Yard Work in December

We have had an unseasonably warm December. I surely don't mind, though I know we could use the moisture.

Since we have a photographer coming on the 23rd for more listing photos, Chris spent a couple of hours doing yard work and cleaning up all of the fallen leaves. I helped by scooping the leaves up.

Spilled Dish Soap

I'm glad I looked under the kitchen sink. The large bottle of dish soap that I keep under the sink had somehow developed a cut in the plastic and had slowly been leaking soap for some time.  

Fortunately, every time we move into a house, we cut linoleum to size and put it in the cabinets under the sink. This saved us for sure as the base of the cabinet would have definitely been ruined. As it was, I took a metal spatula and scooped the soap into the garbage. So glad I found it when I did. I emptied the rest of the soap into an empty water bottle.

Jo's Health Update...Again

I think it has been at least a month that I have not felt fantastic. After my last doctor visit, I started taking some itch meds around the clock. 

I was still so itchy. I went back to the doctor on December 19th. I received another shot in my butt (not pleasant) and I was able to get more of the itch meds. The PA I have been seeing (my regular doctor has been out of office), also prescribed an ointment which seems to have been the miracle to getting rid of my itch. I have been so thankful for her. 

Eduardo

Amy sent a picture to the family of her friend Eduardo who comes into the credit union every Friday. He and Amy have become great friends.

He is the one that brought in small gifts for everyone the week before.

Ripped Envelope

Could this envelope have ripped any more perfectly?

Update on Monument House

In the past couple of weeks, the workers have poured concrete on the deck, under the deck and on the front porch. The eave troughs are being installed; we talked with Linsey the General Manager and have decided, with her encouragement, to add rain chains by the front door because the downspouts would normally be placed in front of one window on the left and a shutter on the right.

The spray foam has been applied to the exterior walls. 

Amy Kudos

Amy received a hand-written note from the regional director of the credit union congratulating her on a great month in November. She closed the most loans for the month.

UCCU offers incentives each month for the top closers in the district.

An Arrest at UCCU

Amy's boss had to call the cops on a patron. The guy had barely set up new accounts at UCCU and came with a big check to cash. He tripped a lot of red flags with the new account, the big check, and the fact the check turned out to be fake.

The phone call went out but the bank tried to delay the check cashing process due to the large amount by telling the guy that had to follow procedures and make calls to certify the check. About five minutes later, 5 or 6 police officers walked into the bank and arrested the guy without too much fanfare.

The arrest took some time and the police cars sat outside the bank for a couple of hours. Even though the bank was still open, patrons chose to stay away. The rest of the afternoon passed quietly without much work to do.

Interviews for Amy

Logic Monitor has a planned company kick off at the end of January. Chris is taking Amy with him and has worked hard to set up interviews with various people at Logic Monitor. She will meet with people in marketing, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Revenue Officer (Chris' boss Will), social marketing, business development, sales people and sales operations.

It is an awesome opportunity that will give her a great idea of working in all aspecst of sales. Chris has made sure that Amy has a lot of interviews with women as well so that she can talk to them about what it is like for women in the industry.

Kristen's Talk - Being a Peacemaker

I don’t feel terribly qualified to speak on the topic I’ve been given. Christ said, “be not as the hypocrite.” So when I was asked to talk about being a peacemaker, I thought to myself, “You’ve got the wrong girl for the job! I’ve been an instigator since Day 1!” 

If you don’t believe me, my mother could tell you that she once overheard me and my sister arguing. I must’ve been 5 or so when I had apparently been wronged by my big sister. From the other room, my mom heard my sister yell, “I am not apologizing to you in Spanish!” 

I’ve been asked to answer the question, “How can we be peacemakers?” and for me, this is a very real question. How can I, the girl who got told she should be a lawyer about 500 times as a kid because she loved to argue, be a peacemaker? 

