New investigators & new companion

RACHEL - Hello!

I am sooo happy that the Stake Conference with Elder Neil L. Anderson was great! I cannot believe right when I leave we get a General Authority to speak but either way I am glad you were able to experience that! HAHAHA Saw Mike there, eh, with some girlie? ...haha figured he hasn't written me at all except once and that was when I was in the MTC. And he gave me a hard time for saying I wouldn't write him at all and I did! Well good for him, I am glad he's happy :)

I thought I gave a fair amount of details about this last transfer and with my new companion. But I guess I can re say it. I am going Senior and Follow-up training at the same time. My new Companion's name is Sister Mara Suaybaguio (Sw-i-bag-e-o). She is from the Philippines and is 22 years old and has only been out for 1 transfer (6 weeks). She has the purest heart I have ever seen and is completely diligent in finding and teaching investigators! She helps me re-commit myself to expanding our teaching pool! Sister Suaybaguio and I have been teaching with great unity even though we have only been together for 5 days! She really teaches by the Spirit.

My companion and I have been seeing miracles just right after this last transfer! As you know, my previous companion, Sister Holbrook and I had been seeing very little results from our efforts for the past couple of weeks, but I am so blessed to see all of the blessings that came from diligently finding even though we couldn't see the blessings that laid ahead.

We have two new YSA investigators in the Chorley 2nd Ward now! Their names are Lucie and Katy. When Sister Suaybaguio and I taught them on Wednesday evening, the Spirit was so strong it was amazing and they felt it too! They are going to pray about the baptismal date we gave them but they want to come to church and institute! We are excited to see their progress!

Patricia is still struggling with her family and is quite frightened of them, but I know that if she keeps praying, fasting and reading her scriptures, she can find that strength beyond her own. The ward is still doing all they can. I will keep you updated.

This last Sunday our choir sang Come thou Font of Every Blessing and it was the same arrangement that Lauren, Teresa and I did! But they changed the words completely (which I thought ruined it) but that made me focus on the piano part the whole time. And a flood of memories came back of when we have sang that song and thinking about Lauren and really missing her. But I got a letter from her so I am happy!

I also got letters from Sheila, Max Tanti, Jefferson, Grandpa and Grandma Kullick and Coombs, Aunt Renee and Marsha Owen! I felt so loved! Thank you for writing me!

Oh I also wanted to know how David Alvarez has been lately? Has dad and him still been having their movie nights? I hope so!

Anyway things are going great here in Chorley and I am excited to see more miracles!! I will talk to you all soon!!! Love you all!!!

More of Rachel's Pictures

A hole in the ground... haha! What I thought was cool about this one was the cobble stone that was there from a couple of hundred years ago!

a pic of Teresie and I on the back of my badge

Rachel's old district

Sister Holbrook and her new companion and Rachel and her companion (Sister Suaybaguio is right next to me)

Staying Put!

TERESA - Hello Hello Family!

Ok, sooo much has happened! Life has been pretty crazy lately.

So remember when I said I thought I was moving? haha I couldn't have been more wrong! I am staying here in Dundee at least for another 5 weeks and I have a new companion named Sister Daines. She is from Willard, Utah and she is 22 and super sweet. She has been out for over a year and has only 3 moves left. This “moves” was a shock for our district. We had no idea what was going to happen! Elder Duncan got moved to Irvine and Sister Sheffield got moved to Dunfermline. Elder Nicholls is staying as well and is training a brand new missionary, Elder Packer (actually related to the President Packer! haha). But I'm not going to lie, I'm still very sad. I am so sad that I lost Sister Sheffield as a companion; she was honestly one of my best and closest friends! She's still in my zone and I'll see her a few more times but I think that's just torture! haha, So close yet so far away :( The whole district took it pretty hard. Even for the ones who have been out longer and have been through a lot more moves has said that this was the hardest one by far! Really, it was been pretty depressing. But I know now more than ever that I have made solid friends for life, or as Sister Sheffield said, eternity. So I'm still recovering from this drastic change. But I know things are good. I know I'm going to love my companion and the newbie. And this area is really picking up so there is so much to look forward to! We are going to find loads this moves and I am sooo very excited about what's going to happen this new moves! But anyways, enough of the sappy stuff! haha

