March 24 - One Year Down....

Hola Familia!!

Don't tell me that my dog is about to turn 10!  She is still my little girl, haha. That is so exciting about Jaymie's mission call.  She's going to LOVE Dallas, Texas!!  I can't wait to go back there and see all my friends in Texas. I bet things sure have changed. 

As Missionaries, we are always looking forward to the Broadcast and General Conference. Speaking of General Conference, Russel M. Nelson is coming to our mission on April 19th. It will be so exciting to get to see a member of the twelve apostles in person. 

Be sure and take some pictures of everyone for me when you have this girls trip this week in Salt Lake, City!!

We are trying to lighten the ward list. We truely have and experienced alot of miracles for it. This has been a great week!! We have experienced so many miracles this week, its crazy. (Wait, I think I just said that!!)  We are trying to find a lot of less actives and we have experienced miracles from this. One of the miracles that we experienced yesterday was we went to a neighborhood to find a less active member and we knocked on the door. A woman answered the door and we asked if Gilbert was home.  She said "wait a minute".  She went to go get Gilbert and he came and asked how we were doing. While we were waiting, his sister came and told us that he was having a hard time and that if we could do anything to help him. As we were talking, he really didn't know why he hasn't come to church but we asked him if he has been praying and he said he was just asking God to send him a sign of what he should do in his situation, and then we knocked on his door!! He was thinking about coming to church, too.  He just couldn't find anything that listed the time that church starts.  He said he will come to church next Sunday. He hasn't had missionaries visit his home for 3 years. Miracle.

We also were calling numbers to see which ones are working and which ones aren't . This lady called us and said she has been going through some things but she wants us to come by and help. We taught a new investigator named Ivan who is really interested in our message and has a lot of great questions. He wants to learn and grow.  But come to find out it was a wrong address but we just felt good that we could help her through one simple phone call. 

The other miracles that we have are we have alot of member referrals coming in because of our activity. The members are really excited and wanting to help us. Our activity, which is on April 12 at 5:30, is a church tour with every organization (YW, YM, RS,and Primary and Priesthood) talking about what happens in these organizations.  We will have some light refreshments after. It will be so great!

This week i have been studying in Jesus The Christ and the scriptures escpecially the Book of Mormon. I am really trying to understand the Isaiah chapters in the Book of Mormon, but it is a little deep. I loved Zone Conference and have been studying my notes and have really tried to understand the Atonement more. I love learning new things especially about the Atonement in the book, Jesus the Christ.

Hermana Hernandez and I are so good!!  We love experiencing and trying new things. We have alot of fun but we even experience joy more!!  I love her so much and have grown so much from her example. She is a great missionary and she loves to learn and grow. I love that way she helps me, and helps us find the needs of our investigators. I'm so excited about Elder Nelson coming to the mission!!

Some of the special requests... We would like anything!!  Hermana Hernandez is craving some Cheez-Its. Just some sweet and healthy things as well. Gift card are always useful. Oreo's would be great. Goldfish, any type. Just something to snack on. I like nuts.  Mostly I like peanuts or pistachios and anything else you want to put in. I do need to some more contacts. I think i only need 2 boxes of contacts, then I should  have enough for the rest of the mission. I forgot that I could clean my contacts, and because I cried, some of them got ruined. That is the only other need i really have.

I'll write some more in my letter home.

Love,

Hermana Fitzpatrick/kenzer lou

March 17 - Where Has All The Time Gone??

This year has seem like it has gone so fast!!  I know that the next six months are going to go even faster. I'm totally on the downhill of the mission now. Aww, poor Littles!I   I'm sure she had a great birthday.  Take pictures of the sunken ship and the sea turtles when everyone goes scuba divine in Maui for spring break.  

Everything in our ward is good. We are going to start rebuilding everyone's spirituality in the ward by having Family Home Evening with less actives and actives in our area. Our Ward Mission Leader is ok.  He is just stressed and things. But he really helps us out when we need it.  I do get letters from Hermana Rubow weekly. We are like missionary pen pals. 

In our quest to finding less actives, we are going to visit a lot this week and set up appointments and see if they even still live at their last address. A lot of the names on the list don't have a phone number or address so they just need to be sent back to SLC. 

The most spiritual thing that happened this week was probably reading my scriptures, and finding out that if we don't do service and help the poor and we pray for them then our prayers are in vain and we will be damned basically. 

