CRAVE the REJECTION

FEAR IS A SICKNESS! 

And LOVE IS THE ANSWER! 

Those are the two biggest lessons I have learned this week. 

I am running out of time so I will just write real quick about one day from this week:

We decided we needed to do a big day of finding and set out to go contacting and tracting and it was Sister McDermott's first time. We started knocking doors in this giant home from the top floor to the bottom, and one old woman opened and when she found out we were missionaries panicked and slammed the door then yelled at her son because they were both really freaked out (oops I didnt think I was that scary). We continued down to the next floor and the next person to open up was a much calmer woman, but then freaked out just as bad. she was like, "Nope, I don't want it. I want you to get ont hat elevator, take it down to the first floor, leave this Dom and never come back!" And then she watched us to make sure we called the elevator and she went back inside. But then the elevator was taking a really long time so she came back, called it again, then RODE down with us. It was the most awkward elevator ride of our life. Then she yelled at the front desk lady for letting us in, so it was a pretty intense tracting experience. We got kicked out! After that, we went to a park and tried contacting. All the women there were like NO WAY. We continued trying and nobody not one person was having it that day. We went to the church to meet with a women who had already said yes to meeting and waited, and waited and waited. She never showed up. So we called many potentials and every single person told us they did not want and to please not call again. After that we went to another womans house who also told us we could meet that day, but she was not home and wont answer her phone then we again got escorted down the stairs by some man who did not want us to be there. IT WAS CRAZY. 

But the point of me relating this tale is not just to talk about how bad the day was or how hard the work is. The point is that night we sat down and started to think about the miracles we saw that day. (We do it everynight.) And we saw that God had given us so many miracles that may not have seemed obvious at first but they really were there. There were more miracles listened that day than for any other this week. When things seem hard we just have to remember that God is there. He loves us and He does not leave us alone.

I am also learning to crave the rejection. It means that, that many more people are seeing us. The are one step closer. They have their freedom of agency, but one way or another they will someday ALL admit that Jesus is the Christ. And with every door we knock on, every person we talk to, we are preparing this world for the coming of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And this is our work. And I love it. 

I want to ask you all to pray for our investigators:

Vika is an 18 year old girl who has a baptismal date for September 5 but she also did not show up to meet with us this week and did not come to church. So we need SO MUCH power from Heaven to help this girl. Her one desire is to get baptized but something is not quite right, at this moment and she needs prayers.

Alica 30's a wonderful women who loves to play lawyer and grill us yet loves us and wants to know more but needs to do a lot of changing in her life

Larissa 40's darling women who comes to english practice and is Russian orthodox. She is our new investigator as of today! (We got to meet with her in the middle of email time that is why this is short.) She loves God so much and will be an amazing member if she chooses this path (and with God and faith I believe she will.)

Please pray for the gift of tongues. It is so hard but we are trying everyday to help God do this work. 

A funny mistake of mine this week (please feel free to laugh):

Just the other day we thought this man was asking us if we were sent from black Obama and I was like "nope we aren't sent from Obama, we are missionaries for the church of jesus christ of latter day saints." And he looked at me and was like "ALAMABA where there are a lot of black people." and I just stared at him like. what the heck are you talking about? That thought must have been really great, but I am so lost. "Have a good day!" It's just my life. 

I love you all so much and I am so grateful for your support and prayers and love. They are the power behind this work. God loves his children. We are here to bring them home! 

Love always,

Сестра Кэррен

PS:We get a mini missionary from CHERKASSY tomorrow! I KNOW HER. I AM EXCITED!!!

(also we cleaned our nasty apartment and now it is so great!) Hooray!!!

never ask about this picture or why it scares me so much.

