Waiting on transfer calls!

It's that time again! 🤷🏻‍♀️

This transfer has flown by! At the same time, it feels like Maddy,
Dario and Ryan were baptized a long time ago, but it's only been a
month! Time is a funny thing. Anyways, it's been a great transfer!
And a great week! This week we met Drea, she has a 5 year old
daughter, and they both have the prettiest blue eyes I've ever seen!
Her daughter looks like she should be her American girl doll! She was
sick and wasn't able to come to church, but she is so sweet!
Vincent and Ridik both came to church and stayed the whole time, even
though we weren't with them! We had to speak in another building, it
was a tough crowd, there was hardly anyone there, and half of the ones
who were, were asleep 😂😂😂 I just had to laugh!
Vincent is doing amazing! I love meeting with him because he is so
sincere and humble! He loves learning and I just feel the spirit so
strongly every time we go over there. He said the closing prayer this
time, and he asked God to show him if what we were teaching him was
true... he said it was the first time he had ever asked God for
anything. He didn't feel like he got his answer right then and there,
but I sure felt the power of the Spirit, and I believe everyone else
in the room did as well!
This week we got to go watch Dario go to the temple for the first
time! He was so excited to be in the temple and just in awe of
everything! It reminded me so much of the first time that I went 😊 we
had some time to wait and we walked around to look at all the
different paintings of Jesus, that was my favorite part!

This week I had a faith building experience. Something that someone
else said offended me, and I am always saying "being offended is a
choice". But in this instance, I didn't realize that was what I was
doing. I held a grudge without even realizing it! When I did realize
it, it seemed so hard to transition out of feeling that way! I was
annoyed for most of the day that I just couldn't seem to shake the
feeling. But that night someone shared a concern they had in their
testimony with me, and I had also felt the same way previously. We
talked about Jesus Christ and how everything really is centered on
Him, that without Him nothing else would matter. As we both shared our
testimonies with each other about Jesus, I felt the weight lifting,
and I was just filled with joy! That contrast in feelings helped me to
realize that my unhappiness that day was stemming from dwelling on
something other than the only thing that matters, which is Jesus! I
realized that true happiness takes more than just having an testimony
centered on Jesus Christ, it takes living it! Living each day for
Jesus! Now, none of us our perfect, and it's easier said than done,
but I know that is what makes me happiest, when I have Jesus Christ at
the front of my mind, and strive to live each day for Him!

I love you all, but Jesus loves you so much more!

❤️Sister Kirkpatrick

***UPDATE***

I'm being transferred to Draper YSA!!!
I will be companions with Sister Guzman and Sister Enderle! Another
trio!!! Wahoo!!! 🎉🎉🎉

Happy Late Easter!!!

It has been one amazing week! 😊
It was such a good Easter! We had 4 new people come to church, and
Dario passed the sacrament for the first time! He also brought his
friend to church for the first time, and he got his temple recommend
after church! He's amazing!!! His friend just got here a week ago from
Venezuela and doesn't really speak English, but it was amazing because
we held a conversation! He was talking to me in Spanish and I was
talking to him in English and we understood each other! Haha it was so
cool! Gift of interpretation!!! I won't be upset if they switch me to
Spanish assignment the next two transfers!! 🎉🎉🎉 unfortunately his
friend lives outside of our mission, and Dario doesn't want the
missionaries to come over just yet, but he's being an awesome
missionary for his friend!

So this week we also went on two exchanges, sister Turner and sister
McCarter! Sister Turner got the call that she was being emergency
transferred to West Jordan while we were together, so we packed and
moved her on the exchange, it was interesting! Haha glad I could be
there for her for it though!

We met three new people this week, Sam, who has met with missionaries
in the past, but never sisters, and is excited to 😊 she is excited to
learn and just wants to follow Jesus!
We also met a man named Ridik, he's from India and has only been in
Utah 2 months! It was really a blessing, because we drove past him on
the opposite side of a busy highway, and even though he caught my
attention, his bright orange shirt, we didn't stop. But later we drove
past him again! Second chances don't always happen like that, but I'm
sure glad they did this time! This time we were on the same side of
the busy road, so we pulled over to talk to him! He told us that he
was Hindu, but that he would come to church with us! When we went to
his house we found out that he believes in "all gods" and that they
are one. He does believe in Jesus as well. It will be a different
experience than I've had so far, but I'm excited to help him to learn
more about Jesus as the savior and Redeemer of the world! He also came
to church on Sunday!
And we met a guy named Austin, from Oregon. He's only here for 8 weeks
for an internship, but we met him as soon as he got here! He has a
friend on a mission and wants to learn more. He does not believe in
God right now, but he says that he wants to believe! So we're really
excited! 🤗🎉
And Vincent is still amazing!!! He came to church and stayed all three
hours on Sunday! He is so sweet, he had his dental boards on Saturday
morning, and he was sick, but he still let us come over on Saturday
night! And he wore a dental or doctor mask the whole time so he
wouldn't get us sick! Haha so nice!

