Kenna Cutler
Talk 3.17.2019
TOPIC: What were some gospel truths you BELIEVED were true before your mission, but now KNOW are true.
Buenas Tardes Hermanos y Hermanas, my name is Kenna Cutler and I have recently gotten back from serving a full-time mission in Chicago, Illinois. It was a great 18 months, and it flew by for me, honestly it went by way to fast! But here I am.
I have learned so many great things throughout my mission, I am very grateful for the decision I made to go, and for all those I met in Chicago. For every trial I faced, every door that got slammed in my face, and every person who let us in. For those who grew a testimony, and for the lives that was changed, including mine. For the patience I learned while learning Spanish, the love that I felt for each of Gods children, and for all the humbling moments. I would gladly say that my mission was very sacred to me, not a day goes by where I don’t think off all those in Chicago.
Since being home I have had time to ponder on the things I learned while I was a missionary representing my Savior every day. Before my mission I had a testimony of many things, and I believed them to be true, but as a returned missionary I can testify to you today that I know these things to be true.
THOUGHTS:
I know God is our loving Heavenly Father and this gospel blesses lives no matter what we are going through at certain moments of our lives. As missionaries we would study daily from Preach my Gospel, something we did a lot in my mission was memorize the 10 how to begin teaching points and use them in every lesson. I knew they were inspired of God because every time we testified and used them, I could feel the Holy Ghost direct me in how I needed to use them to help His children. Everyone is very different, and learn at different paces, but I know that God cares about each one and knows how they can be best helped.
Families are Eternal
Before my mission I always heard the phrase “families can be together forever”, and I believed it. One day while I was on my mission I was studying and realized that it said families CAN be together forever not WILL be together forever. In this moment I realized how much agency we have been given on this life. God promises us that if we stay on the covenant path that we can be together as families forever. But that doesn’t mean that we WILL be, it entirely depends on what we want. Ultimately in the end we know who the winning team is, now we just need to decide which team we want to be apart of. Gods or Satan’s. So ultimately, we can be together forever if we so desire.
I have met some great people on my mission, and one of the things I enjoyed the most was bringing families together and teaching them as one. There was this one family we started teaching my first day in one of my areas, my companion and I were both new and had never met them, they were so exited the moment we had arrived. It was like they had been waiting to hear what we had to say. They said they would watch us ride our bikes up and down the streets and knock all the doors around, and just waited for us to get to them. There were so many inspired things that happened in that contact, it showed me that the Lord really knew what He was doing, and that He loved His children. As we continued to teach them their whole family grew closer together, they all had their differences but when we taught, they could all feel that spirit of the Lord in the room, and you could see it on their faces that they knew what we were testifying of was true. My favorite moment was when they all came to church together, it was so fun seeing this family progress and let God into their lives. Maria (the mom) was talking to us one day, and she told us that the first day we came by, her and her husband Marcelo had gotten into a huge fight and had been thinking of divorcing, they were so close to getting one for months and they thought that would be it, then they met us, and everything changed. They still have their differences, but since they have truly felt the love of God in their life’s things have changed for them as a family. They all seem happier.
Something else that I have learned from being a missionary is that even though we aren’t perfect and sometimes make mistakes, Christ is always there to catch us when we fall. He carries us even when we don’t notice.
At the last General Conference, our Prophet President Russell M. Nelson gave us four invitations, one of which was to read the Book of Mormon from then till the end of the year and highlight in a specific color anytime it mentions Christs name. I never realized how often the Saviors name is mentioned in the Book of Mormon! After I did this, I found that I noticed the Saviors name more when I studied anything else, His name always stands out to me now, and I love it! I know that this is His church, and I love the emphasis that the Prophets and Apostles have on making sure we use the correct name of the Church. (3 Nephi 27: 8-10)
TESTIFY:In Spanish
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
2/20/2019 I'm Coming Home...Tell the World I'm Coming Home
2/20/2019 Hoorah por Israel!!
Buenooooo
Miracles on miracles on miracles!
Thank you all for your support and love over these past 18 months, all your prayers and emails have meant a lot! I just want you all to know I know that this church is true, and I have loved every single second I have had to serve my Savior. Its been a great journey here in Chicago, and I will be forever greatful for those I met along the way. My mission is sacred, there will not be a day that goes by that I will not remember these people, and this place. My mission is sacred.
