Week 15 - White Christmas?

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the one I used to know". Ok but real talk I am dreaming of a white Christmas because it does not appear we will have one here!!!!!! I thought Eastern Idaho was cold!!!!! LIES! Ok not really but this winter has been crazy mild, we had one cold snap, and now, nothing!!!!! It has been raining all weekend, so whatever snow we had has not melted and this area looks so sad without it!!!!!! Everything is brown.....and dead. Everyone swears they always get snow on Christmas no matter what, but it's a little hard to believe when it's in the 50's. But oh me of little faith, it'll probably happen. We shall soon see though!!!!

So the area might not be white with snow, but it is white with baptisms!!!!!! Which is way better!!!!!! We're talking eternal decisions here!!!!!! Anyway, Brock was baptized this weekend!!! To cool, because he's 13 we had most of the youth who have fellowshipped he do the bulk of the program, and DANG the spirit was so strong!!!! The thing that really hit me the most was this boy named Kannon, he was asked to give the closing prayer, and before he did he bore his testimony. It was on of the sweetest, most heart felt things EVER! He even cried, the young men wanted to take away his man card, but they thankfully didn't. What hit me so strong though was that Kannon is doing everything on his own. His mom is not a member, and his dad is WAY inactive. He has no support from any family. But he comes, and participates. because he has a testimony. Which is just was powerful!!!!! 

On top of Brock being baptized we set another date this week!!!!! He's name is Austin. He is in our Young single adult ward, and he is to cool!!!! We wont be able to get him baptized until February sadly because he has some things he needs to work out, but he has a real desire, and he is continually growing in faith. He is so prepared for this next step, and we are to excited for him!!!!!!! 

Eric totally stopped reading Anti this week, and realized just how poisonous it is!!! MIRACLES!!!!! He is now progressing towards baptism and gaining is own testimony of his Savior Jesus Christ, TO COOL!!!! 

So as far as skyping goes, I'll tell you what I tell everyone else. I have no idea whats going on. We know Christmas will be a P-day, but that's about it thus far, so just be on the look out for me I suppose? I really don't know what else I can tell you. I have faith it'll work out though. So I guess I'll talk to you later? Wow that's weird to say!!!! 

Love, 

Sister Kaycie Sondrup 

Week 14 - Fender Bender

Hey!!!! 

OK so this week I have like a crazy like of time!!! the day flew by and 5 rolled around and we had yet to email. So I have all of 30 minutes today because Brock has his Baptism interview and we have to prepare him for that!!!!! He will be getting baptized this weekend and it is going to be so great!!!!

This week was pretty crazy like CRAZY. So we don't know what it is but for whatever reason tons of single men have been taking us out to dinner/lunch lately. It wouldn't be that weird if they signed up to feed us in the YSA ward, but they have been signing up in the family wards. It's so awkward! One guy even texted us out of the blue and asked to take us to lunch, so that'll be tomorrow. I've been teasing that either Sister McPherson and I are just to attractive together that they have to take us out, or the men just all sense that she will be going home in a month and they are trying to make their move before she heads back to BYU-I. Either way I am good with it, as weird as it is, it means I don't have to cook, so I am OK with it!!!

We had so many awesome lessons this week, but one super hard one!! It was with our investigator named Eric, he has such a desire to learn, and to come unto Christ, but he is lost in how to do so. Instead of focusing on the doctrine of the church he focuses on the history, mainly Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and Polygamy. Oh Polygamy, it is so hard because we don't know how to answer any of his questions besides saying, that's how it was you just have to go on faith. He will come around though, you can see how the spirit is really starting to touch him. 

So we went to KFC today(thanks for the gift certificates grandma) and someone hit our car :( poor Matilda. We have a good ol' ding in the bumper and it will more than likely need replacing. I feel so bad because it really isn't that bad, but because it's a church vehicle and they just sell them back after 50,000 miles they are making us get it replaced. The poor guy who hit us felt awful, but don't worry we shared a message about Christmas with him! #heisthegift Funny how you get missionary opportunities in even the most unlikely of times!!!! 

Well that's all I really have time for today, sorry it's short, but hey I'll actually be able to talk to you next week!!!! I also sent a package for you today, so be on the look out for it!!!!! 

Love, 

Sister Kaycie Sondrup  

P.S. I hope this makes sense, I didn't proof read it!

Week 13 - OOPS

Hey!!!

