Happy New Year!

Hello My Dear Family,

It feels like it has been many moons since we spoke. :) It was so nice to talk to you all. I am so happy you got my package and that you enjoyed the bookmarks and pan dulce. I thought of each of you a lot to try to write and choose something that I felt was perfect for you. I love you all so much! I hope you liked the Jar. I thought it turned out really cute. I just love Texas so sorry that I send you more texas stuff. :) I did get your package and grandpa sams. Thank you so much. I loved the necklace. It was so beautiful. I wore it so proudly the day after I got it. :) Thank you and Kylee girl you have such good taste! :)

I enjoyed seeing all the pictures you send and hearing about your spiritual experiences. It is so beautiful to feel that kind of spirit all the time. Like always the writing and poem was so perfect and I couldn't help but cry. It is those kind of feelings that make me feel and believe that we have a loving Heavenly Father and that His plan is so perfect. I know that it isn't just for coincidence that we are here but it is for a reason. We have purpose and we have to continue to find that daily. 

Our week was good. Because of the Holidays I feel like it has been a little hard to get in with people who aren't members. It is okay though because we had a great week. It was very spiritually uplifting. We had a few bits of great news. Joana got a new job and so she doesn't have to work on sundays anymore. That means she will be in church every week. We have an appointment with them tonight. I am excited to see them. We are going to teach her about Modern Day prophets and a few of the revelations that they have given. She is doing great. She is excited to continue preparing to make these promises with God.

I have some news...I am getting transferred. I know. Kind of Crazy but I know it is Heavenly Father's will. I was a bit shocked cause I thought I would stay since I just had one more. I feel good about it though. It will be a great experience. President Pingree emailed me yesterday and told me that "I know that this last transfer will be one of your very best. Sure love and appreciate you!" He knows it is going to be great! Just as a side note, We ate a lot of tamales and they were fantastic. Don't worry dad, I will learn how to make them.  

Well, I don't really have much else to tell you. I love you all and I am grateful that all of you are my family. :) I hope you have a wonderful new year. This is a perfect time to set new goals and to plan how we are going to change our lives for the better and help other people change their lives as well. Yesterday in church, Bishop Bustos told us to write down some of our goals and then any of the goals that aren't going to help us get closer to Christ and God to erase them. I think that it is so true. Yes, we need to make goals for our life but we need to make sure they are in line with God's will and he will make everything else work out. :) Love you all lots

Remember who you are and who you belong too

Off Finding the Tens of Thousands

Love your little texan. Hermana Rife

Love this Mormon Message

Christmas Eve 2013 with the Flores Family  :)

On exchanges with Hermana Crandall at the Food Bank 

All the missionaries doing service at the Food Bank

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Email from Tuesday, December 24, 2013)

Merry Christmas! I shall be talking to you all tomorrow. I am sad that you didn't get my package yet. It is soooo cool. :( I hope it doesn't get bad. If it does...all is well, all is well.

Well a lot of good things happened this week. Stephanie and her Family are on a cruise. We helped her out and wrapped all her Christmas Presents. She always feels so loved. She is so special. We shared a message about Christmas and we invited her to pray more frequently. She expressed about wanting to not feel empty. I know that it is her need for the Gospel in her life. Especially the Atonement. 

Joana told us that she will be setting a baptismal date for herself next week for January. :) I love them. We talked to her about the plan of Salvation and she just loved it. 

The Atonement has helped me and countless people feel that hole filled. Feel Whole. I know that Christ suffered for us so that we can get through this life as well as being cleansed from the sins we make. I am so grateful for the chance we have to celebrate the birth of Christ during this time but most importantly, what He did for us. I know that He has prepared the path and we just have to follow it. 

Yesterday, was the Christmas Conference as you know. It was beautiful. I played the piano for hermana mccleary. I had a little breakdown at the end. Knowing that, this was probably the last large conference that I would have in my mission. I received 7 christmas cards and 1 package from Aunt Holly and Uncle Greg. I got grandma's card last night. Thanks for those! :) 

On the weekend, we got to participate in many Christmas activities. I got to do an exchange with Hermana Crandall. It was SO fun. We went caroling in front of a store and had a great time working together again. She is such a sweet girl. As for the rest of the weekend, We were busy singing at christmas parties, caroling in front of stores and trying to serve and help people. 

