Chugga, Chugga, Choo! Choo! 3/3/14

Hello!!

So Transfer calls today.. I am staying in Yucaipa.... and I get to TRAIN! I am kind of excited and kinda nervous. I kind of had a feeling I would be training this transfer, so it will be good. I will find out who I am training on Wednesday.

This week though has been pretty good. We met with Tammy and last time she had a question on polygamy, We wanted to avoid the topic this time, but she brought it up. At first I was trying to explain it and I could just feel the contention there, it was a weird feeling. We let her do a lot of the talking and then we just bore testimony on the Book of Mormon and that even though we don't understand everything, we know that we have a prophet of God who leads us and that The Gospel has been restored to Earth again. She didn't argue that, which was really cool to see. You hear all of the time that when all else fails, bear testimony. The power of a testimony is amazing, and I don't think that I ever realized how powerful it is.

I can't believe Sis. Ferry is going home, It's hard to know for a whole transfer that you only have one transfer together.. I think that was a definite challenge for us, but I have learned a lot from her.

On the 15th we are having a Mission conference combined with the Rancho Cucamonga Mission and Elder Anderson and Elder Anthony Perkins will be there! It is really exciting and we are so blessed to have had so many General Authorities come out here in just 6 months. Wow, 6 months has gone by SO fast! I have learned so much, and I am so blessed to be in Yucaipa right now. The work may be slow for now, but there is so much waiting to happen and it is going to explode!

Sorry this is short, but I love you all and want to thank you for all the prayers! I feel them daily! Love ya lots,

Sister Kellee Gardner

2/24/14

Hello!

So Wednesday we had Zone Conference! I loved it! It really helped me to remember why Obedience is so important! We came to Earth to prove ourselves and to see if we would do All that God has commanded us. For missionaries that means waking up at 6:30 and not 6:31and backing up in an empty parking lot... It was something that really helped me out. The past week I had been struggling with waking up at staying awake... I had no idea what would motivate me to wake up on time.. This is what I needed. I needed the reminder that I want to be obedient to God in all things. So I tell myself that I want to be obedient. It is amazing to me that something so simple can be so powerful. Sister Van Cott talked to us as Sisters about not being lukewarm. In Revelation 3:16 it talks about being lukewarm and being spued out by God..So being lukewarm in the gospel, not so good. We went on exchanges after the meeting and I went to work with Sis. Bonham in Oak Valley. That was really good. Our Dinner that night never confirmed and when we got to our appointment that would have been before dinner, she asked us if we had eaten and if we liked spicy.. So we taught a lesson and had dinner, and it went well. Something similar happend at lunch the next day. We stopped by to confirm an appointment with a member for the next day as we were going back to the apartment for lunch. She offered us lunch and we ended up sharing a message with her as well. I love exchanges because I get to experience miracles with other people that I don't really know, rather than the people I see everyday. I guess that is what makes the difference. Miracles happen in my areas too, it just gets hard to recognized them sometimes.

On Sunday the Bishop and the Ward Mission Leader gave the lesson, so we had a combined lesson( like 5th sundays). It was all about missionary work. The ward council has been talking about these things for a while and it was great to have it make it down to the ward members. As we talked to some of the members after church, they had really positive feedback and that realization that they just need to keep it simple. Sharing the gospel doesn't mean you have to give out a Book of Mormon, but that it can come up in your everyday conversation and you can share that with others. Talk about Church when you talk about your weekend. Talk about your family and the gospel will come up! That is the amazing thing about the Gospel, it encompasses everything, it is for Everyone! I see that more and more on my mission. I have learned so much about the gospel and I see it in action in others lives-thats the greatest part I think! One more cool story: On Saturday we had time before our dinner appointment, so we decided to walk the street, there were some people out. Anyways we walked down and then this guy in his truck said "did you sell any?" I said we weren't selling anything, and he asked what we were doing then, Anyways we talked to him told him we were missionaries and he was so excited to hear that we were sharing the word of God-especially on the Sabbath(we will have to work on that one with him..) He went on about how people out there think the commandments are just suggestions and that some churches profess to be the Church of God but don't even keep the commandments. He did most of the talking, Which is something that is hard for me, I can't teach truth if they keep talking and talking and talking..I guess God is trying to teach me patience.. I have run into several people like that on my mission, and I have a feeling theres many more of them out there. But I guess the point of the story is that we are going back next week to talk to him and we wouldn't have found him if we had gone to our dinner early.

