Week 68 - It's a Major Award

Hey!!!!!! 

Preface: while I was in Pocatello in a trio for a few days we found a snow man, but it's no ordinary snow man!!! It has hair!!!! And it's an igloo!!!!!!!

OK so this week will be short (classic) but I'll talk to you later this week so hopefully you survive... So Rexburg is great, a little sad right now though because all the students are away for break so teaching is a little non existent right now, but it's good because it's gives us time to actually learn the area. Random this week we went out teaching with some old elders from this mission and it was so weird!!! But it was cool!!! One of them was my old zone leader...strange but it was cool 

Sister Poulson is my new companion and she is from Manhattan Kansas. She is super great and really excited to be a missionary. Rexburg isn't going to know what hit them!!!!!!! We are super excited to just getting going and teaching the world!!! I don't know how we've managed it, but some how we are figuring out how to do missionary work in such a big area...it's crazy out here though!!!! 

We were driving around last night and look what we saw!!!!! At first I thought wow false idol...but then I was like "WAIT THAT'S THE LEG LAMP!!!!!!!" It was awesome!!!!!!!! 

Ok, well I have to go...laundry is calling is my name...that's sad. Anyone I think we will be be skyping around 10 or 11, probably closer to 11, so plan on it then!!!!! Hope you have a fantastic week!!!! 

Love, 

-Sister Kaycie Sondrup 

Week 67 - Iceberg

Hello Family!!!!!!

Well this week has brought alot of unexpected things, the first being transfers. OK that wasn't unexpected but still I am excited/super terrified to say that I will be transferred to BYU-I and I will be training a new missionary. AHHHHHHHHHHHH does that make anyone else  terrified? Because it makes me want to cry a bit...Let me paint a picture, me, a greenie, and 13 stakes and 130 wards all for us to cover. YIKES!!!!!!! None the less I know it will all work out! Life goes on and I have no doubt that this is truly inspired of the Lord, I cant lie I am nervous though, but I know good things will are yet to come!!!!!!

So I am sorry to be brief today but life is crazy right now, like I said earlier alot of unexpected things happened this week the main one being that the members we live with son is coming home early from his mission due to medical issues, there's a big chance he can go back out, but for now we cant live in the house because he's a boy and all....so we've spent most of today moving out because he'll be home tomorrow. We now also live in the boon docks so we've been racking up the miles all day ca ching!!!!! But it's alright I feel bad that their son is having to come home early, but it's the Lord's plan right now and they'll be alright.

We also had to do alot of work with our sisters, which brings me to another reason why this will be so short and that's because we have to go to Pocatello because a sister is going home and we have to go be companions with her companion (she's not going home early thankfully) and the roads are terrible and snow covered right now, we'll be good though.

Well I actually ran out of time, but I'll leave you with some pictures:


While driving to Pocatello I looked out the rear view mirror and saw this!!! He had a tumble weed stuck to his car for like 10 miles!!!!! made me chuckle!!!!



Our Christmas Tree this year!!!!!


We went to an investigators house and Sister Wooten got a little "tied" up!!!!




and one of my favorite investigators ever DUNCAN!!!!!!! He's the best!!! I am hoping to get permission to come to his baptism in two weeks so fingers crossed!!!!!!



Well sorry this is lame...hopefully next week is better, that is assuming my fingers wont be frozen off and I'll be able to type...just kidding, I don't know anything about skype yet or really anyone's house I could go to do so so I will let you know when I know!!!! Thanks for being great!!!!!!!!!!

Love,
Sister Kaycie Sondrup
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Week 66 - I practically speak spanish

Hello!!!!

This week was super good!!!!

Cool story for you, a few weeks back I emailed one of the Elders serving from this stake, now that sounds weird, but we'd had dinner with his family and they are pretty less active, no missionary should come home to a less active family, so I emailed and asked what we could do to help. Well the result was amazing!!!!!! He's emailed most weeks about his family, but one week he emailed and said he had a friend he wanted us to visit, well that friend didn't live in our area so we said we'd send the elders over. Well can you guess what happened next? 3 days later our boundaries changed and he was moved into our area!!!!! Well Monday night we got to go over and finally meet him and it was amazing!!!!! Can you say miracle?! I can it was super legit!!! And we are going over again tonight!!!! I am super stoked to keep working with him, and on an even cooler note the Elders family is basically active again!!!!! HALLA!!!!!!!! Great things are truly happening here!!!!!

Tuesday was zone conference, our special Christmas one, it was great!!! Although President almost made me cry because he announced it would be the last conference until after the march transfer so I had to stand up and say I was going home, can you say depressing?! IT WAS AWFUL!!!!!!