So I failed to mention becoming a Sister Training Leader last week, because I did not become one. I am assuming you got an email from the mission office saying I did, but they made one major slip up last week and emailed every single sister saying that they had become one. Apparently they emailed our families as well. It has caused quite the drama this week among all the sisters, because everybody wants to be it! Honestly though I am so OK with it. While I don't mean to sound braggy I feel like eventually that will be a position I will hold. But I am so not ready for that yet. I still feel like I have way to much to learn, and I am way benefited to just sit and absorb everything told to me like a sponge right now. You can do so much to prepare for mission life, but you cannot ever be fully prepared until you are out on your mission. I am still learning, and I am more than ok with doing just that right now!

So I now cover the entire Ammon Foothills stake, and YSA, all in all that is 12 wards, and about 60 miles of area, probably about 75 if we count YSA because it covers 2 stakes, we actually come pretty close to the Wyoming boarder. OK not that close, but my area is the last bit of area where there are actually people. The Iona stake gets the boarder area, but it is literally all mountains and no homes. It is super strange to be in a new place! Especially because I have so much area!!! I have the city (ammon/Idaho Falls) and then the boon docks middle of no where which is called Bone. There are literally 4 homes in all of Bone, and it is out at the very edge of our area, and of course, we're teaching some one way out there!!!! But it is awesome!!!

 

 

So this area is so windy!!! Like I hate wearing my hair down it is that annoyingly windy!!!! Out on the very tops of the hills are tons of wind mills because it just blows around like crazy out here!!!! I live up right next to them on a street called Solitude Ln. and the name is so fitting because we are pretty much the only ones out there!!! Well us, and the Deer, pretty sure they sleep in our backyard, they always freak me out because I will be studying and then I look up and all of a sudden there are like 5 deer at my door staring me down!!!! CRAZY! You know what I find even funnier? While in Pocatello everyone was complaining about how they got nothing for hunting season, there deer just weren't out. Well apparently they weren't looking hard enough because I could have got at least 2 dozen by now!!!! Seriously we have to be so careful not to hit them that's how many we see roaming around!!!

So driving is great, but way weird. Mostly because we as a mission are test piloting a new church thingy bopper to help promote safe driving from missionaries called Tiwi ( I have no Idea what that stands for). Tiwi receives satellite information on all the speed limits, stop signs, stop lights, yield signs, everything driving related in any area it goes. You have to log in and then anytime (I mean anytime) you do anything wrong he yells at you, and you have to correct it and it goes on your report. So many negative reports results in your driving privileges being taken away. Apparently you have to get ALOT though because it seems like you can never please Tiwi, he's always yelling at you for something!!!!! OK, so this will probably be really hard to imagine, because it's me and all, but I get yelled at like everyday for SPEEDING!!!! He's always like "check your speed" WHA? I'm lucky if I go the speed limit!!!!! OK I guess I do speed, but mostly because Idaho has a lack of signage related to driving, like a crazy lack!!!! I think I have seen all of one speed limit sign in the whole time I have been here 1!!! and if you don't know the posted speed limit the assumed limit in Ammon is 25mph!! Well of course I am going to go faster than that! I have places to go and people to see!!!!! Lets not even get started on stop signs, like literally there are none!!! So sketchy!!! I always assume one because that's the safe thing, but no one else does and it is crazy!!!! I don't even want to think about trying to drive around here in the winter!!!!!! SKETCH! I have found a state that is worse than Utah when driving, didn't see it as possible, but apparently, we all must be proved wrong sometimes!!! OK I am kidding of course Utah isn't that bad, but we all have room for improvement!!!!

So my new companion Sister McPherson is super great!!! I love her so much!!! I so worried about getting a new comp. but not anymore! She is so awesome!! and teaches me so much!!!!! Like I said she was originally supposed to serve in Brazil but her Visa never came, and she became a permanent Idaho Pocatello missionary, which would be so hard!!! Especially considering she went to BYU-I before her mission!!! She only has 6 weeks left, so I will be killing her off, meaning I will have to get yet another new companion next transfer! Dang why cant I just keep the good ones!!!! But that's alright, there is always something to learn from each companion we get and I am so blessed to be with her for even this short amount of time!!!!!

So I really don't know why both of us were white washed out, but I do know Sister Golba-Ingles and Ikimau will have a blast in Highland. It was a little dead when I first arrived, and by the time I left it was a way happening area, the members were really taking initiative and the work was progressing like crazy!!!!! My new area is much like Highland when I first arrived, a little dead, but the work is on the up and up!! We have a baptism in just under two weeks actually!!!!! His name is Brock, and he is 13 and so prepared for baptism!!!! He and his family just moved from Arkansas, and had never heard of a Mormon prior to living here. But they all agree the reason they moved to Idaho was for this exact purpose, way cool!!! It will be a white Christmas for sure!!!! Although at this point it will just be white with baptisms because we have 0 snow right now!!!! In fact dare I say it we are having an Arizona winter!!!! Today's high is meant to be 50, I don't even wear a coat right now!!!! (mostly because mine stinks from all the walking/sweating, and has a nasty dirty dog smell, don't worry I am getting it dry cleaned today!)

