Moves Week Is CRAZY!

Man, this week was a weird and LONG week... but it was also very fun! :)

On Monday (Jan. 20) Sister Douglas and I went to the O'Farrell's and ate stir fry for dinner. We taught FHE. For dessert there was cheesecake... oh man, I just love cheesecake far too much. Sister O'Farrell is an amazing cook!! :)

Tuesday (Jan 21) Sister Douglas and I went around the area so she could say goodbye to people. She remained strong most of the day and hardly cried. I don't blame her for crying though... This area is AMAZING! A member, who we call Nana Shannon, had us over for lunch and made us curry and we had apple tart with ice cream for dessert. It was so sweet of her to do for us :) Then later we had a dinner appointment at Sister Shine's and ate Chinese take away. It was quite delicious as well! Not a lot of teaching happened because Sister Douglas had to pack and say goodbye to everyone, but it was still fun being in the member's homes. All the members in our ward are such spiritual giants!! :) Sister Shine then took us to the Baldoyle Sister's flat for our sleepover with them (Sister Huntsman and Sister Jones). We helped Sister Jones shove the rest of her things into her suitcase and we all sat on it to get it to zip. I am not looking forward to having to move... Haha! The sleepover was so fun though! The senior couple brought over pizza for us to eat also... Man, I know it sounds like I eat all the time but...

Wednesday (Jan 22) Sister Douglas and Sister Jones left at like 4am... I am pretty sure I was asleep when I said goodbye to them because I don't remember too much of it... Later on during the day Sister Huntsman curled my hair which was so fun! :) I felt so pretty! I spent the rest of the day with the travelling sister's (Sister Knab, Sister Lowry, and Sister Lewis)! It was a blast!! :) Around6pm we went to the bus station to pick up my new companion Sister Caswell! The first thing she said to me was "Hiya doll!" and then she gave me a big hug. I knew we would be fast friends! She is just so sweet! :) And guess what!! The 22nd is her birthday!!! So when she dropped her stuff off at the flat we immediately left to go get Eddie Rockets for dinner to celebrate! :) It was so fun! We got to learn a lot about each other during dinner! 

Thursday (Jan 23) We took the train out to Maynooth to go visit some new member's of the ward for a dinner appointment. I was so nervous. I don't know train times, and I have only been to Maynooth once before, but we didn't get lost ONCE! :D The member's that had us over, the Leslie's, are such a cute couple and have the funniest little 2 year old son! We had a great time all getting to know each other! :)

Friday (Jan 24) SPRING CLEANING!!! (Doc & Cov 88:119) Apparently for the last 3 months I have been breathing in mould. Sister Caswell came into the flat, and being from Washington, knows what mould smells like... Behind our beds there was mould growing up the wall and two pillows COVERED with mould! Then the hall closet... Let me tell you... It was awful! There was a fryer that had been thrown in the closet with grease still in it and so everything in the closet was damp, mouldy, and stinky! We cleaned everything so well! Then, when we moved my bed to vacuum under it... 3 spiders came running out!!!! I had been sleeping with spiders!!!! I feel so much better knowing how clean and organized the flat is now.

*We set our investigator, Nicole, with a baptism date for February 23rd! :D We are so excited for her, and she is very excited also! The thing is she suffers from a lot of pain, so it is hard for her to come to church. Things will work out though :) 

Saturday (Jan 25) We were invited to help several sisters in the ward clean a woman's house. The woman has cancer and is a hoarder. She lives with her 14 year old daughter and they have a dog. Cleaning the house took hours and when we left I still felt like we could have cleaned loads more, but I am so glad that we were able to help in a small way. The woman was so happy we helped her. 

Sunday (Jan 26) Sister Caswell and I taught sharing time in primary! It was so fun! We taught about how Jesus Christ is our Example. We brought in a sheet and had them all sit on it so we could teach like how Christ taught the children. One little boy shouted, "This is the best sharing time lesson ever!" It was so cute! :)

Well, we have a busy week coming up and I am so excited! :) 

Also, I had 24 emails when I logged on today! Thank you everyone who emailed me! It honestly made my week! I only have 15 minutes lift of emailing though and I want to try to send a few pictures home as well. If I do not email you back this week I am so so so sorry and will try to get back to you next week! I love you all so much and appreciate all that you do for me <3 Thank you! :)

Have a marvelous week!  

