Jan. 9, 2013
The Spirit of Kirtland

Fam Fam!

There is not a whole lot to report this week. I had an interview with the President yesterday morning. It is amazing how much you feel loved when you meet with that man! It made me have a renewed love for my mission.

I can't get over how cool it is to be here in a place where both the Book of Mormon (possibly) and the organization of the church took place. One of the neatest things is the members, especially hearing their stories about why they came to Ohio. Many of them knew almost nothing about Ohio (I mean, who does?!), and then by 'random happenstance' ended up here, and they felt like this is where they were guided. Many of them were able to sell their houses during the real estate market depression almost immediately and lived out of their car until they found their home a couple of days later. Then they would do family history and find out they had an ancestor who lived here, or felt a particular draw to a specific early saint that lived here. It is so interesting! My favorite is that our bishop just so happens to be related to Newel K. Whitney, the 2nd bishop in the restored church, and 1st here in Ohio (Edward Partridge was called to go to Missouri). This really is a special place. You feel closer to Joseph Smith and the early saints who lived here.

This ward is AWESOME! There are so many strong members in this ward- especially the youth. During fast and testimony meeting, almost all the people who came up to bear their testimonies were from the primary or the YM/YW, and they were POWERFUL! They all are very good speakers, and the spirit was so strong. I think what really helped set up that meeting right was Sam. He is a down syndrome boy who was recently ordained to the priesthood, and he was so excited to pass the sacrament for the first time. He had a helper deacon to show him where to go, and he was beaming because he was so happy! The deacons passed the sacrament with such reverence, worked with each other really well, and then when they were done, they were all so excited for Sam and were complementing him on how well he did. It was the neatest thing to be there to feel that spirit that those young men brought! People should never underestimate their influence on others.

Love you so much family! Keep being awesome :)

Sister Mahrt

Jan 2, 2013
It was SO GOOD to hear from all of you! Christmas was really neat on a mission. I missed you all and the traditions we have (especially waking up at ridiculous hours in the morning to go sneak our stockings ;). But it was a neat experience to be on a mission on Christmas. You wouldn't believe how incredibly thoughtful everyone here was. There were so many people that went well out of their way to make Christmas special for us missionaries. We received so many gifts, random strangers were kind to us, many families invited us over for Christmas Eve and Christmas, and we almost went into a sugar coma with how much Christmas desserts we were given. My favorite part was feeling like I am living a part of the Savior's life out here on His birthday. Did you read the article in the Ensign by Elder Holland? He talks about how when he was on a mission during Christmas, he came to understand Christmas better rather than simply enjoy it. That explains how I felt so well. I don't think I will ever forget it.

Oh, I guess I should tell you transfer info :) I have been transferred back to Kirtland in the Twinsburgh area with Sister Neslen. Twinsburg is right next to and is in the same district as Hiram, so it almost felt like coming home! I have thoroughly grilled the Hiram sisters about former people I taught and found several months ago. It is so fun :) The senior couples that were serving at the Johnson home with me (the Riches and Jones) are now serving in Kirtland. It has been SO GOOD to see them!!! I really missed working with the senior couples out full proselyting. When I got back to the visitors center, all the nativities were on display (500+ from all over the world) and it was BEAUTIFUL! I have never been that fascinated by nativity scenes, but this Christmas it really seemed to hit me how special each person/animal/object represented in the nativity really are. 

Sister Neslen is so fun! We had someone come in to see the nativities that really loved Sister Neslen, and one of the things she said was, "You are like a life-size Barbie!" It was SO funny, and so true! She is really beautiful, and she is hilarious! I have really loved serving with her so far. She has a lot of enthusiasm and energy, which makes missionary work fun.  

