Merry Christmas!

Hey Family!

 Well I'll keep this short since I get to talk to you all in a few short days :) Speaking of which, Mom I was actually planning on calling around 12 my time which would be 9 your time. Sorry so early but we have a zone activity later and a member dinner and my comp needs to call her family too, so I dont have another time. Sorry! I hope everyone can make it! I'll be sure to call the cell numbers.

Mission Conference was SOOOO GOOOOD! The spirit was so strong the entire time. Our song went well. My favorite was when we sang part of the last verse acapella. It was powerful. Another one of my favorite parts of mission conference was when we had the opportunity to bear our testimonies. Each zone was assigned a choir box (in every corner of the temple) and there we shared testimonies with each other. The most powerful testimony came from a non-missionary. His name is Andrew and he is a recent convert of a few months. His story is incredible and I'll share it with you one day when I have more time. He was invited to come to mission conference because he is thinking of going on a mssion. Anyways, I wish I could remember what he said...but I cant. I just know that I was weeping as I felt the Spirit witness of the truths he spoke.

After the temple we went to the stake center and ate lunch and finished in the chapel. We sang Christmas hymns and then they passed out our letters and we all read them as we sat there in the chapel. Im not gonna lie, I was a bit dissappointed that I didnt receive any hand written letters but I know it wasnt your fault. I was glad to receive the e-mails at least! The same thing happened to my companion last year so she empathized lol.

We're still teaching the twins and preparing them for baptism. We're hoping to find some more investigators soon too! The gospel is true and there's no greater work than this!

I love you all and will talk to you later...this week :)

 

Sister Kingston

Mission Conference in the Kirtland Temple

Hello!

Wow, sounds like you all had a busy weekend full of festivities! I love Christmas! I'll have to send some pics of Kirtland with the lights and all the snow and the nativities. Sister Stewart and I helped Elder Butterfield send some pics off to Mormon Times the other day and theyre supposed to do some type of article on Kirtland. Im so blessed to be here at this time of year again :)

Im glad Jacosa will be moving in finally! I know what its like to live out of a suitcase for long periods of time haha. Im excited to see the condo when I get back. So, the weather here is pretty crazy right now. There's a huge blizzard and it's 17 degrees outside. Hopefully we'll still be able to drive...last p-day we werent allowed to. We HAVE to this week though because we've been living off of cereal and ward Christmas party leftovers lol.

 

Im sooooooo excited for tomorrow! We're having Mission Conference in the temple! We were told to come fasting and to prepare spiritually. The sacrament will be administered. The Brethren gave our Mission President special permission to bless and pass the sacrament in the Temple. It's not done very often and I know it's going to be an amazing experience. The zone leaders will be passing it, I'll be thinking of you James and your awesome calling. Im also singing in the Temple for mission conference. Sister Stewart and I are singing in a quartet with 2 Elders. We're singing Oh Holy Night too! It's the only musical number being performed in the Temple so I hope it goes well!

 

This past week was good! We're still teaching the twins Corri and Jaclyn. Did I tell you that they came to Sites one day in the summer just because they saw it as they drove by!? They took a full tour. A couple months later Jaclyn googled "mormon" and was lead to mormon.org where she began chatting with missionaries on-line and then decided to meet with them in person. Pretty cool huh? The Sisters who were in this area before us started to teach them and now we are continuing to help them receive the restored gospel! But you want to hear something amazing? I was the one who took them on that tour when they came to sites for the first time! The Lord's hand is definitely in this work!