Well I am excited to talk to you all tomorrow. I love you all a lot and am very grateful for the love and support you always give me. I'll see you all tomorrow! :) Yes, SEE is the right word. Remember who you are and to whom you belong too.

Off finding the 10s of 1000s.

Hermana K. Rife

Hermana Hill and Kynsie with Joana and Shane

"Love them!  :)"

Hermana Hill, Hermana Estrada "(she is great)" and Kynsie at the Ward Christmas Party

Hermana Crandall and Kynsie Christmas Caroling

"Me with all the treats we made for people in our ward, investigators and neighbors.  Then we went caroling with the Elders and the Bishop and his family.:

The next day after getting her email...

Christmas Day  2013...

We got to visit with "Our favorite Missionary"!!!  :)

So enjoyed her visit and hearing of her experiences and her sweet testimony!

We LOVE you Kynsie and will REALLY see you in 49 days!!!

(as you can probably tell her family is getting just a little bit excited!)

:D

However, I must also admit that although I am very excited to see this cute girl again, I will truly miss hearing of her wonderful experiences that she is having as a missionary and feeling of her sweet missionary spirit and testimony. 

Our family had indeed been blessed by her service to the people of Houston, Texas and to our Heavenly Father.

Christmas 2013 continued for us on December 26th

when we received this: 

Inside the package...

Our family had a very sweet experience as we all sat around our Christmas tree and shared with each other the little individual "homemade gifts" that Kynsie had made for each one of us.  The last 17 months has truly been a choice experience and blessing for each family member.

Christmas is coming to town :)

Hello Family! How are you all doing. Okay so before I forget...I will probably be calling around 1 or 2 here in texas...I can't remember how the hours work so maybe you can figure it out. Next monday, as it is right now I will not be emailing. I will try to find a computer on the 24th but there aren't any promises because who knows what will be open or closed. We have a conference for the mission next monday so my preparation day will be tuesday but I will try to find a computer so that we can solidify the phone call and everything. We are going to be able to skype. we found someone who is willing to let us use it. Yay and so get looking pretty! :) About the mail. You can probably just leave it as the mission office address. Transfers is on the 1st so its fine. I have been getting the mail. It is a little delayed but I get it so no worries about that. 

This email is going to be very short. We are trying to get something pretty fun ready to send ya'll. I want to send it today so that it gets to you, so excuse my lack of writing. :) I will also try to get the letters done this week but it depends because I have to finish a few things. Just so you know...I am sending you something that you need to open when it comes. Your little personal presents will be wrapped but I am sending you one of my favorite treats so when the package comes you can open it and enjoy the treat that will be on the top! :) You will have to wait to open the rest until christmas :) 

This week has been a bit crazy. All I can say is that I am grateful for all the unseen help that we receive as well as the power of the priesthood. I am grateful for the power of God. Things are really good and we have been staying busy. It was an awesome miracle on monday because we went and saw the P. Family. We taught a lesson and then on friday we received a call from them. They told us that they had been reading and praying every day and how good they felt. It was a change of person in the voice I heard over the phone. It was so fun to be able to see what a change can make when a person is reading and praying.

We also visited with Joana and Shane this week. She is doing pretty good. She is learning and we are working with her in setting a date for baptism. She totally wants to but she just wants to feel more prepared. So hopefully, it will be happening soon. :) 

We had a few neat little miracles of being in the right place at the right time. we went to this bakery and this lady said, hey you all used to come to my house in mexico. I got baptized but then I moved here. Can you come visit me on thursday? :) We were like yes! Also, we went and visited who we thought was a less active who came to church last week with her kids. Well it turns out that her son got baptized but she never did! :) She came to church again yesterday and also her son brought one of his friends. It was so fun to see them all there. I just think that sometimes Heavenly Father gives us so many miracles and it makes me so happy to see how he places people in our path when we are trying to do what is good and right.