Scripture of the Week:

Moroni 7:33

Quote of the Week:

"One day when I really understood what Jesus Christ had done for me, I invited him to come into the house of my heart. And as soon as I invited him he came without any hesitation. And when he was there he filled the house with joy and I wanted to run and tell all the neighbours about my guest and how wonderful it was to have him there." -The Parable of Those Who Have Taken Upon Themselves the Name of Christ and How Important He is in My Life

Love Always, Sister Kelsey Griffin

District Meeting

Statue in Christchurch

Kelsey & Sister Huntsman

Moves Call!!!!! :D

Oh my goodness! This week was amazing!! :D

On Monday the 13th we (Sister Douglas and I) met up with other missionaries at Christ's Church and toured it. It is HUGE! It was a lot of fun! Hanging out with other missionaries is always a good time! Afterwards we went to Burdock's Fish and Chips for dinner! it was so yummy!! :) 

January 14th I taught about a Christlike attribute in District Meeting. It was my first time teaching at District Meeting, and I was a little nervous, but the lesson went well :) After the District Meeting we went to Sister O'Farrell's. She told us she would be our main way for transportation for the week so I can rest my ankle as much as possible. She is so kind and always ready to serve. AND she makes the most amazing food all the time!! Man, we were spoiled this week! :) Tuesday evening we were supposed to meet up with an investigator named Isaac, but he never showed up. It's okay though because we had a really good lesson with him Wednesday evening. 

This week I learned if you plug your nose and take a bit of banana you will hardly taste it, but when you unplug your nose it's like a burst of banana flavour in your mouth because the taste of banana is mostly through smell!! Crazy huh? Go try it! :) 

When we had our lesson with our investigator Isaac on Wednesday evening he told us the one time he went to Scotland he tried the Scotland camel and I asked if camel tastes good... He meant cigarettes. Haha, I guess I'm kind of naive. 

Isaac came to a baptism with us on Sunday morning, and then came to church with us right after the baptism. The new Zone Leader (Elder Sewell) was in the middle of giving a talk when all of a sudden Isaac raised both arms high in the air and shouted "AMEN"!! It made me jump so high! Then he bowed his head and started whispering "hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!" It was interesting. He doesn't like sacrament meeting very much because he thinks it's too quiet, but he really enjoys gospel principles class and participates a lot. 

I have been asked what happened to our investigator's Michelle, Virgil, and Nick. Michelle disappeared off the face of the earth. Her number changed and no one is ever home when we try by. Virgil had a baptismal date and was so excited to be a member of our church and to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, but his wife was not okay with it. Virgil needs to focus on his wife right now and so the baptism is on hold for awhile. He is very sad about that. Nick was not in our area so we referred him to some sister missionaries in his area. Things were going well, but he is convinced he was a 40 year old man before this life and died in war... He stopped the lessons after learning about the plan of salvation. 

Moves call was last night!!! Sister Douglas was so nervous all day! She is going to Dunfermline (in Scotland) and will be a Sister Training Leader!! :D She is so excited! That will be perfect for her! She is a great leader! I am staying here in good ol' Clonsilla. Sister Caswell is coming to be my companion. She actually just finished training my good friend from the MTC, Sister Allen! :) Lots of changes were made this transfer! Pretty exciting! 

Scripture of the Week: Doctrine and Covenants 123:17- our mission scripture :)

Quote of the Week: "I Am Called Of God" My authority is above the kings of the earth. By revelation I have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my Master and he has chosen me to represent Him. To stand in his place, to say and do what he himself would say and do if he personally were ministering to the very people to whom he has sent me. My voice is his voice, and my acts are his acts; my words are his words and my doctrine is his doctrine. My commision is to do what he wants done. To say what he wants said. To be a living modern witness in word and deed of the divinity of his great and latter-day work." -Elder Bruce R. McConkie

(After 2 months together, Sister Douglas and I memorized this :))

Have a wonderful week! :) Thank you for your prayers for my ankle! It is getting a lot better! I am almost walking normal again!! :D

xoxoxox

-Sister Kelsey Griffin

What a wonderful week :)

Quote of the Week:

"If we lose ourselves in the work, we will find ourselves." -McCleary

Scripture of the Week: Matthew 16:24-25

MOVES CALL IS THIS SUNDAY!!!! Crazy! This transfer went by so quickly! There is a chance Sister Douglas will leave and I will be the one to lead this area. Oh my goodness, just thinking of that makes me nervous! Haha! Only 1 sister and 2 elders are coming new and green from the MTC. Since only 3 new people are coming in there might not be many moves, but we never know what the Lord has planned! :) 

Speaking of new people! This week I will be done with the 12 week program which means I will FINALLY no longer be a greenie! :) 

Some of you have asked me what happened to my ankle. It is a lame and dumb story. On 28 December the Elders were going to take Sister Douglas and I to the bishops home for a dinner appointment. It was super dark outside and they pulled over to us on a busy street telling us to hurry and get in. I was moving as quick as I could and when I stepped into the car my foot wasn't really in the car so I stepped down on my ankle wrong.... I have been limping on it ever since. I am walking worse than a 75 year old man who forgot his cane.... Hahaha! But I will be okay :) It is actually feeling a lot better today and we took 2 resting days... which were such a waste of a mission day! It was kind of a bummer, but that's alright. :) I need to think of a more intense story of how I hurt my ankle though... Like I jumped in front of a car saving a baby and twisted my ankle or something... Haha

On 8 January I tried pecan pie for my first time and oh my yum. That stuff was good! I don't know why I never tasted it before... It just doesn't look as appetising as it really is I suppose.  

