más milagros

Please note:  This is Kathleen' mom posting her letters.  She doesn't have access to Facebook.


It´s Spring in Spain! It´s been a little rainy, but I do like this weather. It´s not too hot, but I only need a raincoat! I wish you could all experience it too!
First off we visited one of the women in the ward this week. She´s very nice and very worried about our safety. We talked for about 30 minutes about how we need to stand next to the wall in the metro because the world is full of bad people who will probably push us in front of the train. Also, we need to not talk to men... Also gypsies might steal our bags if we´re not careful... Also, she says "Hi" to the whole family!
If it makes you guys feel better, we feel really safe in this city -- along with 90 percent of it´s population. We recounted this story to a member we went contacting with about all the people who might knife us while we´re proselyting and his response was "Wait... In this city?" (Really, Madrid is pretty safe).
At the beginning of this week, we saw an incredible miracle. A few weeks ago, we contacted a woman in the street a few weeks ago that appeared a little surprised when we started talking to her. We got her number (which we thought was fake until she picked up the phone), and we visited her last Monday. She cancelled on us a few times, but we finally went to her house to teach her.
We usually start a lesson off by asking why someone is interested in meeting with us, but before we could ask, Jeni burst out in tears and told us that she had met with the missionaries four years ago because a friend invited her to church. She said she had never been to a church that made so much sense to her, she had felt good and wanted to keep talking to the missionaries, but she eventually lost touch with her friend and the missionaries. When we found her in the street she was really surprised to see us and really excited to meet with us again. In the meantime while she was looking for the church, she had a baby, Ms (who is too cute).
For a while and had visited priests and other churches to try and find someone who could help her. She said she just never felt the same as she did when she was at our church. We invited her to be baptized and she agreed. :)
More about Jn and how awesome she is. When I met her she was a recent convert who wasn’t coming to church very much. She just didn’t seem very comfortable. For a while our approach was simply asking her why she wasn’t coming to church and sharing scriptures with her. For obvious reasons, this wasn’t very effective. We decided instead to start teaching her to teach the missionary lessons. All of the sudden, she changed dramatically! She´s going to church and mutual and going with us to lessons. Every time we visit her, she asks us if she can teach us.
Often when you need to teach something, you learn the most. In Jn´s case, not only has she learned, she has really embraced the Gospel. Her testimony is very strong, and she is an incredible example for her family (at the age of 17, she´s the only active member in a part-member family). She taught us the Plan of Salvation the other day and it was practically perfect, and I´m so proud of her.
This is probably the most satisfying moment of my mission. When she was teaching us, I felt the impression that the Lord was really pleased with the work we were doing with her. I know that these experiences will help strengthen her testimony and help her remain active the rest of her life. If this is the only thing I really accomplish in my mission, I can be happy with the time I spent here. We prayed with her at the end, and she became a little emotional. She had really felt the Spirit and had said that she really appreciated that we were working with her to -- in her words -- "prepare her for her future."
We also taught a man named M this week. He´s from Mali and seemed less-than-excited to meet with us the first time. His friend, Ad, is an investigator who asked him to come listen to us too. We got his number and called him again, this time he seemed much more excited. We asked him why he wanted to meet with us and the first words out of his mouth were "Because when I met you in the park that day, I know that what you were saying was true." He kept asking us how he could know and receive answers from God. He is very excited to meet again.
We also met with a man named Billy last night. He is Muslim and from Africa. He really wants to follow the commandments and even has a strong faith in Christ. We were SUPER late to his lesson, it was raining, and people from another church were proselyting in the area. But we could tell he was golden from the beginning because he STILL waited to meet with us. He had incredible questions and kept telling us how he needs to read and pray in order to know what was truth. He LOVED the first lesson as well because it satisfied a lot of his questions. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he kissed it. He wants to invite a friend to meet with us next time.
I´m running out of time to write, but remind me to tell you about one of our members, Ls, next time. We have some great stories about him and he is easily one of my favorite members. He´s an angel!
I love you guys so much! Have a great week!
Love,
Kathleen

The Many Faces of Hermana Sykes

With her new glasses.  That looks like sunshine coming out of the back of her head.

With her Companion, Hermana Griffin, and someone from the ward at a talent show.

