THANKSGIVING!!!!

Chalking in City Centre! It was so so fun!!! :D We will definitely be doing that finding activity again :) 

King John's Castle!!

Dearest friends and family,

Goodness, where has the time gone?? I know that I haven't written or sent a long email in FOREVER! I am so sorry!!! I love you all and I hope you are doing well! :) 

I love Limerick, Ireland! I love my companion, Sister Montoya! We are getting a lot of work done here. This week we got 6 lessons! I don't know about the state side missionaries... but here in Ireland 6 lessons is AMAZING! We are so proud of ourselves for finally breaking the 4 lessons a week chain. 

I have been receiving packages and letters from the ward! Thank you all so much for your love and support! I am so blessed to have such a caring and loving home ward! 

This last transfer so many of my past companions went away and now this next transfer Momma Douglas will be going home!! It is so weird to say goodbye to my good friends! I love them all and pray that they are settling into the home life quite well.

It is so exciting going on exchanges here because the STLs (Sister Training Leaders) are Sister Henkel (one of my MTC companions) and Sister Cannon (one of my companions in Glasgow). I am so blessed to have the opportunity to exchange with them and learn so much. They are amazing examples to me and teach me so much. 

With the Christmas choir concert coming up so quickly, Sister Montoya and I are trying to practice as much as we can! :) We are lucky to have the help of Elder Anderson (who is an incredible singer) and Elder Novotny (who is an incredible piano player). They are in our district and help us for an hour after district meeting! My throat has never worked so hard in my life!

Last week Sister Montoya and I tried my idea of teaching families the Plan of Salvation with sugar cookies! :) It was so fun! A little distracting, but definitely a lesson that will be remembered! We had all kinds of colors of frosting and I made the sugar cookies. Guess what my friends and family.... I am actually not too bad of a baker. Surprise, surprise, I know :) 

We are trying to teach several people at the moment:

Anthony- we found him on the street and he has learned from missionaries before. He is scared of change, but he knows the Book Of Mormon is true. It is hard to teach him because he lives SO FAR away! But anytime he is in Limerick City he calls us so we can teach him.

Michelle- she is a lovely woman. We met here while we were chapping doors. She has the cutest three year old daughter named Kayla. Michelle wants to know of God's love and that there is more for her in this life. I have never had so much love for a stranger before. Sister Montoya and I just want to help her so badly. She has been out of town taking care of her mother for a time though because her mother is quite ill. 

Patrick- we met him on the street and he has so much curiosity! He says he doesn't want to join our church, but he wants to learn! It is so fun talking to him and seeing him understand more and more how the gospel can help him in his life. 

Today we are going to teach a man named Stephan who we met on the street. He says that he is very interested in our religion. We are so excited to go teach him with our Recent Convert Bernie. Things are just looking up for us! :) 

We are really excited for a new week of teaching so many new people!

We are also excited for Thanksgiving! It is true, in Ireland November 27th is just another day... but to the American missionaries it is a day to be celebrated!! :D Thanks to my Nans and Mom I have some incredible pie recipe's! ...fingers crossed that I can make them as delicious as my Nans and Mom. Elder Anderson has agreed to make the turkey, corn, peas, apple cider, chicken, stuffing, rolls, etc. :) Elder Hutchings is going to make the salad. Sister Montoya said she will make rice pudding. I asked her to make Horchata, but we will see what will happen :) We are going to have our meal at Jaffa's home! He served his mission in Mesa, Arizona so he knows what Thanksgiving is all about! :D His daughter, Azariah is going to be there as well! We are all really looking forward to this feast! :) 

I have so much gratitude in heart for all of the blessings the Lord gives me everyday. I am grateful for my family. I am grateful for my friends. I am so thankful to the Lord for guiding my life. I know that His hand is always in our lives and it is up to us to follow the promptings that we receive. I am thankful for all of the wonderful people that I have met on my mission. I know that I am changing so much out here. It is incredible because I am still Kelsey, but I know so much more about myself and about my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that this is where He needs me to be. I am thankful for the scriptures and all that I am able to learn every time I read them. I am thankful for so many wonderful things that I have been given.

