By Small and Simple Things...

From the Letter to the Mission President:

What a marvelous week it has been! We absolutely loved Zone Conference! It was exactly what I needed! We are also excited to study more about faith over these next couple of months!

My family is wonderful! As always! My younger brother should receive his mission call in about 2 weeks! My family is so excited for him! They are studying Preach My Gospel together as a family, which I know will help my brother greatly in preparation for his mission.

We had, yet again, another week full of miracles! We had exchanges with the Hermanas in Arroyo Grande! It was so fun! Hermana Wallace is such a hard work with such a determination to work with the members! I loved our day together!

We have been teaching A this week and helping her to prepare for her baptism. She is so excited. We are planning on having her baptism this coming Sunday! She will have her interview either this Thursday, or Friday. It is such a humbling experience watching the excitement that our investigators have as they prepare for baptism. I am so grateful for the privilege to be able to teach them.

C is doing great! Every week he seems even stronger in the gospel. He made a comment yesterday saying, "Why did I not find the gospel until now?" He is beginning to see and experience all the blessings that the gospel brings. He truly is part of our branch family. 

We also met with A this week. She is doing great! She still is in a cast. It might be some time before we can have her baptism, however she is still excited to be baptized. We will continue meeting with her frequently so she doesn't lose that excitement. 

Another miracle we had was our lesson with A and B. A is the sister of C. We brought a member, A's cousin, with us to the lesson. C lives right next door to A so he joined in on the lesson too. It was awesome. We involved all the family members. Al is 16. J is 13, and V is 8. They have such an amazing family! They are involved in their other church, but we will continue working with them. By small and simple things are great things brought to pass. 

This week we haven't been knocking doors. We have been visiting our investigators, members, and less-actives. We are really trying to be effective with our time. As we have spent more time with the members, I have noticed that we have gained greater trust and friendship. I know that working with members is the key to missionary work.

Hermana Eastman is such a great companion. She is so patient and loving with all those that we come in contact with! I am grateful for her example to me and all those around us. I love working with her!

I really loved Zone Conference talking about the Living Christ. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that He is here in this work. As I put my faith in Him, I forget myself and begin to see all the miracles of this work. I am so grateful for our perfect Older Brother. I do know that with faith in Jesus Christ, not ourselves, we can do all things!

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MOM!

It's so good to hear from you! Even though I do every week, I still get excited to hear from my favorite family! :) It sounds like you've have a good week! That's exciting about Liz! I was laughing so hard reading that paragraph. Thanks! Haha it's also funny because this morning I had a dream that you told me that you were pregnant. I was shock, but you seemed pretty calm about it. It was funny. When I woke up I thought, it's not even possible for her to be pregnant. Haha 

We are still teaching the girls. Mainly focusing on A right now, because the other girls have lost interest in being baptized. We are thinking that after they see their sister get baptized they might have the desire too. 

Haha yes, I would love for you all to meet C. He does have pretty good English but we talk in Spanish. He is really funny! 

Reading the Book of Mormon has helped so much! That's why I want to read it again this year. I also realized that I really need to study the grammar of Spanish more. 1 hour really isn't a whole lot of time. I am excited to really break down and study it despues la mision. 

Haha Yes, Andrew and I are on the same track! That's exciting! I am so excited for him to receive his call. I can't wait to find out where he goes. He will be awesome!

Sorry, no pictures this week. I forgot my camera card. 

Yes, I am in the Lompoc Zone. I don't think that was a very good picture of me. We are living in Goleta still though. Elder Robinson is in my zone. We are actually having a zone activity later today. We are going on a hike in Lompoc so I will see him then. 

As for the bruise, one night we were coming home after a hard days work. Hermana Eastman was walking behind me when we heard some noise. Someone's creepy laugh or something in the distance. She told me to hurry. I started to go faster and ended up falling on my way up the stairs. Haha it was pretty funny. Everyone notices it and asks what happened. 

It is crazy to see how much I've learned and changed in only one year. I was thinking about that this morning! I didn't really know much when I came out. I didn't really know how to teach the lessons, and I didn't know Spanish. I am still learning, but it is great to see how far I've come. Thanks so much for everything! I love you all so much! Have the best week ever! 

