Hey Y’all!
So this is my last email to y’all! Wow, how time has flown! It is such a strange experience to be leaving my mission, my home for the past 18 months! It has been so hard to say good byes, I still have not quite come to grips with the fact that I am leaving. It is such a hard thing to do. But alas, there are new things ahead of me and many great opportunities to be had. Seeing as this is my last official email as a full time missionary I thought I would keep it short and sweet by telling you- first how much my mission means to me and second share with you my testimony.
I want y’all to know that with out a shadow of a doubt that my mission is the BEST thing that has ever happened to me. My mission means EVERYTHING to me! Through the rough times and the great times I will be forever grateful to my Heavenly Father for calling me to His work. I have seen people brought closer to the savior then ever thought possible. I have seen miracles, I have seen countless tender mercies being dished out by our loving Heavenly Father in behalf of his children. I have seen baptisms, I have seen people walk away from the truth, I have felt rejection, I have felt utter joy. I have been through my share of trials in my life but my mission was the biggest. It seemed at times that I was being handed more than I could deal with. That is where the real lesson learning begins- just when you think you can’t take it anymore, you turn to Him and he gives you strength that you didn’t even know you had in you! I have learned lessons on my mission that will bless me and my future family not only in this life, but in the eternities. My mission changed me for the better. My Father in Heaven needed to mold me. A good friend of mine once used this analogy and so I will share it with you today. For me my mission was my refiner’s fire. I had to be shaped, smoothed out. Sometimes we think that this is done by Heavenly Father just throwing us in the fire and saying, whelp I guess I’ll take them out when they’re done. But no what really happens is, we are all these precious stones but there is a lot of rock covering up the gem and so in order to help us shine more brightly he is going to melt away some of the rough stone spots. So he carefully puts the precious gem on a stick and holds it in the fire ever so carefully. Constantly keeping an eye on the stone. Now when the stone gets to hot, he pulls it out, cools it off and gives it a break. Then when he feels the time is right and the stone is ready he puts the stone back in again. This process continues until a precious gem is formed. I have thought about this little analogy a lot on my mission and feel that it adequately describes the mission field. My mission has been hard, but when it gets to the point where I think I can’t handle it anymore, Heavenly Father puts me in his loving hands and cools me off. Whenever I was struggling on the mission my President would say to me, “it’s ok Sister Kleisler, you’re in His hands” I have grown so much being in His hands and I have grown so much on my mission. Once again I want y’all to know that my mission means EVERYTHING to me!
Now the last thing I want to leave with you is my testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. I want y’all to know that I know that he lives. That he is there for ALL of us and that he wants to help us in our trials but we must turn to Him. His atonement is for us- it is an AMAZING gift but we must access it. I am forever grateful for my Savior, for the pains he suffered for me and for the way in which he has made it so I don’t ever have to feel alone. The closer we get to him the more peace and happiness we can have in our lives- that I know for A FACT!
I love y’all very much and will see you on Wednesday!!
SMILING ALL THE WHILE
Sister Kleisler
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
It's Starting to look a lot like Christmas!
Hey Y’all!!
It sure is getting pretty Christmasy around here!!! We even got a Christmas tree for our bedroom. Mama Smith asked us a few weeks ago if we wanted a tree and we said yes. So this week she came home and yelled up the stairs “Sisters come down here quick!” We were like, uh what’s going on? We run down the stairs and there is our Christmas tree- a real live one!! I have never had a real tree before, it smells so good! Ours is more of a Chrsitmas bush- she is short and stocky. I named our tree Shaniqua! Ha ha she is so cute! Other Christmasy happeneings include, the ward Christmas party with non members present- score! Sister Johnson and I made sugar cookies this week and took them to all of our investigators and less actives that we are working with. With the Christmas season you’d think there would be a heightened sense of the desire to hear about Christ, but most people don’t seem to have time for it. We did meet a few people this week that we set up return appointments with so we will see how all of that pans out.
Well this is my last full week as a missionary and it is full of lots of emotion and LOTS of things to do!!! Sorry this has to be so short today but I just have such a jammed packed day that I have no time. But I can justify it all in saying that I will see y’all soon enough!!! :)
Have an awesome week and enjoy what Christmas is truly about!
SMILING ALL THE WHILE
Sister Kleisler
It sure is getting pretty Christmasy around here!!! We even got a Christmas tree for our bedroom. Mama Smith asked us a few weeks ago if we wanted a tree and we said yes. So this week she came home and yelled up the stairs “Sisters come down here quick!” We were like, uh what’s going on? We run down the stairs and there is our Christmas tree- a real live one!! I have never had a real tree before, it smells so good! Ours is more of a Chrsitmas bush- she is short and stocky. I named our tree Shaniqua! Ha ha she is so cute! Other Christmasy happeneings include, the ward Christmas party with non members present- score! Sister Johnson and I made sugar cookies this week and took them to all of our investigators and less actives that we are working with. With the Christmas season you’d think there would be a heightened sense of the desire to hear about Christ, but most people don’t seem to have time for it. We did meet a few people this week that we set up return appointments with so we will see how all of that pans out.
Well this is my last full week as a missionary and it is full of lots of emotion and LOTS of things to do!!! Sorry this has to be so short today but I just have such a jammed packed day that I have no time. But I can justify it all in saying that I will see y’all soon enough!!! :)
Have an awesome week and enjoy what Christmas is truly about!