We had interviews with President Brown on Thursday. At the end of my interview he told me I make his life so much easier for our next interview he should have an easy button he can hit that says "that was easy". Haha, the District Leader Elder Merrell said if he finds one he will buy it for me to take to the next interview with President. Wouldn't that be so funny! :) 

So, exchanges come and went with so much success! :) Sister Lowry was with me. :) She is so kind. The lessons we taught all went to well! The spirit was so strong in all of the lessons as well. AND! I didn't get too lost once! :D Prayer definitely works. Thank you for everyone who prayed for me to do well! :)

When I was in the shopping centre the other day guess what song started playing......... That's right "Call Me Maybe"!!!! I haven't heard it while I've been out here. It was so hard not to sing and dance to it! 

Right now we are teaching 3 people. One woman named Nicole. She had been taught by missionaries before, but they stopped seeing her so she referred herself to the bishop's wife asking for more missionaries to come teach her. She told us she had a baptism date set before and she wants to work towards baptism again! :) She is a really sweet lady and is going through a lot of trials right now, but her faith that with the gospel in her life she KNOWS she will be okay through everything that is going on :)

We are also teaching a man named Toirealach (Tar-luck). He is such a kind guy. He is newly married and wants to know more about Jesus Christ. Sister Lowry and I did a church tour with him and he completely understood everything we told him. When we showed him the baptismal font he asked how he can be fully immersed in water like Jesus Christ. He was so prepared!! It is great. We are praying soon his wife will be interested too.

Yesterday at church a guy named Isaac that we stopped on the street on Wednesday came to church. He really enjoyed it and is going to go to YSA on Tuesday :)

The work is really progressing over here  :) This week will be a fun one!! :)

Today we are going to Christ Church with Sister O'Farrell and Sister Jones and Sister Huntsman and Sister Lowry and Sister Lewis. It will be a lot of fun! :) 

I hope that you's all have a wonderful week! :) Thank you for your love and support! I love you all so much! :)

xoxoxox

-Sister Kelsey Griffin 

Pictures... should we worry??

So here are the pictures Kelsey sent this week. There was no explanation for any of them except that she said, "Don't worry, my ankle will be fine." Hmmm.....

Sister Douglas

I wonder what happened??

Playing with Silly Putty. I'm worried about her eye....

Well, finally things are getting back to normal :)

We have been working a lot with less active members. It has been a lot of fun. There are so many less active members. It is so fun to go visit them and let them know that they are loved. There are so many people who stop going to church because they don't feel loved at church. As a member, it is so important to step out of your comfort zone and help everyone recognize that they are a child of God. Being at church is important. They have friends at church who will help to strengthen them. I wish that more people would reach out to less active members all over the world. A majority of them just need a friend. That's not too difficult of a task for anyone to take on. 

A while back we got a phone call from a guy dropping us. I was on the phone with him and he was telling us that he didn't know if he could believe in Jesus Christ the way that we do and his mother doesn't want him to learn more anyway. It was the first time I was experiencing being dropped and I had no idea what to do so I asked my trainer Sister Douglas... She shrugged her shoulders and said, "Say SOMETHING!" So I said, "Well, thank you for telling us your concerns. Have a nice life." Then I hung up. I wasn't trying to be rude, but when you usually hang up the phone you would say something like "see you later" and I knew I wouldn't be seeing him later... Sister Douglas was a little shocked... Haha! Then when we were out chapping we knocked on the door and the guy who answered was the guy I told to have a nice life. Oh goodness, it was a little awkward. :) But that is just my life, full of awkward :)

We have exchanges this week and I am super nervous!!! What will happen is Sister Douglas will go to the Sister Training Leaders area with Sister Lewis and Sister Lowry will come to Clonsilla with me. She has never been in this area before. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I have absolutely no sense of direction. I have been tested by Sister Douglas so much in December and the beginning of this month to see if I can get us to places. Luckily I know where a few places are.... Haha, hopefully Sister Lowry likes adventure because getting lost can be an awfully fun adventure if you ask me :) 

Scripture of the week: 3 Nephi 11:14 -This is when Christ was resurrected and He was having the multitude come unto Him and look at the prints in His hands and feet and see for themselves that He was the man that was hung on the cross and He was resurrected. Christ wants us to know Him and recognize Him. He is patient as we come unto Him and try to learn of ourselves who He is. Today He does not come to us in a physical being, but we have the wonderful opportunity to learn from Him in the scriptures and at church. Through prayer we can draw ourselves closer and closer to Him and see Him a little bit better. I am almost done reading the Book of Mormon for my second time. It is really such a blessing to have that book in our lives. It brings me so much peace and happiness. I promise that you can find happiness and answers to questions in that book.

