Chickens...chickens everywhere

So this past week we went to the Walden's (a less active and part member family) and they have chickens all over. So of course, their 9 year old was chasing them and made us hold a bunch of them. one was HUGE! It was, like, 20 pounds! It was fun. It's so great having all these silly animal encounters :P

SO this week has been amazing! the clear impression I had from Conference was to just think of Christ and focus on Him and that's been so helpful this past week. As I've focused on Christ, I've trusted and loved more and I've been so so much happier. It seems so simple, but it was something that's really helped me! I'm so grateful as I've done that. We also have worked a lot harder on focusing on WHY we do things. Not what we do, but why we do the things we do. Why are we obedient? Why do we tract? Why do we teach people. Because we want to get higher numbers than the elders? Because we want to say we did everything? because we have to? NO! Because we want to show the Lord I love Him and because I love these people. And as I've focused on that, it's been such a change for me. I've been happier and loving the work more and more and the weeks have just FLOWN by. It's amazing. I love this work so so much. Hope you all have a fantastic week and know how much I love you guys! Can't believe I'm half way done :/ Where did the time go!? OH! This saturday we get transfer calls. I think I'm leaving. ALSO, that same day we get to go to the temple with Shelby! She's amazing. I love her so much! She bore her testimony yesterday and it was so simple and sweet and I was so proud. It was such an amazing moment! I cried of happiness :)

It's awesome! Okay love you guys!

Love, Sister Kramer

My amazing district, whom we all love so much! We're so tight! Elders Lee, Ivie, Martin, and Benge and Sister Redenbaugh and I :) Love them!

 

Kelly, our crazy less active who wanted to lock us in her bathroom because she loved us so much. She's hilarious! :)

The 20 Lb Chicken. :)

Sunshine and Boots

 This is Boots, the cute goat we met while knocking. This lady showed us around her house with turkeys, chickens, and goats and had us hold and feed boots. She's cute :)

Anyway...it's been sunny lately!!! YAY! It's been so great. :) I also feel great. Conference was just perfect and I love our prophets and apostles. we truly can get revelation and it's been such a testimony to me of how much God loves us. Did you notice that theme?? I love you guys. This week was slow, but still awesome and I look forward to another one. Stay great!

Sister Kramer

How does one 'tism?

so this week was incredible!!! Shelby was baptized and let me tell you, prayer is SO REAL!!! Thank you guys so much for praying fo rher and for me. I definitely know that it really helped. Satan tried so hard to stop her, but she is so incredible! She's got such faith and strength and it's amazing. As we recite every week....no unhallowed hand can stop the work! It's amazing. I love her and hope she goes on a mission!!! 

Awe also got our first media referral today, so that was great! :)

And the women's conference was just great! I loved how we are to just serve and trust the Lord! We have the opportunity to serve, and we should rejoice in that and know we do not serve alone! 

This week as we prepare for conference, I'm going to challenge you all to read a conference talk a day and think of a question that you'd like answered. I love conference, because a lot of my answers and guidance are from the latter day prophets! I love you all! Here are some pictures :)

Love you guys!

Love,

Sister Kramer :)

We go on a nature walk...every day!

Guys....I can't even begin to say how gorgeous it is here! Seriously...pictures don't even describe it. I love it so so much! When we go knocking, we literally are, like, hiking through the wood. We've got giant trees, fresh air, chirping birds. It's amazing here! It's like the hike at girls camp...in a skirt. ;) We're always exhausted by the time we get home!

anyway....Shelby is amazing!!! She wants to be baptized and has been reading the Book of Mormon and is loving the lessons. Everything we teach her, she's just like: "it makes sense!" I'm so happy to get to teach her! She's golden, we just got to get her mom on board so she can be baptized! Please keep her and her mom in your prayers! :)

The work continues slowly but surely. We are still working hard and enjoying the rain. Washingotn is really bi polar! It'll rain one minute and be sun shiney the next....luckily it hasn't been TOO cold when it's rained! 

I love you all. Keep on being amazing! Thanks for you love, support, and prayers. They are greatly appreciated :)

Love,

Sister Kramer

I almost steal a cat...

Hey guys!!!

So....exciting news....GEORGE WANTS TO MEET WITH US AGAIN! I'm so excited :) I can't wait to see him. thanks so much for your prayers and keep praying for him!