 

Something pretty cool happened in the phone room this week. We get incoming calls from people who call the 1-800 numbers (on the pass along cards) to receive a free dvd or Book of Mormon. Well the phone rang and I answered. The man was a member and was calling the number to see if it was still valid so he could post it on his website. I told him "yup it still works"! He then introduced himself...it was Allen Osmond haha. He has a family website and he's going to post the 1-800 number for anyone who wants to learn more about the church! Those Osmonds really are great missionaries! I know of two members of the church here in Ohio who have joined  because of the Osmond family! You should have seen Sister Putnam's face (a woman in the Kirtland ward) when I told her I talked to him on the phone! Well, I couldnt just let him get off the phone. I asked him to sing to me. Just kidding! I did ask him for a referral though. He gave me a name and number. I called his friend and he accepted to have missionaries visit him! Mom you would like this guy he's into natural medicine lol. I guess he's helping Allen with his MS. He has a website if you want to check it out...I cant remember exactly what it is though...it might be watercure2.com...but Im not sure? I wrote it down somewhere. His name is Robert Butts. Anyways, check it out and tell me if it helps you  lose weight haha. No really though, he said it does!

 

Ive seen a lot of miracles in the phone room lately. My zone leader Elder Hunt has left tons of referrals! I called his uncle the other day and he accepted. Because he hasnt been afraid to write those names down and give them over to us, 5 of his friends/family members are being taught by missionaries! Ive called other family members and friends of missionaries and its amazing to see how hearts are softened and prepared!

Oh that reminds me Mom, if you get the name and number of Pres Treadways friend you can just call the Visitors Center (440) 256-9805. Just say you have referral information and theyll have you talk to a young Sister. Just give whoever it is the info and it will get passed along to me :)

 

Well I love you all! Thanks for all your support and your examples! I love this work and my testimony continues to grow each and every day! Hope you all have a great week and cant wait to talk to you on Christmas!

Love Sister Kingston

- Show quoted text -

Zone Leader Council

Hey Family!

Well, I think Im definitely going to have a white Christmas this year! It's been snowing like crazy! Im having de ja vu, I cant believe Ive been here for a year! 3 weeks til I get to talk with everyone!!! YAY!!!

I was super bummed that I missed President Treadway! :( Normally, Im at sites all day Tuesday...but I was in a meeting in Cleveland that day. President Sorensen (my mission president) invited Sister Stewart and I to Zone Leader Council. The meeting lasted all day so I couldnt make it back to Kirtland in time to see President Treadway. Im glad he had a good experience though. The sisters told me that he brought a non-member friend who lives here in Ohio? Can you get her name and number from him and e-mail it to me next week? I want to call her and invite her to the nativities exhibit here. Thanks!

Although I was super sad to miss Pres Treadway, Zone Leader Council was amazing! We were there with all the Zone Leaders in the mission and the A.P.s and President Sorensen. We met in President's office. It was so neat to see how a Priesthood council works. Before we started we watched a clip of President Eyring, explaining how different the Lord's councils are in comparison to those that he learned about as he studied business at Harvard and then taught at Stanford. Im not sure how you can find it on the internet, but if you can WATCH IT! He was at some type of press conference, if that helps at all. Anyways, one moment during the meeting stood out to me. We were discussing an item on the agenda and we couldnt agree. After quite a while one of the Elders suggested that we pray. We all knelt down and he offered the prayer. We stayed on our knees in silence for a moment...and then sat back in our seats. As we went around the room everyone agreed on the matter. It was an experience I will always remember.

That same day of Zone Leader Council, Sister Stewart and I had our first training meeting. We talked about diligence in relation to the phone room. We had them study a certain section in Preach My Gospel in preparation and we did a little demonstration with beans and buckets. Its hard to explain but it went well :)

My Birthday was GOOD! Thanks everyone! It was pretty much a normal work day except that the Butterfields took me out to lunch :) and then the Sisters in my house decorated and we had hot chocolate floats that night! I took a few pics and I'll send them next week.

The rest of the week went well. We're doing our best to find a family to teach and baptize! Oh Mom you asked about Brenda, I hope she's doing well but since Im not in that area anymore I dont know for sure? But we have two invsestigators (they are twins!) who have a baptismal date for jan 1st!

Well, I better go. Thanks everyone for your support and love!!! Have a fantastic week!!!

Love you all!!

 

Sister Kingston

My Companion is from Hurricane!

Hello everyone!

 Mom thankyou so much for telling me about Pres Treadway coming today! Im soooooo excited to give him a tour! I'll make sure to take pics and send them next week! Im glad you all had a good Thanksgiving! I cant believe Christmas will be here in no time! I did think of a few things that you could send me for Christmas, if you want to that is. Any colorful/cute scarfs would be much appreciated! There are some good ones at Target.