Con amor, para siempre

Hermana Killpack :) 

<3

Baptism Day

From the letter to the Mission President:

This past week was one of the best weeks in my mission, perhaps in my life. C was baptized! He was so excited! Hermana Eastman and I both spoke at his baptism. It was such a wonderful experience. I know that C really felt the spirit. The Branch members here already treat him just like family. That is something that I truly love about this branch. We are just a big family!

Yesterday, C received the gift of the Holy Ghost during Sacrament meeting! After church, he received the Priesthood! He was ordained to the office of a priest. Words cannot express the joy I felt and still feel as I have watched C change. Talking with his sister, cousin, and other family members, they have all said the same thing. C has changed so much! When we first started teaching him, C told us that he did not believe in God, in Jesus Christ, or in the scriptures. Now, he has such a firm testimony. I know that he will be able to help others along the path back to our Heavenly Father. Teaching C has been such a privilege. We are excited to continue teaching him!

This week, we also met with A. We set her with a baptismal date for March 1st. She is so excited to be baptized. She simply loves learning more about the gospel. Yesterday, we had a lesson with her. She was telling us about a scripture that she found. It is 3 Nephi 28:3. It says, "And he said unto them: Blessed are ye because ye desired this thing of me; therefore, after that ye are seventy and two years old ye shall come unto me in my kingdom; and with me ye shall find rest." 

A took this for a sign that she needs to get baptized. She is 72 years old. She knows that through baptism, she can enter into the Lord's Kingdom. She was so excited yesterday. It was so cute! We are excited to help her prepare to enter the waters of baptism.

We have been seeing so many countless miracles this past week with our investigators. After C's baptism, there was a fiesta por el dia de amor y amistad. It was so much fun! At our table were 5 nonmembers. It was such a success!

Hermana Eastman is wonderful! I love working with her! She teaches powerfully in a way that everyone can understand. She loves our investigators and it really shows in her teaching and preparation for our lessons. We have a lot of fun together! :)

This week I truly felt the joy that comes from living the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that as we keep the commandments we will be blessed to one day dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. (Mosiah 2:41) As a disciple of Christ, I have been blessed to be able to feel of this pure happiness, this joy. I know that the most happiness comes from helping others to reach their full potential. As we help others, we forget about ourselves, and in turn, become the people that Heavenly Father intended us to be.

We had service again this week with K! We got to help her weed. It was awesome because she started asking questions about what we do as missionaries. We were able to explain to her and she liked it. We are going again this week to help her!

My family is doing wonderful! I appreciate greatly their love and support! 

This past week was truly phenomenal! I am so grateful to Heavenly Father that He allowed me to be here in this mission at this time. I know that I was supposed to find and teach C. I don't know why I was so blessed to have taught C. I truly feel that he is my brother. I am eternally grateful that I decided to serve a mission. It is the best thing that I have ever done. I love life! I love this church! I love my Savior Jesus Christ! I love my Heavenly Father!

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MOM! This week was awesome! Thank you so much for the package! I loved it! Fun surprise! 

This week I finally finished the Book of Mormon in Spanish! I had wanted to finish it sooner, but I have just been so busy with other things I didn't have time. But, I finally finished! And now I'm starting it again! :)

Island Park looks like fun! How's Josh doing? What's he been up to?

Yes, I got Benson and Owen's Valentine. So CUTE! :)

Oh, my talk at the baptism was good. I talked about the Holy Ghost. At the end I mentioned how I remember the first day I met C and I just felt the Spirit telling me that he was a really special person and that he was my brother. I cried as I spoke from feeling the spirit. C was starting to tear up a bit. 

I remember when I first met him, there was something different about him. It was unlike anything before. I do know that I was supposed to come here and teach C. It has been so fun and such a privilege for me!

I LOVED your package. It was so cute! :)

I know that you're not supposed to shoot into the sun... but I thought it was pretty so I did anyway. 

Our awesome present we made for C! Thanks for the package! The box was the perfect size! :)

THE BAPTISM!

Filling up the font! :)

This is C and Hermana Smith, shortly after we started teaching him. He has changed so much! 

C before his baptism!

C and Hermana Farias. She is everyone's grandma! 

