Disaster Strikes in Stroudsburg

Hello my friends,

This week was rather discouraging. Almost every single investigator that we have has told us that they no longer want to meet with us. We have one really solid investigator who was progressing VERY quickly,
and her husband will not give her permission to be baptized. I think Sister Earl had a harder time with all of this than I did. You have to understand, I don't know the difference. I've never had a baptism. I
am however starting to wonder what it is that I am doing wrong. I know that we are striving to be exactly obedient in all that we do. I think I have found a new sense of determination to get out there and work
hard. We always do our best, but I think we were getting into too much of a routine. This is going to be a hard week.

Once we learned that Mary's husband would not give her permission to be baptized, we pretty much just had a break down. Water works and everything. We call in to the Elders every night to tell them that we
are "in and safe" and our phone call on Saturday night sounded a bit like this, "We...*sob*...are...*sob...in and safe...*sob*..." Poor guys, I wish that I could have seen the look on their faces when they heard the pitiful sound of our crying voices. Much prayers and fasting would be appreciated at this point. Well, we got blessings the next morning and I learned a few very important things:

1. My Heavenly Father gives me trials because He loves me.
2. I am grateful for worthy Priesthood holders.
3. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

We had a mini-missionary with us this week. I have to say, it was rather interesting. It helped Sister Earl and I to see our strength and unity. It also helped us to see where we could improve. Most of all, it helped me to see how much I've learned since I arrived here 12 weeks ago. I can't believe it's been THREE MONTHS! I've learned that I really DO have a clue about what is going on! It was helpful to ask for advice on where to improve as far as the training aspect goes. It was also helpful for me to see how much I have grown since arriving in Philadelphia! I just always need to remember who's name I wear on my chest! My Jesus is SO good!

Love,
Sister Kadee Taylor        

13 Going on 30?

Hellooooooo!

Okay, first of all...since when was I old enough to be 21?! I swear that just yesterday those birthday candles said 17! Weird.

I've learned something, life is better when it's not about you. When you focus on meeting the needs of others, your needs are met. I'm almost positive that it is a law of heaven.

I've also learned that I miss dancing, and I didn't even know that I liked dancing! We were given permission to go to a wedding this week, and boy were we missing out on all the dance floor action! I never thought I'd miss the Cha-cha slide...or whatever it's called haha.

This week we have the incredible opportunity to have a "mini-missionary" with us! Some of the stakes around here set up a program where YSA members who are considering going on missions can come on a mini-mission and stay with the missionaries for  a week! It is quite a compliment to our companionship that we got suggested! So, yesterday we met up with Sister Earnshaw from a neighboring stake, and she will be with us in a trio until Saturday!

You should all read the conference talk Mountains to Climb by Henry B. Eyring:
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/mountains-to-climb?lang=eng

or at LEAST watch the correlated Mormon Message!

I know that we are each asked to bear different burdens in this life for a reason. In our lives there will be challenges. They will either bring you closer to God and therefore make you stronger, or they can destroy you. But you make the decision of which road you take. Alma 29: 4-6 touches on this. I know that we each "ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto us." I think that some of us get caught up in wishing that we were called so some great thing in life, when really all we need to do is exactly what we have been called to do. The trials, heartaches and struggles that you have are the tasks that you have been called to perform in this life, so do them well! The Lord will ask nothing more, nor nothing less of you. Your best is good enough, are you doing your best?

I know that as we each struggle about our imperfections, the Lord will give us suggestions on where to improve. Seek for His guidance and counsel.

I love you all!

Love,
Sister Kadee Taylor

You would not believe your eyes…

I saw FIREFLIES for the first time in my entire life! I have never, nor will I ever be so excited about a bug! They make my life complete, and I get to see them every single night. I. LOVE. THEM.

 

Speaking of bugs... there are SO many here that I've never seen or heard of in my entire life! And I'm pretty sure that they all FLY! Ew. Just ask Sister Earl about how much I hate bugs. She loves it. This has been one crazy week! We had interviews with President Anderson, he's amazing. We had Zone Training in Nazareth, it was awesome. I LOVE the Elders and Sisters that I serve with! They're amazing and I am so blessed to serve with them.

THEN, we did an exchange with the Whitehall Sisters and Sister Hall came with me and I took over Stroudsburg! It was crazy. Then we did an exchange with the Reading Sisters and I was in charge again!

We also had a service project, this week was amazing! I've learned something very important...you can't rely on the GPS to get you anywhere out here. So just follow the Spirit. THEN....our power went out on Friday! And will be out until tomorrow haha. The wonderful Laura Skagen in our ward is letting us stay with her, and we are so grateful! She's made us Vernor's floats and blueberry pancakes, this is the life.