So, do you all remember what one of my favorite movies is? Hitch? Christmas Eve, I was able to relive part of that movie! The Willowick sister (Sister Tok and Sister Gee) invited us up to Kirtland to come to a member dinner with them. It was SO good! The mom had prepared seafood pasta (Alfredo with shrimps and scallops), bruscetta, and to top it off, a cake with amazing pinterest frosting (have you heard of pinterest? EVERY woman I have talked to has raved about it!) After we finished eating, the other sisters were giving the lesson. About half way through Luke 2, Sister Tok's face caught my eye. She wasn't saying a whole lot, and her mouth was awkwardly lopsided. I couldn't really tell what was wrong with her face, but it just looked weird. Once we were able to get out of there (Sister Tok was trying so hard to get out of there quickly!) she was saying over and over, "What is wrong with my face?!" Half of her face was blowing up! Her lips were about double the size they normally are (and she already has big lips!) and she was saying that her top lip was starting to go numb. We ran over to the nearest gas station for some Benedryl (she was freaking out like Will Smith was in the medicine isle by this point). She got some Benedryl and we went out caroling with some other missionaries. It was SO funny! Just check out the picture. It says it all. Turns out a Hawaiian had an allergic reaction to seafood. Go figure :) I love that sister!

On Christmas morning we stayed over at the Hyrum smith home and opened presents. I had so much to open! Thank you so much for the gifts- they were so fun! And thank you for the mints for Sister Neslen- it was fun to share gifts with her. Then we did our studies and went to breakfast at a members home. They were so sweet and had SO much good food! They had pancakes with some pecan goodness syrup, and eggnog that tasted like a milkshake... everything was so good! Then we went off to the Polous' (senior couple living at the Morley farm) to get in line to Skype. It was crazy over there! So many sisters. It was fun to talk to all of you! Then we watched the end of 17 Miracles (it was a little strange watching TV...) Later we ate Christmas dinner with the senior couples and had a talent show with the Kirtland missionaries. It ended with a spiritual message and then we went and celebrated in the Hyrum home. 

We have been doing a lot of finding, and it is neat to see how the Lord puts prepared people in our path. We are excited to start teaching a lot of them. 

Last night was confirmation that I have gotten weird on my mission. We went over to a part-members home, and when we were leaving I walked out of the house without hugging the mom. (just fyi, sister missionaries hug everyone. It is an unspoken rule) Then Sister Neslen showed me up by happily hugging her, so I had to go back and repent. I walked back in the door and hugged her while I apologized for my lack of love. Then I stepped back outside the door and extended my hand to the 20 something year old son to shake it, and he said, "Oh no you don't, I get a hug too!" Then in utter horror and shock I stood there as he closed in for the awkward side-hug. I had a full view of Sister Neslen's face full of dread, knowing she was the next victim. That .5 second hug seemed to last a life-time and a half before Sister Neslen got her turn. As we walked away down the driveway we barely had enough self control to hold in our screams of terror until we got into the car. When the car doors shut, the screaming begun. We were freaking out- "Why did he hug us, doesn't he know?! Why did you let him hug you?! After you hugged him you know I couldn't say no! What was I supposed to do- he surprise attacked me!!"- for a full solid minute before we started texting our district for sympathy and solace. We are getting our clothes dry cleaned today, and we will be signing up for missionary counselling ASAP. I pity the man who goes on a date with me after my mission. No touchie. 

I love you family! It is so good to write to you again- it feels like Christmas was so long ago! Stay good! Don't hug missionaries!

Sister Mahrt

P.S.  I am glad I was able to talk to all of you! I was also REALLY disappointed in Skype. On both Mothers Day and Christmas having Skype not work properly has been really frustrating. I was so excited to talk to you all, but then the frustration at not being able to see you was almost unbearable! Sorry if that frustration came through in the phone call. I was really disappointed. Maybe next Mothers Day we can just call. We'll be seeing each other a few weeks later anyway ;)
 

Sister Poppleton left welcome to T-Burg party stuff

Sister Neslen was praying for EVER!!! I went in there, and guess what? She was TOTALLY ASLEEP! This was one of our first nights.

Tracting in our first blizzard! We were so excited!

Christmas Eve in our matching PJs that the Momma Neslen sent

Our Christmas talent show- the Sister Bell, Rasumussen, Maynard and Palmer sang to a Christmas song- it was awesome!

 

Dec. 18, 2012
I am getting transferred back to Kirtland!!! My new address will be:

Sister Kimber Mahrt
7800 Kirtland-Chardon Rd
Kirtland, OH 44094

It is weird how you get mixed feelings about being transferred. Kirtland feels like home, but I LOVE Bowling Green! It is going to be strange.

It has been a good week. People are generally so nice when you tract near Christmas! I appreciate that so much. But then again, they are all busy with Christmas stuff so they can't meet with missionaries. No time for Christ on Christmas :) j/k but we get to get out a lot, and the weather has been SO nice, so I am not complaining!

