Confounding the Wise

Hi Everyone,

 

I am excited for everyone to be going to San Diego this week. It sounds like it will be a lot of fun and I am excited for you Megs to be going through the San Diego Temple for your first time. It is an amazing experience. I for sure encourage you to write down in your journal as soon as you can about the experience you had there. The feelings you felt because it is truly one you will always want to remember.

I am really looking forward to talking to you all next week. It will be a lot of fun. :D Just a reminer that you are the ones who have to be calling me because I can't call you since it is too expensive. As for the time it will probably be best to do it 7 am my time because that is also the morning that we get transfer calls and if we do it later it might be at the same time as that. So I think if it is 7 am here that would mean it would be 3 pm in California. You can check but it should work out fine. I am looking forward to it!!!

Also just so you know next monday, I will be checking my e-mail earlier in the day because we will be going to the zoo and then straight to Shibuya to spend the night for the temple. So if you want me to read any e-mails be sure to send them early.

 

Ok so on for this week.

This week was amazing! Especially yesterday, we had 3 investigators at church and we were able to teach all three of them. One of them is a new investigator named Richard. We were Kubariing under a covered area when it was really rainy and this young man came walking down the street. The other sisters (because I was on the other side) started talking to him and learned that he is from the Philippines and that he just moved here 2 weeks ago. He asked us if we were from the Mormon church and we told him yes. He said "oh my cousin is Mormon. He said that I should join the church when I get to Japan because I will probably be lonley".  The Sisters gave him a plan of Salvation pamphlet that we by some miracle had in Tagalog and talked to him for a bit and then invited him to church for this last sunday. He came to church and we had a great lesson with him. During our lesson we taught him about the Resoration and when we asked him what he felt after I said the first vision, he said "I feel like I want to cry when we talk about these things". We invited him to be baptized and he said "ofcourse!" He also really enjoyed church and will be coming again. This is a person who has really been prepared by the Lord.

 

Another wonderful man we are teaching is named Hayakawa, he started the lessons in Adachi and now has moved to Utsunomiya. He is 61 years old and has alot of Hobbies. Yesterday he practically taught us the Restoration and we were able to teach him a little about Baptism and what it means. He really is excited to learn more and he also said yes that he would like to be baptized as well. We think he is a little lonely and the members have really been great about taking him under their wing. 

Another miracle this week was meeting this lady Sayaka again. We met her a few weeks ago taking her son home from school. She is the PTA president and this time we said hello to her and she invited us over. She has 13 cats and 6 dogs. It felt like we were in a zoo, and just so you are aware my allergies to cats has really beome stronger during my mission so my eyes were absalutly killing me after the visit. I had to come home and put a cold compress on them and lay down for a bit. But she had her 6 year old son pray for us and we were able to read a little bit from the Book of Mormon with her. Her mother also lives with them and the whole family is just so loving. We are going back this week on Thursday and are way excited to teach them.

 

We have two who are chinese and now have baptism dates. They are so wonderful. The woman, Ryu, we met during last transfer and taught her some. She had a hard time progressing because she felt like she was a terrible daughter of Heavenly Father. Before we even had a baptsim date for her but she didn't make it. Now however she is helping us teach her friend, Cho. He understands Japanese somewhat but she translates for him in Chinese and since she has been doing that her faith and hope seems to be growing stronger. And her friend is propabably a wonderful example for her. He accepts everything from us so easily and is so great. We are really excited for the both of them.

 

It has been amazing teaching so many people and I have really come to learn how to teach by the spirit. My companions told me this last week that "this week they were able to witness peoples whole countenance and body change as Sister Dolan bore her testimony, there was nothing they could argue with her about after that." Two of the times was when we visited this woman who doesn't really want to learn about the church but she is just the saddest woman ever so we go back sometimes. I remember having this spirit come over me as I bodly and directly told her that she is a daughter of God and nothing can change that. It is still true whether or not she believes or understands it. The other time happened on Friday when we were teaching one of our new investigators name Fumiko. She is a referral from a member and we met her and taught her a little from lesson one. She was telling us how she was going through some difficult times that she has had and how it is hard to forgive herself and things like that. I was able to relate to her quickly because of some challenges I have had recently and tesified to her that life is still hard no matter what but with this Gospel and with Christ's atonement it gives you hope and peace to get through anything. What an amazing feeling that I had during both those times. I can't even describe it. It is a feeling I have never felt before. And how blessed I feel to have felt that.

