Sifting through the sands...

RACHEL - Hello!

Thank you for all of the Birthday wishes and cards that Teresie and I received! I loved the candy bar letter mom and dad, it was very tasty (Sister Dell thought so too!)! My whole Zone thought it was a giant Toblerone bar haha!

Tell Amelia I am a little sad that I didn't receive a Wedding invitation and that she didn't wait for me to go to her wedding! haha I'm just teasing, but I would at least like to see who her husband looks like :) But tell her I say Congratulations and that I love her! I'm happy that you were able to see Lauren, tell her I love her too and that I hope to hear how she has been doing lately!

Thank you for keeping me updated with Grandpa, I am happy to hear that he is getting better each day! I am excited to see him again and to tell him all the things that I have learned on my mission! Tell him I love him with all of my heart and that I pray and fast for him often!

At this point in Stafford it is all about rebuilding our entire teaching pool. Because our now former investigators have their agency, they are now no longer investigating the church. S. C. because of the law of Tithing and J. W. because of a lot of family opposition. But they both know that this gospel is true because they had simply received a spiritual confirmation.  

But the way I look at it is exactly what my Mission President has been saying to us all along. We are sifting through the sands to find the golden nuggets, the pure in heart, those that are prepared! So I know that miracles are going to happen more here and that if I am a prepared servant of the Lord, then the Lord will send prepared people to me to help introduce the Gospel to them!

We were able to witness a miracle together when we made an appointment to see a former investigator. When we had arrived to our appointment, he wasn't there but his land lord/ex-partner was. She was lovely and she spoke to us about how the world seemed to be falling on top of her. We explained to her how she had a loving Heavenly Father and a Savior. We read Alma 7:11-12 11And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. 12And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. with her and replaced her name there. She felt the Spirit and since we were pressed for time, we asked if we could come back to teach her more and she said yes! WE are excited to see many more miracles here!

I have loved serving with Sister Dell, she is an amazing example to me and such a hard worker. We get along like we have been friends for so long and I am so grateful for her companionship! It is interesting how now I can look back so far with every one of my companions and know now why I was placed with them for a specific purpose and reason. But I know that my best companion that I will have with me on my mission is the Holy Ghost. I am very grateful to have the closeness to the Lord and the Spirit to receive spiritual promptings. I am determined that I want to know without a doubt that Heavenly Father can trust me. That He will know that if He places someone in my path that is prepared, that I will speak to them when prompted by the spirit. I am excited about the thought of becoming like my Savior, because He is my Example and who I want to be like. I truly want to become like Him. I am so happy and grateful to my decision to serve a full-time mission, I am changing and I am very happy about that and I want this change to be a permanent change no matter what.

Tomorrow we are having a special Sisters Meeting at the Mission Home! All the Sisters from the Mission we be there and I honestly don't have any idea what to really expect except to be excited for it! Sister Bullock (the Mission President's wife) called me earlier this past week and asked if I would like to give a 3-4 minute talk to all the Sisters on the topic of how to stay positive and what to do when your area is struggling. I was really surprised when I got that phone call. But she said I would be perfect to give that talk to all of the Sisters. That was really nice to hear and now I have completed it and am very excited to give it! I will let you know how it goes!

I love you all and thank you for all of the support you have given my sister and I!

Love always, Sister Rachel Kullick

Candy Bar Letter

The Candy Bar letter from Mom & Dad for a Happy Birthday!

"Prayer is made up of heart throbs..."

TERESA - Hello Family!

 

First of all, Happy Birthday Erika!! 25 huh? That's so neato! Hope you enjoyed it! I am also so glad to hear that Grandpa Coombs is doing better!! I knew he would, he's a tough cookie :). I fasted for him yesterday so I know that will help as well. Thank you for keeping me updated! Keep it up and let him know I love him!

 

And Congrats to Amelia!! Can you send me an invite or pictures from the wedding? I would love to see who she's picked out haha. Where is she going on her honeymoon, anywhere nice?? And I'm so glad to hear that our darling Lawen is still single! That way I can see her be sealed in the temple someday!! Oh wow, wouldn't that be nice huh? I'm so excited to see you all when I get back :)

 

OK then, this week was good. Two sets of sisters blitzed our area while they were staying here for two nights for fundamentals meetings at the mission home. So it was nice to spend some time with them, as well. And we got a few potentials from their efforts, which was nice. Unfortunately when we phoned them up, most of them were too busy or incorrect numbers. One guy was super inappropriate and then phoned stalked us after that! No fun! But we blocked the number so hopefully we won't get anymore prank calls...haha the joys of missionary work. No, it's really not that bad, I REALLY enjoy being here and serving! I don't even care if I get hassled for it- that just means more blessings!