In Matthew 5:9, Christ says “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” I’d like you to consider the same question I did in preparation for this talk. “What keeps me from being a peacemaker?” In those moments where I could choose to say something that adds fuel to the fire or to say something kind, or maybe not even say anything at all, what prompts me to choose the snarky thing? I’ll be honest, it's usually my own pride. There’s always a line of reasoning in the moment, such as… 

• I can’t be nice to them, they’re just too annoying 
• They were mean so I was mean back 
• They did something stupid so I told them so 

If you have or currently suffer from a line of thinking similar to my own, I would urge you to listen to the prophets' words in his April 2023 Conference address, aptly named, “Peacemakers Needed”.

“Peacemaking is a choice. You have your agency to choose contention or reconciliation. I urge you to choose to be a peacemaker, now and always. Brothers and sisters, we can literally change the world—one person and one interaction at a time. How? By modeling how to manage honest differences of opinion with mutual respect and dignified dialogue.” 

The actions we take say a lot about us. Jesus said that, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” I would add that people will know we are His disciples if we have control over our emotions, kindness in thought and deed, temperance and tolerance towards everyone, and patience for the impatient. 

This means peacemaking in all times, things, and places. You might be thinking, “I’m doing pretty okay with peacemaking, I barely ever argue with people at work or school or church, etc.,” Most likely, none of you are being antagonistic towards your neighbors or coworkers or friends. I doubt we’re throwing tantrums in supermarkets and arguing in the break room. But are we showing our discipleship in our homes? When do we let words go too far? And who receives the most eyerolls and raised voices? Who do we lose our patience with the fastest? 

I know from experience that it’s often those we live with, our very own families. It's paradoxical that the people we end up needing to make peace with the most are those we love the most. I’m not perfect at this, I mean I literally started off by telling you about one of the many times I fought with my sister. But, I can’t imagine saying some of the things I’ve said to my family in anger to my friends or companions or anyone in my most infuriating moments with them. 

So why do we let ourselves go as far as we do in our families? It’s normal, you’re with them all the time, you’ve spent a lifetime of knowing them better than anyone else, and, inevitably, know exactly how to push their buttons and vice versa. But if the Savior spent time in our homes, would He see a family that prioritizes being kind over being right? Peace in the home is something that can seem unfamiliar. 

Peace in general might feel foreign to you. That is okay. If you are seeking peace in your life, it is a simple equation. “And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” (James 3:18).

Essentially, you give peace, you get peace in return. It might not be from those we contend with. We can’t guarantee that us choosing the kind thing will make them do it too. But, we will find peace in not saying the thing we’d regret, or not feeling that icky unresolved feeling after an argument. 

I love Norah Ephron movies, and this reminds me of the film, “You’ve Got Mail”. The main character, Kathleen, talks about how she never has the cutting retort she’s looking for when she’s in the moment, the thing she really wants to say. In retrospect, she can always think of the thing that would hurt them the most or that would’ve won her the argument, but only after the fact. The other protagonist, Joe, has the opposite problem. He always knows exactly what to say that will hit them the hardest, but he wishes he didn’t. At one point in the movie, she finally does it, she says the hurtful thing that she imagined would be so satisfying and vindicating in the moment. And then she understands why Joe wishes he couldn't do it. She’s left feeling empty and awful and what should’ve been a relief turns out to hurt everyone involved. I’m sure you’ve experienced both ends of the spectrum, where you’re sitting up late at night and think, “Oh! That would’ve shut them up!” or you’re in the middle of an argument anf when you come up with the perfect thing to say, and then you say it, you feel even worse. And what should’ve been satisfying leaves you more upset, but now with yourself. 

How can we avoid contention, and why do we keep contributing to it if we know it won’t make us feel better? It takes persistent, consistent effort. We will still fail, that’s human nature. But, when you’ve successfully chosen to keep the peace, how can you identify it? Christ tells us, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.” (John 14:27) 

An abundance of the Spirit is an indication that we’ve done something right. True peace comes from the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. If we desire to have the Holy Ghost more readily in our homes and hearts, it means choosing peace. 

