at a new families! They have the cutest story ever! The whole love at first sight kind.

Tuesday - We went to a families and had breakfast for dinner! Gotta love french toast, eggs, and hashbrowns! Oh and we gave a guy we had street contacted a while back and gave a Book of Mormon to) a bible as well! And even better yet a guy had talked to him on the bus and given him a card with our number and he ACTUALLY CALLED and INVITED US TO DINNER with him and his wife. Woot!

Wednesday - TRANSFERS! Dropped my old companion off and picked up a new one! She is amazing! Everyday has been a blast with her and I'm learning so much! She has 5 brothers and 1 sister and is the youngest. She is from Meridian, Idaho and went to BYU Provo before going on her mission. She is bright and upbeat and has an amazing singing voice! She is just what this area needs to get things moving again! We sing in the car, take walks in the morning and laugh more often than not. She is one great teacher and her boldness and simplicity in teaching is inspiring. Such a sweet, kind, caring spirit! AND she loves Harry Potter and reads books! Right now she is planning on being a 3rd grade teacher, but it keeps changing. Anyways..we got to go on a full tour at Lambeau Statium with New Curative! It's super cool! I got to push an investigator around again.

Thursday - Planning and it was so refreshing! We have so many new ideas to use in the area! We also had Ward Corrilation and got to meet the new Elder that is training. Ironic thing is his name is the same as the name of the Elder who just left).

Friday - 2 new investigators!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) had us over for dinner. They live in extremely humble circumstances, but are so giving and were worried if we were eating enough and insisted we took left overs homes!  He loves to talk, but is very open and loves learning. He also said that "If anyone give you two any trouble just let me know and I'll take care of it". He was in the military and now is going to be a police officer. So don't worry we are safe here!

Saturday - we had our first offical lesson with the man at the bus station. He was super excited and open to the restoration. He asked to go to church so we were able to arrange for a Brother to pick him up on Sunday and take him.

Sunday - Our investigator was able to come to all of church and loved it! Another contact also came even though he was sick (he left after sacrament). We had dinner at a less active family and had pizza and popcorn! They are so great! We gave each of their children a Book of Mormon to read and mark as they please. They were all really excited.

Our invesetigator:

Is 41 (as of this Wednesday). Sister Boggus and I were street contacting and walked over a bridge. I'd been having a hard time with street contacting. It was really nerve racking, but I took a breath and starting talking to the next guy who walked towards us - Our investigator. He is from Puerto Rico originally, but speaks great english. He was into some pretty bad stuff and went to prision, but has made a change in his life. I found out yesterday that he had been praying for help and then he met us. Previous to this he had seen us at the bus stop with our bikes, we caught his attention because he has a daughter our age and we reminded him of her (she is still in Puerto Rico and he doesn't get to see her much). We gave him a Book of Mormon and talked briefly, we asked if we had a Bible too, because he had lost his. We didn't, but promised that if he stopped us at the bus station that we would have one ready for him. And he did! A couple days later he waved us over and we gave him a Bible with each of our testimonies in it and got his phone number. We were finally able to schedule a lesson this past Saturday. He is a talker so we didn't get too much into the Restoration, but he told us that "your church may have what I've been looking for." Then he was excited and wanted to go to church so we told him we would see if we could find someone to give him a ride. A couple hours later he texted us and asked if we had found someone to take him - which we had. A brother picked him up and took him to church Sunday. Although he speaks Spanish he insisted on going to our ward (we have a spanish branch) apparently most spanish speakers speak the "old spanish" while in Puerto Rico they speak "modern spanish" so it was just easier for him to come to our ward. He really enjoyed it and even asked questions during Gospel Principles class. Everyone was eager to answer his questions and did so spledidly! After church he texted us that "he hadn't felt that good in a long time". We have high hopes for him and will be asking him to be baptized in our next lesson (which just so happens to be on his birthday). Needless to say I'm forever grateful for the courage Heavenly Father gave me at just the right moment. I don't fear failure, for this is His work, and nothing shall hinder it!

My favorite scripture of the week.

2 Nephi 22:2 "God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation"

He also has become my salvation. Those words have sunk deeper and deeper into me as I've been out these 100 days or so. Nothing holds more true than that. Each day I come to know with more and more surety that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. He died for us so that each day we can repent and strive to become better and better, to become more like him. Through Him we can overcome every mistake, every pain, every tempation. I know that He loves me and I know He loves each of you. It is by doing the simple things - praying daily, studying the scriptures and talks from prophets, going to church, listening to good music, that we can draw near to Him. When we feel alone, like He isn't there, it isn't Him that has moved. When feeling alone, discouraged, or down the best cure is to serve others. When you serve others you forget yourself.

"There are feet to steady

hands to grasp

minds to encourage

hearts to inspire

and souls to save

are we doing all we should?"

The more each of us starts to cherish the gospel the more we will gain a desire to share it with others. We have and know the way to eternal life - not many people do. We have the truth. It is such a great, incredible thing, why not share it?

I love you all and think of you often. You are in my prayers. Never forget you are never alone! I LOVE YOU!

With Buckets Full of Love,

Sister Kern