June 29, 2015

* A quick not. Our dad got in a bad horse accident where he crushed five ribs, had bleeding on his brain, and a leg that was tromped on by a horse. *

Oh good heavens. I think if Dad really wanted Chels to come and visit he should just call next time. He he, just kidding. But this is a bit of a hard e-mail day. I don't think anything has processed yet and I'm just a bit in shock I think. He's okay right? I think Mom put that in caps a few times. Dad's okay. 

I know Dad won't want me to worry and so I dedicate this e-mail to Dad. Dad you would laugh so hard at me because after going to lesson with a hilarious family we decided to call and let Grandma Rekow know we aren't going to be back to her house until Friday. She yells "Oh no! I had a surprise for you but I guess it can wait til Friday." Yes, her surprise was she'd caught a mouse in the trap and saved it special for me to dispose of. She is so thoughtful that way. -shiver- She let it sit til Friday. God bless that woman I love her. 

I kicked a home run in my skirt during the ward dodge ball game last Saturday which I now fully dedicate to Dad. They were impressed with my ability to sprint in a dress. Oh the blessings of being a missionary. They were so happy we won, they set off fireworks. I mean they weren't solely for us but it was still awesome. I also made amends with my new favorite 5 year old. The first time I'd joined the Gourley home for supper their little boy hid in the bathroom the entire time because he was scared of the missionaries. But success! He gave me a fruit snack when we were visiting last and now we are best friends and he tells me all about dinosaurs. 

On a more spiritual note, our investigators are all doing so well! We even taught the Law of Chastity with no serious awkwardness and that is always a win. I'm learning more and more that this gospel is so true. Therefore we make no apologies for the doctrines we teach. I repent and apologize every day for my inability to live  them perfectly, but I make no apologies for the actual doctrine. When lived correctly and fully with the Spirit as your guide, you simply are happy. And I know He's so happy when we keep trying and enables us beyond our own capacities. 

We were teaching a man who is having a really hard time finding a sincere desire to live. Our best neighbor and friend Dennis said, "I think you just need to go fishing more." I can't explain it, but it was the absolute perfect thing to say and that is why I love teaching with members. 

I really am having a hard time forming complete sentences because my mind is racing a thousand different ways but I know it's all going to be okay. I love you Dad and our crazy family too. In a lesson I got to teach during splits with the youth in Sunday school we talked about how the two most important and biggest names on our missionary tags are our last name and Christ's name. Because of Christ and through him, we are sealed as families forever and I am really grateful for that. I love you Dad and I love that I am yours.

KTL

Our assistants sent this out today and I liked it: 

"The Church may call upon you to make sacrifice. It may call upon you to give of the very best that you have to offer. There will be no cost in this, because you will discover that it will become an investment that will pay you dividends for as long as you live. The Church is the great reservoir of eternal truth. Embrace it and hold fast to it."

June 22, 2015

A note to my favorite man: 

Happy father's day Dad! I made a card for you with all the love in the world and I'm sorry it's late but I'll be there asap! Or as fast as the post system works. So...man aren't we glad prayer goes faster than mail? I really do love you dad and will serve as best as I can with this wonderful Cook name of mine. I'm also glad you married mom. 

This week was so good and creepy fast. I think it's because some of my favorite missionaries are headed home in the next few weeks, and that includes Johnny! It's been so fun serving at the same time and I'm sad to see it end, but it's weird to think I'll be back in just 8 months, almost 7. I was rereading my journal from being in Milwaukee and I kind of laughed thinking, how in the world did we survive that? Ha the joys of being a missionary. God is good and I think helps you keep your calm. Weird things just don't seem that crazy anymore. I do know mom prayed me to Gresham though. Someone had a vehicle stolen a few towns away and one of our members joked, better take the keys out the ignition this week then. Because that's the place we are in, everyone has their keys in their cars unlocked. It made it even better when, I also got an ovation from our neighboring Elders at the lunch table a few weeks back as I was teaching our mission president's wife some Milwaukee bus slang. 

