This Week's Letter!

Oh and yeah the big mission president conference, I was in a recorrido of the temple when they all started coming out so I couldn´t stop and look at the tags to find mals president, but yeah elder ballard was supposed to be there too but his wife got sick so they couldn´t come, but hna mckinley saw the rogers and talked to them! I was so bummed I must have been in another part of the recorrido when they came out!

Spencer!! GOOD LUCK!!!!!! You are gonna do great!!!!! Are you competing in two events or only the written event? Agh let me know how it goes and I want pics!!!! I´ll be prayin for ya! Don´t forget to say prayers before each of your competitions it helps!!!

So fam, typical day for me:

7:30 Wake up, pray, excercise

8:00 Get ready, make breakfast, write in my journal if I didn´t do it the night before

9:00 Personal Study, read the scriptures, jesus the Christ, something like that

10:00 Comp Study, sing a hymn, pray, read the handbook, read the main points of one of the first three lessons, recite the first vision or missionary objectivo, share what we learned, plan a lesson/practice a lesson

11:00 many times we have district class or leave on divisions about this time if not then we do language study (many times we will practice english with my comp or I´ll read the book of mormon in spanish to better mark scriptures I like in my spanish triple so I can use them better in lessons)

12:00 Go out and start doing things! We almost always have someone specifically planned that we want to visit with 2 or 3 back up plans

1:30 Lunch with a member (or if not, lunch in the apartment when we finish studying for the day)

2:30 More visits, recorridos etc

8:00 (If we didn´t have lunch with a member sometimes we eat dinner)

9:00 (If we didn´t have language study because of something we will usually have it at 9)

10:00 Home, pray, plan

11:00 get ready for bed

11:30 Sleeping

But its not often that we have a typical day, like for example this was my day on saturday:

730 wake up and make and eat breakfast for hna As bday

830 get ready, clean up

930 recorrido

1100 recorrido

1230 Make a ton of calls

100 study a little

130 leave to lunch (walking)

215-230ish get to lunch

330 contact

400 walk back

430 a little more study waiting for a recorrido that came late

515 recorrido

615 recorrido

715 run as fast as you can to the other side of the sector for an FHE with a less active

800 get there and they forgot

830 meet up with a member and try to find some long lost investigators

900 walk home

930 finish a teeny bit of the studying that there wasn´t space for during the day

1000 plan

1130 lights out

Well, this week was pretty good we had divisions as usual and I went to "El Parque" With Hna Salazar from Mexico, I realized during one of the lessons, HOLY CRAP I speak spanish! It was wierd to think that Hna Salazar who I would consider a friend of mine could have a friendship, talk to each other, go teach the gospel etc all in a different language and that 6 months ago I wouldn´t have been able to understand a word everyone was saying.  Before having the friendships I have with people and all that wouldn´t have even been possible!!! CRAZY.

This week we also tried to work SUPER hard to have lessons with members, we ended up finally meeting our goal of 10 lessons with a member, I think thats been our goal for like 3 transfers hahaha BUT WE FINALLY DID IT!!! Its interesting to see how you guys got chewed out for not having enough people in the chapel mal! I don´t think there is any focus on numbers here, at least not from president. But this week me and my comp realized we were suuuper close to meeting our weekly goals on the daily indicators, so we worked our tails off and we ended up meeting almost every one of them! It was kinda fun! Like I realized how much more I can do if I actually do let myself think more about the numbers, it was interesting!

Oh side note.... so I´m not sure if the email has like key words that they block so I´m not going to use specific words (because for some reason it blocked my comps email that she tried to sent).  But I spent a bunch of money getting things ready for me and my comps emergency backpacks because president has been sending a tooooon of warnings and procedures in case of faults moving and causing the ground to shake (did you like how I didn´t use the word that I think the email blocks) so if anything were to happen, which president has been going crazy worrying about lately, I have an emergency backpack and so does my comp, so yeah I assume they just don´t want anyone to panic but yeah just if something were to happen its all good and we are being super careful and yeah.... just saying... 

Well, I have to go now but I love you all!!

Kyrst

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Yeah dad... so I actually have a suuuper strong ward (por ejemplo: Elder Zeballos from the 70, the temple president and presidency, all the older missionaries and temple workers, the patriarch, the family of Elder Viñas from the seventy, the stake presidency, the stake relief society presidency etc) haha but its true that our ward at home is sooooo strong to me the biggest thing is just how FAITHFUL they are and how much time they really give up, here our ward is STACKED with strong people with big callings but even then I wonder if many of the ward members realize that to really serve your calling you have to give more of your TIME.  

So this week was a good week, I went on divisions which was fun because I got to see a different sector and go on a little adventure, I love being comps with Hna Altamirano because she is seriously the sweetest and its fun to do divisions with other girls because she is a leader entrenadora.