Mission Newsletter

“Work, Work, Work”

Ukraine Kyiv Mission
10 Aug 2015

Quote: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:7-9

Elders and Sisters,
“Work, Work, Work”
When I was a boy my Father would always talk about the need for me to learn how to work. I never quite understood what that meant. I thought you just work when you have to. Consistent with his concern, he began to teach me how to work starting with the summer I turned 10 years old. He was a building contractor so the kind of “work” I learned to do was related to construction. He started out by teaching me to use carpentry tools on remodel jobs. It was interesting and fun to work with him and to be taught how to do relatively easy jobs for $.10 an hour. As his business grew, I continued to work every summer until I was 16, however, the jobs changed. I had to do what needed to be done rather than what was fun and easy--like digging foundations by hand with a shovel, helping to pour concrete and backfilling basements by hand in very rocky ground. What started out to be fun and interesting at age 10, became very hard physical work. During these years I started to appreciate what he meant when he said, you have to learn how to work. Digging a ditch, by myself, for 100 feet, requires mental as well as physical strength. In the beginning, the task seemed overwhelming and very discouraging. In essence, I didn’t want to do it and was slightly put out that the owner of the company, my father, would ask me to do such a hard job. Once I pushed through the resentment, I soon learned that you had to pick shorter term and quality goals: dig a perfect trench for five feet, and then dig another perfect trench for another five feet. In so doing, there comes a sense of
pride and satisfaction that comes from doing a job well which provides encouragement and inner strength to keep going. When I was called to serve a mission to Scotland in 1961, I had been a member of the Church for only three years. While in the mission home in Salt Lake City, I realized that I did not know as much as other missionaries who had been raised in the Church, but I knew three things for sure: I had felt the Spirit of the Holy Ghost, I knew the Gospel was true and I wanted to share it. I could do hard things and I knew how to work. Whatever I had to do, I could do it. After all, I dug trenches, backfilled basements and hauled concrete. I learned quickly what the missionary rules were and followed them precisely. I immersed myself in learning the memorized six required lessons in a few short weeks. And I worked every single day of my mission, with the concern that I had to make the most of it, because I would not have a chance to redo that day. I did not want to look back on this experience and wish I had done better. I did not want to look back on my mission and feel that I could have done better. President David B. Haight had to look for me in the mission home to release me because I did not want to go home.

President Benson said, “One of the greatest secrets of missionary work is work. If a missionary works, he will get the Spirit; if he gets the Spirit, he will teach by the Spirit; if he teaches by the Spirit, he will touch the hearts of the people, and he will be happy...Work, work, work---there is no satisfactory substitute, especially in missionary work.”
Elders and Sisters, Sister McCauley and I have had the privilege of traveling all around Ukraine to visit the 45 Branches of the Church and teach Priesthood Leaders on issues relating to the importance of sacred funds. At the same time, we have had the special opportunity to meet missionaries from all three missions in Ukraine. We have felt your remarkable spirit of dedication and commitment. Many of you, and others who have preceded you, have helped us in thoughtful, but remarkable ways with our specific calling. Your spirits and service have touched our lives. We know that as you work, work, work, you will overcome whatever individual challenge you may face, you will get the spirit and accomplish your purpose. It’s a promise.
Our love for you and the wonderful people of Ukraine, has changed our lives. Elder and Sister McCauley 

THE SUN RISES in UKRAINE!

DEAREST FAVORITES OF MINE :D

How are you all?

I first want to start with a funny quote I found this week. "Things that just don't happen, happen in Ukraine." It is so true. Now for my week. :) 

Tuesday I was in Kyiv and me and Sister MacDermott had the opportunity to go to the temple. The temple has always been such a special place but this time was unlike any other. The temple is located on a pretty busy street but when you go inside you can hear nothing from the outside world. It is safe. The spirit in that temple was so strong my skin had goose bumps the solid 3 hours we were there. It really is a miracle it is even here. it was incredible to see the people doing the work in the temple as well. Thinking about how little about of time the gospel has been in Ukraine and seeing these people making really big covenants with God and doing His work was incredible. It is truly an honor to be here and to witness it. We did an endowment session ALL IN RUSSIAN. And something amazing happened! I understood it all. The gifts of tongues is so real and really was in that moment. After the session we got to sit in the Celestial room for quite some time and I really had time to ponder and to pray. You all know this mission is the most amazing but hard thing I have ever had to do. It was so special to spend some time just to myself to talk to God in His house. He was there that day. I felt it. I had the oppurtunity to think about my life and to really have a one on one with God and I really felt Him answer me. He loves us so much. How incredible is it that we get to call Him Father? I feel so blessed.