See you all soon!!
Ciao for now!
Hermana McKenna Cutler
Last week here in Chicago!
Rogelio: Wow. He is so ready, all he needs to do is come to church!! We went through all the baptismal questions this week with him, and for every single one he gave us a reference from the Book of Mormon to why he believes it, or how he feels about it. It was so cool!! He even quoted all of 3 Nephi 14:13-14 to me, and bore his testimony of everything he knows. He said he has one addiction, and that is "reading the Book of Mormon daily, no matter what time it is.". Wow.
Gaby: Accepted a baptismal date this week for the 16th of March!!
Temple Trip: It was the best thing ever, I missed being at the temple! Its almost been a year since I went last! We were able to eat at President Bunghams house after and it was so fun seeing everyone again.
Chi 5 sleepover!! With Hermana Page!! I got to go back to my last area for a night and it was a party needless to say!
Rogelio: Wow. He is so ready, all he needs to do is come to church!! We went through all the baptismal questions this week with him, and for every single one he gave us a reference from the Book of Mormon to why he believes it, or how he feels about it. It was so cool!! He even quoted all of 3 Nephi 14:13-14 to me, and bore his testimony of everything he knows. He said he has one addiction, and that is "reading the Book of Mormon daily, no matter what time it is.". Wow.
Gaby: Accepted a baptismal date this week for the 16th of March!!
Temple Trip: It was the best thing ever, I missed being at the temple! Its almost been a year since I went last! We were able to eat at President Bunghams house after and it was so fun seeing everyone again.
Chi 5 sleepover!! With Hermana Page!! I got to go back to my last area for a night and it was a party needless to say!
I got asked to speak in church last sunday, it was probably the best talk ive ever given. I prepared a talk, but hardly spoke about what I wrote! The spirit led me in another direction, and I cant exactly tell you all that I said, but it was cool being led by the spirit.
Miracles on miracles on miracles!
Thank you all for your support and love over these past 18 months, all your prayers and emails have meant a lot! I just want you all to know I know that this church is true, and I have loved every single second I have had to serve my Savior. Its been a great journey here in Chicago, and I will be forever greatful for those I met along the way. My mission is sacred, there will not be a day that goes by that I will not remember these people, and this place. My mission is sacred.
See you all soon!!
Ciao for now!
Hermana McKenna Cutler
2/12/2019 The Final Countdown
BUENOOOOOOO
Highlights:
-We had 4 people at church this week!!
-Camilo: He is 23 and is from Guadalajara México. The other night we went to try to meet with Rogelio, but he was so busy to hear a quick message. So we decided to grab something from Michocana as it is right next door. Well as we were ordering the guy who was helping us was like "Wow you speak spanish!?" *in spanish*, then to make a long story short we gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon, got his number, and set up a return appointment. We went back and he had actually read! It was so great!!! We are going back this week to teach him more!
-Gaby: Gaby came to church again!!! We have progressed so much with her in the past few weeks, when we first started teaching her she wanted nothing to do with church, and most definetly didnt want to come very week. But she has come the past 3 weeks in a row, and LOVES it!! She says she feels like she actually belongs, and is excited to come. She is also thinking about baptism!!!
-Evelyn: Evelyn came to church again this week, and she just looks so happy! She comes with Hermana Barrera and they all just look like they are having the time of their lives. Its so fun being there with them and seeing them both so happy. After church we went to the Barreras for dinner with Evelyn, and ate
some great Guatamalan food, then shared a super powerful lesson about the Book of Mormon. Let me just say the Barreras are amazing! Member missionary work really does work!
-Muñoz Sagrario: A member referral from Presidentes wife. She is amazing, and so ready to learn!!! She also read and was prepared to ask questions. She is Golden!
-John Perez: John someone Hermana Page and I taught in Chicago 5 got baptized this past weekend! He is the husband of Avelina, at the very beginning he wanted nothing to do with us and the church, but little by little he started joining us, then he started coming to church and we would push him every sunday in his wheel chair about 4 blocks so he could come, and this past weekend he was able to be baptized!! I was able to skype in and talk to him for a quick second, he looks so happy! I love them both so much!!
