Week 5

Hey Family and Everyone,

I was really sick with the flu this week, but the Elders came over and gave me a blessing.  This week we barely did anything because of it.  Maureen did show up to a random lesson at the Clarke's and committed to going to church next Sunday.  Sister Tam and I committed to going to a Catholic church with her so this will be fun.

Canada is freezing.  Rain and snow everyday except today.  I'm as warm as I'll be.  We meet people from all around the world, like a lot of Chinese, Filipino and Africans.  It's the weirdest thing.  The white people seem to be the weirdest sets of people I have ever come in contact with.  The food is strange.  I eat some crazy things.  I've been living off of rice, potatoes and boiled chicken.

I love my companion.  She is exactly who I needed to have to be my trainer.  She's so fun and nice and she's from Hong Kong.  We have a lot of fun together.  By the way, Sister Tam said President sends all the blonde sisters to outlining areas, I'm in for a treat.  Oh, and Sister Marion said I'm too pretty for the city and the single's wards so that means I'll be in the middle of no where shortly....

There's a Target and I'm going to look at it today, hopefully.  I'm close to the West Edmonton Mall.  Mom would love it!  I get to Skype you soon, I'm so excited!

They did a spotlight last week on me in Relief Society.  I mentioned how I love my family.  I shared how my mom was my best friend, how I have a dad that provided for our family and always had the Priesthood and how I had the best life.  I'm making this experience as wonderful as I can.  It's hard, but it's worth it.

I'm glad some of you did service for "Mormon Helping Hands."  Make sure when you're serving to try to think positively the whole time.  Then, every time you serve you love doing it, plus everyone gets blessings!  I love you and everyone at home.

I hope you all have a good week.

Love you all,
Sister Kiley Rexinger

Week 4

Hi everyone!  I hope Easter was amazing!  Hopefully the Easter Bunny came this year.  I wanted to talk a little about the true meaning of Easter.  It's nice to have gifts and to dye eggs and the fun activities that go along with Easter, but what is Easter all about?  Easter is about Jesus Christ and what He did for us.  Because of Christ and His willingness to go through with His sacrifice, we can return to live with our families again.  Christ bled from every pore in His body and went through more pain than any person could fathom.  1 Nephi 11:33, "And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world."  He suffered every sin we do each and eery day.  Because of the atonement we have the ability to be happy.  We get the chance to start over every day and to become like Him.  Christ paved the way and made it possible to follow His footsteps.  He overcame death so everyone will as well.  Alma 26:12 says it perfectly.  "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea behold, many might miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever."  Just a little something to think about this week, I am so grateful that this holiday I could focus only on the meaning and I got to share the message of the importance of it.  I have such a strong testimony of the atonement and resurrection.  It happened and because it happened, we can become just like Jesus Christ.  That is what I strive for everyday.

Sister Tam and Sister Rexinger

This week has been super crazy and full of trials and miracles.  The week started off long and super snowy.  Sister Tam and I tried to make the most of it.  It's hard to do but we managed.  I really think this week I want to share a journal entry from Thursday 17/4/14. "Today was a miracle in itself.  Sister Tam and I got to District meeting 20 minutes early.  It was snowing and we walked there!  The Elders didn't get there early and they have the keys to the church so we had a photo shoot while we waited.  District meeting was about learning to work together with other missionaries and since we have two elders in our ward, we had to really exercise this topic.  We talked a lot with the Elders that are in our boundaries as well and gave formers to them that they would work better with and vice versa. From District meeting, we then had District lunch where we colored hard boiled eggs.  This is when Betty was born.  She has cancer though so don't stare at her lack of hair.  Sister Tam and I then did companionship study and came up with two lesson plans depending on if Maureen read 3 Nephi 11.  We show investigators we are serious about reading by reading the assignment with them.  Anyway, after comp study we then went into 12 weeks which is additional study for an hour and they have activities like role playing, etc.  After 12 weeks, Sister Tam was practices a piece that she is playing on Sunday in the Easter program.  Some Elders in my district made me gluten free cookies!  They were so good!  After all of that fun stuff, Sister Tam and I took the bus to get home to drop a few things off, like our area book.  Don't you worry, it was snowing hard and we had 16 minutes to get to our four-plex basement suite and then the bus stop!  Se we ran/walked fast.  At this point in the week, I was getting super discouraged.  We had to give away three investigators this week.  Alannis (a 17 year old girl that I loved), Heather (because she moved out of our area), and Maureen (but I'm not ready to let her go in the slightest).  Turns out Maureen isn't in our area but she meets with us at a member's house.  I have to call President about that because I refuse to give her up!  I've gotten so close with her.  She is family to me.  When I was walking I thought some good thoughts and some bad thoughts.  I was tired and cold and with snow hitting my face.  I then realized this is just like our life.  Throughout life we have super good things happen and some bad things.  At times, we will be tired and even feel like giving up but we have to stick through everything.  He has provided a way for me and everyone.  We rushed over to the bus after booking like 19 blocks.  Good news, we missed the bus!  But, He does provide a way so Sister Zea (a lady in our ward) picked us up and fed us supper.  I love the Zea's.  They are so nice and funny.  They have three boys and one on the way.  Sam (the youngest boy) was so tired he fell asleep on the stairs.  I wish I could pick him up and play with him.  Missionary rules, sometimes are stupid!  The Zea's just had gotten two new foster kids as well so they are super busy.  I think Sister Zea is the definition of a Saint.  They are also super active in the Church and fellowship a new family every week.  I think that's the greatest thing I have ever heard.  After supper, Sister Zea dropped us off at the Clarke's.

