Santa Cruz 16

Hello all!



Monday not much happened - other than the fact that I received some much needed letters from home and some of my cousins. :) <3>


Tuesday was "distract meeting". The question was "If you would only eat one food - outside of your ethnicity - what would it be?" Afterwards we went to a KFC for lunch - and the cool thing is a member owns the building so missionaries get half off. Then lots of looking for people on the OB member list. Later we had institute. And Capitola is back in our teaching pool! :)


Wednesday we saw Nanci Jo and Krystal and tried to find people.


Thursday, we saw Renee. Had dinner with a SC family - we were twenty minutes late. Which meant we were late to our appointment right after that and then late to a OB missionary meeting.


Friday we did service at the soup kitchen. A girl from a Montessori school came for a school project on the homeless - and one of them yelled at her for not getting the right desert fast enough :/ Her mom is French and Sister Palmer missed it lol. We got ready to do the fun finding on Pacific again but it was cancelled so we did weekly planning for the rest of the evening.


Saturday we saw Glenna. Did some service for Elva. We set up for the OB Halloween Party then participated in the OB Halloween Party. We played bowling with volleyballs with glow sticks as the lanes and water bottles with water and glow sticks as the pins. Then we played MAFIA. :) (If you don't know, Natalie can explain).


Sunday was a Primary program in Capitola!! :) It was adorable. Went to all of our church meetings (all eight hours). We were almost half an hour late to dinner. Went to choir and Brenda was there (she really has wanted to do choir!).




Picture while contacting






look at the gorgeousness!






Sister Unga






Sometimes accurate



Sister Unga at Nanci Jo's
















Sister Unga while finding






our church building











President and Sister P.






Ghosts made of half a banana and different sized chocolate chips



Here is the song I wrote when my Uncle Karl went back to the hospital the week before he died - on Halloween - and I wrote it in the middle of the night.


Still Have You


"We've lost friends and family too, but through it all we still have you. Our lives can change or stay the same with one constant light that shows the way.


We still have you as our Savior and our King. In you we will always believe. Though times are hard, and our spirits down we have your comforter around. Whenever we're in need all we need to do is pray and believe, 'cause you're in our hearts and always will be our Savior and our King.


Right now it's hard to feel you're love, and my strength is not enough to hold me up 'cause I am down and darkness presses all around.


We still have you as our Savior and our King. In you we will always believe. Though times are hard, and our spirits down we have your comforter around. Whenever we're in need all we need to do is pray and believe, 'cause you're in our hearts and always will be our Savior and our King.


Even though the rain pours down on me, because of you I can pull through and know that there is light and truth. We still have you ooh ohh ohh, we still have you ohh ohh ooh.


We still have you as our Savior and our King. In you we will always believe. Though times are hard, and our spirits down we have your comforter around. Whenever we're in need all we need to do is pray and believe, 'cause you're in our hearts and always will be our Savior and our King.


And though the rain is pouring down, and the weight of the world pushes me to the ground. I'll be okay, look up and say " Savior I need you're strength today."


We still have you as our Savior and our King. In you we will always believe. Though times are hard, and our spirits down we have your comforter around. Whenever we're in need all we need to do is pray and believe, 'cause you're in our hearts and always will be our Savior and our King.


We still have you."


I miss and love everyone!!




Love,







Sister Kelly

Santa Cruz week 15

This week was interesting. . . . . .


Monday Sister Palmer packed most of the day. We went to Marrianne's one last time and printed pictures for our transfer journals. We had dinner with the Heiner's (in Santa Cruz ward) and she made sometime kindof like Yum Yum Chicken - I told her about the last time we ate with them - and it was awesome :) FHE was something called "smurfing". IT WAS AWESOME. What you do is you choose a person to go out of the room and while they are gone you choose a random word or phrase. The person then comes back and has to guess the word/phrase - but the word/phrase has been replaced by "smurf" or "smurfing". It is way fun. :)

Tuesday was TRANSFER MEETING. . . . after putting some of the Elder's things in our car because they didn't have room - we did the same on the way home. Sister Palmer is now gone to a different area and I have . . . .  Sister Unga! Her first language is definitely not english - it's Tongan.  ALSO, our area is not almost the entire stake now - it's JUST Santa Cruz and Ocean Branch. And all of our work was in Capitola. Gah.  We went to Institute because without Capitola I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO  AT NIGHT OR ANYTIME.

