Hello Everyone!
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all eat extra for me and James! haha Take lots of pics for us. I'll make sure to take pictures here too! Sounds like you had a busy week. Things will get even crazier as Christmas approaches Im sure. Tis truly the most wonderful time of the year! I cant wait to have Christmas here in Kirtland again, it's going to be awesome! I'll miss all of you of course, but there's something about this place that is magical at Christmas.
So tomorrow is transfers and as you all know I will be getting transferred. I actually already know where I'll be serving and who my companion will be. I have been extended a call to be Training Sister. No this doesnt mean that I'll be training a new Sister. I think I may have explained what a Training Sister is before, but I'll do it again just incase you have forgotten haha. Well, basically Training Sisters are a companionship that act as the assistants to the Site director. It's the Sister equivalent of an A.P. I guess. I'm not telling you this to brag by any means....Im actually telling you all this because I feel extremely overwhelmed and can use any advice you have to offer! Prayers would be nice too! I'll be Training Sister until the end of my mission. I feel humbled yet blessed to be able to serve in this capacity. President Sorensen, my Mission President, pulled me and Sister Stewart (my companion starting tomorrow) aside after the investigator fireside the other night. He told us that we are the "transition" Training Sisters. Meaning that we'll essentially be the ones to train the new Site Director who comes in January. No pressure! Yikes. I'll only get to serve with our current Site Director (Elder Butterfield) for one transfer before he leaves I love the Butterfields so much, Im gonna have a hard time when they leave! But this new Site Director will be awesome too. His name is Elder Edmond (not sure on the spelling?) and he's a former Mission President and former President of the MTC. It's going to be a crazy next 6 months, but I'm excited. I'll end my mission in the same ward that I started out in and will move back into the Hyrum Smith home!
In other news the musical fireside went well! Sister Park and I did a duet of "Jesus was No Ordinary Man". Tonight all of us Sisters get another opportunity to sing in the Kirtland Temple! Its for the Thanksgiving program. I LOVE being able to be in the temple! Did I tell you that the Stake President here (President Haymond) promised that KIrtland would receive a working Temple if members here attend the Colombus temple more regularly? Pretty cool huh?
Some more news, we gave a tour to a former Mission President (and his family) who are from Sacramento! He knows President Treadway too, because he used to be the Antelope Stake President. He just got back from serving as the President of the Arizona Mesa Mission in June. I think President Bassett was his name. We had a good time with him and his family.
Also, we had a lesson with our investigator Brenda in the baptismal font at the church. Yes I said IN the font, but no there wasnt any water in it haha. We talked about her baptismal day (Dec 18th) and how she'll feel as she steps into the font to make that covenant with Heavenly Father. It was pretty sweet!
Well, that's all the news from me. I hope you all have a great week ahead and know that you are all in my prayers! Love you tons! Thanks for everything! This gospel is true!
Love
Sister Kingston
Monday, November 29, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
You ARE worthy!
Hellllllooooo Family!
Its a beautiful day here in the Ohio. Mom and Katrina thanks so much for sending that music! Hopefully the fireside goes well, Ill tell you all about it. Thanks for the pictures too! The kids all look so growed up, it's crazy! It's weird to think that one year ago tomorrow I entered the MTC. So long ago, yet it seems like yesterday. Mom, to answer your question I havent heard back yet from BYU or Long Beach because I actually havent applied yet haha. I just never have the time. But the deadline is December 1, so I HAVE to get my applications in by then. Which reminds me, I forgot that it costs money to apply :( I think it's around $50 for each application. I dont want to sound needy but I am lol. Can you put $100 into my account? It can be my birthday/ Christmas present. Money's really what I need the most anyway. Sorry to be so lame. I cant wait to hear Cosa's band! I bet they sound amazing. Mom, my health is pretty good. I havent been sick for about a year now, and my weight is back down to what I was when I came out. Now I just have to maintain during the Holidays which we ALL know is really hard. Speaking of Christmas, people here already have lights up and lawn decorations out! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! :)
Well, the highlight of this past week was Sunday. It was the primary program at Church and it was AMAZING. Also, Dalon my former investigator that was baptized in September, received the Priesthood. We're still teaching Dalon's mom Lakeisha. She's had a rough life and she has a lot of sorrow for things she's done in the past. She recently told us that she knows she wont make it to the Celestial Kingdom. She has a hard time understanding/applying the Atonement as well. Well, we told our ward mission leader about her concerns just before gospel principles class. (He's the teacher). He right then and there changed the lesson to meet her needs! He is one of the best teachers Ive ever known! He taught about the Atonement. By the end of the lesson Lakeisha was in tears. I know she received answers to her prayers. The lesson in Relief Society just built upon her experience in that second hour.