I cannot express my love for the Clarke's.  It's like that same feeling I get when I go to Utah and walk into Nana and Papa's house and see them and Katie, Avery and Haley.  I walk into that house and I got Brother Clarke messing around with me and Sister Clarke telling him to knock it off, kinda just like nana and Papa.  Kaitlyn is their granddaughter that is Elise's age.  She's way fun to talk to.  I'm always mentioning Elise or thinking about her when I talk to Kaitlyn.  When Maureen walked in, I got so excited.  I looked forward to seeing her all week.  She is beautiful.  She ran in to tell me she didn't read 3 Nephi 11.  So, she was going to read it upstairs real quick.  I told her not to worry about it.  Plus, Sister Clarke was getting all new windows installed and a new door.  They looked so good and Maureen appreciates the small things so, of course, we had to look at what was going on.  We had a nice chat before the lesson and Kaitlyn was painting cardboard that said BOB.  I don't exactly know what that means but that's okay.  We started the lesson with a prayer like always.  Brother Clarke offered it.  We invited the Spirit and this time, it was super strong.  Sister Tam asked her about her reading and she said she didn't have that much time which is okay.  We decided to start reading 3 Nephi 11 about Jesus Christ coming down and showing everyone His hands and feet.  I kept watching Maureen as she read and she studied those words.  She seemed really intrigued by the words she read.  Every one to three verses, we asked what was happening and I kept expressing what it meant to me.  In 3 Nephi 11 verse 3, it talks about how a voice came down from Heaven.  It reads...."it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center..."  I mentioned how I really liked how it described the voice, that small voice is the one we should be listening to everyday as we are guided.  I told them the story of how I got my answer.  My answer to serve was an answer I'll never forget.  It did pierce my soul.  As we read on, we stopped at verses 15 and 16.  We asked Maureen what that meant to her.  She said she loved how personal it was when He came down.  That He suffered for all of us and loves us so much that he was willing to let everyone feel and know who He was.  Sister Clarke added that he didn't have to show everyone but He loves us so much that He did.  He didn't have to go through the atonement, but He did it out of love.  I then felt prompted to mention that out of love when His body and Spirit were separated, He taught in the spirit world.  In 1 Peter 3:18-19 it says...'being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit; By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison' I then went on and shared the story of Parker Allred.  How he died quickly and out of the blue really, but because he has other work to be done on the other side, just like Christ did.  Maureen started to cry and said I'm an angel.  She went on and said, "if you were to say this any other lesson then I wouldn't of hit me, but you knew exactly what I needed to hear.  I wasn't going to come tonight because this is the hardest time of the year for me.  I was at my son's grave site all day today.  He was young when he was boating with some friends and drowned, but I knew God was telling me to go and it was so you could show and tell me, what I've been convincing myself for years now.  Sister Clarke told her this is why we have temple work.  So people can have the opportunity to still get baptized and repent and receive the Holy Ghost.  She said we were actually wondering if you'd like Christian (her son) to have his temple work done.  Maureen freaked out saying how she was just thinking about that and how her and Sister Clarke have never talked about this and how crazy it was that it crossed her mind for the first time and Sister Clarke mentioned it.  She recognized that was from God.  Christian's temple work will be done shortly.  Sister Tam and I were so excited.  I then showed her D&C 76:51-53 and showed her the steps to return with our Heavenly Father, which are faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.  I showed her 1 Corinthians 15:40-41 where it talks about kingdoms of glory.  Which I don't understand why other religions don't talk about that when it's in the Bible as well.  We went back to D&C 76 and showed her the requirements for each kingdom and then asked her what one she was aiming for.  She said the Celestial Kingdom with Christian!  I asked Maureen if she was willing to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone holding the proper authority of God.  She said, "don't push it!  You already got one today!" but then said she has been thinking about it.