With Hermana Griffin.

Miracles & Time Flies!!

Kathleen has finished her first 6 months on the mission!!  El tiempo pasa!!  We're behind posting her letters to the blog, so Mom is going to post 2 letters today.  In case you can't tell, Hna Sykes is the sparky girl in the middle, complete with lightening bolt over her head.  Her companion, Hna Griffin is on the left and a member of the ward is on the right.  It was a ward talent show.  We think the Hermanas' talent was to be bright and beautiful!!

Here are her reports:

03/09/15--Miracles

This week was awesome. Hermana Griffin and I are a machine. we saw a lot of miracles this week.

Perhaps I could start with funny stories. Yesterday we taught a eccentric man who invited us to his house, but mostly so he could talk about how he paid a preacher from America 20 Euro to heal him with salt... He told us that he couldn't understand us because I´m an American (Fun fact: some people think I´m Spanish now). So he told me to speak to our member at the lesson in Spanish and she could translate to me.

Just to clarify, this meant that I said something to her in Spanish, and then she said the exact same thing to him... In Spanish. We were awkwardly trying to wrap up the lesson so we could get home in time, but his girlfriend walked in and was very excited to see us there. She had met with missionaries before and wanted to meet with us again.

We've been focusing on helping the members this week. We had a zone conference with a General Authority (Elder Dyches, who was in the same mission as Dad and told me he remembers his name). He mentioned that too often, missionaries come into the homes of the members, play with their kids for 15 minutes and suddenly ask for a referral. This generally doesn't result in much.

We instead took his advice and we went to a member´s house with the intention helping them feel like we were their to serve them and help them bring their friends to Christ. We played a game with their kids where they had to find a toy in the room. We started singing the mother´s favorite hymn, and we got louder the closer their little girl got to the toy.

We explained that the people who want to hear the message of the Gospel are not that hard to find, but they´re much easier to find when you have a friend helping you. Translation: As the missionaries, we´re hear to help you bring your friends to Christ, and your friends need your help to come unto Christ.

The little kids were thrilled and the mother was super excited to help us with missionary work. 

By the way, the thing you mentioned about the Priers asking people to open their homes to the missionaries is a great suggestion. People who genuinely want to be friends with the missionaries investigators, especially when they are willing to share their home with them, really makes a difference for people. If you are looking for something simple you could do to help the missionaries, this is it. It makes a world of difference.

We had three awesome miracles this week.

We went street contacting earlier this week and we stopped a man, Mo, and talked to him about how his family can be eternal. He seemed really excited to hear more. He even went out of his way to meet with us and has been in contact a few times because he wants to learn even more. We committed him to be baptized on March 27 in the first lesson. He accepted without the slightest hint of fear.

We also contacted a woman named M this week. We attempted to teach her on the street but she told us something we hear a lot: "No, sorry I don´t have time..." 

She ended with something I have never heard in my life: "But I do want to hear more... What´s your number? In fact my kids are upstairs in this building. You should make them come to church on Sunday. No, I want you to teach them right now. Let me let you into the house. Their names are K, Da and Nia. Da! Let these nice ladies in. They´re going to talk to you about God. Make them pray for me. Thanks!"

They are a family from Bolivia, and they've been here for about 2 years. We taught them and they seemed really receptive. They seemed a little sad, but slightly more chipper when we had left the house.

We also had an incredible experience last night. By way of introduction, while I´ve been on my mission I've noticed the Spirit works in an interesting way. Instead of feeling overwhelming feelings and thought that prompt me to do things, I feel a slight hum (a little like a generator). I know instinctively who we need to talk to and what to say including this woman...

We were on our way to another appointment and we saw a woman on a park bench. We went over to talk to her and she said "You can say whatever you want. I probably won´t respond. I´m having a bad day." We sat and spoke to her for a few minutes. She told us her partner of 20 years passed away a few days ago, and she felt an incredible amount of guilt.

She had left to visit someone over the weekend, and when she returned, he had died. She didn´t have a job, and she felt such an incredible pain. She didn´t know what to do or where to turn. She had just gotten out of a chruch, and she felt slightly better. As she started to explain how she felt she began to cry.

