Hi (80 lbs later)

Family! I love you guys so dang much. I don't have a whole lot of time today to write, so i will write out a long letter complete with pictures and stickers. You'll all probably be in Boise by the time it comes. I will just sent it to Grandma's house. #imsmart

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! My Thanksgiving was just so wonderful, but also the hardest trial I have had on my mission thus far.. So when a Mexican person feeds you, you are expected to eat ALL that you are given and to also have 2nds. They seem to think that if you don't eat their food, you are rejecting them. I don't know who told them that, but that's what they think. So now try to imagine 3 Mexican Thanksgiving dinners. HA! Let's just paint a picture of little Sister Kynaston at the end of the 1st meal: I looked down on my plate and saw that I still had a lot left, so i started to slowly put more food in my mouth, sweat began to drip down the back of my neck, everyone talking around me seemed like it was going on in slow motion... I was SO sick after leaving our FIRST dinner appointment... I woke up on Fridaymorning with the sorest stomach and lower back. Did you know that can happen? Now we know. Pray for me. 

Also something that is not cool is now that the weather has dropped, all the mice in TX think that it's okay to come live with us. The other night my companion and I just lied awake in our beds at like 2 in the AM because we were surrounded by mice running by our beds and crossed the room. Then the next night we lied awake in our beds to the sounds of snapping mice traps and the squeaking cries of death. #mylife

There was this HUGE ice storm this week and it covered EVERYTHING in this thick layer of pure ice. I couldn't even open our car door. It was so awesome. Sister Vance and I are just in tears where ever we go from laughing so hard because we keep falling, haha. LOVE IT. 

It sounds like this week has been a pretty rough time for y'all, but I want to bear you my testimony of the Plan of Salvation. After this life, we are "..taken HOME to that God who gave us life" (Alma 40:11). We are brought into the Lord's rest. He loves us so so so much. We are being so looked after here. It was part of the plan to struggle here and experience pain. Salvation isn't easy. We may have to experience one of the tears Jesus wept while suffering in the Garden. When you ask yourself, "Why is it so hard?" Remember you aren't the first to ask that question. Someone much, much greater asked it as well. We are NOT alone here. 

I love you all endlessly. You are my light out here in TX. I never feel alone, because I know I am not. 

ALM,

Sister Kynaston 

Pictures:

Iced over e'ry thing

Me and Sis Vance being happy on THNKSGVNG

Me at dinner number 2 with the Harnandez's

we made pies together

Cacti everywhere

I am getting fat, but it happened so softly...

Oh how I just LOVE my family!!! I am certainly missing all of you this holiday season. I am very happy and taken care of here in Borger though. The ward seems to think I am way too skinny to be taking care of myself so we have TONS of dinner appointments. :) 

This week has been pretty awesome, I guess. So last Monday, I don't know if you all heard of even CARE but the Panhandle had 12 tornadoes and it was INSANE. I have never experienced such crazy weather..We were out knocking doors and this lady answers and just starts screaming at us because there is a tornado outside and we needed to go home, haha. We did make sure to schedule a return appointment before we left though ;) So yeah, pretty crazy. What was NOT FUN was the next day because the tornadoes had blown in the COLDEST WEATHER I have EVER had in my life. We were out proselyting and the tips of my ears started to BLEED it was so cold. No bueno.

90% of my diet this week has been hot chocolate. Also, if you have ever wondered how many no bake cookies you can eat when you make a huge batch and your companion is trying to be healthy so she won't eat any... the answer is all. All of them. You eat all of them.

 I've decided that my main drive to learn Spanish is so I can understand Oscar in the Office in the episode where he "roasts" Michael Scott. 

This week for service we got to go garden in a lady in our ward's house. She is a wonderful artist and she makes the COOLEST jewelry. She wears patchouli as a perfume and she reminds me of Sophie. Anyways, She has the most wonderful garden... I really love working in it. I am SO having a garden when I come home. Also she told me that pools with algae in them are really healthy for dogs to drink out of, so i thought i'd tell you that so you know it doesn't kill oliver when he drinks from the fountain in the back.

