Kari's 10_08_13

Hello everyone :)


So we contacted Darth Mal this week.
No joke.
Sister Baird and I were walking to our Tram stop from the "Cirkev
Budova" when we found him. She was up ahead of me a few steps (still
sight and sound mind you because we are exactly obedient ;) when I saw
a man in a Darth Mal costume with a giant light saber. "SISTER BAIRD!"
I whispered ever so enthusiastically. She turned around. "Wouldn't you
like to say you contacted a jedi on your mission?" The Elders in our
District so kindly corrected us later that he is a member of the
"sith" and not a jedi, but regardless we ran after Darth Mal and
contacted him! Turns out he's atheist, but the costume had something
to do with raising money for children. We had a great discussion with
him about service and God and set up to meet with him Saturday :)

We had a MIRACLE week this week.
We hit standards in all areas!!! Woot woot! (standards beeing thus:
2-4 investigators with a baptismal date
2-4 at church
4-6 lessons taught with a member present
2-4 new investigators )

God helped us sooo much this week.
We had some amazing lessons and found some new investigators. There is
power in asking everyone for referrals! I MEAN EVERYONE. The man
sitting next to you in the bus, the woman at the grocery counter, the
neighbor. etc.

Also we have a new investigator with a baptismal date! Isn't that
exciting ?!?! Sister Baird met him at one of our singing displays. He
came to church Sunday! and Boy this sunday was a miracle :)
I had been thinking about one of our members for the past couple days.
Spirit kept saying to me "You need to visit Sister H." but I wasn't
quite sure how that was going to work into our plans when we had
lessons all day friday and saturday. So, we did our "weekly planning"
and planned to visit her this upcoming week. But Sunday came and I
kept thinking "visit her visit her visit her" our plans sunday night,
which were SO solid and have NEVER fallen through, somehow fell
through. We were able to go visit sister Hajtmanova. AND turns out her
SISTER was home :) and we taught them the restoration!! IT WAS SOOO
COOL GOD IS SOOOO COOOL! Gosh I love being a missionary :) I don't
believe in accidents. God's hand is in this work SOOO much. Every day
we seen plans fall through, or plans go through, or plans change and
it's just proof to me that everything is happening in God's way and in
His timing and I'm just trying to figure out what that timing is haha.
We also met a girl on the way traveling to this Sestra's house who set
up with us to meet this wednesday :) Super cool.
ALSO! had the coolest experience at church.

Sister Baird and I were teaching gospel principles and we had a lovely
class of 3. Two recent converts and our investigator :) We were
teaching "god is our loving heavenly father" when halfway through the
lesson we had finished the material from the book. "what now?" I
thought. The idea came to me, well, have them teach each other.
unexpectedly the next words out of my mouth are "Okay now we're going
to give you 5 minutes to review the chapter, make a plan, and you're
going to teach sister baird and I about God."
We gave them the books and walked away, said we'd be back in 5
minutes. Have to admit, I was FREAKING OUT when they didn't even say
anything to each other for the first minute or 2. "sister baird,
they're just sitting there, what do we do what do we do?" and she, as
the amazing companion she is, told me "just wait just wait"
next thing we know, they're looking up scriptures in the Book of
Mormon together, discussing God, and planning a lesson for us. We come
back over 5 minutes later, take on the role of "Katka and Lucia" 2
atheist sisters, and our investigator & 2 beautiful converts teach us
who God is
IT WAS SOOO COOL. I realize now that I have been teaching SO
INEFFECTIVELY my entire mission thus far. Really, as missionaries, we
should be having our investigators teach us what they've learned from
the material we give them, because that is where their conversion is
taking place. How can we know what they're learning if we never
actually ask them? or give them a chance to teach it back?
It was amazing to see how they understood the doctrine, what gaps
needed to be filled, and how their testimonies grew. This was an
experience that hopefully has changed my teaching for the better
forever :)

we contacted an italian man this week. He didn't speak enligsh very
much. We still somehow shared a gospel message with him. PROOF! That
the language of the spirit is love. Language is a very small barrier
to cross when you truly follow the guidance of the spirit.
He actually stopped us because he told us our "eyes looked so free"
I love being clean :)
I love having the spirit and the light of christ :)
I know people can see it :)

working on our concert for October 19! There is an opera singer sister
baird and I have been working with here in Bratislava. She's super
cool. Never accompanied an Opera Singer before but hey, such a cool
way to find :)

It's so interesting how many people say they're "atheist" when really,
come to find out, they believe in something but just won't call that
"something" God.
I think there is something innate in human nature in believing in a
higher being.

I've been thinking a lot about leadership lately, particularly in the
aspect of delegation. Christ was a perfect delegator. In the case of
Lazarus he had others remove the stone from Lazerus' tomb, remove the
bandages, and christ simply did that which others couldn't do. Like
with the loaves and fishes; the apostles brought the bread and the
fish and gave them out to the multitude. Christ saw the power in
letting people exercise their agency. He was happy to delegate and
understood the power in letting others exercise their faith.
I want to learn from his example as a missionary. I want to delegate
more to the members and investigators. It's so cool because delegation
has always been one of my leadership weaknesses and I am seeing for
the first time how I can turn that weakness into a strength.

MISSIONS WILL CHANGE YOU FOREVER! :)

I think some of the greatest moments in life come when you laugh or
smile during prayer :) I love learning how to communicate with God.
Sometimes, of course, it is frustrating and difficult. Learning how to
communicate with God always is. It is no easy process. But I can think
of no other more rewarding conversation than one with my Father in
Heaven. I love having callouses on my knees :)

love you all! Keep up the good work. I hope you're all inviting others
to come unto christ by the way you live your lives every day :) Even
in Utah ;)

Love Sestra Kane!