We find peace in Christ. That phrase is the title of one of my favorite church songs. Mend the broken hearts. Dry the tear filled eyes. When we live the way He lived, There is peace in Christ. That's it. When we live the way He lived, we find peace. As we strive to become more like our Savior in our daily interactions, we are showing our love for Him. Every “I’m sorry”, every held back retort, every hug, every effort to reconcile is a gift to our Savior for the infinite, matchless gift He gave us. 

President Nelson said, “One of the best ways we can honor the Savior is to become a peacemaker. The Savior’s Atonement made it possible for us to overcome all evil—including contention.” We have all had contention in our lives. We will continue to face it for the rest of them. But Christ’s Atonement is able to fill all the holes that are created by it. We can heal our hearts, find forgiveness for our shortcomings. We can find relief when others choose to contribute to contention, we can move on from the hurt inflicted by others. His grace is sufficient to heal all wounds, the ones we’ve given and the ones we’ve received. 

If you believe in our Savior, if you know that He died and suffered for our sins, that is only half of it. The part that we have to understand for the full effect of His grace to work is believing it works for you. It covers it all. The “I’m sorry's” we give and the ones we never hear back. The Atonement covers it all. Any extent of pain from a lack of peace in our lives can be reconciled by our Savior. 

If you wonder how that can be and what that looks like, the Prophet recently invited us to study the Atonement of Jesus Christ everyday. Doing so will unlock His grace in ways we had not fully understood or taken advantage of before. 

These are the four truths I’d like you to remember: 

• Peacemaking is a choice. 
• We can turn the other cheek. 
• We can say the kind thing. 
• We are capable of following our Savior. 

Our behavior in our homes is the most indicative show of our discipleship. If you seek peace, choose peace. You get what you give. The Atonement of Jesus Christ can help us when we fall short and heal us from the hurt we receive from others. 

I can promise that choosing peace all the time will vastly enlarge the capacity of the Holy Ghost in your life, as well as the actual peace you feel. And I can promise that when we don’t choose peace, that Jesus Christ is there to pick the pieces back up, if we allow Him to. 

Let your homes be an indication of your love for the Savior. Speak to everyone as if the Savior were there with you, and as you do, it will start to feel like He is. Try for one week to choose peace in all your interactions, especially in the home, and see what comes of it. You will notice a difference.

Kristen' Mission Email - Week 26

Hey people! It's only been a few days but somehow I have more to talk about today! Hooray for being (mostly) healthy! 

Here's what's been going on! 

• We put our friend Mark on date after 15 years! 
• I gave my first talk in Australia 
• Ward Christmas party!
• So much caroling!! 

 First off, we put Mark on date for baptism!!!!🌊🙏 He's set to be baptized March 2 and one of his requests is to be baptized in the ocean! I told him that we could definitely make that happen (because that would be the coolest thing ever). 

He's been taught by missionaries for 10-15 years, and when I looked at his information, he's been taught EVERY single principle except for the invitation to be baptized. That was a little weird because very rarely do people get that far without baptism on the horizon. 

In my mind, the only step forward was picking a date! The mission has been focused on leading with our purpose—to invite others to come unto Christ and teach them and help them to make covenants. And I've seen so many miracles in being bold and telling people why we're there. 

Not only does it save us the time of beating around the bush, but it also shows me how open and ready some of the people we teach already are. We told Mark that we are here to help him get baptized. He was a little hesitant at first (there were reasons why he hadn't been baptized after so long after all), but the Spirit worked it's magic and he agreed! 

He has a testimony of this gospel and I'm so excited to help him prepare for his first covenant with God! Prayers for Mark!! 

I was asked to speak yesterday in sacrament meeting. I was a little nervous because I was asked to talk about being a peacemaker—I don't consider myself one of those yet😬 but I let the Spirit guide and thankfully, some people told me it was what they needed to hear. That's always the goal!! 

