Transfers

Transfers: I'm staying in Shawano and Sister O is coming here. Odd thing about transfers is that Sister T (a previous companion) is now my Sister Training Leader so I'll be going on exchanges with her once a transfer. Also my zone split! I'm now in the Green Bay South Zone! The mission has changed so much since I've gotten out. There were 6 zones not too long ago and now there are 9 and the Appleton Zone looks like it'll split soon too. Sister E is off to Oshkosh to serve with Sister H.

Big News: WE HAD 3 INVESTIGATORS AT CHURCH! They all came to church and loved it! We have barely had any lessons with them, and still have a lot to teach, but there is a lot of potential in them. I'm so excited for the Shawano Area!

Friend of the Week:  C was Miracle #4 last week. We met with him earlier this week and semi taught the Restoration (he is a talker and it's hard to get much in once he starts). He is in a wheel chair, he was a cop for 30 years until he got shot in the leg. C is his care taker and reads the Book of Mormon with him everyday! I'm so excited for the both of them...though I'm pretty sure C wants to set either Sister E or I up with his son...we tried explaining the whole "we can't date while we are on mission" rule, but I'm not sure if it got through to him. Oh well! He is a sweet guy and C is awesome!

Other News: Sister O is pretty new to the mission field so she doesn't have a GPS sooo I finally got around to buying one. With an area as big as ours a GPS is a must, a lot of the streets aren't even listed on a normal map (not that I'd have any clue where to even look for a street on our map). We had a lot of dinner appointments because Sister E is leaving.

Sister E Spotlight: Sister J.E. has been out on her mission for 14+ months. She has served in Madison, Milwaukee, and Shawano. She is one of 6 kids (3 boys and 3 girls) and is the oldest. She is from Mesa, AZ. She loves Stargate and Sanctuary (and now Doctor Who curtesy of Sister K and I talking about it a lot). Her guy is serving his mission in Tahiti. I love her! We laugh and goof of all the time - when no one is around of course. I don't remember a day I haven't laughed this transfer!

I'm out of time! Off to see an Amish Bishop to give him muffins and to our dinner appointment at the P. Don't worry - we won't get stuck this time!

With Buckets of Love,

Sister Kern

A week of miracles

Miracle #1: Tuesday morning I had the faint idea (or later I realized it was a prompting) that I should bring our big shovel and put it in the trunk. I didn't. We got stuck before we were about to leave our drive way. So we got the shovel and shoveled our way out and were pretty late for District Meeting. Later after we left the P's house we came across someone who had also gotten stuck in the snow and beacuse we had the shovel we were able to help them. I believe Heavenly Father wanted us to be prepared to help those people and made it possible for us to be able to, even if it meant getting stuck first ourselves.

Miracle #2: Satuday night all our appointments feel through and we were able to return home to do our weekly planning. We hadn't even come close to fufliling our goals and I had a strong desire not to return home but to keep working until we met our goals. The desire was so strong that Sister E and I pondered who else we could possible go visit. Steve. We know of 2 guys with in a block of each other so we decided to try both of them. One was a potential investigator we had tracted into 2 weeks earlier the other was a less active member. So one had a dark house so we went to the other. He was home! He told us he had been sick the previous week, but was planning on coming to our church tomorrow. We had never had the opportunity to teach him, we only got to explain the Book of Mormon and give him one prior.

Miracle #3: HE CAME TO CHURCH!!!!! We walked in and I did a doubt take. There he was as he had promised, sitting next to the Elders. He told us after church that he really enjoyed everything and we finally have a return appointment with him!

Miracle #4: One of our appointments fell through so we decided to go to our other appointment early, knowing she was always home and wouldn't mind us being early. We got there and rang the bell (it's an appartment complex so you ring the door bell and they buzz you in) and there was no answer. Luckily a man let us in. One thing led to another and we ended up talking (well he did most of the talking) for the hour. We gave him a Book of Mormon and got a return appointment! All in time to make it to our appointment on time! I know the Lord has a time and a reason for everything. One appointment may fall through so that you will be able to meet someone else who is willing to hear the gospel.

On another note: We got to drive through a blizzard from GB to Boduel on Tuesday. Really wanted to go tracting in it, just to say that we had, but we knew we'd have recived a scoulding from Sister P. Saturday I played an actual game of basketball for the first time since...elementary school probably. The Elders, Easters, and J family were all there and it was a blast. I'm not as horride at it as I had previously thought. The hillarious part was that no one would touch Sister E and I, it was amusing to watch. They must know the saying "Hurting a Sister Missionary means instant excomunication" as an 8 year old in our ward put it. When the J girls showed up it was even more fun.

With Buckets of Love,

Sister Kern

Things I forgot

Some of the things I forgot to write in my mass email...

This Friday when we were volunterring at a nursing home a polka..player...singer...person came and played Polish Polka music. The residents loved it and swayed back and forth singing. The only "polka ish" song I know is "I don't wanna be a chicken, I don't wanna be a duck, so I'll shake my [shoulders]"

We ate ice cream when it was still only 3 degrees out.

I have enough lotion and body wash to last me to my mission's end. I'm still waiting on that pumpkin bread ;) I wear my slippers around the house all the time.

Pictures:

1. Me standing on a frozen lake

2. Sister Edwards and I with the cache we found this morning!

3. My snow globe was frozen

4. The frozen waterfall going down our stairs

With Buckets of Love,

Sister Kern

The Frozen Tundra

Hey!

There are so many things that happened this week! We had Zone Training and the DTM and interviews so a lot of my week was taken up in meetings :b but I love them. I always learn so much!

