Sept 8, 2014

Shut the front door Jabari Parker is serving in my singles ward! I am in the family ward but we meet in the same building and I am now e-mailing President every week for a transfer. Just kidding, but I might start reporting our teaching numbers in the form of basketball stats as a subtle hint. Too much? This week has been so great as I am starting to get to know the ward more and am meeting with our progressive investigators. Not to scare you, but we are sort of in a rougher area but I feel your prayers of safety and we actually live in the Elders area that's safer and they live in ours. Also, thanks for the prayers because it's starting to cool off and I can wear sweaters. Also, Mom will you please send me my rain boots? The green ones that I wore every day and every one made fun of me? Because praise the heavens, guess what is socially acceptable to wear as winter boots here? God knows me Mom. We had the best lesson with a man named Max who self described said "I know I look like a Jamaican drug lord but..." He has been meeting with the sisters for a while but was hesitant thinking that every Mormon was short white and 21. To be fair, apparently all the sisters who have served here look the same. So we introduced him to one of our black members (not a racial slur here, it's offensive to say African American) named Tony Morrison who totally hit it off with him. He was worried about the church never giving the priesthood to all members until the late 70's but in one sentence Tony wiped away his concerns. Max asked Tony if he felt like the gospel discriminated against him and Tony said, the gospel is perfect but the people aren't always. Max said that that answered all his questions because people aren't perfect but God is. He and his fiance are now coming to church on Sunday with Tony and his wife. how cool is that? Honestly Max is the funniest investigator, this was my first meeting with him but when he opened the door and saw we had Tony, he said "Holy! A black Mormon! I guess I'll come out and listen." (Feel free to edit any of this before you forward it because I know these are supposed to be more reverent but it was honestly too funny not to write about.) I promise we have other lessons. Anyways the two guys then proceeded to talk about cars for 20 minutes and Tony the little sneak worked for NASCAR in the pit crew and was featured on ESPN for being an African American in the sport. Google him. He's awesome. But the coolest thing ever is that you would never know it. He's so humble and even when he brought it up it wasn't showy. His wife is the same way, she works for marketing in the Olympics and is super humble about it. It was the coolest lesson of my life. Its amazing how people, when working with the spirit, can solve issues in just 30 seconds when it would take others years to do it. I am thankful to be called here and to know that maybe I can be that person like Tony was for Max for someone else. Please tell Cori not to worry, I am not the only white person but this is definitely not Magrath. However we are so taken care of, very protected and everyone is very friendly and watches out for us. Even two cops who were in the process of pulling a moving truck over stopped to say hello and to tell us to be careful as this is a safe area but close to not so safe areas. Our District Leaders are in the sketchiest part but just keep praying and I know we will be fine. I don't have too much time because we got to the library late but I wanted to share something I've been learning in personal study. I've been starting the BOM over and reading the four gospels every morning to be able to talk to people about both teachings in the Bible and the Book of Mormon. It seems like the theme that stands out to me is always Fear Not and Be of Good Cheer. Mathew 14 is probably one of my favorite chapters as it talks about Christ walking on water. He was having one of the hardest days as he had just lost his John the Baptist but he came and calmed the seas and taught one of the most important lessons. That He is always with us. I have been trying to learn what it means to lose yourself and find your life as you serve the Lord and I think it comes down to one thing. That's building yourself through Christ. I'm not on a mission to find myself. There is no hidden Kaytie waiting in Milwaukee 1st Ward. But there is me, now, who has a lot to do and as I seek Christ, I am in charge of building the Kaytie I want to be and that is the best missionary and daughter you and the Lord can trust as I trust you. It's not finding myself, it's building myself. We have agency to act and we control who we become. The ironic thing, which is what I am learning, is that it takes forgetting about yourself to fully serve others to build yourself in the way you want to be build. I love it, I love it I love it and I love you.