 

So we visit a convert, Lynn, who's been a member for 4 years and she is lovely. She is single and has a daughter that has Angelman syndrome (I think that's it) (Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neuro-genetic disorder characterized by intellectual and developmental delay, sleep disturbance, seizures, jerky movements (especially hand-flapping), frequent laughter or smiling, and usually a happy demeanor.) Lorna, is 13 and she is totally beautiful! She can't speak but can say "yeah" and sign to you. I love her so much. Lynn says that if you treat her like she has special needs then she will act like it but if you don't she doesn't and it's so true! So we act totally normal to her and she responds well to that. I think a lot of the times people don't know how to act or be around people with special needs because they are afraid. They aren't used to it and then feel like they have to treat them differently or avoid them. But since the Edinburgh ward has actually quite a few people that are mentally handicapped I have gotten used to it and don't see them as anything different, it's not a big deal. Really though, I am convinced that they help us to be better, not the other way around. But I am really growing more out here and becoming more and more comfortable everyday with situations that could ever be construed as awkward. I love it!

 

So we are really focused on finding right now. We aren't teaching anyone as of right now but we also fasted and prayed for that yesterday as well. I really hope we find someone or even a family would be better! But the other day we were at an appointment with a member from New Zealand and she was talking to us about prayer. And I really loved it because it helped me to view prayer in a different way. She read something from Jesus The Christ (pg.238) by James E. Talmage, and this is it:

 

It is well to know that prayer is not compounded of words, words that may fail to express what one desires to say...words that may be spoke to impress mortal ears. The dumb may pray, and that too with the eloquence that prevails in heaven. Prayer is made up of heart throbs and the righteous yearnings of the soul, of supplication based on the realization of need, of contrition and pure desire. God without our prayers would still be God; but we without prayer cannot be admitted to the kingdom of God. So did Christ instruct: "your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him."

 

I LOVED that. I realized how my prayers need to improve by just reading this bit. I know that prayer isn't that we phone up our Heavenly Father and leave a voicemail, it's when we sit and have a conversation with Him. How often do I do that? If my prayers were always made up of heart throbs then I think I would be a rlot more in tune with the spirit all the time. I know that Heavenly Father already knows us and our individual needs.  He is so aware of us no matter the struggles we face and is always there for each and everyone of us individually. If we took the time to always pray with sincerity then we would always know that. He wants us to. So why don't we try harder? I loved that. So I thought I would share it with you.

 

Sister Peterson leaves in a week so next time I email I will have a new companion. Oh my goodness! It is crazy how fast time flies by. This moves will be over soon and I will have a new companion and I will be leading the area! Please pray for me! It's a BIG city! haha. But I have a question for you mom. I found out that the new sister coming in is an Eliza Woolley from Romona, CA in the San Diego Stake. When I saw the name Woolley I just about died! Is she related to us?? That would be soooo amazing to have a 3rd cousin or something in my mission!! I don't think Woolley is that common so it could be right?? I hope so! That would be the best ever! :)

 

Well I love you all with all of my heart and I can't wait to hear from you soon! Thank you so much again to everyone who's written Rachie and I! We are grateful for your love!

Love Always, Sister Teresa Kullick

p.s. I hope you got my photo CDs. That is how I'm going to have to send pictures from now on. Lame but I guess that'll have to do!

Teresa's Many Many Many Pictures...

Harry & Sandra Short, recent converts whom I absolutely love.

All the Sisters in the Dundee, Edinburgh and Aberdeen Zones at Christmas Zone Conference. 

I took this in Dundee in Chorelston. Thought it looked really neat :)

Me and a dead seagull - I'm actually not too sure why I had this photo taken!

At Burns Night! Celebrating the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns.
Left side of table to right: Sister Avril Campbell, Brother Harry Short, our investigator Mark,
Sister Daines, me, Elder Packer, Elder Nicholls

Sister Daines and I at the Burn's Supper

The traditional Burn's dish: mince, tatties, haggis. Yum! I like haggis actually!

I saw this in a community center in Menzieshill. I almost died laughing! Ha-ha!

