Kaibab Weekly

Another week in Kaibab,

It was a bit of a slow week, Sister Hee was not feeling good this week and seems to be a common thread with all the missionaries, S Eppel, E Molder, S Massengale And others. Wow Cannot wait till winter is over! All you in SA be grateful for the sunny days you are experiencing!

It is way cool though they started an institute class in Co City and wow we were able to go because everyone we would have been teaching was THERE so we decided to go too and I learned so much! wish I had my BOM institute manual and all my note from back then while I study. But alas it is not in the prescribed missionary library. But there is so much to be learned in just the title page and introduction of the BOM. What is great is that alot of the Poligs go to that class and at least they have a strong belief in the BOM there was one however who kept on asking Who said that, who said that. Cause they do not know all the apostles that we have today. Its hard but the insitute teacher IS amazing!!!

We then went to a Poligs house (RV trailor) on wednesday (real snazzy inside) but we were catching them while they were heading out but they had enough time to show us some vids of the "good times" to be a polig, and well I must agree with them they DID have some really good times as they did parades and all sorts for Pioneer day (Utah thing) Then we go to another family, Ok they have been out longer, but they just see the negative in the FLDS Well I won't lie it is an adventure each time we go out but we will only be going there once this week.

Well I don't know if I mentioned this before but one of our investigators whom I invited to be baptized after E Aarnold came, but she said no. Well, I invited her again this week and agagin she said no. :'( she still loves us and we will still be going to teach her. They both go to church and I think she is learning ALOT but we do not know where his records are so this is fun. we had dinner over there on Saturday and we had a good time - I finally had a real thanksgiving dinner! lol

Our District meeting was great I really enjoyed it! Training always helps us to get a bit more excited about missionary work and we really need it cause we have been getting a bit discouraged in our area. But we learn from PMG that "You should not, however, become discouraged; discouragement will weaken your faith. If you lower your expectations, your effectiveness will decrease, your desire will weaken, and you will have greater difficulty following the Spirit." And I think thats what happened on Wednesday when we were not able to put our investigator on date. We were not following the spirit as we really could have. We have a lot to work on as a companionship this week. But i really think that it will be a better week.

Congrats to the BOKKE well the 7s team who played in Vegas (Don't know if any of you even know about that.) well the Bokke WON. My Recent Converts husband went to the game this weekend lol. Good FUN. I love her so much she is so great she got her patriarchal blessing yesterday and I think that was exactly what she needed! I love her so much and she really is like a mom to us! So don't worry mom we are being well looked after!

Some quotes for the week:

" Have faith that you will receive personal revelation" PMG p 90

"Prayer is esential for our spiritual development & protection" E Bednar

"True Faith is focused in & on the Lord Jesus Christ & always leads to righteous action" E Bednar

Love you all and hope you see miracles!

All My Best,

Sister Karen Hollander

St. George, Utah Mission

107S. 1470E. Suite 304

St. George Utah 84790

United States

Life on the Kaibab

Good Day all you wonderful people I have been cleaning up my email so today is going to be short. 

Sister Hee was sick for a few days this week and so we were not as productive as we would have liked but it was a relatively good week non the less :) 

TRANSFER CALLS: We are STAYING!!!!!! (But seriously need to take more pictures!!!

We plan to see miracles this week!!! We have made a commitment to be more obedient and more involved and keep in contact with investigators more.

I spoke in 2 wards yesterday!!! was crazy but fun! Just know that the work is still pressing forward here and we love it here!!! 

Sister Chinen is training so we are sad to say good by to Sister Waiane! But excited to see who the new missionary is going to be.

I love studying the scriptures and being able to use them when I teach. I also love feeling the spirit work through me and I say things that I never would have before thought of if it were not for the spirit. I also know it is because I have opened my mouth that it was filled. I struggle sometimes to know when to open it and when not. But it becomes easier the closer I come to my Savior and understand the atonement. I have much still to learn and wish i had more time to study sometimes :)

Thought: 1 Nephi 19:9 

And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they ^aspit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving ^bkindness and his ^clong-suffering towards the children of men.

Are we suffering it? or are we turning to the saviour because he has suffered it already.

Love you all!!

All My Best,

Sister Karen Hollander

St. George, Utah Mission

107S. 1470E. Suite 304

St. George Utah 84790

United States

New Years Adventures!!!

Sorry that I did not email last week but we had a great day at the Temple and we ran out of time to email, since we went all the way to St George and went to wallmart as well since we had not been able to go for 2 weeks.