Wednesday we travelled to Odessa and it was the prettiest bus ride I have ever been on. I saw the Ukraine flag EVERYWHERE we went. (blue sky and fields after fields of sunflowers). a great way to see Ukraine!

So we arrived at our apartment took all my bags up and opened the door to... AFRICA!!! We don't really have the necessary appliances to live (oven, couches, really chairs or anything) BUT we have a giant waterfall that does not work and rock columns that if you touch the rocks break off and we have a light in the bedroom that is the african sky and a wall with a giant elephant and bird and african tree with the african sunset. PRETTY epic. Also we have a tree in the middle of our giant room full of nothing. It has pretend flowers on it so that is really cool. We laugh everyday and sit on the floor (which we call sand). It is just our inside out house (like we live outside). But we are embracing every moment!

Odessa is magical. Seriously. I am on the coast and just this morning I woke up at 3:30 and we went and watched the sun rise. It was so healing and peaceful. just what both me and my comp needed. By the way she is amazing and you would love her so much. She was the girl in the same Mission Prep class as me at BYU both called to Kyiv ukraine and went to the MTC at the same time. I am so lucky God is letting me be with her. after some of the crazy stuff we have been through we both really needed each other. It is going to be so hard like seriously BUT we are going to work our heads off and we are going to conquer this language and teach so many people. He has so many and he cares about every single one. Gotta go find them!! 

We have had some pretty crazy adventures in just the four and a half days I have been here and I do not have time to tell them all sooo... I am sorry if my quick list will confuse you a bunch. Here it goes.

-got asked my a Babushka to go get her groceries and her mail and her prescription (all written on a piece of paper in really really BAD russian cursive and after a few phone calls and misunderstandings "a gallon of cheese?!" we conquered it all and got her all she needed!

-We also got to witness how old grandma's use skype "I can only see your hair!" "Are you saying my face is ugly?" "NO I can just only see your BEAUTIFUL HAIR!" Haha I can not wait to be a grandma.

-ICECREAM

-Those random phone calls where a potential investiagtor calls you in panic needing help so you run home to change into the all RED clothes you thought she instructed you to. But really you just needed to get in some painting clothes... hahaha. #paintedachildrensgarden (kindergarten) 

We painted the whole kindergarten a new color and they were really grateful though... I do not think sister MacDermott and I will be starting a painting business any time soon. 

-Taking gasoline showers (don't worry too much I am ok)

-we grew a tomato!

-MIRACLE!!! WE HAVE OUR FIRST BAPTISMAL DATE. First "investigator" I have met here in Odessa. Met Vika on Sunday and Sunday was her birthday. Which is an important fact because she is now 18!!!! she has been coming to church since she was 5 years old but her parents were Protiv (aposed?) But now she is so ready. We will do the lessons but really just a formality at this point and her baptism will be September 5! HOW COOL IS THAT?! God has been preparing her for SO many years, and now I get to witness her make that first covenant. I am so grateful I get to witness it. 

-Met the branch and we will work hard it needs some strengthening. But I really love it

-We made these baptismal boats out of egg plant and some other amazingness and made a make shift oven and cooked it up and Sister Mac and I died of heavenliness as a celebration for Vika!

-We also will be getting a mini missionary just for a week or two in a week or two from Cherkassy so that is cool because I know her! she is 17 and awesome and this time will live more like a regular missionary... :) 

Please keep praying for the gift of tongues for both me and my comp (we are so american). We love this work. I KNOW I was supposed to come to Ukraine. I have had several defining moments this week and I just know it. I am content to stay here and do all I can to help further the work. But I know that God does the work here. I see evidence of it everyday. I am so grateful I am a missionary.