There's so much more to tell but we don't have as much time today! We
have our Pday split this week, so we are just now starting today, and
we will have 4 hours most likely on Thursday as well!

I hope that you all had a wonderful Easter remembering our Savior and
His triumph over death and sin! If you didn't have the time to this
week, I invite you to read Luke 22-24, about Jesus sacrifice for us.
It is so powerful and really did change Easter for me this year!

❤Love,
🤗Sister Kirkpatrick

Another good week!

So much happened this week, I'll try to keep it brief!

First I'll share the major miracle from last night!
We were driving and saw this man walking clear across the soccer field, but we stopped the car and decided to go talk to him, and I am SOO glad we did! He's amazing! His name is Vincent, he's been here 3 years from CA for dental school, he grew up somewhat religious, but hasn't prayed since he was a kid. He told us we could come back later that night so we did and it was awesome! He said he's been to general conference with his RM friends and has a Book of Mormon, he said they told him he should meet with missionaries, so this was a long time coming! Haha we were so happy! He's so nice and just wants to learn more about Jesus! 🏽
We're going back Saturday night after he finishes taking his boards!

This week I went on two exchanges, one with sister Mallarme, I love that girl! She has grown so much! I feel like a proud mom  she's so good at talking to people and teaching, I just love her. And I went with sister Hudgens too! She's awesome and I always learn from her!
I also got to go on splits with Sister Hutchinson for a couple hours in her area while our companions went to a baptism together, it was fun catching up  and really great seeing how she has grown as well! 

On Thursday Sister Conn and I got to go watch Maddy go to the temple to do baptisms for her first time! The spirit was so strong, and she was just beaming! I was sooo happy to have the blessing of going with her for the first time 

AND! I got to go to dinner with The Bishops on Friday, on their way form the MTC to their mission! When I saw their name tags, they were in Spanish, I was like WHAT IN THE WORLD?!?! They were surprised too, they didn't know they were speaking Spanish until they got to the MTC  it's so inspired though I'm so happy for them! And I am eternally grateful that God sent them to WV for me  I know they will bless so many lives in NJ too!  

On Tuesday I had my 3rd re birthday!  I was baptized three years ago on April 4th! I am so grateful that I was! It hasn't been an easy path, but it has ultimately brought me closer to my savior Jesus Christ, and that's all that matters! I really do believe Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist because he had the Aaronic priesthood, and that same priesthood authority is on the earth today, to bless the lives of God's children, and help us to return to live with Him! I love you all, but Jesus loves you more! 

This Sunday is Easter, if you don't have a church you're planning on going to, I invite you to get on LDS.org and go to the meeting house locator and find the one nearest to you and attend! 

This weekend in stake conference someone speaking was talking about remembering Christ this week and said: 

• on Thursday when you have your last meal, know that Jesus is in gethsemane 
• On Friday He will be on the cross 
• By noon he will cry out why has thou forsaken me
• He will feel completely alone, so that you never have to be 
• By 3pm He was in the spirit world with you, preparing you for your mission on earth
• On Sunday morning we were all weeping because He overcame it all, He was resurrected! 

I've never thought of thinking about where He would be and what He was going through each day, but I will this year and invite you to remember Him too! 

Miracles!

It's been another great week!

We met two new people this week, that are both praying to know if they
should be baptized! They are Albert and Robbie! Robbie is someone we
met last transfer that we have been trying to see ever since then,
with no luck. Last night we were headed to an appointment and we saw
him outside! We told him we would be right back, but he texted us
saying he was going to go to a movie, so we knocked anyways and asked
if he had just 10 min that we could share a message about Jesus with
him, and he said okay! I'm so excited for him, because he said it's
been a long time since he's prayed and he doesn't really feel like he
knows Jesus. I know that if he will do the things we've invited him to
do, to pray and read scriptures, and come to church, he will come to
know Jesus personally! Baptism is an amazing thing, because we enter
into a promise with God that we're going to follow Jesus Christ, and
always remember Him, and God promises us His spirit! But it must be
preceded by faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and our Redeemer,
and repentance, a change to come closer to God. When it's done on that
order we are truly converted to our Savior Jesus Christ, and will
continue to follow Him after we are baptized!