I love you all so much! Always remember to daily thank the Lord for all you receive. I promise every time you count your blessings you will always recognize the Lord's hand in your life and you will be able to see all that you really have! :) 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and eat an extra slice of pie for me! :D 

Field Trip!!

Early Christmas present from dad... much needed boots!!

King John's Castle YSA Activity!!

Ready for battle!

My companion the princess!

Strike a pose!

Just chillin' at a castle...

Missionaries and the young single adult ladies

Knock! Knock!

Cheese!

This week was crazy. I am having a bit of a struggle training. It is so difficult.

Oh! You asked about the picture with me on the radio...So there is a YSA here. Our friend, Azariah. She lives in Limerick and goes to Mary I (Mary Immaculate College) and she is going to school to be a news person, and she needed someone to interview so she asked us :) Haha, it was so so fun! We weren't allowed to talk specifically about the church, so we talked about serving the Lord... it was more so of a service opportunity. It is hard to find service here because the Catholics do not want us to help them... 

A smile from Ireland...

Kelsey must be very busy!! This is all I got this week!

My week :)

My dear friends and family,

It has come to my attention that I haven't written a proper, good email to ye informing you's of my missionary life. I am loving the mission. I am getting a little nervous because what they say is true- the mission does fly after 9 months! I feel like days are a blur! 

This last week was really good. I love Sister Montoya. Training is difficult, but by no means because of her. It is difficult because you are able to take a good, long look at yourself and your progression and either be proud of the person you are or realize you still have so many changes you need to make. I am so grateful for this mission experience and all I have learned, but I am even more grateful that I still have time on the mission to learn and improve. 

I have really gained a testimony of prayer and scripture study on the mission. The last few weeks I have been praying so hard requesting the Lord to give me answers to the questions I have. I was neglecting the power of scripture study though... I began to realize how prayer and scripture study work TOGETHER! Sure Heavenly Father loves it when He hears from us through prayer, but a lot of the answers to our questions are in the scriptures. By not reading them we are holding ourselves back from the answers we seek. 

I hope that everyone had a Happy Halloween! Sister Montoya and I dressed up :) I don't really know WHAT we were... but we threw some things that we had on and said we were the American Flag... Haha! It was fun! 

It is getting loads colder here! Winter is here! 

I am so grateful for the letters I received this week!!! Thank you so much for the love and support! :) 

We are teaching two different people at the moment. Michelle and Anthony. We found Michelle while chapping doors. She is so kind. She is searching for God and his love. It means so much to me that we have what she is looking for. She has the cutest three year old named Kayla. I am so excited to see them again this coming week! :) Anthony was found while we were walking home late one night. We stopped him on the street and he said that he has met with missionaries before. We asked if he would like to meet with us again and he said he would like that. :) 

Moves call was last night! So scary! But no worries! Sister Montoya can't get rid of me that easy! ;) 

Quotes of the Week:

"You reach the greatest heights while on your knees."

"Prayer is the provider of Spiritual strength." -Pres. Monson

"Prayer is less about changing our circumstances and more about changing us. It is about seeking His will and asking for His help to do what we need to do." -E. Pearson

"In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance."  -Pres. Uchtdorf

"Always pray to have eyes that see the best in people, a heart that forgives the worst, a mind that forgets the bad, and a soul that never loses faith in God." 

Scriptures of the Week:

*2 Nephi 32:4- we must pray for understanding and answers. The Lord is waiting for us to come to Him.

*2 Nephi 32:5- It is by the power of the Holy Ghost that we can know what we must do.

*Johm 14:26-27- The Holy Ghost will teach us and help us know of truth or what to do, but we must first study, search, and play. 

*Doc. and Cov. 9:8-9- Study and ask in prayer to receive revelation by feeling.