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 

A Secure Anchor

Hello all!! Enumclaw is great, once again! We had a few experiences this week that reminded me about the wonderful plan that our Heavenly Father has given us- The Plan of Salvation. One of the brothers in our ward passed away on Thursday and we had the opportunity to attend his memorial on Saturday morning. He was a good man who left such a legacy behind. He had always said that he didn't want a funeral where everyone sat around and cried about him. He wanted a memorial where his loved ones bore their testimonies about the Plan of Salvation. So that is what they did. It was amazing to hear his children and grandchildren share what they loved most about him and then bear their testimonies. It was one of the neatest memorials I have been to. The Plan of Salvation is truly amazing. No matter who we are, where we came from, or what choices we have made, The Plan is for all of us, if we choose to accept it! I love this gospel and I love sharing it with everyone we come in contact with! 

When we live our lives without our Savior, we put ourselves at a great risk! I invite you all this week, to do what it takes to be securely anchored to our Savior, Jesus Christ! He loves each of us and could call you by name at this very moment. He wants to help you! He wants to take this journey with you! 

http://www.mormonchannel.org/youth-videos?v=2589209401001

I love you all!!!

Have a great week!!

Sister Keele

Pony Party

Hello all!!! Things here in Enumclaw have been great! The first interesting part of my week was that I ended up in Urgent Care most of the day on Wednesday. My ear started hurting on Monday and progressively got worse. I called our mission nurse Wednesday afternoon wondering what to do for an ear infection. She said that I needed to go see a doctor and to go to Urgent Care. So that's what we did. We drove to Auburn and could only find the ER and finally went in and asked for directions. We had turned like 2 blocks early and got lost at the ER! To make a long story short, I have Psoriasis in my ear and the lymph-nods in front and behind my ear were inflamed and so it felt like I had a really bad ear infection. The doctor gave me some cortizone drops to put in my ear and some antibiotics to make sure I didn't develop an infection. I didn't even know it was possible to get Psoriasis in your ear! I guess you learn something new every day, right? :)

Then on Saturday we got to go help one of the members in one of our wards do a pony party! I've decided that I'm moving in with her after my mission. She has no say! :) LOL! But I have actually decided that I'm bringing the family to her farm to visit! You all would love it!! :)

Saturday was also Stake Conference! It was so good! The Sunday session was great as well! 

We had interviews with President and Sister Eaton this week and it was great, as usual!! I love getting advice from them and being able to talk with them about the area! They are amazing people!!

On Saturday night on our way to conference, it started DUMPING rain so hard that I couldn't see out the window. I had to drive so slowly and it made us incredibly late! But we also got to see lightning on the way! It was so amazing! 

I learned a lot this week about prayer. I have realized that prayer really is a two-way communication. It isn't just me kneeling down and talking to Heavenly Father. It is me coming to His feet and talking WITH Him. I have kept a journal and pen open and out and ready to write down the things He tells me during our talks. What a difference it makes when we realize the true power of prayer! I invite you all to study about prayer this week and do something that increases the power and strength of your prayers! I know that Heavenly Father is ready to bless us, we just need to open ourselves up to those blessings!

I love you all! Have a great week!

Sister Keele

Enumclaw , October 6, 2014

Hola family! How are you all? Our week here in Enumclaw has been great! We started off the week with an AWESOME training from President and Sister Eaton on studying the scriptures. At the end of the training we were blessed to be able to see the new movie, "Meet the Mormons." It was SUCH a GREAT movie! I definitely recommend it! It is a great opportunity to invite your friends to see members of the church in their day to day lives. It's playing in Long Beach and opens on Oct. 10....go see it! :)

This weekend we had the wonderful privilege of hearing from the Prophet and Apostles. It was absolutely amazing! I loved hearing from such inspired leaders! I invite you all to study the talks from this past weekend. If you haven't watched/listen to it yet, I invite you to do so! The messages that were shared are specifically for us for these next 6 months. Heavenly Father has specifically guided them to share what they did. Why not take advantage of it?! I loved Elder Bednar's talk. The missionaries are here to HELP the MEMBERS be missionaries! We cannot do this alone! Come join in the best work there is! I promise that as you share the gospel, you will have more happiness than you have ever known! It brings real, lasting happiness to all involved! 

I love you all so much and look forward to hearing what you've learned from conference! Have a great week!

Love, 

Sister Keele

September 29, 2014

Hello family! Things here in Enumclaw are great! We've had a crazy week, but it all worked out in the end! On Tuesday we went and got bread from a member in one of our wards. She and her husband get bread every other week and give it to the families that are struggling. We picked some up for some people we are working with. That is where we get our bread too. I love that family! They are so fun! The wife is about 57 and has MS pretty badly. It is so touching to see her husband take such good care of her. It reminds me of the Mormon Message, "Enduring Love." We had a pretty good district meeting on Tuesday as well! :) 

This week we helped a family pack up all of their things because they were getting evicted. It was so sad. They didn't know where they were going or what they were going to do with their things. The saddest part of it all, was that they have a 5 year old daughter. As we were leaving their home one day, all I could do was cry. I just felt so terrible that this sweet family was going to end up on the streets. Sister Weldon shared with me that as soon as we had seen them that day, she had this overwhelming feeling that everything was going to work out. I hoped so! Sure enough, the next day, they found a place to stay for the next month while they figure things out. It was another testament to me that Heavenly Father is mindful of us each moment! No matter the circumstances, He is on our side and rooting for us! 

On Saturday we had the pleasure of attending the General Women's Broadcast! It was so good! It is such a pleasure and great gift that we have to hear the words of our leaders! I can't wait for this coming weekend when we will have the wonderful opportunity to hear from a living Prophet and apostles! I hope that you all will take advantage of that wonderful gift that we have been given! 

Have a great week!

Love, 

Sister Keele

September 22, 2014

Hey family! How are things going? I hope well! Things here in Enumclaw are great! My new companion is Sister Weldon and she has been out for 3 months. She is from Mesa, Arizona and she is super sweet! We get along great! And I love my new area! We are covering 2 wards and are white washing one of them. We replaced the Elders and since they didn't write any addresses down, we have been frantically searching for ways to contact the people they were working with. It has definitely been a crazy week! But an amazing one! 

This area is so beautiful and everyone lives on a farm/ranch! Our view of Mt. Rainier is gorgeous! We have so many opportunities to do service here as well! I am loving it!

Last night we had another mission devotional and it was so good! Music, videos, and testimonies are a sure way to get the Spirit in a room quickly! Which brings me to my thought this week. There are so many ways to feel the Spirit. The truth is often referred to as "light." We are all seeking this "light" in our lives. But, much like in Lehi's dream, we often come across "a dark and dreary waste." But darkness is only the absence of light. So when we find ourselves in this "mist of darkness," we only need to diligently seek the light and we will be able to find it. There are many ways to do this. Prayer, scripture study, going to church, and many more. My challenge this week is seek that light in your life more diligently than you have before. You will be able to feel closer to your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I can promise that! 

I love you all so much and pray for you often! Keep working hard and seeking God in your lives!

Love, 

Sister Keele