The Power of Service...

Hey!

To all those wondering about the storms in West Virginia, I'm told that all the missionaries are fine, and that things are getting cleaned up pretty well. Wish I knew more, but the Lord is with my West Virginia family members. :)

MARTINSVILLE IS DOING SO GOOD. We found 15 more new investigators this week, and the Lord is seriously the main part of it all. They're just falling into our laps, and I am so grateful to the Lord for His blessings. I am the most happy I've ever felt, and I am so glad that I have learned the importance of service while on my mission.

Sis R.. the one who totally understood a need for a restoration, didn't come to church yesterday... she got sick :( But we had a really really awesome lesson with her about the Plan of Salvation, and she is totally on board. We have a scheduled baptism date with her at the end of July. I'm excited to see how it all works out.

The mother and son investigators who came to church last week asked for some time to think about the doctrine that we've been teaching them. They don't believe that God has a body of flesh and bone. They think he's a Spirit, and radiates light, and then she started talking about how it could be possible that God could have a body because of quantum mechanics, and I was really happy that my dad taught me about wave-particle duality, because I was able to understand her... and then testify boldly that God is a God of flesh and bone. haha... she might contact us, might not... I don't know. She's a really confused individual, and I hope the Lord can help her out, and that she can recognize truth as she studies.

Brother J is still making up excuses so that he won't have to stop smoking, and he didn't come to church this last week :( Pray for him please!

We met this person the other day who has schizophrenia really badly, but lives in the poverty cycle and can't afford medication or help, so she's just stuck, living with these voices in her head... the main one being Satan, who tells her lies after lies after lies and it made me so so so angry. Satan takes advantage of those who can't be helped, and he's the most pitiful thing I know. Good thing he's gunna lose in the long run, and he knows it!

Brother P is a new investigator that we found in a kind of a funny way. Our first week together, we went to this area that was obviously new to me, and kinda unfamiliar to Sister Sorensen, so we were kinda just wandering around, not really knowing where we were going, or what we were doing. We were laughing really hard about it, just kinda walking in circles, when we saw this guy pushing a stroller, and he was walkin' pretty fast. well, when people are walking super fast, they usually don't have time to talk to to us, and it's easy to just say hi, and let them on their way, but I felt prompted to stop him, and invite him to learn more. He accepted, kinda hurriedly, gave us his info, and we both went on our merry way... and then we had to turn around because we were going the complete opposite direction of where we needed to be hahahaha. Anyways, this week we went by his home, and he is SO prepared for the gospel! I'm so glad that I was given the courage to invite him to learn, that we were wondering around like chickens with our heads cut off, and that we followed through, and went to go see him, because we were just kinda putting him on the back burner. He came to church on Sunday, and he really liked it and said that he'd be back! How exciting!

The power of service has really gotten into my heart lately. Our purpose is to serve God continually, and I hope I never put myself in a place where I find service a burden... how blessed we are to be given opportunities to serve all the time! Whether it be to our children, siblings, within our callings, in the community, at work, home or visiting teaching, they are all a blessing to us, and we should always joyfully serve those in need!

Hope everyone stays safe! Have a good week!

Love, Sister Kirkby

OH MY HEART

OH MY HEART.

This has been the best week of my entire mission EVER. We have found 13 new investigators, and have taught SO many lessons. The Lord just placed them in our paths, and I feel so blessed. Sister Sorensen and I have been working so hard, and it's been so good for the both of us. I'm the most tired I have ever felt.. ever. But it's worth it.

We've picked up a pretty interesting family. It's a mom, and her adult son who is disabled, and lives with her. When we met her on the streets, she told us that she had read the entire Book of Mormon before, and we were way excited. We asked to come back, and taught them the Restoration. They are ready to get baptized, and they came to church yesterday! They are very much interesting souls, and are kind of confused with false doctrines, and are like, super hippie, but they're sweet, and we know that they can make it as we continue to teach them.

A couple (not married) that we've picked up are so tender hearted. Bro L requested a BOM online, and so we came by and taught him and his girlfriend the Restoration. They said they wanted to study a lot more before they got baptized, but he said he is looking for a home, and we all know that home is found in our church! It's baby steps with them, but they've been reading, and listening to the BOM... in fact, they are almost FINISHED with listening to the BOM... AFTER LIKE, NOT EVEN A WEEK. I WAS SO EXCITED. And they love the BOM. :)

Bro J met with missionaries in Roanoke a few months back, and requested for us to come over via the internet. He was almost ready for baptism. He just needs to learn that the Word of Wisdom is a commandment from God. He smokes, and doesn't want to give it up.

We had a really cool experience that really strengthened my testimony of being at the right place at the right time. We were at a return appointment with a referral we had received the day before. As we are teaching her the Restoration, she is totally loving it, and grasping everything we say. She completely understood the need for a restoration, and recognized apostasy around her. As Sister Sorensen was reciting the first vision, a man walks into the room, and out of the corner of my eye, I see him shaking his head as if to say no. I panic a little, because I assumed that this woman was going to be antied by this man after we left, because of his reaction to Joseph Smith seeing the Father and His Son. I'm thinking of all the things that we're going to have to say to her, to prep her for the anti that is going to come from this man. Sister S finished by bearing testimony of the Book of Mormon, and this man asks if we have an extra book that we could give him. Of course we say yes, and hand him one, and he says "My favorite scripture is Helaman 5:12 where it talks about how we have to have a firm foundation in Christ." Our jaws dropped! We start asking him questions, and we found out that he was a less active member that had been baptized in 2005, and had recently moved to Martinsville. We got his information, and have plans to visit with him, but he bore such powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon, and of Joseph Smith to this sister that we had just met. The timing was perfect, and she is so excited to be baptized! We invited her to church, but we didn't prep her as much as we had hoped, so she didn't make it yesterday, but we're seeing her tonight and will continue to help her prepare for baptism.

seriously. I just love what hard work can do for an area. This place was struggling so badly, and within a week, we were able to turn it around, and bless the lives of so many, and in return, have our lives blessed.

