Into the Field: The Second Sally

Family!!! and friends.  If you can´t tell, I miss you.  Nonetheless, time flies when you´re having fun. I´ve had a pretty awesome week this week. Last week for P-Day we went to La Gavia, a huge mall in Madrid. It was simple, but it was super fun to hang out there. We took a grand tour of Ikea and ate Swedish meatballs. :) I head out into the field on Tuesday, and I´m both excited and scared. Your prayers would be more than appreciated! I had an interesting week, especially with teaching the Gospel. At the park on Saturday, I felt very strongly that the Lord is preparing people for me to teach. I had the strange, but wonderful, feeling when I was talking to some of these people that they had been prepared to hear the message, and they were searching for it. I also had so many feelings that reaffirmed my testimony of the restoration. I always believed that Joseph Smith was a prophet, but this week, I felt like I began to "know" it. It´s a refreshing and peaceful feeling. Probably the best experience I had this week was talking to one of my practice "investigators." As way of background for what I´ve been learning in the MTC, our motto here is "Teach people, not lessons." In other words, we are not to let a problem to be fixed overpower a person to be helped. This particular investigator was having problems with his business and began to believe that he was being punished. Instead of teaching our planned lesson, I shared a scripture in Matthew 14 with him. It’s when Peter walks on the water to Christ. Soon enough the waves come and Peter is afraid and cries out "Lord, save me!" But Christ is there. I do not think in the following verse that Christ was scolding Peter when he says "Oh ye of little faith wherefore dids´t thou doubt?" (paraphrase). He was telling him to not be afraid because he was with him. We continued to talk more, and he began to feel hope that things will get better. I had another experience with this story in the scriptures. Today I went to the temple again. It was another magical session. We even got to get a tour of the temple since it´s our last week in the MTC. When I was in the celestial room, I felt as if I should read this story again. I´ve been doubting myself a bit this week, and I was afraid to go into the field. When I read it again, I noticed something different. Before Peter stepped onto the water, he called out to the Savior and asked "bid me come unto the on the water." The Savior asked him to come out, but even so, the waves came to tear Peter down. And the Savior was still there. I know that it will be difficult to
get through this mission at times, but I also know that the Lord has called me here. I know that he has a plan for me. I know that even when the storm comes, the Savior will be there for me. I´m excited to go out into the field. One more story. Don´t worry this one is funny. Last night in a lesson, I was explaining to an investigator that by being baptized into the fold of God, that he would be protected from Satan. But what I really said was that he would be protected BY Satan... This learning Spanish thing is going to be an adventure. ;)  Love you all so much! - Kathleen

Addendum:  Just to let you know, I´m getting transferred to the field tomorrow, so I won´t be able to write you this week. My p-day is on Mondays now, so you´ll be hearing from me then. Also, I´ll have more time to write. It has been so fun to be here and I can´t wait to see what happens out in the field. I´m pretty excited, but to tell you the truth, I´m a little nervous. Please pray that I´ll be able to adapt. I met the mission president last night, and he seems great! His wife is super cool too. She´s an absolute powerhouse. She spoke in a fireside last night about the Book of Mormon and how important it is to have a testimony of it and teach from it. It is the convincing power for the Church. The president also spoke and spoke a lot about obedience, as that´s when miracles happen. I certainly intend on seeing that through