7 months and 70 pounds later

Querida Family y Amigos, 

How are you all doing? If you are on this email chain, you know that you are the best of the best. So congrats to each one of you. 

Saturday was a special day (and not just because we got ready for Sunday). I hit my 7 month mark and we got transfer calls! Both Hna B and I were so so nervous so we just did sit ups until the call came, lol. Sister Bushnell got her call first and when they said she was going to Borger, TX to be with Hna Donis, i just lost it. I was crying SO HARD I couldn't even talk to hear my call. I was so happy for her. She is going to LOVE it there. She is going straight into the arms of my Irene and my Hermana Donis. The Lord loves her. They told my that I would be staying and my new compa was coming from her training area of Alpine Texas and was from the Dominican Republic. Her nae is Hermana Castro. I sobbed out a reply and hung up and Hna B and I just hugged each other and ccrriieeddddddd. It is so hard to keep saying goodbyes. That's the worst part about Missions. But the spirit was so strong because these calls are what the LORD wants and it feels so right. I am SO excited to show Han Castro around Portales and go out and WORK! 

Sister Bushnell and I have have gotten to know each other so well in these 7 weeks. I talk to her in all my weird voices and she talks back to me in a Stitch voice. In Relief Society, they where talking about how someone's family motto was "it will all work out" and then she asked, does anyone else's family have their own motto? And Sister Bushnell leans over to me and whispers "Kynaston's don't take dares". HAHahahah. She is so sharp, I am going to miss her.

My talk in the Spanish Branch went really really well. I was SO SO nervous before hand and I stayed up all night tossing and turning, repeating Spanish vocab in my head.. But I prepared well, and when I got up to the pulpit, my mind was clear and the Lord blessed me with the gift of tongues and the spirit was so strong. I was able to speak what was in my mind and my heart and I talked about the Savior and shared scriptures. I really love the Branch. I am so glad I am staying with them.

I am so grateful for all the opportunities the Lord gives me to improve. If He didn't care about me, he wouldn't care about giving me trials to overcome and I just wouldn't ever progress. But he is behind me and is pushing me along my mission, even when i am crying and upset and have given up, He keeps pushing, haha. I am so grateful for that. He knows the end destination and can't wait to get us there. Trust in His perfect timing. that is probably the hardest thing, but the most rewarding. Keep moving forward! Seguir adelante! 

love, 

Hermana Kynaston

Pascua poo

Herro Family and fwends. I love you guys! I hope you have been having a wonderful week! :) My week has been preeetttyyyy dumb. 

First off, we were walking home one day and we went through this other street so we could say hi to our investigator, JJ, but we saw all these cop cars and fire trucks and stuff around it, and we see his home just burned to a crisp. And we like run up and are like, "Is the person who lives here okay!?" and they are like, "we cant talk about it, be on your way" And we are like "We know him though!!!" And this detective guy (who looks 15) comes up and is like Oh you know him? I am going to need to see your ID's. So then they ask us all these questions for like 45 minutes and it was really creepy and they went through our planners to see all the days we had seen him, it was so annoying. Then a member in the branch texts us late that night and says she saw on the news that they had found 2 bodies in the house that were taken in for an autopsy. Next day they said that the bodies had been shot and killed and that their house was burned to hide the murder or something like that. So Hna B and I have been so freaked out and sad these passed couple of days. North side of Portales is known for being really sketchy and that's our area, lovely.  

A lot has happened this week. i don't really feel like writing all about everything so I will just give you a few points of stuff:

I have really missed Pier 49 this week so I make Hermana Bushnell roleplay and pretend to call in orders and I pretend to answer and tell her all about our specials, hahah. So duuumb 

We had to go to Lubbock for some dumb mission thing that lastest 30 minutes. Total waste of miles. But we had an awesome road trip! We just sang our lungs out to Vocal Point (family: BUY THE CD Vocal Point Lead Kindly Light) and we took some awesome pictures, i will send you them :)

Since it is spring, all of the animals that live by us are having babies! I guess that happens in the Spring? But it is so cuuuuuute! Kathy has a baby horse now and there are baby kitties and baby lambs and baby llamas and baby rams and baby spiders and baby humans. S'cute

I have to speak next Sunday in the Branch and I am like what's the topic and he's like missionary work. And I am like uh on Easter Sunday? And he's like, uhh yeah. Missionary work and Jesus. HAhaha.. Pray for me.. 