 

Well I love you all so much. Please travel safe this week and have a great time on the beach. :D

 

Love you,

Kenzie

This is My Work and my Glory

Hello oh dear family of mine.

 

I absalutley loved the pictures and was soooo happy to hear how the baptism went. Once more Amanda I am very proud of you!! Everyone looked great. It is such a comfort to

know how much the Lord is blessing and taking care of everyone while I am away. It makes it easier to be away. But I shall be honest. Last week was a hard one. I didn't notice right away but I was sad and it wasn't until one of my companions pointed out that it may be hard because of everything that has been going on at home. Megan receiving her call and Amanda getting baptized. Don't get me wrong I LOVE hearing about EVERYTHING that everyone is doing. I am better now. I think it lasted like maybe a day. But that is a wonderful lesson I have learned on my missoin. What family really means and as I have met people here and seen where they are from and some of their situations it makes me very proud to be a part of the ol Dolan clan. :D

 

I did ask President Budge if it would be ok to skype/call before mothers day and he said it would be fine, whatever works for the family. So if I understood right Mom, you wanted to call me on the 10th which would be my 11th. So it probably would work best if it was like Christmas again. If I did the morning of my Saturday which would put you in the afternoon of your friday. Does that sound good? Also I wanted to do something a lil different then last time. We can start on skype to say hello but then just do the phone call. That way I can get a chance to talk to everyone one on one. Then when we end get back on skype and make the goodbyes. Is that ok? That way too we don't have to worry about the faultyness of skype. I can't believe that is in 3 weeks almost. I feel like I just talked to you at Christmas. How time flies. I am really looking forward to seeing and talking to everyone. It will be really fun. :D

 

Ok so for this week. Well this was great because we found 6 new investigators. And what is amazing is that they all kind of fell into our lap. One of our new investigators is a former investigator. She dropped us back in February but last week we felt prompted to call her. We did and she was so happy to hear from us. We met with her and talked to her more about the Gospel and what made her first want to meet the missionaries. She said that the sisters she met the first time seemed to be special and very kind and she wanted to learn why. We told her she can be the same. We encouraged her to pray and she did. She is really interested but seems to be hestitant becasue of her husband. She says that he isn't a church person. We really want to meet him and get to know him and find out from him personally what he thinks. So that is our goal the next time we meet her, is to set up an appointment to meet the husband

 

Another is a new Eikaiwa student that came last week and after class he came up to me and asked "why are there so many different christian sects?" Sister Hunsaker and I taught a little bit while there and invited him to church. He told us that he wouldn't be able to go because on the weekends he lives in Kanagawa but he surprised us yesterday by coming and we had a lesson with him after chruch. He has many questions and says he wants to find the right church that fits him. We taught him lesson 1 and focused on Joseph Smith. He really wants to know but we are praying that he doesn't have too many questions that can cloud the answers we give him. We set up another appointment to meet with him and he says he will come to Eikaiwa everyweek when he can. 

Another investigator is from the Adachi area but recently moved here. He came to church on his own yesterday where we first met him. He is very nice and is looking forward to hearing more about the church. He is also very impressed with the ward members who welcomed him warmly yesterday. He too will start coming to Eikaiwa and we plan on teaching him after the english lesson.

 

Another is a referral from Ryu (one of our previous investigators) who is from China. When we met Ryu he was there and we ended up teaching him a lesson. He was very interested and when we asked him if he would be baptized after he knew for himself that these things were true he said of course. We are meeting both with him and with Ryu again this Thursday. I am excited. I love Ryu and her friend is very sweet. I really hope their hearts are softened even more and that they will embrace the gospel.

