How was THANKSGIVING?????
I am getting excited to talk to you all at Christmas!! Less than a month away!! I hope it will work out for people to be relatively close so I can talk to you all. I don't know where I will be. I think I am going to get transferred next week, so who knows what is going to happen. I will certainly let you guys know what number to call. I don't want to do the cell phone again because the connection was super bad last time.
Corissa said there was some talk about coming to pick me up or not. All I have to say is that I am ok with it either way. There are plus' and minus' to either way, and the most important thing for me is to finish my mission in peace and know that the Lord accepted my work and stay strong to the end. So really either way, I will be happy. I feel very peaceful writing this right now so ya, either way. I do want to see the family when I come home. Its going to be a short span of time so I want to take advantage of all of it. I love you all.
This week - we have found this family who are amazing. we haven't met the husband yet because he works out of town on the farms but his wife and kids are great. They are reading the Book of Mormon and she wants to be baptized. We will see how it goes but I really like them. The man that stopped us in the road a few weeks ago we passed him to the Elders, (because women teaching a single guy doesn't really work...) but he is so cool. He is really serious about this. I am sad I won't be able to be a part of the teaching and hearing the stories about how his life is changing. I am realizing that is what feeds my desire, is seeing the living proof of people who put in practice and test the laws of God. Because GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED. He has given us instructions and when we follow the path he has clearly laid out for us, he will prove to us time and time again how we need to live. He blesses abundantly those who obey because our agency is the one thing we have to give back, so when we do that, he gives us more and more. I am grateful for that.
I am also learning the Lord's work will be done. He will get it done how he needs it and it's our privilege if we will be part of that. We were walking home one night and I felt like we should knock this door. We were accepted and taught a short lesson. Went back the next week, she was leaving, went back week after and at the beginning of the lesson we both thought, ok this isn't going anywhere but let's finish teaching the restoration. At the end she started asking if we had services she could go to, and asking details!! Then she opened her heart and talked about how she has been looking for a church where she could feel good. She told us this story of her son who had an accident as a child but lived and how she does all she can to thank God everyday. It is so neat to see people open up. I am excited about this family.
Well family, I love you all. I hope you all know I am so happy to be here right now. It is SOOO HOT and everyone kindly tells me that summer hasn't even arrived yet, so that's comforting. I am getting tan (which is undeniably cool) but it really is HOT and HUMID!! I am constantly sticky and after lunch until 6 is the hardest time but I know that it's possible. I am grateful for the chances I have to be a better person for myself and the family I will have one day.
I love you all and I was thinking about you guys on Thanksgiving. I am eternally grateful for the family we have and hope we will all be together for eternity. ´Juntos para sempre. para eternidade´
I love you all.
Love always,
Kat
November 21, 2011
Hello Wonderful family!!!!
I hope you are all doing well!!!! I have made so much cake these last few weeks. I need to stop. We always make it for people and then we eat it too so i feel huge but its so fun at the same time!! I will have 10 months on the mission this week...I think that will be on Saturday. Crazy, time passes. It doesn't stop. Makes me want to work harder and harder, talk to more and more people. I love teaching with my current companion. I always feel good and we work together, it's the way it's supposed to be. Neither one of us tries to be better than the other. And she is helping me stop popping my knuckles. So you guys can all keep tabs on me and help me with that goal. By the time I go home I want to be very out of that habbit so please help me out and ask me how it's going. I found out that I will be going home in the middle of August actually. That is tricky, school will start up less than 2 weeks later so I really only have time to go home for a few days give my homecoming talk then head off to school shortly there after. I am actually not really worried about it, but it's just a lot to do when I get back into reality.
