Ring Out, Wild Bells

Is it really News Years Eve? I feel like 2018 just started! 2019 will be my blackout year (meaning I'll be on my mission the whole year) it'll be the best year ever (: 

For Christmas we went to a members house and had dinner. It was so good!! It was like Thanksgiving part 2!

When we were tracting this week we met this awesome guy named Joe! He's read the Book of Mormon a couple times and basically recited the first vision to us! He's very interested in learning more about the gospel (:

On Dec 29 me and Sister Hess decided to go visit someone and when we came to their door they were overjoyed when they saw it was us. She told us that day was her dad's Birthday, who died, and that today was going to be her sad day but since we came today she might not even cry. That kind of stuff really hits your heart ♡ She also told us the missionaries from our church always come when she needs us to. Heavenly Father really does look out for his children. 

Sister Hess and I gave a talk on Sunday. In preparation for that talk I compiled 6 Unique Ways to Improve Your Prayers:

1. Pray for forgiveness and to forgive others 

2. Pray not to be tempted

3. Address Heavenly Father in a loving personal way

4. Ask for daily bread which is spiritual nurshiment 

5. Plead for the Fathers will to be done 

6. Pray for the Earth to be prepared for the second coming 

Remember Heavenly Father is anxiously waiting to talk to you. He wants to bless you! You can talk to him about anything and everything! Tell him about your good days and your bad days. He loves you! I love you ♡

As always thanks for your prayers and support 

~Sister Warburton

With Sister Hess

Christmas in Kentucky

Hello family and friends! Merry Christmas Eve! I made it Tennessee! I'm in Whitley City, Kentucky and my companion is Sister Hess; she's awesome! (I don't have pictures with her yet but I will send a picture next week, promise)

Last Sunday before I left I gave a talk in church. They pick people to give talks at random at the MTC so I'm glad I had mine ready (: 

The plane ride to Atlanta was my first plane ride ever! We had a group of 5. 2 were Elders who's Visa's had problems so they're coming to our mission for a bit. A tender mercy that happened: I was debating if I wanted to eat before getting on the plane. One of the Elders in our group told me I should probably eat now because food is more expensive in Atlanta (I'm glad I ate too because I would've had no time to eat there) but I was standing in the sideline at McDonalds trying to figure out what to eat and this lady came to me and was like "you're a missionary! I'm paying for your food!" I tried to protest but she insisted. She also gave me her phone so I could call my mom which I'm super grateful for ♡ 

After we landed in Atlanta we went on another plane to Knoxville. Once we got to Knoxville the mission president and his wife were there. They fed us dinner then we went to a hotel. The next morning we left and went to the mission office and met our new companions (: 

My first day as a missionary we had branch conference. We have a senior companionship who lives below us and they're awesome! They actually live in Blanding so they know my grandma and grandpa. Also their daughter is in my home ward so it really is a small world after all! We visited an investigator and it was the first lesson I've taught here! I think it went good and she took a Book of Mormon from us and said she would read it! That night a member took us out to dinner for Christmas and we went caroling with her (: 

On Dec 21 was my first day of tracting. It was pouring rain but it was actually kind of fun even though no one would answer their doors! Also a lot of appointments didn't go through that day because of people leaving for the Holidays.  That's okay, though. We'll hopefully have better luck after the Holidays. 

There's a lot of animals here! I can't count how many new dog and cat friends I have! I've only been bitten once which luckily I was wearing boots so I didn't even feel it. Haha I also got "attacked" by a cat: We were at two investigators' house, Bill & Judy, Bill is really into guitar. My companion had been excited for me to meet him ever since I told her I played guitar. When we got there and mentioned guitars he whipped them out so fast! They wanted me to play so I played Set Free for them. While I was playing their cat starting meowing and ran to me and tried to jump on me. It would've been fine but I was wearing tights and he had front claws so we had to detach the cat from me. Haha...my guess is the cat was feeling the spirit strong. I guess I have my first animal fan (; 

I hope yuns (Kentucky talk) have a very Merry Christmas! Remember who this season is about! Let's remember Him even when the season is over! 

Love, Sister Warburton 

 With Sister Dixon (her cousin) at the MTC

Come, Come Ye Saints

Wow! Did another week in the MTC pass by already?! We got our flight assignments and this time next week I will be in Tennessee! It's so crazy to think!

Last p-day we went to the Provo temple with the sisters in my district. That trip was definitely one of my favorites.

We got finished teaching one of our TRC's last Friday and our last lesson was about peace and how even in this world of commotion we can find peace through our Savior. That lesson was the first where I actually felt like I was doing something right as a missionary. We had her pray at the end the room was just filled with the Spirit! 

This week I had the exciting privilege to host new missionaries (: The parking garage is, in my opinion, one of the most spiritual places in the MTC. The exciment and nervousness of new missionaries as they come into this amazing opportunity. It's such a bitter sweet thing. 

For our Tuesday devotional Sister Craven and her husband came to speak to us. Elder Craven gave a talk about God's love. Sister Craven gave a talk about how we need to be careful not casual missionaries.

We have this on going inside joke in our district about giving people a sacrament cup of information instead of a firehose. We all know so much information and we want to give it to the people we teach/invite but we're limited to a sacrament cup of information because we don't want to overwhelm them. 

I hope everyone is doing great and I love and miss all of you. Thank you for your emails, letters, and prayers. The next time I write I'll be in Tennessee! 

Love, Sister Warburton 

I met my 4th cousin (twice removed)

Hello family & friends! I'm still alive (: 

I can honestly say that I love the MTC. When I came here I thought I would be stressed but it's actually just like college.

I'm allowed to receive and read emails throughout the week so feel free to email whenever. I love it when I get emails! (: Also (I'm a big fan of peanut butter M&M's btw 😉) my mailing address for the MTC is: 

Sister Kari Ann Warburton

DEC18  TN-KNOX
2005 N 900 E Unit 175
Provo UT 84602

It's crazy how much you can learn in a week here! The spirit is so strong! Classes are going good. I always thought that to be an awesome missionary I would have to have the Book of Mormon memorized inside and out. This, my friends, is not true. Missionary work is about loving the people and inviting them to come unto Christ. I really like how my teacher put it "Salvation is not your responsibility" meaning that if I try my best the Lord will do the rest.

Sister Shelton is my companion and she's super awesome (: We both love music and she has such a passion for sharing the gospel. I've also ran into a few people here. I ran into Sister Dixon and I also ran into Sister Mangleson. I love them so much!

Me and Sister Shelton had our first TRC this week. Our first lesson wasn't the best but then we had our second lesson and it went so good! It's amazing how much you can love someone that you've just met! The spirit was so strong in our second lesson! One of the biggest things they teach here is to make sure the spirit is there. "Jesus is polite and won't come unless he's invited, that's why we pray so much" 

Funny story: One day as a district we got the family history app and on that app it tells you who your relatives are nearby. Everyone in the district was a 9th or 10th cousin, but my district leader, Elder Smith, is my 4th cousin twice removed. We're related through Abraham Chadwick (my dad's side). 

I also started a quote book because you hear the funniest things here! Me & Sister Shelton were walking to class and this one Elder was  shouting "I'M A STRONG INDEPENDENT MISSIONARY WHO DON'T NEED NO GIRL!... expect my momma. I love my momma." 

I'm very grateful for all your emails and prayers. I can feel them. The gospel is so very true and the spirit is so strong. I have a challenge for all of you: When you pray picture yourself before Heavenly Father talking to him. That's what i've been doing with my prayers and it's made them so much more meaningful.

I love all of you!