Me, Sister Turnbull, and Sister Daines. I love this lady! She is so funny.

Aileen's Baptism! Her family came to support her! Left to right:
Benjamin, her husband, Angus, Bethany, Aileen, me and Sister Daines

One of my favorite families ever! Left to right:
Sister Daines, Haley, me, Amber, Brother Gordon Williams, Sister Julie Williams
(Relief Society Pres - she is THE best!)

Last Liff (Dundee) district meeting.
Elder Nicholls, Elder Packer, Elder and Sister Ripplinger, Sister Daines and me.

Our little district: Elder Nicholls, Elder Packer, Sister Daines and me. 

Sister Daines and I. I LOVE and miss this little lady! :)

Dundee 2nd ward's Bishop and his family. I love this family, they are hilarious!
We spent Christmas and New Year's Day with them.
They made it the BEST ones ever! Left to right: Gabriel, Benjamin,
Bishop Nathan Murray, Mya, Sister Tine Murray, Max, Sister Daines and me.

Last night with Aileen, Bethany and Benjamin. Such a sad night!

Harry and Sandra Short and me. These recent converts taught me so much!
I feel privileged to have serves them. they want to come over to my wedding someday!
That would be amazing!

My lovely ladies: Haley, me, Amber

Me with 2 amazing women.
 Babs (mom - less active), me,
and Jade (Young Women's Pres. and only a year older than me!)

Me and Aileen! Love her with all of my heart. Happiest day ever :)

Aileen and I after some tearful goodbyes.
This is the woman that I had to stay in Dundee for, for 9 months.
I love her so very much!

(Note from Sister Teresa Kullick's mother -
Wow! I must love Teresa very much also since this took me well over 2 hours to download and enter onto the blog!!!)

The Holy Ghost is essential

TERESA - Hello all!

OK, so I can't even begin to tell you what has happened!! A lot of it is really personal and sacred but it seriously changed everything for me. I feel sooo happy! I can't even express how good I feel :) I am so glad to be here serving my Heavenly Father and to be learning all these new things.

So uh yeah, I keep forgetting that it was my birthday haha, and the Happiest late birthdays to Rach and Sheila!! I love you both loads!

Our weeks have been getting busier and busier and it has been a really nice change of pace! We are getting more involved with the ward members and so we are seeing a lot more of them throughout the week. Our numbers on new people to teach aren't too high at the moment but hopefully with all the member work we're doing, they will be more comfortable to let us teach their friends. And to who ever is reading this: Give the missionaries your friends to teach!! You all have somebody. Just pray to know who is already ready and prepared and Heavenly Father is going to let you know. He wants you to know! Honestly, don't take away their agency by not inviting them to learn more about their Heavenly Father's plan for them. They need this just as much as you do! Give them that chance for them to say yes or no. Either way, they will feel loved to know that you care about them to share what makes you happy with them. The ones that stick in the church are the ones who are already friends with the members. So I invite you all to pray to know who is ready! So we are getting excited. There is much to look forward to. President Griffiths said that the mission is changing and is now moving in the right direction and so of course the adversary is going to try to do all he can from stopping the work from progressing. So we are working on it!

So I was in the program for the missionary highlight this last Sunday! It was interesting...haha. But they are just starting to do this so that is good that they are trying to get to know us! But I just thought it was funny that I was the first one they did.

So like I said earlier the numbers on finding people to teach are slim to none. And it seems that no one wants to speak with us! Haha gee. But this last Sunday we were QGCing (Quality Gospel Conversations) on our way to chapping and everyone was just blowing us off, we were having no success. And I was getting really tired of all the no's. So I said a little prayer to myself (I found out later that my comp did as well) and I was just asking Heavenly Father for one; just one person who will listen to us and want us to come back to teach them. That was all, because it was getting really tiresome to be honest. But after I had said the prayer the very next door we chapped was a girl YSA age and she said we could come back!! Boy, I was sooo happy! It was great; she seemed super sweet as well. I am getting more and more of a testimony on answers to prayers! I am loving it. He will always help us when we ask. I love Him!!

So this takes us to Monday. We had Zone Development, which was great as always. They asked me to sing so I did "Come Thou Fount" I didn't sound nearly as good as it does with Rach but I was happy with how it turned out :).  We went over the Doctrine of Christ and tools that will help our investigators progress. It was a refresher of what we had just learned on last Tuesday (the 22nd) at our Aberdeen Tri-Zone Conference. It was great! I really participated and as one of my favorite sayings go: Participation invites Revelation. It is so true! And I did. I received personal revelation on how to deal with certain issues I've been facing lately. It is so wonderful. But anyway, that has been great.

