Week 16 Colly Creek

Oi Gente! 

Hi Y'all! 

This week was soooooo good and miracle filled. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are definitely watching over their work. 

So to start out, we had a lesson with a married couple we are teaching and it is amazing how much progress people can make and how much they can change. The wife has always been super interested, but the husband told us about 6 weeks ago that the Book of Mormon is false and he will never believe in it. He then said he was unsure and now he believes it to be the word of God and more helpful, inspiring, and spirit-filled than the bible! It is so amazing what God has in store for all of his children and what they will do when they seek with an open heart! 

So we also taught someone and their daughter. It was the same person that we helped with their backyard. We had a super powerful lesson with her and she said she will get baptized! Yay! We are so excited for her and the decisions she has made. Her daughter is also super interested and wants to learn more and go to church with us! They are such an awesome family! 

We also found a new friend! He is super awesome and we have coincidently and miraculously run into him almost every day. It is such a miracle! We are just doing our thing as missionaries and all of a sudden, there he is! I could go on about the miracles that have happened with him. But, sadly, I do not have the time. God is really in the details of our lives and the lives of those around us. Our new friend is super excited to learn more and we are so happy for him. 

There are just so many blessings and miracles in our lives right now. God is so good to all of his people and his children, which is all of us! 

This week I was studying in Doctrine and Covenants 24. For those of you who dont know the Doctrine and Covenants is modern day revelation to our modern day prophets. I love verse 8, which says "Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days." I love how straightforward and direct the Lord is. We will have hard times, it will be tough. But the Lord will always be with us. He will not leave us. I have found that God is usually waiting for us to be humble enough to look for his help. I know that if we ask him for help in humility he will help and guide our way. 

Also, this upcoming weekend is General Conference! I am so pumped for it, and I am so excited! It is such a good time and experience to hear from the Lords prophets and apostles on the Earth today! I invite all of you to watch it! 

Now it is time for pictures! 

1. A picture I got this week. This was the group of missionaries that we went through the temple with! It was such an inspiring and sacred experience! 

 

2. This is a picture we took right before one of our miracles with Dave! We played pass for a second and took a picture and when we turn around to walk to our apartment and Dave is right there! It was such an amazing experience. 

 

3. We went bowling today! Guess who won! By the way that 404, and all the other scores were 3 game scores combined. 

That is all for this week! Feel free to email me if you have any questions or just want to talk! 

Com muito amor, 

Elder Sant 

Acreditar. Amar. Fazer.

Week 15 Colly Creek

 

 Oi! 

This week was pretty good! We were able to get a lot of work done and have a lot of fun. I love this Colly Creek area and everyone in it! They are so great! 

We had church for the first time this week! Yay! It was so good to see some of the ward. Only half of them were supposed to come. And only a small group came, but it is still so good to hear them and get to know some new faces. 

We also found some new people who want to learn more! They are awesome and I am so excited to get to know them better. 

This week I was studying a lot about trials and why God gives us them. I was reading in Mosiah 24, where Alma and his people were essentially slaves to the lamanites and Alma was asking God why they haven't been delivered yet. They were keeping the commandments and following God, but they felt like they were getting no help. And verse 14 is Gods response to Alma. He says "And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage" I love that God was aware of what they were going through and he provided a way out. I know that God is aware of each of us and what is going on in our lives. I know that if we reach out to him, he will provide help, he will deliver us. 

Now it is time for pictures! Yay! 

1. Elder Clarke and I with one of our bomb meals. We have gotten pretty good at cooking some good cheap meals! 

 

2. Some of the elders playing settlers of Catan on P-day! Sorry its blurry! 

That is all for this week! 

Com muito Amor! 

Elder Sant 

Acreditar. Amar. Fazer

Mission Email

 

Dear Parents,

 

It’s been another great week in the Kansas Wichita Mission!

 

The leaves are changing, and missionaries are happy that the weather is cooling and soon the humidity will disperse somewhat. It will make the hours of outside service much more pleasant.

 

Just a couple of facts that President Ernst has compiled that we thought you might appreciate.