Wednesday I was on exchanges in Pocatello Spanish, let me tell you how this went, my companion would testify and just beautifully explain the Gospel then she would turn to me and I would be like "Que significa esto para usted?" or "Yo se que lo que dijo mi companera es verdad" it was pretty funny because that's literally all I said the whole time, but I can understand Spanish pretty well now so I put it in at good moments, at least I hope I did...This Spanish guy named Jose Luis who did speak a lick of English asked us out for burritos, and I was like no man I already have a burrito, by happen stance I had a burrito sitting in my bag...to say everyone laughed at my is an understatement, but it was hilarious!!!! I also missed seeing dad by like 20 minutes, when he dropped off food at the mission home, I had to go to a meeting there just missed each other, by hey it's alright!

Thursday we taught like  made people and met some awesome new investigators and talked to everyone and there mom!!! We have pass along cards for the "A Savior is Born" initiative and we've passed 3/4 of a box of them in just talking to everyone, a box is 500 so you can imagine how crazy we've been going!!!!! I LOVE CHRISTMAS SO MUCH!!!!!!!!

Friday we went to Christmas parties and met so many legit people!!!! We were able to meet so many great potential investigators and I am so stoked to work with them!!!!

Saturday we went to a baptism with our investigator and she loved it!!! Sadly it was super long and her son got a little restless and couldn't focus after the first bit, but she at least felt the spirit and that's all that really matters!!!!!

Sunday was fast Sunday and our super amazing beyond prepared and phenomenal investigator Duncan got up and bore his testimony about how he knew everything was true and why he was so excited to get baptized!!!! To say it was touching is an understatement!!! It was really just so amazing and I absolutely cannot wait to see him get baptized!!!! He really is amazing and I cannot wait to see the plans the Lord has in store for him!!! On another note some lady just gave us a 6 foot tall Christmas tree yesterday, and the members we live with gave us tons of decorations!!! Our basement is so festive I love it!!!!!

Well I have to go!!!! But know that great things are truly happening here!! I was studying this morning about how the Book of Mormon can resolve all concerns and it really is so true!!!! When it comes down to it most concerns people have can be answered by a testimony that Joseph Smith is truly a prophet of God and the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. I love this gospel and getting to gain this great testimony this is truly the restored Gospel on the earth today and I am grateful to be apart of it!!!!!!

Love,
Sister Kaycie Sondrup


   

Week 65 - Cold

So this week was a little crazy. Let me sum it up for you in a few sentences...

Monday: We got kidnapped by our investigator. So kidnapped may be the wrong word, but she was like "hey I have some friends who want to be taught they just live out in Riverside can I take you to their house?" uhhhhhh heck yeah!!!! So we get in her car, and we proceed to drive to Riverton, not Riverside. Now let me tell you about Riverton it grabs part of the Indian reservation, you know that thing the Elders aren't allowed to go on without another priesthood holder and Sisters are forbidden to go there...yeah that. So next thing we know Sister Wooten and I find ourselves on the res without a member insight and some crazy dogs about to eat us alive. Good right? Well upside, we survived!!!!! And we ended up getting 4 new super golden amazing investigators from it, for the Elders of course, but hey the salvation of a soul is the salvation of a soul right? Moral of the story, always have a member, and always double check where you're going before you're there.

Tuesday: I went on exchanges in American Falls Spanish, We met a ton of crazy people! We might have followed some people because they looked Hispanic...and then at the end of the chase I ended up getting a fat slobbery kiss on my ear from a drunk Hispanic man who didn't speak a lick of English and if I was following the conversation correctly wanted to steal our car...IT WAS GREAT!!!!!!! OK I don't know if I'd use great but it definitely made for some great laughs! And we met tons of amazing people!! I just love small towns!!!!!! We also found out one of our baptism dates got an unexpected job in Boise (who likes Boise anyway?) and had to pick and move that very day. She's meeting with the missionaries there and is still planning on being baptized on December 19th, but sadly it wont be with us :( We miss her, but she's still being taken care of so it'll be ok.

Wednesday: It was so cold I thought I was going to die!!!!!!!!! We taught one of my all time favorite families and had some great giggles, they are to cute!!!

