Hamilton is Great

I hear my blog is becoming pretty popular with my readers so I will try not to disappoint... ;)

I am still loving being in Hamilton. I am beginning to think that part of the reason I am here is for the awesome members and for all of the things that they are teaching me. Their life experiences are things that they have shared with us, that I know I will be able to look back on and use in my future. They are such amazing people and I really am so thankful for all the things that I have learned from them this week.

I have had to spend every spare moment writing in my journal so that I can remember all of the great things that they have shared with me.

Sister Taylor (new companion) and Karly

In my last email I got from President Scott, he said that he felt very strongly that this would be a good move for me and I think he is exactly right.

Our teaching was a little slow this week, a lot of people wouldn't answer our calls or call us back, but the more we get familiar with the area and the people I know it will improve. Thankfully that is all that Heavenly Father asks of us is to constantly improve and be better today than we were yesterday and better tomorrow than we are today. That is something that I try to focus on so that I don't get down on myself when we don't have the best of days. :)

This ward truly is incredible! They are so giving and want to help us out in any way they possibly can... I am crossing my fingers that maybe, just maybe, I will be able to spend more than just 6 weeks in this area. :)

Well I am about out of time. One exciting thing that happened this week is that the fire alarm went off in our building. There were fire trucks and everything! Thankfully nothing was actually burning, but it was some added excitement on the day.

Ok, I promise that next week will be much more exciting (I probably say that every week, huh?)

Just know that I am great and that Hamilton is great! :)

Transferred Again !

This week I learned that God and my mission President must REALLY trust me! And that is because I got transferred, again......... I am white-washing, again.......... and....... drum roll please............ I. AM. TRAINING!!! Let's just all keep in mind this is only my 3rd transfer and most of the time I don't actually know what I am doing.. haha "Fake it til ya make it",  is what I like to call it. :) It has served me well this far in my life!

Anyway... the call came from the Assistants Sunday and I thought for sure that I would be staying but... they had other plans for me! They called, told me and then Elder Sommerfeldt goes, "You're ticked aren't you?!" (and then he just laughs) And let's be honest, I was a little ticked and/or scared out of my mind!! I asked him why I had to be *white-washing AGAIN and he goes, "Because you're good at it!" Uh.... yeah right. haha
*Whitewashing means that they took 2 missionaries out of an area, and will be putting 2 new ones back in that same area. 

So I cried, and then I found out my District Leader would be Elder Palmer, so I stopped crying, and then I cried some more that night while I was packing, and then Tuesday morning when I had to say bye to Sister Tebbs I cried... but fast forward to today and I can't get the smile off of my face!

I am in Hamilton, I am with Sister Taylor, and I am LOVING IT! The members here... Awesome.. the people here... awesome! I know it is only day two but... I am feeling really good about this place! :) And my testimony of prayer has increased 10 fold because let's be honest, at some point prayer is all I've got going for me! :) I'm really excited to be here and truly thankful that God knows better than I do and put me right where I need to be. :)

Monday was crazy having to say goodbye to members and investigators. It was sad to leave my investigators, but I know they are in good hands with Sister Tebbs and her new companion.

I'm the only one that was transferred !
Karly with Sister Tebbs, and Elders Wilson and Skirvin

Another cool thing that happened this week is that Sunday, the 1st Counselors from the General Relief Society Presidency, the General Young Women Presidency,  and the General Primary Presidency were at our church so I got to meet them all! They were so awesome and gave Sister Tebbs and I hugs. This whole mission thing has given me the opportunity to meet a lot of pretty big people in the church! :) Now I just need President Monson to come and visit! haha

Click the names below to get to know more about each of them:

Sister Carole M. Stephens, First Counselor in the General Relief Society Presidency

Sister Carol F. McConkie, First Counselor in the General Young Women Presidency

Sister Jean A. Stevens, First Counselor in the General Primary Presidency

 This week has been crazy but so so so great! Excited to be here in Hamilton and to see what new adventures await me here! :) Thanks for all your love, prayers, and support! I'll write again Monday!

Random Fact: Monday was Victoria Day and Victoria Day is a big thing around here... Want to know how I knew it was a big deal? Well that is because Walmart was closed... Walmart NEVER closes. haha

Karly with Elder Prochnow and Elder Amorim

Three month mark, and Mother's Day call

Three months ago today I got dropped off at the MTC! Sometimes I seriously can't believe it has been that long. (Even though in the grand scheme of things 3 months doesn't seem too long. haha)

Anyway.. This week marks week 6 of this transfer so transfer calls will come Sunday. I don't think I will get transferred (or maybe that is just me hoping I won't get transferred) but I guess we shall see! Either way the Lord knows where I need to be and if that means I stay here I will stay and if not I will go.