Wednesday was a LOT of finding. Kind of.

Thursday we did a finding Sister Palmer and I had been working on - texting people in our phone under potential investigator. We got some interesting responses.  One person was interested - but in New York so we sent him some info about missionaries there. Got a . . . maybe interested (meaning he "wants to marry a mormon girl and do we know how he can do that") in San Jose, so gave him to some missionaries there ;) . Some people needed to "check their schedule" but haven't gotten back to us. And then there were some nicely given "no's" and a very definite NO "Smoke Meth and Hail Satan". o.O okay then.

Friday we did service at the soup kitchen. Then later on while finding people.  . . . I kind  of ran into a sidewalk and got a flat tire. xD Made it slowly to a gas station and called the Elders.

Saturday we got a new tire - being on the spare is not good. :) We tried to find some OB people but I got a migraine and tried to take a nap to sleep it off - but I forgot to turn on the sound of my alarm and instead of waking me up Sister Unga let me sleep. All night.

Sunday was a special fast for people in the stake who have health challenges. Our dinner cancelled on us so it was good that the OB had a salad bar! We tried to find OB people then I sang in the stake choir practice. :) Made me feel slightly better!!


The coolest thing about Sister Unga is that I fit most of her clothes.



THIS IS SOOO HARD.

Santa Cruz 14

Sorry for how few pictures there are but wow that was a wild week. :)

Monday as you know we got our car fixed which took hours. xD FHE we did conference trivia for a little bit then played sardines. :) Then exchanges. . .

Tuesday I was in watsonville on exchanges with Sister Scarr. We did some service and tried to visit people - but apparently there is a "curse" connected to the exchanges. When you are on exchanges NO ONE IS HOME OR EVERYONE CANCELS. We did see a couple of interesting people though. :) We had dinner (SPICY - according to me NOT AT ALL SPICY - according to all the watsonville missionaries). Exchanged back and went home to plan.

Wednesday we saw Nicolette and Anyaleese. We went to activity days and answered questions about missionary work! :) IT WAS AWESOME.

Thursday we had Zone Training (where the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders tell us what President Mella told them in a meeting). We did some roleplays. The game was really fun. Two bags filled with small papers with words on them: 1) random objects 2)a gospel principle. We had to pick one from each and connect them. It was awesome. We had lunch as a zone. Also there was a cheesecake (because people are going home). Later on we saw our investigator Liz!!!! :) Also there were training and leadership calls - neither me nor sister Palmer got one.

Friday we did weekly planning, cleaned the house, had dinner in alma (mountains), and saw Krystal.

Saturday we saw Glenna, did training, ate lunch, and cleaned. Then we had some interviews with President where I realized some things I was doing wrong. I'm working on them. Then we went to SLV and saw Alice and helped Sister Dallenbach with puzzles. Then we had dinner at the Burgens. They are awesome. Transfer calls were that night and Sister Palmer is off on an adventure to a new area.

Sunday we went to church. LONG. Then we went to the Outgoing - also long. I sang Abide With Me; Tis Eventide #165 and Sister Palmer wasn't feeling well so she didn't. Also Sister Pule sang How Great Thou Art with another Sister - IN HAWAIIAN!!!!! It was sooooo cool! I saw some of the people I came out with (Sister Pule :), Elder Lieshman, and Elder Smoot) and Sister Palmer introduced me to some of her friends from her old area. :) The Outgoing was awesome and super spiritual.

SOOOOO Pretty! <3 p="">

Sister Palmer, Alice and me

Had to take a picture by the TWIN sign :) For sister Palmer's twin, Bre, and my darling sisters- BeccaSue

This week has been awesome and hectic and conference was great (as I said last time but we live for when the talks come out in the gospel library and we can mark them and read them :) )

Next time I email I will have a new companion. :) 

Santa Cruz 13-I love to see the temple

​So our week was AWESOME.

So on monday we got a random call from the Watsonville Elders asking if we would be willing to drive around some sisters who came down for part of the day (from Sister Palmers old area). So we went to the Natural Bridges beach and had a blast. :) For dinner we made pizzas. Then we did laser tag for FHE. :) Also I actually got a written letter from family!! My grandparents.