The lesson in RS was all about the Holy Ghost. Toward the end of the lesson Lakeisha raised her hand and said the reason why she keeps coming to church is because, " I feel the Spirit, even though Im not worthy of feeling God's love." As she said this everyone in Relief Society looked at her and said (in unison it seemed like) , "You ARE worthy!" It was amazing to see women of all different ages and backgrounds uniting togther to testify of God's love, to someone who's never felt truly loved her whole life. There wasnt a dry eye in the room. We're meeting with Lakeisha tonight for the first time since Sunday, so I'll let you know how it goes.
Well I have to go, sorry not a lot to report this week. Next week my p-day will be Tuesday because transfers is on Wednesday. Im probably getting transferred but you never know. And yes Dad you read correctly we are having a Turkey Bowl! Hopefully the weather will cooperate and yes Ill make sure to take pics. I love you all and hope you have a great week!
Sister Kingston
Its a beautiful day here in the Ohio. Mom and Katrina thanks so much for sending that music! Hopefully the fireside goes well, Ill tell you all about it. Thanks for the pictures too! The kids all look so growed up, it's crazy! It's weird to think that one year ago tomorrow I entered the MTC. So long ago, yet it seems like yesterday. Mom, to answer your question I havent heard back yet from BYU or Long Beach because I actually havent applied yet haha. I just never have the time. But the deadline is December 1, so I HAVE to get my applications in by then. Which reminds me, I forgot that it costs money to apply :( I think it's around $50 for each application. I dont want to sound needy but I am lol. Can you put $100 into my account? It can be my birthday/ Christmas present. Money's really what I need the most anyway. Sorry to be so lame. I cant wait to hear Cosa's band! I bet they sound amazing. Mom, my health is pretty good. I havent been sick for about a year now, and my weight is back down to what I was when I came out. Now I just have to maintain during the Holidays which we ALL know is really hard. Speaking of Christmas, people here already have lights up and lawn decorations out! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! :)
Well, the highlight of this past week was Sunday. It was the primary program at Church and it was AMAZING. Also, Dalon my former investigator that was baptized in September, received the Priesthood. We're still teaching Dalon's mom Lakeisha. She's had a rough life and she has a lot of sorrow for things she's done in the past. She recently told us that she knows she wont make it to the Celestial Kingdom. She has a hard time understanding/applying the Atonement as well. Well, we told our ward mission leader about her concerns just before gospel principles class. (He's the teacher). He right then and there changed the lesson to meet her needs! He is one of the best teachers Ive ever known! He taught about the Atonement. By the end of the lesson Lakeisha was in tears. I know she received answers to her prayers. The lesson in Relief Society just built upon her experience in that second hour.
The lesson in RS was all about the Holy Ghost. Toward the end of the lesson Lakeisha raised her hand and said the reason why she keeps coming to church is because, " I feel the Spirit, even though Im not worthy of feeling God's love." As she said this everyone in Relief Society looked at her and said (in unison it seemed like) , "You ARE worthy!" It was amazing to see women of all different ages and backgrounds uniting togther to testify of God's love, to someone who's never felt truly loved her whole life. There wasnt a dry eye in the room. We're meeting with Lakeisha tonight for the first time since Sunday, so I'll let you know how it goes.
Well I have to go, sorry not a lot to report this week. Next week my p-day will be Tuesday because transfers is on Wednesday. Im probably getting transferred but you never know. And yes Dad you read correctly we are having a Turkey Bowl! Hopefully the weather will cooperate and yes Ill make sure to take pics. I love you all and hope you have a great week!