Thank you so so so dang much for the wonderful package. I ate the whole box of good and plenty while we did our weekly planning. It was so awesome. i almost started to just cry when I saw you sent money.. I am so lucky to have you guys send me stuff I need. The people here live in such poverty and just need so much.. it is really eye opening to how much stuff we have that we don;t even need and how much we can HELP others.. thank your for helping and supporting me. You are amazing

So i learned this week that the city of Borger has about 15,000 people and guess how many different churches there are here? Guess. 67! HA! Everybody thinks we are just apart of a local church.. it is frustrating. Our ward is so awesome here though. Some of the STRONGEST converts ever. It is pretty small though.. So small that our sacrament meetings are pretty interactive with the people speaking at the pulpit and the congregation. Everybody participates. It is hilarious. I love it.

the mission leader guy in our ward, Brother Bair, had us over for dinner the other night and he told me that he was so impressed with me! He said that I had grown "leaps and bounds" in my 6 weeks here. That was sort of embarrassing to hear because it just made me think of how terrible and awkward I must have been like my first 2 weeks here.. hahaha.. And then something really embarrassing happened, after that nice comment, Sister Vance gave the closing prayer and she accidentally said the word "breast" instead of "best" and it was like my days in the CCM and I just started laughing so hard.. i TRIED and TRIED to hold in the laughter... but it came out. It was really bad timing. Oh dear heavens. I am the worst. Breasts aren't even funny.

Alwight, I basically am done with my weekly report... Oh we started teaching this older couple named Daisy and Andy and I just love them to pieces. I wish they were my 4th set of grandparents. (Loy and Jan are my 3rd). OLD PEOPLE YAY

Have the best week and a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Love you all endlessly 

Sister Kynaston 

the worst experience of my entire life

Cold dumb day of dumbness

we ate this huge pizza and I don't have any regrets

I found this DARLING Kitty darling kitty dfarling

we are starving and poor

i tried to get a picture of the tornado weather

HamBORGER

Heavenly Father loves me because he is letting me stay in Borger for another transfer. I love this dumpy town and all the dogs that chase us on our bikes and during our morning runs. I love the smell of oil when I wake up in the morning. I love all the Chinese Buffets and all the pecan trees. I love the bunnies and possums here. I JUST LOVE BORGER! I've decided that it is like living in Pawnee, Indiana. No joke. 

So this week we had a BAPTISM! This wonderful 81 year old named Loy. He is so special to me. If he ever dies, i'll kill myself. ;) I'll attach some pictures we snapped. 

We have really been trying hard this week to find more investigators. So we have spent plenty of time knocking and serving. You get to meet to the most interesting people knocking. Sometimes I will just find myself on some random porch with a guy with no legs, singing to us about Jesus and dancing in his wheel chair and I will just think about how awesome my mission is, haha.We do all sorts of random service for people. Honestly, it's mostly tearing up old carpet. I know, random. Every Friday we volunteer at this old folks home and we get to eat in the cafeteria. the food is really good, but sometimes I lose my appetite pretty quickly. There is this one guy names Tom and he can't chew his food so he carries around this blender thing and he loads all of his pasta, beans, roll, fish sticks, and tartar sauce and blends it all up and drinks it with a straw. That's usually the point where I am done eating. 

It's been pretty rough trying to find the people the Lord has been preparing. I feel like Joseph Smith sometimes. EVERYBODY here has a church they go to, and they are all different and they all teach different things.. It can be really frustrating because it feels like my voice just is lost in the cries. Satan is working really hard in Borger. But the good news is I am learning so much about hope and faith. Before my mission, they were just words to me that I knew were important. But I didn't know how to apply them or actively use them. Hope conquers discouragement. It "maketh an anchor to the souls of men" (Ether 12:4), it is an abiding trust the the Lord will fulfill His promises to you. Faith is the action. Faith is going out and talking with everybody. Faith is recognizing your weaknesses, but still trying to be like Jesus even though you KNOW you fall so short. Faith is also a trust in our Savior; faith is centered in Him. 

(Some guy just threw up in the library) 

ANYWAYS, this Sunday was the primary program and it was just the best. These kids are so dang cute. Not as cute as my little brothers, but I still love them all. 90% of them speak Spanish and they always laugh at me when I try to talk to them because my Spanish is ROUGH, haha. It's good practice though. :)

I don't have a ton to say this week. But i want to close real fast by letting you know how much I love our Savior. The more I learn of Him and His perfect character, the more I am so eager to place my trust in Him. He has perfect love for each of us. He has perfect power. I owe everything to Him

 and I am out here trying to bring more souls to Him to try and show my appreciation for His Atonement. Always remember and always retain in remembrance His grace, power, love, and charity. 