We also got to see Gloria this week, and she is stuck in a Catholic rut (we love Catholics, but I want her to accept the Gospel!) BUT she accepted the invitation to read and pray about the Book of Mormon, so please pray that she will do that and will recognize that answer!

Kolton finally got back to us....but he's out of town. So hopefully when he gets back we can set up a time to see him!

OH! And we also met a woman, Kelly, who wears and eye patch, has forgotten a lot of her old memories because of an aneurysm she had a number of years ago, and she loved us so much she wanted to "lock us in her bathroom". Naturally, we went back the next day! ;) we gave her a Book of Mormon and taught her the restoration and she said that SHE would pray and read as well. She had a really cute cat that liked me and she laughed cause she saw me holding it and it apparently looked like I was going to steal it :P She's funny! 

SO the Lord is opening up the way for us. I am so happy to be serving Him and am so excited to see what this coming week will bring! I hope you all had a fabulous Valentine's day and know how much I love you all! And how much Heavenly Father loves you all! You are awesome. Have a great week!!

Love,

Sister Kramer

I almost hit a peacock...

Seriously, I was driving down the road this morning and a peacock just CAME OUT OF NOWHERE! Like, a live peacock! Luckily, I slammed on the breaks and he ran out of my way. I was glad I didn't hit him.

there's so much wild life and animals here. Goats, horses, sheep, cows....peacocks, apparently, ducks, seagulls and EAGLES! I've seen so many eagles and it's SO PRETTY!!!!

Okay, but now onto the serious part....

This week was really good and bad.

First, we went street contacting and found this girl named Courtney. She was standing with another guy by a tuck with a whole bunch of stuff in the trunk, so we told her who we were and asked if she needed help. She said no, that she had just got out of rehab and that she was just moving back. She told us her story and told us how she was trying to change her life. She was so positive, though, and kept saying how God had helped her and supported her through everything she was going through. We asked if she wanted to learn more about the church and she said yes! so we exchanged numbers and set up a time to give her a tour of the church and walked away wide eyed and so happy!

Then two days later, street contacting in the same spot, we met a homeless guy named Walter who accepted a Book of Mormon and also set up a time for a church tour and said that eh felt that maybe this was the chance he'd been looking for to change his life. Once again, we were extatic!

We also got a referral for this guy named Mike and when we went to his house to check on him, his 13 year old son, Kolton, answered the door and said he also wanted to learn more!!! AND we taught him the restoration and he said that it "made sense"! 

Then things started going downhill.

George, our other investigator, called us and said that he felt we were being pushy and that we were young and inexperienced and didn't understand that the "spirit works in it's own way and time" and that he wanted to cancel our appointment that day and that he wanted to call us in two weeks after studying and praying and reading. Luckily, he didn't drop completely, so keep praying that he will recognize the answer that the Book of Mormon is true!

Then Courtney cancelled on us twice, Walter never showed up and he has no phone for us to contact him, and Kolton never set an actual day for us to come back over and teach him, also Gloria (our other investigator from a week or two ago) cancelled on us as well.

BUT the cool thing is that Heavenly Father has been so good in comforting me and reminding me about agency. I've been doing my best and working hard, and that is all I can do! If I never see a baptism, if I am my only convert....then that's okay. I know I did my best. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father saw fit to trust me and to love me. I am so grateful for that love and I'm so excited to see what this week will bring! I love you all!!! Please keep praying for them! They need this gospel and what it can do for them!!!

love you all!

Sister Kramer

We are "female Elders"

Hey there you guys!!!

SO this week has been full of laughs! Like....my companion is so funny! haha. We passed a sign that said "Joemma Beach" and sister Redenbaugh (my new companion) thought it said "Yo Momma Beach"! Then we knocked on this door and the lady came to the door and was like: "OH! I've never met female elders before!" It was so hard not to laugh!

This week, not many of our new or potential investigators were home....agency stinks sometimes! BUT it's still fine. I am so happy to be serving here in this ward. The members are seriously incredible! And George is still doing awesome. We're seeing him tomorrow. He still loves seeing and meeting with us, so that's awesome!

Sister Redenbaugh is my first companion NOT from Utah! She's from Kentucky, so that's fun! ANd we laugh a lot together, so it makes me happy :) I'm just so excited to serve and be here. I lov eyou all. Hope you guys have an awesome week. As always thanks for all the prayers and love and support!!! 

Love,

Sister Kramer