Well the real story begins after the Conference. Haha well, remember how I said we were going to go to the Edinburgh Dungeons? Well… whatever you do, NEVER go there! It is not at all what we expected it to be. I'd tell you more but I don't have time to write it all. But I will send a letter to you, mom and dad, about it. This experience changed everything and don't worry, for the better! Because now I know how real the Spirit is and how real it is to feel it gone. For now, I'll tell you that the Holy Ghost is essential to being happy because with out it you are utterly miserable. It's harder to notice when you have it with you all the time, but I'll tell you one thing, you sure as anything notice it when it's gone. I realized that we have to live our lives in such a way that we can feel the promptings of the Spirit. And I am so very grateful to my Father in Heaven for this little lesson. I feel so happy now and I couldn't imagine being without it anymore. It is vital that we stand as witnesses of God at ALL times and in ALL things and in ALL places whether you're a missionary or not, because most importantly, we are children of God and that is far more important to realize. Elder Hyrum Smith (not THE Hyrum Smith) gave a talk and one part really jumped out at me: "We do not have the right to do all the dumb stuff that everybody in all the world is doing now. The Lord has sent us here to accomplish some great task. Live up to the expectations that you brought with you when you got here." I LOVED that!! We can't afford to be stupid. Through this experience it brought our Zone and Mission President closer together :) I am so grateful that I am in this mission and that I have the chance to serve in Edinburgh!!

Thank you all for the love and support as always! Thank you for the birthday wishes as well. Mom and dad, I loved the candy bar letter!! And Rach gave me the best stuff ever!! Including an amazing EFY CD!! Thank you again!

Love always, Sister Teresa Kullick

A Family with 13 Children!!!

RACHEL - Dear Family,

Thank you so much for the Birthday love that you sent to Teresa and I all the way over to the UK! Thank you for the Candy Bar letter Mom! We loved it and appreciate it!

In my Mission, the assistant to the President has the same Birthday as me! I thought that was great! His name is Elder Llguno and lives in Spain; he's a great example to me.

I have recognized that I am so blessed to be serving with such great spiritual giants around me. All of the Elders in this Mission are striving to become like Christ and to be Sacred. They are all an example to be about how I can be better and they show me how age does not matter when it comes to diligence and true consecration. How grateful I am for my Mission!

This week we witnessed a miracle. We received a referral from the Mission Office. This young woman's name is J. W. who is 20 years old. Apparently she was with a friend who wasn't a member who happened to have been given a Pass Along Card by either a member or a missionary and J. said she wanted to take a look at it. It was the one that had a number to order a free Finding Faith in Christ DVD and so she called it to receive one and so we were the Missionaries to deliver it to her! We taught her the first lesson and now she wants to be baptized! What makes the story even better is that her mother is a less active member of the Church and so this will be a great opportunity to help her come back! This family consists of 13 children! That would make our little branch grow so much! What a wonderful miracle!

My Birthday was wonderful and the Best Birthday I have ever had! Sister Dell made me a little Birthday banner and made me breakfast! Eggs Benedict, it was delicious! She also made me a Banana bread/cake! She is so wonderful! I am so blessed to be serving with such a wonderful Missionary! She is always recognizing that we can always improve and helps me to be more diligent. The day followed with teaching our investigators, P. D. whom we taught the Word of Wisdom to and hasn't had a cigarette in 2 days so far! So happy for him! Then S. C. and taught the Ten Commandments. We then taught J. and watched the Restoration film with her! We ended up not having enough time for tea so we skipped it and taught our two 8 and 10 year old investigators that evening and taught the Plan of Happiness! That day was perfect and in between those lessons we street contacted to each appointment. Sometimes I would forget that it was even my birthday! That's a good sign ;)

Mother's day here in England is apparently in April. I think on the 13th..? Haha I'm not quite sure but I know it's in April so I am not sure if I will be calling home then instead of May. But I will let you know :)

Thank you so much for all the love that you have given my sister and I! We are so blessed to have the love of all of you! Take care!

Love always, Sister Rachel Kullick

Sister Kullick's & Sister Dell's Birthdays