Times up, but I am so grateful for all the support and encouragement I receive each week, It makes so much of a difference, more than I can say! Love you all!

Love,

Sister Kellee Gardner

2/17/14

This week has been good, we had a few service projects, which were great. 

Tuesday was Zone Meeting, which was really good, but I am excited for Zone Conference tomorrow. Wednesday we went to the park and met a Sister in the ward who had invited her friend. We were able to talk to her a little and introduce ourselves. We also decorated sugar cookies with a member and took them around to her neighbors. That was a great way for us to get to be seen and also help the member. We shared this idea with other members and on Sunday we made cookies with another member and gave them to her landlord. Also on Saturday we taught the Activity day girls in the stake. We got to teach about Light and how to be a light. These girls are so smart and they know exactly how to be that light for others. We were so amazed at them. I learned alot from teaching them, they taught us. We also helped a member do some yard work. we pulled some weeds and then we dug out a rose bush. That was fun! I found out this week that Emily is getting baptized on Saturday and that Josh and Diana are also getting baptized in March! I am excited for them. I am glad that I was able to teach them and to be a part of that.

I have learned a lot about obedience this last week. That was the focus of our Zone meeting and I found some scriptures this week as I was reading in Alma. So Alma 50:20 and 22 talk about how the Nephites were happy and they were victorious because they were obedient to the commandments. That is what they are here for. Commandments bless our lives so much! I have seen little blessings each day from being obedient to the little things. I know that I have the spirit with me even more when I choose to be obedient to the rules, the ones that seem silly. 

I hope everyone had a great Valentines day! and that Ethan and Emily had good Birthdays! I love you all Have a fantastic week!

2/10/14

Hello!

So this week since Wednesday has been pretty good. It seems like it has been a full week, but its all good. Thursday we were pretty busy, we were able to meet with John who is a recent convert, he is the Padgetts uncle. (The Padgetts are the family we stay with). He knows a lot about the gospel, he's pretty funny though. We also met with the Bradfords, Bro. Bradford is another recent convert. They are the nicest people! they are where we ate that giant apple pie at..

On Friday we went to visit Sis. Eagan. We wanted to talk to her about getting to the temple because shes been a member for about 3 years and hasn't been yet. We got there and we found out that she had just decided to start preparing for that and that she had gone to the temple prep class on Sunday. It was a cool little reminder of God's hand in His work. 

So Saturday night we were driving to an appointment and I saw something dart out in front of the car( probably a cat) but I didn't have time to stop... so I keep driving and we hear noises under the car.. I immediately say "I think I killed a cat". But we turned around and drove past it and there was nothing there. Long story short, I think the cat was under the car but that it ran through and we didn't hit it. the sound wasn't a thump or anything though so I am pretty sure it made it out ok. Sis. Ferry though, won't let me live it down and texted half of our zone and members of the ward.  I think most of them were surprised, just because I am so quiet and they don't expect me to go out and kill things. Not that I go out and kill things on purpose, but anyways. This picture is most of our zone at the temple last week, Such a good experience! Things are going alright, we as missionaries, and also the ward are wondering what we can do to help the members here and  the work to move forward. Really it is all about trying new things and having Faith!! I hope this week as we try new things we will be able to find success. I hope that you all are doing well! I love you all! Love,Sister Kellee Gardner

2/5/14

Hello! I can't believe it is February!