-Hermana Backus: I love her to death, she is the sweetest human I know! She has such a good drive and determination about her, its been fun teaching her, and learning from her this past transfer. She is going to continue doing some amazing things during the rest of her mission, I know it!
I LOVE CHICAGO, I LOVE MY COMPANION, I LOVE THE LORD, AND I LOVE MY MISSION!!!!
Highlights:
-We had 4 people at church this week!!
-Camilo: He is 23 and is from Guadalajara México. The other night we went to try to meet with Rogelio, but he was so busy to hear a quick message. So we decided to grab something from Michocana as it is right next door. Well as we were ordering the guy who was helping us was like "Wow you speak spanish!?" *in spanish*, then to make a long story short we gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon, got his number, and set up a return appointment. We went back and he had actually read! It was so great!!! We are going back this week to teach him more!
-Gaby: Gaby came to church again!!! We have progressed so much with her in the past few weeks, when we first started teaching her she wanted nothing to do with church, and most definetly didnt want to come very week. But she has come the past 3 weeks in a row, and LOVES it!! She says she feels like she actually belongs, and is excited to come. She is also thinking about baptism!!!
-Evelyn: Evelyn came to church again this week, and she just looks so happy! She comes with Hermana Barrera and they all just look like they are having the time of their lives. Its so fun being there with them and seeing them both so happy. After church we went to the Barreras for dinner with Evelyn, and ate
some great Guatamalan food, then shared a super powerful lesson about the Book of Mormon. Let me just say the Barreras are amazing! Member missionary work really does work!
-Muñoz Sagrario: A member referral from Presidentes wife. She is amazing, and so ready to learn!!! She also read and was prepared to ask questions. She is Golden!
-John Perez: John someone Hermana Page and I taught in Chicago 5 got baptized this past weekend! He is the husband of Avelina, at the very beginning he wanted nothing to do with us and the church, but little by little he started joining us, then he started coming to church and we would push him every sunday in his wheel chair about 4 blocks so he could come, and this past weekend he was able to be baptized!! I was able to skype in and talk to him for a quick second, he looks so happy! I love them both so much!!
-Hermana Backus: I love her to death, she is the sweetest human I know! She has such a good drive and determination about her, its been fun teaching her, and learning from her this past transfer. She is going to continue doing some amazing things during the rest of her mission, I know it!
I LOVE CHICAGO, I LOVE MY COMPANION, I LOVE THE LORD, AND I LOVE MY MISSION!!!!
Love you all,
Hermana Cutler
FOTOS:
-Johns Baptism
-Tye Dying
-random van I saw while tracting! I knew I recognized the picture from somewhere! (It was REALLY cold that day)
2/5/2019 Many are cold, but few frozen
Buenoooooooo
-We had dinner with these members and we were speaking english, spanish, and portuguse! My mind was so confused, but I was able to understand what they were saying in portugués, el don del lenguas is real!!
-Zone Conference was so good as always, it was freezing cold that day -30 with windchills that made it feel like -50 so President texted everyone to stay indoors due to the weather. Luckily we had zone conference so we were able to stay indoors anyways! We were outside for like 5 minutes and it chills you right to the bone. Its like living in a freezer! I heard it was colder than Antartica... 🤤
-So ive heard if it gets cold enough you could boil water then we you throw it outside it will evaporate before it hits the ground, my whole mission ive been wanting to try that and it was finally cold enough for it to work!! It was so cool, we did it a few times just for the fun of it!
-It got super cold this week, then super warm, the weather is so bipolar. But it makes tracting a lot easier when its warmer, because then the people are a lot nicer! Yesterday it was about 50 degrees! Que Bendición!!
-We found some really cool new people this week, one of them was a member referral from Hermana Martinez. Her name is Munoz Sagrario, and she has the cutest little boy. He definetly made the lesson intresting! She seems to have a ton of desire, and we are excited to continue meeting with her, during her sons naptime (;
-A few weeks back we were knocking doors at about 8:30 pm (let me just say all the best stories come from tracting late a night!), the last house we knocked this latina answered and we were so pumped because we hadnt talked to a single latino on that street. We exchanged numbers and she said we could come back another day. Well last monday we had a return missionary with us on splits all night and we went to her house, and had the greatest lesson ever!! Her and her family seem so intrested. The next day we went back again for a quick second, and this time ALL her kids joined us! It was so fun!! We are super excited to go back this week!!
