November
10, 2014
Family!
This past week is all a blur to me now. It started of my last transfer and we definitely have seen some great miracles :)
On Monday we went over to teach a returning member and he was
standing outside his house waiting for us. He immediately said that he had some one that he wanted us to meet so we went across the street
to his neighbor’s house. He started off with knocking on the door and
saying, "Gigi, (the neighbor,) these are the sister missionaries that I
want you to meet. They have helped me so
much and I know they will help you. " WOW! We were able to talk to her a
little about the Book of Mormon and set up a return appointment. She has
started reading it! Pretty exciting :) It was really cool to see how much this returning
member has grown since we first started working with him and here he is --
going out doing missionary work!! Whoot! Whoot!
We had some great lessons with the Jean family. They are so cute. I just love them. They really are just such good kids. We
went by earlier this week and their house was practically pitch black because their power got shut off. They couldn't afford to pay
their bill :( in all of their prayers they were all praying for help
for their parents and that they would be able to make it through
this hard time.) It was so heartbreaking but at the same time, it was just
a beautiful moment to see a family coming together in hope and faith in prayer
supplicating God to help them. They are so great! The only time we can get all
the kids together is at night and so the kids set up candles for us to give our
lesson. It's actually been kind of fun teaching lessons in the candle light :)
We taught them the plan of salvation and it was a great lesson. The kids really
understood it and had such great questions. We asked them if they had been
praying about getting baptized and they all said that they had and wanted to
get baptized soon :) we have set dates with all of them for December 6th!! I
sure hope that we can help them get there. They want it and they need it so
badly. I just know that if we are able to get the ward to wrap their arms
around them that they will be just fine :) We took one of the young men over
with us and he was so awesome. He was able to connect with a lot of their
friends from school and made a huge difference. We are excited to continue
teaching them :) they always ask earnest questions. Jeffery, one of the twins,
asked, "do we wear clothes when we are baptized?" Hahahahaha! We all
laughed and helped explain more about how it goes.
We also taught lessons with Marvin this week. He is awesome and
I just love him. He is actually here at the stake center this morning
with a couple of his fellowships doing family history :) It just so
happens that both of his fellowships are family history consultants and he is loving it! We came by this morning to see him and he was so
excited to show us pictures, names of his family, and those that he has
been finding :) Please continue praying for him :)
When we went over to see Michelle this past week her 18 year old
son came in and join us. He had so many questions!! We had tried
teaching him once before but it just hadn't been working out to stay in touch
with him... But we had a super lesson with him and are hoping to see him again this next week :D
The biggest thing that happened this weekend was the Orlando and Orlando South stakes were divided. A third stake was created called the Lake Mary stake!! :) It was super cool to witness
such a historical event of "hastening of the work of salvation,"
and the rapid growth in the Lord’s vineyard here in Florida. Saturday morning,
Sister Gonzalez and I got a call from President Berry asking us if we would be
a part of a panel at the meeting..Ah! Hahaha! That evening Sister Gonzalez and
I, along with the zone leaders in the Orlando stake, sat on the stage and were
asked questions about
the hastening of the work by two members of the seventy: Elder
Munz and Elder Clark...It was just a LITTLE intimidating! I mean, we were only being broadcasted to all the church buildings of 3
stakes (half of the LDS members of the Florida Orlando mission), 3
stake presidents, temple president, mission presidency, 2 stake
patriarchs,
and who knows who else!!!! It was crazy. They were asking us
random questions that we had to answer on the spot. We had no
preparation nor nothing given to us on what to say. It's times like these where
you really have to rely on the scripture, D&C 100:
5-6,"Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people; speak the
thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be
confounded before men; For it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in
the very moment, what ye shall say." I was praying that it,
"shall be given [me] in the very SECOND..." Of what to say. Hahaha! I
feel like I did ok though. :) Elder Clark is powerful and he really invited
the
spirit into the conference to help each one of us see the
importance of missionary work. It was very, very neat. He was very bold
with me though for some reason. He commented on my smile and thought I
could take more I guess... Ah! Hahaha! President and Sister Berry came
up to me after the meeting and Sister Berry said, "He wasn't
giving you the easiest time Sister Kirkham! I just kept thinking to myself,
'I've
got her back, I've got her back.” Hahaha! It wasn't that
bad, but he was a stinker! It was fun to see so many people that I have
served with in both the Orlando and Orlando south stakes :) the next
Sunday we went to the other session of stake conference and so many
people were, (and still are!) coming up to Sister Gonzalez and I and
saying, "Hey, I recognize you...You were the sisters on the
panel!!!!" ... Yep, that was us. Hahahahaha! Guess we are movie stars to the
Mormons of Florida now ;) One thing that was super powerful at the
meeting was when Elder Clark asked everyone in the audience to stand if they
had a less active or nonmember in their family. I kid you not, almost every
single person was standing out of the thousand people that were just sitting in
the live session of the conference. It was so crazy. He went around asking
people who it was and what they were willing to do to help get them back to
Christ. Each one of them said "Anything". It was a powerful moment to
ponder on what I am willing to do to help those I love come to Christ. So, I
just want to reiterate Elder Clark’s question to you: “What are you willing to
do?”
We also had a great MLC meeting this past week. There is always
so much to get out of it. The thing that hit me hardest was when one
of the AP's, Elder Flood gave a short training on our "exciting" purpose
as missionaries. He goes home with me this transfer so it hit home a lot harder
to hear his testimony on just how amazing this time of our lives is. There
truly is NOTHING more sacred, more exciting, more humbling and more glorious
than the calling of bringing others unto Christ. It definitely made me cry out
with so much gratitude for this time that I have had to serve and grow as a
daughter of God through the Lord’s refining. I will never forget this time of
my life. I am soooo excited to continue working hard and diligently these last
several weeks for Him. I cannot let any precious moment at this time of my life
go to waste.
I love you guys so much!!
Love,
Sister Kirkham
P.s. Thanks for the Liahona.... I guess I better stay on the “straight
and narrow path” so that it guides me back home... In 5 WEEKS.
;)
Hahaha! I love you!
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