I am excited to talk to you all next week! I think it will be really fun. It is crazy that it has been a year from last christmas. I feel like it just barely happened. Well I hope you all have a wonderful week and that everyone stays safe and doing good things. Hope you know how much I love you all. Take care and have a great week! Remember who you are and to whom you belong to.

Thanks for your email. Until Next week. Off finding the Tens of Thousands!

Hermana Rife

Ps: After planning one night, hermana hill and i started talking about weird things we used to do. I started telling her about how I would do stalls and weird things all the time with Jessica. I then thought..hmmm i wonder if I can still do it...well good news. I can! :) haha I know I know...I am weird. Well the good thing is...I got a picture...the bad thing is...I am not sending it can it is ugly...:D haha

Me eating Pan Dulce! Love it :)

Kynsie eating Pan Dulce!  "I love it! :)"

Tamales and Miracles could be related

Hello Family! I hope you are all doing great! Thanks for your email. I am sorry to hear that it is so cold in Utah. I was hoping that the cold just followed me and that when I come in Feb. that it will be how it was in texas last Feb. Fairly warm. :) But I guess that isn't the case. I mean maybe this wasn't part of the deal but if i remember right when I prayed before, I told Heavenly Father....I will go wherever you want me to go but I will be really happy and do a lot better if it is somewhere warm. I definitely got that heat....but i didn't know that it would be equally cold as well....I guess you have to know the bitter to be grateful for the sweet. :) It is FREEZING here though. The humidity like goes through my body and I am not the most prepared for the cold because I didn't know it got cold here. Oh well, life shall go on.

Despite the cold, it has been a beautiful week full of miracles. This has been such a wonderful week. :) I don't even know where to begin

JR: our dear friend has been off and on and up and down. He is really prepared and so he is receiving a lot of opposition. Who would have thought? ;) His girlfriend's dad, isn't a huge fan of us and he keeps talking to Jr and telling him that what we are telling him isn't true. We went and read Alma 36 with jr. After we were done, we asked him what he thought about it and he told us that he feels like Alma is kind of like him because he has changed and is changing from his old ways. He told us how he feels like he wants to argue and defend when this man is telling him this stuff. He said...I just feel like it isn't a lie and I feel God's love and the spirit when I talk to you all. It was so beautiful to hear. He wasn't able to come to church but this week we will get him back. He promised that he would really start putting in the time reading. :)

Johana: Formerly known as Juana. Could I say Miss Prepared. Her Boyfriend, shane is like the best example ever! We went over and had pizza and watched the restoration movie and taught her about the restoration and tithing. Shane bore the sweetest testimony about being obedient to the commandments even if we don't understand why and acting in faith knowing that God will bless us. Johana had seen him writing a check for his tithing and was surprised at the amount that it was for. After talking to her about it and shane's testimony, she was like okay. I am going to ask his parents the blessings they have received. :) She told us that she wants to find a new job so she can go to all the hours of church. She promised about reading and praying about to see if Joseph Smith who restored the Church of Christ and the Book of Mormon to see if it is true. She came to church with Shane and his family in the english ward for the 1st hour and we have a cita with her this week. She is so awesome. She told us that she talked to her parents and they are okay if she gets baptized. This week we will be extending a date! :) YAY! 

Andra: We have been trying to put our names in different stores, and community places for service during this time of year and also through the year to come, and we dropped our card off at the local library. We received a call saturday  morning from this lady named Andra. She said that she was interested in meeting us as well as wanting to buy a copy of the Book of Mormon. We went over to the library and had a little chat with her. She told us how her Granddaughter who lives in Utah is dating a member of the Church and she wants to learn more about us. She said that she has seen wonderful changes in her as they have been dating and that he and his family are just splendid. She wants to meet with us again and they said when they come to Utah in may they are going to give me a call and we are going to get together. :) She was so excited to know the Book of Mormon was a free gift and just really loved talking to us. I really loved it too. The neat thing is that we prayed before going to drop off our card and asked that good would be able to come from this act. When we sort of got denied from doing service or any help right then, I was a little bummed but then just a week later, look what happened. It is all about in His timing. We just have to wait and trust in his plan. :) It was so special to see that He had a bigger plan waiting all along. :) 