Sister Kingston
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Miracle for Sister Dalton
Hey Mom Dad and fam,
Thanks Mom and Dad for your letters! Its ok that you forgot my p-day, I know it's hard to keep all of the changes strait. Thanks for the pics too! Looks like you had a fun Halloween! I'll attach a couple photos from Halloween, although they didnt turn out the best. One of the senior couples was taking pictures for me...but they had their finger covering the flash on a lot of them. Oh well haha. We had limited resources (i.e. money) to make our costume really creative...so we just wore brown and wrapped sticks anround us and put sticks in our hair.
We tried to find nametags to wear (the ones that say HELLO my name is ...) but we couldnt find any so we had to do a guetto version and just print the names off of the computer. People here in Ohio go ALL OUT for the Holidays. Halloween was crazy. Some lawn decorations were literally disturbing haha. People have already begun to put out their Nativities! I cant believe it's the Holidays! Next week is my year mark! I come home 6 months from tomorrow. Crazy!
Life here has been good. It snowed a few days ago! It's gotten a little warmer but winter is definitely here! All the leaves are already gone :( Mom or Dad asked about Thanksgiving. All of the sisters and senior couples have a Thanksgiving lunch at the Visitor Center at 1:00 pm. Before that we have a turkey bowl at 10 am...David and Kenji Ill be thinking of you when I play lol. After our lunch in Kirtland we all go back to our areas and spend the rest of the day with families in the wards that we're serving. Im not exactly sure where Ill be though because transfers is the day before Thanksgiving. Im about 99.9 % sure that Im being transferred so we'll see where I end up.
Mom and Dad thankyou sooooooo much for going out with the missionaries! You have no idea how important that is! Also, we pray and ponder about who would be best to go to certain investigators so you must be doin somethin right! haha Mom, it is a sad day when we have members come to lessons and the investigator doesnt show. It happens quite often. Here in the OCM when someone doesnt keep their appointment we say they flamed us. Just a little mission lingo for ya. Mom and Cos Im glad you were able to make it to Pele's farewell! Can you send me her address if you have it? And that's cool about China. I have heard rumors about that too. It reminds me of the prohecy that Joseph Smith made at the Morley Farm in Kirtland. That the gospel would grow to fill North and South America, and that it would fill the world!
Well, this week Ill share with you a small miracle that happenned in the phone room at the Visitor Center. I have been put in charge of International Referrals (which means that I get to call people who live around the world...as long as they speak English of course...those who dont I send to the MTC). Anyways, I was going through my stack of cards and came across one that didnt seem to belong. It wasnt an international referral and I saw a senior couples name on it. That senior couple was working the front desk that night so I went down to ask them about it. Sister Dalton filled me in on the info. She was going through her purse to find something that pertained to the card and she came across her Sister's address and phone number. She then gave it to me and asked if I would call her. Sister Dalton is one of ten kids and the only member in her family. I agreed and went up stairs to make the call. Well, to make a long story short I talked to Sister Dalton's sister and she accepted to have missionaries! I went down and told Sister Dalton and she gave me a big hug! She started to cry and told me that her and Elder Dalton had been praying for a miracle to happen in her family. It was a testament to me that the Lord knows each of us and answers our prayers!
Ill be calling Sister Daltons sister back in a couple of weeks to see how it went with the missionaries. Ill let you know how it goes!
Oh also I wanted to share something that happened on Sunday. Well, as you all know Sunday was fast and testimony meeting. Well, this Sunday there was a visitor from out of town, who got up to share her "testimony". Well, I dont want to be mean but basically she was sharing everything BUT her testinomy and taking a LONG time to do so. I was literally praying with all my might that she would finish and sit down. It got to the point where I couldnt even look up I was so disturbed. Finally I turn to my companion and I say, "Im going up there." And before she had time to respond I was on my way up to the stand. I thought I would take matters into my own hands and hopefully by going up there it would signal her to stop. Well, she kept going haha. Sister Gaugh in the ward came up and sat by me and said," Were you praying too?" Well, finally one of the councilors in the Bishopric gets up and tells her she needs to stop. As she goes to sit down, about 7 of the kids in the ward (all under the age of ten) rush the stand. One by one, they bore the most heartfelt and pure testimonies Ive ever heard! None of them had their parents telling them what to say. Sister Gaugh and I sat there on the stand crying our eyes out. I was quickly humbled by the Lord. Here I was thinking I was going to change the Spirit of the meeting and bring it back. But the Lord had other plans. He chose those kids to do the job. The gospel is simple and the kids in primary remind me of that constantly! It's no wonder that we're told to be like little children!