I am still in Cruz Alta, my second area. I think I will be transferred in 2 weeks. I have been here almost 5 months and Presidente Ribeiro already told us (me and my companion) that good things don't last forever! I will really miss Cruz Alta though. It has been good to me. I feel like I am learning so much about myself and about the simplicity of the gospel, who I want to be and how I can get there. I have really gained a stronger testimony of fasting. I have also learned the only way to gain a testimony is by putting things in action!!! Actually applying the principle and then waitng in faith. I love that we can test the commands of the Lord and he will always bless us. Its amazing how it works. I love the scritpures. Love learning from the prophets. I love that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The priesthood of God is restored here on the earth. What more wonderful thing could there be. The literal power of God, the same that Christ has and used while he was here establishing his church and that he uses still. THAT is why the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is so important. That is why a young boy, Joseph Smith, saw God and Jesus Christ. It's for that priesthood power. The power that links heaven and earth. The power that can call upon the heavens. Wow it really is amazing and so simple to see. I love the gospel and I love that I have a chance to learn more about it. It is little by little changing my life. A mission is a great thing. Sometimes it's hard not to get caught up in the numbers and the just putting in time but it's when we really focus on the people, teach to their needs. I love the Gospel. I love and miss the temple. I am so excited to be able to go back. I miss it. I love you all. I hope you all know that. Individually. The love I have for each one of you is special, because it's together that we make up a family that can be together forever. Amazing how we are all so imperfect, but through Christ, that is all ok. On the condition we apply the atonement in our lives. I have been thinking about how we so often fear men more than God. Why is that? We think about the world and not about the eternal consequences of our sins. Because we literally CANNOT enter the kingdom of God unless we are perfect. In Moroni 7:48 there is a part that talks about how we will see the Savior when we comes because we will be like he is. We have to go through a lot of purifing and applying the atonement to get to the point where we can say we know the savior and that we recognize him. He is all mercy and love and forgiveness. But God is justice, he cannnot cease to be so. I am eternally grateful for the ways I am learning that now. I am changing who I want to be and I hope when I come home I will be a different and better Kathryn. I love you all so much. I encourage you to read your patriarcal blessings prayfully. Go to the temple. Think about eternity with us as a family and what we have to do to reach our goal of being together forever.
It sounds like things are changing around up there. Kersten and Russell!!! I am so excited to meet Henry! So far we are up to 2 new neices and 1 nephew. I am excited for that!! To get to hold and kiss them! That will be a good moment. And Hannah and Jake moving, wow, that will be hard, I will miss you all terribly. I am not even home but I am excited. Change is good. It gives us all a chance to grow and learn in a different environment. Its never comfortable to grow but it's a privilege. I love you all. Excited to hear all the details of new things that are happening.
Eternally,
Sister Kathryn Adalee Taylor
Auntie Kat
I hope you are all doing well!!!! I have made so much cake these last few weeks. I need to stop. We always make it for people and then we eat it too so i feel huge but its so fun at the same time!! I will have 10 months on the mission this week...I think that will be on Saturday. Crazy, time passes. It doesn't stop. Makes me want to work harder and harder, talk to more and more people. I love teaching with my current companion. I always feel good and we work together, it's the way it's supposed to be. Neither one of us tries to be better than the other. And she is helping me stop popping my knuckles. So you guys can all keep tabs on me and help me with that goal. By the time I go home I want to be very out of that habbit so please help me out and ask me how it's going. I found out that I will be going home in the middle of August actually. That is tricky, school will start up less than 2 weeks later so I really only have time to go home for a few days give my homecoming talk then head off to school shortly there after. I am actually not really worried about it, but it's just a lot to do when I get back into reality.
