Week 16

Kiley did not write very much this week.  She has not been feeling very well and was not able to work much last week.  She asked that we keep her investigators in our thoughts and prayers.  Akan is still progressing toward his baptismal date.

Please keep Kiley in your thoughts and prayers.  We hope she will be able to start feeling better soon so she can get back to working hard!

Week 15

So, I have the two companions now!  One is Sister Galovich and the other is Sister Fellows.  One is from Utah and the other one from Idaho.  I can't remember which right now.  It was way hard saying goodbye to Sister Tam, but it's working out for the best.  I have already learned so much from my new companions and we are working a million times harder.  I didn't think it was possible to work this hard.  Our goals are crazy, but with our triple companionship, we are rocking it!  We are all so different, but we work really, really well together.  We are helping to change lives and we are more than excited.

Our week was super busy and productive.  Last Sunday, we went to a less active member's family birthday party.  He invited Sister Tam and I and another friend.  I ended up talking to that one friend and now he wants to meet with the missionaries at least every week.  The less active member is also turning his life around and preparing for a mission.  That's so exciting and awesome.  Monday, we had a BBQ at a less active member's house with one of our investigators.  Tuesday was Canada Day.  We went down town with some members wearing regular clothes because we were doing service after.  That was way fun and we saw many missionaries there as well, which was fun, too.  Wednesday was really hard with transfers and Sister Tam leaving, but we got through it!  Thursday, we had a lesson with Akan and he now has a baptismal date for August 2nd.  I had a prompting from the Holy Ghost to commit him to August 2nd and he accepted.  I LOVE PROMPTINGS.  We also had a lesson with Mavis and she's progressing toward baptism.  We plan on committing her to a baptismal date this week along with her daughter.  We also met up with another investigator and she took us out for ice cream.  Friday was the 4th!  Happy Fourth!  We did service and planned our transfer goals most of the day.  It was hard not thinking about home.  Hopefully the fourth wasn't that great since I was gone.  Just kidding!  That night, we had supper with members and ended up teaching her son that I've never met.  Our lesson was about The First Vision.  He gave us his phone number afterwards and we plan to teach him again.  Saturday, we had a member baptism and we taught the first lesson.  And, we had another investigator show up to that!  She liked it!  After the baptism, we taught her.  She has kept us away from her kids for a while now, but she invited us today to go with her and her kids to Fort Edmonton!  This is a huge deal.  That means she's serious.  Sunday was crazy as usual with church meetings.  Our investigator and her less active husband had their baby blessed by his dad.  The baby is a year old.  That was cool that they were at church.  After church, we taught them and there is crazy progress going on with them.  We had a potluck for break the fast and lots of non members went.  That was so fun.  We got some appointments!  We are so excited.

I hope everyone had a good 4th of July.  I love and miss you.  Sorry for not being able to respond very quickly to many of your messages.  I have a bunch in my inbox still.  The time flies each week on the computer and we have to sign up for using them at the library.  When our time expires, the computer turns off.  That means someone else has their time/turn.

Have a good week.

Love,
Sister Kiley Rexinger

Week 14

Hey Everybody,

This week, Elder Nelson (apostle) and his wife came.  They talked about the need to be prepared and the importance of sacrificing more time to go to the temple and do family history.  That was fun and interesting.

Sister Tam is being transferred and will now be teaching/speaking Mandarin Chinese.  We said our goodbyes to many families and had some really powerful lessons.  It's amazing how many people have said we have changed their lives.  I also had exchanges with Sister Young and that was so much fun.  I learned so much from her.

We have several progressing investigators.  We are expecting 6 on Sunday at church.  Hopefully that works out.

Tomorrow is Canada Day!  That is the national day of Canada, a holiday celebrating the anniversary of July 1, 1867, when the three colonies were united into a single country.  The mission is giving us a free day, but of course we get to talk to people.  We are super excited!  We are going downtown to festivals and stuff!

I hope everyone has a great 4th of July!  Light some fireworks for me and get sun burnt!

Love you all,
Sister Kiley Rexinger

P.S.  I tried shrimp this week.  That was gross.