I love you all so much! Have a wonderful week and keep building this kingdom!!! #training4ukraine

Love,

Сестра Кэррен

Temple in Kyiv

Temple

We think we are funny!

Our African mural in our bedroom in Odessa

The Sun Rises in Ukraine!

So funny!

Last moments with my native Companion <3

Bus Ride to our new area Odessa

Our huge empty room with no tables, couches, and a flowery tree.  We found the baby chair as a bonus in the attic!

Our favorite window!

We dont need an oven to make baptism boats with eggplant because we set a baptismal date today!  Our celebration feast with Sister McDermott

Its almost like camp cooking

Ahhh...the beach!

Sister McDermott and Ky reunited.  So happy to be together!

Love the sand in our toes!

Getting up at 3:30 to watch the sun rise.

"I know that God does the work here.  I see evidence of it everyday.  I am so grateful I am a missionary."

So happy together!

Beautiful Odessa

a change of pace!

AND SO TRANSFERS arrived....

ODESSA. I am going to ODESSA and I will be with Sister McDermott. God answers prayers. Maybe it is strange, but I was praying that God would either send me Sister McDermott or send sister McDermott to me. And GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS.

After a hard hard week, SO GOOD but so hard, I finally called my President in tears. 

He told me he is not worried about me one bit. Talked to me for an hour let me just tell him everything I feel gave me some advice and told me it is the 11th hour and the 59th minute. We think we can go no further. And then God pushes us a little bit harder. But we will not break. WHY NOT I asked him? HOW?! Because GOD DOES THE WORK HERE SISTER KARREN NOT YOU. How true. I am so grateful for all the hard moments all the good moments because everyday at the end of the day I have an opportunity to get down on my knees and pray and thank God for the miracles, to plead with Him for strength and to help me be better, to forgive me for my weaknesses and mistakes. And then I go another day and then another day and everyday I realize how lucky I am for the opporunity to be a missionary.

There is nothing else quite like this. And I KNOW this gospel is true. It is so real for me now.

I got to go on an exchange this week in Kyiv with Sister Truax and I watched her smile and talk to this one lady in particular on a bus trying so hard to understand her Russian and just sharing genuine love. I saw Christ there. I saw my Savior so many times throughout this week giving love to these people He atoned for. Every single soul on earth that was or is, or will be. He did it all and He understands it all and He did it out of love for us and the Father. Oh if only I could love like that!

Today is my last day in Cherkassy. Sunday our branch President called me up to the stand to share my testimony. i looked out and realized how blessed I have been to be here. My sweet investigator Tatyana was there (60) and she didn't know I was leaving (we had just found out) and she did something I did not expect. she burst in to tears. She is having a hard time with so many things but she really is trying to change. Her life is not easy but she puts a smile on and she goes on. She is beautiful inside and out and she told me after sacrament with tears in her eyes (embarrassed because people here do not cry in front of others) that she does not quite understand why but that with me she feels something special. something inside her feels warm when she is around me and she feels like she new me before but thinks that is not possible. She told me she does not understand why but feels so close to me and feels I am like her daughter. I can barely speak Russian yet this woman felt this about me. My heart ached. I am sad to leave but know the work here will continue to go on. I have met people and had experiences in this area that will forever change my life. I am so grateful.

I am also so excited for this new experience. Cherkassy has had so many amazing things, but I have also had some strange and uncomfortable experiences here. I know that will happen everywhere but like my District Leader told me we all felt it was just "Time for a change of pace for me." I will continue to move forward, with new knowledge.

I am happy.

how could I not be? I am a missionary for the Lord Jesus Christ, and I get to see their hands everyday, everywhere I go.

This is the best work. We are all a part of it. Never forget who you are. And never forget what that means. GOD LOVES YOU. EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. I know it. I have a testimony of the reality of the Savior. He lives. He will return. I gladly await that day and will continue to do the work so that we are prepared.

I love you guys and I am so grateful for everything you do. You are all my missionaries. Helping me to become stronger and to keep going. Thank you! I LOVE YOU.

I love you guys so much I am going to explode!!!