I loved watching general conference this weekend! After one of the
sessions, We asked Dario what he learned, and he said "Jesus will come
back?!?!" I was so humbled by his excitement! Since he had some
Christian background, it never occurred to me that he didn't know
Jesus would come back some day! When we told him yes! He said "okay we
have to talk more about that!!!!" 😊😊😊

I absolutely love being a missionary! I get to spend all of my time
telling people about Jesus, and form immediate connections with
complete strangers, that change who I am! They make me a better person
and have an even stronger love for Jesus, as I see them change and
come closer to Jesus!

Love you all!
🤗 Sister Kirkpatrick

Most amazing weekend of my life!

Okay, let's just acknowledge the fact that I've gained 25 pounds on my
mission 😭 (for the pictures you'll see attached!) and move onto the
fact that it's been the most amazing weekend ever!!!

Dario was baptized Saturday morning!!! 🎉🎉👏🏽👏🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
He was soooo happy! I could not stop smiling the entire time! He and
the person who baptized him were wearing matching suits and they were
both so excited! The baptism was so powerful! The baptism itself was
quick, he went all the way under the first time, and just looked like
he felt so clean as he came out of the water! After the baptism, he
shared a little bit of his story and how he got to this point in his
life, his England accent came out, it was awesome, he's the coolest!
He was so nervous to speak, but he seemed like a natural, we told him
that afterwards and he said "I know! I was so nervous but then the
words just came!!" Spirit!!! After he spoke, President Anderson spoke,
and he said "Not only are these people you see here supporting you,
but I feel strongly impressed to tell you that there are also people
on the other side of the veil, your family members who have already
passed on, that are here with you as well." I was blown away!!! He had
no clue that Dario's mom passed away when he was 13, but God knew, and
I believe she was there watching over him as well, it was incredible!
The next morning in sacrament meeting he received the gift of the Holy
Ghost, and then at 2pm he received the Aaronic priesthood, and a
calling to be on the welcoming committee!!! I AM BEYOND EXCITED FOR
HIM! He is on the fast track! Haha he inspires my faith so much! The
picture outside is after we chased him down after church to take a
picture with him, haha we were driving away talking about what a huge
day it was for him, and decided we needed a picture, they probably
think we're crazy for spchasing them down the way we did haha, but
that's okay 💁🏻
Also, ELDER RUEDA from WV (now Isrrael) showed up at his baptism!!!
Long story short he had to get into contact with Sister Fossum in
Sandy, her new area, and she told him she was coming to a baptism with
me and invited him, it was the best surprise ever! 😱🎉

Ryan was also baptized on Sunday! There were so many people there to
support him! He cried while people were speaking at his baptism, it
was so good to see the impact it had on him, because we haven't really
seen that teaching him up to this point. But I am so excited for him
to get a calling and continue to progress!

Saturday night I got to go to the women's session of general
conference with a bunch of sisters from the mission, it was so much
fun!!!! My favorite part was the first speaker talking about

Proverbs 3:5 ¶Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not
unto thine cown dunderstanding.6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and
he shall direct thy paths.

She said when we lean, we are off center, we are not centered on
Christ anymore! I loved that so much! And I also loved just how aware
of each one of us God is, I had a question come into my mind towards
the end, and I wrote it down, then the last speaker shared a scripture
that I know was God's answer to me, it was

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as
the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be ctroubled,
neither let it be afraid.

It might seem simple, but it was what I needed, and God knew that,
because He knows me individually, just as He knows you. One of my
favorite parts of that scripture is the word remember. That's what the
spirit does, it brings truths to our remembrance. Satan would have us
forget our spiritual experiences, and doubt the things we believe in,
but the spirit helps us to remember. I know that's why we are
commanded to read scriptures and pray every day, so that we stay close
to God and have open communication with Him!

❤ John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might
have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good
cheer; I have eovercome the world.

Jesus has already overcome the world!!!

I love you all! Have a great week and feel free to email me 🤗

Sister Kirkpatrick