The Gospel is HAPPINESS

I am going on transfer #3 everyone!

Last Photo of Sister Lively and I in Front of our house

Saying Goodbye to Sister Lively

Some days I still can't believe that I am on a mission. I wake up and see that it is well before the crack of dawn and think, "Is this real?" It can be hard sometimes, but it is all worth it in the end. So about transfers, Sister Lively went to West Virginia! She is opening a new area and is so excited. I am staying in Ashland, Kentucky and I am TRAINING. 

Picture with Amy at Our Rest Stop

It is crazy. We went to say goodbye to al ot of people this week, since Sister Lively is leaving. On Thursday we went up to Charleston with Amy, Jared and Eevee. 

Last Photo with Sister Lively with Jared, Amy and Evee

Taking a Picture with Evee at a Rest Stop

They drove us there so we could save on our miles. We had a short meeting with president and the rest of the trainers and he talked about striving to be a good example and really sticking to the standards in the Missionary Handbook. Then we went into the chapel to start the meeting. After taking care of some mission business, all the new missionaries stood at the front and introduced themselves. Sister Lively and I were really anxious because we didn't know who our companion were going to be! Finally, they called out "Sister Farnsworth will be serving in Ashland, Kentucky with Sister Willis!" I was all the way in the back, so I got up and ran to the front to greet my trainee. I gave her a huge hug and said, "This is going to be great!" 

My New Companion, Sister Farnsworth

Sister Lively and I with New Companions

We got back to Ashland and we got Sister Farnsworth settled in. The next couple of days I took her out to meet some of the members and some of our investigators. She has such a great enthusiasm for missionary work and is very outgoing. She tells me that she already has an incredible love for the people which is amazing! Sister Farnsworth is from Logan, Utah. She just finished two years of school at Utah State so she is 20. I'm younger than her, but she is awesome. I feel very inadequate to be her trainer because she already knows so much. I am just striving to be the best example of obedience, diligence and charity that I can be.

Got to See My MTC Companion, Sister Robinson

I was asked to give a talk in Sacrament Meeting this week with less than 48 hours notice. That is the missionary life! I just roll with it. Seventh talk I have given this year, and its not over. I had a little time to write down a few ideas and notes. I got up with what I had prepared, and as I started talking the spirit told me to change subjects. It is funny how the spirit works, sometimes you just need to change the things you have prepared right on the spot! I talked about service and how we are closer to Christ as we serve him. I also talked about becoming who we want to become. Talks are seriously for the person giving the talk, not the congregation. 

West Virginia Sign

We had an incredible opportunity to watch Woman's Conference at the church with some of the Relief Society sisters in the ward. I loved every minute of it! It was amazing. I encourage everyone to go online and read it (it can apply to men too). The talks were very centered on virtue and our divine nature as woman. Woman have divine potential, and the divine nature comes from God. Virtue is the qualification for the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. The talks were also very focused on love. Everything in the Gospel leads back to love. The commandments and standards that we are asked to follow are because our Heavenly Father loves us. We are commanded to love one another and to share the gospel with those that we love. I especially love President Uchtdorf's talk. I love how he shared a story and taught as the savior taught. He talked about the Pure Love of Chirst and how through the Atonement we can all have eternal happiness. I love listening to General Conference and the amazing leaders of our church. They do so much and work so hard.

This next week is General Conference. I would like to encourage all of you to go through this week with a couple of questions in your heart. Then during Conference, listen and continue to keep those questions in your hearts. Take notes as you listen and record your thoughts and feelings. I promise that as you listen intently to the things that are said that you will be able to find answers to the questions in your heart. I testify that God does answer prayers! He listen and he knows the things you need, you just need to be humble enough to ask him.

THE GOSPEL IS HAPPINESS 

Mosiah 2:41

XOXO

~Sister Kayla Marie Willis

Sister Kayla Willis

1508 Luci Mae Drive 

Flatwoods, Kentucky 41139

The elders in our area put a mormon.org card in our gas tank that said "tag your it". So what do we do? We put plastic wrap over their car with a tag your it picture. It was Sister Lively's last wish.

Bowling on P-Day with Our District

Live the Higher Law

Hello everyone!