We are still splitting time in two apartments but I think after 4 months, I'm starting to finally figure out how to better use our miles. It's all a work in progress but I love all the areas we cover and both wards that we serve in. We started at the week checking out a genuine Wisconsin cheese store where I purchased some dill flavor mozzarella. I have now lived! 

We had some great lessons and have been spoiled with cook outs, smores and burgers. But the high light of the week had to have been a meeting where our lesson focused on the importance of prayer. One part talked about the need to prepare to pray. It spoke of how when we pray, we get to open up communication with the very creator of the universe. And if we will prepare ourselves mentally for a true conversation, we can expect real answers from our very real Father. I am so thankful for my earthly father and feel lucky to be yours. I also am reminded of the quote that says, of all the titles of respect given to deity, our God has asked that we address HIm as Father. God is good and I love you!

Your cheese loving Sister Cook

Ps- once I figure out how to attach a video, I will send you the aftermath of my birthday balloons, spoiler alert: it involves the national anthem being sung with Helium.

June 15, 2015

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! I am spoiled. Johnny's e-mail made me laugh with, "This marks the first of the perpetual 25th birthdays you'll have for the rest of your life." Ha it was transfer e-mail day and although the Mission had some crazy border changes and areas close, I get to stay covering both areas and in two zones but being primarily in the Green Bay zone with some of my favorite missionaries. God is good. We have no idea where they will move us though as our lease is up in our second house next month so pray they either move us central to our areas so we drive less or with Grandma full time so we can start playing a new game called, "Look what Grandma cooked..." 

We were asked to speak in the Shawano ward yesterday which was one of the coolest blessings because we were able to stay with some of my favorite investigators at church for all three hours. This is the first time they've done that and only the second time in almost 5 months I've gotten to see them at church as we are normally in the other ward. And Gresham should be praised continually for fellow shipping our other investigators who were there without us. Ha, we have the best areas and amazing people to work with. 

I am having a hard time forming any type of complete sentence but for high lights this week we: met and contacted a member rocking out to ACDC whilst working among 20 small machines or so, had ice cream cake at the Kaveingas while 7 children all brought out different bags of gummy worms for me (God bless them), survived our first bible "lesson", and remembered why they shouldn't ever trust Elders with the church keys. 

On a more important note, a humbling lesson I had while talking to Mike, one of our investigators. They always tease me that I talk too much, (which we all know I do). The next lesson we have a challenge for only Sister Dunlap to speak. Ha anyways, in a later conversation Mike said  "When you talk you aren't listening. And sometimes you miss hearing something important."  That struck me really hard because I always feel like I'm listening more than I actually am. That's my goal this week and forever after, to really learn to listen more and react less. 

Love your Listening Sister Kaytie

Pictures are always the most fun so on to those!

June 8, 2015

Just kidding! Just older than your average missionary. We were at District Training Meeting asking where everyone would be in 5 years and I looked up and said, I'll be 30! That got an awkward laugh, especially since all our Elders are 19 and 20. Ha it's been a great week though. One of my favorite members has the same birthday as me and so we went out to lunch today and celebrated together. I thought that was very kind. We really are spoiled in this area. 

It would be unfitting to start out this e-mail with anything else but I love Cori and happy birthday! It's hard to be apart. Really hard. But I feel her influence with me all the time and God is so good. He gave me Cori!

This week has been so good though. We finally had some time to do some finding and ended up meeting a man named Richard who knows his bible intimidatingly well. I looked at him and said I'm no perfect teacher but I like talking of Christ and we'd like to come back. He said yes and now my bible study has increased til we see him again on Wednesday. Ha after that we ended up at a Philippine pig roast and talked to a lady whose nick name is Coconut. As we were talking she was telling us of her experience, that by the grace of God she was able to do missionary work for her church in South America. Some people called her crazy for going but she said she liked talking to us about it because we were clearly the same kind of crazy for moving to Wisconsin to teach. Ha I've been accused of crazy a few times, but I liked this one.