Сестра Кэрен

I Found A Purple Fence!

Being Babushkas

Silliness!

More!

We couldn't resist because our Elders were leaving Cherkassy

Loving Ukraine!

My investigator Tatyana

Our Elders

My Babushka

Our investigator Katerina

Cherkassy

Saying Goodbye

thank you letter

August 2, 2015

Dear President Sergey Kokorev,

We woke up this morning to an email from you about our daughter Kylie Karren.  It was such a nice surprise to receive a message from you!  We are so happy that Kylie has had the opportunity to serve in Cherkassky and in your Branch.  I know she will never forget the people she worked with in Cherkassky, including you.  

Thank you for taking care of her, loving her,  and being so good to her while in your branch.  She loved the people dearly and loved serving in your area.  As a parent it is so wonderful to hear from anyone that has been with Kylie. We love to hear what she is doing always.  Thank you so much for reaching out to share with us what she has been doing to assist in the work of the Lord in your city.  

We pray for you and your people everyday and are so grateful for the wonderful associations she has with you and others in your branch. It has been a great blessing in her life! I know it is hard for her to leave because her last email was full of love for her area.  Sister Karren said, “I love Ukraine so much and I am thankful for every moment I have here.  Ukraine is my happy place.  I feel the spirit so strong here and I am growing, learning and being tried.  It is all for our good. I am so grateful for the knowledge of the plan.  It is true. NEVER DOUBT. ALWAYS LOVE. BE BOLD. BE BRAVE. REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE.” 

We hope we can keep in touch and visit you someday.  Thank you for your service and dedication to the Lord.  We love the gospel of Jesus Christ and are so happy to hear that the work is going forward in all parts of the world.  Bless you and bless your people. Kylie will never forget you or her experiences in Cherkassky. We love you. 

Love,

Sister Carisa Karren

P.S. I will tell Kylie about the cherry. :)

On Aug 2, 2015, at 8:52 AM, Сергей Кокорев <kokorevs@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Brother and Sister Karren,

Your daughter has completed her full-time missionary service in her first place to serve. It was our branch Cherkassy. We have enjoyed having her in our branch and are grateful for the sacrifices and service to the Lord by Sister Karren. She is an exceptional young person and has been an excellent missionary.

My wife and I very much appreciate the support provided by you. In addition, we are thankful for those who have assisted with the training and preparation of Sister Karren during the years of her life in the Church.

Sister Karren has served the Lord in our branch with all her heart, might, mind and strength as she testified of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and prepared people for baptism into the Church. We appreciate her effectiveness as a proselyting missionary. We are also grateful for her outstanding work among the members of our branch as she has developed positive relationships with them and has been creative and enthusiastic in supporting them in their branch activities.

My family and I feel so much love, admiration, appreciation, and affection for Sister Karren. She has done a wonderful job for us and we will be greatly missed her here.

Sincerely,

Sergey Kokorev

President Cherkassy Branch

+38-095-175-81-44

skype: sergey.kokorev

Ukraine, Cherkassy

P.S. Please, remind her that I will keep in safety place the cherry she presented to me. It will remind me the strong testimony of this young sister for many many years. She knows what I mean.

Saying Goodbye to Branch in Cherkassy

Another wonderful member. 

I am so blessed to have met all these converts. Every member here is a convert!

my cute bird!

July 31, 2015

Daddy how am I so lucky that God sent me to you?

Everything you say is so perfectly just for me! HOW do you do it? 

As I have looked back, becuse I felt I should I started to read my journal and realized everywhere I thought I could not see God at that moment it was clear to me now, HE WAS ALWAYS THERE. I could see it. 

thank you for being so close to me dad. I love you guys so much. it is true the connection is stronger than ever and i am so grateful because it really sometimes is so hard. Dad I am just sitting here crying. I feel the spirit so strong. never before in my life have i known how REAL everything is. I have always had a testimony, i have gone through some hard things, but dad I REALLY KNOW IT now. It is so real for me now and I am so grateful. Thank you for the blessing and thank you and mom for being such righteous and good parents for me. My family is truly my greatest blessing. and thanks to you I really do not feel far away. I love you dad. I love mom. I am so grateful. i can't say it enough. thank you for writing me this and thanks for being my dad and for loving me.