Well, I have to go. I love all of you and Im grateful for your examples! The church is true!
Love Sister Kingston
1.At the Solon ward Halloween party with Yoda :)
3. My comp and I and the other sisters are the she bears from the Old Testament
4. Spirit Paradise and Spirit Prison and one of the lost manuscripts :)
5. The Brother of Jared, the Jaredite Stones, and the finger of the Lord (only a little blasphemas!)
6. That my friends is two 50 piece chicken nuggets (100 all together)! And yes we ate it all. The four of us collectively consumed about 5000 calories. Yikes.
Thanks Mom and Dad for your letters! Its ok that you forgot my p-day, I know it's hard to keep all of the changes strait. Thanks for the pics too! Looks like you had a fun Halloween! I'll attach a couple photos from Halloween, although they didnt turn out the best. One of the senior couples was taking pictures for me...but they had their finger covering the flash on a lot of them. Oh well haha. We had limited resources (i.e. money) to make our costume really creative...so we just wore brown and wrapped sticks anround us and put sticks in our hair.
We tried to find nametags to wear (the ones that say HELLO my name is ...) but we couldnt find any so we had to do a guetto version and just print the names off of the computer. People here in Ohio go ALL OUT for the Holidays. Halloween was crazy. Some lawn decorations were literally disturbing haha. People have already begun to put out their Nativities! I cant believe it's the Holidays! Next week is my year mark! I come home 6 months from tomorrow. Crazy!
Life here has been good. It snowed a few days ago! It's gotten a little warmer but winter is definitely here! All the leaves are already gone :( Mom or Dad asked about Thanksgiving. All of the sisters and senior couples have a Thanksgiving lunch at the Visitor Center at 1:00 pm. Before that we have a turkey bowl at 10 am...David and Kenji Ill be thinking of you when I play lol. After our lunch in Kirtland we all go back to our areas and spend the rest of the day with families in the wards that we're serving. Im not exactly sure where Ill be though because transfers is the day before Thanksgiving. Im about 99.9 % sure that Im being transferred so we'll see where I end up.
Mom and Dad thankyou sooooooo much for going out with the missionaries! You have no idea how important that is! Also, we pray and ponder about who would be best to go to certain investigators so you must be doin somethin right! haha Mom, it is a sad day when we have members come to lessons and the investigator doesnt show. It happens quite often. Here in the OCM when someone doesnt keep their appointment we say they flamed us. Just a little mission lingo for ya. Mom and Cos Im glad you were able to make it to Pele's farewell! Can you send me her address if you have it? And that's cool about China. I have heard rumors about that too. It reminds me of the prohecy that Joseph Smith made at the Morley Farm in Kirtland. That the gospel would grow to fill North and South America, and that it would fill the world!
Well, this week Ill share with you a small miracle that happenned in the phone room at the Visitor Center. I have been put in charge of International Referrals (which means that I get to call people who live around the world...as long as they speak English of course...those who dont I send to the MTC). Anyways, I was going through my stack of cards and came across one that didnt seem to belong. It wasnt an international referral and I saw a senior couples name on it. That senior couple was working the front desk that night so I went down to ask them about it. Sister Dalton filled me in on the info. She was going through her purse to find something that pertained to the card and she came across her Sister's address and phone number. She then gave it to me and asked if I would call her. Sister Dalton is one of ten kids and the only member in her family. I agreed and went up stairs to make the call. Well, to make a long story short I talked to Sister Dalton's sister and she accepted to have missionaries! I went down and told Sister Dalton and she gave me a big hug! She started to cry and told me that her and Elder Dalton had been praying for a miracle to happen in her family. It was a testament to me that the Lord knows each of us and answers our prayers!
Ill be calling Sister Daltons sister back in a couple of weeks to see how it went with the missionaries. Ill let you know how it goes!
