the good kind of weird

New transfer! New companion! Her name is Sister Marsh, and she's incredible, and super cute and funny! She loves to laugh, and she's the good kind of weird ;) We've seen lots of miracles, and I LOVE this area. I love it so much! I feel very blessed that the Lord is having me stay here for another transfer!

Our friend who is to be baptized at the end of the month is doing INCREDIBLE, and we're hoping to still see her baptism on the 29th. She's struggling to quit smoking, but she's really trying her best, and she's down to 3 or 4 cigs a day, vs a pack and a half a day. she's also down on her coffee! We are in the middle of teaching her the Gospel of Jesus Christ lesson, and it's going well. She's so prepared, and so ready, and I know it wasn't by coincidence that we found her. The other day she texted us and told us that before we had found her she had been praying for some guidance and comfort in her life, and then we showed up. It was so cool. We really can be answers to peoples prayers!

This week we get to meet a general authority, Elder Erich W. Kopischke! We'll have a huge mission conference in Charleston! It'll be way awesome! I'll get to see all of my old companions, and I'll get to learn from a servant of the Lord.

Have a good week! Thank you to all the Veterans out there! I love you Grandpa Kirkby (aka Bubba) thanks for serving our country! (as well as my great grandfathers)
Love, Sister Kirkby

Martianaries or Missionators?

This week was crazy long! aka TRANSFER WEEK! The verdict is in, and sad to say, but Sister Erickson will be leaving good ole' Fairmont. I'm really sad, and feel really jipped, because I only got to serve with her for one transfer, but the Lord has a plan. My new companion here in Fairmont will be Sister Marsh. I'll get to meet her tomorrow! So excited, and I've heard so many great things about her!

Halloween was great! We didn't really do anything differently... except for take pictures with these super cute masks my mom sent! It was so fun!

Funny story! Wednesday night (last Wednesday night) we were walking up to a door for an appointment with a lady we've only met once before, and Sis E knocks. After she knocks, you can see a young man, about our age, come to the door, and behind him was another young man. We're thinkin' they're friends of this girl Brittany, or something, so when they open the door, Sis E asks for Brittany. The first boy points to a third boy, who is holding a box of fruit snacks. and says "Yeah! This is Brittany". At this point, we were really confused. She just kinda looks at him (her face was priceless, I'm sure) and he says "No I'm just kidding. We thought you were trick-or-treaters. Do you want some fruit snacks?"......

Okay, number one, it's a Wednesday night. It's not even Halloween.... number two, do we look like trick-or-treaters?! Number three..... it's Wednesday!??!?! Number four.... do you know how tall we are?! do we really look like trick-or-treaters?!?!

oh man. it was hilarious. we just kinda wish them a good night, and walk away. All the way back to our car, all three of them yell down the street "Have a good night! Be safe! Come back!" over and over again. Wish we would have invited them to learn, but we both were speechless, because what are you supposed to do when that happens? We laughed really hard....

We also tracted into a professional baseball player... that was cool! :)

We're seeing a lot of awesome things happen in Fairmont! SO much stuff happened. Fairmont is booming, and we've found some awesome people to teach. One of our friends came to church on Sunday! She came with her kids, and she loved it! We taught her the Word of Wisdom on Monday, and tonight we'll be teaching her a stop-smoking workshop. She's on date to be baptized at the end of this month, and so far we are looking up!!!! :) We picked up a new friend, who just get's it. She understands the need for a restoration, and she's so willing to learn, and to pray. She doesn't have support from her family though, so that'll be a road block. Our ward mission leader has a son who is a non-member, and we started teaching him, and his family.. They're awesome! They also came to church! It was a miracle! they won't be able to come this week, because they're out of town, but next week for sure! We put them on date to be baptized on Jan 17, and I'm sure they'll make it!

I love missionary work!

Thanks for your support!

Love, Sister Kirkby

right thing, right time

Hello! and Happy Halloween! What a fun holiday? Right? I guess.... I mean, holiday season is not a good season for a missionary, because there is just SO much sugar EVERYWHERE, buuutttt who cares ;)

This last week was pretty good. We have been able to find some AWESOME people, and I love it! We also had the opportunity to participate in the communities trunk or treat, and it turned out to be really good. We themed our little station/trunk to be Fishers of Men, from the Bible, and we had the kids "fish" for their candy. We had a sheet set up, and some members behind the sheet, to stick candy to the poles, when they were thrown over the sheet. It turned out stinkin' cute, and the elders had a less active member bring his 1950's classic tow truck, and they stuck a tiny fake fish at the end of it. clever idea :) We had a lot of fun, and were able to pass out over 700 pass-along cards with the candy! It worked because now the community got to know us more. It rained on us halfway through, so we got soaked, but the kids still kept coming.... I guess it takes what it takes to get free candy!

My mom told me that the Inspirada ward split! Crazy stuff! But also exciting! The Lord sure does have a plan, and we have to be willing to heed to His plan, even when we don't want to. That's something I've been really learning lately. The agency of others is something that drives me a little crazy sometimes, because I just want people to listen, but as I better understand the Lord's timing, my heart is softened.
Elder Oaks states:
"The familiar observation that “timing is everything” surely overstates the point, but timing is vital. We read in Ecclesiastes:

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

“A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; …
“A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn,and a time to dance;

“… A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; …

“… A time to keep silence, and a time to speak” (Eccl.3:1–2, 4–5, 7).