We are teaching the Short's niece, Leann (27), and she is doing very well! She is currently on medication that's pretty addictive that prevents her from getting baptized any time soon, but she is totally progressing. She comes to all our scheduled appointments and really wants to learn! She catches on quicker then you'd think. She came to church as well and loved it, she's also going to come to a ward baptism next Saturday and she's really looking forward to that! She is lovely and wants to be baptized because she feels that this is true!! She sees that the gospel makes sense and makes her happy! I LOVE that! I have a firm belief and knowledge that the gospel really does bring real and lasting happiness to lives! It is no joke, if people could only just try it, then they would see :) That has been a really fun thing to see since I've been out here.

A less-active, Vickie Pickering took us to Guy Fawkes Night! [Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day and Bonfire Night, is an annual celebration held primarily in Great Britain, on or about 5 November. Festivities are centred on the lighting of bonfires and the use of fireworks. Originally known as Gunpowder Treason Day, the celebration can be traced directly to the events of 5 November 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of theGunpowder Plot, was caught guarding a hoard of explosives placed beneath theHouse of Lords, and arrested. Bonfires were lit around London, celebrating the fact that King James I had survived the assassination attempt, and months later the government introduced the Observance of 5th November Act, which enforced an annual public day of thanksgiving for the plot's failure.] It was a total blast!! It was like 4th of July! haha Dundee put on a whole fireworks show and everything with music and all. And a huge bonfire, it was an amazing experience and I loved it!

And we finished the smoker's clinic with the Shorts and they loved it. They even asked if they could keep doing it and we were all, "Yeah you can!" haha. They are really trying to work hard for the temple and even come to America to see me get married for all time and eternity in the temple!! I would just love it if they could come! They say they are saving up so I'm really looking forward to that :)

And I got a letter from Lauren! Yay! It has been a while since I heard from her so I was dead excited to get one! Gosh I love that girl :) And yes, mom I got all the stuff you sent me! Thank you sooo very much for it all! I'm also really excited to get my camera!! I promise, nothing will happen to this one this time! Thank you!

So pretty interesting experience; we went on this teach with the Elders to visit an inactive woman who wanted to meet us. Everything was fine until we sat down. We started asking her questions and then the conversation turned drastically wrong. It was horrible. She hates Americans with a passion and so we sat there with her finger in our faces enduring a bashing, patronizing yell fest. And since we were Americans she continued to blame us for everything going wrong in the world, without stopping for a single breath. She wouldn't even let us speak. The spirit disappeared. And I learned sooo much sitting there. I learned to be patient with arrogant people and to be humble, to remain calm even when I have reason to lose it, and how important it is to stop and recognize the spirit. After a while we excused ourselves graciously and left. It was a nightmare but I learned a lot. She especially hated me, haha, go figure.

But honestly, I have learned so much so far! One big thing that I learned is that it is all about attitude! Like for instance with the work, if you think you're in a dead area then you are. But if you think you're in a gold mine then you will be. I learned to be happy and excited about the area I'm serving in. Because I must admit, I'm ashamed to say, I was a little disappointed to stay here. And then I realized that I was feeling that way for selfish reasons. I have been placed in an area that has loads of people waiting for me! I need to remember that and treat it that way! If I sacrifice I will receive blessings and I will see miracles happen. After all, that's what I'm here for. I'm here for nothing else but to serve my Heavenly Father. I'm giving up me for a very short time! So now I'm getting ready! There is so much that is going to happen, there are only good things to look forward to!!

Thank you sooo much for everything! I love you and I pray for you guys everyday! I hope all is going well and thank you for the endless support you give me and Rach! LOVE YOU!

Love Always, Sister Teresa Kullick

P.S. The pictures I sent are of our old District: Me, Sister Sheffield, Elder Duncan, and Elder Nicholls

Guy Fawkes Celebration

Sister Sheffield, Sister Kullick, Elder Duncan, and Elder Nicholls

Vickie Pickering, Sisters Sheffield and Kullick at Guy Fawkes Night!

