Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Week 56: I'M BACK!

For starters I am going to repent for not writing lately and get back on track with what has been happening here in the hood.

First off, I have a new companion, and she is the best. We know each other from the MTC here in Santiago, and now we are companions. We are working well together, and she is helping me become the type of missionary that I have always wanted to be. She is the best!

This week one of our investigators was baptized! It was a long journey, but it happened and it was a complete miracle. I learned that really faith in the Lord and His will and His timing always brings the miracles. When we lack faith, he can´t show us miracles. It is interesting because even though faith is the first and basic principle of the gospel, we lose so many blessings because we lack it. We may be obeying the commandments, but without faith, he can´t bless us. Or at least he can´t bless us as much as he wants to. When we doubt, we hold back part of our hearts, which means we really aren´t giving ALL to him. Limited faith limits blessings, and not just blessings, but miracles.

This week we have been finding new investigators, and really been working hard every minute. As the time gets shorter and shorter I realize more and more that really there is no time to waste.

I am trying to read all the standard works before my mission is over, and even though I finished the new testament, I was studying it today and came across something that I loved:

1 Peter 2: 20-25

 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it 
patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is 
acceptable with God.

 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, 
leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he 
threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being 
dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

 25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

I love you all ! thank you for everything!
Love, Hermana Watt



Investigator Baptism


Hermana Watt, Gentleman who was baptized and Hermana Morris


Sister Morris and Sister Watt


Kam at home peace-ing out!!





Sunday, February 22, 2015

Week 55: TELL ME YOUR FAVORITE HYMN! (:



"I NEED to know your favorite hymn!!! I am dying to know. Please respond and tell me (:"

If you want to respond to her question, go ahead and post to my email and I will include here.  phemiawhitefield@gmail.com.  I'll go ahead and post mine.

Gma:  I have so many favorite hymns but I love "Lord, I Would Follow Thee", "Because I Have Been Given Much", and How Great Thou Art!"


You will notice that the blog hasn't had much to say and that is because Kamryn has been so much busier now that she is in a leadership position.  She has many more responsibilities and is writing weekly reports to the President.

Kamryn (with her Mission President's permission) is also getting ready to attend college shortly after she gets home from her mission.  There is a lot to get that all set up including emails and phone calls.  Amber and Kevin are helping as much as they can but a lot of has to been done my Kam. 

Kamryn wants to go into Social Work and there have been many calls back and forth on getting her application in before the deadline early in March.  They have assured her application will be accepted as on time.

I am including some things from Amber's last email conversation with Hermana Watt:

"My new companion is Hermana Morris. I think the President
received last minute revelation, because I am not training. 
But, I am so thankful that i am not. Hermana Morris was in my 
district in the MTC. She is super awesome, and I love being her
companion. She is whipping me into shape, both physically and spiritually. She is tough, but she is teaching me everything
that the Lord wants me to know."  (picture of Sister Morris below)

Kamryn has been a trainer since she she was out only three months.  It is interesting how the Lord provides us those "Tender Mercies".




Scripture cover that someone made for Kam


Look at the last name of this Society!!


A garage or yard sale in Chile


Her District Leadership Conference and getting to see old companions.







 NEW COMPANION!



Herman Watt and Hermana Morris




I love you necklace!






Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Week 53: Diligence in MIND

This week was amazing! 

First, we had a ward talent show, and we sang! Let´s just say we crushed it.. AGAIN! 

This week we had exchanges, and I was with an hermana from Brasil! She helped me practice my portugese. Thank goodness. Someone has to help me! She is a sweet person, and I decided that now I need to go to Brasil. Sorry mom! (;

We have changes this week, and it will be bittersweet! I love my companion, but I am so happy for her to be able to see her family (: She is amazing, and she taught me a lot!

This week we have a conference, and I will get to see my mission family again! Wahoo! 

Yesterday the bishops son was eating gum off the chairs... I guess that happens in EVERY country! haha. 

Mosiah 7:33!!!! READ IT 

("But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him will all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure deliver you from bondage.")


PICTURES


These chairs have been tossed to find gum on the bottom for chewing!


And here is the gum chewer!



Treats they made for the Ward Talent Show


One of the Sister missionaries Kam went on splits with




Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Week 52: Tender Mercies..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAMRYN!!!


Woke up this morning to a phone call from my district leader saying "Hermana Watt! Happy Birthday! Can´t believe you are already 21! Just go ahead and kiss your teenage years goodbye!"

I laughed a little, then cried a little. 

But, the good news is that I have 21 years to look back on, this past year being one of the hardest, but most rewarding of my life. I love the gospel, and I am so thankful that I have had this opportunity to serve. 

This past week I had the chance to see one of my converts from my first area. I was glad to hear that after a few hardships she is still doing well, and still active. We had a super spiritual experience, and it made me realize that really, even helping save one person, makes the ENTIRE mission worth it. 

I LOVE THIS CHURCH, and I KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that this is Christ´s true church restored again here on earth. 


I LOVE YOU ALL! 
Hermana Watt


Hermana Watt and the convert from her first area and her baby.

Chilean Birthday Party For Kam!

It is so wonderful to know that when she is so far away from us that someone in Chile did something so special for her birthday.  The Lord loves us and is constantly showing tender mercies to us.  Viviana Burgos Sinchi posted these pictures of Kamryn from Placilla, de Penuelas, Chile.  


The Birthday Girl!


Birthday Cupcakes


Blowing Out Her Candles


And a Present!


Hermana Watt and Hermana Page


Kamryn and her birthday balloon


Kamryn eating her birthday cupcake





Monday, January 19, 2015

Week 51: My life be like... Twilight...