From mid-April through the end of August the missionaries taught 19,600 + lessons and President estimated that they performed around 49,000 hours of combined service to members, non-members and centers in their communities. Your missionary working together with their companion have been a mighty force over these adjusting months. We are so grateful for their resilience and diligence.

 

We had another trip to the Oklahoma City temple last week. We watched parents huddle and teach their sons and daughters as we sat in the Celestial Room. That was tender. Thank you to all of you parents that we have had the opportunity to meet, this has been a blessing that we wish that we could have with all of you.

 

We held Zone Conference with the Garden City Zone. They are wonderful missionaries.

This week we will meet with the Salina and Topeka Zones. Watch for photos. Sorry that they have their masks on. They really are smiling.

 

Our Facebook pages are making a steady climb forward. We now have more and more non-members who are visiting our pages, and we have our first referral who saw and commented on a post and is now being taught by some sister missionaries. It works!!

 

Our Media Missionaries passed along 4 referrals last weekend, and an additional three referrals this past week. These are people responding to our ads about baptism, God’s plan for our health, better relationships with God, and strengthening our family relationships. The world needs our message and it is reaching them in ways we would have never thought possible in past years of missionary work.

 

How can you help us?

 

We have asked the missionaries to please get their flu shots. They are covered by Missionary Medical. Last year we had several missionaries get quite sick for extended periods of time, most of them did not get the shot. We would invite you to encourage your missionary to get it done within the next few weeks. Moms I’ll ask you to use your persuasive technics!

 

We are trying to update our email list. We will be reaching out to you with some ideas for the holidays so we want to make sure that we can reach everyone. If your spouse isn’t receiving our emails and wants to, would you please let me know what their email address is. We have the entering missionaries fill out some paperwork for us and it is possible that they have given us the wrong address.

 

Lastly, please remember to Like * Comment * Share on our Facebook pages.

 

Thank you again for your support and encouragement for your missionary.

They are a joy to work with and we consider it a great honor to be a part of the Kansas Wichita Mission with them.

 

Have a blessed week,

Sister Ernst

Week 14 - Colly Creek

 

Oi Gente! This week has been pretty exciting! For one, I got to go to the the temple! It was so amazing and such a sacred and spiritual experience. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to do it. 

We went to the Oklahoma City Temple! As I said it was amazing! And we also got to see our parents almost the whole day. That was fun and nice to see them, especially because it's rare to see your parents in person as missionaries. 

We also found some new people to teach and we were able to do some more service. 

As always life is good. Besides the temple it was a great week and stereotypical one. We played ultimate frisbee with a different district and it was super fun! 

One of my favorite scriptures I read this week was 2 Timothy 1:7. It says "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." It is so powerful and true! God does not want us to be afraid or fear. He gives us these hard times and trials so that we can exercise faith and grow. So that we can become more like Jesus Christ. Faith and fear can not exist at the same time, and I know that as we choose to act on faith, rather than fear, our testimonies will grow and we will grow closer to Christ. 

Now its time for pictures! 

 

1-2. Elder Clarke and I at the Ichabod stadium! Washburn U! Idk even know what an Ichabod is, but they are all over Topeka!

3. We saw their football team practicing too! Go Ichabods!

4. My family and I at the temple! It was soooooo good! 

5. Me eating a boudin ball! It was also sooo good! But not as good as the temple! 

Thank you all for everything! Love you! 

Sincerely, 

Elder Sant 

Acreditar. Amar. Fazer.

MIssion Email

 

Dear Parents,

 

We had a great week in the mission. Those of us in the Derby Zone were able to return to church yesterday, some of us for the first time. We never take for granted the opportunity to gather with the Saints or with the missionaries in person.

 

Thank you to those parents who attended the temple with us. It’s tender to watch your goodbyes. I’m so inspired by your missionaries who wipe their tears and get right back into missionary mode.

 

We had inspiring Zone Conferences with the Wichita and Derby Zones. What a powerful spirit as we focused on Joseph Smith and his calling as the prophet of the restoration, and his divine tutoring.