We testified to her that the Savior knows exactly how she feels and we shared Alma 7:11-13. Hermana Griffin bore a very powerful testimony that they can be together for eternity. She responded "Well... This has to be true, right? Jesus Christ is all powerful and he can achieve this." We prayed with her and told her how much we loved her. (I can´t say that I have ever felt so much spontaneous love this strongly before).

(And 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.

 12 And 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.

 13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.)

We gave her a hug, and she told us how much she needed this hug. It was one of the most powerful experiences of my mission. It´s what I came out here to see and experience.

Today--03/16/15  6 Month "Cumplemes"

This week was really awesome. Unfortunately, I don´t have a lot of time to respond to emails today, so I won´t be able to respond too much to questions. But don´t worry, I have read your emails.

But HOLY WOW! Time has gone too fast! I´m going to be home in a year! I don´t feel like I have enough time to get anything done!

This week was really awesome, and it was almost all because the members made it awesome. Members are one of the most invaluable aspects of missionary work. We spent a lot of time going to members´ houses to do a little Noche de Hogar (Family Home Evening or FHE). We played a short game with them and gave them a card we decorated with a missionary challenge (don´t worry, I´ll send all of you a copy with a commitment to do it.) ;). It went over really well with all the members. 

We began to notice throughout the week that the members were really on our team. We had also been blessed with a lot of opportunities to give service to the members and I think they really appreciated it.

The ward mission leader asked us to teach the ward´s family home evening (missionaries never teach FHE in this ward). Even better, on Sunday, one member offered to go contacting with us a few times this week, and two girls asked us if we wanted to do splits and contact for an hour and a half yesterday. Obviously, the answer was yes. The Lord and the ward are really looking out for us.

We also went to the house of a member who had been hospitalized for the second or third time this month. We shared a message about prayer (Alma 34:18-27) and it had brought tears to her eyes. We assured her she could pray and ask for help whenever she wanted and she would receive help. We also went to the house of a member to teach a small FHE. She and her children loved it. When we were at the church for an activity I suddenly heard "HERMANA SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKSSSSSSSS!!!!!! HERMANA GGGGRRRREEEEEEEEEFFFFFEEEEEEEENNNNN!!!!!!!!!" Their little girl had been so excited to see us.

Also, a 19 year old, less active member made us a chocolate cake... All for us. :)

We´re teaching some awesome people with a lot of promise. We contacted a guy on the street the other day who was really special. We both said that we had felt a nudge to talk to him after this encounter. I was about to let him pass us, but their was a thought in my mind saying "Kathleen, you let a lot of people pass you on the street assuming they don´t need the Gospel. Please don´t let this one pass you." I´m really happy we didn't let him pass us.

We started talking to him and asked him if he believed in God. He told us that earlier in his life, he didn't but because of so many of the trials he had suffered for the last year, he wanted to begin relying on God to help him. He has a lot of faith. He opened up to us about what he was struggling with and for the most part, we just listened (which he appreciated). I really understood a lot of his problems -- as I had struggled with some of the same things -- and we talked to him about the atonement of Jesus Christ, that because of it, the Lord knows all of his pains and trials. But he also knows how we can overcome them. We prayed with him and we exchanged numbers. We´re going to meet with him today.

My companion told me right afterwards that she had felt the Spirit very strongly as I talked to him. I knew it was because the Lord had prepared us for this encounter. I´m really grateful for this experience.

We also met with a man named Jx this week. He´s super smart and has great questions. Sometimes I think that people think that we don´t like it when people ask tricky questions, but I prefer it when my investigators ask lots of questions. This way I KNOW what we need to teach them and if they are really understanding.

We had a really good first lesson with him and he understood it really well. The second lesson, he came with our pamphlet all marked up with a written list of questions! We decided not to go with our lesson plan and simply work on answering his questions. He asked a lot of questions and we were able to answer all of them really well. He had been looking at what appears to be some less-than-pro-Mormon websites, but we assured him that if he read the Book of Mormon and prayed to know the truth that he would receive an answer. He told us if he knew for himself (we promised him it was a matter of when, not if) that he would get baptized. He´s really excited to progress.

