Mar 11, 2013
Shake N Bake
Hi Fam Fam!

I have p-day on Mondays now! 

So- Transfer Info. I am now serving in the Shaker Heights ward (Shake n' Bake ward). It has been so fun so far. It is a totally different ward from any other ward I have been in, and I love it already. I am now the training sister in Kirtland, which just means I am in charge of serving the Kirtland sisters and the site director. One of our responsibilities is to make the schedule for the sites. Wow. ...just wow. That is something else! We had two new areas open up, and we don't have enough cars, so we have been trying to make the schedule work around sharing cars and ward activities. I am SO glad Sister Hillman knows what she is doing! She is so awesome- an amazing leader and such a good people person. She actually reminds me a lot of you, Lexy. We have been taking care of things at sites, and on Saturday I was able to go to our area. It was the funniest day- our plans were completely messed up, changed around, and by the end of the day we accomplished everything we had planned on doing, it was just in a completely different order. We even took a church tour in a church without carpet! (The carpet was being ripped up and replaced) We even had a family we are teaching come to church on Sunday! Mom and Dad, I have NO idea how you were able to keep us preoccupied and focused during church! It was insanity :) But they are the cutest little family, and we are so excited to be teaching them.

Since I have been at sites so much more, I feel like I have already gained so much more of a testimony of Kirtland. Yesterday we took a tour, and the entire time we were struggling to find out if he was an active member or not- it was hard to tell with what he was saying and the questions he was asking. It was a neat tour, and I felt like we were really directed by the spirit to share certain stories and facts we do not normally share. At the end of the tour, we were walking him back to his car, and he asked how many of the people who come are members of the church. We told him it is about 80% members, 20% people of other faiths. He paused, then shared with us how much he had needed the tour today. He told us his life in a nutshell- how he had gone on a mission, but then fallen away. After years and years, he had been able to come back, and had made a lot of progress in the several months. You could tell by his sincerity how much the church meant to him now, and Kirtland had really touched him. When people who come help share their testimony with us, it reaffirms once again how true the gospel is and how much of a difference faith in Jesus Christ can have in our lives. Faith makes all the difference in the world.

I love you all so much! Be good. Go to heaven. Don't get translated.

Sister Mahrt