Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day itself was nothing special. Sister O was sick so we just stayed home, but the week itself was great!

I don't know where to start there were so many funny, great random things that happened!

• Monday night we had dinner at the B family's house. They gave us "homemade egg" aka eggs that their chickens had laid.
• C (one of our investigators) expressed how much he loves coming to our church and our lessons. He said, "You come with halos." He is the cutest old man and has come to church 3 time (I think). He was super sick last week and couldn't make it, but made it yesterday.
• I got to drive in a snow story in the dark for the first time ever. That was...well lets just say I'm glad Heavenly Father protects His missionaries.
• I learned to play pool at the E. They had a mini one, I didn't do too bad, just lost by one ball. I love dinner appointments with our members. Sister O even figured out how to tie it into our lesson!
• Sister O died on Friday (she wasn't feeling good and slept all day) so I went crazy and scrubbed our kitchen and bathroom top to bottom and then read from the Book of Mormon before joining her in a nap. I'm glad it only lasted a day and that she is feeling better now!
• I got a Valentine's Day gift yesterday! The P family got them for us. Brother Ppicked them out (which a little help from his wife). He did a great job!
• Apparently women are like cows...

We had a lesson with K and it was AMAZING. We read "I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee" by Thomas S Monson and it was just what she needed to hear. She cried a little bit and said she would come back to church this coming Sunday! I'm so excited for her! She is also having us over for dinner and ice cream cake on Thursday. She is the sweetest lady ever I love her!

On Tuesday we met the sweetest old lady (she had just turned 86 the day before) at a nursing home when we were trying to see a less active. We found her sitting in the hall by the back door soaking up the sun (which we hadn't seen for a good week). We talked for a while and she invited us to come back again to visit. Her love for God is amazing, she is almost a Mormon and doesn't even know it ;)

I was finally able to meet Grandma R for the first time. She is Sister B's mom (fyi I lived with Sister B in Green Bay) and I've heard so much about her! We were in the family history center volunteering (entering names in) when she walked over and gave us each a hug. Which reminds me. I LOVE FAMILY HISTORY! I was able to look up my family tree a lot this week and found some amazing stories about my ancestors! Each of them is truly an inspiration to me!

This week was Zone Conference. Those meetings are always Spirit packed experiences! The focus this time was heavily on prayer and making sure those we teach know that Heavenly Father loves them!! It really got me thinking. Do they really know? I often ask people if they know that God loves them and they say "yes", but do they really know that He does? It's something I, who have been a member all my life, am just barely starting to comprehend! It reminded me of the mormon message "earthly father, heavenly father" I love how it puts everything so simply into prospective!

So my spiritual message for the day is this "When you are living in fear, you are not walking in faith." This quote really hit me hard. Every time I feel fear, am I trusting in the Lord, His love, and His plan? As far as I've figured, I haven't. The fear that comes into my life is from Satan. He wants me to fear talking to strangers, to fear what others will think, to fear the world more than God. This concept applies to everyone. Sometimes when we have studied our situation and solutions out and have prayers and still recieve no answer are the times to act in faith, not fear. There was a talk shared in one of the Ensigns that spoke on how the light only shines a foot or two ahead and it isn't until we take that step into the darkness that more light comes. Sometimes we have to literally take that leap of faith and be willing to fall into the darkness with the knowledge that Heavenly Father will catch us. Like Nephi says in 2 Nephi 28:30 "thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are they that hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel..." We must be willing to over come our fear, by acting in faith. This is one of the hardest things, we as humans, will proabably ever have to try and achieve. Can you imagen the ability to trust Heavenly Father so completely that you would give up all that you had to follow Him?

I love you all and wish you a great Valentine's Day (I know it's a little late).

With Buckets of Love,

Sister Kern