You take care of yourself too ok? You and mom know how much I love you right? 

Love Ky

PS: I feel weird to ask for anything but I do probably need new skirts but I did get new garments in Kyiv so we are all good there. Thank you deed. I JUST ADORE YOU! 

"We are little people practicing to be bigger and we fail constantly."

"The thing that struck my mind as I have pondered this situation we are in as mortals with these massive aspirations and these tiny capabilities to do what we feel we should, is that we are in the Lord’s hands. We are little children. He knows that and he loves us just like we love our little ones. Probably more in fact. He is patient and kind and good."

On Fri, Jul 31, 2015 at 10:26 PM, Tom Karren <tkarren@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Ky,

Mom told me that you are still feeling pretty down. So sorry to hear that my little one. It’s tough to hear that things have been so challenging for you. I know how hard it was for me, and I can only imagine the magnitude and scope of change you have been through. Brazil was probably in many ways so much easier to manage than what you are doing. I also heard you were feeling sick and I hope that you are getting better, and getting any help you need to get better.

It’s hard as a parent in this kind of situation because I know it’s not anything I can do from here that will help you much. I just continue to hope and pray that you will be ok, that you will feel peace. In this life, we face so many challenges and as I have gone along I have realized we are so frail in so many ways. We are little people practicing to be bigger and we fail constantly.

The thing that struck my mind as I have pondered this situation we are in as mortals with these massive aspirations and these tiny capabilities to do what we feel we should, is that we are in the Lord’s hands. We are little children. He knows that and he loves us just like we love our little ones. Probably more in fact. He is patient and kind and good.

Whatever it is that is challenging you Ky, I hope you know that you are good enough, beautiful enough, smart enough and every possible kind of enough. In fact, you are more than enough on just about every kind of thing that matters.

With the challenges I have faced in the last few years, I have tried to practice knowing that I am good enough and on a quest to get better (even though I am aware of my weaknesses, and I feel beset by the situation not going the way I want). I think the Lord sees us for what we can become, and for what we will become. I don’t think he even see’s us for what we are today. I’m sure that he is aware of our current state, but to him, all things are present, so he knows the future, so it’s probably just as easy for him to see us as perfected children as it is to see us as little learners and mistake makers. We need to be as patient with ourselves as he is with us. We see the future, not the past. We see the possibilities and we strive towards it with faith and with perseverance, but not with any fear or regret. Only the good stays with us. The bad peels away as we move forward if we are trying and leaning on the Lord.

I just want you to know that you are great. Yes, you are not perfect, but you are great, and you are doing what you felt you should go and do. Sometimes in life my bird, we do not understand why things are the way they are, until later. Looking backwards on our life and experiences, we see how things connect up for our good. To me, this is the hand of the Lord. Guiding sometimes in invisible ways, but always for our good. As I have contemplated some of the bad things that have happened to me in the last few years, I realize that they have been for my greater good, and I would not change those challenging experiences even if I could. Looking back, I also see how well cared for I have been, and how silly some of the things that have beset me were.

Just don’t feel bad about yourself in any way because you have time and opportunities to do anything you want. You have time to learn, to love, to serve, to rest, to laugh, to teach and more. It is and will be ok. You are very far away from us physically, but you are as close as you have ever been in our minds, our spirits, and our hearts. I promise you that there is not a minute of any day or night that we do not have you in our minds and in our hearts. So I hope that you do not feel far away from us, because even though the distance is great, the separation is temporary and the spiritual connection is stronger than ever.

