December 26, 2011

Hey!! First off it was so great talking to everyone yesterday! I wish that Sarah and Rico and Bella and Sophia could have been there too!!
Everyone looks so good! I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and are well! This computer is terrible so I am trying to send pictures and its not working!

I love you all. Sorry time is short I spent a bunch of time trying to figure out the pictures!!

December 19, 2011

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

WEll I want you all to know that I am thinking about you and I am so excited to hear about how everyone is doing!! OVER THE PHONE!!

So details about calling. You guys will be calling the chapel that is right next to my house, which is actually an old chapel from the time of my Mission President. Also infested with cockroaches. :) Not my favorite thing but I am adjusting and I'll send a picture next week (sorry it's always next week, but this week is really because I can't find my cable to connect to the computer, but it will show up). But talking about cleaning, which we are not but I would like to share with all of you, Monday cleaning stinks because the house/old chapel is big and the bathrooms are huge.

We have all three hours of church here on Christmas. Is that normal? Don't know.

I have been thinking about this email and how it will be the CHRISTMAS EMAIL.
In the Bible, Luke 2: 19,50-51 talks about how Mary ´kept these things in her heart´. It says it after the sheperds visit and when he was 12 and was teaching in the temple and they went back to get him. I love that it says that. Because she was a wise woman, she was the most blessed above all women. She knew the scriptures, she knew that she was the mother of the Only Begotten of the Father and all that entailed. She knew that an ultimate and everlasting sacrifice had to be made. She knew everything and she kept the moments in her Heart when our Heavenly Father was teaching her. He knew what she needed and how she needed to grow. That everlasting and ultimate sacrifice makes all the difference for us. What will we sacrifice? What are we willing to give up so that WE TOO can live with God one day? Because he has set the standard, the standard DOES NOT CHANGE. For any of us. We are the ones that have to choose and have to change our desires, habits, and our mistakes. It is only through him that we will overcome. To be a disciple of Christ we have to DO! in Doctrine and Covenants 41:5 it explains exactly what a disciple is. As we learn and apply, the Lord sees our desires and he will reveal line upon line for each one of us more and more light. But when we stop doing what we need to do, he can not show us. He will never force us. He has so much respect for our agency that he waits for us to come back to him and that coming back always includes repentance. WHAT A BLESSING. Because of all the Savior did, we really can be clean of ANYTHING we have done wrong. Literally anything. He will forgive us as we seek and work and pray and with time prove to him our change of heart. I am so eteranlly grateful for my Savior. I know Christ lives, that he will lead me by the hand as I trust in him. I know that he will judge me one day, before I can enter the Father's presence. In Moroni 7:48 there is a phrase I love. I am translating it from Portuguese so its more or less this, ´And when he comes, we will see him, because we will be like he is´. We can only be like he is if we repent!! If we use the opportunity he has given us to be better people. Because God Will NOT be mocked. My inviation to each of us is that we can think, as individuals, in our families and extended families about what we need to change BECAUSE Christ lives. And because he loves us. God's angels are around us, and as we trust in him, we will see what we need to do. But we have to be the first to act. We have to use our faith. It might be small things, it might be big, but please let us help each other, trust in the lord, forgive each other. See the bright and shining moments that await us, because it's the moments that carry us through and in the moments that the Lord teaches us. If we turn our back on the Lord he can not teach us. He is trying, ever so trying. I know we can be an eternal family, but we have to change, we have to be better because this won't cut it. God doesn't need us to be perfect yet, one day yes, but not yet, but we have to be improving. I love you all. I pray for you all daily and I wish I could be there with you all. BUT as hard as this is, I wouldn't give it up for the world. I love you all

Love,
Sister Taylor
Kat
Auntie Kat

December 12, 2011

Wow, so I am here in Sao Borja! Right on the boarder of Argentina! It's cool. My part of the city you can't see argentina but I can imagine its pretty cool. Things are a little bit cheaper here, which is cool. We are going to have a zone conference on Thursday. That will be good.

So training! I LOVE MY TRAINEE!!! She is a doll! She is so small and so cute. She has all the desire to be a great missionary and she is strong. She is excited to try new things and is learning really well. Her name is Sister Nascimento, which actually means birth. So that is cool.

We are in a trio so the other companion is a little more complex. She does good things but doesn't have focus and talks about Elders and things outside of the work, more than is nesessary. I don't really feel much of the spirit with her, which is hard, I need to find the desire to work sometimes with her, it's hard but the area is great. The branch here LOVES missionaries and are willing to help. That is different. Everyone is so excited to see us and talk to us.

Corissa sent me some pictures she took at Thanksgiving! WOW that was so cool to see. The kids are growing up and changing so fast. I can't believe how big Sophia and Sadie are!! And the twins!! Kaylee and Shaddix too! Eddie is getting taller and taller! Nate is so cute!! Bella's hair is HUGE!! It's so cute!!!!! Shaden is getting taller! And in the picture the other three were still in their mothers tummys but Henry is born!! And I'll be waiting for the other two! The parents and sisters and brothers in law! Wow its so good to see you all. Just sad that Corissa was on the other side of the camera! But she sent me some of her too!! Gosh, thank you so much! I love you all and I hope that everyone is loving the Christmas season and remembering the reason we are here on earth and all the good things that are yet to come in our lives now, in the future and in the next life.

I am grateful for the chances I have to grow. I know the lord knows me and is watching out for me. I am so blessed to be here and getting the chance to learn from so many different personalities. I know that what I am preaching is true. I know God is the same yesterday, today and forever! Because of that, the restored Gospel is here, we have the privilage to make covenants with him and he promises us the greatest blessings. I am so grateful for the joys and struggles we get to go through to learn and be perfected. I hope we can always help each other with our struggles and grow together. Not judging and just looking to help.

I love you all and hope everyone is doing well!

Love you all,
Kat

December 5, 2011

EVERYTHING in my life is about to change.

I am going to train a new Sister! In an area called Sao Borja. Its right on the border of Argentina and we will be a trio. The other Sister I have heard some things about but I am excited to get to know her for myself and we will work it up!!! Lots of things I have learned in this transfer will help me in the next one and going into the Christmas season I need to get to know the members really quickly!!! It will be good. I am excited to hit the ground running and work a ton over there. I really do love this work, each day we wake up and I know everyday holds surprises for me. I never know what is going to happen at each house we knock. A lot of people say no, but then someone lets us in and I see their faces change as we get to know them and talk about our Savior. I am so grateful to be on the mission at this time and have the chance to talk to people about my love for the savior when people's hearts are more opened and turned to Christ. I want you all to know that I KNOW MY SAVIOR LIVES and it comes through experiences. That is the only way that we learn and grow like we need to - when we try. If we never try the Lord doesn't have a chance to teach us. We have to do our part.

I am so grateful for everything I have had the chance to learn. Cruz Alta has been good for me. I hope I get to make a difference. I love you all. I am not perfect, I mess up ALL THE TIME, but I can keep learning.

I feel good. I feel peaceful and I hope each of us can have this feeling at this special time of the year!!!!!

I love you all.

Love, Kat