I am still in Cruz Alta, my second area. I think I will be transferred in 2 weeks. I have been here almost 5 months and Presidente Ribeiro already told us (me and my companion) that good things don't last forever! I will really miss Cruz Alta though. It has been good to me. I feel like I am learning so much about myself and about the simplicity of the gospel, who I want to be and how I can get there. I have really gained a stronger testimony of fasting. I have also learned the only way to gain a testimony is by putting things in action!!! Actually applying the principle and then waitng in faith. I love that we can test the commands of the Lord and he will always bless us. Its amazing how it works. I love the scritpures. Love learning from the prophets. I love that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The priesthood of God is restored here on the earth. What more wonderful thing could there be. The literal power of God, the same that Christ has and used while he was here establishing his church and that he uses still. THAT is why the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is so important. That is why a young boy, Joseph Smith, saw God and Jesus Christ. It's for that priesthood power. The power that links heaven and earth. The power that can call upon the heavens. Wow it really is amazing and so simple to see. I love the gospel and I love that I have a chance to learn more about it. It is little by little changing my life. A mission is a great thing. Sometimes it's hard not to get caught up in the numbers and the just putting in time but it's when we really focus on the people, teach to their needs. I love the Gospel. I love and miss the temple. I am so excited to be able to go back. I miss it. I love you all. I hope you all know that. Individually. The love I have for each one of you is special, because it's together that we make up a family that can be together forever. Amazing how we are all so imperfect, but through Christ, that is all ok. On the condition we apply the atonement in our lives. I have been thinking about how we so often fear men more than God. Why is that? We think about the world and not about the eternal consequences of our sins. Because we literally CANNOT enter the kingdom of God unless we are perfect. In Moroni 7:48 there is a part that talks about how we will see the Savior when we comes because we will be like he is. We have to go through a lot of purifing and applying the atonement to get to the point where we can say we know the savior and that we recognize him. He is all mercy and love and forgiveness. But God is justice, he cannnot cease to be so. I am eternally grateful for the ways I am learning that now. I am changing who I want to be and I hope when I come home I will be a different and better Kathryn. I love you all so much. I encourage you to read your patriarcal blessings prayfully. Go to the temple. Think about eternity with us as a family and what we have to do to reach our goal of being together forever.
It sounds like things are changing around up there. Kersten and Russell!!! I am so excited to meet Henry! So far we are up to 2 new neices and 1 nephew. I am excited for that!! To get to hold and kiss them! That will be a good moment. And Hannah and Jake moving, wow, that will be hard, I will miss you all terribly. I am not even home but I am excited. Change is good. It gives us all a chance to grow and learn in a different environment. Its never comfortable to grow but it's a privilege. I love you all. Excited to hear all the details of new things that are happening.
Eternally,
Sister Kathryn Adalee Taylor
Auntie Kat
November 14, 2011
Hello my wonderful family.
How is everyone doing? All the kids? Everyone getting ready for the new Ellsworth baby? I am excited!!! Thanksgiving is coming up. Pretty soon Rachel will be headed off to school again. Christmas and the New Year! I wish I could be there with all of you, but having to be in another part of the world I am glad I am here in Brazil serving and learnig more about the love of the Savior. It is a very special time in my life. I am far from living it perfectly but I keep trying.
Sister Dunford and I have been working A LOT. We have found a lot of new people to teach, it's amazing. Right when you think there is no one left in the city to find, the streets I have walked for 4 months, we find new people everyday. I love that we teach differently every time we teach, we say different things and apply it to the people. I am begining to feel like I am becoming the kind of missionary I have wanted to be.
Cool story for you all. We were walking down a street I have walked almost evvery single day but I hadn't knocked on this house so we knocked and asked if we could say a prayer. But she marked another day for us to come back, so we went back that day, said a prayer and taught the restoration, (I had actually taught members of her family down the street two weeks before and most of her kids were at that house
the other day and they were all at the house this day, pretty cool). We invited her to be baptized at the end of the lesson and she said yes and we marked to come back. We went back the day we marked and saw her leaving her house and totally ignoring us. Like she looked right at us and then kept walking. We stood there kind of confused and such. So another day we were walking there and decided to knock again
just to see if she would let us in or not and then she pops up in front of the window with a HUGE smile and says that we can come in. I am kind of shocked so I don't move, and so she says it again, and it clicks in my head so we go in and then she explains that she has a twin that lives just up the road from her and that it was her twin that was leaving the house the other day. Wow!!!!! So ya she still
wants to be baptized and we will see!! We left a Book of Mormon and are going back tonight.