 

We had a good week on our Facebook pages. I hope you are visiting the pages and are seeing the clever, creative, and powerful way that your missionary is teaching gospel truths through videos, photos, and words. We had a combined daily average of 4798 people visiting our pages each day. We could never knock that many doors. We invite you to LIKE – COMMENT – SHARE.

 

We have our last scheduled temple trip tomorrow, followed by Zone Conference in the Garden City Zone on Thursday.

 

It is such an honor and pleasure to serve with your son or daughter. They are the best missionaries in the world, and we love them.

 

Thank you for your support and prayers,

Sister Ernst

Week 13 - Colly Creek

Oi Gente!

This week has been pretty good. I got my new companion! His name is Elder Clarke and he is from Nebraska! He is super awesome and originally served in El Salvador. So he knows spanish! Yay! And he has also been pushing me pretty hard to do my language studies, which is good. I need the pushing sometimes.

This week we met even more with the micronesian family and they are seriously the best. I love them and all 20 of their kids so much! It's not 20, but it is at least 10 kids. They are awesome.

We continue to work and try to serve all of those around us. We did a lot of service this week. We cut two lawns with a weed whacker. It was pretty sick. Also we did a lot of work for an elderly couple and they were also sweet.

I also got news that I get to go to the Oklahoma City, OK Temple! I am so excited. I am going this Wednesday. For those who dont know, members of the Church of Jesus Christ go to the temple to make more promises with God and to learn more. It is a super special and sacred experience and I am so excited to go.

So earlier this week I was studying and pondering Mosiah 2:41. It says "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it." It is such a powerful scripture and it shows that God loves us. He will push us and make us work, but he does it so we can return back to him. And these are true because God has spoken it! It is such a great and powerful promise.

Yay! Now it is time for pictures! 

 

1. Elder Walden and I right before transfers. Also, once again, with our favorite book, the Book of Mormon! 

2. Elder Clarke caught a picture of us weed whacking a yard. It was pretty great and workout surprisingly well. 

Sincerely, and with all the love I have,

Elder Sant

Acreditar. Amar. Fazer.

For packages or letters:

2950 SW Wayne Ave Apt 13 

Topeka, KS 66611

Mission Email

 

Dear Parents,

 

We said goodbye last week to Sister Denieka Bowden, Sister Anna Petersen, and Sister Taylor Strock. We are grateful for their service these last 18 months.

 

We welcomed Sister Rebecca Anderson, Elder Benjamin Barnes, Sister Laney Barton, Sister Hope Bates, Elder Connor Belnap, Elder Baden Buchholzer, Elder Caszen Frandsen, Elder Carter Hunsaker, Elder Andrew Hyde, Elder Gustavo Obregon, Sister Isabelle Parr, Elder Matthew Withers, and Elder Joshua Wolff.

 

We have a Temple trip scheduled this week on the 9^th. We look forward to meeting several of you and sharing the day together.

 

We begin Zone Conferences with the Wichita and Derby Zones this week. Watch the Kansas Wichita Missionary Family and Friends Facebook page for photos.

 

The work is moving forward. President Ernst posted this yesterday on his Facebook profile.

“Miracles are real. I read hundreds of emails from our missionaries each week. Invariably they write of the miracles where they have seen the Lord guiding their work, opening doors, answering prayers, giving comfort, changing lives, and so much more. They see them in part because they are looking for His blessings in their life and they have gratitude when they see them. Missionaries themselves are a miracle to us. Have miracles ceased? Absolutely not.”

 

One of the miracles we are experiencing this month is the number of people preparing for baptism. Please remember these people in your prayers. We want them to make their first covenant with God and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

 

As part of their preparation for General Conference, we’ve invited our missionaries to memorize the Restoration Proclamation. It will unite and bless us as we let inspired words of the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles sink deep into our hearts and minds.

 

Our Facebook work continues to grow. As you visit our pages and see the videos and posts that your missionary is creating, we invite you to comment in a missionary manner.  We hope that your words will be seen and felt by someone looking for truth.

 

Thank you for your support and love.

 

Sister Ernst