Tuesday we had "distract meeting" - Benji would you please explain why you call it that? - with a special guest about to go on her own mission. :) On sunday when we called in our weekly numbers we were asked if we had any ideas for district meeting - and I knew that though I didn't at the time I would come up with something. So I did. My idea was for everyone in the district (including the guest) to share the story of their favorite scripture - why it was and how it came to be so. It was awesome. The favorites are Alma 32:21 (mine), Isaiah 41:10 (S. Palmer's), Isaiah 54:7 (E. Larsen's), Ether 12:27 (guest, S. Dolton), Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (E. Ball's), Psalms 119:105 (E. Lund's), and Alma 26:27 (E. Staker's). The questions of the day were "what food would you be", "what country would you be" (E. Ball was sure S. Palmer would choose france - so she choose switzerland), "what is something you wish you would've known before coming out on your mission", and "what did you do to prepare for your mission". :) After district meeting we went (without our guest sadly, she was cool) to get Acai (a brazillian fruit) bowls. :) it was awesome. We saw Nicolette. Did some service for a returning person, Elva (E. Lund and E. Staker were also doing service for her when we showed up). Got lost trying to find out dinner - because the address in the directory was wrong. :)

WEDNESDAY WAS TEMPLE DAY!!!!! :) The Oakland Temple is beautiful. <3 11o="" 4:30ish.="" 7:40ish="" :="" :d="" a="" about="" altogether="" an="" and="" are="" around="" as="" at="" awesome="" barely="" been="" below.="" called="" can="" car="" cars="" clock="" day.="" district="" elders.="" enchiladas="" endowed="" entire="" five="" for="" get="" give="" got="" had="" have="" he="" her="" home="" in="" including="" is="" it="" just="" krystal="" leave="" left="" lunch.="" made="" make="" managed="" may="" members="" mission="" moms="" morning="" nbsp="" not="" of="" or="" our="" out="" p="" palmer="" person="" pictures="" planned="" promised="" recently="" recipe.="" returning="" ride="" rides="" saw="" see.="" session="" sister="" slightly="" t="" temple="" than="" that="" the="" there="" to="" took="" us="" watsonville="" we="" went="" were="" which="" xd="">
Thursday not much happened other than the apartment inspections - telling us we have mold unfortunately but S. Palmer knew how to get rid of it and it was not our fault. Okay, so something did happen. . . . we received a referral who wanted a Book of Mormon - or, you know, tickets to the musical.  Also we saw Brenda.

Friday we did service. At the soup kitchen and then later at Elva's. Our one appointment of the day cancelled.

Saturday was the beginning of conference!!! <3 :="" adorable="" afternoon="" also="" and="" are="" at="" awesome="" childrens="" choir.="" conference="" debbie="" did="" dinner="" do="" email="" fun.="" fun="" go="" had="" house="" i="" in="" kings="" laundry.="" made="" member="" miss="" most="" my="" notes.="" notes="" of="" over="" p="" picture="" planning.="" saw="" sent="" session="" squirminess="" the="" then="" they="" to="" ward="" was="" watched="" we="" weekly="" which="" whose="" with="" you="" ysa="">
Sunday we were at the church for the first session - and so was the rest of the district. xD Then we went to Renee's house for the second session (picture with her near the bottom!). Then we had a "pizza party" at Brenda's house - she invited the Elders (all of them) as well but they didn't put her on the calendar so someone else signed up.

S​ister Hill, Sister Dinning (arms held out for ballence), Elder Barbosa, Elder Call, and Elder Sundrud 

Natural Bridges Beach

Sunday breakfast - it's a tradition in S. Palmer's family they do cinnamon roles on conference sunday. :) So we did. 

  Elder Sundrud, Elder Call (his birthday? the reason they all came down at least), Elder Barbosa, Sister Dinning, Sister Hill, Sister Palmer, ME :) 

Elder Lund, Elder Staker, Elder Larsen, Elder Ball, ME, Sister Palmer, Alice :)

On the way home form the temple 

So the week went by pretty quickly. xD It was awesome. 

