We did some cool stuff this week, like we went to another town that's part of our area to try and find all the less actives that live there.  It's straight campo, with roads like tangled Christmas lights, plus it was raining.  Really pretty.  We hope we can go again just to figure out who still lives there.

Something really cool we did this week was we went to San German for a zone activity which the stake president and the mission president coordinated.  San German has a legendary ward, so much member support, and all the missionaries spent the morning inviting all the less actives to come to church the next day.  Hermana Partridge was super excited because she actually had her training there with my last companion, Hermana Ponce, as her trainer.  And so we got the the numbers - there were 175 people in sacrament meeting, with 25 less actives and 40 investigators.  San German WORKS.

Here's something fun from my personal study this week: Alma 31-35, where Alma [the bishop] feels sad that the Zoramites have apostatized [that he has less actives] (31:2), decides to share the gospel (31:5, actually the scripture on my missionary plaque), gets some missionary companions [ward members] (31:6), and goes to visit them.  Yes, they are definitely in apostasy (31:8-11), and some of them have joined another church and forgotten their testimony (31:23, the name for that here is "domingueros").  So he prays (31:26-35), strengthens his companions [ward] (31:36), and goes to teach (Alma 32-34, where we have the perfect example of how two companions teach together).  Then some of the Zoramites [less actives] come back (35:2-4).

I'm doing really well.  I love missionary work and I love the gospel.  And I love all of you :)

Hermana Kirkland

Well, it finally happened.  I hit halfway.  We spent all day yelling "HUMP DAY!", ate at a member's, taught five lessons, received four references (my mission record), and ended at an activity where we watched Legacy.  It was a good day.  But I can't believe it's half over already.  I feel like I've been away maybe three months?  Except I'm definitely not in training any more.  It just goes by so fast... 

Here is Rule #5, which is something very important that I've learned throughout my mission: Don't Be an Idiot.  The mission is replete with stories of idiotic things that missionaries (i.e. ELDERS) have done.  Elders: No girl wants un charlatán misionero.  I don't know exactly how to say that in English.  Probably something like "goof-off" or "moron." Why did President Boucher tell us during zone conference not to burn a shirt at halfway?  Because someone decided to set the shirt he was wearing on fire.  Or there's the time the zone leaders decided to drag their mattresses onto the roof and sleep on top of their house.  Or the elder that broke his arm biking down a 60-degree incline (that was a while ago, we don't have bikes anymore).  Seriously, if you want to have a fun, successful mission, just follow the white handbook to the letter, and to quote President Boucher, "D cubed plus T!  Don't Do Dumb Things!"

We had a good week, considering very few people were home, we had intercambios, and Hermana Partridge got sick and we had to stay in Saturday.  We got a baptismal date - now we've just got to get her in church!  And we are so excited for Women's Conference on Saturday and General Conference next week.  Come listen to a prophet's voice, because he will tell you STRAIGHT UP what you've gotta change to be better :)

Love,

Hermana Kirkland

Here's that picture I wanted to send last week.

I just wanted to include some excerpts from my letter to President last week and his response this week:

"We are basically the best trio of all time. We are actually now a little worried to go back to regular companionships because this is just so wonderful. And we are SO BUSY. SO INSANELY BUSY."

And President says:

"BEST TRIO OF ALL TIME... Like better than any other trio ever? Like better than Peter, James, and John? Thomas, Henry and Deiter? WOW you ARE GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

That's my mission president.  We actually got to see him a few times this week, largely because of the fact that we got to meet Elder Holland!

That could easily be the most spiritual experience of my whole life.  And I've had some.  He talked about:

• Don't you dare fall away from the church after your mission.  I will fight you if you do.
• This is the only dispensation in which there will be no apostasy after.  It's going to work this time.  (Fun quotes: They can't kill us all!  They can try but we can call people really fast.  That's what we talk about).
• The Book of Mormon: i.e. the sign of the beginning of the last days, the most important revelation we have ever had, use it use it use it.  He said he wants us to be a Book of Mormon mission, and after President Boucher got up and said, "So we have a new mission goal.  Starting... now."

He asked who is speaking in Mormon 8 and I answered (Moroni) and he told Hermana Boucher to make me a chocolate chip cookie.  I only knew that because I had sped read Mormón 3-Moroni 10 on the ride over (in Spanish) so I could finish the Book of Mormon before meeting him.  That was a good decision.

And then we were just on fire all week.  We taught 24 lessons in 3 days.  Which was good because the other four days we taught a total of 5.  But then we did the math, and figured that that means if we're really working to our full capacity, we could get up to 50 lessons in one week.  So if I don't write next week it's because I've died of exhaustion.

I love you!  Go read the Book of Mormon!

Hermana Kirkland

P.S. Totally saw Elder Brown.  Totally called him by his first name on accident.  I was going to add a picture but the computer doesn't work.

It's basically a three-day weekend, plus Christmas, because tomorrow Elder Holland is talking to us and we all get to shake his hand.  We are so incredibly stoked.  And terrified.  Elder Holland is terrifying.  I'll let you know how it goes next week.

Being in a trio is so crazy.  We have so much area to cover and so little time.  On Saturday night we planned out our visits for the entire week so that we can help as many people as we can progress towards baptism.  Plus the great thing about a trio is it is a lot easier to do splits with members since we only need one.  That is the only way we will get the numbers we want this week.

If any of you are wondering what we do on our P-Day, today we made a fort and watched The Testaments inside and talked about deep doctrine.  And how the Testaments is basically Hillcrest's production of Aida, i.e. everyone dyed their hair and got spray tans.

We have so much fun, though.  This trio is easy because we're all American.  It will be weird to go back to only having one companion.

I love you!  Spiritual thought for the week - The more your prayers are in line with God's will, the happier you will be and the more blessings you will receive.  Mormon 2-3.

Hermana Kirkland

The only positive thing about this week is that next week will be better.  OH and Elder Holland is coming on the 10, which we are all really excited for.

I was expecting homesickness.  I wasn't expecting her to start crying during the middle of the prayer to start our first companion study and decide to go home.  Long, horrible story short, she flies out in less than an hour.  But now I'm in a trio with Hermana Stevens and Hermana Partridge, and it's probably going to be the most fun 5 weeks of my misison (and the busiest!  Our area just DOUBLED).

Basically my companion did not want to work, and during one lesson she just cried the whole time, and I knew that I couldn't do that to my investigators.  So I had to stay in.  I went on a couple splits with Hermana Stevens to take care of the most important people, but I was still going stir crazy.  And Hermana Partridge went stir crazy when she had to stay in.  And then Hermana Stevens was going crazy too.  But my companion left last night, and now we're a trio.  The best trio of all time.

A funny thought I had this morning. I'm reading the Bible and this week I read Job, and he was doing really well and then he lost it all and had to be patient in his afflictions and know that even though he had trials he was still righteous. And then at the end he gets double what he had before. Well now I have two companions. I just thought that was cool.

Behind a trial there is always a blessing.  I really learned that this week.  And now I feel even more dedicated to the work.  I love this work.

Hermana Kirkland