We were invited to a Catholic Service (in Spanish) on Saturday.

We went knocking yesterday and found the most wonderful family!!! The mother is named Mari and she has 7 boys!!! She's like Irene but reversed. She invited us in and we taught about the Plan of Salvation and she had so many good questions. Then she invited us for dinner on Wednesday and is going to teach us how to make tortillas! HURRAY!!!!

I love you all. And I am tired, So i am ending this email.

Love, 

Sister Kynaston

Best and worst week.

oh Family.. This truly has been a week of SO much growth. ( I can hardly focus though because there is the most annoying old guy sitting next to me BREATHING SO LOUD!) But anyways, all is well. Estoy siguiendo adelante!

So i will start with the bad first. This morning we woke up to having a flat tire. And instead of being allowed to drive it slowly to the car store place, we had to CHANGE the TIRE and then drive it. So, in a SKIRT, I got out the jack and the spare and some other tools that i found in the trunk and I flippin changed the tire. #WhoNeedsElders? Also this week, my brain turned to mush and I became a depressed bed potato. I couldn't get up. I didn't want to talk to anybody. I didn't want to look in a mirror. I seriously was just DONE! My poor companion.. So I called Sister Heap and she is helping me a ton. But it has been very slow going for me this week. I've been to a bunch of doctors and we are figuring this out! Everything should start to improve. I just hate feeling like that, because that's not what I came out to do.. i don't want to lay in bed. i don't want to be sick. I want to FIND, TEACH, AND BAPTIZE! The Lord is so good to me and is teaching me the best things. I am learning how to take care of myself, and how to be humble enough to let others take care of me too. Mainly those are just the things that have made this week dumb. 

BUT THIS WEEK HAS BEEN SO AMAZING! BECAUSE I GOT TO SEE MY BORGER FAMILY! We woke up really early and rode down to Lubbock with our favorite RM named Julaine. We got to the temple and I knew that the Borger ward was coming in like an hour, so Sister B and I did initiatories for a second and then ran down to the baptismal font. I walked in there and Bishop Long gave me the biggest hug! Then Sister Long! Then Sister Cochran! Then Mario! Tears just streamed down my face. Sister Long and I just looked at each other and smiled and cried for like a whole minute. My heart was going to explode. Then i walked towards the Sister changing room, and I opened the door and in the reflection of the mirror, I see Irene's beautiful face and i LEAPED INTO HER ARMS!!!! And my heart exploded. I just lost myself and we cried and cried just hugging each other. I accidentally was like sobbing. But Irene just held me even though she's like SO pregnant. She was just saying "I love you I love you I love you I love you" in my ear over and over. I finally pulled away and BOOM there was HERMANA DONIS!!!!!! I just hugged the crap out of her too. Sister Long was in there and she's crying and saying "This is what Heaven will be like". Every time I reflect on that moment I tear up. I have never in all my life felt that much love. I was surrounded in the Temple by people who LOVED me. And not only loved me, but genuinely CARED about me, people who prayed for me. And there they all where, hugging and kissing me. I felt like the most beautiful person in all the world. I got to sit with Irene as we waited in the confirmation room with Irene's hands on top of mine, feeling little baby Savannah kick around, and I had Sister Donis's arm around me. I just closed my eyes and thanked God for this perfect moment in His home.

Irene and I got a few minutes to ourselves outside the temple. We walked around and talked about life. She is such a rockstar. She is the Relief Society secretary! She loves it. She just held my face in her hands and thanked me for knocking on her door. For saving her and her babies. She said that no one will ever replace me. She told me her girls and she still hadn't gotten over me leaving and that they talked about me all the time. Irene said that I was the brightest light in her life. Then we promised each other to meet back in the temple one year from her baptism. AND THEN WE FACE TIMED HER GIRLS! They are so beautiful and they just screamed when they saw me. Oh you guys.. my heart is so full. I can't even begin to explain the joy that i have in my heart. What if I had not come?

As I kneeled down in prayer that night, I just cried to my Heavenly Father in the utmost gratitude. I explained to Him how much love I felt and how beautiful I felt around those people. And then He took that time to teach me about HIS perfect love for me. I knew that if I truly understood HIS love, I would always feel beautiful. I would always feel enough. When i am around Irene, do i even give one thought to my weight? Stretch marks? Complexion? NOOOOOOO! So if I understood Heavenly Father's love, would I give any thought to those either?

