Week - 49 I'm still in Kansas!

My new companion Sister Flake

Well we had transfers this week and I'm pretty surprised that I'm still
in Kansas but I'm so happy to still be here! I have a new companion,
her name is Sister Flake! We served together for a little while in the
visitor’s center so now we're super happy to be companions!!

Patricia was able to be baptized and it was so amazing:) she brought
some of her friends and he daughter and she had great support from the
Ward. She said after she was confirmed that she just felt like she
could see more of the plan Heavenly Father has for her. Some of her
family came to church with her too and want to learn more! The gospel
really is about families so we are so excited her family is going to
come into this with her:)

Patricia's baptism. Hermana Krage and her new companion Hermana and my new companion Sister Flake.

There was another baptism early in the day for a little girl named
Isabelle and it was a great service as well! But something really
stood out to me in that baptism. The man from the Ward that was
conducting the baptism wife's just had a baby. He said he felt
prompted to say some things and asked his wife to bring up this brand
new baby. He explained that our Heavenly Father sees us as we see this
little child. We love them and see what we can become. Just as they
learn how to take steps, we learn how to take steps in the gospel. God
truly is our Heavenly Father and he truly loves us because we are his
children. This was just a really eye opening visual for me!

We're off to a good start this transfer, and it's just going to get better!:)
Hope everything is well for everyone! All is well and God is good!
Hermana/Sister Courtney Baggett

Sister Moss, Sister Hunt and I at transfers!

Week 48 - Let the atonement change you!

And back for another week!
I hope all is well for every one wherever you are in the world! It's
sure great here in Kansas:) we had an awesome week!

There was a baptism in our ward for some other members of the Ramirez
family! I think everyone in the family is finally baptized...unless
some more show up!:) haha back in December I sent home a picture of 5
kids and one of the moms getting baptized and that was from this
family! Now, Miguel and Angel have joined their family in the church!
They were finally able to get visas, so they moved to be with their
mom from Mexico. They are 14 and 15 and have only been in the states
for like a month now, but their testimonies as so strong!

And one more with the Ramirez family, cooking up some fish!

The day before their baptism, Miguel went up to his mom and said, "ma,
today is my last day being a Catholic!" And his mom says to him, "son
you never really were a Catholic, we never went to church!" Hahaha so
he thinks about it for a second and goes, "yeah I guess you're right,
but really, tomorrow I start a new life." Miguel truly understands what
promises he has made at his baptism that he will continue to change
and grow because of this amazing choice he has made to be baptized.

Patricia came to church this week even though she was sick! She knew
that it was important for her to be there every week, especially the
Sunday before her baptism, and so she came anyway! She is so excited
to be baptized and i am so excited for her! She has come a long way
and I know she is making the right choice, just as angel and Miguel
did:)

This is Patricia :)

Our transfer will be ending this week, and at the end of transfers I
love to take some time to think about the things that I have learned
and experience that last transfer. As I have done this for my last 7
transfers as a missionary I have really seen an example of the
atonement of Jesus Christ in my own life. I have seen this example
because I have seen such good changes in myself. I know that Heavenly
Father is giving me experiences to help shape me into the person that
he wants me to be, and I can only change and be forgiven and try again
because of the price that Christ paid for me. I am so grateful for the
opportunity I have to be a missionary and to learn what I need to
learn. I'm grateful for all of you who helped me take steps to prepare
and to grow so I could be where I am today. I love this gospel, I know
that it's true.

I invite you all some time this week to evaluate the last couple
months and ask yourself, have I changed to be closer to Christ? I know
the spirit will help you to see your growth and help you to also see
how you can grow in the coming few months.

I hope everyone has a fabulous week! All is well and God is good:)
Love Hermana/Sister Courtney Baggett

Some kids from one of the member families :)

This is Mama Lyons whom we live with.  Hermana Krage, Elder Roberts and Elder Bagley.
Sister Lyons is very good at keeping my mom informed about everything!

The 3 sets of missionaries in the Olathe 1st ward
Hermana Krage, me, ______, Elder Bagley,________ and Elder Roberts.

Week 47 - The church is true and I love being a missionary!

The Olathe Zone

What a fabulous week as always!:) We had all the normal, hard working missionary stuff as usual, but some of the fun highlights of the week:) we had a Relief Society party with the brand new Spanish Relief Society! It was their first activity together and it was an amazing success:) we had a meeting with all of the missionaries in our zone, which was great too! I'm still getting used to serving in an area where there aren't many sisters...in my last area there were tons because there were so many serving in the Visitor’s Center! Ha-ha But the elders are pretty great too!

And this wasn't just from this last week, but we've been working a lot with Patricia! Patricia is one of our investigators that is preparing for baptism! We have been teaching her the whole time I've been in this area (about 4 months) and she loves the church and agrees with everything we teach. Sometimes it's weird teaching her because I swear she's already a member ha-ha. Her grandpa was a member of the church and she remembers going to church parties when she was little and that was one of the reasons she became interested in investigating and joining the church.

The only thing that has been holding her back from making the commitment of baptism is coffee; she loves her coffee but knows she can't drink it if she wants to get baptized. She's been struggling to kick it, and you have to go at least 2 weeks without anything that breaks the word of wisdom (coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco) before your baptism so you develop the habit to do it for the rest of your life. Her baptism is scheduled for the 23rd of April, so she had to been off by the 9th which was Saturday. She unfortunately couldn't make it to church on Sunday, but we called and talked to her on the phone and she said she hasn't had any coffee and she's doing good!:) I am so proud of her and how hard she has worked at this:)

I know I've said it before, but it is such an amazing thing to see people change their lives. It's my favorite part about missionary work! They motivate me to work harder to be closer to Christ and remind me that there is no struggle or sin that the atonement of Jesus Christ cannot overcome. The gospel of Jesus Christ makes bad men good and good men better. If we trust in Christ and obey his commandments, he will change us into greater people than we can ever imagine!!
The church is true, all is well and God is good:)

Love Hermana/Sister Courtney Baggett

Sister Krage and I with our new pillowcases that my mom made!

A selfie with the Spanish Relief Society.

The sisters and Elder Davis...Gotta love it!

One of my favorite people!  Her name is Miriam!