Clark Lake

Man! This week was so great! Which makes today even harder! I am getting transferred today to Enumclaw. I am excited to go where the Lord needs me, but I am sad to leave behind such amazing people! I have grown and learned so much here in this area and it will always have a huge spot in my heart. Clark Lake is an amazing place!!!!

So this week we did a ton of service! On Wednesday we got to clean some baseball fields for the start of the Little League season. It was so much fun! Our whole zone was there and so we had a blast! The field was actually at a different church here in Kent and the church posted a shout-out to us on their facebook page. It was awesome! We got to share the gospel by serving!

Saturday was also the national day of service. We went to KentLake High School and cleaned it up. The whole zone was there for that too and a ton of the members. The whole stake did several different projects that day and it was a blast! I have learned that I love serving! It is when I am the happiest! That is because when we serve our fellow man, we are serving our God! (Mosiah 2:17) And those who keep the commandments, are happy! (Mosiah 2:41) I love it!!!!

I had to say several good-byes to some people that I really love. It was especially hard to say good-bye to Davina. When I went to see her, she hugged me and just cried. We had a special connection the first time that we met and it was hard to leave her. I really believe that if there was only one person in Clark Lake that I was sent here for, it's Davina. I have loved to see her change and to see her to grow in the gospel. I wish that I could capture the change I have seen in her and show it to everyone. She is living proof that Heavenly Father is real. She is living proof that no matter where you come from, or what has happened in your life, God still loves you. She has been through so much and her faith is still strong and growing. She is an amazing person and I am going to miss her and her family a lot, but I know that we will keep in contact! She can't get rid of me, even if she tried! ;)

This week, I invite all of you to pray for opportunities to share the gospel. We never know who will be interested and who is being prepared to accept it. Don't put limits on God by deciding yourself who will accept! He loves all of His children and wants them all to know! I know that as you do so, you will find success! I love you all! Have a great week!

Love,
Sister Keele

September 8, 2014

Hello!!! How is everyone doing?? I hope everything at home is going well! Things here in Clark Lake are going great! :) I love serving here! But, I know that anywhere I serve is amazing! I know I was sent to this mission for a reason! I feel at home here! I love it! 

This week I had the opportunity to go on exchanges to Buckley with Sister Wolfe. She was my Sister Training Leader my very first transfer too and I was with her on my very first exchange. It's amazing to see how we both have grown! I love it! AND! I loved Buckley!!! It is a small farming town out near Graham. They have a lot of opportunities to serve and I was so happy to do so while being there! I even built a horse fence! I'm practically a country woman now! :) It was so much fun! I learned so much from Sister Wolfe! She is a very diligent missionary! I am blessed to have such great examples to show me the way! 

This week we had such a great attendance at church! We have been working with a family that was baptized about a year ago up in Seattle and they are going through a really hard time in their lives right now. They were offended by something that happened and so they are hesitant about coming back to church. The father and one of the sons came to church yesterday and the father bore his testimony. It was so humbling to hear him. He basically told the congregation that he has lost his way and pleaded for their help. It was humbling to hear this son of God so down and in a place that he had no where else to turn. It reminded me that no matter where we are in life, it is never too late to come back. It is never past the point of no return. We matter to our Heavenly Father and He loves us. He wants us back. He knows us each by name. His arms are outstretched towards us each day. He is pleading for us to come to Him and seek His help. He is there. He is ALWAYS there. I know that He is. I have felt it and I have seen it. I invite each of you to seek Him in your lives this week. Seek His outstretched arms and run to them. You WILL find them. He WILL heal you. 

I love you all! Have a great week!

Love, 

Sister Keele

September 2, 2014

Aloha family!!! How are you all? Our week here in Kent has been great! Great things are happening! I just love being here and I love the people that I am honored to serve! I never thought that I could love people like this, other than my family. Heavenly Father is truly showing me how to have pure love like His son. It's truly amazing!!!

So my birthday was awesome! The senior sisters in our ward sang to me and it was so sweet! They also gave me some home made chocolate chip cookies. Yummmm. Then President and Sister Eaton called and sang to me. They are basically perfect! I love them! And then Davina told me I had to go over to their house for a few minutes and when we pulled in, her daughters came outside and her 2 year old was holding a present for me. It almost made me cry. Somehow they found out that I love giraffes and so they got me this cute giraffe stuffed animal and a cute singing card! AND they ordered a cake with a giraffe on it. I'll attach pictures! The cake was the best tres leches cake I've ever had! I love that family so much!!!

Back to missionary work! I love being a missionary! Sister Eaton came out with us on Friday and we went to contact a referral we got. We knocked on the door and we asked for the lady we were referred to. She was the one that had opened the door so we talked with her. Sister Eaton was silent the whole time. As we walked away she looked at us and commented on the fact that the woman had not been born a woman and so she had no idea what to say. It was so funny. I was not phased by it at all and just acted like she was another one of God's children.....because she is!!! I love being a missionary!! 

This week I want to end with a story that shows me that ANYONE can be a missionary! When Sister VerHoef first got here, we had dinner with a man that is in his 80's and his daughter who takes care of him. He has had a stroke or two and has other health problems. He doesn't really ever leave the house unless he is going to church or a doctors appointment. He only comes in contact with 1 nonmember. Ever. She is his caregiver that he sees twice a week. That night at dinner he was so excited to tell us that she finally agreed to meet with us! We were able to meet her and have two lessons with her. Although she is not interested, he was successful! He talked to her about the gospel, and then INVITED. This is where our success comes from. It is not in the number of people who get baptized. If that was what our success was measured on, I would not be a successful missionary. But, thankfully, that isn't. No matter how many people we come in contact with each week, we CAN share the gospel! Heavenly Father will bless us in our efforts to invite! 

