we are MEANT to have joy!

I think it's been awhile since I've written a group email.. that's awkward. Sorry!

this week was good... we saw SO many miracles. We picked up 8 new investigators, and are teaching a lot of families!

Our most progressing investigator came to church again, and I truly believe that she'll be baptized on June 4th! She tried to leave after sacrament meeting to go to her own church, and we ran after her and asked her where she was going. We ended up convincing her to say for the other two hours, and I'm so glad she did! We fasted with her this last week that she would get her answers from God, so we'll see what happens! She knows everything is true, she's just waiting for the peace she needs to leave her church that she's been going to for the last 20 years.

Tuesday we picked up two new investigators, who were really Bible bashy, but we felt like we shouldn't give up on them right away. They go to this Jewish messianic church, and the things they believe are kinda strange. We had an appointment with them yesterday, and it was really weird. You could tell that the Spirit wasn't there at all, and they had actually gotten rid of the BOM we left them... we told them that if they weren't willing to read the BOM that we wouldn't be able to visit with them anymore. Really strengthened my testimony that we teach those who will receive us.

 On Wednesday we picked up this really elect family who truly understand the need for a Restoration, because they see the corruption in all the other churches. They have an 8 year old daughter who is so cute, and I'm excited to continue to teach them... just worried that they'll be "too busy."

We have this investigator who's 21 and has three kids. A two year old boy, and 10 mo old twins. We've started teaching her, and she is so sincere. She doesn't lead a very Christlike life, but she has a desire to change, so I'm happy that we have ran into her, and are teaching her about repentance.

We had a family history class on Saturday here at the public library, and it went really well. The Spirit of Elijah is SO STRONG.

The Crosse's are struggling a bit, but I love them so much. We had a really powerful lesson with them, and now we know that we truly need to strengthen their faith in the Savior!! Gotta love the Spirit of Discernment.

We decided to follow up with this old investigator who's info was in our area book. The reason as to why missionaries stopped teaching her in the past is because "The house looks deserted..." well, we felt prompted to go see her anyways, because she seemed really cool, and super interested. We had trouble finding the driveway, because sure enough, it looked deserted. The trees had overgrown on the road, and it looked like you could bail hay in her front yard. Trees were growing over her house, and through windows, and sure looked like no one lived there... well, as we drove up this half a mile long driveway, we see a brand new car, definitely not deserted, in her driveway. We knock on the door, and she actually did live there! It was crazy! This lady needs a new house to live in.. but she's elect. We're excited to start teaching her more often.

Missionary work is the best thing ever, and I'm seriously so happy. The Book of Mormon says that "Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy." we are MEANT to have joy! In Alma, we're taught how to have joy: "And thus we see, that there was a time granted unto man to repent, yea, a probationary time, a time to repent and serve God." Kind Benjamin said that when we are in the "service of our fellow being, we are only in the service of our God". As we serve God's children, we are truly happy... and daily we need to repent, because we are NOT perfect! How wonderful the Atonement of Christ is! I sure do love Him.

Have a great week!
Love, Sister Kirkby

Mother's Day 2016

Happy Mothers Day to all of the amazing moms out there! My mom is the best mom in the whole world - bias not included.

started off with a trip to WV for a leadership meeting, where I got to see some of my most favorite missionaries in the whole world! (Minus Sister Marsh) What a big, happy family reunion! :)

We had a lot of good teaching opportunities this week, and I love being a missionary. We're teaching a woman who know's the Book of Mormon is true, who desires to be baptized, but who is so socially converted to her own church. She also has a lot of family members who don't understand who we are as members of the church, and have heard lots of anti, and it doesn't help the situation. She came to our Cinco de Mayo ward party, and the ward really reached out to fellowship her. What a blessing!

One of my favorite members in the Roanoke 1st Ward gave us a referral for her neighbor, and when we went to go teach her, she had already known another member, and was really good friends with him! We taught her the Restoration, and she really loved it! I love when the Lord prepares people in ways you didn't know!

Our 15 year old investigator is getting anti-ed a lot, and so we're worried about that, but we'll keep working with him!

We still don't have anyone coming to church, but we're doing our best to get them there! Why is that such a hard commitment to make??? Church is good for you, people!

Last night we taught these people who are from India, and they don't know a lot about Christianity, but they are really open. We taught them the Restoration, and it was really cool, because the Spirit was SO strong, and they were totally understanding, despite the language barrier. They also fed us some Indian fast food. it's called Samosa... it was SO SO SO good. I love eating. haha It was a dough, and on the inside was potatoes, peas, and Indian spices, and then she fried it, and on the outside was this cilantro sauce, and this other hot sauce, and it was just really good. Anything with Cilantro is good.

Well, missionary work is the best work ever. Last night in my Skype call, when I said that, my dad goes "Yeah, so is motherhood" and I totally agree. Plus, motherhood is missionary work! We have a member who also says that she's teaching her own little investigators, meaning her kids... what a great work to be a part of!

anyways... don't really have much more to say. Have a great week!

Love, Sister Kirkby

#worthit

This week was really good! 

We had an awesome lesson with our most promising investigator. He's 15, and super intelligent and prepared. We taught him the Plan of Salvation, and invited him to be baptized with someone who holds authority, and he says "Sign me up! Where's the closest person with authority?" and we point at the member we were with and say "that guy." it was funny, haha. He's on date for May 28th. He came to church yesterday, and he loved it. He's also been to mutual a few times, and is loving that as well. I'm excited to see how he does.

We also taught the Word of Wisdom to another investigator. He's been learning for awhile now, and recently has been progressing. He's kept his reading assignments, and he was on date for baptism. He has a smoking problem, and he loves his coffee, so we knew we needed to teach it to him soon, so that he can start overcoming those weaknesses. He took the lesson really well, and the member we brought with us was perfect for him, because she had the same problems, and we didn't even know it! It was Spirit led!

One man we're teaching is a friend of a member that we are teaching, and he has cancer,  but is not letting it get in the way of him learning about the gospel. It's his 3rd time out of remission, and his faith is incredible! I'm glad we have the opportunity to teach him

And one of my favorite investigators loves her church, but knows the Book of Mormon is true, and so we're trying to get her to socially convert to the ward, because she already loves the doctrine. We had a REALLY powerful lesson with her, and the Spirit was so strong. We put her on date for May 28th, and we know the Lord will ensure she's ready if she takes those steps and comes to church.

Sometimes as a missionary, you wonder why you do what you do, because it doesn't feel like it means anything, but then you get told otherwise. Yesterday we stopped by at a less actives house, and she let us right in, and we started to teach her the Restoration. We had only met with this lady a few times, and we didn't really know how she truly felt about us coming over, nor did we know why she had stopped coming to church, because she had been really active in years previous. Well at the end of the lesson, we committed her to start reading in her scriptures, and she got really teary and said "you know, the Lord really has sent you to me. If there's one reason as to why you're here in this area now, it's because I really needed you. You may not know it, but I'm that reason"

to hear someone tell you that brings so much validity to your work. #worthit

I love missionary work, and I love the Lord!