Thursday: We woke up to a blinding light coming through our window due to the snow, can you say Happy Thanksgiving? We ended up getting about 4 inches of snow, which isn't bad except the weather decided to be super cold this whole week!!!! This winter is already worse feeling then last winter!!!!! case and point check the thermometer




Gross. But it could be worse we could not have a car, or boots, or coats...when I  try and complain about the cold i like to think of the pioneers and what they went through, it makes me feel a little better about myself, if being cold from the car to the doorstep is the worst of my problems then I'm doing pretty good. For Thanksgiving we went to a members home, except Sister Wooten and I were both sick, it was awful!!!!! Never before had I wanted to eat so bad and I just couldn't manage to get food in my system! LAME!!!! I did get to eat jello though...halla!!! So good!!!! After ward we went to the store to get medicine and we were trying not to get sick in the middle of walgreens, thankfully we survived and made it home, but it was a bit of a rough day. But count our blessings, while it stunk to be sick on a holiday it was a p-day which meant we didn't have to miss out on any proselyting, we had all the time in the world to be at home sick! Sounds like a lame blessing but I am definitely grateful for it!!!!

Friday: We had mission leadership council which was great as always!!!! It's really fun to go and council on how we can improve missionary work here in Idaho, I always come away with new ideas on how I can improve and really better myself and the Sisters I get to work with, LOVE IT!!!! After that we taught our baptism date Duncan, he's a stud, and this amazing guy named Wes, he's great!!!!!!

Saturday: We went on exchanges in Firth and they were great!!!! I went out with Sister Kolo from Tonga, and if you thought I was struggling with the cold you should hear her!!! Poor girl...She love it here though and we had a super awesome exchange, she is a stud missionary and I am grateful to have gone with her, and count the blessings again the family we had dinner with was having their Thanksgiving!!! So I didn't get to miss out!!!!! Yeah!!!!!!!




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Sunday: We went Ham. Because of meetings, exchanges, and Thanksgiving Sister Wooten and I were hardly in our area this week so Sunday we had 7 lessons we needed to teach to reach our goals, and we did it!!!! It was great, we usually go to 3 sacrament meetings on Sunday and somehow between them in an hour we managed to find a new investigator, get her to church, and set a baptism date!!!! SAY WHAT?! so legit!!!! It was a great day!!! #miracles We even got all our lessons in! YESSSSSSS!!!!!

Well I don't have more time this week, but I'll leave you with this, go and watch the new video A Savior is Born at christmas.mormon.org  it's super good, go watch it, share it with everyone and love it!!!!!!! A Savior truly has born, now it's time to go and   share that message with everyone!!!! Hope you have a great week!!!





also, this little girls shoes got frozen in the ice...sad day
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Love,
Sister Kaycie Sondrup

Week 64 - The worth of Souls

Hello!!!!

So you know what I've decided? When I go home I am never going to email or text. Seriously though I think it's become the death of me! I hate it, so sorry my emails have been awful lately, but it takes every ounce of focus I have to offer to even get that much. That being said I will try and do better, starting with today...now that it has taken me an hour to write this much it seems like an impossible task, but I'm stilling going to try.

OK, so I really do have alot I can talk about this week, the teaching has been going phenomenal and this week we were able to set two new baptismal dates!!!!!!! Both for the month of December #wintermiracles Tuesday we met this 8 year at activity days, shes not a member of the church and never before have I met a more uninterested child in my life, let me replay the conversation for

Us: So Abigail do you like activity days?
Abigail: Kind of
Us: why do you like it?
Abigail: Because no one tries to convert me
Us: Do you not want to be converted?
Abigail: No, I have a church and dont want another
Us: But what if you learned this church is true?
Abigail: I wont.
Us: Well could we maybe come over and meet the rest of your family and teach and then you could decide?
Abigail: No.
(now some random member piped in) Member: Lets try this again Abigail your address is...
Abigail: ### Collins
Member: That's better, now the sister will come over sometime and teach you.

I was blown away this came from an eight year old, but hey agency is real at any age right? We probably wont ever go over, but it was an interesting conversation for sure! Then that night as we were driving home we get a phone call, and our phone connects to our car so we see whos calling and it's the mission office. To say our hearts dropped was an understatement, because why else does the mission office call that late except for and emergency transfer. Sister Wooten was pushed everywhere last transfer, she ended up sending 2 companions home early and had a total of 4 companions and 3 areas in just 7 weeks, so the thought of another emergency transfer after she finally got a companion she likes and isn't crazy almost had her in tears (why she likes me and thinks I am normal is beside me, but hey I'll take it!! Haha just kidding). Thankfully though it was just Elder Rush who's one of the Assistants, we had a big mission tour with some directors over missionary work and we were invited to a special conference with them. But more on that later, thankfully there was no Emergency Transfer though. Phew, dodged that bullet.

