Mission Experience - 27 July 2015

Dear Mom,

I knew as I was reading the letter from Kristina that it was something just coming from her heart.

Thanks for giving Marissa my info! Is LeAnn still there? Katie?

You and dad would be great missionaries!

I have used the Essential Oils you sent with me and they are working well. 

I'm learning that everyone loves people differently. 

Of course I don't mind my name being in the temple! It is a GREAT place to be!

The Hancocks (my new Mission President and his wife) are freaking AMAZING!!! They are awesome and cool!!!

Spiritually it's been a great week! I got to testify of Christ and His love for all! We taught a couple of great people.

I love you tons and buckets,

Sister Erika Kremer

Mission Experience - 13 July 2015

Dear Mom,

Thank you for your email this week. Y'all did fine in regards to the temple. You have nothing to worry about or regret. Honest.

I'm so glad you are enjoying being a seminary teacher. It is a good fit for you and you truly are growing a lot.

I look forward to the possibility of letters from the Primary. That would be cool to read. I've thought about writing to the Young Women, but I'm not sure what I would say.

I'm really glad you put my name in the temple this week. I'm sure that that was inspired.  But I'm going to stay here and keeping going forward. As hard as it is and as much as I want to be with the family I don't want to stop serving the Lord. Hopefully the effort I'm putting forth is enough. I'm doing the best I can- all I can handle doing. I just hope He continues to understand.

There have been miracles though! In the last 7 days there were 2 and a half days were we didn't proselyte at all because we were just too sick and we still managed to teach 13 lesssons. It's the least I've ever taught but they were all good and effective lessons.

So even though it's a struggle I'm still hanging on and trying to look for the miracles and blessings.

I don't have much time to email today-my companion has a lot planned (she said we need to do things that make both of us really happy today- I suspect ice cream will be involved). I will try to write a letter with more uplifting things.

I love you so much!!!!! For real!!!!

LOVE,

Sister Erika Kremer

MissionExperience - 6 July 2015

Dear Mom,

Something that I thought about when I read the last part of your email about the Apostles dying. (What a week this has been. I don't know if you have heard about President Packer but he passed away on Friday at 2 pm at his home. That makes two apostles in two months- another one that has been there my entire life. There are only three left of the original ones from when your dad and I were growing up into our youth days. Elder Nelson is now the senior Apostle according to date sustained as and Apostle and Elder Oaks is after him. These great men have been giving us counsel and instruction from the Lord for so long that they almost seem like family.) . . . . In my personal study this morning I was reading in 3 Nephi chapter 3 about how Gidgiddoni was chosen to be the chiefest among all the chief captains- it was because he had the spirit of revelation and prophesy and was a prophet among the people. Sister Hunt and I discussed this for a while and talked about the last days and how there will be many battles and something we wondered was if at some point our armies will be lead in the same manner. Obviously we don't know this for sure, but it is something that we talked about. Food for thought at any rate.

Have I told you how much I love studying the scriptures?? I really really really love studying them! There is so much to learn...especially when one thinks about the fact that for every word in the Book of Mormon, for every story in the Book of Mormon there were thousands of other possibilities. The things that we read are what God needs us to know and understand. They are things that will bring us closer to Him and allow us to progress in the way that He desires for us to progress.

Something else that is really standing out to me- Every person on Earth accepted the Gospel and Plan of Salvation in the Pre-Earth life.

Something else- we knew our ancestors before we came to Earth. We knew our children. Isn't that cool?

About the parade: Only in Idaho and Utah would people cheer when they saw the missionaries...and you could tell who wasn't a member or was REALLY anti by how they reacted when they saw us. It was REALLY funny! And so cool!!

I finally gave in and asked my companiera Hermana Hunt what the names of the candies were ::drum roll:: Tootsie Rolls!!! Did you figure out what candy I was talking about?

 

You would think that as a missionary I would be one of the first to know that an apostle had passed away, but I didn't know about President Packer till 1 pm yesterday (Sunday). 

I love you and the blanket you made is a hit with everyone who sees it. Actually, Sister Hunt was wondering if you have any fabric left over from the skirts you made...she thinks they are really cute...

I love you and think of you every day.

Love Sister Erika Kremer

Mission Experience - 4 July 2015 (Special Edition follow-up from Monday the 29th)

Hola mi familia!

Donde esta?   Yo bien. Feliz quatro de Julio!  (Happy Fourth of July)

Today has been awesome so far! We (my zone) were in the Idaho Falls Fourth of July parade (which was awesome!). The Zone ran around handing out the little chocolate candies (that are kind of rubbery and I think start with the letter "t") out to those along the parade route. I stood on the float smiling and waving because I'm awesome like that ;)

Then we watched 2 movies...Big Hero 6 and Space Jams....that one was a bit of a weird movie.....

And now I am emailing y'all! Because I love each of you and miss each of you!

This has been an alright week. A lot has been going on but I'm hanging on, smiling, and doing the best that I can. I know that missions are not easy and if there is anything I'm learning it's that the phrase "not easy" is an understatement...however I know that Heavenly Father is helping me along and that all of the hard stuff is going to help me out in the end. So I am (reluctantly) grateful for it.

Sad news...our district leader is probably getting sent home early because he has been really sick for months now and they can't figure out what is wrong with him. It is hard to watch a missionary go home early...it's hard on them to see what they might have done and know that they won't accomplish it...it takes a lot of faith in Heavenly Father to leave - to trust that leaving is what is best for you. My heart hurts for him.

I'm sure I say this a lot, but it is weird how much I am loving people. I still don't like being around most people, but those that I meet I just LOVE almost instantly..I overlook their faults or flaws and just see children of God. I remember some missionaries describing this and me thinking "yeah right, you just have to say you love them because you're a missionary" but it's not true! It is so strange though!

I love y'all so much! 

Love Sister Erika Kremer     by the way....my first name is starting to sound really foreign...