Hola Mi Familia!

Hola mi familia! (Yes I can say that because I went on exchanges to a Spanish area and now I am basically a pro. Lol. Not really. Like at all. Carter, could you help a sister out??)

Soooo I am in a really really really good mood as I am composing this because we had a Zumba class last night and it was the bomb. Seriously just what I needed. We have zone Family Home Evening on Monday nights and I special requested that we do Zumba because we met a recent convert who teaches Zumba and I am all about that. And our zone leaders were so in because they just really want to make us sisters happy because all us sisters are way too stressed out with having to work the temple and our areas, so yay! Anyway...we had this FHE and we thought the elders would be all meh about it because they're boys but the LOVED it. Yes you read that correctly the ELDERS loved Zumba. In fact they requested we do it every morning. So we talked with this Zumba instructor and she agreed to do it once a week with us at 5:30 in the morning and all the Elders were so into it! Lololol. I've missed dancing too much. Maybe we can find some more instructors around here that would be willing to hold another class for us. That would be great.

Anyway this week was the longest week of my life. All of the days blur together. We started the temple open house and it feels like we have now been working it forever. Aka total professionals.  So anyway, earlier on in the week we started VIP tours and guess who we got to see??? Elder Ballard, Elder Christofferson, Elder Nelson and Elder Perry! Yes sirree bob, we saw all of them! #blessed

Okay so Wednesday we had a district meeting that was awesome. We talked about our weaknesses and then found scripture that helped us answer how to strengthen those weaknesses. Some of the scriptures that helped me were : proverbs 8:35, alma 36:3, and John 15:2! The thing that I felt is my weakness is having the idea that if there is companionship unity than everything else will be okay. Now it's not necessarily a bad thought to have, but it isn't the answer to my current situation. Instead the revelation that I felt I received was to have a focus shift. Instead of focusing on sister Hansen 24/7 focus on people we teach and others we interact with like leaders and other missionaries. So far it has been a good thing. 

Then Thursday we had a lesson with Gaige and Journey which went well....but then on Sunday Gaige dropped us. And on Friday Journey's mom told us that she wanted Journey to wait until she is older to be baptized. But then today Gaige said she and her family want to still go to the open house with us sooooo we will see how this all pans out.

We also went on splits during the day on Thursday. Which was...different. The other sisters in our zone wanted to go shopping which I am down for always. (Our pdays are a little strange with the

temple so we just fit in time anywhere we can to do things) And Sister Hansen did not want to go shopping. So she stayed home and hung out with our land lady while I went with Sister Boyson (our awesome senior missionary who is also from the south so we have a special connection) to target to go shopping with the other sisters. Btw I bought a super duper cute necklace that was on sale because a bunch of my jewelry is worn to the bone as one would imagine they would be after a year of wear and tear.

Thursday night we had an AWESOME lesson with the Mohlmans. They went to the Hill Cumorah pageant and loved it! They were showing us pics and telling us how awesome it was and how it just really clearly laid out the Book of Mormon. Then we got on to talking about baptism and mr. Mohlman expressed his one hang up being the idea that Joseph smith was called as a prophet at 14. So we talked about the actual timeline of Joseph Smiths call (first vision, years later gets the plates,

years later receives the priesthood) and then his mind was really blown. And he was all well now I really wanna study this so his wife got out her Teachings of the Prophets: Joseph Smith manual for him to read. I mean come on people, why are you not baptized yet?? They are seriously so awesome I love love love them so much. I definitely feel a special connection with them.

Friday was the first day of the open house being open to the public. It was good! My feet about fell off from standing all stinkin' day but I loved seeing all the joyful smiles. Miracle from the open house this week: I talked with a couple from Pennsylvania who just so happened to decided to come on vacation to Utah last week because they like to travel and had not yet visited Utah. Coincidence? I think not. So someone tells them they have to go to the Ogden open house so they do. They come through the reception tent and I am there. (You can spot the non Mormons from the Mormons in the tent. They usually see your missionary name tag and attempt not to make eye contact with you ;))

so I went up to them to ask them how they enjoyed the temple. They proceed to tell me they loved it and thought it was gorgeous, I asked some more slightly prying questions to get their story. Then ask if they have any friends who are members, she tells me they have one who lives in North Carolina and their friend had recently drove through their town while they weren't in town. She had dropped off a Book of Mormon and now they really really wanted to go home and read it because now after going through the temple it has a whole new meaning. Too legit!!! I also got lambasted by two anti mormon guys arguing (me smiling them arguing) about what The Atonement really is and grace and

mercy. It was good - the Spirit really helped me know just what to say.

Saturday we worked the temple (we work the temple everyday now in 6 hour shifts) and afterwards we went on exchanges. I got to go with Sister Fisher who is one of the Spanish sisters in the Roy area. I was completely deer in the headlights all day long. Although some people liked to practice their English on me so that was nice of them ;) Sister Fisher is so sweet. I love her. She's pretty close with sister Howe too so we had that connection. It was fun!!

I am doing well. I struggle, and that's okay. Miracles still happen everyday. And I am so very blessed to witness them.

I love you. I miss you. I pray for you.

Sister Kingsford