So one last funny story we went to knock a door of a part member family this week up in the hills, it was a bit of a drive, but we made it because they are always home. When we got to the door they had a huge window on their front door in which we could see a lady (the member) sitting on the couch. We knocked, and her and I made eye contact. So what did she do next? Slid down the front of the couch, got on all fours, and crawled and hid behind a chair, all done right in front of eyes!!!! a fully active member!!!! What the heck! aren't they the ones who are supposed to answer the door for us?! dang!!!! It was a bit of a bummer, but way funny to, so I'll survive!!!!! Anyway, this is way long, and that's all I really have!!! Hope you have an awesome week! Keep up the good work!! and will you add these people to the email list? Thanks a bunch you're the best!!!!

tingkent@isu.edu

kbibliokat@cableone.net

kchill@cableone.net

Love,

Sister Kaycie Sondrup

Week 12 - Transfers

From:	Kaycie Sondrup (kaycie.sondrup@myldsmail.net) This sender is in your safe list.
Sent:	Mon 12/01/14 12:16 PM
To:	Leigh Ann SONDRUP (sondrupclan@msn.com)

Hey!!!!

Sounds like a crazy week, and I got one dozy of one for you!!!!!

Ok not really but ya know it was so awesome anyway!!!!!!

So last week the snow finally melted! but I woke up to another couple inches this morning which makes me so sad and so scared. Which brings me to my next point I will be getting a car for the winter, because I am getting TRANSFERRED!!!! We got a call from president Wednesday while street contacting a potential investigator. He has a special ring tone, and my heart just dropped as soon as I heard it! So we called him back and sure enough he's not only moving me, but our area is being white washed!!!! So both sister Hallett and I will be leaving. I will be going to the Ammon Foothills, and sister Hallett to Eagle Rock (downtown Idaho Falls). I am so excited, yet so bummed!!!!! I absolutely love Highland!!! And the work is really taking off, I am sad to go, but it will still be awesome and a new experience!!!!! My new companion will be Sister McPherson, she was a visa waiter for Brazil but she as since pulled her Visa, and will be staying in Idaho. But she still gets language study so I hope she teaches me some Portuguese maybe by the time I Skype home for Christmas I'll be able to talk to dad (assuming he remembers it!)

So if you send me anything for Christmas make sure you send it USPS because I wont be in Pocatello to be able to pick it up.

So we went to the Mary Poppins apartment this week and we got another new investigator!!! That's 10 now, and that's not even all of them that live there!!!!! But sadly they are all YSA so we don't even teach them!!! But we find them and it's awesome!!!!! I am trying to think of anything else, but mostly this week has been a bunch of goodbyes! Thanksgiving was great, we ate way to much (just 4 dinners) but don't worry they were spread between a couple of days, I'm still turkeyed out for sure though!!!!! My jello was great as always, tasted of home it was awesome!!!!

So I really don't have much else, there is always tons that happen, but I can never remember by the time I come to write them down!!!!!! Anyway life is so good!!! I am so blessed and I realized this week just how much I love Idaho. We were driving to Idaho Falls and it just hit, I love it here like love it!!! I can never imagine serving somewhere else and loving it as much I do here!!!! It just goes to show that the Lord knows us way better than we ever know ourselves!!! Well I hope all is well and know that I love and miss you!!!!! But hey I'll talk to you in like a month?! that's crazy!!!!! AHHHHHHH Time is flying to fast!!!!! I only have 15 months left!!!!! That's not enough time!!!!!!!!! Any way have a great week!!!!

Love,

Sister Kaycie Sondrup

 

She didn't mention everything about the transfer, we received this from our stake president today as well.

 

Dear Sister Sondrup ,

We are pleased to extend to you the calling to serve as a Sister Training Leader in the Idaho Pocatello Mission.

You will have the opportunity to attend and participate in our monthly Missionary Leadership Council. Your role as a Sister Training Leader will also include training, encouraging, and watching over the sister missionaries assigned to you. Ever six weeks you will conduct a 24-hour exchange with each companionship of these sisters.

Heavenly Father will bless and guide you as you pray to Him in faith. We know the Lord qualifies those whom He calls

Thank you for your example and service in our mission. Your leadership will bless the lives of many sisters and help the work move forward as we invite others to come unto Christ.

Love,



Marvin T. BrinkerhoffMission President