Words cannot describe how much I love this gospel. It gives us a new life. Not just when we sin. But through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we are offered that new life and new start everyday. After a hard week. After a long winter of depression. After a loss of a testimony. We are offered a fresh start. A budding blossom of love and peace. 

I love you each so much. I love my mission. I love these people. I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve my Heavenly Father. i feel like i haven't even done anything, but He has blessed me beyond belief. 

Love, 

Your Sister Kynaston

Six months and still alive!

BARELY ALIVE! Just kidding, i am doing great. I eat apple jacks and a nutella sandwich for every meal and I feel like I am in the CCM! 

I was trying to tell my companion a story of something that happened before my mission and it was the weirdest thing, I like couldn't remember ANYTHING! And then I was trying to remember what i did for my birthday and I couldn't remember that either! AH! The mission fog is setting in! :(

There is a guy sitting next to me at the ENMU library wearing a ton of cologne. 

This week has been so nuts. We have just been doing so much service for members, less actives, and recent converts. it is a great way to get to know them and establish a relationship with them. Everyone has been so worried about Sister Bushnell and me. they just see these two small girlies who live in Taco Town and don't know how to cook. So everyone tells us to come over and eat with them ANY DAY and we had a member drop off this HUGE bag of toilet paper, tape, granola bars, flash lights, stamps, paper towels, and a bag of frozen shrimp. We get calls from people checking up on us all the time, ahaha. It is so weird. I am stronger than I look! (not really though, I am fatter than I look) 

As the senior companion, I tried to get Hna Bushnell to unclog the drain in our shower, but she refused and I refused too so now our drain is disgusting. That's what we really need someone to help with..

Kathy and Lane came to church! YAY PROGRESSION!

So my 6 month anniversary was on Friday and I spent it at the Pedroza's house. We had a mini fiesta. She bought me this cute tres leches cake and all of the sudden the whole family is chanting "mordida mordida mordida!" (bite it bite it bite it!) And I am like, what bite it? Where? What? and Hermana Pedroza is like it's a tradition! Bite the edge of the cake! (Mom I think you and Grammy are secretly Mexican) Because I leaned in and was going to bite a tiny part of the edge and BAM! My whole face got shoved into the cake. I didn't even see it coming.

I also learned the Spanish version of John Jacob Jingle hieheihjigh schmit song. 

I have really been learning so much these passed few weeks. I have been feeling so down on myself and so critical and depressed. I felt like I was never doing enough. Never rising to the Lord's expectations. Not being a good example to Hermana Bushnell., etc.. But recently we went to this little baptism for a cutie 8 year old named Reagyn and they had a music number from this little 6 or 7 year old named Rachel and she played a TINY cute violin. Everyone was on the edge of their seats just smiling so BIG and everyone was so proud of her for playing this cute little tune. The spirit hit me so hard and I suddenly realized, we didn't care that she squeaked a few times, it didn't matter that she wasn't Lindsey Sterling, it didn't matter that she forgot to play the 2 verse. Everyone was just so PROUD of her for getting up there, holding that little violin, and trying. I KNEW that that was how my Heavenly Father saw me. While I was tearing myself apart and being so critical, He was watching me try and was so proud of me. We all need to be so patient with ourselves. We need to extend to ourselves the same kind of mercy that we extend to others. We are doing so well! We are enough! I don't mean that we don't need to stop trying or anything. We need to take responsibility for where we are in our lives, but allow ourselves some satisfaction for who we are and what we have worked to become. We are NOT going to be perfect in this life. But if we are a little better today than we were yesterday, we are doing enough. 

I love each of you so so so much. you mean everything to me and I am so proud to have you as my family and closest friends. Keep moving forward. 

Love, 

Sister Kynaston

leggings are not pants Savannah

Exerpt from her paper letter today

Dear Fat family:
I don't want to come home looking perfectly well rested, a size 2, clear glowing skin, perfectly up kept hair...  
I want to come home with tired watery eyes from waking up at 6:30 every day.  I want to come home with scarred, beat up feet from walking miles and biking.  I want to come home a little chubby from wonderfully spent evening in members' homes lovingly being fed.  I want to come home with dry, tired hair from showering every day and never having time to do anything with it.  When I come home, I want people to know I worked my bum off and that I truly truly loved the people of West Texas and east New Mexico.  That  is what's important.  The mission flies by.  I blinked and now I've been out 6 months.  

