Another Wonderful Transfer in Santa Paula

From the letter to the Mission President:

So President Felix has asked us that we do our weekly letters a little bit differently. So here it is:

My family is doing better and better every week is seems. I have been so amazed at the myriad of blessings my family has received due to my missionary service. I was thrilled last week to hear that [here she says something that the person to whom it refers to does not want to tell.  Yet :-)]  . Truly my family brings me the most joy in the world! I love my family so much! I am here because I want my brothers and sisters to be able to enjoy the blessings of eternity with their families as well. 

Santa Paula is doing wonderfully. In the 3 months I've been here, I have witnessed 6 baptisms! What a miracle! This transfer we are planning on more. Hermana Young and I are thrilled to be able to work together again this transfer. We know this transfer will be another transfer full of miracles!

I love Hermana Young so much! I have really learned a lot from her! She has taught me to have greater faith and put my trust in the Lord. One day we needed to find the Elders that are working in our area. We are not allowed to call them and they cover all of Santa Paula. We only cover a portion and we don't often see the Elders. We needed to ask them a couple questions and give them some referrals. Hermana Young suggested that we say a prayer so that we could find the Elders sometime during our day. It was getting close to the end of the day and we were going about proselyting when we turned the corner and saw the Elders. It was such a miracle! I'm sure the Elders didn't understand our excitement. I was so humbled to see our prayer answered. This experience really strengthened my faith. Hermana Young has taught me how to have more faith and be more submissive to Heavenly Fathers will. I love her so much!!!

This week my testimony of prayer has been strengthened. I have been focusing on saying more meaningful and accountable prayers. It can be hard to focus at the end of a long day when it's time to say nightly prayers. My time to say personal prayers in the morning and evening has really become a sacred time. I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who listens and answers my prayers. This week I feel as if I have been learning so much! I pray that I may become a more useful instruments in the hands of the Lord. He is answering my prayers. 

Serving those around us has really helped to softened their hearts. There is a less-active member here whose husband is not a member. The missionaries have been able to give this family a lot of service. In the beginning the husband would never listen to the missionaries. Now, he is starting to sit in on some lessons which is HUGE progress. I know that Christ-like service softens the heart of people. One of my favorite scriptures is Mosiah 2:17 'When ye are in the service of your fellow-beings, ye are only in the service of your God." As we serve, it not only blesses those around us, but it also blesses us.

This week has been one of my favorite weeks in the mission! I have learned so much! It was such an amazing opportunity to receive counsel from Elder Malm! I also loved having an interview with him! It was wonderful!

MOM! So Elder Malm of the 2nd quorum of the 70 came to our mission! We had a zone conference with him last week which was wonderful! It really helped me to know where I can improve. It was so amazing! After the conference we had a leadership meeting where we named some specific things we were going to change in our companionship. After that Elder Malm wanted to interview some missionaries and I was chosen. It was awesome! He asked me about my family, what dad does (I told him I could drive a semi-truck and he was amazed and impressed haha), He asked about where I was from. We talked for a couple minutes and he told me that I am going to be a part of the change in this mission. It was really neat. He was so nice!

On Saturday we were having a lesson with a woman and her daughter. The husband is a really strong Catholic and does not like us coming over, but his wife had invited us over. We were in the middle of our lesson when the husband barged out of the house and came over to us and started yelling at us telling us that he had told us to never come back. He told us that they were Catholic and they did not want to listen to us and that we have different beliefs and customs. We listening calmly. He went on ranting for a couple minutes and then I asked him simply, "What part of Mexico are you from?" He then went on to talk about his home town and tell us stories of all the fiestas that he has attended and about his beautiful homeland. By the end of our conversation we were laughing with him. It was quite the enjoyable conversation. We even said a prayer with him and his wife before we left. I have never seen a person change so rapidly. This man may never join the church but he had changed. We saw it. He came expecting an enemy, but we had left as friends. As we went home Hermana Young asked me amazed, "How did you do that?" I just told her that it wasn't me. I just felt to talk to the man about his life. By the time we left their house I just felt such love from this man and his family.

This week has been marvelous. I'm getting better slowly but surely. Hermana Young and I are staying in Santa Paula! This will be a transfer of miracles for sure. I love life! It keeps getting better and better! I am so grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I have been able to learn and grow so much! 

So this week, it got a little hot. Never have I been just standing and have sweat rolling down my back. Haha gross!

Hna Young and I are thrilled we are staying together!  :)

Also the apple juice that I bought...it says it contains concentrate from Chile/China, huh? Interesting. I drank it and haven't died, so I think we are okay. Haha :)

Oh also, yesterday I said that prayer for dinner at a members house. He went to Brazil on his mission. After the prayer he asked me how long I have been out on my mission. I told him and he said that he could hear that I had a little accent. Haha funny! Hna Young says she can't tell but I think that would be awesome to have an accent from speaking Spanish. I'm trying to speak it more. 

Also please tell Josh happy birthday for me! I have been thinking about him and Andrew this week! Please give them both a big hug for me! 

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. It means that world to me! I love you all so very much and hope you have a wonderful week! 

Con mucho amor,

Tu hermana, hija, cunada favorita

Hermana Killpack :)