Hello!!! This week has been good. I am more exhausted than I have EVER been, but that just means that I am working hard, right? :) I can't wait until all of our errands are done so I can go home and take a nice nap!! :) I never thought serving a mission would make me so exhausted. But, I wouldn't trade it for the world!! I love serving and I love being here in Washington! 

This week was crazy because of all the wind and the power outages. We were able to do lots of service for people and help them to get things back in order after the storm. It was sure a crazy storm! I will attach some pictures of the aftermath. :) I love doing service and knowing that we helped someone!! 

On Friday night we had a Harvest Festival for the 3rd ward and it was really fun. None of our investigators came, but some of the members that are less-active came. It was great to see everyone there. Our entertainment was provided by the bishopric who did a rendition of "Rindercella" where they told the story of Cinderella in back-talk while the rest of them acted it out. It was HILARIOUS. Everyone was dying of laughter. 

After the ward activity, we went on exchanges with Sister Heaton and Sister Alder. I went to Buckley with Sister Heaton and I loved it! Sister Heaton trained one of my MTC companions, Sister Simmons and she also served in Renton so I knew her pretty well before the exchange. She gave me lots of great advice and I learned a lot from her. She goes home in January and Sister Alder goes home in December. It's so weird to see all of the sisters that I know going home. It's unreal to me that I have been a full-time missionary for 11 months now. Mom, whoever told you that time is a rocket, is correct. I feel like time is just flying by and I can't do anything to slow it down! :P As I look back on these past 11 months, I am filled with love for my Savior and my Heavenly Father. It hasn't been easy and at times, it has been harder than anything I have ever done. BUT, I can honestly say that I have come to love every second of this mission. On my exchange with Sister Heaton she asked me if I would consider my mission to be successful thus far. I have only had 1 baptism on my mission and to some people, that would be a failure. However, I can say that I am pleased with how my mission has gone. I am pleased with the efforts I have made and with the experiences I have had. Baptisms do NOT equal success. Invitations, DO. 

I love this work and I have a stronger testimony of my Savior than I ever have. I have felt Him near me more than I have before. I KNOW He suffered and died and ROSE AGAIN for ME. I will forever be indebted to Him. I know my Heavenly Father lives and loves me. And I know that the Atonement covers all. I know these things because I have prayed about them and received an answer from Heavenly Father. I know these things because I have felt them. I invite you all to do the same! In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Love, 

Sister Keele

Hello!!!! I hope your week has been good! Our week here has been.....interesting! Good, but definitely interesting! 

On Friday we were able to hear from Elder Hamula of the Quorum of the Seventy who spoke in this past General Conference. It was such a great experience and I loved hearing the things he had to say as a representative of Jesus Christ. After the conference, we had lunch and I was able to sit right next to Elder Hamula and hear, yet more, of his wise words! It was amazing! And I thought of Dad because Elder Hamula used to be a mission president in Washington DC. :)

The past few days we have had some pretty intense wind here. Several trees have fallen and almost everyone has lost power. When we got home last night, our power was out and it was very cold inside! Luckily, we have LOTS of blankets in our apartment! Anyway, this wind reminded me of a scripture in Helaman 5:12 " And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." I have seen a lot of pretty big trees fall this week. I was reminded that it doesn't matter what we believe or how big we get spiritually, if our foundation is not in Christ. If our foundation is not in Christ, we will easily fall. So, I invite you all to evaluate where your foundation is. If it is in Christ, strengthen it. If it is somewhere else, move it! I know that the promise in Helaman 5:12 is real. I know that if our foundation is in Christ, we will not fall when the fierce winds come. I love my Savior, Jesus Christ, and I am so thankful that He atoned for my sins so that I can move my foundation when I need to. I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father and His love for me. I know that this gospel is true and that this is the only true church on the earth today. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Love, 

Sister Keele

First Week of November

Hello!!! I hope you all are doing well! Things here in Enumclaw are great! I have had so many moments this week where I have realized again that I am exactly where I need to be. It has been so amazing! I love serving a mission and I love knowing this is what I am supposed to be doing! 

For my thought this week, I wanted to share with you something I realized again this week. In Doctrine and Covenants 88:119 it says, "Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;" So, as you might already know, last transfer we moved into an apartment that elders have lived in for a LONG time. Let me just tell you, elders are gross. I don't know when the last time it was that this apartment was cleaned, but it has been a while. Sister Collins and I have been going through and deep cleaning the WHOLE apartment. It has been really cool to feel of the change that has taken place in our apartment. The Spirit cannot dwell in unclean places. That doesn't mean just unclean spirits. That means unclean homes. Unclean cars, etc. When we have a house of order, we have a house of God. The Spirit can dwell there and we can be led by Him even more. I invite you all to organize your life so that the Spirit can dwell with you each more. I promise, you will feel the difference! 

I love you all and hope that you each have a GREAT week! :)

Love, 

Sister Keele

Hello!! This week in Enumclaw has been great! We've been getting lots of rain!!! I love it!!! We were able to do lots of service this week and help both members and non-members! I love serving!! :) We have been having a lot of success in both of our wards with members inviting their non-member friends and family to hear our message! In both wards, we are teaching only people that have been invited by their friends! It is awesome to see how the Spirit works in each of us! 

This week, one of the families we are working with had a bit of a scare. He is a member, and she is not. Well, he ended up in the hospital and none of the doctors knew what was wrong. They finally figured it out and had to operate and drain a 2inx2in pus pocket less than 4in from his heart! And then, because of the infection in the pus pocket, he got MRSA. He has been so sick and in so much pain! But we were able to really see how much the gospel brings hope in situations like that! When no one knows what is wrong, we still have the hope that Heavenly Father knows what He is doing! It is truly an amazing thing!

For my thought this week, I wanted to share about Family History! On our way out of the hospital one day, we started talking to a lady that we had bumped into several times since visiting Jacob. Turns out, her mother is in the hospital for Diverticulitis. We asked what her mom's name is so that we could pray for her. She said, **** Keele. I was so caught off guard! I said, "That's my last name!" We were then able to talk with her about family history and how it brings us closer to Heavenly Father because we know where we came from! Sister Weldon shared that she could trace one of her lines all the way back to Adam and Eve. The lady was amazed! She couldn't believe it! So it inspired me to see how far back our geneology goes. I was able to find a line back to Adam and Eve as well!!! It was so exciting!! Family history is so fun and such a tool from our Heavenly Father! Go ahead! Go visit familysearch.org and start doing it! I promise that it will bring you closer to our Heavenly Father! 

I love you all! Have a great week!

Sister Keele