I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love teaching and learning about the gospel. I love the time I have to study every day. Portuguese is good, my companion speaks perfectly so she corrects me and tells me what I need to improve on, which helps so much, and is hard to hear sometimes. But she is just helping me. I am so eternally grateful for my decision to serve a mission. I am in the hardest mission in Brazil.
The people are amazing but they are so closed off to changing. But I am so grateful for the things I have learned, how my testomony has and is developing and strengthening, for the´people I have met and taught the restored gospel to. I am grateful for the privilege I have to know my mission president, Presidente Ribeiro. I am grateful Heavenly Father knows the details in my life and is helping me become
the person I need to be.
I love you all and I am grateful we have the chance to work towards being an eternal family. But it depends on us. Each one of us. I love the way Heavenly Father has it worked out. everything is organized perfectly and because we are human and imperfect we have Christ and the atonement.
I love you all, kiss the kids and tell them Auntie Kat loves them.
Love,
Sister Taylor
How is everyone doing? All the kids? Everyone getting ready for the new Ellsworth baby? I am excited!!! Thanksgiving is coming up. Pretty soon Rachel will be headed off to school again. Christmas and the New Year! I wish I could be there with all of you, but having to be in another part of the world I am glad I am here in Brazil serving and learnig more about the love of the Savior. It is a very special time in my life. I am far from living it perfectly but I keep trying.
Sister Dunford and I have been working A LOT. We have found a lot of new people to teach, it's amazing. Right when you think there is no one left in the city to find, the streets I have walked for 4 months, we find new people everyday. I love that we teach differently every time we teach, we say different things and apply it to the people. I am begining to feel like I am becoming the kind of missionary I have wanted to be.
Cool story for you all. We were walking down a street I have walked almost evvery single day but I hadn't knocked on this house so we knocked and asked if we could say a prayer. But she marked another day for us to come back, so we went back that day, said a prayer and taught the restoration, (I had actually taught members of her family down the street two weeks before and most of her kids were at that house
the other day and they were all at the house this day, pretty cool). We invited her to be baptized at the end of the lesson and she said yes and we marked to come back. We went back the day we marked and saw her leaving her house and totally ignoring us. Like she looked right at us and then kept walking. We stood there kind of confused and such. So another day we were walking there and decided to knock again
just to see if she would let us in or not and then she pops up in front of the window with a HUGE smile and says that we can come in. I am kind of shocked so I don't move, and so she says it again, and it clicks in my head so we go in and then she explains that she has a twin that lives just up the road from her and that it was her twin that was leaving the house the other day. Wow!!!!! So ya she still
wants to be baptized and we will see!! We left a Book of Mormon and are going back tonight.
I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love teaching and learning about the gospel. I love the time I have to study every day. Portuguese is good, my companion speaks perfectly so she corrects me and tells me what I need to improve on, which helps so much, and is hard to hear sometimes. But she is just helping me. I am so eternally grateful for my decision to serve a mission. I am in the hardest mission in Brazil.
The people are amazing but they are so closed off to changing. But I am so grateful for the things I have learned, how my testomony has and is developing and strengthening, for the´people I have met and taught the restored gospel to. I am grateful for the privilege I have to know my mission president, Presidente Ribeiro. I am grateful Heavenly Father knows the details in my life and is helping me become
the person I need to be.
I love you all and I am grateful we have the chance to work towards being an eternal family. But it depends on us. Each one of us. I love the way Heavenly Father has it worked out. everything is organized perfectly and because we are human and imperfect we have Christ and the atonement.
I love you all, kiss the kids and tell them Auntie Kat loves them.
Love,
Sister Taylor
November 7, 2011
Family, can I tell you all how much I love you! I miss you all. I pray for you all.
HOT HOT HOT here, I sweat like crazy and it's not even full on Summer yet. It's not going to get better until the end of March.