 

And finally one is a referral from one of the members in the ward. This investiagtor first met the missionaries up in Hokaido and was very impressed with them. He said they seemed different and he was curious about who they were and so wanted to learn more about what they were doing. We met with him on Saturday and gave him a very samll church tour and taught him the restoration a little bit. He really seems interested and wants to learn more. He also wants to go to Eikaiwa which is wonderful. Our class is starting to get big. I think last week we had about 11 people there. It is usually 6 or so. So I am happy to be finding all of these people who have both interest in the church and eikaiwa. The Lord is really pouring out His blessings here.

 

On Friday we had a 3 zone conference and I always love conferences. The chance to get together with the other missionaries and receive some great training. There President Budge also told us about the big changes that will take place this year. He told us of all the sisters that will be coming in and there a LOT!! It is crazy It will be crazy. There are going to be a lot of sisters training after their first transfer. He also told us that how we will be doing transfers will be different. Instead of doing them on Monday we will be doing them on Thursdays and the missionaries who are returning will be returning on Firday mornings instead of Tuesday afternoons. That means I will be leaving on Nov.1 Very close to exactly 18 months. Yippee!! haha The thing that stook out the most from the conference is the trainings. We were trained on how to become better teachers and President Budge said that a happy missionary is a teaching missionary. And it is because they always have that special spirit. You do not know how true that is. I think that is why I love Utusnomiya so much. I have taught so much here it is great. This last week we were so busy with meeting people I became exhausted. Missionaries are the teachers and the MEMBERS are the finders. If things were perfect then a missionary's planner would be filled with appointments with no room to find because the members would be referring their friends. And that is how the Lord would hasten His work even more. So I encourage you to invite friends to hear the gospel and give the missionaries around you the oppurutnity to take part in the teaching spirit. It is one of the best feelings in the world. :D

 

On Saturday it was really fun because we went with our recent convert, Kentaroh and a few other members and played tennis. I am not skilled at it at all but I did slowly improve as we played. Justin, you and I are playing when I get home. We didn't get the chance before I left but I am going to make it happen when I get home It is a very fun sport and a great work out!! I will send some pictures. :D

Working with 2 companions is very fun but of course with it comes some challenges. Especially when you are training someone with another person. SIster Vail and I have got into some little tiffs which left our poor bean in the middle of the tension. The most recent one we had was on Friday and I learned a very good lesson from it. Sister Vail wrote me a note about how we should train better I responded and she wrote again. From that note I chose to become really offended and so had the spirit leave me and caused contention amaong our companionship. I know it is only a short and fast explanatoin of what happend. But I learned a great deal from it and DO NOT want to choose that again. I ignored the promtings of the spirit that was telling me not to choose that path but I ignored it and chose it and it became worse. I love my companions and I feel very blessed to be with them. They are both teaching me so much. They are the best. :D

 

I love you so much and am so proud to be called your daughter, sister and friend.

I hope this week is amazing for you and know you are always in my prayers.

 

Love,

Kenzie

Unshakable Faith

Hey Family,

 

I was glad to hear from you. I am looking forward to next week's e-mail to hear how your baptism went Amanda. It sounds like it will be wonderful!! :D Mom thank you for the video you sent and Jen you have some amazing skills with making videos. That was an amazing video and seemed like a very full house. Very different then the way that I did it. :D Shows Megs and mine personality I think. But it was really fun to see. I took a video of when I first read the e-mail and tried to only make it 30 sec. Long but it was just over but I am sending a memory card home this week so you will all be able to see it. :D That and more videos and pictures.