So this Email is coming on Wednesday because our P-day got switched and we were able to go to the Temple this morning. It was worth the switch of a P-day! The Redlands Temple is really small, but it is gorgeous! I think it is also closer to where we live than the Timp temple is to home.. literally a 5 minute drive, we just can't see it from where we are.. 

So this past week was alright.. We weren't able to meet with any of our investigators, so we met with our less-actives and our active members. We have been walking around more, and have run into a few people, but not much success. The Relief Society put our investigators on a route to be visit taught, which will help with fellowship, which is what they really need. There has been a push for the members of the ward to step it up a little, and I know as they do, the work will go forward here. It is slow right now, and I know I will probably see this over and over on my mission, but it is the trial of our faith. It will get better, but it has to be slow first. 

On Monday, first it did not feel like Monday, but we had a good day. We were able to talk to a less-active, who was not really interested at all. She was nice and let us in to get to know her though. We decided to go to the park in one of the neighborhoods and as we pulled up we saw a moving truck and a Utah license plate. In Ward council, we found out there was a family moving and they are from PG! We didn't know when or where really they were coming, but we drove up right as they were starting to unpack a few things.. then about 10 min later the Elders showed up. They knew about the move, but the ward was able to come and we moved them all in. I was really excited to talk to someone from PG, they lived over by Mt Mahogany elementary. If it had been P-day, we probably would not have been able to meet with that less-active or help the family move in. 

Anyways, It sounds like Stephen and Spencer had a pretty good Birthday! I hope everything is going well at home! I love you all and miss you guys a lot. 

Love, Sister Kellee Gardner

 So this is an Apple pie, and it was delicious and it is full of apples.. I think about 5 lbs... YUM and then Sis. Ferry and I.

Karma karma karma karma karma Chameleon

So this is the Vikdals Chameleon, kiwi, pretty cool!

Yucaipa 1/27/14

Dear Family,

Tuesday was busy and full of meeting with our investigators, we met with Josh and Diana, Melinda and Jon, and Steve. I miss them all! Hopefully I will get to go back for their baptisms when that happens. So this week here in Yucaipa has been pretty good. The work here right now is slow, It reminds me of Yucca Valley when I first got there, There wasn't much teaching going on, but now there is alot! I hope we can have the same thing happen here in Yucaipa. Sis. Ferry has been here for 8 months, so she knows the ward very well, and she has good relationships with the members. She goes home at the end of this transfer, so I will be here for a while. It is kind of stressful knowing that she is leaving, especially since she knows the area so well. It will come with time. The ward here is really awesome, and I love the people already.

A little bit about Yucaipa.. So It is only a little different than Yucca, haha ok a lot. It is very green. We have Orange trees and grapefruit trees in front of our house, yummy :D We feed horses in the morning, which is actually pretty fun. It is a gorgeous place and I love it.

On Sat. we had a Stake Relief Society womens conference, It was amazing! There are some awesome women here and they have great faith! It was all about Coming Closer to Christ. So on Sunday we got to help in Primary, the Chorister went home sick, so we went in and I did Singing time.. It was pretty fun, I haven't gone to Primary since I was in it, so it was cool to remember what it was like. The only sad part is that those kids don't know the "good songs"! They just don't sing the same songs that they used to. Oh well I guess.

This week has mostly been full of getting to know people in the ward. We went walking  one day and we stopped and talked to someone. He had made this awesome playhouse for his grandson. It folds up flat and it is pretty multi-functional. One of the coolest playhouses ive ever seen. He wasn't really interested, but one thing I have noticed is that it has gotten easier for me to talk to Everyone. I have realized I am here to invite people to come unto Christ, and they can choose to accept or reject, but only if they are invited. So we start random conversations about whatever the people are doing.. and just keep talking. Its pretty fun actually.

I know that this is short, but I don't really know what else to talk about. I love you all and thank you for the support you give!

Love,

Sister Kellee Gardner