I love you all! Have a great week!

Sister Keele

August 25, 2014

Hello family!! This week has been a great one! Last Tuesday we had an AWESOME Zone Conference all about being active learners! It was absolutely amazing!! I have learned so much about learning on my mission. I never really realized how important it is to gain knowledge! 

Anyway, I have realized this week how happy I actually am. I was pondering why I was so happy one night and I thought of the scripture, "Wickedness never was happiness." The inverse of that is righteousness is always happiness. As I have come to know my Savior at an even deeper level, I have felt more happiness than I ever have before. This is the feeling I want to share with others. The never ending, true, happiness. It is a happiness that no one can take away from you. It is a lasting happiness. I absolutely love being a missionary! 

On another note, Davina and her 2 daughters came to church again!!! I am so excited for them!!! Also, I wish that you all could see what Sunday mornings are like here in Clark Lake!! You all would laugh so hard! It involves waking people up for church! I would explain, but email just wouldn't do it justice!! 

I love you all so much!!!! Do something this week that will bring you that lasting happiness that comes from the gospel!!! You WILL feel of that happiness! God will bring you that happiness! 

Love, 

Sister Keele

August 18, 2014

Oh my goodness!!! Today marks 8 months that I have been a full-time missionary. Where in the world has the time gone?! I feel so blessed to be a part of this great work! Each day, I succeed at doing the impossible. Each day I feel the Savior leading and guiding me! How great is this work! 

That goes along with what I wanted to share with you all today. The church recently released a new Mormon Message, "The Hope of God's Light." It is the true story of Todd Sylvester. You can watch it here: http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=3701964025001

We sometimes expect answers to our prayers right away. That is not how it works most of the time. Like Todd, we can get answers 700 days after the prayer was said. Heavenly Father's timing is perfect. "God promises to illuminate the way before us; no matter how long it takes." He gives us our answers line upon line, precept upon precept. "It takes an act of faith to open our eyes to the light of Christ." When we act on that faith, the way WILL be illuminated. I know that Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to be happy. I have felt that warm feeling like a hug and there is no denying it. God is here. God is real. We just need to be patient and wait for His plan to be revealed to us. I love this gospel and I love being able to witness that change take place in others and to be able to see them as they will become. It is the most amazing feeling! 

I am so grateful for these past 8 months and for the next 10 months I have to be a full-time servant of the Lord. I invite you all to seek God in your lives more this week. You will feel that love and you will WANT it in your lives every day, all day! I love you all!

God is here!

Love, 

Sister Keele

Talofa!!! If you couldn't tell, I've learned a few Samoan words this week!! I love serving here in Kent!! I meet so many different people from all over the world and I absolutely love it!! This week was great! We are working with a family that I absolutely love! We met them at the park when Sister Judd was here and it was a miracle that we even met them! The mom struggles a lot with anxiety and we met her on the only night she had been out of her house in a long time. We had a lesson with them at the park right then and have been meeting with them ever since. I was able to really connect with the mom that night at the park and yesterday she told me that when I shared my experiences with them, that was when she really started listening. It made me so happy that I was able to be an instrument in Heavenly Father's hands in that way. I know that we go through specific experiences in life for specific reasons! Even though we go through hard things, it is all for a perfect reason in God's perfect plan!! The mom in this family has been through SO MUCH in her life and she has learned so much and become so much because of it. She has 6 amazing children who she loves very much. Her husband has been by her side for 17 years and they love each other! When we first met them, she was reluctant to even go on a church tour because of her anxiety. Yesterday, SHE CAME TO CHURCH!!!!! It is the best feeling to be able to literally SEE the Spirit working in people. You can see the change that starts when people feel the Spirit. The best part is that they are noticing the difference too! 

I love this gospel and I love being a missionary! It is the best thing I have ever been a part of! I have decided that I am never coming home!! LOL!! JK, mom...I know you wouldn't allow that! Funny story, a couple weeks ago I went on an exchange with a sister that is going home in just a few weeks. We were talking about how going home is going to be so weird and how we want to be missionaries forever. That night I had a dream that I went home and as soon as I got off the plane, Mom told me I was getting released in 5 minutes. I didn't like that idea and so I ran away from President Larsen. The remainder of my dream was President Larsen chasing me as I avoided getting released. Serving a mission is just so great! I never want it to end! 

Anyway, I love you all so much! I hope that you all have a great week full of joy and love! Especially love from our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ! 

Love, 

Sister Keele

August 5, 2014

Hello family!! I hope you are all doing well! Today is transfers and I'm sad to report that Sister Judd will be leaving me!! :( I'm sad to not be her companion anymore, but I know that the Lord has other plans for both of us! My new companion will be Sister VerHof. I don't know her, but I've heard good things about her! I'm excited to start this new transfer! 

We had a great experience this Sunday! As a mission, we have been discussing the importance of church attendance. The Sacrament is the most important part of our week. We have been bummed that we haven't been able to help people come to church. We were ecstatic when one of our investigators showed up with 2 of her kids AND one of her friends! She loved church and felt the Spirit so strongly! After church we introduced her to one of the sisters in our ward and they really hit it off. We found out later that our investigator asked how soon she could go to the temple after she was baptized!!!!!!!!!! We were out of our minds happy!! She has been so prepared and is loving the gospel! This experience strengthened my testimony of attending church! Nothing could have brought the Spirit like church did!!! 

I encourage each of you to study the importance of church and of taking the sacrament. Then, take a step to be better at your Sabbath-day worship! For some of us, that is paying more attention to the Spirit during Sacrament. For others, it will be to go to church. Whatever that step is for you, take it! Pray for the strength to do so! You WILL be blessed! 

Love, 

Sister Keele