 

This week was amazing though. Mary came to church again, and the Spirit was so strong. It's so interesting to put yourself in the shoes of an investigator while you're at church. After Sacrament meeting we took her on a church tour and showed her the baptismal font. The Spirit was so strong and when we were explaining everything to her we all just felt so happy. Watching someone find what they've been looking for and seeing the light in their eyes when they learn about the Gospel is an amazing gift that our Heavenly Father has allowed us to have.

 

Alma 12:24 "...this life [is] a probationary state...a time to prepare for [an] endless state..." Brothers and sisters, do you realize the magnitude of that? We have this short time here on Earth, to prepare ourselves for the rest of eternity! This tiny moment we have to determine what our life will be like for the rest of FOREVER. It is so important that we have patience with others and with ourselves, that we develop Christ-like attributes and always contribute to the hastening of the work in these latter days. I know that we will be blessed in our righteous efforts and that when we rely on the strength of the Lord (Philippians 4:13) then we will be helped in our journey back home (Mosiah 24:14).

 

I love you all dearly and pray for you always. Thank you for your support, it means the world to me. I know that we each have a part to play in the hastening of the work of the Lord.

 

Love Always,

Sister Kadee Taylor

P.S.- They don't have Otter Pops here...it's weird. They have "Ice Pops" and if you say Otter Pops, people look at you like you're nuts. Also, I'll be getting "Gelato wasted" for my 21st birthday (:

I Believe in Miracles!

I love you all!

This week was amazing! Sister Earl and I saw many miracles due to our determination and faith. The last few weeks of last transfer were a little discouraging for us...okay, a LOT discouraging. With the start of this transfer we decided that we needed to change our attitudes. We did our weekly planning, and told Heavenly Father that we were going to work very hard, but that we expected miracles in return! Bold, we know. But we were willing to work for it! And we did just that!

Our Zone Focus was to have three new investigators. I think we had three new investigators TOTAL last transfer! But, we knew that we had promised to work hard and we expected miracles. On Monday, we stopped at Wendy's (obviously) to get a bite to eat, and found a wonderful older couple- two new investigators on day one! We were so grateful and could not wait to continue working hard. Later in the week, we received a phone call from a number that was not saved in our phone. I answered the phone and the sister on the other end of the phone told me that she lived in Eugine, Oregon and that she has a friend who lives in our area, Mary. She told us that Mary was interested in investigating the Church and that she had been reading many Ensign articles and familiarizing herself with mormon.org. She explained that Mary was currently Catholic but that she was unhappy  with the beliefs and practices of the religion. then she told us that Mary would be coming to church the very next day! She literally called us and gave us an investigator! Mary did in fact come to church yesterday. She stayed all three hours and felt the Spirit very strongly. She even cried during Sacrament Meeting! We have an  appointment to meet with her this Tuesday, and cannot wait to begin helping her come closer to her Savior!

My favorite  part about all of this, was that we didn't find ANY of these people ourselves! We promised to work hard, and Heavenly Father kept His end of the bargain and put these people in our paths. I know that as we continue to forget ourselves and go to work, that we will continue to see miracles. I know that as we set goals that are realistic, but that stretch us, we will continue to see the Lord's help. This is His work and He will not leave us alone in it. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be a missionary at this exciting time. I am so humbled by the trust that the Lord has placed in me, and I hope to never lose that trust.

Brothers and sisters, loved ones!  We need to learn to trust our Heavenly Father! He knows us better than we know ourselves, He has known us since before we came to this earth and received our bodies!  Because of this, we NEED to trust Him. Do you realize what that even means? It means being completely okay with submitting your will to His, and knowing that things will still work out for your good. It's like doing the "trust fall", but with God. I'm pretty sure He'll catch us! He would never ask us to do an impossible thing! He would never tell you to do something that you could not accomplish without His help, and I know this to be true.

This may be difficult at times, because "...the Lord may not see fit to deliver you from your trials." (Mosiah 21:15) Why would that be? Because He wants to torture you? NO. Because He is refining you. He is giving you the opportunity to be the best that you can be.  Do not let that opportunity to grow and learn turn into you complaining and wasting the valuable time that He has given you here on earth. All we are asked to do is the best that we can with His help. And be of good cheer, the future is as bright as your faith! Your best is good enough, are you doing your best? You have a divine, eternal potential that you cannot even imagine. Of this I am sure.

[Go read Forget Me Not by Dieter F. Uchtdorf!]

I love you all so much and am so grateful for your love and support! 

Keep up the prayers!

Love,

Sister Kadee Taylor