Speaking of crazy, we were out at Den and Pen's house yesterday for a little campfire and marshmallows. This man pulls up to the house and walks over in his pjs and says, "Dennis I need your help." Apparently this man had a snapping turtle in his yard and needed help getting it out. Dennis is Grandma's son and is known for getting the turtles out and giving them to Grandma to cook. However right now, you can't cook them because it's their laying season so it's illegal. Dennis said Grandma probably wouldn't use it but the man insisted he still come. Turns out this man was too afraid to move the turtle on his own. I was laughing at that thinking how could a snapping turtle be that scary. But then Dennis brought it over after he got it from the yard and let us see it. It's like a baby dragon that thing is terrifying! I'm afraid to eat one now out of fear from revengeful family members. 

We had some great lessons this week but my favorite had to be with John, Grandma and John's friend Todd. Todd is actually an investigator working with the Elders in Shawano and referred us to John. We were talking about how John should come to Fast and Testimony meeting when Todd pipes in, "Yeah, it's like AA for Mormons." I thought that was a weirdly accurate description. The next day we were having a lesson on faith with John and compared faith "like unto a seed. This seed will grow into a huge unshakable tree, much like the one in your yard John." He looked at us dead pan and says, "Yeah but sisters, that tree is actually dead." Ha ha I was laughing so hard. Luckily Sister Dunlap pulled in a beautiful analogy of the roots still offering strength to the smaller trees around but phew, God is funny sometimes.

My studies lately have focused a ton on the plan of Salvation, happiness, eternal perspective and blessings of the Lord. It just makes you excited to be here. Life is good! I hope you all know how much I love you and appreciated the birthday wishes. 

From your turtle fearing 25 year old tomorrow,

Sister Kaytie

June 1, 2015

This week was intense. And almost in tents, as in sometimes I feel like I am permanently camping. Of the last four days I spent the night in a different city with exchanges, switching to our other area for the week, zone conference and then returning. I have now slept in Green Bay, Wausa, Gresham and Clintonville and have visited Manitowok. The sister I was with in Wausa is from Sweden and can't drive here so I drove and did not crash the car in the big city with way too many one way streets. So far I'm doing good! Thanks for those prayers. I know the people of Wisconsin thank you too. 

We really had an amazing Zone Conference that focused on the Sabbath day and how attending church helps build strong families and is a sign unto the Lord of our covenants. As I write it, it doesn't sounds that mind blowing but oh it was! It was the kind of meeting where you leave just jazzed to be LDS! 

On exchanges we had had a great day with some really fun appointments and had about 15 minutes before we needed to head back to our real companions. Sister Karlsson said we should go knock on a door so we head up and do our little approach with the survey and without saying much this older lady just starts telling us all about her relationship with God and how she once had faith, but lost it and is thinking she needs to find it. After about 5 minutes we politely explain we need to go but we'd love to come back that night. She quickly accepted and said "You know, a lot of people knock on my door but you two really impressed me." I was laughing but so happy because we said about ten words the whole time but the Spirit is real and we really are set apart. 

We also met with on of our investigators who loves reading the Book of Mormon and for an hour we just talked of our favorite stories and how relevant this is for today. God is so good. 

Driving in Wisconsin is a little nuts. We have wild turkeys that randomly cross the road, cranes nesting in the fields, deer everywhere and then every few miles an Amish buggy being pulled by horses. It really is a miracle I haven't hit anything so please keep praying.  

I am also convinced that my new companion is a Philippine Ninja. She knows three forms of karate and has an obsession with knives that I just can't quite explain. She's a sweetheart though and has a strong love for families and teaching the gospel. 

I love you! Your turkey avoiding

Kaytie

PS- Grandma got some new chicks! She thinks the old ones got eaten by a fox or a rat...