Not a day goes by that Hermana Hernandez and I don't laugh!!  She is pretty funny and so am I. This week has been pretty good. We have experienced a lot of miracles. We got a couple referrals this week but they didn't really work out but we are never discouraged and we are always trying to find new ways of finding new investigators. 

On Tuesday, we went to see a couple less actives. We had a lesson with Claudia. We taught obedience and prayer. The only reason she doesn't come to church is because Sunday is the only day her husband has off. We have even asked her to only come to sacrament meeting.  We asked her to talk to her husband about it. But in this lesson we were very bold but loving. We read a couple of scriptures about obedience and we finished with John 14: 15, "If you love me, keep my commandments."  So we asked her if she loved God.  We explained the only way that you truly show you love God is by keeping all of his commandments. We can't just pick and chose which ones we keep and which ones we don't. 

We then went to see a recent covert named Hector who is about to turn 18. He really wants to go on a mission but since we have been in this area. He still has yet to show up to church so this week we are going to be very bold but loving again. We read the scriptures with him and his mom who is coming back into re-activity. We then visited a less active coming back into re-activity. His name is Reuben. We taught him about being prepared to enter the temple. He really wants to go to the temple.  The only thing is that he doesn't work, his wife does, and she doesn't pay tithing. That is the only thing holding him back from the priesthood and the temple.  We found a less active this week who hasn't been visited for awhile. We set up a return appointment but he wasn't there but his wife was.  We talked with her about the church and she has a little bit of a desire we just need to spark it. We then stopped by another less-active's house because she needed a blessing of health and so we called of few of the high priests to come and give her a blessing. It was so cool. Then on Wednesday-Saturday, Hermana Hernanadez didn't feel well. So we rested and studied. We found a lot of less actives this week and we have about 70 in our area alone.  Hermana Hernandez and I said that we are going to go visit the active and less-active members and have family home evenings with them because that is the thing that is lacking in almost all of the members homes.

Some miracles that we experienced this week are getting another member referral; making a lady's day by letting her go first when we were backing up the car and just gaining a lot of the member's trust.

This week I studied a lot. I studied in Jesus the Christ and why he was the only one that could perform the Atonement. I studied a lot in the standard works because I am marking my scriptures for the scriptures that we use in our lessons from PMG. I have been studying a lot and preparing for General Conference and learning more about obedience. I also have been studying a lot from my patriarchal blessing and the things that is says.

Hermana Hernandez and I are awesome. We love each other a lot and there is not a day that goes by that we do not laugh. We have become great companions but even greater friends. We love each other and will do anything for each other. I now understand a little bit how Heavenly Father felt when he had to leave Christ to suffer the Atonement. I bet he wanted to take it away. Just like I told Hermana Hernandez that I would do anything to take her sickness away, but I couldn't.  Only she could suffer through her sickness and the pains and suffering. There were at some time points where I had to leave her to go clean the apartment. But it was so interesting to experience a little bit of what Heavenly Father experienced. I really just helped Hermana Hernandez when she needed medicine and help her make desciones. Zone conference this week!  It's going to be great!

Write you a snail mail this week.

Hermana Fitzpatrick/ kenzer lou

March 10 - Same Time Zone!!

Hola Familia,

 

I love feeling the cool, ocean breeze again and being down here.  I'm not as sick as I was up in the North country. Our ward is awesome!   Our dinner calendar is practically full this month and it is great to get to know the members as well and have Mexican food again.

We can find our way around alot better now that we did in our first week. We have been using the GPS and Tiwi has only talked to me once or twice now. I don't need anything right now.  If I think of anything I' ll tell you in my snail mail. The clothes and the shoes fit perfect. Thank you for everything!  I absoluetly love the Mikarose stuff, so darn cute! 

Wow, I can't believe everything that is happening.   It's weird, how you think that people you know will be the same people when you get home.  I guess that is what happens to me as well. Change is good.  Tell Dad, "Thanks" too.  He is awesome.!! It feels a little bit surreal that my mission is winding down. I am where Hermana Walker and Hermana Palafox were when I came in. Crazy!!  But I am so grateful that I have Hermana Hernanadez to share our one-year mission anniversary with and to have a last whoo-rah before I just blink and it will be my last stransfer meeting and I am giving my final testimony. But it's all good! 

How are you? I hope that all is well with you and the family. My, this transfer is flying by!!  On Monday, we had a dinner with one of our less actives and he shared the most spiritual experience that I have ever felt in my life. We talked about the Atonement and how there are people waiting for their temple work on the other side. His young daughter was acting very active which isn't normal, so he held her and he started praying. As he prayed and we listened, he became a different person. It was like the Spirit or God was talking through him. He thanked us for the job that we are doing and how we are trying to help people come unto him. It was really touching.

