Book of Mormon Challenge 2/9/15

Talofa!

So this week we had some really good things happen. 

We had Erika and Daniel come to the temple and take a little tour around it. The spirit there is just amazing, and I am so grateful to have a temple so close to us, especially in the mission!!

We had President and Sister Van Cott come to our fireside last night for the R2 ward and talk about hastening the work. It was was Amazing. Our hope was to get the members more excited about the work, and to feel the joy that comes from sharing the gospel. 

Koletas baptism got moved up to next Sunday the 15th, which we are really excited for! Her surgery went well and she is doing great.

Last week President Van Cott challenged us to read and finish the Book of Mormon by General Conference. If you read 4 chapters a day you can finish in 60 days, so thats the challenge. It is hard to do. But it has helped me learn some things. On my mission, and especially in this area, investigators and even members talk about how it is hard to read the Book of Mormon, or it is hard to understand. I don't know why, but I have personally never felt that way. So it has been hard for me to relate to them. As missionaries we have 2 hours to study each day, not all of that time is used for reading the Book of Mormon, but it is a huge blessing to have time set aside for that. This challenge though requires us to sacrifice time at lunch and time at night to read. Now that is hard. It is so easy to just want to sleep at those times or talk to our roommates. This is where I see that finding time to read everyday when it isn't given to you is harder to do. 

I am grateful for the time that I do have. The Book of Mormon is amazing and I find new insights EVERY TIME I read it. I learn from it when I read with investigators and by myself. I know that it is true. I know that it contains the fullness of the gospel.

I am so grateful to be able to serve a mission, for so many reasons. the things that I have learned,temporally and spiritually, the people I have met and grown to love, companions, leaders, investigators and members. I am so grateful for the support from home!

I love you all!!

Sister Kellee Gardner