Well, this week has been crazy! Nope, Im not quite settled into the house yet, all of my clothes are still packed up. Im hoping to unpack today, but it looks like I might run low on time. The good news is that this is the last time I'll have to unpack before I come home :)

Sister Stewart my companion is from Hurricane, Utah! Her older brother Brad dated Jaycee's sister Amber way back yonder. Jaycee you probably know some of her older siblings too. She's one of 14 kids, so youre bound to know a few Stewarts right? haha I love Sister Stewart! People (senior couples) would always get us confused. They say we look alike. We lived together in the Boynton home and she's a really close friend of mine here. So needless to say I'm happy :)

Thanksgiving was good for me too! I ate LOTS! The weather wasnt so great so our Turkey Bowl had to be altered a bit. Instead of playing out in the rain (c'mom we're Sisters we cant afford to get mud in our hair!) we decided to go to the church building and play knock out and a few other games. It was fun! I didnt take pics because my camera died but I got one group photo. Elder Butterfield even played with us in his white shirt slacks haha. The dinner was awesome. At the end of the dinner one of our favorite senior couples (the Grays) bore their testimonies because they were leaving the next day to go home. Their last request was to have all of us Sisters sing the Ohio Cleveland Mission song. It was a mess! We were ALL in tears after the first verse.

The rest of the day we took it easy. We had to plan for the upcoming week, and that took 5 hours! The longest weekly planning session of my life. If you want to know what we do for weekly planning go to chapter 8 in Preach My Gospel and we do everything from 1-13 under weekly planning! Since Sister Stewart and I are both new to the area it took longer than usual.

We've already seen a few miracles in the past few days. We were able to find 2 new investigators, one of which came to church and we set a baptismal date with him! His name is Bruce. He's a character! Ill tell you more about him next week!

Tomorrow is our first training meeting. Sister Stewart and I are nervous, but we're relying heavily on the Lord. We are responsible for training all the Kirtland Sisters (24 of them) each week. We use Preach My Gospel, our Kirtland Guide, and the scriptures to give workshops.  This time around we're focusing on diligence in the phone room (referral center).
 I'll let you know how it goes! Also tomorrow, Sister Stewart and I have been invited to attend the Zone Leader counsel. It's a meeting where the Zone Leaders, Assistants to the President, and the Mission President get together to discuss the needs and concerns of the missionaries in the mission. I'm sure it will be inspiring and uplifting...at least I hope so because it's 51/2 hours long!
Well, I better go. Thankyou all for your love and support! Oh and for the birthday wishes too :) I cant believe how old I am! Yikes. Anyways, I hope all of you have a great week!

Sister Kingston

p.s. Mom thanks so much for putting money into my account! It looks like my school

applications arent technically due until Feb. 1, 2011. Whew! So the money will just sit for now until Im ready to send them off :) Love ya!

p.p.s I think the photos are pretty self explanatory except for the one where Im in the tub haha. Well here's the back story. Once upon a time there used to be only 2 "showers" in the Smith home. One of them (the one you see pictured) we call the midget shower. Sorry it's not pc. Anyways, no one ever wanted to shower in it because you have to sit down (the ceiling is too low to stand). Well, I didnt want to wait forever to get into the shower (6 girls and one shower= no good) so I decided to just use the midget shower. It then became my shower. So when I moved back into the Smith home this past week, I found this in the bathroom. Sister Schumann and Sister Wright (they just went home this week) put it together! The sticky notes say "Welcome Back Sista Kingston" and something about sitting Indian style haha. Oh and the pink thing is a sheet. One day my companion decided to wash my towel w/out drying it...so I had to use a sheet haha. So there are now three showers in the Smith home......but I still use the midget shower! Its more for nostalgia than anything else. Yes Im weird.

- Show quoted text -

Happy Thanksgiving!

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

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

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 :)

2. Check out the sticks in my hair!

                 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.