Quote of the Week: "I believe in Christ, like I believe in the sun. Not because I can see it, but by it I can see everything else!" -CS Lewis

Have a wonderful week! Start the new year off right :)

xoxoxox

-Sister Kelsey Griffin

Happy 2014!

Oh my goodness! Happy New Year my dear friends and family!!! Can you believe that it is another new year already?? :o It went sooo fast! 

Well, this week was kind of slow because no one wanted to listen as they prepared to party on the new year... but it was still a very fun week :)

On 31 December 2013 we had to be in our flats at 6pm. Sister Douglas had put a roast in the slow cooker (crock pot) earlier that day so we could have roast beef sandwiches for dinner when we got home. They were so yummy! I was blessed with a companion who can cook :D I cut up a melon and pineapple to go with our sandwiches. Then we made chocolate brownies for dessert. They turned out AMAZING! Oh man, it was a fun evening! While we ate dinner we watched the Doctrine and Covenants DVDs. After dinner we caught up in our journals and coloured in colouring books. It was very relaxing. I LOVE colouring!!! We went to sleep at 10pm. I was in a deep and beautiful sleep when suddenly I heard loud whistling noises!! Turns our Sister Douglas couldn't sleep, so at midnight she decided to celebrate the new year by playing her tin whistle as loud as she could. She thinks she is so clever. Hahaha! Apparently there were fireworks going off all night as well, even though they are illegal here... I didn't even hear or see anything... I fell right back asleep when I realized it was just Sister Douglas playing her tin whistle. Man, my family thought I was a deep sleeper BEFORE my mission... I have definitely gotten to be a deeper sleeper ON my mission! I know, I didn't think that was possible either! Haha! 

January 1, 2014!!! Woot, woot! 

We woke up at 7am (Yes, that is sleeping in!!). Then we walked to Bishop McManus's hourse to help Sister McManus take down Christmas decorations at 10am. The walk is 32 minutes long and it was pouring rain. It was weird being outside because NO ONE else was awake! It felt like we were the only people on earth! Weird, right? After we took all the decorations down we walked to Sister Shine's home and played Family Feud with her. Then Michelle came and picked us up and we watch Monsters University with her and her two sisters. I love that movie so much! It is just so cute!!! After that movie we played SCategories and then watched the Grinch! :) Then Michelle took us back to Sister Shine's home and we watch Brave :) That is a good movie too :) Sister Shine fed us lamb, broccoli, peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, and parsnip (I think that's what that whitish veggie is called, right?). I made the gravy. Now, I don't want to brag... but I have never tasted such good gravy before ;) Haha, just kidding!A She has given me the gravy job 3 times now and before I made it WAY too thick so she had to fix it, but she keeps giving me that job so I can learn how to do it and get better. Practice makes perfect is what she always tells me. Now I am pretty pro at it :) After dinner we played a game called Dabbler... or something like that. We played it at the cabin though! Does anyone remember it? It is SUCH a fun game! You's should play it again at the cabin this year!! :)

Scripture of the Week:

3 Nephi 18:20-21

*Pray with faith

*Family prayer is important- don't take it lightly

Quote of the Week: 

"God doesn't care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where your are and, with His help where you are willing to go." -Holland "Remember Lot's Wife" is a really good talk! You should all take some time to read it! :) And think to yourself where are you willing to go this new year of 2014? :) 

I love you all and hope that you have a wonderful new year!!!! :D

xoxoxoxox

-Sister Kelsey Griffin

P.S. "Because I Have Been Given Much"

Hymn #219

*Additional Missionary Verse

By: Kenneth Cope, Preston England MTC 1999

"Because of thy life's mission, Lord,

I too will serve.

I'll leave the comfort of my home to teach thy word.

I'll seek thy sheep who've gone astray and

those who've never known the way.

I will make thy work, my work, today."

More Christmas Picts! Little words...many picts..

Editors note: As Kelsey's mom, I REALLY want to thank everyone who sent Kelsey cards, notes and gifts. It is hard having her away at Christmas but I feel so grateful to all of you who have helped her to know that we remember and love her!

Nannie's cookies!

 

Christmas Eve pj's from Sister D

Tights from Mary!!

Scarf from Dad & blanket made by Nannie

She still loves to get crayons & coloring books!

Thanks, Sister Crawford!!

 

(this might be my favorite picture!!)

Too Funny!

We are so thankful for Sister O'Farrell!!!!

Sister Douglas, Sister O'Farrell, Anna & Kelsey

One more thing... I want to again apologize for the lame editing I have done with the picts on this blog. If anyone wants to give me a tutorial I would be up for that!! Thanks for your patience!