Sister Palmer funnies: "the grouchy awkward missionary", and "You're just like a nice big spunge!" - to me, of course, because I am somehow a spunge??? 

Love and miss you all! <3 :="" div="" nbsp="">

Love,

Sister Kelly

Santa Cruz 12

Monday :) we basically did our errands and stayed home until almost dinner time when the seaside sisters called and asked if we wanted to do something - so to Mackenzies we went. :) funnily enough that is the first name of one of the seaside sisters. lol. It was awesome. Then we had dinner and our investigator bailed on going to FHE (opposition from her family) so we didn't go - it was up in the mountains and we didn't want to take the drive without a reason. 

Tuesday was "distract meeting". The questions for this week were "what genre of music are you", "if you were a crepe or a pancake what toppings would you have", and "what kind of socks would you be". xD Then we had a mini testimony meeting basically and "taught Steve and Rodger" ( the district leaders dressed up like random people from Elder Stakers old area). After district meeting we went to give Nicolette a lesson on the temple :) Also Seaside found a less active while they were at walgreens waiting for their car to be fixed and sent us her info and we met with her. :) she is awesome and wants to come back to church and has a really pretty name - Anyalesse. 

Wednesday we met with Liz - our investigator - early in the morning because we were scared of losing her. Nicolette came along - and they really clicked as friends! :) We taught her about opposition and lesson three. :) Saw a couple of people, had dinner with the Stake Presidents wife which was awesome :) and saw Krystal. 

Thursday we saw Nanci Jo and she gave us both necklaces that she made - maybe I'll take a picture with my ipad and send it later as I forgot to do that :). Had dinner with someone named Brianna and her adorable son (the dad and grandma weren't home). Sometime during the day we went to a donut place to commemorate Elder Scott and got free donuts because a member worked there. :) 

Friday we did service at the soup kitchen - nothing too exciting happened other than some new people were there and not so kind about what the kitchen didn't have instead of thinking of what they did have. And then. . . . .we went finding with one of our Ward Mission Leaders. :) IT WAS AWESOME. We went to Pacific Ave (we don't go there at night without other people - it can get scary) and Bro J played the accordion while Sister Palmer and I sang. :) We passed out a ton of mormon.org cards. It was sooooooo much fun. :) Then we went to have dinner. :) Pizza!!! 

Saturday we did weekly planning because friday was full. We cleaned (there used to be soooooooooo much stuff in our closets!!!). Saw Sister D who insisted that Sister Palmer and I's soon to be husbands were both waiting at the bottom of Sister D's super steep driveway and that Sister Palmer and I would be buried (married) by next year. LOL. Then we had dinner at Alice's - and missed the Women's session. Went to the Santa Cruz Elders' baptism - because we were asked to sing - and President Mella and his assitants were there. The baptism was awesome and we sang "Abide with Me" hymn #166. Liz didn't come - instead she asked us to take a step back - but she has not dropped us! 

Sunday was long hours of church - and fasting. YSA had food afterwards though, and it was good. :) Also there was apparently a red moon or something but the clouds hid it so I couldn't get pictures :(  Also we found out that the less active member whose house we go to for laundry got an adorable puppy!!! :) 

This is Krystal's lizzard - T Swift. :) 

this was the heat. and we weren't even in the mountains - cause that is where we usually feel the heat. 

Sissy the cat. :) 

I am so weird but does that not look like a dragon??? ^^^

​THE CUTEST THING (OTHER THAN LISA CAUSE LISA TOPS EVERY CUTE EVER) ROXY THE PUPPY <3 :="" font="">

CONFERENCE!!!!!!! <3 :="" :d="" a="" also="" apostles="" are="" awesome.="" be="" conference.="" expecting="" font="" getting="" going="" i="" is="" it="" m="" nbsp="" new="" probably="" so="" spiritual="" super="" three="" to="" we="">

Know what else conference means for the missionaries in the California San Jose Mission??? WE GET TO GO TO THE TEMPLE!!!!!! :) <3 -="" :="" a="" but="" california="" conference="" day="" each="" expect="" font="" get="" given="" go="" have="" in="" is="" it="" members="" mission="" monday="" nbsp="" next="" oakland="" of="" our="" outside="" pictures="" rides="" round="" s="" so="" temple.="" temple="" the="" time="" to="" we="" wednesday="" with="" zone="">

Have an awesome week. 