I've been pondering a lot about commandments, and why God expects us to keep them, and why we chose to keep them. Ponder this question throughout the week. Do you keep commandments our of obligation, or admiration?

Food for thought. Have a great week everyone!

Temple Fever

HELLO

I love Martinsville. I love Sister Sorensen. BUT I DON'T LOVE THE HEAT OH MY GOSH. It hit 107 WITH humidity... oh my help.

But for reals, I seriously love Sister Sorensen. She is so fun. We're ready to hit the pavement hard, since it's her last transfer, and we've already seen so many miracles! She's taught me a lot, and she's not afraid to talk to everyone, which is really awesome. We found 5 new investigators last week, with only being together for 3 days, and I'm excited to find more, and hopefully see a baptism before she leaves.

also, on her last p-day we're going to the temple!!! There is only a small percentage of areas that are close enough to a temple, and Martinsville is one of them! We have a recent convert who is going to go do baptism, and we're gunna go with him, and with some other members. The members here are great, and I'm excited to work with them more.

We're teaching this man named Brother Morales, and he is really prepared. He's bi-lingual (wish I spoke Spanish!!!!!) and so we had some members who speak Spanish come to a lesson we had yesterday to translate anything he didn't understand, and it was really cool to feel the Spirit even when we couldn't understand what they were saying. He agreed to be baptized when he knew it was true, and so it'll be excited to see how he progresses.

well, I'm seriously on the downward scale, and with my trainer being home now, and my trainee hitting her year mark, it makes it a little more real.... wish I could be a missionary forever.

Love, Sister Kirkby

ps. I'll miss the color green when I go back to Las Vegas... someone told me it has been repeatedly 120 this past week back home. HAH that smacks.

Charity never faileth...

So, transfer week, and I'm leaving Roanoke.

But, I'm only going about an hour away to Martinsville VA with Sister Sorensen from Hawaii (not my trainer... even though that'd be legit!) Sister Sorensen has one more transfer left, so we'll get to power house it up down in the most southern part of the mission! Another great thing about me only going about an hour away is that we'll be able to come up for the baptism that are going to be happening soon, and I'll get to go on exchanges with Sister Ward, and see all of the people that I love here! It'll be so awesome! President said I'll probably be ending my mission in Martinsville, so I'm glad I got to put in one more area before I come home.

The reason as to why we are here on earth is so that we can repent and serve God. We've been focusing a lot on calling repentance to those we teach, and I feel blessed to have the charity for our investigators to be able to call them to repentance.

How do we gain charity for others?

"But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen." (Moroni 7)

As we pray for charity, it will come. The Lord promises us that and "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."

I challenge all of you to pray for that charity for your neighbors, friends, and family, so that you have no fears of sharing the gospel. Sharing the gospel is what brings ultimate joy. I know this to be true!

Have a great week!

Love, Sister Kirkby

888 Oakwood Rd

STE 310

Charleston, WV

25314

Roanoke blooms!

HELLOOOOO

So much has happened I don't even know what to talk about. That's what happens when you don't email for a week and a half.

Last Monday we toured a Catholic Cathedral, and it was beautiful! I hit my 14 month mark last week, and that feels weird.... 

Sister Peoples is the one who lives in the kind of scary, abandoned house, and she is SO PREPARED! And don't fret too much over her living conditions, because she's planning on moving soon! She has a brother who is a member, and who has been dripping on her for awhile now. We walked into one of her appointments the other day, and the first thing she says to us is "I need to come to church to partake of the sacrament and change".... like who says that?! It was awesome. She's on date for July 9th, and she is seriously so excited! She is mostly excited to do her work for her family that's passed on. She doesn't know if her brother has already done it, but they'll work it out. She came to church on Sunday, and LOVED it. yay!

We also had two other investigators at church. Feels nice when people are there.

No baptisms happening this weekend. Agency sure does get in the way of things sometimes... but it's a good thing we all cherish it so much :)

Hope everyone had a good memorial day! We did this really awesome hike with the elders in our district. It was really fun, and super beautiful. I will truly miss the color green when I go home.

well, life just keeps getting better as a missionary. Time flies by, and I know this is the most important work we could be doing. Sharing the gospel is a duty, and a privileged. It brings me so much happiness. The city of Roanoke blooming, and I love that we have so many people to teach. We're constantly on the go, and I love the Lord's hand in my life, and I love the change that has been made within me.

I KNOW God loves all of you. He knows exactly what you're going through. He wants to bless you. As you are obedient, he WILL bless you! (https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/shower-of-heavenly-blessings)

The Book of Mormon is true, and it's the source of my happiness.

Thanks for all the support!

Love, Sister Kirkby