7 Investigators Came to Church! Christmas Lights on Palm Trees at the Orlando Temple, and More...

Family!                                                     November 17, 2014

This week just flew by and it was so busy!!!  We have seen some huge miracles. The biggest miracle of them all was Sunday..... we had a total of SEVEN investigators come to church. What!?! I was soooo ecstatic!!!!!!!! I feel like I've been saying this every week but I kid you not when God promises you something, He means it. I know that as I've sacrificed all and done all that I could to follow God's will that He would help the work in Olympia flourish... and as I've been looking back over the history of this area... I really don't think that this area has had so many progressing investigators. I just can't say it enough. I can't wrap my mind around how truly blessed we have been here. Ah! It really is so humbling to know that this work CANNOT move forward without God's hand being involved. He is closely looking over the area and these people. I can feel so much of the deep love that He has for them. It's so amazing.

On a lighter note :) This past week we planted Christmas flowers around the temple grounds!!! So cute! I've come to love Christmas lights on palm trees. Nothing compares to a white Christmas with pine trees but the palms trees are pretty cute ;) haha

We had a Zone Training Meeting. Sister Gonzalez and I gave training on iPads and rules for Internet proselyting. Seems boring but it was needed and I think it's going to help all of us be more effective and more proficient with the tools that we have. Sister Gonzalez and I have also been…well, going a little nuts... trying to juggle the needs in our area, exchanges with sisters and then a new responsibility from President for meeting with each of the sisters at least once a transfer to help them be more effective in planning and using their iPads. It's been a little crazy trying to fit it all in but hopefully we can get it down! It's been great to meet with other sisters in the zone and see what great ideas that they have for planning and organizing how they run their area. When you are an Sister Training Leader, you really do learn so much from other sisters! It's a huge blessing. We have some great sisters in the Orlando South zone right now :)

On Saturday, we went over to Anne's home for a lesson. Her daughter was visiting and she was sorely grieving over the loss of her husband this past year. We were already planning on teaching the Plan of Salvation. Teaching this subject was so inspired because she immediately perked up and wanted to hear more as we taught it :) The spirit was super strong and she said that she has been searching EVERYWHERE this past year to gain some kind of peace and to know where her husband is. You could tell that she was really feeling the spirit as we all bore witness of the Plan. She was kind of reserved and unsure when she first started talking to us but by the end she had softened up a lot and said that she wanted to meet with us again!! She doesn't live close by and she wants to meet with us and  Anne, her mom, so we are hoping to get together with her when she comes in town again in a couple weeks. It was a huge miracle! It was also so powerful to have Anne there and bare her testimony of how the Plan of Salvation has been able to answer SO many questions and give her peace. Anne also lost her husband almost a year from now so she relates really well to her daughter's struggles. The Plan of Salvation is so amazing and SO perfect!!! It really is the only explanation of "why we are here and where we are going"... and it brings HOPE, PEACE and you can see the love of God throughout the entire thing. He is always with us.. and He always will be there to love us no matter how we use our agency.

Saturday was just a super happy day. It was just one of those days where you feel so light and happy on your feet. Haha! Everyday is so happy but it was overall just a great day. We were able to talk to several new people that were super cool and had a great lesson with the Jean family again that night. Their power is still out... :(  We had Brother and Sister Aloisio come to a lesson and they were very moved by their humble living.... and they went and got a huge flashlight for the family to use while they don't have light. The kids were all nervous to go to church at first because they don't have any running water for showering and such..... :( but they came anyway!! It was so amazing to see them there at church. They are the cutest family and they are just down right good kids. We had a powerful lesson Saturday night on the sacrament and Sabbath Day. I have really come to love the sacrament. It really should be the most sacred time of the week to ponder on Jesus Christ. I really am so overcome by everything that He did for us... and that He continually does for us. :) I love Him so much. It's such a good/frustrating/wonderful feeling to have when someone has done something so kind for you and you just want to do everything that you can to repay them but it never seems like enough. I am grateful and hope that I can continue to try and repay through a broken heart, contrite spirit and giving my life to His will and His way.

I really can't believe that today marks one more month of serving the Lord here in Florida. It's scary, rejuvenating, sad, and exciting all at the same time. Haha! I'm SO grateful for this time that I have had to serve!!!!!! I know that I will remember these last few weeks the most ... and I'm going to continue to create great memories full of serving the Lord with all my might, mind and strength.

I love you so much! Talk to you again soon :)

Love,

Sister Kirkham