If you'd like to read it. AND not a single tear dropped from eye. And if you know me, that's a WIN. 

We had our ward Christmas party this weekend and it was heaps of fun. They had a coloring page competition (finally a sport I'm a natural at), had the missionaries sing, face painting, and a big roasted pig. It was quite the festive occasion, and even though Christmas here is SO different than back home, I'm grateful for the time we have to focus on our Savior's birth! 

We've done so much caroling lately and we have even more to do this week. There's a member who organizes it, gives us Christmas hats, all the works. It was a bit of a struggle towards the beginning of the week because I didn't know what volume of singing I could pull off without triggering a coughing attack, but we made it through. 

I can't say I'm used to caroling in broad daylight (8:30pm🤯) and 80°. But people are always so touched when they see us. We even got to go see a member who's in a care facility, and many of the other residents heard us and were standing in the hallway listening. They requested more and it touched me how much our singing affected them. 

Everyone talks about how wonderful Christmas on the mission is, but I often forget it's even Christmastime at all! We don't have a big tree in our house, very few people decorate their homes. It's blazing outside and the normal traditions are absent for this year. But it's when I've been singing the Christmas hymns that I feel the Spirit of Christmas. 

Even when everything around me doesn't scream December, truly listening to the words of those songs reminds me why exactly we celebrate this time of year anyways. It's not the "extras" or the weather that makes it special, but spending this time to say "Alleluia! My Savior was born!" 

As we come up to Christmas day, spend some time to do something outside of the festivities—sing Christmas hymns, serve your neighbor, read the Christmas story, Light the World, watch the videos on Gospel Library, something to put Christ back into your Christmas this year. 

Luke 2:10-11 "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." 

I'm so grateful for my Savior and this time we have to remember Him more fully! I love you all and hope you have a great week! Let me know what you're doing for the holidays! Can't wait to hear back! 

Merry Christmas! 

Sister Kristen Kline

Jo's Health Update

It seems crazy that I am still itching like crazy and on Benadryl most days, but that's life right now. I hope to come off some of the other meds this next week. Maybe that will help. At least I can hope that I will be less jittery and can have a little more focus.

This has been a most bizarre miserable experience.

Running Wires in Monument

Our house in Monument is moving along quickly. Chris and Misha went down on Saturday to run some wires into the gym as well as Chris' office. If he hadn't gone on Saturday, it would have been too late as insulation and then sheet rock installation is slated to begin this next week.

Chris also took a bunch of pictures throughout so that he has a visual of the walls before they are covered.

The roof was shingled and the front entrance and other concrete areas look as though it is ready to be poured.

Amy's Friend at Work

Amy: One of my absolute favorite members came in and brought me a cute little Christmas tin full of cookies. His name is Eduardo and he’s from Chile. He has adopted me as his granddaughter and he is a kindred spirit. He told me he looks forward to coming into the bank every Friday because then he can see everyone.

Eduardo was converted to the church when he was 33 and moved to America and learned English and is one of the most beautiful souls I’ve ever met. Kristen, I hope you can meet an Eduardo who is so open to hearing your message so that he can impact the lives of others like you impacted his.

New Realtor

We will relist our house in January with a new luxury listing realtor, Krissy White. She was recommended to us by our next door neighbor, Mike. 

She is optimistic that we will be under contract quickly. Fingers crossed.

Amazon Australia

I was able to purchase some Christmas gifts for Kristen using Amazon Australia. I just thought it was interesting that instead of saying that the gifts were being delivered, that instead it said the gifts were being dispatched.

Kristen's Mission Email - Week 25

Hey people!! Long time no email, but that's because we got to attend the temple today so we swapped p-days to today! 

Remember last time when I said I'd have so much to report over such a long period of time? Well, turns out when you get sick AGAIN and are stuck inside for a whole week, that list gets smaller. 

Regardless... Here's the haps! 