So onto this week. YESTERDAY WAS AMAZING!! Our investigator Kentaroh got baptized and the service was wonderful. We had it after the second session of conference and the spirit was so strong there. Me and my companions plus one other member sang a song for him (even though my voice is HORRIBLE) and many people were touched. I saw a lot of wet eyes. After he was baptized he bore his testimony and it was the sweetest thing ever. First because he was translating himself for our benefit and 2^nd. In his testimony he told everyone that even though he has an incurable disease that may turn into cancer later in his life he is grateful for it because it led him to search God and led him to that moment baring his testimony and being baptized. His testimony is so strong and and amazing and I feel so very blessed to have met him and to have learned from him. He has become like a brother. Love him! :D

What has also been amazing is that recently the Lord is showing me that I have been working hard and effecting people in many places that I go. I don't think I mentioned this last time but a few weeks ago one of my previous companions called to tell me happy birthday and she told how one of the people we talked to on the street during our time together in shibuya is an investigator (a golden investigator) and has a baptismal date. And then from my time in Oyama one of my old investigators has a date and another wants to become close to God. I hope this does not make me sound prideful because I don't want it to be. I know that any effect I have on people is because of the Spirit and that it is really the Lord but it is so comforting and a tender mercy from the Lord to know that I am doing a good work here. That I am needed and that none of my effort was wasted. Hope that makes sense.

We also met with one of our investigators who is from Arica twice this week. She is very kind and has a lot of faith in Christ and loves her Bible. We watched the Joseph Smith movie with her because we knew she was confused as to why there was a Restoration and latter day prophets so we felt that if she watched the accounts of the prophets life she would understand more. But after we watched it and asked her what she thought she said that she didn't believe it. She doesn't believe that there is a need for the restoration, a prophet or temples. It has come to the point that she only wants to share scriptures with us (almost Bible bash) so we have decided that it would be best to drop her. From the last time we met with her I came to understand what it meant to feel godly sorrow for those who do not accept the message. Hearing her say the words "I don't believe it" after seeing all that the saints and the prophet endured was heart breaking. It brought tears to my eyes. It was a hard decison to drop her but it was getting to the point that the spirit wouldn't dwell there anymore and I felt like I was always defending my beliefs instead of merely testifying. She is still very sweet but we need to focus on the people who will hear our glad message and won't fight us. Maybe now is not her time. I hope though that one day she will accept the true Gospel.

I have really come to love my mission in the last few months and finding so much joy. I fall more in love with the people everyday. It will be so hard to leave here. I am pretty sure I will be crying. But I am so grateful for the Lord His tender mercies in sending me to Japan and to Utsunomiya.I LOVE it!!

Great things are in store for you Megs!! :D

Oh and for your information. I will not find out if I will be in the south mission or not till the Saturday before that transfer starts. We find out during the regular transfer call. So I have a while till then. It will be sad to leave everyone I have come to know if I go to the south mission but I will go where the Lord wants me to go and there are always more people to meet. :D

Well I love you all with all my heart and I look forward to the day that we will reunite.

Have a wonderful week and I shall see you next week. :D
Love,

Kenzie

Cherry Blossoms

URUGUAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is so awesome Megs!!! After I read it I knew it would be perfect for you!!!! You are going to do soooooo wonderful and what an experience for you to be going to the MTC in Argentina. We will miss each other exactly 2 months but it will be so fun to serve with you at the same. :D I am so extremely proud of you. You are an amazing woman and you have grown a lot while I have been gone and there are so many people who will be in Uruguay waiting for you. :D My new companion says to make sure that you get on you Visa application ASAP. She new a lot of Sisters in the MTC who were going to Argentina for their missions but they didn't get their Visas in time so they went to Provo and then they actually ended up getting a new mission call. So be sure you get on that quick. You have 5 months. You should have time. :D It will be fun having so many languages spoken in the Dolan household. And you will be able to help me learn Spanish when you get home. That is awesome.

I am hoping since the cat is out of the bag and everyone knows about this I can talk about it. But Amanda I am so proud of you and excited for you. It would be absolutely wonderful if I could be there at your baptism but know that I will be there in spirit and be sure to send me pictures. :D Please and Thank you!!!!

I am so happy to hear how much the Lord is blessing everyone at home. What great comfort it brings me. I teared up today thinking about it I am very very grateful!!

