Sister Kate LeBaron~ Bentonville Arkansas Mission: 3 MONTHS AS A MISSIONARY!!

HOWDY YALLL!!! The past 3 months have flown by!! I've learned so much, I'm so grateful for everyone that I've met and who have gotten me to where I am today w/o ya'll there's no way I would be on a mission/ still on a mission!

Monday: we had our goodbye party for sis Robert's): We played soo many card games and I found out I stink at nertz but it was way fun! Guys guess what! I saw a live armadillo!! Definitely a highlight lol!

Tuesday:

We had a few lessons and they were soooo good! And then we went finding. We didn't really find anyone but we tried lol ! I think the hardest part about being a missionary is you don't really feel like you're making a big difference sometimes. It's a lot of casting seeds, since you're not in an area long enough to see the results you feel like you're not doing enough. Something I've learned is that's one of the biggest lies Satan will try to tell you. The little things we do make a difference. You never know the impact you will have on others so act on every prompting.

Wednesday:

DISTRICT COUNCIL! We talked about the atonement and how it's more than just repenting. We can literally give all our burdens to the savior. I feel like this is always the part of the atonement I had struggled with because I didn't want to be a burden on the lord. But I'm not , none of us are. He has already atoned for us, the best way to show him our gratitude is to use the gift he's given us. Give your burdens to the lord.

Thursday:

We had a very powerful lesson about the bom with a recent convert! The spirit was so strong. I can't even put into words the feeling that was in that room as we bore our testimonies of the book of Mormon! I know that the book of Mormon is true! I have seen how much it has changed my life! I'll be honest with you guys i didn't used to be able to say that. Even as I came on a mission I believed the book of Mormon was true but I didn't really know. And I honestly think it was because I never really asked I always assumed that it was true. It wasn't until I asked , have took the time to read daily that I got an answer! Now I can say without a doubt that it is true! That doesn't mean I don't have questions but I know where to turn to when I have them, they don't scare me anymore. I know that each one of you can have that same knowledge for yourself! This gospel isn't something that's a secret or only a few people can know it's true. Every single one of us is invited to find out for ourselves. I invite all of you to read the book of Mormon and pray to know if it's true!

Moroni 10:4-5

And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

Friday: SECOND FRIDAY!!!! We did the chalkboard at the park, met some super cool people! Mostly lots of little kids which was way hype because I loveeee kids, we don't really get to be around them since we're ysa! But I got to introduce the bom to a few of them and give them a copy, guys the look on their face when you tell them about it and they get so excited to get there own! It's so tender and had made me realize how much I took the bom for granted before my mission. The more I've spent time in it the more I don't want to go a day without reading it!

Saturday:

MAPLE LEAF!!!!!! The day finally came that everyone had been raving about since I got here, it definitely lived up to the hype! We watched the longest parade I've ever seen in my whole life it was 3 hrs long! There were sooo many people! I felt like I was a missionary in Disneyland! And then after everyone headed to the square for the farmers market , it was absolutely chaos like cars everywhere thousands of people ! It was sooo fun!!!

Then we had to lessons with our people on date! They were bomb! They are both so elect, are huge examples to me! They have both taught me to look for God's hand in every aspect of your life! (:

Sunday:

We had church and it was way good! We had dinner with a family in the ward and the food was 12/10 ! It was also a big party with there whole extended family and was so sweet! They were so nice but it made me high key homesick lol. It made me realize how much I took for granted before. A mission is very eye opening because you see 1) what others don't have and 2) the things that you had before that you didn't even think about. Like guys I miss Sundays with my family so bad lol! Love ya'll and miss you all so much and I'm sorry if I don't tell you all enough!

Challenge:

Pray for missionary opportunities this week, pray for ideas of how you can share the gospel with someone this week! Then ACT! Don't let fear hold you back. Satan will try to tell you that it's dumb or that they're going to hate you if you share what you believe but that couldn't be more wrong! If there's one thing I learned being out in the south is that people are not afraid to talk about God, it makes their relationships with each other so much deeper!