-Church was soooo good, we had three people that we are teaching come! It was awesome, as well as or recent converts! The church was packed!! Evelyn, Gaby, and a part member family who we are starting to meet with all came. It was super fun seeing them all there, all the testimonies were super powerful as well. Presidente Martinez was a savage and shared his testimony in English, it caught me off guard but I think it was really good for the youth to hear it.
-As sacrament started I was playing the piano, and Hermana Backus got called up to lead and right as the song begun Gaby walked in and sat down in the front where we usually sit. Well she didnt have a himno to sing with, and Presidente Martinez saw this so he went down from the stand to give Gaby his book, it was so cool! I love this branch!!!
-funnn times
I hope you all have a blessed week, enjoy it!
Hermana Kenna Cutler
-Zone Conference was so good as always, it was freezing cold that day -30 with windchills that made it feel like -50 so President texted everyone to stay indoors due to the weather. Luckily we had zone conference so we were able to stay indoors anyways! We were outside for like 5 minutes and it chills you right to the bone. Its like living in a freezer! I heard it was colder than Antartica... 🤤
-So ive heard if it gets cold enough you could boil water then we you throw it outside it will evaporate before it hits the ground, my whole mission ive been wanting to try that and it was finally cold enough for it to work!! It was so cool, we did it a few times just for the fun of it!
-It got super cold this week, then super warm, the weather is so bipolar. But it makes tracting a lot easier when its warmer, because then the people are a lot nicer! Yesterday it was about 50 degrees! Que Bendición!!
-We found some really cool new people this week, one of them was a member referral from Hermana Martinez. Her name is Munoz Sagrario, and she has the cutest little boy. He definetly made the lesson intresting! She seems to have a ton of desire, and we are excited to continue meeting with her, during her sons naptime (;
-A few weeks back we were knocking doors at about 8:30 pm (let me just say all the best stories come from tracting late a night!), the last house we knocked this latina answered and we were so pumped because we hadnt talked to a single latino on that street. We exchanged numbers and she said we could come back another day. Well last monday we had a return missionary with us on splits all night and we went to her house, and had the greatest lesson ever!! Her and her family seem so intrested. The next day we went back again for a quick second, and this time ALL her kids joined us! It was so fun!! We are super excited to go back this week!!
-Church was soooo good, we had three people that we are teaching come! It was awesome, as well as or recent converts! The church was packed!! Evelyn, Gaby, and a part member family who we are starting to meet with all came. It was super fun seeing them all there, all the testimonies were super powerful as well. Presidente Martinez was a savage and shared his testimony in English, it caught me off guard but I think it was really good for the youth to hear it.
-As sacrament started I was playing the piano, and Hermana Backus got called up to lead and right as the song begun Gaby walked in and sat down in the front where we usually sit. Well she didnt have a himno to sing with, and Presidente Martinez saw this so he went down from the stand to give Gaby his book, it was so cool! I love this branch!!!
-funnn times
I hope you all have a blessed week, enjoy it!
Hermana Kenna Cutler
1/28/2019 Que Bendición
Buenoooooo
Highlights:
-We had exchanges and I spent the day with Hermana Anguiano here in Joliet 2! It was probably one of my favorite exchanges on my mission, and my last exchange. It was so much fun catching up with her, and being her companion for the day. The companionship unity is still there!
-During exchanges we had freezing rain, let me tell you it was quite the experience!! Tracting in it was fun, it felt like we were ice skating up and down drive ways. At one point we were walking up this hill and it was just about impossible! Pure ice!! We would take a few steps then just slide right back down to where we started. We eventually gave up and just walked in the snow. Hermana Anguaino took a video of me trying to walk up the hill, its pretty funny!
-We had a great lesson with Rogelio, and gave him this calender to follow so he knew what he needed to study each day. But he didnt come to church so sad day...