We also had some less-than-awesome lessons this week. We met with a Dominican family -- who, truth be told, have some potential to progress -- but they had mentioned to us in the first lesson that they had 22 other missionaries in their apartment before... Over the course of a few years... We don´t know what we´re getting ourselves into... They did mention, however, that they never liked the missionaries from other religions. They felt like they were too pushy Nonetheless, they seem excited to read the Book of Mormon and start the process over again.

They also offered us soup like 12 times during the lesson. We thought they already had it made, but as we left they told us they were on the way out the door too to go buy ingredients for the soup. The thought did go through our minds that maybe that´s where the other 22 missionaries went... Into the soup... But I´m pretty sure I´m overreacting.

The stake also had a talent show for the young men and young women this week in our building. A really inappropriate talent show. To be fair, most of the music the acts used were in English and most people probably didn´t realize how explicit these songs were. All the red-faced, American missionaries (who brought investigators, by the way), on the other hand, did realize how explicit the music was. 

During personal study this morning I had some interesting revelations. I was studying Ether 12 in the Book of Mormon (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/ether/12). This chapter talks a lot about faith, and how if we have faith, we can do anything. I was really struck by verses 26 and 27:

"And when I had said this, the Lord spake unto me, saying: Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness;
And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

I was reminded of a story in the Bible. Jesus´ disciples find a blind man and assumed it was either his fault or the fault of his parents that he was blind. The Savior, in his firm but loving way, corrects them and says that neither party had the blame, but he was blind so that the glory of God could be made manifest. The man, because of his faith was healed and could see.

The Lord often works the same way with us. We have weaknesses and faults, and sometimes, we even sin. Personally I often get really mad at myself for these faults. But I was humbled by the fact that the Lord gave me these faults. If I have the humility and the faith to be made whole, the Lord will make my weaknesses into strengths. The Lord can use my weaknesses to show miracles to others. If I have the humility, I will allow him to do so.

That´s it for this week. I love you guys so much! Have a wonderful week!

Transfers and Kebabs!

In manner of surprises, we had transfers this week, and some big things happened. Hermana Lema is going to stay in this ward... And I am too. But with different companions. This ward is going to have four sisters and 4 elders if you can believe it!

My new companion is Hermana Griffin. She´s 20 years old and from Michigan. She´s just one transfer behind me so this is going to be an interesting transfer! Wish us luck.

I´m pretty excited to meet the new mission presidents! I love President and Sister Jackson, but I hear the new ones are really great. His wife served a mission too, and it will be awesome to get to know her. I hope Auntie Kate told my least embarrassing stories. ;)

Okay, funny story about kebab. The first time I tried kebab was in Segovia. All the missionaries wanted to have lunch, and the boyfriend of an investigator worked in this restaurant. I ordered kebap and I took a bite, looked into my sandwich to discover that a screw had fallen in! Understandably, the thought of loosing my two front teeth as an adult made me lose my appetite. 

The next time I got kebab I was on an exchange in a neighboring town. My companion, Hermana B, was eating hers and mentioned that she didn´t feel very well. Turns out there were pieces of glass in her kebab. She had to go to the hospital.

The NEXT time we got kebab (my companion convinced me it was okay because there was a big sign in front of the restaurant that said, in effect, that they were safe... It makes you wonder why this kind of sign is actually necessary...) Everything turned out fine... I thought the curse was broken so we went and got kebab with other missionaries the next week... Hermana L found huge pieces of bone in hers. Never again...

We were able to teach a lot this week. We even had eight lessons in one day. We started teaching the mother of a recent convert. She mentioned that she never understood us but she was okay with her daughters attending church with us. After spending the better part of the lesson explaining that we don´t worship Joseph Smith, she explained that she really appreciated what the church has done for her daughters. She feels more unified with them. They want to pray with her now. They are making better decisions in life.

This is one of the great things the message of Jesus Christ brings us. With the Gospel, we can have a family that is unified now, and in eternity. When we follow the principles of Jesus Christ, we can accomplish these things. 

Our mission president has a challenge for all the companionships this month: To have one convert baptism. I want to emphasize the word convert. There is a very distinct difference between conversion and baptism. We must all feel a true conversion before we are baptized. When we feel this conversion, we want to make covenants, or promises, with God so we may be closer to him.

I would appreciate prayers because I truly want to see a conversion this month.

Lots of love,

Kathleen