My poor compie was sick this week and she was a trooper for 4 days and then finally saturday she couldn´t take it anymore and had to stay in and sleep, so I wrote in my journal and read scriptures etc which was nice because I really like being able to study, it was also good because the next day she was almost completely better... I think sometimes we just work and work till our body can´t take it anymore and just gets super sick, but hey that's the mission life, and it was a good day anyway.

We had stake conference which was great, it was all about the obra misional (missionary work) and the stake president called up all of us missionaries to sit in the seats of the choir and then we sang a musical number and I played piano, I realized how awesome it is to be able to be here and how much I love each and every member of my zone even if we aren´t allowed to be friends I love them to death, I´ve been with them for like 6 months and they are all so great! Afterwards the elders went to go get pizza at the restaurant nearby.... that was kinda sad because we couldn´t be in the same restaurant so none of us sisters could join in but its all good we went back the pension and had rice and ketchup...... I´ve been eating a lot of that this week because I used all of my mac and cheese for the candlelight dinner we had haha.....

Valentines day was great.  Instead of a certain someone telling me I looked cute and that my eyes are pretty I had creepy 50 year old construction workers and truck drivers telling me... GREEAAATTT.   Hna Mckinley was pretty bummed that we were gonna be loners on Valentines day so she woke up refusing to accept that it was a holiday, but I told her not to be a grinch and that we were gonna make it fun... she refused and refused until I came up with the idea of a candlelight dinner with the only food we had (mac and cheese) so yeah it was a blast, we decorated with the random pink stuff we could find around the apartment and threw it all together with candles and it was AWESOME.  If I cant do fun things outside the apartment I sure as heck am gonna do the best I can to have a blast inside my apartment, so up next is a surprise breakfast for my comp on her bday this saturday.  

We also decorated Cecilia and Maria Eugenias house for their birthdays this week, its crazy to see the difference a little kindness can make, just last week she was bashing on missionaries and then this week she was receptive and laughing and super nice, so service and thoughtfulness goes a long way!

Well, out of time,

Chau!

Hna Kyrstin Millett

Explanation of Pictures:

They say here that if you put a piece of paper between your eyes it gets rid of your hiccups.... it seemed to work

For valentines day we gave each other chocolates (mom and dad I decided if you weren´t here to give me chocolates that I´d surprise all the others and do it so I spent like 10 bucks or so on that)

Happy Valentines Day!

Hope yall have a happy valentines day.  I will miss having chocolates or red and pink m&ms outside my bedroom door from you guys! 

Its been a good week, we had divisions twice with other hermanas which was a fun adventure! 

Interesting that you mention the importance of the restoration mom, seriously just today I was studying about the restoration and everything and it hit me so hard. HOLY CRAP I AM SO BLESSED! So this week in a lesson one of the investigators was basically like "you don´t have a testimony, you are just in this church because your parents made that decision, it wasn´t at all your choice."..... I was a little angry in the moment but later I realized.  You know what...Yeah, I am in this church because my parents made the decision to teach me and bring me and help me learn the gospel, and yeah at the time I didn´t have much of a choice (especially not with you mom hahaha) but you know what? I AM SO DANG GRATEFUL.  SOOOOO GRATEFUL.  I AM A MEMBER OF THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE CHURCH THAT THERE IS ON THE EARTH!!!! I didn´t even have to find it for myself, I was blessed to grow up in it.  I was sitting there studying and thinking about how amazing is that the true church of Jesus Christ is restored and what that means to me in my life and I turned and looked at my wall and saw all the pictures I´ve put up (seriously TONS of pics) each one was of something or someone or some memory that makes me happy.  And I realized that each one of those things I have because I am a part of this church.  This gospel is my life. Its is EVERYTHING to me.  Its not just an institution that I am a part of in my free time, it defines who I am, what I do, and how I think.  It has brought me all the happiness that I have in my life and hope for a plan to come.  This is the church of Jesus Christ.  And not simply a church, but it contains the Gospel of Jesus Christ, His plan for us, and the things we need to be really truly happy now and in the eternities.  Thanks mom and dad for teaching me from day 1 the importance of what we have as members of the Church of Jesus Christ.  I seriously can´t thank you enough.  

JAKE!!!! YOU STARTED WITH DR HATCH!!?!?!?!?! My advice.  Don´t waste a minute of the time you have practicing.  You have to do 2 hours no matter what, so focus focus focus during that time, that's something I wish I would have done more.  Also, do the best you can to follow his instructions to perfection, he knows what he is doing and you can choose to let him help you do amazing things, or simply pay a ton of money and go nowhere.  So work HARD.  You will never regret the hard work you put into it, but you will ALWAYS regret the minutes and hours you wasted that you could´ve been working harder.  I PROMISE.  

Mom and dad things I could use:

Dr Scholls or some type of shoe insert (I would like 1 or two pairs and my companion really needs two pairs too because she doesn´t have good shoes, we have been on the look out but there isn´t anything too great so I gave her a pair that I brought in my running shoes but we could use some more if possible because we walk all day every day.)