Week 13

Hey Family and Friends,

Things are going well up here in Canada this week.  I'm feeling a little sick.  I went to the doctor to be seen for my allergies.  He did give me an inhaler so I'm doing better now.  They also drew some blood work to check some things out, I guess.  I've grown so much spiritually these past weeks.  For example, I was challenged to read the Book of Mormon cover to cover in my first 12 weeks on my mission and I have 20 pages left!  I'm so excited.  I've learned so many new things.

Every week for the past 6 weeks, Sister Tam and I have found a new investigator.  We have so much work going on here.  We went from no investigators to 9 in the last 12 weeks.  Three are progressing and we have a few returning less actives.  Akan is a guy that just showed up to church one day with his coffee.  We found him at the bus terminal and he loves us!  He also loves reading the scriptures.  What is our secret?  The secret is love and wanting to talk to the people.  We are hoping that our efforts bring a new light and energy to our ward.  People love us.  We also have Family Home Evening every week with several families.

Transfers are the following week, after Canada Day!  Yay!  It's still cold here, but I'm getting darker each day.  We also had a zone conference this week that was great.  The matching dresses was a unity thing we were encouraged to do. 

Anyway, I hope everyone has a great week.  The Gospel is true.

Love,
Sister Kiley Rexinger

Week 12

We have achieved some great goals for our area.  Not long ago, there were no investigators for our area and now we have seven!  We have also been visiting more of our less-active families and seeing positive results from our efforts and Heavenly Father's help.

I have been thinking about the importance of the principle of obedience as a missionary and throughout our lives.  I'm working on obedience because I know it is important and will help us become closer to Heavenly Father and His son.  Thank goodness for the Gospel and the Atonement.

On a less serious note, I have arranged our room and apartment here.  I put pictures all over our ugly wallpaper and fireplace.  It's starting to finally look like something I would call "my room."

Another funny thing happened this week when the Elders were complaining the other day about how they always get bad things yelled at them.  Sister Tam and I started laughing and said we always get honked at or whistled at or even asked out!  I had a few guys ask me to go grab a coffee with them.  Sorry, but not this Sister!

I hope everyone has a good week!

Lots of love from up north,

Sister Kiley Rexinger

Week 11

Dear Family and Friends,

Not too much to report this week.  I've been ill, so I asked for a blessing on Friday because I was done.  I had had enough.  I called my zone leaders.  They came to a member's home that lives a couple houses down from us and gave me a blessing.  It has helped so much.  It was a blessing of the sick but it was also a blessing of comfort.  Those words were words from God.  My trainer took notes, so I'll share some of what was said:

"Heavenly Father loves you.  He has watched you grow and overcome many challenges.  Going on a mission requires a lot of faith.  After serving, I will see a lot of blessings and even now on my mission, I will see miracles.  Heavenly Father wants me to be humble and go to Him for guidance.  Look for guidance in the scriptures.  Search diligently.  They will give me power and strength.  You will bless so many people's lives that you come in contact with."

I no longer am fatigued and I'm able to keep pushing forward.  The harder I work, the better and easier it gets.  I know as we turn to Him, He will help us.  I know Heavenly Father is mindful of each of us.  He knows what we are going through.  It's not easy.  Life isn't easy, but neither is salvation.  God gave his perfect Son to die on the cross for each of us.  Being on my mission, I've actually read the Book of Mormon for myself.  There is so much power in reading.  Many prophets were rejected as well and went through trials.  I just want you all to know that this Gospel and church are true.  There are miracles that happen everyday.  We are so lucky, we just have to be looking for them.  As we change our thoughts to being positive, it will eventually follow to our heart. 

I love you all,
Sister Kiley Rexinger

Week 10

This week was the LONGEST week of my mission so far!  It rains everyday and I have to eat lots of Ghana food like Fufu.  I'm not really sure what's in it.

 

The weeks are starting to blend together now that I've been out for a couple of months.

We had a family home evening lesson with a less active family and we made them blind fold themselves as part of the lesson.  Then, they had to draw something that another person was whispering in their ear.  It was super funny.  We also have a new investigator.  She told us she would never pray, but we went back the next day because she wanted a haircut.  Guess what?  She accepted our invitation to pray and she prays now!  Say what!?!?!  Through small things, great things can happen!

I love being a missionary.  It's so hard sometimes, but I am working hard.  I love how much people love my personality here.  I love you all.  Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Love,
Sister Kiley Rexinger