Sister Teresa Kullick and Sister Sheffield

Senior Companion!

RACHEL - Hello family!

I am sooo glad the Gundreds were able to stay with you, but I am sorry for the circumstances in which they came and visited. I hope all is well.

Well, A LOT of changes occurred this transfer....

Sister Holbrook is gone... I am still in Chorley.... Follow-up Training and going Senior Companion!! Ahhh! It’s not quite at all anything that I expected to have happen, but I am up for the challenge! My new companion's name is Sister Suaybaguio and she is from the Philippines. She has only been out on her mission for one transfer (6 weeks); she has the most pure heart and is very kind and thoughtful! I'm excited to serve and learn from her! I hope I can do my best to help her to feel more comfortable in missionary work. I am thankful to my Heavenly Father and Mission President for their confidence that they have in me in follow-up training one of my fellow missionaries! It is comforting to know that if I do all that I can to be an obedient missionary, and then I can be guided and led by the Spirit to know what I can do to help them grow and progress. Now it is not to say I am not nervous because I am plenty nervous but I am definitely at peace when I know I do not have to lean unto mine own understanding, (because if that were the case then I'm in trouble!) but to lean unto the Spirit and not be afraid to say to her when she has a question that I will sometimes not know the answer and that we will find out the answer together. Oh boy, please pray for me that I can do this properly because I literally feel like I haven't been out for Any longer than one transfer either!

I have a true testimony of prayer and how powerful that communication is with my Heavenly Father. He is truly there listening and helping me become more like his Son.
Love you all bye!!! Hope to hear from you soon!

Love always Rach

Dream and "Puddle"

RACHEL - Hey family!

Patricia Kent hasn't contacted us since her baptism but we were able to find out through a member that has been in brief contact with her that Patricia's son is not allowing her (the woman is in her 60's) to come to church or contact anyone from the church. She is basically being watched and forced by her children to not be happy. This breaks my heart... I am so sad to hear such awful abuse from a son to his mother. Patricia taking on such abuse, some members from the 1st ward and us will be fasting for her on Wednesday.

Things haven't been as good as they could be here in Chorley but we are striving to improve and to expand our teaching pool now that 3 investigators have dropped us. Our Weekly Focus was to make sacrifices in our District. During our weekly planning we felt impressed to give our only real progressing investigator, Chris Burns, to the Elders. We were bummed to have to give him up but he is progressing very rapidly now and we are happy to leave him in such good hands. Now we are just finding and on the past Thursday and Friday we have walked 18 miles each. Even though things aren't going so well, Sister Holbrook and I feel a sense of peace, which is strange, but we know that something good and some miracles are going to happen very soon!

I went to Liverpool and LOVED it!!! Man, it felt a little like San Francisco but the culture there is apparent! It was beautiful... definitely a place I would love to serve and to visit as a tourist!

The other night I had this dream that actually really frightened me and I didn't realize how funny it was until I was telling Sister Holbrook about it. I dreamt that I was at home in California. I was looking out the living room window and saw these HUGE space ships landing and Aliens were emerging from them. Two of them (in the form of humans) came in and told Dad and I that they were going to destroy the world and take over the human race. They said that they were going to accomplish this by taking over families (corrupting them) and by re-writing the Book of Mormon falsely. I told them that no matter what, I am going to keep my original copy!! Then Dad and I made a run for it and booked it down the street! Haha the things that missionaries dream up.

But I really thought about this. This is what Satan's plan is, this is exactly it. Interesting enough that this was how the Aliens were going to destroy the world, only going after Families and the Book of Mormon. These two things are sooo important that we have to protect them because Satan is attacking both of these right now. This will destroy the world if we don't start defending what we know to be true and what can last forever. Remember he works subtly, that's why we have to put on our armor now! (Ephesians 6) We are already on the winning side but that doesn't mean he won't put up a fight.

I love you all and thank you to those who are so supportive of Teresa and I!

Love always, Sister Rachel Kullick

"Puddle" and Dream

TERESA - Hello family!

