Week #23

Hello everyone! What's up? This week has been crazy busy! Still adjusting to being in the YSA, but it is such a blast here. We saw so many blessings this week. Monday evenings we have FHE at the church. It is a party. We played volleyball and I was chosen to be a team captain. Haha well we had a problem because I didn't know anyone's names yet. A cute girl named Casey helped!😂 Our team was terrible which made volleyball even better. The members are awesome here. Sister Minson and I went and helped the Bishop and his wife get the refreshments ready, which was such a blessing because I got to know them a little bit better. Bishop is hilarious. He asked what I did in high school and when he found out I was a dancer he had so many stories to tell me. Him and his wife go ballroom dancing. He was showing me all the different types and styles of dance. It was too good!

I got to go to my first MLC this week! It was so fun to see the behind the scenes of a mission. I never realized how much work goes into make sure the mission runs properly. President and Sister Cooper are just so amazing. We set goals and counseled on how we would achieve them and what the strengths and weaknesses are in the mission. It was incredible to feel the love that they really do have for each and every individual missionary.

We did a lot of service this week. We volunteered at metropolitan ministries and Ekerd Raising Hope. We helped sort clothes and organize both of their back rooms. They are both organizations that help those in need. Metropolitan helps homeless people get back on their feet. They house them for 10 months and give them an education to get jobs. It's quite amazing. Ekerd Raising Hope helps foster kids who are transitioning from home to home. They get to go and shop and pick out new school supplies, clothes, toys,the whole 9 yards. We helped stock the shelves!!

This week was a great week on campus. We meet a lot of awesome people. Saturday evening we were walking to the church to do companionship Study. We hadn't talked to many people. We usually walk on the same side of the street but we got a prompting to walk on the other side of the street. There was a girl named Rasheeda sitting at the bus stop. We started talking to her. She told us she left her USF bus pass in her classroom so she had to take the city bus until she got her pass back. We started talking about her relationship with the Savior. She told us how she came to know god. Rasheeda asked if she could come to church with us, what she was suppose to wear, and if she could bring a friend. We testified of the Book of Mormon and she asked for one! If it weren't for that prompting we would have walked right passed her! I have a firm testimony that Heavenly Father tries and tests us and it is up to us which blessings we receive.

I had the coolest experience this week. I've been really pondering the atonement, and asking my Heavenly Father how I can better access the atonement. I asked the question, How can I find happiness during change? I opened up to a random scripture in the Book of Mormon. I turned to Alma 36 vs 20-21. Alma is telling his son Helaman his conversion story. In vs. 21 Alma is testifying of opposition in all things. Opposition gives us opportunity to grow and become more deeply rooted in the gospel. The "change" that Alma had to go through, helped him develop a broken heart and a contrite spirit which is the ultimate prerequisite for repentance. I love that change helps us to turn to the Lord. This week my testimony has grown, my relationship with my Savior and Sister Minson has grown. Through the scriptures I was able to find an answer to my own question and feel the hand of the Lord in my own life!! Have thee greatest week ever!! I love you all and most importantly I want you to know how much I love my Savior! I love being his missionary!!:)

Love,

Sister Kenzie Graham

P.s. I TRIED GATOR THIS WEEK! It was interesting😂