This week was good! We found a few new people to teach and had some good lessons. Shelmith, who we have been teaching for about 4 weeks now, should be getting baptized either this Sunday or the next Sunday and I am really excited about that. She is an amazing woman and I am grateful that she found us.

It went from being really hot to really cold this week and I am hoping that is goes back to the hot end of things this week.

So with yesterday being Mothers day I was able to call home! 

It was the best! 

Thank goodness for modern technology! Really how great is it that I was able to Skype my family and then talk to Blake over the phone through Skype.  I think it is pretty cool! Calling home was good but... I can see why we only get to do it twice a year. I haven't been homesick or really cried since being on my mission but all of the above happened Saturday when I got to call my mom to set up our time to Skype for Sunday. haha oh well....  Back to the regular missionary grind today.. no time for homesickness!

The members here are so awesome! This week we were invited to a farewell party for one of the members and got to be with like 10 families all at once. Now that is an effective way to do some missionary work and be involved with members. haha Weeks are starting to feel like blurs.. I wish that I had more to say but... I think that is all for today! I will try and make next week's email much, much, better. :)

Random pics !

Elder Randon Prochnow and Sister Karly Prescott
Both from Morgan Utah !

Ketchup Chips - Pretty good :)

Longest week of the Mission

This has literally been the longest week of my mission! And not that it was bad, there were just a lot of things that happened.

Tuesday after I emailed home, Sister Tebbs and I went with the Elders and got Poutine for the first time since being in Canada. Poutine, for those of you who don't know, is fries, topped with cheese and gravy.... yeah real healthy. The place we went to get the Poutine is a bbq place, so ours had bbq pork on it which was good but... in the end a 6 pound plate of Poutine called "the mammoth" is just no good for anyone. It'll probably be a few months before I try that again.

Elder Snow,  Karly, Elder Skirvin, Elder Wilson, Sister Tebbs, Elder Palmer

So I knew that I had the best district ever, but this week I discovered how great they really are! I had been a little bit grumpy and just having a rough day or two and the Elders totally caught on...we call that the gift of discernment :) And they were able to give me a blessing and even bought me a nice drink. Really... such good guys! And I am SO thankful for the power of the Priesthood! This is something I think I may have taken for granted, but I am so thankful that these young Elders are worthy and willing to help when I needed it. And it has made all the difference. I have felt SO much better in every aspect of my mission since that night.

The day after that we had a Zone training which was great. We were able to set some goals that we are going to work to achieve as a Zone, and Elder Prochnow and I were able to talk about some Morgan gossip so all and all a great day! haha But even after that it got better. For I think the first time since being out, I was able to go out, talk to everyone, knock on some doors, and just feel super happy. So.... finally figuring out this whole mission thing. :) Bout time, eh?

And the other really, really awesome thing that happened this week is that I almost met Alex Boye! (He is a pretty famous LDS singer who is in the Motab, Everyone should Youtube the video I will Rise by Alex Boye and watch it.) Anyway, somehow someone in another ward knows Alex and had him come to do a fireside. It was really awesome. He shared some great experiences, his powerful testimony and of course sang. :) Unfortunately, all of us missionaries had to leave early so we could be home on time. (Exact obedience brings miracles! haha) But our investigator was there and she was able to meet and talk with him and it was a REALLY awesome experience for her so I am happy. Since we weren't able to get a picture with him Sister Tebbs and I took our own picture with the flyer they gave out. haha Just know that I really did sit in the same chapel as Alex Boye.. yeah, I am kinda a big deal. :)

Sunday we were able to attend a baptismal service so that our investigator, Shelmith, could see a baptism. It was awesome. There is always such a strong Spirit at baptisms, so we were grateful that she was able to go. Oh and one of the baptisms was Elder Prochnow's. Shout out to him. haha

Elder Prochnow and Karly

Oh and let's talk about how I am turning into such a missionary. We have a family here that always says if we don't have a meal just to tell them and we could go over. Well... this is a nice sentiment but I never actually thought that I would do it. Well... yesterday I did it!  I just straight up asked them if we could come over for dinner. Of course they said yes, but who am I becoming!? haha

I am almost out of time, but the week was great! There were some definite ups and downs but all and all there were some great turning points for me and my growth as a missionary! Now I will quote Alex Boye here when I say, "All of the power that we get comes from the Book of Mormon and we need to read it over, and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. :)" Have a great week!