So on to this week. Well as I mentioned last week and earlier in the letter I got a new companion. I am in a 3 man again. And I am training. My new companions name is Sister Hunsaker and she is from California and is 19. She and her group of sisters are the first 19 year olds to arrive in the mission. Sister Hunsaker is AWESOME!! Such a wonderful missionary and so filled with so much mission fire. It has really been inspiring and has helped me to step it up and become a better missionary and in doing so I have found even more joy. It is amazing to become a trainer and to experience things for the first time again as we have introduced her to Japan and mission life. It has also been very humbling to see the things that I have improved on. I guess it took finally becoming a trainer to recognize that I am becoming one of the older missionaries and have been out for awhile so therefore have gained or improved on certain skills. It has made my heart be overwhelmed with gratitude. The Lord really has been with me and even the things I thought I hadn't improved on I have. I love being a trainer. It is really fun. And I will most likely be training for the rest of my mission. Wow! がんばります.

So this last week was pretty fun. Last Thursday was the Cherry Blossom festival and some of our English students took us the famous park here in Utsunomiya where everyone goes to see them and have picnics. It was BEAUTIFUL!! And it made me so happy to have gone there. There was a disappointing part to it though. We tried sharing a message with these ladies and invite them to hear more but they wouldn't have it. They said they believe in themselves not so much in a God and they have more experience then we do. It because we are young that we believe such things. I won't lie that kinda hurt and made me just a lil upset hearing that. But I bore my testimony that no matter how much “experience” I have I will always know that this message is true and that this message is for everyone, young and old. I love these ladies but they do need to become humble. We will still teach them English though. I love them and I am very grateful for them in taking us to the park so I can see Heavenly Father's creations in this part of the world.

So one of our investigators is well on his way to being baptized this Sunday after the General conference sessions. He is amazing and a very prepared person. His name is Kentaroh and he is 26. He first came in contact with the missionaries 8 years ago when he went to Eikaiwa. He only went once but he remembered where the church was. So 4 weeks ago he came and we invited him to church and started teaching lessons and now will be getting baptized this Sunday. He is so full of faith and has such a strong desire to become close to Christ. He told us this last Saturday that last year in October he went to the doctor and was told that he has an incurable disease that may turn into cancer later on his life. Since then he has had questions and has been seeking God. It is truly amazing to be a part of this experience with him. He accepts everything we say with so much faith and is always trying his best to follow the commitments we give him. I love him!! He has truly been prepared by angels. :D

We had a lot of wonderful miracles on Sunday yesterday. We had a less active come to church and it was only his 2^nd time since being baptized last March so we were able to quickly grab him and his wife (who is a member also) and do a lesson. He hasn't been taught the After baptism lessons yet and has yet to receive the priesthood. We really want to help him and his family go to the Temple this year to be sealed. We were able to commit him to another lesson and invited him to the priesthood session this Saturday. I LOVE this family with all of my heart!!! Probably one of my favorites. Their name is Nakayasu and they are wonderful!!! We went with the Mother and 2 children on Friday to a gorgeous park where we rode a 4 person bike and a 2 person bike. My companions were with the kids on the 4 seater and I was with Sister Nakaysu on the 2 seater. It was so much fun!!!!

We also had another investigator come who I haven't seen since my first week in Utusnomiya. Her name is Irene and she is from the Philippines and is a catholic. She really wants to find the right of God and follow Christ with all her heart and she has wonderful faith. She has some concerns about some of the principles of our church such as the Book of Mormon because she believed that it wasn't mentioned in the Bible so why was there need for another. We were able to share with her scriptures from both the bible and the Book of Mormon and I think we were able to answer her concerns about that. She lives super far away so we can't visit her but we have made an appointment to meet her on Skype. The wonderful blessing of having laptops in the apartment. :D We really want to help her so her family too can become an eternal family (her boyfriend is a member).