Love and miss everyone (especially my darlings <3 font="">

Love,

Sister Kelly

Sunday

Santa Cruz 11

Hello to all! How goes it??

Our week was pretty eventful :)

So monday  we made mom's split pea soup with a member and it was awesome. :) Sister Palmer had never had it before, and enjoyed it. We thankfully had extra. :) Awesome Sister Palmer quote "I thought I saw a P-day - wait. My bad. There is no P-day." - because it flies by soooooooooooo fast!

Tuesday was Zone Conference. It went from 9am-2:30 pm. LONG. But apparently that length was usual. Okay. So it was awesome. We always have a pre-reading for our big missionary meetings and this time they were "A Reservoir of Living Water" by David A. Bednar, and "A Discussion on Scripture Study" by President Eyring. It was awesome. :) But we were fed, which was good, and I now have a tie. They were technically for the elders but there were some extra ones, so. . . . . :) Our dinner that night was had at Chili's with a member. :)

Wednesday we saw a less active in the morning. Had a random lunch at home.  Saw Nicolette the recent convert (finishing up her recent convert lessons!! we are now on laws and ordinances). Saw a less active and her son after dinner. They have an adorable Kitten!! :D Then we went and did some ward splits - but no other sisters showed up. It was fun though. :)

Thursday the coordinating sisters came down and made us pancakes. :) We had an awesome talk about finding. Also they wanted to talk about the October outgoing (the fireside where lots of missionaries who are going home that transfer speak and there are some musical numbers) because Sister Palmer and I want to sing in it (so many people want to sing for this one!!! PRESIDENT IS SINGING!!!!!). We want to sing, but it doesn't mean we will. They are still deciding. We would sing hymn number 165, Abide With Me; Tis Eventide, both of us singing the chorus', I would sing the first verse, and Sister Palmer would sing the second, and both of us would sing the third. The entire time Sister Palmer would be singing in FRENCH. :) I convinced her to sing with me. :) If it happens it will be awesome. :) After the coordinating sisters left, we saw a less active who has a lot of dogs. xD

So the referral system has been throwing lots of old referrals at everyone in the mission because the iPads are new and everything, and we found someone who was already in our phone. She was referred by a friend about a year ago and some sisters before us had tried to meet with her in april, but it didn't happen. She has been prepared by her friend, because her friend has told her a lot about the church. We called her and asked if she would like to meet - and she said does 4pm work? and we of course said yes. So we met with her and taught her the Restoration and invited her to be baptised and she said YES!!!! :) So we asked when she would like to meet again and she said saturday! (NO SKIPPING FRIDAY TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED!)

After dinner we went to see a less active named Brenda and she wants to have a pizza party with us on the 4th. :)

Friday we didn't have much happen. Some of our appointments fell through. :( We did weekly planning, had lunch, then went contacting for a bit. Saw a less active family. Had dinner at I-Hop with some members. Sister Palmer started telling me the Jane Austen Books by memory :) (she still needs to do emma, but the others are done). Another funny Sister Palmer "Satan makes GPS's" - because our church building doesn't show up on it.

Saturday we met with our new investigator for lunch. Her name is Liz. We taught her the Plan of Salvation and SET A DATE FOR HER TO BE BAPTISED!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D Then we went to visit a less active who is returning to church and recently went to the temple :) Then our service didn't answer the door - but she does that sometimes. So we went contacting.

Sunday was a primary program in one of the wards and it was adorable!!!! :)  Our investigator didn't come to church so we will have to move her date back, but she is coming to the YSA FHE (which means that we get to go, lol).

Today some of the sisters from monterey are coming up to visit -and I will tell you more of that next week. :)

thought they were cool

we did not actually go in, but it is really funny

I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THIS WAS ON MY CAMERA I FORGOT IT IS GORGEOUS

It's the Cheshire cat moon!! Yes, we do get that here. We also have very limited stars. . . 

Love and miss you all

Love, 

Sister Kelly

more sister Palmer funnies: a sister Palmer funny "Will you follow the example of missionaries before you and invite my iPad to be baptised?" - we were doing baptismal invitations during training. lol. :)