-We had new missionary training at President Binghams new mission home, it is BEAUTIFUL! We both learned so many great new things. Then after I had my exit interview (my last interview) with President, it was super cool we got to do it in his office rather than a church building so it was really chill, it was a good experience. He gave me so much life advice, he is a wise, wise man!
-Right after new missionary training we ran to the church to translate for our branch primary president in a meeting with the stake. It was fun! There was a few times though where my mind was so confused and I was trying to ask the english speaking people questions in spanish for our primary president, and when they looked at me with blank stares I realized oh wrong language!
-Giermo and Ivan work at our apartment complex and they are so cool. The other day we were studying and then we saw them outside shoveling so we quickly got on our shoes and ran out so we could talk to them and share a message! They are so cool and want to learn more about the Book of Mormon!!
-Church was so good as always and Gaby came again!!!! She is my favorite I love her so much!
-It feels like Christmas all over again out here, the snow sure is coming down! Its so pretty to look at and the see it shining in the sun. But knocking it it... thats a whole nother experience! Lets just say its always quite the adventure!
-The other day we were walking to a cita and we walked by some snow that said "I ♡ Jesus Mormon.org" it was so cool! I was so pumped!
-Hermana Delgado is my favorite person, she remember that we love Bueno bars and she found some for us (they uaually dont see them in the states)!!!!
-The english sisters got into an accident this week so we have been sharing our car today (so its been a crazy pday, and yes they are okay), so we drove them to a cita this morning and while we were waiting we decided to walk up and down the street to talk to some people. Well it snowed so much last night that school was cancelled and so everyone was outside having snowball fights, and shovelling the snow, so it was the perfect opportunity to talk to some people! We met so many cool people, and shovelled a few driveways befode the sisters finished their lesson. Fun times. One of the guys who helped us shovel was like "yeah, this is MY mission! I loved it!
Ciao for now,
Hermana Cutler
Highlights:
-We had exchanges and I spent the day with Hermana Anguiano here in Joliet 2! It was probably one of my favorite exchanges on my mission, and my last exchange. It was so much fun catching up with her, and being her companion for the day. The companionship unity is still there!
-During exchanges we had freezing rain, let me tell you it was quite the experience!! Tracting in it was fun, it felt like we were ice skating up and down drive ways. At one point we were walking up this hill and it was just about impossible! Pure ice!! We would take a few steps then just slide right back down to where we started. We eventually gave up and just walked in the snow. Hermana Anguaino took a video of me trying to walk up the hill, its pretty funny!
-We had a great lesson with Rogelio, and gave him this calender to follow so he knew what he needed to study each day. But he didnt come to church so sad day...
-We had new missionary training at President Binghams new mission home, it is BEAUTIFUL! We both learned so many great new things. Then after I had my exit interview (my last interview) with President, it was super cool we got to do it in his office rather than a church building so it was really chill, it was a good experience. He gave me so much life advice, he is a wise, wise man!
-Right after new missionary training we ran to the church to translate for our branch primary president in a meeting with the stake. It was fun! There was a few times though where my mind was so confused and I was trying to ask the english speaking people questions in spanish for our primary president, and when they looked at me with blank stares I realized oh wrong language!
-Giermo and Ivan work at our apartment complex and they are so cool. The other day we were studying and then we saw them outside shoveling so we quickly got on our shoes and ran out so we could talk to them and share a message! They are so cool and want to learn more about the Book of Mormon!!
-Church was so good as always and Gaby came again!!!! She is my favorite I love her so much!
-It feels like Christmas all over again out here, the snow sure is coming down! Its so pretty to look at and the see it shining in the sun. But knocking it it... thats a whole nother experience! Lets just say its always quite the adventure!
-The other day we were walking to a cita and we walked by some snow that said "I ♡ Jesus Mormon.org" it was so cool! I was so pumped!
-Hermana Delgado is my favorite person, she remember that we love Bueno bars and she found some for us (they uaually dont see them in the states)!!!!
-The english sisters got into an accident this week so we have been sharing our car today (so its been a crazy pday, and yes they are okay), so we drove them to a cita this morning and while we were waiting we decided to walk up and down the street to talk to some people. Well it snowed so much last night that school was cancelled and so everyone was outside having snowball fights, and shovelling the snow, so it was the perfect opportunity to talk to some people! We met so many cool people, and shovelled a few driveways befode the sisters finished their lesson. Fun times. One of the guys who helped us shovel was like "yeah, this is MY mission! I loved it!