Betcha Didn't Know this... I Have Been to His Home

All the Sisters in the Three Zones of the Mission

One of Our Favorite Members of the Ward, Sister Ferguson

It's transfer week, and guess what... Sister Lively and I are expecting... new missionaries! We have both been asked to TRAIN! Its crazy! We are both very excited. I am staying here in the Ashland, Kentucky area. Sister Lively is going to West Virginia! We are going to miss each other deeply, but we are so excited for this opportunity that we both have. I have only been out for 3 months, I have learned so much! I feel a little nervous, but I know that this is a wonderful opportunity to grow and to be an example to my new companion. Tomorrow we have to drive to Charleston, West Virginia for the transfer meeting. We won't even know who we are training until after the meeting starts! I hope that I will be able to help the new missionary feel comfortable and welcome to Kentucky! :)

Decorating One of our Members' Doors

 This week has been so good! So much stuff has happened! I got to play a little bit of Violin the other day! A member of the ward invited us over to talk to their friend, who is a violin teacher for their daughter. Her name is Barbra and she is so much fun! She plays the Violin and teaches. She played Amazing Grace for us and when she found out that I could play, she insisted! I played The First Noel and The Ashoka Farewell. She loved it and said I was very good. (very nice compliment because I haven't touched my violin since Christmas) She was so much fun and we are teaching her now. She has an interest to follow God and do what he needs her to do so I am excited to continue.

Member of the Ward, Sister Stucki.  She is the cutest.

Sister Lively and I got a little shaken up one night. We went to visit one of our neighbors who we have been trying to teach. They live around the corner from us and every time we go and ask for her, there is someone else who answers the door. This time a woman named Deborah answered the door and we have talked to her once before. We asked her how many people lived there because every time we come there is someone else at the door! She started counting and she got up to 16. She gave us a funny look and said, "You're gonna have to get me a chair." We were confused. She looked at us again and started to look really scared and said, "I ain't joking, get me a chair!" Then she started going down! Sister Lively grabbed her and she kind of set her on the ground, and she started shaking and crying on the ground! I freaked out and didn't know what to do! I banged on the door for someone to come out and help us. Someone finally did come out to help but it was so scary! The lady had a seizure! Sister Lively and I went back home and freaked out a little more. We stopped by her house about an hour later to see if she was alright and she was, but we got really freaked out! I never thought that would happen!

Janet, a member of the Ward Living in a Nursing Home that we visit a lot.

On Tuesday last week we had to drive to Charleston to have a meeting with three different zones of the mission! It was a specialized training for the missionaries, while our cars were being worked on. All the mission cars had little black boxes installed into them. They are called tiwi's. We each have these cards, and we have to log in every time we are the driver. They have a GPS in them and so it has info on all the speed limits, so if we are speeding it will say, "Check your speed" and if we don't slow down we get a violation. If we turn or stop too quickly we get a violation as well. If you get a certain amount of violations you can get your driving privileges taken away. The general authorities in Salt Lake approved this program so that missionaries will drive safer we won't have to pay so much in car repairs. I like it because it helps me get into better habits of driving and the roads are so scary anyway I feel better.

Cat Friend Who Followed Us Home from Running

Sister Lively and I With Granny June

In the training that we had, President Salisbury talked to us a lot about obedience. It is from obedience that we are blessed! He challenged for all of us to Live the Higher Law. We need to set the example and be committed to what we committed to do when we accepted our call to serve! We should create our own policy to keep our standards high. We need to govern ourself based on our purpose. By being obedient and studying the Missionary Handbook we will be prepared for life. The Missionary Handbook is a book of promises, and when we obey those rules and guidelines we are promised that we will be blessed. 

Sister Salisbury always says, "Be safe, be wise, be obedient" That is what I am striving to do each day. 

I would like to encourage everyone to Live the Higher Law. Set goals to become who our Heavenly Father wants you to be! Keep your standards high and decide now who you want to be.

Hit my 3 Month Mark

Mosiah 23:22-23

XOXO

~Sister Kayla Marie Willis

Sister Kayla Willis

1508 Luci Mae Drive

Flatwoods, Kentucky 41139

Footlong Hot Dog

There is this place that everyone is CRAZY about, so of course we had to go there before Sister Lively was transferred. This is the foot long hot dog I ate! In the eastern states they eat hot dogs with a sauce, instead of like ketchup or mustard. It is kind of like a chili sauce without any beans. They call it hot dog sauce. When Sister Lively and I asked what hot dog sauce was, they were so surprised! But we had no idea! Everyone here eats hot dogs with sauce, and they put onions, mustard, and coleslaw on top... I just stuck to the hot dog sauce, which is actually pretty good. 

Raining, While I was Sick in Bed

Eating Blue Jello

Endure to the End

Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Hope you all are doing good! I love hearing about how things are at home, so if any of you get the chance, tell me about it!