That is all of the really exciting stuff that happened this week. I love doing this work even when I am exhausted and ache all over. The spirit is all worth it. My love for this people is growing stronger and stronger and I am finding more joy as I lose myself more and more in the work. I know the Savior is in this work and I know He is helping me and guiding me. Oh, in relation to that I almost forgot. I witnessed a wonderful miracle about 2 weeks ago where shows evidence that the Lord really does take care of His missionaries and knows them. 2 weeks ago we were coming home for the train station and we decided to take a different way than usual. As we were riding by and I looked and behold what did my eyes behold? None other than MY bike!!! The one that was stolen a month ago or so. It was just sitting there on the street and wasn't locked up or anything. I couldn't believe it!! So now I have my bike back. Isn't that awesome. It is a little banged up and I am taking it in on Wednesday to get it fixed up but what a wonderful miracle. The Lord knows me and that I am in this part of His vineyard. :D I have no more words to describe my love and my gratitude for him!! :D

I love you all with all my heart and I am so proud to be apart of this family!!!

Have a wonderful week and I shall chat with you all next time.

Love,

Kenzie

Happy Easter!!

HAPPY EASTER!!!!

I am glad that you all had a great Easter and it sounded like the Elders had a good time with you all. I know that I like meal appointments. They are always fun. And I am sure it was fun being with the Dolan clan. :D The weather in the pictures looked great! It was actually very very cold here yesterday. Felt like we went back to January. But today it is a bit warmer. So yay for that. I had a great Birthday this last week. Felt very loved. Sister Vail decorated my desk with cute hearts that said some cute things about me and she made me pancakes for breakfast. They were really good. It was kinda sad because we had two appointments cancel on us because they got sick so we weren't able to do a lesson with them. We were able to meet one of them for about 5 min and she gave me a birthday present with some donuts. Very cute. One of our other investigators, Kentaro, on Wednesday night at Eikaiwa he gave me a present and he remembered that I absolutely love pineapple so he gave me everything pineapple. Real pineapple, canned pineapple, pineapple drinks, pineapple drinks. Sooo sweet. We then went to a members house that night for a dinner appointment and she made me a cake and everyone sang happy birthday. A lot of the other missionaries in the mission also either called or e-mailed me wishing me a happy birthday. So it was a great day. :D I feel so grateful that I was able to spend it here in Japan. We saw some really pretty Cherry blossoms that day as well and it was the warmest day thus far. Wonderful day!! :D

So this last week we were really busy and had some great success. For two of our friends, Ryu (from China) and Kentaroh we met and taught them and set a baptismal date with the both of them. They are so humble and so accepting of everything we teach them. Especially Kentaro. We taught him about Joseph Smith and his experience and we asked what he thought and if he believed it and he said that he believed that Joseph smith is very loved by God and because of him we were there having the lesson and that he believes it. We asked how he knew and he said that when he was listening he just felt that it was true. He has so much faith and is so humble. We taught him yesterday as well about the Plan of Salvation and about the Word of Wisdom and when we taught him about the word of wisdom we read from D&C together and he paused and just read the scripture over and over again. We asked what he thought and he said that he never thought about this concept before. He doesn't have any problems besides coffee. He seems to really like it but when we asked him to start following the word of wisdom he raised his right arm and said, “I swear!” He is amazing and I am so excited for him!!

This week we also started meeting with our less active who is from Russia, Yana, her husband and teaching him English. The English lesson went really well and we invited them to church and he seemed ok with the idea even though he says that he doesn't believe in God. Yana seems hesitant to go because she doesn't feel like she is worthy I think. I am hoping that we can help her see that Heavenly Father wants her to come back. She says that she can't make promises to become active right now and we think it is because she is thinking of her past. We want her to help see that was her past but she still has her future and because of the atonement she can do it. It is amazing to see though seeing the transition from the first time I met her to now. She has been changing and I want to help her see that. This family is so cute and I love them!!

On Friday we went with a member to Nasu, whish is about 2 hours away by car, to try and visit some less active members who live there. While we were up that way she took us to the border of our mission. So we could look over into the Sendai mission. That is what the pic of me with my arms raised is. :D that was fun.

Ok now on to the transfer news. We got the call on Saturday that Sister Vail and I are staying companions and are staying in Utsunomiya. YAY!!! That made me so happy. This will be my longest area so far. That makes me happy. But we did get a surprise phone call this morning from President Budge. There is an additional sister missionary coming to the mission that they were not expecting so Sister Vail and I are training together. We go to the honbu on Wednesday for training and to meet the sister who is will be with us. We are both excited and today my mind has been caught up in the time when I first came to Japan. That seems so long ago but at the same time just yesterday. Crazy how time is.