First. I love you all, and I am so thankful for all of you! 

Funny story:
We were in sacrament meeting a few sundays ago, and we brought our investigator Mesach. He is like 80 and we don´t understand him very well but He really wanted to get up and bear his testimony. So he got up there and the first thing he said was "I am so glad to be here with all of you in this great Evangelical church sharing about the good love of Christ"... Let´s just say it was an awkward start. He loves the gospel though, and even though he doesn´t learn super fast, He loves Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. And now he has it clear that this isn´t the Evangelical Church....

Also, I pretty much live in the Twilight movie because it is almost ALL forest here, and I love it. Might as well be living in Washington. 

I love the mission, and I have learned so much this past year about truly serving the Lord. I have really come to love my Savior even more every day for everything that he has done and sacrificed for me. He is my best friend, and I love that I can feel the love he has for these people. Being a missionary is the greatest calling. The best part is that you don´t have to have a plaque to be one (: SHARE THE GOSPEL with EVERYONE! 

The church is true! No doubt in my mind. 

Love, Hermana Watt



Mesach and Hermana Watt


Hermana Watt


Monday, January 12, 2015

Week 50: MY FAMILY!

Hello to all! 

Another short note this week! I am so sorry, but there is hardly any more time in the work of the Lord! It is always for him. His time, His will! There are a lot more responsibilities that I have now in reguards to having to spend more time writing my mission president, so my time is little bit shorter, but it doesn´t mean I love you less!

I am still here in Placilla with Hermana Page, and we are doing awesome! We had a leadership meeting with the leaders this week, and a lot of my friends from the MTC and old companions were there! I got to see my trainer, Hermana Lopez, my MTC friends and Comp Hermana Evans, Morris, and Hansen and I got to see my mission ¨daughter¨Herman Andrade! It was SO much fun. 

Here is a generation picture! 

My mom, me and my daughter! WAHOO! 

I love you all!

Loves, HErmana Watt


Kam's Mom, Kam and Kam's daughter!


This week's Pictures!!!


New Leaders in the Mission!  Congratulations Kamryn!

These pictures were all pulled from Kam's first Leader Training.  The first one is Kam with her new comp, Hermana Page. 


Kam and her new companion Hermana Page


Kam at Leadership Conference







Kam in Placilla.  Looks so beautiful!

Leadership training is like a reunion.  The first one is kam with her trainer and then the one kam trained. Hermana Evans, Kams comp from the mtc.  Hermana Hansen, Kam and Hermana Evans were all in the mtc together.





This calling allows Kamryn to see all of her old friends from the MTC and old companions.  She must love it so much!









Monday, January 5, 2015

Week 49: Never forsake the master you enlisted to serve

My dear friends and family! 

This week we had changes, and now I am in a new area in Valparaiso called Placilla! It is so nice to be back ¨home¨ close to where I was in my first few months here in the mission field! I missed the ocean views! 

My new companion is Hermana Page, and she is a blast. She is from North Carolina and she goes home in Febuary! She is teaching me so many things! I love her. She is hilarious. 

Also, this week I met some people here that are from St. George! What a small world! My mom will post the pic! (:

Not much other than that! But, I do want to share something that I LOVE!

¨Before you joined this church, you stood on neutral ground...when you joined this church you enlisted to serve God, when you did that you left the neutral ground, and you never can get back on to it. Should you forsake the master you enlisted to serve, it will be by the instigation of the evil one, and you will follow HIS dictation and be HIS servant¨- Joseph Smith



People from St. George


Herman Watt Has New Assignment!

Kam is a new Sister Missionary Training Leader.  Here is what the church says about it:

NEWS RELEASE —  5 APRIL 2013

Church Adjusts Mission Organization to Implement "Mission Leadership Council"

SALT LAKE CITY — 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is making adjustments to the way its 405 missions are organized, to better utilize the skills and abilities of all missionaries in training and leadership. The change is due in part to the influx of thousands of young missionaries who are responding to the lowering of age requirements for mission service, announced by Church President Thomas S. Monson last October.

Each mission in the Church will organize a mission leadership council that Each mission in the Church will organize a mission leadership council that will include both include both elder (male) and sister (female) as missionary leaders. The new mission leadership council will consist of the mission president and his wife, assistants to the president, zone leaders and sister training leaders — a newly created role.

"We are very excited about the new mission leadership council and this role for sister missionaries,” said Elder David F. Evans, executive director of the Missionary Department. “It will be a blessing to both missions and missionaries throughout the world, and better employ the remarkable faith, talents and abilities of all missionaries."

The role of sister training leader has been created as more female missionaries serve in missions around the world. Sister training leaders will be responsible for the training and welfare of female missionaries assigned to them and will be members of and participate in, the new mission leadership council. Assistants to the president and zone leaders will also participate in the council, and those roles will remain unchanged. Missions will continue to be organized by zones and districts, with district leaders being responsible for baptismal interviews, but the mission leadership council will replace the zone leader council.

Sister training leaders will continue to proselytise and will also spend time each week training and evaluating the needs of female missionaries. They will report directly to the mission president on the needs of sister missionaries. Additionally, the wives of mission presidents are now being asked to play an enhanced role in training and caring for sister missionaries, subject to their individual and family circumstances.

Councils assist in Church governance at every level. In councils, assigned members meet to discuss individual, family and organizational needs and work together to determine how to respond to those needs effectively. Full expression from all participants is invited in council settings, unifying the efforts of both male and female council members.

The changes were announced to general Church leaders (General Authorities and Area Seventies) on Friday morning and will be mailed to mission and other leaders shortly. The changes will be implemented in each mission as soon as is practical.