All is going snazzy here. Sorry I didn't have time to write you last week! I have to write President and Rachel and I hate to say it, but it took priority! But I knew you'd understand haha. So “moves” are seriously just around the river bend haha. It is this Sunday! Ahhhh! And honestly, I don't know what's going to happen but we all think that Elder Duncan and I are leaving the District. We'd both been here for like 6 months and it's only our first areas! But you never know! But next time I email it will have already been moves, so I'll let ya know then :)

So Aileen Baird has set a baptismal date!! YAY! It's set for the 5th of Dec. Kinda far away but it was the only time that her husband Angus had off work. And although he doesn't want to learn about the gospel, he says he will support her in whatever she wants to do, even if he doesn't get it yet. But honestly, I know with all of my heart that he will accept the gospel someday and that their little family will be sealed in the temple. Aileen's decision to be baptized is only the beginning! I am so excited for her. She wants to get baptized before the baby is due but that may not happen due to some complications in the pregnancy. But she's been to the hospital and it looks like everything will be ok, she's far enough along that if it needs to happen it will be ok. But I am so impressed with her faith in Heavenly Father. She has only gotten closer to the gospel because of this little trial instead of pulling away. The adversary doesn't want her to get baptized at all and is trying to throw things at her that will stop her but it won't work. He always tries to do that when anything really great is about to happen. Good thing we know how he works!

We are going through the "Smoker's Clinic" with the Shorts and it's going really well! I really like teaching it (I've never done it before!). And they are really excited about the process as well :) It's just 15 simple steps to be a non-smoker or remain a non-smoker. And I have total faith in this program. My companion has taught this before and she has seen it work. So if it's inspired of God then it will work!

This week we are going to focus on finding people because our teaching pool is rather shallow at the moment; actually it's more like a puddle haha! But it's ok, we will find more soon! But hey, do you remember Stacy? Sister Nelson and I found her right before Sister Nelson went home. She was really excited about learning more and we even set a baptismal date for her and everything! But when Sister Sheffield and I tried to go by she would always blow us off or was never in. She is the real good friend of a recent convert and she's 22 & has the cutest little boy, Logan. Well yesterday we went by just to see if we had to cut our losses and she let us in! She even wanted the Elders to come by and bless her home and give her a priesthood blessing!! Apparently her family did not approve of her becoming Mormon and that kind of put her off learning. But as we were talking about it with her, she does want to continue to learn because she was really gutted when the whole thing fizzled out as well! Wow, I love these moments! The little things seem to make up the big picture :) Before all this happened I was talking to my District Leader, Elder Nicolls, about how bummed I was that things didn't work with Stacy and he said, “I promise that by the end of the week you will be able to meet with her again.” I was like, “really?” haha He said to me later that he was surprised he'd even said that and didn't know where it came from, but he hoped that because he had said it, that it would happen! And it did. Heavenly Father will guide us if we put ourselves in situations where we can be under the influence of the Holy Ghost. And never be afraid to make promises! That's another thing I learned :) As long as those promises are made by the Spirit, then it will happen. Isn't that great? And when the Elders were giving a blessing on her home even Logan, who is 3 and rowdy, knelt down in prayer as well!! It was really amazing and it really taught me the reality of the never-ending goodness of the gospel. It is true!

The pictures I sent last week were from the Cairnie Fruit Farm. Our zone all went to it on the P-day before Halloween. It was a total blast!! And I'm sooo glad we did it. There were little pedal bikes known as "go-carts" haha, trampolines, a mini zip line, a corn maze, and more! It was nice to do something other than football. Don't get me wrong, I love football as much as the next guy but every P-day? It was the BEST p-day ever!

I cannot believe that I've been out here for 6 months already! I'm 1/3 of the way, Ahhhhh! Crazy. I had a dream the other night that I was done with my mission after only this amount of time and back home and I was freaking out! I kept saying, "No, I'm definitely NOT finished yet! Send me back!" hahaha. Whew, what a relief to wake up and still be here :)

I love you all and thank you sooo much for loving me! Haha I hope all is going well! I LOVE YOU!

Love Always, Sister Teresa Kullick