In all the important decisions in our lives, what is most important is to do the right thing. Second, and only slightly behind the first, is to do the right thing at the right time. People who do the right thing at the wrong time can be frustrated and ineffective. They can even be confused about whether they made the right choice when what was wrong was not their choice but their timing"

Elder Maxwell said:
"“The issue for us is trusting God enough to trust also His timing. If we can truly believe He has our welfare at heart, may we not let His plans unfold as He thinks best? The same is true with the second coming and with all those matters wherein our faith needs to include faith in the Lord’s timing for us personally, not just in His overall plans and purposes.”

I do know that it is in the Lords timing, and that we must have faith in Him in all things! Thank goodness I do know that, because man, this work would be way more hard then it needs to be if it wasn't that way!

Love, Sister Kirkby

(https://www.lds.org/ensign/2003/10/timing?lang=eng)

calm faith... and SQUIRREL HUNTING?!

Hello!

Last Monday we went to a beautiful state park called Valley Falls. It was a good trip, and the leaves were beautiful! You can't even capture how beautiful everything is in a picture! You just gotta see it!

We went on exchanges twice, and I love being a sister training leader, because I can learn so much from the sisters that I serve, although I rarely see Sister Erickson! Time goes by SO fast, and I'm still trying to figure out where my week went.

We're seeing so many miracles this last few weeks of the transfer, and we're working hard! Yesterday was a cool experience, because we needed one other lesson in order to hit our goals. Typically, I'm frantically trying to figure out how we're going to teach one other person, but yesterday, I felt so calm about it. I just knew that the Lord would provide us another lesson, even though we didn't have anyone to teach. As we went throughout our day, I was striving to listen to the Spirit tell us who needed to hear a message of Jesus Christ. We knocked on a few doors, and talked to a few new people, but there was nothing coming to me. We had about an hour left in the night, and I still felt that the Lord was going to provide. Sister Erickson suggested a person we hadn't seen for awhile (a potential investigator) and as soon as Sis E said her named, I KNEW that it was the person we were supposed to teach. We showed up at her house, and were able to share a brief message about the Restoration, and it was awesome! I'm so blessed to have a companion who is worthy to receive promptings of the Spirit, and I love that the Lord provides when we act in faith.

It's gotten REAL chilly these past few days! We've broken into the boots, and the coats, and the first frost happened the other night. That means is time for SQUIRREL HUNTING. :) 

This weekend we're participating in a trunk or treat that the community is putting on, and we're (kinda) dressing up as fishermen, and have a "fishers of men" theme, with the elders in our area. It'll be fun, plus I know how to really decorate ocean themed, thanks to RFG. :) There are estimated 600-1000 kids that'll show up, so we've been stapling a lot of mormon.org cards to different pieces of candy. whew!

Keep praying for the area, and for the members! We're seeing growth, and I feel SO blessed to be a missionary!

Love, Sister Kirkby

Prep day at Prickett's Fort (many pics)

We went to a state park called Prickett's Fort last week! The actual fort was closed, but we had fun along the different trails and stuff.

sickness, hugs, and butt slaps (oh my!)

It's been a comical week for sure!

I was sicker than a dog for a good day and a half, and it was a real struggle, but I'm getting over it now. Lots of hand sanitizer and nasty Emergen-C. ew.

Sister E and I were simultaneously hugged by some man we had just met and were talking to, and we also met a very drunk lady in a bar... she lives in the bar. it's an old bar, but still a bar. We have an appointment with her this week. Hah. We're gunna teach a hard core Pentecostal couple, and Sister Erickson basically got chased by a dog this morning on our run. She also had her butt slapped by this old lady in our ward yesterday during church. We've had a good week. I went on exchanges to Morgantown University, and it was SO FUN serving on campus. Life as a Sister Training Leader goes by SO FAST. I feel like it was yesterday that I was emailing. 

We're seeing a lot of success in finding people to teach! No one too solid yet, but ya'll will be the first to hear about the elect that we're going to baptize! Missionary life is so rewarding, and I love it with all of my heart! I know that when we are obedient, we are blessed, and the things I've learned on my mission will bless my life, and my family, for forever.

Love, Sister Kirkby

ps Here's some good ole' West Virginia door signs.

General Conference with Real Intent

Hey everyone!

looks like October is here for multiple reasons!

#1 It's tights weather time!

#2 The leaves are changing

#3 GENERAL CONFERENCE!

I loved general conference! It always brings a new motivation and enlightenment, as long as you go in with real intent! This conference was the first time I went in with some question's I was wanting answered, and it made ALL the difference in the world! I was really able to focus, and hear the words the Lord wanted me to hear this time.

I LOVED Kim B. Clark's talk when he said "we do not need to be perfect, but we need to be good at being better" .... our Fathers purpose is to help us progress, and He really will do anything to help us succeed. WE just need to make the difference. I felt the Spirit SO strongly when our three new apostles shared their testimonies. I know that the Lord has called them personally to be a part of the greatest quorum on this earth. I pray for health for our Prophet, and I know He is doing the Lords work. I really learned that we need to do our work the Lords way, not our way, and we need to live lives so that we are in tune with the Spirit, so that He can tell us how to do it the Lords way.

I love missionary work, and I love West Virginia. There's no place I'd rather be!

Love, Sister Kirkby