As your father, I feel that I have the right to continue to bless you even though you are off doing your mission and much more on your own. So Kylie, as your father, I bless you that you will feel at peace. I bless you that you will know of the Lord’s love and approval for your efforts. I bless you, that through the spirit you will feel comforted. I bless you that you will be strengthened, spiritually, physically, mentally and in every needed way to accomplish your goals and to be able to do the things which you have been called to do. I bless you that you will be able to posses the light and happiness made possible by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and that you will be able to share it with the people that you interact with in Ukraine. Wether they are members of the Church or otherwise. I leave these blessing with you my Kylie as your father, as a holder of the Melchizedek Priesthood, and in the name of Jesus Christ. I also know that your beautiful and faithful mother’s prayers are heard, and I would not doubt that every possible thing is being done by the powers of heaven on your behalf based on the faith and prayers of your sweet mom.

Also sweet bird, let us know if there is anything specific that you need or that we can do for you ok? Do you need any new skirts or new white stuff? We can send it - just let us know k?

Take care my sweet.

Love,

Dad

Mission Newsletter

“Work Itself is a Key to Overcoming Discouragement”

Ukraine Kyiv Mission

3 Aug 2015
Elders and Sisters,
What a great day for the Kyiv Mission! We have 12 amazing missionaries finishing their missions who gave the Lord everything for two years. They return home having finished a very important work in their lives. They return home to a life that will be much better because of the things they have learned on their missions. We are sad and will miss them but proud of each of them for finishing strong. Really, a mission is a small example of what life is like. If each of you finish your mortal lives like these missionaries have finished their missions, you will be welcomed into heaven with much rejoicing.
I have had more than a few of the new missionaries express a feeling of emptiness as they go about the work. None of them are giving up, they just don’t feel like they are feeling the Spirit as much and having a burning desire all of the time to do the work. My answer to them is always the same, “You are normal!” I is OK to be discouraged sometimes. The real waste of time is when we are discouraged about being discouraged. We all go through times where we feel the Spirit more strongly than others. As we become accustomed to the feelings of the Spirit and it is not new to us like it was before we may believe that there is something wrong. No. If we are obedient and we are repenting, we are then moving forward in our lives. Don’t waste time worrying and thinking something is wrong.
Sometimes, discouragement comes from seeing our weaknesses. As we come to know more about the Savior we recognize how really far we are away from becoming like Him. Noticing our weaknesses is a good thing. It means we are coming closer to the Savior; not moving further away from Him (Ether 12:27). Please don’t talk yourself out of this truth and become discouraged because you see a weakness. Do the opposite and thank the Lord and ask Him for help.
I have learned that there are other reasons for a troubled heart. Sometimes evil is trying to make a move into our lives or sometimes the Lord prepares us for something that is coming in the future. In our family, Sister Packer is much better at feeling when there is a change coming in the future. I believe this is one of her spiritual gifts (Companionships are the best). Growing up my father taught us to recognize times when evil was pressing in on us as a family. I am eternally grateful to him for this important lesson.
So what can you do as a troubled heart comes? Arm yourself with the Spirit. You must pray with more fever. When the Savior was in the garden, He prayed more earnestly. “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Luke 22:44. Fasting, as we did yesterday, also brings Spiritual strength to our work. Work itself is a key, “The secret to missionary work is work. Work, work, work!” (Ezra Taft Benson) Another key is to be patient and trust the Lord and His timing, “And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord. (Mosiah 24:15)

Lastly, if there is something in your life or work that is amiss then fix it. “Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him. And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance. And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!” (D&C 18:10-13) There isn’t anything that the Lord can’t fix that is broken. Sometimes it takes time, but in every case, the Lord can fix it as good as new. What a blessing a great blessing and peace when a person is clean.
You need to know and believe that you have power and authority from God. If you are living the commandments, living the mission rules (white handbook), and repenting daily (including confession), then you have God’s strength and you need not fear. “Say nothing but repentance unto this generation; keep my commandments, and assist to bring forth my work, according to my commandments, and you shall be blessed.” (D&C 6: 9) The Savior has been given all power from the Father-- power over death and power over sin. This is His work. We are building up His kingdom. I know we are! I am so grateful to be a missionary and serve with all of you. Have faith and take courage!

Love,
President Packer

Quote: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33