C after his baptism with his girls and Hermana Farias! 

C went to change after his baptism and we were so surprised when he came back dressed in a suit! He is going to be such a faithful member of the church! :)

This picture is so cute! 

C and his girls! Precious!

C after he received the Holy Ghost and the priesthood. BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!

Oh yes, I love mi companeras! They are wonderful! I also told Hermana Eastman to add you on Fb depues la mision! This is her last transfer. She will be going home in 3 weeks.

My finances are good I think. I try not too spend to much, because I really don't have much to spend. How much do I have?

Well I need to go, but thank you so much for your love and support. Did you get my letter with the letter for Andrew inside? I hope so!

Well I love you all so much! Please have the best week ever! Be safe! Thanks for your prayers! You are the best!

Con amor,

Hermana Ashley Rae Killpack :)

Happy Valentines...Otherwise known as Dia De Amor

February 9, 2015

From the Letter to the Mission President:

We had a fantastic week this past week! We have been so busy! It is wonderful!

My family is doing well! All healthy and happy! :)

This past week was crazy! Crazy good! We have been meeting with C and he is doing well! HE PASSED HIS BAPTISMAL INTERVIEW! I knew he would, but I am just so excited for him. It has been the most amazing miracle to see the person that he has become. He loves coming to church and he is very involved with the members. C is excited for his baptism this Saturday! He asked that Hermana Eastman and I talk at his baptism. We are so excited! :)

We also met with A this past week! We had some great lessons with her. As we were teaching her, we felt that she is not quite ready from baptism just yet. She has the desire to be baptized, but there are still some things that we need to teach her. We are planning to have her baptism in a couple weeks!

Also, our 12 year investigator, A, was involved in an accident. She was in a parking lot when a car hit another car. That caused one of the cars to spin out of control and it hit A. A had a shopping cart with her which saved her from being pushed up against the wall by the car. However, she was still injured. She was taken in an ambulance to the hospital. She has two broken bones in her leg. We visited her on Saturday and Sunday. She is doing better. She will leave the hospital today. Because of the circumstances she will not be able to be baptized this Saturday. We will have to postpone her baptism. We are just grateful that A is alright and that her accident wasn't worse.

Yesterday, we had so many miracles! We have 2 young boys, that we are teaching, that we found last transfer. U and O are 12 and 10. They were able to come to church yesterday with their 3 year old sister. O told me, "I want to come all the time." They all really liked church! It was so fun!

Hermana Eastman is a wonderful companion! She is so patient with me! She has been helping me so much with my Spanish. I am so grateful for her Christ-like example to me!

This week I have been studying humility!  I read the talk by President Benson, "Beware of Pride" and I realized how much I have to work on! This past week I have been blessed with opportunities to be more humble. I am grateful that Heavenly Father is patient with me.

We were able to give service this week to a woman named K. We helped her weed for about an hour. After we were done working with her, she tried to pay us. We told her that we couldn't accept it. It was very nice of her! It was fun to be able to talk and get to know her. One day we were out walking and we saw K weeding. We asked her if we could help. She told us that she didn't think we should in our skirts. We told her we could come back. We are planning on going back this week to help K with some more projects. 

This week was wonderful! Well, actually better than that! Sometimes my vocabulary is not adequate to describe how I really feel! Yes, I love being a missionary! I have loved working with the members here in Santa Barbara! They have become some of my best friends!

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Mom! Thanks so much for your email! I love hearing from you! 

Haha yes, SB traffic is kinda crazy! But the Lord protects us! We are so excited for C's baptism this week! He is too! It's going to be awesome!

It was so fun! Yesterday the kids sat with me in church! Normally I lead the music and Hna Eastman plays, but I sat with this kids today. I realized again how much I just love kids. It was like when I used to call Andrew, Spencer, and Aubrey my kids! Haha they are my kids! It was so fun! They were so well behaved too! They didn't fight, the weren't noisy, they were perfect!

The girls loved their rings! It was so cute! Thanks mom! :)

They came to church yesterday! :) 

The one in the quicksilver shirt reminds me of Spencer! He is so cute! His name is O. The other one is U, and the little girl is S.

