Temple P-day!!! ⛪️🎉

Sorry I didn't tell anyone last week that Pday would be Thursday
instead of Monday this week! I haven't forgotten about you! Haha

So much has happened since last Monday!
Sister Conn is so awesome! She is hilarious and we have been having so
much fun! It doesn't feel like we've been together less than two
weeks! I'll share the highlights!

So the first day of the transfer, Tuesday, we went to temple square
with Maddy! She's so amazing! On the way back on the trax she was
being such a missionary! Telling everyone about how she was getting
baptized Saturday! She was a really good example to me, because on
the way back we sat across from this old lady, and she commented on
her jeans (they had holes in them) and told her they were a little
extreme.. they were the first words out of her mouth, it was so
rude!!! She didn't even know her! After that I tuned her out, I was
offended for Maddy, thinking she was just a judgmental old lady. But
sweet Maddy, just let it roll right off and kept on talking to her the
rest of the way. At some point she realized I was a missionary and
then said "Oh well I'm catholic!" And Maddy went on to tell her about
her decision to be baptized and her testimony! I was blown away! She
is such an example of Christ like love, and an amazing missionary!
Then after we got back we couldn't find a third girl to come with us
to Dario's lesson, so Maddy came with us and helped teach and testify
of the gospel of Jesus Christ! 😱😍 she can't get any more awesome!
She invited him to her baptism and he came! Her baptism was so good!
She shared her testimony and had everyone crying! ❤

We had a fun week with Dario too! He is also amazing! We taught him
the commandments this week and just had so much fun with it! His
friends were super involved, and we taught him hand signs to remember
the Ten Commandments, and he could wait to show us a couple days later
at our next lesson that he still remembered them all! 😊 He has such
strong faith and is so happy with the path he's chosen to follow to
come closer to God, I can't wait for his baptism Saturday!

They are definitely the highlights of life right now, and they are
both talking about serving a mission! Dario said he wants to go to
France!! And in our lesson with Maddy yesterday she told us she was
talking to her grandma and she asked her if she wanted to serve a
mission and she said she thought about it but she didn't know, and her
grandma told her that if she did she would pay for it all! 😱 so Maddy
has been praying about it!!! We shared our experiences with getting
our answers to serve with her and told her she still had a year to
pray and think about it anyways. She would be the most amazing
missionary ever and grow so much! I know I sure have!

We are getting ready to go to the temple in an hour! I am so excited!
I just love the peace that I feel in the temple, it's like time stops!
Having a relationship with Jesus Christ, and living His gospel has
added so much to my identity, and given me so much purpose and
direction. The joy that comes from know that God is my father and He
loves me enough that He sent His only Begotten Son to die for me is
priceless. I could never repay Him. The good news is that He hasn't
asked me to, only to love Him and show others His love. I am far from
perfect, but my best is enough and He loves me anyways! And He loves
each one of you so much! If you don't already pray every day, I invite
you to. Then sit back and look for His hand in your life. I know you
will see it!

Love,
❤ Sister Kirkpatrick


                                                                        Pictures!
                                                      (Sorry they're all a bit scrambled!)

                                                                  Maddy's baptism!

                                                      Dario and his baptism picture!

                                                                Transfer polaroids

                                                          Temple square with Maddy!

                                                           Easter bunnies from Kiki!

                                               My awesome companion from Oklahoma!

                                             Also, Maddy came to district meeting with us

The wind sure did blow in blessings!

This has probably been one of the best weeks of my mission! 

So many good things have happened! Maddy is still incredible, we got to see her almost every day this week  we also met another amazing person this week! I feel like we were friends in the preexistence! I got to go on exchanges with Sister Sundrud, and see someone she and Sister Mallarme taught get baptized! 

So first! On exchanges Sister Sundrud and I met Dario! He has been coming to church in the South Jordan Second Ward since November! We had dinner with him and his two friends, then shared the restoration of the gospel afterwards! He moved from Venezuela to England, to Chicago, to Utah! Don't worry though, his English is amazing, we're not poaching! He reads the Book of Mormon better than I did when I first started! And he can do an English accent that is hilarious! You would never even know he was Hispanic when he talks like that!  so he's already learned a lot of what we were teaching him, but as we were talking about families, he shared how he hasn't had a close relationship with his parents growing up, his mom passed away when he was 13, and he's pretty much been independent ever since, and he can see the difference in families that live the gospel, and he wants that for his future family! We invited him to be baptized and he said he wanted to, but when we told him he could be baptized March 25th, he looked almost sad, and told us he wouldn't be good enough by then because he's made a lot of mistakes in his life. Then we had the amazing opportunity to explain to him that was the very reason Jesus Christ performed the atonement, because we ALL make mistakes (Romans 3:23), then we read Alma 7:11-13 about what Jesus went through for each one of us, and at He wants us to access his atonement! To be changed by His grace! And we talked about how taking the sacrament cleanses us each and every week! After talking about all of that he was so excited!! and wants to be baptized on that day  he is so sincere! I really feel like we were friends in the preexistence, he looks so familiar and we both felt like we'd met each other somewhere before but we haven't, it's crazy! Heavenly Fathers plan is so amazing, and He is so very aware of each one of us!! 