Down east shade shirts (the kind that are only half a shirt because they are great for heat) I´d like a black one and another white one or two. 

Buttermilk mix.... I really wanna make buttermilk syrup hahaha

KATIE.  HOW ARE YOU DOING????? I´ve been freaking out thinking you are in the field with us now! Well... almost haha

and hahahaha mal thats super crazy.  The weather here is like more tranquila than utah.  And we have a nice new washer and dryer that have been here as long as I have... so like six months. 

Agh something else CRAZY.  I come home a year from today..... what happened to the time?!?!?!?!

Well, I have to go now... the time passes so fast dang it.  But know that I´m doing good, and when frustrations and stuff arise from the rules and all that I just try and ignore it and be as obedient as I can.  I know its gonna help one day! 

Chau!

Hermana Kyrstin Millett

Dinner with Ingrid, we didn´t have a table so we ate on the bed, we also had studies with her (Ingrid is a YSA that was called as a ward missionary, she is one of our best friends and greatest member missionaries out here and this sunday she spent all day with us including lunch and studies in the apartment.... don´t worry we got permission)

my sweet compy and hermana rivera (they both completed 9 months so we had a surprise party for them) I pretty much decided if we can´t have fun with anyone else because of all of the rules we are just going to have the most fun ever with the hermanas here in pocuro :) A surprise party!

 so many pics, my comp and her baby bump because she made it through nine months her first "mission baby"

Feeling Better! A Great Week!

Kyrst has been struggling a bit with feeling isolated because in her mission there are a lot of extra rules that basically prevent contact with other missionaries.  She said something to her mission president and it didn't go over to well, so for the last two weeks we have written her several emails to help her feel more positive and happy.  That is just some background.  It sounds like she is doing well now.
Every mission is different, but they are all great!!! 

First before I forget, mom and dad we just got an email from the office for our mission that says that you should always send packages through the US mail system and not fedex etc because they usually hold them in customs and charge more... so just before I forget for future reference!

Oh and I just read that the Schades could bring a package that would be GREAT because there is lots of stuff I could use, I´ll put that in the next letter if I don´t get time today.  

Haha yeah mal I´ve heard its raining perros y gatos in buenos aires haha and that it was also up to 45 grados this week, is that true??? freak. You have much crazier weather than I do here! Haha I´m always hearing about the weather in Buenos Aires haha the people here talk about argentina a lot. 

Alright so sorry I don´t have much time but I´m going to try to get it all in here.  

This week has been GREAT.  Thanks for all of your advice and support literally Satan wanted me to feel like I was alone in all of this and that everyone was going to be upset with me when I told them that I am struggling and about my concerns but I checked my email and I just cried.  Seriously Mom and Nik thanks a million.  Thanks for all the stuff you said I am going to do my best to take it to heart.  But just know I´m doing a lot better this week.  

I was reading in preach my gospel last week after writing you guys and I remembered something I´d heard in the MTC that every time you are struggling be grateful because its an opportunity to apply and improve a Christlike attribute.  So I started reading about esperanza or hope which usually seemed kinda lame to me like charity and faith are so hard core and then comes along little wimpy esperanza.  But then I read and it said that the results of esperanza are confidence, optimism, happiness, peace, etc and I thought.... oh shoot I don´t feel confident at all right now, I´m not feeling optimistic, I´m struggling to stay happy, and I´m not feeling so much peace.  I need esperanza.  So I read the first scripture that it had, Romans 5:3 through 5 read it.  Its great.  I realized that hey! I´m on the way to having esperanza because I´m in the middle of a little tribulation and that's the first step! GREAT.  So I decided to look at it that way.  

Then we got the presidents letter for February.  Haha me and my companion read it and I started crying, my comp looks at me and laughs in her cute english with her little accent says "Seester look we are the presidents inspiration!!" haha it was so true. This letter was written for us. The letter was all about the importance of being truly happy, that it doesn´t matter if you´ve been in a sector for 9 months (my comp) and all of the worldly cares and things don´t matter, we will be truly happy and content not with changes in situations but if we truly have the spirit change US.  He mentioned when Christ said to Peter basically "Satan get thou hence" (I don´t remember what it is in english) and that Peter could have been upset with the Lord and let that affect him because that was kind of hard to take! But instead he just followed him.  So yeah.  What president said to me kinda hurt, Idk if he meant it as a joke or what but it wasn´t funny.  It was kinda hard to take.  But I have a choice.  I can let that pain and embarassment burn inside of me or I can humble myself and take it like Peter did.  So that's what I decided to do.  I´ve been just trying to humble myself and take it.  I´ve had to do it a few more times this week when we got some more rules and instructions but I´m doing it.  Its been hard and I don´t think that the president dealt with things the best way but I respect him.  I respect the amazing knowledge he has of the scriptures, its hard but I can see how dedicated he is to the gospel and so I´ll try to do the same and dedicate myself more.  

Well.... so out of time 

Chau

Kyrstin Millett