Oh also I wanted to share something that happened on Sunday. Well, as you all know Sunday was fast and testimony meeting. Well, this Sunday there was a visitor from out of town, who got up to share her "testimony". Well, I dont want to be mean but basically she was sharing everything BUT her testinomy and taking a LONG time to do so. I was literally praying with all my might that she would finish and sit down. It got to the point where I couldnt even look up I was so disturbed. Finally I turn to my companion and I say, "Im going up there." And before she had time to respond I was on my way up to the stand. I thought I would take matters into my own hands and hopefully by going up there it would signal her to stop. Well, she kept going haha. Sister Gaugh in the ward came up and sat by me and said," Were you praying too?" Well, finally one of the councilors in the Bishopric gets up and tells her she needs to stop. As she goes to sit down, about 7 of the kids in the ward (all under the age of ten) rush the stand. One by one, they bore the most heartfelt and pure testimonies Ive ever heard! None of them had their parents telling them what to say. Sister Gaugh and I sat there on the stand crying our eyes out. I was quickly humbled by the Lord. Here I was thinking I was going to change the Spirit of the meeting and bring it back. But the Lord had other plans. He chose those kids to do the job. The gospel is simple and the kids in primary remind me of that constantly! It's no wonder that we're told to be like little children!
Well, I have to go. I love all of you and Im grateful for your examples! The church is true!
Love Sister Kingston
2. Check out the sticks in my hair!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Happy Halloween!
Hey Mom Dad and everyone else!
Mom thanks for forwarding James' e-mail! Dad it sounds like you did get a little taste of what missionary work is like. It's a roller coaster of emotions isnt it? Im glad you had a good experience though. Im excited to see Cosa's condo! You should send pics! Im glad to hear that the primary program went well. The ward Im serving in has theirs in November. Im really excited for it! I hope you had a good time with Aunt Leslie and Uncle Max. That pic of Dad and Uncle Max cracked me up! The story of Maile almost made me cry! I love those kids so much!
Well, you all fail in helping me figure out my Halloween costume. Fortunately, I already came up with one. So I've been shooting down (very nicely of course) all of my companion's ideas for costumes. She wanted to be the two women in the King Solomon cutting the baby story in the Bible. (I could have phrased that better but Im too lazy haha). I told her that wasnt good enough...that we had to think of something clever. Well, I did my best to channel my inner Jim (from the Office) and come up with something. After a few different ideas (including dressing up in 80's clothes and being characters from all the outdated church movies haha) I finally decided. Sister Lee and I are going to be the Stick of Judah and the Stick of Joseph. So we're trying to figure out how to make ourselves look like sticks. Ill send you pictures of the end result! Lol Make sure to send me pics of all of your costumes too!
Dang I dont have much time but I have another p-day on Monday (november 1st) because we're moving that day. So Ill make that one a good one! Real quick though I just wanted to tell you about a couple experiences that I had. Stake Conference was this past weekend and it was AWESOME! I love the Kirtland Stake President! His name is President Haymond and he reminds me A LOT of President Treadway. To open the conference all of us missionaries in the stake (about 30 of us) sang our mission song. It's to the tune of "We'll Bring the World his Truth". We sing it at all of our zone conferences and transfer meetings. The first verse is the same but the second and third verses and chorus have been changed. These are the words:
We have been called and we will obey
repent and work with our might each day
we'll call on him through fasting and prayer
and with His help we will be prepared
Chorus: We are in the Ohio Cleveland
we have prepared since our youth
and we are in the Ohio Cleveland
to bring Ohio His truth
We have been called to serve in the place
where Christ our Savior has shown his face
we know the words the Lord has proclaimed
Kirtland will be built up again!
repeat chorus
Wow, I get teary eyed just typing the words out lol. Everyone in the congregation was wiping away tears. It was powerful! Then we sang "called to serve" with the youth of the stake. They have a Kirtland Missionary Academy here (kinda like the one Pres Treadway started), so we sand with them. It was an amazing experience.