I am gaining such a stronger testimony of the Savior and the healing power that he has in our lives. I am so grateful for the personal way the Lord works with us and how he wants to help us be all that we can be in this life. We are fasting and working like crazy and we haven't seen the changes yet, but I know they will come. The Lord is teaching me little by little. I am excited to see what he has in store for me. I know that at least it includes being really sweaty for the next 5 months, but all of the spiritual lessons he is preparing for me too. I love you all. I know that Christ lives. The atonement is REAL! No matter what we have done we can be free and happy and he will show us all the love he has for us as we change with our faith in him.
I love you all.
These pictures are me and my companion, Sister Dunford trying to do a funny face but I kept changing back to normal before the picture actually took. The last one is just us being silly (and yes I straightened my hair today, took a long time, but its pretty).
Love you all,
Kat
October 31, 2011
First of all HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! I am so excited for you all there. That has got to be so fun today! Its not really a big deal here. I have seen a few stores that have witch hats and little toys but its just not the same. So everyone enjoy the pumpkins and goodies for me. Take lots of pictures so I can see the kids outfits.
I am still in Cruz Alta but I am with Sister Dunford which I am so happy about. She is someone I respect so much. She is helping me feel the same fire I felt when I left the MTC and started teaching. She is helping me with my Portuguese and I feel like I am finally being trained...9 months into my mission :) She is beautiful with a beautiful voice.
Crazy story. The last month at the MTC I was praying that my trainer would be ready and patient with me, that she would be prepared to help me learn all that I needed to and she would really show me what missionary work really was. The last week or so I changed my prayers to be that I would have the experiences I needed to grow. So funny enough Sister Dunford was supposed to be my trainer in the Presidentes ward but then the bishop of that ward complained and didn't want Sisters. So then the President was still like ok we will send Sister Taylor to Uruguana so that she can be with Sister Dunford, in a 3-some because they need to be together. But then that didn't work out so I went to Camobi as my first area and I was totally oblivious to this but apparently there had been a lot of bratty girls living together so I went to be in a 3-some there. And now I am with Sister Dunford. We have been through so much these past 7 months and its just so much sweeter now. I still feel like she is training me on so many things I didn't know, but the best part of all is that we are happy and we feel the spirit when we teach. We feel it so strong and I see the people feel it too! We teach and testify and smile and they feel different. We were fasting this last week to find new people and we passed a man in the street and he called back to us and said, How do I get a hold of a book of mormon? I want to start reading it again and take better care of my soul. Our jaws just about dropped and we asked if he could meet right then and we could talk to him about it. He said that day wasn't good but we could go back Saturday. We went by Saturday and he told us that earlier the other day he was at work and told his colleuges that he wanted to get back in touch with the mormon church. Everyone at work thought he was crazy and gave him a hard time about it, but then he passed us in the street and talked to us. His name is Santinho. I am excited to see what will happen.
I feel like I am really doing missionary work. She had cramps really bad this week so we weren't working like crazy but it was so good when we did. We are going to rock it this week!!!
I love it when we get to testify of the Savior and we smile and feel sooo GOOD! I haven't felt like this since the first part of the mission. I feel so much better because I actually know what is going on and what people are saying. I love the Gospel. I love the perspective I get as I read the scriptures and study conference talks. I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVES. He warms my heart and gives me hope. In the hymn Where Can I Turn for Peace in Portuguese the 3rd verse talks about Christ being ´my Savior and my friend´. I love that line and it is SOOO beautiful in Portuguese. Sister Dunford sang that hymn in our sacrament meeting and it was crazy because everyone was really rowdy but the moment she opened her mouth to sing, the whole room was still. She looked at me on the 3rd verse and I started to cry. I know my Savior so much better because of the Gospel, because of this chance I have to serve a mission and change my life and the future of my family one day. I love the gospel and I am so grateful I have this chance to share it with others. I mess up daily but I can always turn to the Lord and recieve the help I need. I love you all. Humility is the key. I pray for you all.
Love always and forever and ever,
Sister Kathryn Adalee Taylor
p.s. This was a balloon and cake we enjoyed on the 9 month mark! Its going fast, that feels weird. Love you all.
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