• My horrible terrible awful very bad no good immune system 
• Zone conference! 
• Services galore 
• Temple! 

Did you know that a virus can relapse? Because I didn't. But last Tuesday I felt like I had a flu. And a cold. At the same time. 0/10 would not recommend. After seeing my McD's from lunch again and running a fever, I figured it was a different ailment than the week prior, but after talking to our mission nurse, my body was apparently having the same virus again?? And it decided to tell me that by making me hurl my guts out? 

Sister Templeman made homemade chicken noodle soup.

Alledgedly, I did too much last week and my body decided to shut down in response. The next day, sure enough, I was rid of my flu symptoms, but had the same cold as last week but like 3x worse. I spent most of my days this last week in bed, doing more crosswords, trying to breathe normally, calling everyone in our areabook and miming to Sister Taylor while I lost my voice for a few days. I didn't start feeling/getting better til about Monday. No fun.

I told myself I was going to zone conference on Friday, they could wheel me out on a gurney, but I was going. I was pretty miserable still and kept my distance which took a lot of the fun of seeing other missionaries from the day, but I'm so glad I went. Everytime President Standley talks about where this mission is headed and what we need to do to get there, it further confirms to me that he is leading this mission by the Spirit. 

I left wanting to be a better missionary than ever before. 

We have been getting so many services on the books lately. I appreciate when people call us and say, "Free service is suspicious. Is this a scam?" We tell them, "No, we're just trying to be like Jesus!" They usually say something like, "Oh dear, isn't that sweet!! Aren't you a doll!" We weed lots of yards and wash lots of windows, but people are always very grateful and SOMETIMES even receptive to our message! I'm excited for the hopefully inevitable email where I tell you about the cool people we met by doing their yardwork, etc. 

And finally, we got to go to the temple today! It was such a beautiful experience and I'm grateful to live close to one and have a president who allows us to attend. While it wasn't the week I would've liked and even though I'm still recovering, I still found peace in my Savior this week. The best part of my homebound days was my studies. 

Spending that time in the scriptures helped me find joy even though I wasn't doing the things I would've liked to. If you aren't reading your scriptures everyday, START! It makes a difference and the Lord loves any effort--one chapter, one verse, it will bless you. 

Love you all, talk to you in just a few days. 

Keep me posted on what's happening with yous! 

Sister Kline

Kristen's Temple Work

Kristen had the opportunity to go to the Adelaide temple. It will likely be the one and only time she gets to go because the temple will be closed for renovation next year.

She did one of the names that Brad has been working to get done and he received notification once the name was recorded.

The interesting thing? Brad received the notification on December 11 but the work shows as being completed on December 12. 

Amy's 25th

It is crazy that Chris and I have a daughter who is 25 years old. I remember her "birth" day so distinctly that it hardle seems possible that it wasn't yesterday.

December has been a big month for Amy. She continues to rock the leader board at the credit union, she finished her last undergrad college class ever, and she celebrated a big milestone.

Now that Amy works full time, she interviewed for the MSR 4 (Member Service Representative) and Loan Officer position and rocked the interview. 

One of the traditions that Amycontinues to enjoy is her yearly chocolate-covered candy apple. Once we realized that our girls weren't too keen on eating birthday cake, we tried to find other treats that were just as fun. This is Amy's sweet treat. The fact that she doesn't have to share with family might be the biggest bonus!

Happy birthday sweet girl. You are loved.

It's Been a Rough Couple of Weeks

You know those drug commercials where they end with, "Do not take XXX if you are allergic to XXX...?" Sadly, you don't know that you are allergic to XXX until you experience some pretty significant medical events.

In hindsight, I probably wouldn't go down this road again, but I can't back it up now.

Timeline:

October 25 Endoscopy - For the past four years I have had a hoarse throat and I could no longer carry a tune. Seriously, my singing voice sounds awful. My doctor said it was just silent acid reflux. In the past six months, my symptoms have increased such that I hear crackling in my throat when I lay down, I hear other crazy wheezing sounds too. Hiking this year has been much more difficult as I struggled to catch my breath.