This week has been weird and slow. The weather has been a little bipolar (which isn't much different from home haha) and so there will be a few days where it is really hot, and then a few days where it will rain or be just really cold! The change of the season means that I get sick. I have had a pretty bad head cold for the last few days, but I think the worst is over. It is just so frustrating when your sick and you can't go out and do stuff, but resting is the most important when you are sick so that you are better before you try to go help others. 

While I was sick in bed, I couldn't sleep. So I decided to watch The Districts. You know, gotta try to be productive right? So I am watching The Districts and resting at the same time! They are seriously so helpful, and we can all learn so much from them. I love being able to see how these missionaries teach and what they do in certain situations. Everyone watch The Districts!

As a missionary, my job is to invite others to come unto Christ. We recite the Missionary Purpose at meetings and each day in the morning before we leave our house for the day. 

My purpose as a Missionary is to invite others to come unto Christ, 

by helping them receive the Restored Gospel. 

Through faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, repentance, baptism, 

receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. 

Something that can be hard for people to do though, is enduring to the end. This means to never give up. When times get hard and we feel like we can't go on, our first thought is that we should give up. But we need to keep going! The Lord is on our side and if we "press forward with a steadfastness in Christ.. and endure to the end... ye shall have eternal life" Isn't that what we all want? To be reunited with our Father in Heaven and the rest of our families again? Then we need to ENDURE. Keep going and keep the commandments.  The Lord promises us that He will be on your side and you will not fall. He gives us the strength to continue on when we are lost.

2 Nephi 31:20

I love you all and I hope you have a fantastic week.

XOXO

~Sister Kayla Marie Willis

ps. Our next P-Day is going to be Wednesday of next week because of transfers, so I'll let you know what happens next time :)

Reach Out with LOVE

Hi Y'all,

Sister Lively and I with Ashlee and Alli - sweet girls in the ward

Sister Lively and I with Eva - Jared's mom

 Awesome, awesome week. I hope you all are having a wonderful week as well! Now for the big news... Amy got baptized! She is now a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! It was so amazing! Many happy tears were shed. Jared was able to baptize his wife, and it was such a special day. Sister Lively and I helped Amy go into the font and waited for her after she came up and out of the water. She was crying and she came and gave us both a big hug. She told us that we were, "The best friends I've ever had." She is so sweet! We also gave her a CTR ring and she was so excited! She put it on and said that she was never taking it off! I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to be able to help Amy progress to this point. She has grown so much in the short time I have known her. Her daughter, Evee, was also given a name and a blessing after the baptism! It was so sweet. She is going to work hard to get to the temple next year so that her family will be sealed for time and all eternity. I am so happy that she will teach her children, future generations will be able to receive the blessings of the gospel.

Amy, Evee, and Jared, All in White

Sister Lively and I with the Family Before the Baptism

This week during my hour of lds.org time (we get an hour to spend on lds.org for extra study time once a week) I watched an AWESOME video. It is called "Reach Out With Love" and I encourage all of you to go watch it. It shows a youth trying to reach out to someone and invite them to church. He tries and tries and tries and finally he is able to invite him to church, after he reached out with LOVE. You cannot help someone if you do not have love for them. It doesn't work like that! 

This has made me think of a less active member we have been visiting. They stopped coming to church because someone said or did something at church that offended them. This makes me so sad, because they know that the Church is true. I have learned something from this... You CANNOT let something that someone else said or did control you! When you are offended by something that someone did or said, you are giving them permission to take away your happiness! Don't let anyone do that! Follow the Savior's example and forgive those that hurt you. Strive to live what you believe and to be an example of the believers. 

"Do not postpone a prompting, rather act on it, and The Lord will open a way." -President Thomas S. Monson 

Mary Lou had her wedding! It was very small but it was very sweet. She has been married twice before and told herself she would never get married again! But in order to get baptized, she either had to move out of her boyfriend's home, or  get married. So here she is! 

Mary Lou's Wedding

She is the funniest lady, she is so fun and there is never a dull moment. I am so excited for her and the steps she is taking in her life to have an eternal family!

This is what it is all about! Eternal families. We are missionaries inviting people to partake of the fruit of the "Tree of Life", which is Eternal Life. We are helping those who are lost in the "mist of darkness" to find their way back. We are inviting others to be baptized and to grasp a hold to "the iron rod", and to continue down the "straight and narrow path". As we do these things, and when the time comes to "partake of the fruit of life", we will have exceedingly great joy, for time and all eternity. 

The gospel brings JOY.

1 Nephi 10-12

XOXO

~Sister Kayla Marie Willis

Sister Kayla Willis

1508 Luci Mae Drive

Flatwoods, KY 41139