On Tuesday, we went to go see a investigator who has been picked up by the elders before us. We are trying to teach her and she really hasn't responded. So, we are going to try one last time to see if she wants to learn more or not but we are not giving up hope. We saw another less active named C.and we taught her about the restoration of the gospel. She says she has a testimony and faith but she just doesn't come to church because it is the only day that her husband has off and he's not a member.  We are trying really hard to help her see the importance that attending church will be for her and her family. We found a new investigator named R. He is really interested in our message as well as is his son because they have some family that is Mormon, but they have never really shared deeply what we believe so we are going to teach them.  The only problem is that they are here sometimes and in Mexico the other times. We are just going to hope and have faith that they stay here for a little while. 

On Wednesday, we went to another less active house who needed service.  We taught a short lesson about Enduring to the End and having faith. As we were talking, she opened up to us and said "Sisters, I am a returned missionary and I'm not married and not living the law of chastity."  But she did tell us that her goal is to go to the temple and get married. So we are going to start working with her and helping her boyfriend have the desire to learn more about the Church. 

We taught a man named J. with two of our ward missionaries and it went great. We then taught a Preach My Gospel class in our ward on the Plan of Salvation.  Although it only had 4 people attend, we know that we helped those 4 people want to share this lesson with their friends, neighbors, and family who aren't members. 

We did service for another less active member this week who has arthritis. We helped her wash her dog. We then went to see a recent convert who helped us get to know the area a bit more and gave us a couple of referrals. The only problem that we noticed, is that she isn't reading the Book of Mormon because it says "It came to pass" too many times and it drives her nuts. So we are going to help her start slow in reading. She says she has a testimony of it even if she hasn't read it.

We had dinner with a part member family who is one of our investigators. We shared a short message.  It is so cool how the Spirit works with Hermana Hernandez, me, and the member to figure out or to help each other interpret the scripture to understand it's meaning. 

On Friday, we went and taught a recent convert who is preparing to go on a mission. He said the only help he really needs is to read the Book of Mormon every day. We are starting to read the missionary chapters with him and he loves it!!  We have noticed that he hasn't come to church that often so we are going to ask him what's up. 

We had a lesson with J. He and his wife are going to Mexico for three weeks but they will call us when they get back. 

On Sunday, we were in meetings all day. We are having meetings with the ward and other things for activities to help the members. All in all, it was a great week!

This week I have studied a lot of things but mostly the things that I have been studying is Chapter 3 in Preach My Gospel.  I am highlighting the scriptures that I can share when we teach these lessons. It is really cool how I learn new things when I read in a different language. I understand the lessons better in Spanish than reading it in English. I am also reading the Book of Mormon in 2 Nephi chapter 2.  There are really some amazing things that happen in that chapter. I am also trying to prepare very well in advance for this upcoming General Conference that we will be having this transfer. I love studying the scriptures and all that I understand when I really feast upon the words of Christ.

Hermana Hernandez and I had a little bit of a rough time this past week. We talked it out and came together to try and comprise with one another and we have. Now we really know our purpose in helping the ward. It is to help the members become motivated to help us share the gospel with others.  Feeding us is great, but that is not the reason we are here. We are also here, I think, to help the less actives because none of the missionaries know who they are. Our Ward Mission Leader told us we that we have 300 less actives in this ward.  We are going to start helping them and finding people who are in our path throughout the day to teach and bring them closer to Christ, fulfilling our purpose.

 

Love y'all

Te quiero

 

Hna. Fitzpatrick. Kenzer Lou

March 3 - The Funnest Week of My Mission!

Hola Famila,

 

I'm in OXNARD!!! YAY!!! If you really want to know what it is like. Picture Mexico. I feel like the only white chick around town because there are Mexicans everywhere! haha! This is a whole new area.   The closest I have been to Oxnard is Ventura. Oxnard, as everyone calls it in the mission, if you are Spanish speaking, is the Holy Land because you can just walk on the street and talk to people who speak Spanish. 

It feels so good to be near the ocean again. I'm going say being up north was rough, in Paso.   I just felt sick all the time but I am definately getting better since being down here. 

We haven't seen alot of farms and fields yet,  maybe becuase they aren't in our area, but we know that they are definately here. 