Have a fantastic week. I love you all so DANG MUCH! 

Sis Kyn

Pics- Loy Boy, also my muscle is NOTHING compared to Sis Vance 

I hit myself with a hammer two times.

Hey Mom, I love you so dang much. This week i have thought of a few things I need done and I hope I am not asking for too much.

I am going to need some boots. The kinds that go below my knee and are waterproof. Like the mom kind of boots that you see at TJ MAxx er something. i don't really care. i buy clothes at Walmart now so obviously I have just given up on clothing. :)

I would absolutely love a scripture case. My bag is about to burst with my book of mormon and bible and an extra one to hand out.

Can  you send me a recipe for a mixed berry pie? We are going to make a lot of pies for all the thanksgiving dinners we got invited to.

Let me know what you can do. 

I love you with an endless love. i will send you a letter this week. you are my light and my life. My love. I think about you every single day. I love you more than i can tell you. I am so lucky to have you as a mom. Thank you for your sacrifices and for taking care of my family. 

You are my favorite and most special mom

I hit myself in the knee with a hammer two times LOL

Pomegranates were eaten, gospel was shared

FAMILIA! Esta semana ha sido el MEJOR! 

We certainly have been busy in Burger TX. I can't believe it is already Monday. Everybody always says in the mission that the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days. I'd like to bear my testimony that this is true. 

Yesterday at church we had a multi stake broadcast from SLC and it was SO GOOD! Then afterwards we had a good ol' Texas pot luck with everyone from the ward. Loy came and so did the Simmons family! It was wonderful. After the broadcast i just got to sit at a table with all my Mexican friends from the ward and speak Spanish and eat hot sauce. These are some of the best days of my life. "Just think, that temp agency could have sent you anywhere!" (Dwight from the Office) But seriously, I am having a great time. We get transfer calls this Saturday and I really hope I don't leave my area. It'll be fun to stay with Sister Vance too. Except if I do stay with her for another 6 weeks, I have to find a nice way to tell her that I never said anything, but it's called "TOPICAL guide" no "TROPICAL guide", because I am going to lose my mind. 

I have been feeling under the weather lately and I woke up today just dead.. My voice sounds like Bob from Bob's Burgers. (Sorry about all the TV references) Every Friday we do something called "Weekly Planning" and it takes about 3 hours. We go through every person we are teaching and working with and we make specific plans for them, we plan our week, make goals, companionship inventory, and other things. Part of weekly planning is this LONG prayer that we go through our list of people and pray from them specifically. We take turns offering it, and this week Sis Vance gave the prayer and I totally fell asleep on the floor. She like had to shake me and wake me up, hahaa. I am the worst. 

Something fun about the Pan Handle of Texas is the CRAZY WIND! It blows SO dang hard here. We will be riding our bikes down a hill and we don't even need to use our brakes to stop, the wind will start pushing you backwards. It's like riding through Jello. I just scream the whole time.

A ton has happened this week, but I can't really remember anything right now. As a missionary, you are used to writing down every thing, so your brain doesn't really have to remember anything... 

OH YEAH I got to go to the Lubbock Temple this week! It is about a 3 -4 hour drive, but I went with Bishop Long and his wife, Sister Long. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH! I just love Bishops (shout out to Bishop Berry) So it was a really awesome road trip. He and his wife are both converts, they are amazing. The temple was so so beautiful and wonderful. I got to do sealings and it was so amazing. I love the temple. I want to live in there. Like sleep in the Celestial Room and the workers could just set up my bed before they leave each night. Ahhh...

 MoM you can erase all of this before putting it on my blog if it's getting too weird, haha. 

I want to close this email by sharing my testimony with you about what i have come to know this week. This is Jesus Christ's church. He stands at the head, and He guides and directs us through our latter day prophet Thomas S Monson. We need to ALWAYS stand by our prophet. This Church is always going to be true. I know this from experience and reason, but also by the confirmation on the Holy Ghost time after time after time. I have never been more proud or grateful to be representing something. You guys! We were raised in the only true church on the Earth! We have grown up with parents who taught us about Heavenly Father and the Plan of Salvation and the Holy Ghost! We have been taught about the sacrament and the Atonement.. you have NO IDEA how lucky we have been. NEVER take that knowledge for granted. You don't know what it is like in other places of the world. We have never had to be confused about truth. We need to share this with everyone. Be missionaries.