Sorry this is so short! There is SO much to do today and not nearly enough time! I LOVE YOU ALL! I may be emailing on Saturday... but maybe not. We were going to email on Saturday here because the libraries were going to be closed, but now I don't know if I will be using a library or not in my next area.... so til we email again, fam fam!

LOVE!
Sister Kimber Mahrt

Dec. 10, 2012
My Fam Fam!
Thank you for your prayers for safety and health on my behalf. For the last two months I have been surrounded by people who have been EXTREMELY sick, and I have been miraculously spared! (It was either prayers or the coveted chinese fortune cookie that promised good health. I tend to believe prayer has a little more power and influence than mysterious papers wrapped in a dessert)

And whoever decided to pray that it wouldn't snow in Ohio yet deserves some kind of reward!

We had the neatest Zone Training Meeting this week! Some top notch people (emeritus 70...? I am not sure exactly who they are) came in and had a training meeting with our leaders (zone and district) and they blew this mission out of the water with how much information they gave us! They said they had gone to 38 missions on tour, and they did not 'unload' so much information on other missions like they did ours. They said we are very obedient, and because of that, if we apply the principles they taught us, our monthly baptisms WILL double. Isn't that a neat promise?! The neatest thing is that they didn't teach us anything new- they mostly just taught us how to use the resources we have more effectively. It was a really exciting zone meeting, and we are already having a lot of success with their suggestions! Right in time for the new missionaries coming out in a couple weeks ;) 

We went out to apply the new principles we learned, and we went to go see a woman we had tracted into earlier this month. She is SO prepared! She welcomed us right in again, and we taught her the Restoration. Have any of you seen the Restoration pamphlets? One of the suggestions they had at the meeting was to teach the Restoration with the pictures in that pamphlet rather than reading all the principles and info in the paragraphs. Before I thought the pictures were kind of a hindrance (they totally throw off the page numbers!!) but using the pamphlet that way was definitely inspired. The spirit was so strong!! I think that was the most powerful Restoration lesson I had been in since the beginning of my mission! It probably helps that she is so super prepared though :) We were also counseled to SLOW DOWN, which came just in the nick of time. She was so receptive and wanting to learn that I just wanted to throw everything at her at once because I KNOW she would love it! But everything we learned is key to have the spirit be the teacher, and it is totally true! It was a really neat experience. We can't wait to meet with her again! 

Another miracle this week came when we were cleaning our car earlier today. One of the things we are supposed to do is talk to EVERYONE! Well, sometimes you don't notice everyone around you. Thankfully, my inspired companion was very alert and noticed that a man was working at the car wash. She walked up to him and started talking to him. Turns out that he is a member of the church that hasn't been coming in awhile (in fact, he was a Do Not Contact in our roster) and he really would like us to come over to do FHE with his new family of 6 kids! Obedience brings blessings! Heavenly Father points that principle out to me a lot :)

I don't really feel like telling you all that I love you really describes what I am feeling, but I don't know how else to say it. So- I LOVE you!!!!! Have a good week. Don't get hurt in the train car.

Sister Kimber Mahrt

For p-day last week, we went with some of the elders to a mansion that was decorated for Christmas. It was really neat! We even saw Santa taking a bath! There is a picture of our district (part of it at least) And the other picture is of when our heater went out, so Sister Jo was doing some personal study by the oven :)

                                            Sister V's last transfer.  She is going home!

Dec. 3, 2012
Fam Fam! 
This week we went to KIRTLAND! It was zone conference, and it was fabulous. It is so funny how much I love Bowling Green, but how exciting it is to see the Kirtland temple and Kirtland sites when I get to go :) 
  
I loved getting to see Sister Palmer and the other Kirtland missionaries. Love those sisters :) Also, conference was SO good! Our focus was developing the faith to find, and I felt like I learned so much about faith just by studying for that subject and focusing on finding this past week. President talked about how he has been bombarded with emails stating that more missionaries will be showing up on the coming transfers. That morning he had 19 more missionaries coming! Just that MORNING! The missions are completely getting flooded all over the place- almost like that prophecy about flooding the earth... ;) Pretty neat! Because we were focusing on finding as a mission, for fast Sunday we did a mission fast for finding the elect. The entire mission knelt down at 10:15p Saturday night to open our fast. Yesterday, right after we closed our fast, we got a call from these neat lady we had tracted into, saying she wanted to meet with us! Fasting with a prayer of faith works miracles! It was a very humbling experience.