The rain was good but kinda scary to drive in because it floods a lot.  I forgot to wear my boots for one day so my shoes were soaking wet.  I finally traded those shoes for my boots.  Wow, I can't believe that there are over 100 weddings scheduled for the Gilbert temple in March!  That is a miracle and truly a blessing. I know that when I get back I'm going to take Littles (Kellie) to the temple. 

Yay, I'm so glad that y'all are starting the backyard it will turn out great!  

Hermana Hernandez and I are celebrating our year mark this month together so cool. She goes home with us which is truly a blessing.

I'm so glad that Sydnie got into BYU-I!  She will love it! It is one place that you make friends for life. That's rough with the things that Sydnie is going through just tell her that she has someone for her when I get home. I'm so glad that she has Jaymie to help her and be her friend.

Here's news from the mish:  I am thankful for this wonderful opportunity that we have to work here in Oxnard. It truly is a blessing. When we arrived in this area, I am sorry to say that the area book and the apartment were in poor condition. We have people in our area book who were listed as less active but they are active now.  This area has a focus on 15 that we don't know about and other such minor things that make a big difference. We also needed to get numbers to the zone leaders for their stake report and we couldn't do it because there were no numbers left on the progress records. But we are slowly but surely getting organized and taking care of.

This week we taught a lot of less actives and are trying to get to know the members and the investigators that we have.  We met with one of our investigtors named Jose who really wants to learn more before he commits to a date. He is awesome, he can't read because he has no education so his wife reads to him. We are going to try and get some of LDM cd's for him to listen to. We are trying really hard and growing to love this area especially this ward is awesome. It is truly a blessing to work with some of God's children. We of course got confused at the beginning and we went to the wrong ward Mission Leader's house and things but in the end we figured out where we are supposed to be. So funny!!

This week in my studies, I have studied more about Lehi's family and how long they spent in the wilderness.  A whole 8 years. What a long time. I also love when we read about Nephi breaking his bow it is because he used it so much. This is compared to how we need to use our sickle a lot.  His brother's bow's strings broke because they were to lazy to unhook them.  

I have been studying in the white handbook, too, about everything that companions do for eachother and how through the thick and thin, we are still here for each other. It is always great to know that we have someone supporting and helping us along our mission journey. I love the part in Preach My Gospel,  how it talks about what we need to do to exemplify our power and authority in our calling. There is one little paragraph that starts with "strive". I thought about what this paragraph means, and to me it is the little things and what we need to do.

Hermana Hernandez and I really love each other and get along so great!  She is so awesome. She is really dedicated, obedient, and relies on the will of the Lord all the time. She helps me grow and she knows that their is always room for improvement.  Even though she maybe frustrated or feeling discouraged she is rebounding it with postive influences in her life and figuring out how to overcome her own weaknesses. She one of the companions that I know I will learn a lot from this transfer. 

I know my hair is long and light. It is crazy because i was up in Paso for the California winter and my hair is still the same color it was when I left.  It hasn't faded.   Guess I'm just stuck being a light blonde forever haha.  One of the things that I want to say is at the end of my mission, is that I haven't cut my hair and so far it is true. I haven't cut it since before the mission. 

The most awesome thing is finding one of our investigator who is truly progressing.   And that we have managed to finally memorize where we go to church finally!!  We love getting lost! JK!!  The funniest thing that happened this week is ... ok so we are living with two other sisters and we thought the sisters were in our ward and vice versa and so turns out we are both in different wards but we met their Ward Mission Leader.   Their bishop came up to us and said jokingly that we were the missionaries that got confused about what ward we were in, and we told him yes,  but we figured out where we really are and met our real Ward Mission Leader and things. 

All in the fun of "pinkwashing" which is where two sisters replace elders. Hermana Hernanadez and I have never been in this area so for the entire week we really had no idea where we were, what we were doing, and who we need to go see.

I have to wait 2-3 weeks before I get a new mission card. I haven't gotten my Subway card fixed but I will eventually. I'm doing awesome and am grateful for my mission.   It is great.!!  I love every minute of it. Hermana Hernandez and I are sisters for sure because we both think that we are like each other. She is great. I need help with my Spanish and she needs help with her English so we are so great for each other.

I love y'all! How is my siblings doing? Aunt Danae? Anything I need to know about from home. I'm grateful for the support of you and dad. I'm so glad that I can have this time to share everything with you. It goes by so fast and it only goes faster from what I am told.

 

Love you to the moon and back,

Te amo

Hermana Fitzpatrick, kenzer lou