Week #17

Hola all Family and Friends, 

Wowza was this an amazing or week. I don't even know where to start! We had a crazy couple of days getting the apartment situated. We still have some friends and wake up with some treats in the morning so we are actually moving apartments again! Haha the crazy life of being a missionary. Sister Bowen and I have enjoyed this time of year. It is amazing to see everyone around the world celebrate the Saviors birth! Thank you for all the letters and gifts that you have all sent. I'm so grateful to have family and friends like all of you! 

Sunday was such a special day. Rose was baptized! We met Rose at the bayou in Tarpon Springs one night. She was the very last person we talked to and she was actually reading Mormonism for dummies. A coincident I think not. We have met with her every single day she wasn't working.  We gave her the pamphlets and asked her to read them. The best thing was Rose would go home Study the pamphlets and teach us the lesson the very next day. We were so amazed to see her progressing in the gospel and building her testimony. She didn't even need us. She was ready from day one. The last couple of weeks have been pretty crazy. Meeting Rose was a tender mercy from the Lord. She has given us motivation to work harder. Not only that but she is now inviting her friends to church. 

Sunday we had such a spiritual sacrament meeting. The Palm Harbor ward has a lot of musical talent which really brought the spirit. That spirit continued over into Rose's baptism. I had to play the piano and I must have been a good girl this year. Because the songs didn't sound too shabby. Unlike the last baptism I played at. Our font in our building has a broken drain and we didn't know that. But the Clearwater Sisters came early to check on the font and noticed the water hadn't gotten any higher. So they put a block thing and chair on top of it to keep the water from draining. The water was also just a little too hot so we sang a few songs. The spirit was so strong. We sang Christmas songs. We passed out all the hymn books and I noticed I didn't keep one for myself to play from but I did have a children's song book. We sang away in a manger and the two songs are totally different. They all started to chuckle and we just kept singing. After the water cooled down a little Rose was baptized. She was so happy. The Light of Christ really shown in her eyes. She came into the room after she was baptized with the biggest smile on her face. She explained how pure and clean she felt. It is quite incredible that we have the proper priesthood authority which allows us to make covenants with the Lord. 

There are so many things that I have learned on my mission but the one that means the most to me is the relationship I have with my Savior Jesus Christ. He is the perfect missionary and as I turn to him for help, he helps me accomplish my goals and helps me become who I want to be. I have a firm and unshakeable testimony of the reality and love of my Savior Jesus Christ. I know he is out with me every single day teaching, tracting, and testifying. He is the Good Sheppard and we are his sheep. He knows that all of us spend sometime as that one lost sheep. Therefore he leaves the 99 to come and comfort us. That's how perfect he really is. His love is infinite and eternal. INFINITE AND ETERNAL. He carries me. I know he will continue to carry all of us. I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I love being his missionary. We are his tools and he is the writer. This really is the only true church on the earth today. How amazing is it that out of every soul that has ever lived we were chosen to have the opportunity to have the gospel in our lives! Don't take it for granted. Do not take the scriptures for granted. In this crazy and busy world find a quiet place and take sometime to counsel with the Lord and find your answers in the scriptures!!  

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and have a wonderful new year! It is going to be amazing to set goals and all come closer to our Savior Jesus Christ!! 

Love, 

Sister Kenzie Graham