The other quick experience I wanted to share happened just last night. We ate dinner at President Haymond's house because he's in our ward. There are two sets of us Sisters in the ward so all 4 of us ate there. Anyways, at the end of the dinner he told us that our mission President (President Sorensen) e-mailed him and thanked him for letting us be a part of Stake Conference. President Haymond told us that he told President Sorensen, "The missionaries mean everything to me." He then went on to talk about how much he loves us and supports us. Tears were streaming down my face, and I looked around the table and the other Sisters were crying too... and Sister Haymond. It's hard to even explain except to say that the love emulating from President Haymond was something Ive never felt before. I got into the car afterwards and just continued to cry. (sometimes I wish this wasnt the way I felt the Spirit because it's so draining haha). Anyways, it was a really neat experience that I will always remember.
Well, I have to go. I love you all and hope you have a great Halloween!!!!! I pray for you daily and miss you tons!
Mom thanks for forwarding James' e-mail! Dad it sounds like you did get a little taste of what missionary work is like. It's a roller coaster of emotions isnt it? Im glad you had a good experience though. Im excited to see Cosa's condo! You should send pics! Im glad to hear that the primary program went well. The ward Im serving in has theirs in November. Im really excited for it! I hope you had a good time with Aunt Leslie and Uncle Max. That pic of Dad and Uncle Max cracked me up! The story of Maile almost made me cry! I love those kids so much!
Well, you all fail in helping me figure out my Halloween costume. Fortunately, I already came up with one. So I've been shooting down (very nicely of course) all of my companion's ideas for costumes. She wanted to be the two women in the King Solomon cutting the baby story in the Bible. (I could have phrased that better but Im too lazy haha). I told her that wasnt good enough...that we had to think of something clever. Well, I did my best to channel my inner Jim (from the Office) and come up with something. After a few different ideas (including dressing up in 80's clothes and being characters from all the outdated church movies haha) I finally decided. Sister Lee and I are going to be the Stick of Judah and the Stick of Joseph. So we're trying to figure out how to make ourselves look like sticks. Ill send you pictures of the end result! Lol Make sure to send me pics of all of your costumes too!
Dang I dont have much time but I have another p-day on Monday (november 1st) because we're moving that day. So Ill make that one a good one! Real quick though I just wanted to tell you about a couple experiences that I had. Stake Conference was this past weekend and it was AWESOME! I love the Kirtland Stake President! His name is President Haymond and he reminds me A LOT of President Treadway. To open the conference all of us missionaries in the stake (about 30 of us) sang our mission song. It's to the tune of "We'll Bring the World his Truth". We sing it at all of our zone conferences and transfer meetings. The first verse is the same but the second and third verses and chorus have been changed. These are the words:
We have been called and we will obey
repent and work with our might each day
we'll call on him through fasting and prayer
and with His help we will be prepared
Chorus: We are in the Ohio Cleveland
we have prepared since our youth
and we are in the Ohio Cleveland
to bring Ohio His truth
We have been called to serve in the place
where Christ our Savior has shown his face
we know the words the Lord has proclaimed
Kirtland will be built up again!
repeat chorus
Wow, I get teary eyed just typing the words out lol. Everyone in the congregation was wiping away tears. It was powerful! Then we sang "called to serve" with the youth of the stake. They have a Kirtland Missionary Academy here (kinda like the one Pres Treadway started), so we sand with them. It was an amazing experience.
The other quick experience I wanted to share happened just last night. We ate dinner at President Haymond's house because he's in our ward. There are two sets of us Sisters in the ward so all 4 of us ate there. Anyways, at the end of the dinner he told us that our mission President (President Sorensen) e-mailed him and thanked him for letting us be a part of Stake Conference. President Haymond told us that he told President Sorensen, "The missionaries mean everything to me." He then went on to talk about how much he loves us and supports us. Tears were streaming down my face, and I looked around the table and the other Sisters were crying too... and Sister Haymond. It's hard to even explain except to say that the love emulating from President Haymond was something Ive never felt before. I got into the car afterwards and just continued to cry. (sometimes I wish this wasnt the way I felt the Spirit because it's so draining haha). Anyways, it was a really neat experience that I will always remember.
Well, I have to go. I love you all and hope you have a great Halloween!!!!! I pray for you daily and miss you tons!
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