"Lodi Hills"

Dear Family and Friends, 

HAPPY AUGUST! It seems to me like it should still be May, but somehow time just keeps passing on and on. This week it started to feel like summer. It was HOT! People keep telling me the temperature in Celsius but I never know what the temperature actually is, so I just act like it is the hottest temperature that I have ever heard of... haha. But really though...it's HOT! I was told though that it will only be this hot for 10 more days, then fall will come! Which is my favorite season :) 

 We rock the babooshka scarfs :) 

 Mother motherland, we just happened to 

run into some other sisters there! COOL :)

The other day, I was thinking about running, and I remembered the Lodi Cross Country Course. That I ran in 8th grade, I think. The race where the first mile was all in the forest and then came out to A HUGE HILL! And I remember in my 8th grade mind, thinking that there was no bigger hill in the world. And right after that hill was a downhill into the finish. I remember when I ran that race, many of the participants, when they got to that hill, started to walk. When I got to that hill, I was determined to run up it. But it was hard! At some points, I felt like I was running in place. I just wanted to stop and be done. But I also remember that feeling as I made it to the top of that hill, and on the other side was the downhill headed right to the finish line. As I made it to the top and over the hill, I was able to sprint into the finish line. I don't remember the time that I ran at that race. I don't remember what place I finished. But I do remember that feeling of accomplishment as I made it over that hill! Even now, I get a little proud when I think of how I conquered the "Lodi hill". 

 We went sight-seeing in kyiv last 

week, this is a famine memorial

our lovely tour guide, Alina :) A recent convert from Kyiv

 

I think in life, we have lots of "Lodi Hills". The entire journey home to our Heavenly Father is probably full of hills, some small and some large. As we "run" through this earthly journey, sometimes we hit these hills, and things are hard, and we want to stop or at least walk. Maybe we even want to lay down and roll back down to where we were earlier. So often, we get stuck thinking that we will never make it up, that it is impossible to climb this hill. But these hills are possible to climb! We will make it up them! And I think so often, we fail to consider what happens at the top of the hill. Every time we run up and over a hill, there is a moment where we are basically flying and we skip down the downhill, sometimes going so fast that we can barely stay standing. At those times, we wonder how we were ever going so slow just moments before. We wonder and ask ourselves how that up hill could've been that hard. Those moments of going so fast are the moments that keep us going the next time that we go up a hard hill. 

I would say in my missionary life, I have been climbing one of those "Lodi hills". But this past week, I finally made it to the top, and I feel like I am now cruising down the other side, with things happening so fast I can barely keep up and miracles happening in every direction! These times when we head down are the times where we exclaim, "This is missionary fun!" (Just imagine me running down a hill as fast as I can screaming that! ;)) 

 This morning we went and ran by the river. 

Also we ran that bridge in the background :)

Sister Larcabal snapped this picture this 

morning of me running across the bridge. Cool

 

 

Let me share some of the stories from the run! 

This week we taught Oksana. We didn't get to teach her as often as we wanted to, Sister Larcabal was sick one day and then she (Oksana, not Sister Larcabal) went to the beach with her family another day, but we were finally able to meet with her on Saturday. We went in feeling very strongly that we should watch the Restoration movie with her. We had a member come with us on the lesson and basically she couldn't have helped us better if we had given her a script. It was AMAZING! :) Also, multiple times throughout the film, Oksana would say things like, "I'm just like Joseph". "I'm going to pray and ask".  At the end of the lesson, we had a super powerful moment where we knelt in prayer and Oksana prayed and asked for Heavenly Help for what to do. At the end of the prayer, as we kneeling together, we asked Oksana if she would be baptized when she came to know that these things were true. When she said yes, we were so excited to continue to help her learn for herself that this message is true! Pray for her, and especially that she will be able to come to church, and that her family will have their hearts softened so that she be baptized here if she chooses to! 

 Enjoying beautiful kyiv

What is any zone meeting without a 

picture of sister hunt and I together?

In another moment, we had a strong spiritual thought with the family in the ward. We talked about faith, and had the opportunity to see the family's faith grow right in front of us! 

We had a lesson with a returning less active and recent convert. We taught about repentance. I don't think I have ever felt the Spirit so strongly in my life. We read together Alma 36 and talked about the joy that comes from repentance. It was so special to have the chance (the unplanned chance) to testify about the same things that I wrote about last week :) 

Our cute zone :)

Yesterday, the Spirit was so strong in Testimony Meeting. I LOVE hearing others bear their testimony! :) 

Also yesterday, we went with the Elders to teach Austin, one of the recent converts. When we walked in, there was a friend of his sleeping. She had just arrived from out of town. Eventually though, she woke up and participated in our spiritual thought, giving a great insight on faith. As we were leaving, we asked if she wanted to come to church and she said yes. We asked if she wanted to learn more and meet with us and she said yes. It was so easy. Her name is Julianna. and just like Austin and Kingsley, she is from Africa. I'm so excited! I've always wanted to teach someone from Africa! They are elect :) 

In a fun moment, One of the members told us that we are her favorite missionaries and that we have something that sets us apart from others. Missionaries love compliments like that :) 

And in a cute tender mercy, Last week when we were at the Clarks, Brother Clark told me that the day before, Dallas had asked for permission to go outside. When brother clark asked why, Dallas said, "Well...I want to be like Sister Ford, and she loves to run, so I want to run too and love it". And then Brother Clark said, "Well... I had to give permission for that". Isn't that darling? I love helping others learn to love to run :) It was so darn cute! :) 

Can you see how I am just seeing so many blessings? I love being a missionary! It really is so fun! 

One thing that I forgot to mention in my analogy about the hill. There was one thing, when I was running up that hill that kept me going, even after I wanted to stop. Just like at every other race that I had even run, my dad was on the side of the course, cheering me on. (Thanks Dad! -- don't get too teary eyed now). In the hills of life, never forget that we have hoards of people standing there cheering us on. They want us to succeed and they can and will help us in any way that they can! And unlike in Cross country, where it is illegal, in the race of life, we are a special coach that runs right next to us every step of the way. That coach is Jesus Christ, and he is always right beside us, helping us reach the top of the hill that we are climbing, and helping us reach the top of every hill until we eventually reach our ultimate goal and finish line, living with Heavenly Father again :) 

I know that Christ helps us every step of the way! I know that he LOVES us and will help us through those hard hills!  The church is true and was restored through Joseph Smith to be in its entirety on the earth today! 

I love you all! Enjoy the race :) 

Love, 

Sister Kati Ford