Well that is it for this week. Everyday I learn something new about myself and my testimony is strengthend. The Lord and Savior lives and He is in this work. I walk beside Him everyday and He gives me strength and encouragement to get up everyday and go out and find these special people. I feel honored that I am here and I am grateful for this opportunity!

I am looking forward to next weeks e-mail to find out where you are going Megs! I am glad to know that it is on schedule and that you will be able to open it this week. I am excited. Be sure to take a VIDEO!!!!.

I love you all so much and my love for you grows stronger and stronger each day that I am away from you. You are the BEST this world has. :D

Love you,

Kenzie

85% Misery 15% Joy

Hi Family,

Thank you for all of the Birthday wishes and for the amazing birthday/Easter package last week. I loved it!! My conviction that I have the number one best family grows stronger each and every day. :D

Megs that is very exciting that your papers are turned in. I can't believe it is that time all ready. I\ feel like you just told me about the decision to go on a mission. How quickly time passes by. I hope it will come next week but since mom feels like it will I will trust her instincts. She was right about mine after all. I request that someone takes a video and send the whole thing to me on a memory card or something so that I may see it. I am excited to learn where you will be going. I am pulling for Japan of course. ;D

And to answer your question Mom, no I don't know when we will know who will go to the south mission and who will stay. My guess is that we will find out sometime in June. And for the missionaries in the MTC I am guessing once again that they may receive another call saying that it has been changed. I have heard of that happening to missionaries in the MTC, their missions changing. So some may know already where they will go. For actual facts I really don't know.

Thanks for the videos and pictures. It blows my mind how big the boys are. It is crazy. I can't get over it. I love them and miss them so much!! Makes me excited to see who they will be when I get home.

So this last week has been pretty amazing seeing many wonderful miracles and meeting many wonderful people.

On Thursday we had an english/book of Mormon lesson with one investigator at a donut shop but she never ended up going. So Sister Vail and I decided just to buy and eat a donut quickly and then go out streeting but while we were in line we started talking to this girl and she remembered seeing us the last time we were there and remembered seeing our name tags. She said that she too was Christian and she is studying English right now. We asked her if we could help her at all with English and she said yes and immediately came over to sit down next to us. Her name is Ryu and she is from China and has been in Japan for 8 months. We had a great visit with her and in the end she actually asked us for our phone number and invited us to Nikko with her on Saturday. So on Saturday we went to Nikko with her and her friend, Takami. Takami is amazing. He is funny and so nice. He drove us to Nikki and payed for everything. He wouldn't let us pay. He even got an English book tour guide recording for Sister Vail and I so we could learn more about the shrines. He was so nice. And we had so much fun with the both of them. While we were there we asked Ryu if we could teach her more about Christ and this gospel and she said yes. She even came to church yesterday and we taught about the Restoration. She is so awesome. I feel like I have known her longer than just 4 days. I love her so much and I am so excited to teach her more!!!

We also taught Brother Yamazaki again yesterday and he has grown so much. So last Sunday we gave him the challenge of praying to know whether or not God is there. I taught him how it doesn't have to be a super long prayer. It can be a simple phrase, 'Father are you there?' I told him how you, Dad, wrote that to me in my letter and how I always say that. Anyway he said during this week while he was riding his bike he remembered what I said and asked that. He got an answer that yes God is there. What wonderful progress. We then started talking to him about baptism. He said he wants to be sure to be following all of the commandments and that Baptism is a big commitment. Right now the word of wisdom is hard for him. And he told us that honestly that he has never really thought about himself getting baptized. After discussing about baptism we asked him to think about baptism for this week and he said that he would. He has never agreed to do that before. It was amazing. He is changing so much recently. I love it. I love this family with all of my heart and I am praying that I can stay in Utsunomiya to continue teaching him and the others we have found.