November 8 Endoscopy Follow up - My doctor noted that I do have silent acid reflux and started me on Prilosec and referred me to an ENT Doctor.

November 14 ENT appointment with Dr. Cavanaugh - Met with the ENT where he switched me to Pepcid AC instead of Prilosec. Confirmed the silent acid reflux diagnosis and gave me dietary changes to make.

November 26 - Felt very impressed to STOP taking the Pepcid AC as it seemed to be causing some painful side effects.

December 3 - Woke up with a crazy itchy burning rash on my head, neck, and torso. Started taking lots of Benadryl just to get through the day.

December 4 - Woke up with a spreading rash that was now on my face, lips and starting to progress in my mouth. My throat felt as though there was something in it.

Chris was in Las Vegas for the week, so I was pretty much on my own. I felt very impressed to go to Urgent Care ASAP. They got me in quickly, and even before the nurse had finished checking me, she had the PA come in and look at my throat to make sure that it wasn't requiring emergency intervention.

They gave me a steroid shot in my hip and another shot akin to Benadryl in my arm. They watched me for a bit to make sure I was ok and sent me home noting that if my ability to breath got worse I should go to the ER. I should have been sleeping for the afternoon with the Benadryl, but I wasn't a bit sleepy. I continued with allergy meds morning and night plus Benadryl through the day per their instructions.

Leaving urgent care

Later in the day

My sleep was minimal with the itching and burning. Even the steroid cream was not effective.

I called the ENT office and left a message letting them know what was going on. I mentioned that I had stopped the Pepcid AC.

December 5 - Woke up without much change in my condition. Pretty much just endured the day with lots of Benadryl as best I could.

I called the ENT office again because they hadn't called me back. The medical assistant I talked to said that after a week of stopping the Pepcid AC it was highly unlikely that it was causing the allergic reaction.

December 6 - Woke up with the rash now presenting on my arms and forming hives. 

I called my Doctor's office because I just couldn't handle the itching and burning anymore. And I was obviously NOT getting better. I was routed first to a scheduling nurse from the scheduling switchboard. I was able to tell her all that was going on. Even before I scheduled an appointment, this nurse listened to all that I was going through and got me an appointment for the afternoon with another doctor in the office who was available. She scheduled the appointment for me for 2:20 pm and requested the office call if there was a cancellation earlier in the day.

I received a call from the Doctor that they had a cancellation that moved my appointment up 40 minutes. It wasn't much, but I was grateful for any help.

Chris was on his way home from the airport and met me at the office. Allison Klein was the PA who saw me and was so helpful. Any of the doctors who have seen my back and rashes have just groaned and noted how uncomfortable it looked.

I received another steroid shot and an extra strength dose of Benadryl as a shot. After the shot, I quickly made the 10-minute drive home because they said the Benadryl could start making me sleepy within a short amount of time. It didn't.

Allison Klein sent a bunch of prescriptions to Costco which Chris was kind enough to pick up for me. I am now the proud owner of epi pins in case I have a severe reaction again with airway compromise.

I am so glad Chris was home. I think I had reached my breaking point.

I did start to feel better after an hour or so. 

Allison Klein called around 5:30 to let me know that in her research she did feel as though I had an allergic reaction to the Pepcid AC and that I was not able to metabolize it and that it triggered an accumulation in my system. She found cases where symptoms of rash did not appear until 7-10 days after stopping a medication. 

December 7 - Today, I am still itchy but the rash that appeared last on my arms is starting to recede. It is still on my front and back but improved.

Moral of the story: Listen to your impressions. Stopping the Pepcid AC was essential. I am still suffering through the allergy, but it could have been so much worse.

Misha's Big Paper

Misha had a big paper/final that was due this past week. It took a lot of time and effort and ended up being 22 pages long. It was probably one of her harder college courses and she is glad to be done.