The baptism we had on Saturday was CRAZY!  Leading up the baptism was super stress-free, which was really weird... what kind of missionaries ever get a stress-free baptism?! I know- it was eerie. But then the night before the baptism, everything EXPLODED! Everyone on the program was calling saying they wouldn't be able to attend the baptism because of choir concerts they had overlooked, or family deaths, etc. So we scrambled to find others to replace them (not so easy when you are working with a ward you don't have the roster for...), so by the time we got to the baptism, we were prepared to give talks, do a musical number, etc to make it all come together. Then we realized that the girl being baptized had forgotten her handmade baptismal dress, so her mom ran back home (which was half an hour away, btw) Anyway, it was insanity for a time, but then, miraculously (after starting half an hour late) everything came together PERFECTLY. The people that ended up filling in actually worked out a lot better than originally planned, Sister Joseph was given time to redo the supply table (the elders tried, she gave them that :), and it was such an amazing night. April was so happy. It is neat how He really is in charge, and we don't need to be worried. Everything will turn out :)

Oh, another thing from zone conference- we were talking about Christmas and how this is a great time of year to serve others and share Christmas messages when President randomly said, "I hope you get homesick this Christmas." I was like WHAT?! Who is this guy? Here I am trying to focus on missionary work and to not think about home, and then he goes and brings that up! The nerve! I couldn't help but think about that a lot this past week. You know what? I absolutely love my family. I really think about you a lot more than I would like to admit (because I should be focusing on those I am serving) and I am absolutely obsessed with you people :) I can't wait to talk to Meg about boys, to see Lex's incredible art, and to see how much Brooke is grown and get to play games with the family. Dad, I love learning and spending time with you and Mom, I miss our talks and your hugs! I think I am totally going to be homesick now... and it is totally my mission president's fault! :) I love and miss you all a lot.

Something else I have been trying to figure out recently is how to identify direction from the spirit. I think one way that he communicates with us is by shocking us (not with lightning). It was President's shocking sentence that made me think about what he said over and over, and the same thing happened at Grandma Mahrt's funeral when the bishop said that her death is sad now, but it would become sweet with time. There are a few scriptures that talk about things 'pressing upon their minds.' I think that is what it was talking about. I had never thought of it that way before. 

I forgot my camera card reader, so pictures will have to wait until next week! 

Sister Mahrt

Nov. 26, 2012
November is almost over!
I ate WAY too much at Thanksgiving! Sister J and I had to go home and digest for hours. It was great :) We went to the Misfit Thanksgiving at the church (their name, not mine. All the people without family in the area) around noon, then ran over to the Savoys at 2p. Wow, that family can cook! Sweet potatoes were there (LOVE sweet potatoes), they had all the traditional food, plus a ham, green onions wrapped in cream cheese and salami slices (fabulous!) and a billion pies. Needless to say, it was a good day. 

We had Kristen's baptism on Saturday! That girl makes me so proud :) She stopped smoking cold turkey, and she has changed a lot of habits in her life so that she could be baptized, and it is so easy to see how much happier she is! I absolutely love that about the Gospel. There is no faking true happiness. 

We get to go to Kirtland tomorrow! Yay! Zone conference. By the way, I have the best zone. I absolutely LOVE working with these missionaries! They are all about working hard and playing hard. I have never seen such a purpose-filled bunch, and it is so neat to be able to learn from their example. So it will be neat to be able to go with them to the Kirtland temple and sites. Plus President Vellinga is incredible, so it just adds to the awesomeness of tomorrow. I can't wait!

Ohio has the craziest weather mood swings. Thanksgiving was beautiful (60 degree weather!) and then the next day there were snow flurries. I thought we were going to die. Actually, it was only my life I was that concerned for. Not because I am completely selfish, but because Sister J does not mess around. That sister had on four layers on her legs, who knows how many layers around her torso, and her coat looks like a heavy duty sleeping bag with the bottom cut out for legs. She was not going to go down without a fight, that is for sure. Maybe I should stop thinking that I am invincible and put on some nylons. Or at least gloves would help. You just don't think of that stuff when you are getting dressed in a warm apartment!