Happy new year!! We had such a great new years Eve and Day!!! New years eve we watched Dispicable me 1 with our district and then played with some frisbees and hit a pinata :D So much fun!

Best new years day EVER We were able to sleep over at the other sisters apartment and yes we were in bed all tucked in at 10 30!!! it was pretty cold Sister Chinen had to try keep the fire burning all night and not the most comfortable sleep but it was all worth it! Sister Waiane made us all breackfast:

 and then after studies we went up to the "Valley" to go hike with our distract... Well the boys were hungry so we got a bite to eat first and the Elders were so sweet they PAID for us!!! (Ok granted they had got the money ($20 each) the night before from a man who had bought them all dinner) But it was cool :D

Anyway we then went to try find a slot canyon... we baptized the new van in the "Crik" Or Creek... and we went till we got to a stage that the Van would NOT climb a steep icy muddy hill. I was surprised we were even able to walk up it without falling because of the mud. Anyway we had a good time! and eventually we though that we were not going to make it to the canyon cause we had no clue really where we were going. But through perseverance we MADE IT!!!!

and WOW the most beautiful place ever!!! (Pictures to follow) I absolutely loved it!! and it seemed like it never ended!!! it was crazy though because we had to climb ALOT it was a team/district building experience - luckily the elders are not really elders they are monkeys and pulled us sisters up some of the more complicated climbs but over time we were able tot do things on our own. But just as I though that adventure could not get more exciting as I was taking the lead I almost stood ona dead DEER!!!! AHHHHH I freaked out - but not as bad as Sister Chinen - that was the biggest obstacle to get over. it was so much fun though!! I would do it again in a heatbeat!!! But the Trek home was what was the real adventure we decided to follow the wash... but we were goin the oposite direction of where the cars were at, eventually we got going in the right direction and had to SLIDE down a hill of snow to get to the bottom!! SOOOOOO MUCH OF FUN - Bum Sliding!!! (People find it funny that I say bum... lol I love it)

Anyway We then watched Toy story 2 and Dispicable me 2 SO MUCH FUN! I love my district!

Anyway The Temple was quite an experience as I was able to go to the top of the temple as the sisters are friends with the security guards and we were on the last session and it was so good.

Oh and my camera is only half functional atm after our adventures cause my bag got full of fine sand and so did my camera and I can hear it grating when it decides to open and close.

WEll spiritual thought. As I was reading in 1 Ne 17 this morning    I came accross verse
3 And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and ^astrengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did ^bprovide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness.

I love how Heavenly Father will provide a way for us to keep the commandments, he also promises to strengthen us - I would think that is a physical and spiritual strength.

Another Quote:

"Our destiny is... determined... by the number of times we rise up, dust ourselves off, and  move forward." - Pres Uchtdorf -

Did not know how much I really needed that quote till I typed it out now. Hope you all can use it and study the General Conference talks. They really can help us.

This week we went to visit a former investigator and it was amazing! we were able to go with one of the doctors in Kanabs wives and she was a celebraty in that house. The mom is in active and she said she would come to church yesterday... she didn't but it was quite an experience anyway.

But another of our investigators DID go to church and I am sooooo excited for her and her husband!!!

Thank you for all the letters of encouragement and support. sorry I am not able to reply to them all. One day I will get to it. I have gone over time now already.

All My Best,

Sister Karen Hollander

St. George, Utah Mission

107S. 1470E. Suite 304

St. George Utah 84790

United States

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Wow what a great time it was to see & hear family over skype!!!! So great to see familiar faces and hear familiar voices!!! Christmas was FUN!

We spent Christmas eve with one of our bishops: Bishop Jackson and his family. I ate prawns! LOL still not my favorite meal but it's ok. It was great to slow down a bit and relax and spend time with a family :) they have a daughter serving in itally at the moment. we were going to skype at their home but we ended up not cause of timing and time zones as their daughter would skype at the same time as I would so we just skyped at the home where we stayed. There was a bit of "snot en trane" but it was expected I had the tissues ready and EVERYTHING. After skyping we went to the bishop again and went on his turn table thing where you stand upside down... yeah was not as cool as I thought it would be. then we went to Huricane for a Zone activity, where we exchanged gifts (white elephant) and played frisbee!!!! man that was sooo much fun - good to be running again. I did however find out I have gained 7KG while being on the mission :O ahhhhh really need to start getting myself into SHAPE! But been sick and so getting up in the mornings is tough, this sore throat better go away soon! Anyway we then went to St George for a bit and came home. Sad part is we were not able to go to Wallmart last week and I doubt we will go this week....