SMILING ALL THE WHILE
Sister Kleisler
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
MARK THE DATE!!!
Hermana Kristi Kleisler's "Homecoming" Talk
Sunday, December 27th, 2009
9:00 a.m.
Woodglen Park Ward
Extension Building
Mesa, AZ
BE THERE!!!
I'll Be Home For Christmas!
Hey Y’all!!!
So the first thing I have to tell you today is……I’ll be home for Christmas!! There is a group of Missionaries going home on December 23 and I am now part of that group! So sweet! My mommy said it is the best Christmas present ever! :)
The next thing I have for you is a story- a story of answered prayers.
So the other day I was feeling sick and so we were at the house just sitting in the family room talking. Sister Johnson had been praying all day that Heavenly Father would throw us a bone. She pleaded with him saying that we might not be able to get out of the house that day but we were doing the best we could and we needed his help to be able to teach some people. Well as we were sitting in the family room there was a plumber upstairs working in our bathroom. He turned on the faucet to our bathtub and then walked off to call a coworker. Well he forgot about the tub and as we sat down stairs talking we were all the sudden interrupted by a waterfall!! The plumber overflowed our tub and water leaked down the vent! Crazy!!! So then the plumbing company had to call in another company that dries up water. So then this “Dry Force” guy comes to the house. He went up stairs to check the damage and saw my Book of Mormon that I keep on the bathroom counter. Then he came down stairs to talk with mama smith and he saw me and my name tag and then told mama smith that he had a Book Of Mormon in his car. She then asked him if he was a member. He said no. I speedy quick found my way over to the table and jumped into that conversation. Turns out his name is Tim Scott and he was taught by missionaries years ago when he was 17 but his mom would not give permission for him to be baptized. He loved the church and still does. Two weeks ago he was at another house drying up water and he started talking to the lady and asked if she knew of a good church he could go to. She said she did and then gave him a Book Of Mormon. He went to church 2 weeks ago at her ward and enjoyed it. So I am sitting there hearing all of this thinking NO WAY! So then I ask well, have you seen missionaries again after that first time? He said actually, I was up in Austin not too long ago and he saw some guys in white shirts and ties and talked to them and gave him his number and they never called. So I said well, I can make sure that some missionaries get to you, what’s your address? He told me and then I said, well I can PERSONALY make sure some missionaries see ya, cause that’s OUR area! So Tim continued to talk with us some more, and he’s been back to the house a few times since to check on the equipment. He is super excited about the church and wants to get baptized, he told us that he wants us to teach him the first lesson today when he comes over to check out the water damage. Man so crazy, I just want y’all to know that Heavenly Father answers prayers! I wasn’t able to go out and work, so Heavenly Father sent the investigator to us, into our house!!!
Well I love y’all and hope you are having a fabulous Holiday season!
SMILING ALL THE WHILE
Sister Kleisler
So the first thing I have to tell you today is……I’ll be home for Christmas!! There is a group of Missionaries going home on December 23 and I am now part of that group! So sweet! My mommy said it is the best Christmas present ever! :)
The next thing I have for you is a story- a story of answered prayers.
So the other day I was feeling sick and so we were at the house just sitting in the family room talking. Sister Johnson had been praying all day that Heavenly Father would throw us a bone. She pleaded with him saying that we might not be able to get out of the house that day but we were doing the best we could and we needed his help to be able to teach some people. Well as we were sitting in the family room there was a plumber upstairs working in our bathroom. He turned on the faucet to our bathtub and then walked off to call a coworker. Well he forgot about the tub and as we sat down stairs talking we were all the sudden interrupted by a waterfall!! The plumber overflowed our tub and water leaked down the vent! Crazy!!! So then the plumbing company had to call in another company that dries up water. So then this “Dry Force” guy comes to the house. He went up stairs to check the damage and saw my Book of Mormon that I keep on the bathroom counter. Then he came down stairs to talk with mama smith and he saw me and my name tag and then told mama smith that he had a Book Of Mormon in his car. She then asked him if he was a member. He said no. I speedy quick found my way over to the table and jumped into that conversation. Turns out his name is Tim Scott and he was taught by missionaries years ago when he was 17 but his mom would not give permission for him to be baptized. He loved the church and still does. Two weeks ago he was at another house drying up water and he started talking to the lady and asked if she knew of a good church he could go to. She said she did and then gave him a Book Of Mormon. He went to church 2 weeks ago at her ward and enjoyed it. So I am sitting there hearing all of this thinking NO WAY! So then I ask well, have you seen missionaries again after that first time? He said actually, I was up in Austin not too long ago and he saw some guys in white shirts and ties and talked to them and gave him his number and they never called. So I said well, I can make sure that some missionaries get to you, what’s your address? He told me and then I said, well I can PERSONALY make sure some missionaries see ya, cause that’s OUR area! So Tim continued to talk with us some more, and he’s been back to the house a few times since to check on the equipment. He is super excited about the church and wants to get baptized, he told us that he wants us to teach him the first lesson today when he comes over to check out the water damage. Man so crazy, I just want y’all to know that Heavenly Father answers prayers! I wasn’t able to go out and work, so Heavenly Father sent the investigator to us, into our house!!!
Well I love y’all and hope you are having a fabulous Holiday season!
SMILING ALL THE WHILE
Sister Kleisler
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