Stephanie: I had been feeling for a few days that we needed to go see Stephanie and see how she was doing. I wanted to invite her to the Christmas Devotional. We went over and she was just getting home. She invited us in and she told us, well I think tomorrow would be a great day to go to church. We were like yeah? She said, yes, what is your schedule like? We said of course. She said oh hermana rife, I have something for you. We were black friday shopping and I saw something that I wanted to give to you. She was so kind, and who knows how she knew or why she thought of me but she bought me a perfume set from Victoria's Secret. I was getting low on the perfume I brought on my mission and I was like I will have to restock when I get home and then she gave it to me. It was so sweet. She also gave a bottle to Sister Durham who was on exchanges with me. She is just so kind. I love her. Sunday morning we went to her house and she followed us to church. It couldn't have gone anymore perfect. Hannah her daughter, who reminds me so much of Josie Anderson, and her other daughter Alexa, and her baby Kaylor. They had a really neat meeting with a young woman who is deaf who signed her talk and someone interpreted it, the young women did a musical number with chimes and then a member from the stake. Stephanie loved it. To top it off, her daughter Alexa knows like 5 girls in the ward and they are her friends! Stephanie said she is going to go back and a few families offered to do family nights to us and introduced themselves. We are going to be passing her over to the sisters but it was so sweet! :) 

Alma: The Bishop's neighbor that we are teaching is doing really good. This is her second time at church with us and she is really loving it. She said that she's reading the book of mormon. It is just so neat to see a friend of one of the members. We are going to teach them tomorrow with the Bishops family and I think we are going to try to extend a date! :) I am really excited about them. 

Temple: We were able to go to the temple and I was able to do baptisms and confirmations, and the other ordinances for not only my Great Great Great Great Great Grandmother, and the first person I found on Family Search, but also for about 10 other people. The spirit was strong as I did the work for Clarissa Clara J Quilliams. :) It was so special. I love the temple and the power I feel inside. It is really so sacred and a blessing that we have the chance to help our family members and feel of the Love of our Heavenly Father there!

 

Carlos: Because of His work visa, he didn't really know what day he would be leaving. They just tell them and then they all have to get their stuff and leave. I had a feeling one night, go visit carlos. So we went. As we got there, he was walking outside and got this huge smile on his face, he said. Hermanas I am so happy you came. I was hoping you would come, because I just found out I am leaving like right now. It was Such a good miracle. I think that it was a strengthening testimony to me and as well to him that Heavenly Father listens to our prayers, but also to our hope and desires. :) We were able to share our testimonies, encourage him to stay firm and sing para siempre Dios este con Vos. I love him so much. He is so sweet and has been a very special person to know in the mission. I will miss him a lot but it was the neatest thing that could have happened. 

Alicia and the Tamales: Last night for the Devotional, we invited all the members to invite someone to the devotional. We decided to have a little get together afterward. We made some oreos, and pumpkin muffins and then we were going to have hot chocolate. Saturday night, Hno Ramierez told us that he ordered some Tamales too. I was thinking in my head...okay that doesn't really go well with the whole sweets and hot chocolate thing but its okay. Who doesn't like Tamales?!!! So we had been inviting everyone too. We especially wanted Alicia to come because she hasn't come to church yet...let alone to the church. I was really hoping she could make it and then when we called her yesterday she said, hermanas i am out on the street and i don't know if i can. I was like a bit bummed but i told her i hoped she could make it. We texted her and told her that if she couldn't come at 7 that at 8 we were having a Tamales and treats, thinking well at least we could do a church tour. About 30 minutes into the devotional, I see Alicia waving at us through the door. My heart jumped. I almost jumped out of my seat to go hug her. We waved her over and she came and sat down. We were THRILLED! It made my night to have her there. She enjoyed the devotional and then told us that for the last hour they had been driving around trying to find Tamales because she was having the biggest craving for them. After she got the text with the Tamales she told her husband, I am going to this thing. She said it wasn't just because of the Tamales but that that was what gave her the final push. This morning we were talking about it and I was like Hermana Hill...Who do you think gave her that craving and Who do you think put the idea into Hermano Ramierez's head to buy Tamales. Heavenly Father couldn't have planned it any better. I know it was a little step but it was a big one for her. She met the Bishop, a few members, had a church tour and felt the spirit of the church, watched a beautiful Christmas Devotional and got her Tamales. :) 