She has a few more papers, projects and a final this next week and then she is done for the semester.

She registered for her last semester and will graduate in April. Yay!

Chris in Vegas

Chris attended the Amazon Trade Show in Las Vegas. He was there all week with thousands of other people and companies with the intent to increase awareness of LM's products.

He met with some customers one-on-one, presented to a small group on how to lower resolution time, and walked 1000s of steps each day. The conference was held in the Venetian, but Chris wasn't able to get a room there when he booked.

Amy is Finally Finished Her Degree

This has been a long time coming, but Amy is so thrilled to finally be done. Seriously, she was so over school six years ago!

We are so proud of her for working hard, sticking it out, and working a full-time job at the same time as she finished up her final semester.

UVU does not hold a graduation ceremony in December, so if Amy chooses to attend, she would go in April. Right now, attending graduation isn't high on her priority list.

Amy Decorating the Credit Union

Amy seems to be the resident decorator at the Credit Union. She spent a couple of days creating artwork on the front doors and some office doors.

She and a few others also set up a Christmas tree.

Kristen's Mission Email - Week 24

Hey people!! How ya going? 

Here's what happened this week in Oz... 

• So many flyer drop-offs
• Sickness=out of commission 
• Exchanges with Sister Templeman! 
• Getting to know the ward/area 

This mission focuses especially on finding people to teach through service. Rather than door knocking, we leave free service flyers (housework, yard work, projects, etc.) in letterboxes! It's actually pretty successful! We have some projects lined up for this next week and many of the people we're teaching right now we've found through service!

We take Ammon's approach of fulfilling the people's needs first and showing genuine Christlike love through our actions—through service. It wasn't until Ammon showed the king and the Lamanites that he just wanted to help when they finally accepted his message. 

Well, after two rounds of companions being sick, it finally got me. Sister Taylor and I were homebound with colds for a bit of this week which has left me with a delightful cough which especially loves to make an appearance right when I'm teaching. Convenient! 

I did lots of crosswords and realized very quickly that I did not buy enough food on P-Day. Being sick on the mission is no fun, but it gave us lots of time to text and call our friends!! 

I was blessed to go on exchanges with my STL/roommate Sister Templeman! We're serving in the same ward but over different areas. It was super cool to see how someone else does the work down under! She's such a sweetheart and actually my 4th cousin!! (Thanks Familysearch) 

I tried Hungry Jack's for the first time (Aussie Burger King...6/10) and had our studies on the beach. It was delightful!! We're still trying to adjust to the new area and remembering all these names and background stories takes patience (being sick was the least helpful thing for that) BUT they do lots of fun things every week in this ward! 

We have weekly volleyball with a bunch of Polynesian people who are a little too good at spiking the ball and soccer with a bunch of Nigerian bros. Along with the basic ward activities and institute and mission devotionals, etc. we stay pretty busy, which I love. 

1st District Council (via zoom for Kristen and Sister Taylor since they were sick.)

My personal scripture for the week is Psalms 118:6 "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?"

Remember, if we were in a schoolyard pick, Heavenly Father would pick you first❤️ The Lord is on your side. He will not leave you or change His mind. He's all in on you. Fear is not from Him, and when we become God-fearing, it's actually becoming God-revering. When we're faced with the worst case scenarios of what people could say to us or what they might think or do, we have to wonder if they can part the seas or move mountains, because the God on our side can. So why worry?

Of course, this is coming from the world's #1 worrier, but I'm going to take this invite alongside you all this week. When we have those thoughts of fear or worry, remember that God can do more than anything the opposition can. 

I'd love to hear about the haps wherever you are. I love you all so much and know that God does too!! 

Sister Kline 

P.S. the number of spiders I'm seeing is increasing.... 

P.P.S my p-day won't be until Thursday, December 12 (just for next week) because we're going to the temple!! See ya then😘