Maddy is still amazing! She came to church again this week and has been loving reading the scriptures  she can't wait to get baptized and go to the temple! She truly has the gift of belief! And her ward is so supportive and excited for her! They are on top of things, and it makes us so happy to know that she will have this support even after we're gone! 

This Saturday we got to go support Sister Mallarme and Sister Sundrud at their baptism! Sherry's baptism was so special! The spirit was so strong! She personifies the scripture "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." -Luke 18:17 

And it was such a proud mom moment for me, seeing them. Sister Sundrud did sign language for a song so beautifully! Sherry loved it and they were both crying  and Sister Mallarme shared her testimony! It is so amazing to see how much she has grown since we were together!! They found Sherry because Sister Mallarme likes the number 45, which was her apt number! Haha Sister Mallarme said "The reason why I knock on your door is because 45 is my favorite number and I said I don't care if it's a member or not let's knock because I like 45. And I know that I like that number because Heavenly Father knows that's how I will find you and help you to return to live with Him." 

I love them so much! 

Also, I RAN INTO STEVEN COX THIS WEEK!!! 

Sister Fossum and I decided last minute to go to the church for something before going to the baptism, and as we were leaving, coming down the stairs in the institute building, he was standing in the hallway! It was so crazy! We both freaked out! What are the odds?! He's on the institute council for something that meets in that building I guess! It was really cool! 

I also met a guy that grew up in hurricane West Virginia, I can't remember if I mentioned that last week or not? But it was also super cool! We talked about Tudors Biscuit World haha! He doesn't come to church anymore, but we're going to try to get him to! 

We are nervously waiting on transfer calls this morning! 

I've never been so anxious, I do NOT want to leave!! 

Love, 

Sister Kirkpatrick 

****Update*****

Not getting transferred!!!  BEST NEWS OF MY LIFE!!!
Sister Fossum is leaving :(
Sister Conn will be my companion! We've been out the same amount of
time! So it should be cool!!

Tornados everywhere!

Okay not really... but the wind outside was crazy yesterday, and we
experienced an emotional tornado!!

This week has been pretty good, MLC, interviews with the mission
President, found 2 new people, Maddy is still the highlight of the
week of course.

Amidst all of the craziness that went on, there was definitely a
silver lining in each situation.

So Ryan's grandpa had emergency surgery so he didn't make it to
church, and will be getting baptized next Sunday instead of this
coming Sunday now, but everything is in the Lord's perfect timing!

A girl that was baptized just before I got here has been going through
some tough times and hasn't wanted to see us all week, BUT she came to
church on Sunday, it made me really happy, because although she's
going through a lot and doesn't want to talk about it, she still knew
where she needed to be on Sunday. She has a lot of faith and I know
Heavenly Father will guide her and she will follow Him 😊

Maddy is amazing beyond amazing and so strong! We taught her tithing
and fasting/fast offerings this week and she loved it!! She said "I am
too down!" Haha she can't wait to pay her tithing, and she fasted for
the first time this Sunday! She came to church with her boyfriend and
they both knew lots of people it was great! She was talking about
getting a dress for her baptism and inviting everyone to it!!  But
then 2 hours after church she texted us and said "I'm not getting
baptized, I can't I'm sorry." And we were like 😩😭😵😰 the world is
actually coming to an end, what just happened?!? So we went over and
talked to her, and it's not a faith crisis at all. Some pretty
terrible things happened after church and she and her boyfriend broke
up. His dad was going to be the one to baptize her so she didn't know
who could baptize her, but we told her there were plenty of people who
could and she still wants to be baptized!!! She is my HERO! Amidst all
of this, her grandpa was just taken off all of his medicines and they
are letting nature take its course, so she's dealing with him about to
pass. And she asked us what scriptures she could share with her mom to
comfort her with all of this. She is my inspiration!! I REALLY hope I
get to stay another transfer for her baptism!!! ❤

I know that God is so so so aware of us, His plan is perfect and he is
so involved in each of our lives! A grateful heart really is a happy
heart, when we focus on our blessings, and the constants in our lives,
we are so much happier. No matter what happens we are still children
of God, and have a Savior who loves us more than we could ever
imagine! Sometimes we get caught up on certain aspects of the gospel
and become weary, but when we focus everything on the Savior, that is
where we find true and lasting joy, in our relationship with Him!

Have a great week!

Love,
❤ Sister Kirkpatrick

Pictures:
- teeth whitening from Maddy!
- Reunited trio at MLC
- post interviews pic 😂