I know that this work is true. I am so grateful for every moment I have on my mission. The good and the bad. I know that this Church is the Church of Jesus Christ. I know that God lives and He loves each one of us and has a perfect plan for each of us. I know that through the Atonement of Christ we can be healed from pains, strengthened in Trials and Freed of our burdens from Sin. I love my Savior and I am so grateful for this time of year to celebrate him. I love the song A bleak mid Winter...President Monsen even quote him..."What can I give Him, poor as I am. If I were a shepherd, I would bring him a lamb. If I were a Wiseman, I would do my part. What I can give,  I can give. give to Him my heart." That is all, He really wants. He wants us to be faithful and true and really be His followers, in word, thought and deed. 

I love you all very much and I am grateful for the special family my Heavenly Father has given me and for all the blessings that he has provided me with. I am a lucky and loved daughter. I am reminded of that daily. I hope you all have a beautiful week! Take care. Remember who you are and to who you belong to.

Off Finding the 10s of 1000s.

Con Amor, Hermana Rife

Hermana Hill and Kynsie at the Temple

December 2013

Hermana Hill, Carlos and Hermana Rife

 "He is so sweet and has been a very special person to know in the mission. I will miss him a lot."

Our Reason to Celebrate the Season (Email from Monday, December 2, 2013)

Hi Family! 

I am glad you all had a good thanksgiving. Thanks for all the pictures. It was fun to see them. I can't believe how bit mila is. She is like a child, she isn't a baby anymore. It is so crazy to see. Everyone looks older and different. I think it is strange looking at our house. I was looking at it and thinking "that is my house and where I used to live" It seems strange. Anyways! I am glad frisbee is back in town and that the christmas traditions have begun.

Well our week was great. It went by quickly because we had a lot of things going on. I had mission leadership conference and zone meeting. Elder Valdez always asks how kendra is doing and sends his hellos. I love elder valdez - he is great. We have new zone leaders and I really miss working with Elder Valdez and Elder Torres. 

We had a great thanksgiving. We cooked the whole thing for Olivia, Jr and her family. We made a turkey, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, green bean casserole, stuffing, rolls and pie. We didn't make the rolls. It turned out fantastic. We played pin the feather on the turkey with a turkey i made and we all decorated a feather of what we were grateful for. It made me feel so good that it all went so good. Olivia had expressed to us that she HATED the holidays because they just were horrible because of things that are happening in her life. She told us thank you so much for what we had done and making her thanksgiving great. She told us that we are like family to them. It just makes me feel so special inside. I don't think the feeling of serving someone ever gets old. It is the best feeling someone could ever have. 

We had an awesome lesson with a new family called the Flores Family. They have a daughter who is 15 and they are really great. They are very open and told us how they feel something with Mormons, especially the ones that work at chick- fliet? The chicken sandwich place that is opened by members. It is amazing what a good example can do. We talked about all their questions and talked about baptism. They told us, we are open to listening and to finding out of what you have to say is true. It was great! We were hoping that they would come to church but they didn't make it. The arguetas didn't either but we will get them this week that is coming. :) 

I am doing really good. I am enjoying my mission so much. I hope this week is smooth for you all. I love you all so much. Remember to remember the things that are most important and to never let Satan interfere with the decisions that we make. It isn't worth letting him win. I'll talk to you all soon. Have a beautiful week! Remember who you are and to whom you belong to.

Moroni 7:45-48

Love you lots. Off finding the 10s of 1000s and bringing the spirit of Navidad! 

Hermana Rife

The turkey Kynsie made to play "Pin the Feather on the Turkey"!

"Our Thanksgiving Turkey

The Bird...GROSS. It tasted great though!"

Alicia, Hermana Hill and Kynsie. 

"She is so Fun!"

Thanksgiving Pies

The two above pictures are with Jr. and Olivia and their family.

A Wonderful Thanksgiving 

"I don't think the feeling of serving someone ever gets old. It is the best feeling someone could ever have."