May 26, 2015

It's thundering and raining and storming outside and it's still 80 degrees. I don't understand Wisconsin weather but I do understand, cotton is of Heaven. It's beautiful and green here though. This part of Wisconsin I'm in is where they take all the pretty postcard pictures. Basically if you Pinterest Wisconsin, that's what this area looks like. 

This week has been so good though. We had a ward Luau and had a lot of people from the community come! Our investigator family joked they saw more members there than at church. Ha it was funny because he was right, but hey, that's why we have activities. We had a powerful lesson with that same family last Tuesday and will get to see them again tonight. We'd been reading over Elder Holland's talk from conference and Mike said, he didn't really know if he'd ever felt rescued or saved by an Atonement. I've been thinking about that a lot lately and it's helped me get into some really cool chapters in the Book of Mormon. If you've had that question, I found a lot of answers in Alma 34. Alma is becoming my favorite book next to Helaman. I really do love the war chapters. The battle is so real! 

Speaking of battles, we had a bit of a loss this week. Ha, Sister Dunlap and I were bearing testimony of the Power of the Holy Ghost and excited because we normally get cut off before we can say much but here was, "Pete" letting us talk and seemed to really have been listening. We then ask him a question to which we get no response. We ask again, and then realize, he'd totally fallen asleep. In my defense he was wearing sunglasses! 

Grandma is home! We spent Saturday night scrubbing the floors and emptying the sump pump so she wouldn't worry and rest when she got here. We love having her back, and I even missed the oatmeal pancakes and beet carrot juice.

One more story and then I better get heading out, we plan on going to the Amish store again today. That place is great, they even legitimately have buggy crossing signs so you don't hit the horse drawn carriages with your car.  Only in Gresham do you have the Amish, the Natives, the Catholics, Lutherans and Mormons all within a 10 mile radius. 

My favorite recent convert Larry had a few questions on the Tribes of Isreal. I've learned I need to study up a little more because at the end of a few statements Larry looks me dead in the eye and a little distraught and says, "Wait, are you telling me I'm Jewish?" Being a missionary is great. 

From your humid but happy Sister Kaytie

PS- Memorial day was great! We went to a cool little service the town put on, went to a few family gathers and had a good lesson with a few investigators. We also got to sing Battle Hymn of the Republic with the choir and that was really cool. I love you!

May 11, 2015

I got my first tick this week and now I feel like I am fully initiated into the Wisconsin culture. It's blood bound so therefore legit. I will also be purchasing a boat load of bug spray and tick repellent because one is close enough for me and why develop too unhealthy of an attachment right? 

This week was great ! Mainly because I got to see Mom and the family and oh how I love you guys. We dropped Sister Payne off and I got to pick up Sister Dunlap. For the afternoon we had to be in a trio while Sister Pope waited for her new companion and it was so fun to be with my Popesicle for a few hours again.

We've been running around and trying to get Sister Dunlap introduced to the ward and to our investigators which has been really fun. It also really makes me appreciate what amazing wards we get to be in and how good they are at adjusting to new sisters. We also hands down have the best ward mission leader who immediately got Sister Dunlap into the Wisconsin spirit by taking us to a fish fry. Very Catholic, and very tasty. 

The coolest part of the week for me was getting to talk to the graduating seniors in their mission prep class. We taught the first discussion and then opened it up to questions on how we prepare, what they can do to prepare, and fears they have on coming into a mission. What's awesome is next week they will have a friend who isn't a member come in and be an investigator for them so they can practice teaching. Getting to talk to them reminded me of how much I've learned and changed and am excited to continue to learn change. God did not call only perfect people but he lets the gospel work in us just like it will work in the people we teach as they learn and live the gospel. It really is true. 

My trainer sent me this revision to Eminem and I about died laughing. "You better life yourself in the music, the moment, you own it. You better never let it go! You only got one shot do not miss this chance to glow, this opportunity comes once in a lifetime, oh!"

From your no longer in the ghetto but still rapping Sister,

Kaytie