So then Wednesday rolls around and this week because our dinner schedule went crazy we didn't have any dinner appointments, which to be honest I wasn't to sad about...I love meeting the members, but my skirts and waist don't love their food...Anyway since we now had a conference to go to in Idaho Falls all Thursday we decided for our dinner hour we would do our weekly planning, so we sat down to do so and not scarcely 5 minutes afterward we get a text from some of our sisters. Thankfully it wasn't an S.O.S text which seems to be the norm lately, but it was a referral, and they said "The family is waiting for you get there now." Nobody waits for us...So count our blessings we didn't have a dinner appointment and we were able to leave that moment and meet the most amazing person ever! Let me put it this way he is Stud. He had only been in the state of Idaho for 1 hour, he moved in with a member family and requested we come over as soon as possible. So we did. YES!!! Seriously this guy is amazing!!! We sat down with him and he said he is sick of running from God in his life and he is ready to let him back in. It was a bit of a crazy first lesson because there was crazy children EVERYWHERE, but something so amazing happened. As I sat there trying to focus and really trying to listen to the spirit as to what to say and what to do all of a sudden everything went quite and then I saw him, and it wasn't the same man I saw before, I saw him out of his ragged clothes and dressed in a suit wearing a tag that looked exactly like mine, and he was cradling so tenderly the scriptures in his arms, for whatever reason the Lord chose to show me the great potential and plan he had prepared for this young man, I saw the worth of his soul to the Lord that probably sounds ridiculous, but from that small glimpse I  was able to see exactly who he is to Lord and it was amazing. No words could put into perspective how I felt at that moment. We've been able to see him almost everyday this week, and yesterday after coming to church for the first time we were able to set a baptism date with him!!!!! He is preparing to be baptized on December 26th, and I have no doubt that at about this same time next year he will be preparing to go to the temple and to go on his mission. It truly was one of the greatest experiences of my mission and I am so grateful to have been trusted with such an experience.

Thursday we had our big conference in Idaho Falls, and basically I got told I have been being a missionary wrong for the last 14 months...awkward. Ok it wasn't that bad, but they taught alot of great ways I never thought of before so I am super stoked to put them into action. I was super sick for the whole thing so of course that's when I was sitting in the front row, and was trying not to puke the whole time. Thankfully I kept my cookies, but it was close a couple times. One time I left and came back in and they were talking about nightly follow up with the district/zone/sister training leaders and I quote "where in preach my gospel does it say to do that? It doesn't, so stop" uhhhhhhh......just rebuke the whole mission!!!!! It was a strange yet uplifting day to say the least!!!

Friday we met this legit blind lady who plays the piano like a stud!!!! Seriously she is so amazing and she does it all by ear!!!! She plays church music like a boss, and so she asked us to sing along with her, and at that point I felt bad she wasn't deaf...Sister Wooten and I may not be the best singers, but it was such a cool night!!!!!

Saturday we set a baptism date with another amazing investigator!!!! She is so great! Then we drove to Timbuktu and back (aka the Indian reservation) to get a key and it didn't even work!!!!! We were all over the place, but we taught like mad people!!! It was awesome!!!!!!

Sunday was Stake Conference and we had a visiting authority and it was legit!!! I love this stake presidency they are so bold it's amazing!!!!! It was a really great meeting, super uplifting!!! We got to eat lunch with them and they are boss!!!! And super hilarious, although I tend to be the punch line...thanks! We also got to go see an investigator who hasn't had the most fortunate life so far and today being her 18th birthday means she is getting kicked out of the system and moving to a homeless shelter :( We went to have a Birthday party with her and it was one of her first ever. It is so sad, but I know that the Lord has a plan for her, she will find her way and things will only get better from here, after all if this life was meant to be easy everyone would have come. We met a legit investigator the Elders were teaching and he is awesome!!!He wants to be baptized, but his kids don't approve, he will do anything to make them happy, even if it makes him sad. He is just such a good man, he is praying that his kids will let baptism be his Christmas gift, but only time will tell. Then we came home and played battleship until it was bedtime, and lets put it this way I stomped on Sister Wooten, battleship is not her game.

Anyway this week was amazing, I cant begin to explain what I learned, but the best I can put it is with a verse from Doctrine and Covenants 18:10 "Remember The worth of Souls is great in the sight of God". The worth of a soul is greater than we can ever imagine, and it's not just one soul, but every. Many will say that God doesn't care, but in fact it is just the opposite, no one cares more. He is there and he has given us a Savior, scriptures, and a gospel as evidence. It has been such a great experience to teach people this. I got my papers asking about my travel plans to go home today and my heart is crushed to say the least. These last 14 months have flown by, and now as it draws nearer to an end my heart cant help but ache as I think I taking my tag off and setting aside my time as a full time missionary. Thankfully I still have time though and I will help as many people as I possibly can recognize and  understand their true worth in the sight of God.