I love y'all endlessly. I have a baptism this Saturday and I am so psyched. Send me letters and cash, keep it real ;) 

Sister Kynaston

we caught a mouse and I cried

Also will someone tell me where our ancestors are from? I don't know and everybody keeps asking me and I don't want to look it up. 

Pomegranates

Deasr mom

S

10:39 am

Savannah Kynaston

Hi mom, I love yoU! This week, we weren't able to meet with the Simmons girls. They have been

I ate 5 pomegranates in 4 days

S

Savannah Kynaston

to me, Dean, Sophie, +4
10 minutes ago

Details

Okay so the best thing in the world is pomegranates in greek yogurt with granola and banana slices. SERIOUSLY it is so good. I could have been mugged at gun point this week and it still would have been the best week because I got to eat it. 

Anyways, Texas is doing really well. It is finally warm today and I appreciate that. Thank you family (and Miamaids) for the awesome letters this week! I loved them so much! 

This week has been so weird for me because I went on exchanges with the STL's in Pampa and we had Mission Tour in Lubbock! So a lot of road tripping around scenic Northern Texas. 

I think this Wednesday was the first day that I was like, "okay, I really like my mission." It took me some time to warm up to my area and schedule, but I want to let y'all know I am very happy to be where I am. I am SO GRATEFUL for the opportunity to be a missionary. Seriously, you should all do it. 

SO, exchanges is Pampa were so fun. I was with Sister Wilkens and we just laughed the whole time together. I had so many awkward experiences... I am so bad at talking to people. I like was backing up talking to this guy on his porch and I like fell down 3 stairs and I tried to play it off and keep talking about the gospel but Sis Wilkens was laughing so hard... Oh man.

Mission tour was AWESOME! A General Authority, Elder Foster, came and spoke to us, as well as President Heap (who I am obsessed with). It was a really spiritually powerful day. President Heap shared the story of Naaman, the leper in 2 Kings 5. If you don't really remember that story, Naaman is this powerful guy and he is suffering from leprosy. He hears about a prophet and he goes to him to be healed. The prophet tells his servant to go tell Naaman that if he goes and bathes in the river Jordan 7 times, he will be healed. President goes on to talk about the faith of the different characters in the story, but I was still focused on Naaman bathing 7 times. Think about it, he takes his guards with him to the filthy river, and he wades in.. with everyone watching him. He dips himself down and comes up, and knowing men, looks at his hands and arms coming up to see if he is healed. He sees the leprosy still remains, and dips himself down a 2nd time, comes up, same result.. He does this 4 more times in front of the men who respect him, and they watch him come up covered in leprosy 6 times! (Why don't you think he saw his disease leave him a little bit at a time with each wash? because we don't receive a witness until AFTER the trial of our faith, Ether 12:6) But the 7th time, he comes up CLEAN! How cool is that? I know none of us have leprosy. But each of us have different trials that are given specifically to us to test and strengthen our faith. We can't give up and curse God because we don't see improvements at the pace we would like. We need to hold on and TRUST Him. He will create so much more of us than we can of ourselves. We will create and ordinary man, He will create a God. His grace truly is sufficient. 

I am learning so much here. I am learning the things that are going to prepare me to be a missionary for life. I am going to be a strong ward member. I will help out in missionary lessons, I will offer up my home to teach others about the Gospel! I am going to reach out to those in need for the rest of my life so that my brothers and sisters can make it safely through mortality. I will stand as an EXAMPLE of the believers at all times. The way I am going to live my life will share my testimony with others, and when people know me, they will want to know Jesus. I know that all of you are reading this and rolling your eyes thinking about how weird I am going to be when I come home, haha. I know I know.. but I am fine with that, because I know how important this gospel is. I hope each of you can learn that for yourselves too. I love you all so much. I love this church, I love it's leaders, I love the responsibilities that come with being a latter day saint. The Lord is hastening the work and He is preparing people to hear of His gospel. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week and look for opportunities to serve and WORK HARD! I am constantly covered in sheet rock, grass clippings, dirt, paint, and sweat. (and pomegranate juice) I don't even know why i shower anymore. ;)

LOVE Y'ALL

Sister Kynastonnnnn

Pictures: I have never had this muscle before, thanks morning hell runs. 

Also I broke my camera mom, so i didn't take any pictures this week. I will try to fix it, haha.

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S

9:57 am

Savannah, me (5)

Because you sent me a ton of letters and awesome emails and a journal filled with money, ahaha. On