So this week has been so much fun! As you know my birthday was Tuesday, but really the celebration began Monday night when I finally caved and opened up my package :) haha I almost made it! But the sisters and I had a wonderful time eating the candy and ya just having fun. Thank you soo much! Also the chocolate frogs you guys sent me were soo cool!!! a total hit! :) My district surprised me by buying me a card and they actually gave me money! I have no idea where they got cash from as I literally have like 10 cents to my name right now... but it was just soo nice! Everybody sang to me and some elders from in my district sent some donuts so we pretended like those were my birthday cake. Also the devotional that night was so personal and inspiring. It was just a great birthday! Oh also, we had a service project that morning so I got to wear jeans for the first half of the day. I was happy :) so ya I am 21! woohoo!! Oh I saw Elder Frazier on Sunday! Finally! But I haven't seen him since. haha there are just so many people here. I got a letter from Elder Foster! It makes me soo happy to hear from the other missionaries serving from our ward. I feel like we are all on the Lord's team right now- cheesy I know, but it just made me so happy! It is sad to see the Elders and Sisters leave the MTC, but it is a good reality check. Sometimes it's hard to remember that I am leaving in just like a week and a half. Crazy! I have met so many people from Mesa! I can't wait to get out there! I wish Sister Jones and I were going to the same mission though :( she is my best friend here and we just get along so well! It's also nice cus we teach well together. I am so blessed to have such a great companion! The MTC has been busy as usual and I have learned a ton! I think one of the main lessons I have learned this week is how truly important all of the seemingly little things are in pertaining to happiness in this life as well as the life to come. Elder Jackson (Elder in my district from Perth, Australia) told us this story in class and I thought it was really interesting... So when he was back home he went with some of his friends to a gold mine. When they were there exploring and taking it all in, their tour guide told them a very surprising fact about the mine. Apparently the amount of gold flakes that drop to the ground and get stuck on the bottom of peoples shoes accumulates to a very pricey amount. As such the mine enforces a rule that before leaving the workers must brush off their shoes and the gold specks are collected. He also told them that the sidewalks get ripped up every year or so and the gold flakes are taken from there as well. This all seems very strange and pointless when you think about the giant gold chunks that are getting dug up in the mine, but believe it or not the mines greatest profits come from the little flakes they collect. Who would have thought?! So yeah, the little things count! Don't underestimate the effect they can have on you and your eternal happiness. Always pray! All the time! If there is anything that has helped me to gain a closer and more intimate relationship with my Father in Heaven, it has been through sincerely praying to Him. I know that God loves me and that He loves all of His children here on earth.
Welp that's all for now! love you all! and thanks again to all those who wrote me this week- friends and family thank you all sooo much!
Love,
Kelsey
(Sister Hamstead)
ps- so a lot of people have a hard timw with my name. I have gotten things like: Sister Hammer, Hamster, Hammy, Abrahammy (that one's from sister Jones), and my very favorite Plumstead! haha :)
To Papa:
Hi Papa!! Thank you so much for your email! It makes me so happy to hear from you all. I wrote more letters home this week so you all should be getting them either tomorrow or Saturday. Thank you so much for that blessing. It's funny you should even bring up having faith, hope, and charity because I have been praying that I might be able to have those more in my life. As my companion and I have been striving to teach our "investigators" I have come to see how crucial it is to have Christ like love for these people. If you don't love them the way that He loves them, then you cannot teach them the way that He would teach them. So thank you for blessing me with this. I know that if I am faithful to the Lord that I can count on those blessings to see me through. I went to the temple this morning and it was wonderful. I feel like I found so much more symbolism this time. I love that about the temple- I have a different and unique learning experience literally every time I go! I love it :) When I was in the temple I read in Matthew about when Jesus cursed the fig tree. Then they walk by it either later that day or the next day and it was all dried up. Then Jesus goes on to say something like, anything can be done with faith. If you tell a mountain to move, it will move...
Well anyways, I love you Papa! Hope all is going well with the business and home and seminary! Love you!
Kelsey xoxoxox