Well Sister Wooten just made me depressed and said I better make my emails good because I only have like 15 left or something...ugh that one hurt. Well now I am sad and hungry...so I am going to get off, sorry no pictures this week, i hope you have a great Thanksgiving! Thanks for all the support!!!!

Love,
Sister Kaycie Sondrup

Week 63 - Whoa What Just Happened

Hello!!!!! 

Ok so this week was an interesting one for sure...whoa. I don't know if told you but Sister Wooten and I are white washing over 4 wards this transfer. Meaning in addition to our 3 we are now working with those 4 and neither of us have any clue what is going on the wards. To give you some idea of how lost we were this week let me paint you a picture, it's a simple one but it's a good one, here it is, we had to pull out a map and navigate that way. Like full on paper map, this thing is so old some of the streets don't even exist on it yet!!!! We both had to chuckle a little bit because maps are so old school!!!!! It has been an interesting week this week though! 

This week we drove down to work with our Sisters in American Falls and we took the back roads through Aberdeen and as we were driving I looked over and I was like "HOLY HECK THOSE POTATOES ARE GIANT!!!!!!" Lets take a picture with them!!!!! Well we got closer and had to jump a canal in our skirts to do so but we got a picture, only problem, they aren't potatoes!!! They're sugar beets. So it's not as cool but they are giant and there are millions and millions and millions of them! Then I accidentally broke Sister Wooten's camera. Great, I've been with her all of 24 hours at that point and I am breaking stuff...At least she's nice about!!!!  

So Wednesday we got the Elders area information and guess what?! They planned to have two baptism this weekend, way cool right? Well it was awesome and the family is fantastic, only problem is they planned none of it, so this week we ran everywhere trying to meet all the ward council members to try and set up a baptism, and guess what? NOBODY WAS HOME!!!!! Seriously most stressful thing ever. Some how we managed to get everything planned and then Friday night comes and the investigator drops the bomb that his daughter may or may not be showing up the next day, and if she didn't show up he wouldn't get baptized. Great. Well Saturday came and thankfully they showed up, 45 minutes late, but she came. Then some lady yelled at me in the middle of the baptism, yay for me. it was interesting to say the least, and that's just the tip of the ice burg this week!!!! But in the midst of all the crazy that has been going on, we have seen some amazing miracles and it is so great to literally be able to see the Lord working and moving in our life to help others come closer to him. One night we had a member call us saying she had someone for us to teach, we went over that night with her and never have you met someone more prepared for the Gospel. NEVER. We've had everyone just wrap around us and give us so many friends and family members to teach. Even just now I just got off the phone with a lady who requested missionaries on mormon.org, she's prepared, and the Lord helped her find us. Even just having Sister Wooten is a miracle, she is such a hard worker and I cannot wait to see what we can accomplish together, we laugh, and always see the good, the Lord knew what he was doing putting us together and I cannot wait to see what he has in store for us!!!!! Sorry I don't have more time, but I hope you have a blessed week and know that things are going great here!! The work is happening and we are truly progressing and growing as much as those we teach!!!! Well, that's all for now!!!!!

Love,

Sister Kaycie Sondrup 

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Week 62 - Hello

Hey!!!

So sorry this will be a very short email, SORRY!!!! But I'm alive, this week was good, we were able to go and teach a ton!!!!! We even able to set two more baptism dates!!!! Sister Manymules and I killed It!!!!! It also snowed this week...yay...but it hasnt accumulated so we're still good for awhile!!!! Ok maybe not awhile we are supposed to have 4-6 inces of snow this week, yeah for cold!!!!!!!

In other news I will be getting Sister Wooten as my new companion she is a cute little Sister from Georga with the southern accent and everything, although right now she "sounds like a yankee" I am super stoked to serve with her though!!!! In addition to getting Sister Wooten we are actually going to take over the whole stake so we'll be adding 4 more wards and 4x the fun!!!!!!!!

Sorry I really dont have to much more time today we have 2 apartments to clean, and 2 missionaries to complete pack, it will be good though, I dopped Sister Manymules off in Pocatello and it was so sad to see her go but she is going to do great things at home!!!! Keep an eye out for her in Phoenix alright? Hope you have a great week and you arent to hot down there!!!!!

Love,
Sister Sondrup
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