Of course, other things happened this week like service, lessons, my comp and I getting sick for the last two days and receiving a piano because a member/less active family found out I wanted to learn.  I am so blessed and same with everyone else.  We just have to learn to count our blessings and look at the little miracles every day instead of the negative things, it's all about attitude! 

Love you all,
Sister Rexinger

Week 3

Hi everyone!  I didn't get to update last week because I was off to Canada!  Last week, I got a new district and I was the Sister training leader at the MTC.  I got so close to my girls and the last district came in.  I didn't realize how seriously I take missionary work until recently and apparently, I take being a leader seriously, too!  My motherly instincts came out!  I let those sisters know it was okay to not know things, like how the heck to teach with the Book of Mormon when you don't know for yourself how to use it?  Or why we go to church besides to renew our covenants and we are supposed too.  I really struggled with those small and simple things that I always did or didn't do.  How amazing it is that I know now that we can ask a question, pray for help and guidance and then find the answer in whatever chapter we are reading in the Book of Mormon!  Try it sometime!  Even though it's a bunch of stories, we can learn from those prophet's examples and even find the answer in their teachings. 

I also learned a deeper perspective of the Atonement.  How awesome it is that we have the opportunity to repent and start over every day.  Maybe work on looking at the good and not the bad.  If it's good, it's from God.  Something I've been struggling a lot with was my weaknesses.  When I don't feel like I can do something then why would I focus on that?  Why the heck would I ever think that?  I came across a scripture that helped me....Ether 12:27.  It says, "And if men come unto me, I will show them their weakness.  I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me and have faith in me, then I make weak things become strong unto them."  How awesome is it to know that we are given weaknesses to grow and learn from them?  So, what I learned, was to focus on my strengths and let everything else fall into place. 

 

 

Anyway, a week ago was my last night in the MTC.  The sisters all had a testimony meeting and we all learned so much from one another.  Each person taught everyone a valuable lesson.  I miss my zone so much!  We had to report at the travel office at 2:30 am.  Does anyone realize how funny it is to watch me pull, push and kick three huge suitcases, a duffle bag and another bag?  Cause let me tell you, that it's hilarious!  My companion didn't think it was very funny, but that's not the point!  When we got to the airport, I was in a group of non experienced flyers.  They looked like they had never seen such a place before.  I really enjoyed that.  Since I had so many things, I couldn't really manage to lead that pack.  So, I held up the back and laughed at them!!  On the first flight to Denver, I sat next to a newly returned missionary and he really helped to distract me from how I was really feeling.  I hadn't slept for about 50 hours at that point and I was pretty much alone.  The second flight was to Edmonton.  It was such a great feeling getting there.  We missionaries were the only people in that airport.  Oh and while we were traveling, we only had one Elder and five Sisters so people were asking if we were polygamists.  We had to go through a huge process to actually get through the airport.  Immigration took two hours because the lady in front of us kept making up stories as to why she's going to Canada.  I got my Visa and it goes to October 7th, 2015. 

My mission President welcomed us with his assistant missionaries.  They were way nice but we were way tired and wanted to sleep.  Don't worry, you can't catch up on sleep in the mission field!  That night we spent the night at the President's house.  He and his wife are so amazing!  I want to be just like Sister Manion one day!  Oh and the day we got there, we actually had to proselyte in the streets and do interviews!  Good times!  Back to the next day....I found out who my trainer was--Sister Tam.  She's from Hong Kong and she is so funny and quiet.  I make her talk all the time.  We have fun little games we do like changing the wallpaper on our phone to a mug shot of each other.  Like currently our wallpaper is of me sleeping!  I love it!  We never get bored.  I'm in the city, not that far from West Edmonton Mall.  I'm starting to get the lingo down here.  We are one of the very few missionaries in a walking area and bus area.  We have to bother people on the bus and hopefully save their salvation!  People are really friendly here or just try to pick up on the Sisters which actually scares me, but I am very much protected so it works out!