Anyway This week has really been great my companion and I just want to study all day though! there are so many great treasures in the scriptures and other church materials that really just make me hunger even MORE for them.

In part one of our Less Actives that we are working with gave us a hunger and thirst because of his example. He has been in-active for 40+ years his wife is not a member and I love them both soooo much. Last week he finished the BOM in 3 days!!! Ok he started from 2 Nephi but he was hungry for something. He seems to really be searching hard for some divine help and encouragement. When we committed his wife to be baptized a few weeks ago she did not feel the need to be baptized yet He did because he feels like he needs a clean sheet. So this has been a bit complicated, but I am so glad that we were able to commit then to read the Book of Mormon because he said THAT was why he decided to read... but he then became hungry. It' sad though because he did not understand ALOT of what he was reading because he did not understand half of what he was reading because he missed one important detail of when they reached the Americas. And he really just could not finish the last book of the Book of Mormon because of that small thing that he missed. I am so grateful that we have "Angels" in the form of our friends though. because just as He was about to give up, Bishop Jackson knocked at his door and was able to explain it all to him. He had been reading it all on his phone and was able to make notes left right and center of questions and comments about the Book of Mormon so he was not only reading but STUDYING the word of God. He is so relieved now. He said he skipped reading the Introduction because he just wasnted to get started reading the book. But I have now found it is SO important to emphasize how important reading the introduction really is! Even though he did not understand it all fully He did find verses that really penetrated him! He really did find answers to some of the questions of his soul. He does not yet believe he has a full testimony of this book but I know that he does.

I invite you ALL to read the Book of Mormon this year! to study it and make it a part of your daily life. Who knows maybe you will find this hunger and thirst as Jim has. Maybe you will find the answers to the questions of your soul. Let us all have spiritual experience this NEW Year!! Here is a great video for the new year: "Look not behind thee"

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=910930409001

Let us make this year one of great Goals because "We set goals to show our faith, we follow up on goals to count our blessings" - Ensign Sept 2013

I am so grateful that Jim was able to Study the word of God just as we are encouraged to do so in the Lehis dream: The Tree of Life. I encourage you all to study this dream. study the interpretation of it and understand that we truly need to STUDY the word of God. And to hold FAST to the iron rod and not just "Clinging" to it. Use these articles as guides:

1. http://www.lds.org/liahona/2011/10/lehis-dream-holding-fast-to-the-rod?lang=eng&query=lehis+dream
2. http://www.lds.org/ensign/2010/08/finding-ourselves-in-lehis-dream?lang=eng

As I have studied the dream I have found I can apply them in many situations in my area.  I know that these resources have been given to us so we can more fully understand the dream. I hope that we will all look forward to the tree of life - that we will want to feel God's love in our lives as we eat of the fruit and use the atonement in our lives!! Let us not be shrouded in the mists of darkness and be lost but Hold FAST to the scriptures - they truly can bring spiritual strength.

Also studying "Personal Strength through the Atonement of Jesus Christ" I hope we can all make New Years Resolutions By:

1. Striving to make Covenants - By going to the Temple, striving to be worthy of entering there. If you are too young to do endowments, make sure you are worthy of doing baptisms for the dead.

2. Share the Gospel!!!!

3. Serve Faithfully in all church Callings - This I think is such a great goal as it gives us purpose. There were sisters that came back to this area to visit their investigators and members and they told us that normal life is hard because you do not have a real purpose. And that has been bugging me for a bit. But I would like to think that these calling could really give us purpose! I love that as missionary's our purpose is clear!!! to "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored Gospel..." But I hope that when I go home that I will be able to fulfill my purpose as a visiting teacher and whatever other calling they give me just as I would as a missionary. I want to be able to pray for those I associate with everyday. I want to study the scriptures with them in mind and see how I can help them! I love having this purpose. I hope that you ALL can find your purpose in the calling you have been trusted with!

4. Serve the members of your family!!! SERVE SERVE SERVE. it is the best way we can obtain the Christlike attribute of Charity.

Well time is again running short. I love you all and wish you a very Happy New Year!!!

At a members Home - Son served in SACTM mission

Getting ready for Gift Exchange

All the Medican a member thought I would need - and she was RIGHT!!!!

All My Best,

Sister Karen Hollander

St. George, Utah Mission

107S. 1470E. Suite 304

St. George Utah 84790

United States