Ciao for now,
Hermana Cutler
1/21/2019 Lets go for the Glory
Buenooooooooo
Highlights:
-We put Rogelio on date for baptism!!! It was such a powerful lesson and it really opened his eyes to what he needs to do. He has read the Book of Mormon multiple times and knows its true, now we just gotta get him to church! He works two jobs and has crazy hours and is always making up excuses for why he didnt come to church, but we are really hopeing we can get him there this week!
-Im not the only piano player anymore!! Hermana Backus now helps me out and its super nice being able to sing along with the congregation for a couple of songs every sunday! Actually its super funny singing with them, no one can seem to find a pitch so it sounds super... intresting!
-The ward was gonna have a movie night but cancelled it last second due to a "storm" that didnt even happen till the next day. We still went to the church to plan our week and this family showed up because they didnt get the memo, and it was a dad and 5 kids, well the kids were heartbroken! So we told them we'd watch the 20 min resto with them and they agreed, so we had a great lesson with them, and they got to watch the 20 min resto on my tablet! It was pretty funny!
-so there were a few "snow storms" this week. They honestly werent even bad, but everyone was cancelling on us because of it! Even though we explained that no matter the weather we still visit people.... luckily tons of people came to church though, I was so suprised!!
So we are currently sitting in walmart and this guy is chillin on some chairs right next to us all of a sudden falls onto the ground and starts spazing out or something! Then he gets up as if nothing happened! It was so weird! Walmart though....
Random Quotes:
*Man we contacted while it was freezing outside*
"Well you couldve picked a better day to do this!"
Elder Jimenez during a "get to know you game"
"Whats your battle cry?"
*thinks for about five minutes, and is getting soo embarrased**
"Like when im in battle and im crying because im dying?"
*(all of us) uhh not quite... (Elder Tracy) explains it to him*
"Oh. Well in that case, RAHHHHH!!! But you know longer and louder!"
*then takes a seat all proud*
Well I hope you all have a great week!
Hermana Cutler
Highlights:
-We put Rogelio on date for baptism!!! It was such a powerful lesson and it really opened his eyes to what he needs to do. He has read the Book of Mormon multiple times and knows its true, now we just gotta get him to church! He works two jobs and has crazy hours and is always making up excuses for why he didnt come to church, but we are really hopeing we can get him there this week!
-Im not the only piano player anymore!! Hermana Backus now helps me out and its super nice being able to sing along with the congregation for a couple of songs every sunday! Actually its super funny singing with them, no one can seem to find a pitch so it sounds super... intresting!
-The ward was gonna have a movie night but cancelled it last second due to a "storm" that didnt even happen till the next day. We still went to the church to plan our week and this family showed up because they didnt get the memo, and it was a dad and 5 kids, well the kids were heartbroken! So we told them we'd watch the 20 min resto with them and they agreed, so we had a great lesson with them, and they got to watch the 20 min resto on my tablet! It was pretty funny!
-so there were a few "snow storms" this week. They honestly werent even bad, but everyone was cancelling on us because of it! Even though we explained that no matter the weather we still visit people.... luckily tons of people came to church though, I was so suprised!!
So we are currently sitting in walmart and this guy is chillin on some chairs right next to us all of a sudden falls onto the ground and starts spazing out or something! Then he gets up as if nothing happened! It was so weird! Walmart though....
Random Quotes:
*Man we contacted while it was freezing outside*
"Well you couldve picked a better day to do this!"
Elder Jimenez during a "get to know you game"
"Whats your battle cry?"
*thinks for about five minutes, and is getting soo embarrased**
"Like when im in battle and im crying because im dying?"
*(all of us) uhh not quite... (Elder Tracy) explains it to him*
"Oh. Well in that case, RAHHHHH!!! But you know longer and louder!"
*then takes a seat all proud*
Well I hope you all have a great week!
Hermana Cutler
1. Meet Golden, a lab/ husky mix. He is so precious!!
2. Snow...
3. Hermana Backus thought if we put our basketball shorts under our skirts it would keep us warmer 😂
4. Nuestro Distrito
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