We have a problem. We are learning the hard way that Sister Joseph and I are a tad too absent-minded. We have had some close calls with forgetting planners in laundromats and baptismal forms at baptisms. This may be an interesting transfer... 

On Sunday we were supposed to go to Kirtland with Kristen, but it fell through last minute :( We were really disappointed, but it didn't last very long.  The shock that set in when we realized our whole day needed to be replanned was more urgent of an emotion that took over. The neat thing is that Heavenly Father was right there. We ended up being able to plan for some lessons that we set up last minute, and it was our most productive day (numbers-wise) than any other day that week! And that was with 5 hours of church!  It is incredible how close to this work He is. It helped me realize I need to rely on Him a lot more. 

I had a neat realization when I was tracting this week. It was Black Friday, no one was home, and we were tracting in the coldest weather I have ever tracted in (and it was probably in the 20s and 30s! I am not surviving this winter- I'm telling you right now!) and I was thinking, "Sister Mahrt, this really is crazy. You realize that, right? We are walking around a neighborhood that no one is in, and you are going to get frostbite. You are nuts." Then a thought came just as quickly to me, '...yet, there is nothing else you would rather be doing right now.' And it was so true! I wouldn't have traded being a missionary for a fireplace and a cup of hot chocolate, while lounging in a lazy boy. It is so neat to be out here and having these experiences, and I am so grateful for what I am learning and who I have had the opportunity to meet. Ohio is awesome. 


Love you all! 

Nov. 19, 2012
First thing is first- Happy Birthday Mom! I hope your day is awesome, and not completely full of packing and moving boxes :)

I have come to the conclusion that this area is magical. We have been able to tract and find people who are humble and looking for additional truth ALL the TIME, and this transfer we will be have the blessing of two baptisms. I have never had multiple baptisms in the same transfer before! The companion, district, and zone goals that we have set we are regularly meeting, and sometimes even exceeding! It is so neat to see how prepared this area is! It has been very easy to see His hand in the work.

For our next zone conference, we will be going to Kirtland, and having our meeting in the temple and then on sites. We are so excited! President Vellinga has asked us to memorize some scriptures about having the faith to find. Amazingly, it has been so fun to memorize scriptures! I forgot how much I love it! Plus, it is so nice to have those scriptures on instant recall and be able to pull from the truths and principles it teaches in our lessons. I have felt like th spirit can work through me better as I am more prepared with scriptures in mind. Memorizing scriptures is so amazing! (You were totally right Dad, I wish I would have listened to you earlier ;) 

Thanksgiving will be fun. We have a short P-day today, then on Thanksgiving morning we will have P-day schedule until we go eat with members. We have been invited to so many dinners!! I will refrain from any pictures for the next few weeks so you don't have to be too subtle with your fat comments. 

Sister Joseph and I have come to the conclusion that we are very strange, because we are enjoying tracting. Neither of us particularly enjoyed it in our other areas, but here, it is almost fun to get out and meet people! Most of them are very respectful and nice. One lady that we met invited us in and proceeded to tell us about how she was out with a friend for hours, then her friend noticed that she lost her ring. They backtracked for hours trying to find it, to no avail. This lady began praying in heart that they could find it, and then she did! It was in some completely random spot, like under the aisle shelves in Target. Then she testified to her friend that God really does answer prayers. She was so awesome! She was hesitant to take a Book of Mormon, but when I explained how it has come to help direct me in my life (Alma 32- going on a mission) she was very curious about it. By the time we were done sharing how He has helped us in our lives, and left her with prayer, she was crying. There are so many amazing people out there who really are looking for truth, they just don't know where to find it!! I love having the opportunity to get out, meet amazing people, and make a difference in their lives by helping them get to know Christ better. 

We have had the opportunity to get to know a lot more members in our ward since Sister Joseph is new (so I had a good excuse to be able to ask people's names again :) I should know them after three months!) Ohioans are the best! I love the people out here. Even when they deny that they have hick accents and they totally do. 

I love you all so much! Good luck with all the moving. Good thing you have a train car.

Love, 
Sister Mahrt