Exchanges with Hermana Brown! I have never been able to do this with my eyes! I don't even know how I did it. I don't know that I will be able to do it again. But I least I have evidence that I can do it! Haha :)

Okay, now for a nice picture.

Thanks so much for everything! Sorry I don't have more time! Life is great though! I was realizing that most of my friends right now are older than me. Our investigators, C is in his 30s, or the members, our ward mission leader and his family, the Castrejons are probably in their 50 or 60s and Hermana Farias is in her 80s! I just love the people here so much! They are my family!

And thanks for being my family too! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you! I love you all so much! Happy Valentines Day! Have an excellent week! :)

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Killpack :) 

Feliz dia de amor y amistad!

Preaching in Paradise, California-style

February 2, 2015

From the Letter to the Mission President:

We are truly preaching in paradise! This week was phenomenal! We witnessed so many miracles! I am always humbled by the grace and love of our Heavenly Father.

My family is doing wonderfully! I am so grateful for their love and support. They truly help me to be a better servant of the Lord.

Yesterday we had 8 investigators at church!!! What a miracle! We have 3 people who are preparing to be baptized on February 14th. The first is A. A is so excited to be baptized. She has really noticed a difference in her life as she takes time to put God first. She is doing great! 

Yesterday we also received permission from L, that A could be baptized. She is a 12 year old girl that has been wanting and waiting to be baptized for some time. I was close to tears as I hugged A yesterday. She excitedly asked me if I would be at her baptism and I assured her that I would be there. :)

C also has been doing wonderfully! He came to church yesterday! We were able to meet with him 6 times last week! He truly is showing forth much effort and faith as he prepares for his baptism. He is such a humble person. I truly have learned a lot by teaching C. He told us that not all of his family supports him in his decision to be baptized. He still continues on faithful. I am so grateful for C's courage. I know his decision will be such a blessing to his family.

Hermana Eastman is wonderful! She is a marvelous teacher! She really knows how to explain clearly so that our investigators can understand. She also has very good Spanish. I am learning lots from her already! :)

I am so grateful for the Spirit. As representatives of Jesus Christ, we need the spirit always to be able to teach our brothers and sisters. We were having a lesson with C this week and we taught him something completely different than what we had planned. It was amazing, because it was exactly what he needed. It was so wonderful to be led by the spirit to help C with his needs. I know that by keeping our baptismal covenants, we are promised the spirit to always be with us.

It truly is a humbling calling to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for me. I love working here in Santa Barbara. I love my companion. I love being a missionary. I love life. I love this gospel! 

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Mom! Yes! Thank you so much for the clothes! No, I didn't think it was weird! I felt like a new person... Until I put on my old clothes, but it's okay! I was reading in the scriptures: "And he said unto his disciples, therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on." Luke 12:22

So, I don't even need to worry about what I'm wearing right now ;)

But yes, thanks! It was a pleasant surprise and I enjoyed your letter! Haha you could definitely play in public or sing a solo. You do both things so well! :)

How are you liking California? What's the weather like? What are you doing with Grandma Betty? Oh those quilts were so cute!!!

Also, about minoring in Spanish, I've been thinking about that for a long time. I just see so many returned missionary who lose their Spanish or can't even speak it anymore. I don't want that to happen to me. I know that there is still lots that I need to learn.  

Hermana Eastman is also from Idaho. Meridian. But her family moved to South Jordan, Utah while she was on her mission. She is the oldest of 3 and her younger brother is also serving a mission in Ecuador. She was Hermana Faletau's companion 2 transfers ago haha. She is great!

 

Mi nueva compañera!

This is our district! Some Elders wanted to try this pose! Haha they took about 10 minutes trying to set everything up. It was funny!

Hermana Winn! She is awesome! I love her! 

Don't have too much fun in California! Haha! I hope that you enjoy your vacation! 

Also tell Aubrey that I love her! And if she really misses me, she can write me letters! 

Well I don't have much more time, but I love you all! Thank you so much for everything! I am so grateful to have a family like you!

Also, yes I am still a Sister-Training Leader. And I am working on learning more Spanish and teaching more clearly!

Gracias por todo! Les quiero mucho! Que tenga una buena semana! :)

Con amor,

Hermana Killpack