Sister Rexinger and Sister Tam

The first night with my trainer, we went to a member's house and they invited their close friend over.  It's safe to say, she is now a progressing investigator.  I love her so much!  Maureen is her name and I have so many good things to say.  In a journal entry I wrote last night, I wrote how she is family and how badly I want her to be happy.  She is beautiful and she's seeing how amazing the power of prayer is.  We will have our third lesson with her this week.  We have so much work to do here.  So many people with testimonies but are not willing to get baptized or go to church.  Church was amazing and the people are so friendly.  They  called me up in Sacrament meeting and asked me to bear my testimony which is something I don't do!  There are Elders in my ward with us, as well.  I am serving in a small ward. I'm so excited to change lives!  This is where I'm supposed to be.  I know this is the true church.  It's changing me more and more everyday.  Don't be afraid to change for the better!

Love always,
Sister Rexinger

Sister Rexinger Arrived Safely in Canada

Dear Brother and Sister Rexinger,

We wanted to let you know that your daughter has arrived safely.  We enjoyed so much meeting her at the airport and having the six new missionaries stay the first night at the mission home with us.  It is so exciting to have them come into the mission full of such faith and enthusiasm.  It is great to see how their faith overcomes their fears.

Attached is a note from her and a picture with her training companion, Sister Tam from Hong Kong.  They are serving in the Belmead Ward and the Riverbend Stake in Edmonton.

Warmest regards,
President and Sister Manion

Sister Tam, Sister Rexinger, Sister Manion, President Manion

Hi fam!

I arrived safely!  I'm loving it here already.  The other missionaries welcomed myself and all the other new missionaries, with open arms.  My mission President and his wife are so amazing.  They took us in like we are their own.  We stayed at their house last night and had such a lovely devotional.  I am really excited to see what the future holds.  I'll update you all Monday!

I love you,

Sister Rexinger 



First MTC Email

Hi Everyone!

First week at the MTC was the most spiritually, mentally and physically exhausting week of my entire life.  I can't even tell anyone how far I've come.  I've grown in ways I didn't know I needed work on.  This week was a week of finding our purpose and why this is where we were supposed to be.  I found it so crazy how they had us teaching the very next day!  I have the most loving companion, her name is Sister Naylor.  She is from Roy, UT and she is so enthused about the gospel.  I am so grateful for this opportunity.  Gosh, I have so much to say, I don't even know where to start!

The first day was a day of information.  A day of being overloaded with words and outrageous rules that I secretly told myself that I wasn't going to keep.  Like no long skirts!  They obviously want me to freeze!  Or no headbands and I apparently can't wear my uggs but hopefully that will change when I get to Canada. 

The night of 3/26 our district met our Zone leaders and Sister training leaders.  I couldn't be more grateful for that group.  Sister Schmidt walked into the room and I felt a connection with her like none other.  I know now that I had to have been friends with her before we came to earth.  I couldn't imagine this experience without her.  I also had a tender mercy happen, even the first night.  One of my sister training leaders was Sister Chidester.  She was that cute girl I got endowed with in the Sacramento Temple.  She's the niece of Rose Chidester.  I really thought that was the coolest thing to have a little piece of home with me for the first week.  Those sisters welcomed us with open arms and showed us how to really be a missionary. 

Day 2-3 were really emotional days.  We taught a lesson to Trey both days.  Trey was one of our teachers that was role playing one of his investigators that was on his mission.  Does anyone know how hard it is to pray for someone that you know really does have the gospel and is strong?  The worst part was that we were being watched.  Sister Naylor and I really were humbled and had to learn how to work with one another.  We were never on the same page when it came to lessons.  I honestly don't know how to teach with the Book of Mormon because I never used it before to look for answers.  That had been a huge trial that I had and still have to overcome each day.  I'm really implementing my questions I have with our Heavenly Father with prayer and with scripture study.  Who knew it was fun to read a scripture and break it down to see how that scripture relates to the question you have?  I'm loving it.