Friend of the week: So we are now teaching the Cs, which is a realllly long story, but to keep things short I'll just say that they are the Elder's investigators that we accidentally tracted into while trying to find a less active. Oh and Sister C speaks no English. Luckily Sister J is a RM and is from Peru so she is joining us in teaching them. We teach, she translates. Not sure where this will lead (they can't get baptized for certain reasons), but they are willing to learn and we have plenty of time to teach.

Event of the week: We went Geocaching this morning! The P family is very much into it and set up a Geocach just for Sister E a month or so ago and we had enough time today to go find it! Took us about an hour of searching, but I finally spotted it. Oh and while we were searching in the forest for this cach we saw this car pull of the highway (on purpose) and drive across the frozen lake. I know it's cold and all, but really, your car! No worries though, he went safely across.

Spiritual thought: I'm not going to write much, but this go and watch "On the Lord's Errand" on lds.org (link is on the bottom of the email) and really ponder what you can do to listen to the gently promptings of the Spirit.

Other News: I had homemade deer jerky - it was delicious - made homemade navajo tacos - also delicious. It's 31 degrees out, perfect weather, I don't need to wear a jacket for once. Sister E and I helped the Bishop's wife make 25 lunches for all the Stake Presidencys that came up for ward conference. Had a blast helping her. She is the sweetest woman ever! She is also a speech therapist for kids at a school and her daughter (who helped us) teaches 1st grade. We were able to go to their school (long story)  and boy, if I was going to be a teacher I'd want to go to their school! I loved Ward Conference. A lot of the people in the Stake are from Green Bay so I was able to see a lot of the members of the GB 1st Ward! It was great!

One thing I've really loved is keeping a personal study journal. I write down anything and everything that comes to mind. From thoughts about a chapter I read from the Book of Mormon, to questions that come to mind, to goals on how I can improve. It's been a true blessing to be able to go back and read my thoughts from before. Not only can I see old insights, but I've been able to see how much I've grown. If you don't have one I highly recommend starting now! Keeping my study journal has also made it so I don't just read through a chapter and move on, it makes me stop and ponder. I've noticed a huge difference in my studies. They've been come even more spiritual and powerful as I've let the Spirit guide my thoughts.

My favorite find was in 3 Nephi 18:32 when Christ is talking about the less active members. He advises the strong members not to cast out those who aren't choosing the right, but to strengthen them. We will never know when that person may change, repent, and come unto Christ and if we don't give up on him we can be the means of bringing them to salvation. Like it says in the previous verse, Christ knows His sheep, we don't. Which is why we should always be that helping, unjudging ha!d.

I love you so much!

With Buckets of Love,

Sister Kern

http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2009-09-01-on-the-lords-errand-the-life-of-thomas-s-monson?lang=eng&_suid=138964783437808163874672194411?category=2009-09-01-on-the-lords-errand-the-life-of-thomas-s-monson&&lang=eng#2009-09-01-on-the-lords-errand-the-life-of-thomas-s-monson?lang=eng&_suid=13896478357450025270725512482883

A New Year

First off, for those of you who have looked up the Wisconsin weather for this week - don't worry! We aren't allowed to go tracting or street contacting until Wednesday. For those of you who haven't the weather outside is -25. The high is -16 and the low is between -40 and -50. We are staying plenty warm, the members take good care of us and are worry warts for our welfare.

I have so many great stories to share from this week!

1. Sister E and I were looking for a less active and we found his house. We knocked and a nine year old answered and went to go get his mom. She came and ushered us in excitedly (which never happens). She didn't speak much English so her son translated a lot. We asked if we could come back the next week and she readily agreed. Sister J (who's first language is Spanish) is coming with us. The funny thing is that we found out that the woman was previously taught by the Elders and wants to be baptized, but can't for various reasons. We are still going to see her though. Turns out the less active we were looking for lives in the apartment above her house.

2. We met a golden investigator named. She invited us in and we talked with her and her husband. She actually asked us  about our beliefs. The scriptures we read with them were exactly what she needed to hear. She asked us where the church is and her and her husband plan on coming in 2 weeks (they are going to be out of town before then). The sad thing was...she is in Appleton Zone, so not our area. We received her as a potential investigator and went over for the Appleton Sisters to see if she was really interested. Ironically she only lives 20 minutes away from our house :b Oh well, as long as she will be taught the gospel that's all that matters!

3. We taught the young women's lesson on the Godhead (focusing on Jesus Christ). It was amazing! It flowed smoothly and we had a good amount of participation. Then we bore our testimonies of Christ and almost all of them did. By the end everyone had tear filled eyes and the Spirit was strong testifying of the truth of Jesus Christ. Sister E has asked us to teach the first lesson of every month, and I can't wait!

Other News: Exchanges were this week! Sister N came and stayed with me and I got to drive on ice and snow! We went tracting and ended up going to the P's for dinner and took down their Christmas tree. Sister N is also an amazing crocheter! She looked at a crocheted blanket on Sister Es bed, got a ball of yarn and was able to replicate one of the circles. Oh and Sister E and I played "ice soccer" on our way home - kicked a ball of ice back and forth. On Sunday Sister E and I also were suppose to teach Gospel Principles, but no one in our class came so we didn't get to play our great Priesthood Jeopardy game until after church when two of the kids were waiting for their mom to get out of a meeting so we entertained them and played it. It was a fun time we got to re-learn everything we had studied to make it and the kids learned some new things too. 

This week I wrote my testimony in a Book of Mormon and I'm going to pray to know who to give it too. I want to challenge each of you to do the same! It was great to really think and re-evaluate what I believe and to write it down. It's such a huge blessing when you share your testimony, because even if the one you share it with gets nothing from it, you do. You get the Holy Ghost confirming the words you speak/write. I love you all and wish you a Happy New Year!

With Buckets of Love,

Sister Kern