The Lord has been pouring out his blessings so much recently. We have found some amazing people to teach and they are progressing really well. I love Utsunomiya with everything that I have. This is the last week of the transfer. This Saturday is transfer calls and there are 12 sisters coming in next week which means only 6 senior missionaries WON”T be training this transfer. I am nervous that I will be transferred to another area because so far that has been the status quote. After every 2 transfers I have been transferred. I will go and do what the Lord wants me to do but I desperately want to stay here. I would stay here for the rest of my mission if I could. Our investigators and the ward members have become my family. I love them so much. I guess we will see what the Lord has in store for me this weekend. But I am going to be enjoying this last week of mine with all that I have.

Lately I have found a lot more joy in the mission and I think it is because of the lessons I have been learning during this transfer. And I have learned a LOT!! I can't even put into words some of the things that I have learned. But they are lessons that I do need to learn. Lessons I know for a fact will help me for the rest of my life. It is amazing the changes I am going through. Sometimes I get the same lesson to learn and other times they are new but each time a new challenge a new lesson comes I am grateful for the lesson. It is a stronger testimony to me that the Lord loves me. And it has been a true blessing this last week to see His hand in this work. Meeting the people that we have been meeting, teaching the gospel. And each time my love has been growing stronger and stronger. This last weekend is the kind of weekend that makes all of the challenges worth it. A Sister missionary's brother told her that 85% of the mission is hard. He said you will be miserable and tired. But the other 15% makes up for it. Because in that 15% you see true miracle happen in people's lives. This statement is very true. My mission has been hard, there have been many many days of tears and doubts and fears. But the miracles that I have seen, with others and also within myself, makes me so grateful for the mission. Makes me so grateful for those hard times. They have made me enjoy the 15% even more and come closer to the Savior. What a wonderful blessing. You have a great experience to look forward to Megs. And I am excited to see where you go off to.

I love you everyone and I am loving you and appreciating you more day by day.

Until next week,

Kenzie

Teaching By the Spirit

Hey Family,

I can't believe how fast that week went by. I feel like I just e-mailed you. Crazy how fast the time is flying by. I am glad that everyone had a good week and thank you mom for e-mailing some of the blog. Ashtyn is so strong and such an wonderful example to me. Reading that e-mail before personal study really helped me and I made some new goals. Tell her thank you for me for her wonderful example. Her and Suzanne. Their faith and courage is truly inspiring and is helping me. :D Also thank you for my package. I got it this morning just as we started companionship study. I had the goofiest grin on my face when I saw eeor and I held him all through out companionship study. Sister Vail thought it was funny. I will send a picture with me holding it. It was wonderful!

This week was a fun week but I don't have time to talk about everything. I don't even really know where to start. Maybe I will just talk about yesterday because it was a good day.

So first, we taught a lesson to Brother Yamazaki and it was a really good lesson and really fun. We realized that we needed to make it more entertaining for him and more understandable and that is what we did. We taught about the blessings of the gospel and he seemed to understand more. The spirit was strong.

Second, Brother Usa was confirmed today a member and what made the experience even sweeter was that after sacrament when we were talking to him he asked us when he could go to the Temple. That is the best thing a missionary could here. Hearing the person wanting to take the next step which is really what baptism leads to.

Third,

Last week we had a new student come to Eikawa. He went 8 years ago and when he showed up he was surprised to see sisters. Anyway, we invited him to church and he came!!!! And he stayed for the whole 3 hours and a few after. And we were able to teach him short lesson. We wants to learn more about the atonement and said that he will do his best in learning about Christ's path (faith, repentace, baptism, gift of the holy ghost, and endure to the end). He is such a prepared person and I am so excited to teach him more. We have another appointment with him this week before eikaiwa starts. Yay!!!

I love working in Utsunomiya. I have really learned how to teach by the spirit and to trust it. And I feel like I am becoming a really good teacher. One who can understand people and make it easier for them to understand. It is amazing. I love being a partner with the spirit!!! :D

I love you all!!! So much!!!!!

Kenzie

+