TACO TOWN

Hola familia! The learning continues.. We are starting week three of the transfer and Sister Bushnell and I are exhausted, haha. We have a lot of fun together though. I feel like we are the same person, it's crazy. We say the exact same things at the same time with the same voice and its so awkward. She is a lot more nice than I am though, ahah. 

The service here is so much fun! We go to the Old Folks home (English) and play dominoes with them, and we go to the La Casa de los Abuelitos (Spanish), and play La Loteria with them (spanish bingo). It is a blast. We helped out a lady in the ward yesterday cover mattresses and move them into her garage and helped her drill stuff and we got to use power tools and i felt just like MOM! :) (except I know mom doesn't scream when she uses them.)

We are teaching this DARLING family. the wife, Kathy is about 25 and is a world wide champion for like Mounted Steer Riding? I think that's what it's called. Basically it's riding on a horse and shooting stuff. She is SO AWESOME! and Lane is the husband, he is so big and indian. He is very special, and we actually found out that he was baptized but hasn't been to church since he was about 14. He loves little house on the prairie and we talk about that all the time. They have a 2 year old girl named Kimana and she is so cute. She loves playing with my name tag. They are so prepared for the gospel, they don't even know it. I love teaching them. 

Not a ton happened this week.. I had a lot of break downs because i have been really stressed out, haha. Poor Sister Bushnell. Pray for her. I am doing so well though! I am so happy. I have learned that happiness doesn't come from being a missionary. Happiness comes from keeping the commandments. 

I love you all so much. Thank you for all your love and support! XOXO

Pics: me wearing this SICK Texas belt that Hna Pedroza made! Haha Sister Bushnell taking a nap. 

Naca New Mexico

I have arrived! Tuesday was a looong day of driving, but I finally made it to my new area and I am so pumped to be here! My cute new companion is named Hermana Bushnell and she has been out for about 2 1/2 months. She is from St George, Utah, and just so darling. Her trainer was really really tough, so up to this point she has had 0 fun on her mission and just feels sad all the time. From the first hour we were companions though, I have just loved the crap out of her and we have been having so much fun. We are serving in a heavily Spanish area with a Spanish branch, and we both know only a little Spanish, it's been so hilarious. But miracles are going to happen with our language. I testify that the Gift of Tongues is real and working in us. We have been working so hard. 

Guess who was asked to give a talk at the Branch on Sunday? Me. I was. I don't even remember what I said, i was so nervous. The people here just get so happy when they see ANYONE who is trying to learn their language. So they were all pretty touched, it was beautiful! :) 

Portales was Sister Donis's first area and she made SUCH an impact here. The people here just LOVE her! She gave me so many letters to hand out to people and each one of them tells them to take such good care of me and to love me, haha. That goes a really long way coming from her. I feel to blessed to have served with her. I love her 

Everybody reeeaallllyyyy hated the last Sister Missionary who was here, so they are so so glad to have a change of sisters here. Everyone has been so welcoming and loving. They also have this theory that if you eat chile and habenors, you will learn to be fluent in Spanish. So needless to say, this had been a very SPICY couple of days being fed by people. 

We also got a phone call from President Heap a few days back telling us that we were now in charge of the Branch, Ward and YSA! We are SO sos so so so SO o sos os busy. But it is really great. Have you ever been to 6 hours of church before? I have!

We both feel like we are starting from the very beginning because we have to pick up after the last Sister who was here, ugh. I really think i can make a difference here though, I am really excited. 

I miss Irene so terribly and think about her and her girls often. I can't wait for the day that I get to see her again. 

Sister Bushnell and I started running again! I am so sore. But hardly any of my clothes fit me, so it's about time... I am actually totally fine with gaining weight though, because it shows how hard I have worked to serve and love the people here, by eating all of their food they give me. I am proud of that!  

There is an AMAZING family here, named the Pedroza's. They are so wonderful. We met with them like the second day I was here and it was like walking into our home. They have just embraced us with open arms and have worked REALLY hard to instill in our minds that their home is OUR home. We are ALWAYS welcome. They really would do anything for us. i love them. They made us the best gorditas last night. YUMMY! I find myself at home every day eating rice, beans and salsa, and tortillas. I don't even know how that happened.. 

I love you all so so so much. Heavenly Father has so much he wants me to learn here and I am working so hard to learn it and share my talents. 

Please send me letters and cash. 

p.s. there are SO many dogs here. Everywhere. We wake up every morning to like 3 or 4 dogs sleeping on our porch.