Sunday was a day to remember.  It was Fast Sunday and it was the best fast I've ever done.  I had the opportunity to fast for the Elders and Sisters in my zone who were struggling and asking for help for myself.  I have seen such an improvement because of that fast.  Sunday we had the chance to study and bond with our district.  Our zone, with our wonderful leaders, took a walk up to the Temple.  We just took pictures and enjoyed getting out of buildings.  It started raining on the way back and we actually enjoyed every minute of that even though we were freezing.  We then had Sacrament meeting which it was, of course, fast and testimony meeting.  Yes, I was the only one in my zone that didn't get up and share my testimony.  That is okay!  After that we broke our fast and then had a devotional.  That devotional was probably the best devotional I've ever been to.  We had the opportunity to see Brother Elliot.  He is the organist for the Tabernacle Choir.  He played pieces he has composed and it was beautiful.  I am blown away by how much talent that man has.  Then following his talk and music we had the opportunity to hear from David Archuleta.  He got home from his mission this last week and he had so many good things to share.  It was the cutest thing that he kept getting choked up because the Spirit was so strong.  He told us why he went on a mission. His family was converted.  He had many options of what to do instead of serving a mission.  He said his mom said many things but growing up she always reminded him how the missionaries changed her life, so he went.  He sang us three hymns.  The first one helped him prepare to serve his mission.  The hymn was "Be Still My Soul".  The second hymn he sang was one that touched his family deeply.  He said when his grandmother was investigating the church, she had a dream she was in heaven surrounded by angels and they were singing.  That song she had never heard before, but it wouldn't leave her mind.  This was a point where she was searching for truth and she had just told the missionaries that she would go to church just to try it out.  When she went the last hymn in Sacrament meeting  was that hymn she had heard in her dreams and she started crying.  That was the second hymn he sang--which of course, I didn't bring my journal so I don't remember the name.  He told us a story from his mission.  This story was just about following promptings.  He said he was on a bus and he had little pamphlets for an activity going on.  He was prompted to give one to a woman on the bus, but he was about to get off so he ignored it.  He got prompted again and brushed it off once again and the third time he was prompted he went over there and said he awkwardly had a short conversation with this woman that wasn't that old and handed her the pamphlet and then got off the bus.  Later in his mission, he comes to find out that woman actually went to that activity.  She ended up taking out her piercings and joining the church.  Because of her choices her family joined and some of her friends.  Now that young woman got her mission call and all this happened because he followed a prompting.  I just really think that it's so cool to hear personal experiences and I'm really grateful that I got to hear the power in his voice and words.

On Monday, Sister Naylor and I started teaching a real investigator.  Her name is Olivia and she goes to BYU.  She is an atheist so it's way hard to teach someone without some sort of belief.  Surprisingly, that lesson went really well.  I know she could feel the Spirit and she recognizes blessings in her life.  We left her with a commitment to pray and make a list of her blessings in her life.  We taught her yesterday, as well.  We talked a lot about those blessings and what she believes to be coincidences.  She is absolutely beautiful and I can tell she really wants to know.  I've been praying hard for her to know for herself.  It's hard for her to really progress if she doesn't know if God is there.

Last night, we had another devotional.  We had Elder Whiting from the 70 come and talk to us.  His wife opened with a short talk that really answered my prayers.  Her talk was on the importance of the Book of Mormon and how important it is in conversion.  Gosh, that was powerful.  She had five main things as to why it was important but once again, it's in my notes and I don't have them with me.  One of them, though, was learning from the characteristics of the prophets.  It turns out missionaries are like Nephi according to Elder Whiting.  We left our home and possessions.  We are asked to build a boat through missionary work and have our investigators cross the sea of conversion to end up on the promised land of the gospel.  I just really like that and how they compared.  It makes me really want to continue to give it my all.

Oh and Sister Naylor and I both have never done laundry so we looked like complete idiots this morning!  I really, really like that!  Oh and a fun moment happened on Saturday when Sister Naylor and I were going to get our packages.  I knew the post office was closed but she was determined.  I loved her enthusiasm to get her package.  She kept telling me that she got it.  There were mailboxes that only the district leader can use to get everyone's mail besides packages.  She also didn't see that sign and tried real hard to get her package that was in that tiny box with a lock on it....that apparently she had the combo to.  Some Elders came up and questioned what she was doing and left her to do her thing!  After I had my fun and those Elders were waiting for a while, I kindly put my arm around her and showed her the sign and that the mail room was closed.  We got a good laugh out of that!  I still want to know where the heck she got her combo and box number from!

I want all of you to know that I have never been so happy.  I have felt the Spirit so strong and I have been at peace with my decision.  I miss and love you all and know I have been doing great.  Rely on your Heavenly Father for help.  He helps and blesses you everyday.  Thanks for all the love and support through this journey.  If you want to be happy, read your scriptures and pray.  You are never alone.  I know God lives and I love Him so much.  I know that Jesus died for our sins and because of Him we can return with our Heavenly Father.  I know families are forever and I know I'm changing lives and they are changing mine.  Take care!  I leave to Edmonton on Monday at 2:30 am!  So, Mom and Dad---you'll be getting an early phone call!  Take care and I'll talk next week. 

Love always,
Sister Rexinger

PS  Hopefully this made sense.  I didn't have time to reread what I said.  They told me that I won't get homesick if I focus on the work and be exactly obedient.  I, and everyone else, will be blessed.  I know you are being taken care of.  I challenge you all to focus on others instead of yourself and it makes life so much better.  LOVE YOU!