Contour Pillows, Electrode Therapy, and I MADE IT SAFELY TO BRAZIL!!!

Hey family!

Well this has been the most interesting week of my whole mission! On Tuesday, we all drove down to the transfer meeting together. It was really weird not having my name come up with a new companion. It was even weirder literally not having a companion at all at the end of the meeting. I didn't quite know what to do with myself!

I know that President Cottle called you when they set my flight up for tomorrow, but I don't know how much he told you about what I would be doing until then. So I kind of got paired up with Sister Cole, the mission nurse, and her husband. The rest of Tuesday, we didn't really do much. Wednesday morning we went to the gym at their apartment complex and I biked, which actually didn't hurt like I thought it would. We had set up an appt with a chiropractor, so we saw him. He took more x-rays and was very concerned about the curve in my neck. I told him that I have scoliosis, so that curve wasn't new. But he asked me to get a contour pillow and try to sleep on my back so that curve can get corrected. So I've been doing that and it's been working pretty well. I also did electrode therapy Wednesday-Friday at the chiropractor's. I know it was supposed to relax my muscles, but I don't know exactly how it was supposed to help.

An incredible blessing was being able to spend a bit of time at the Cottles'. They have a tub with jets that Sister Cole wanted me to soak in, so I was able to do that a few times last week. And I got to meet Sister Cottle's sweet 90-year-old father and talk with them all. President Cottle and I spent some time speaking Portuguese. We all grew so much closer with the time we were blessed to spend together. When we decided that I needed to come to Forsyth with the sisters here, President Cottle was sad to have me leave. He said he had to remind himself that I am a missionary, even though I feel like his daughter. I feel so blessed to have had that time with the Cottles. It makes it harder to leave, though. But I'll see them again!

Anyways, my leg is doing so much better! I can walk a lot better than I could even two days ago. President Cottle is confident that I will be able to handle the MTC. He said he would be a bit more nervous if I was going straight into the field. I know he's right. And I know it's time for me to go to Brazil. It's really hard to leave this mission, but I trust Heavenly Father so much. I am grateful for the time that I've had in this mission. Everything is in His hands, and I trust Him! Whatever happens is what's meant to happen. Thank you for your prayers and love. I hope you have a great week! I'll be calling from the airport tomorrow, from a cell phone before I enter the gate. That'll be around 3pm your time. I'll call around until I get someone. I love you all so much! And happy birthday, Daddy!!! Have a wonderful week. I'll talk to you tomorrow :)

Love,

Sister Ramsden



Hey family!!!

They gave us a minute to e-mail home today, so just wanted to let you know that I made it safely to Brazil! It is so surreal being here, in a different country, speaking a different language. It's actually pretty amazing. I know I fought it because I loved Georgia so much, but I know that this is where Heavenly Father wants me to be. My leg continues to heal, and I am being well-taken care of here at the CTM. My companion is Sister Hammill, who was in my zone back at the Provo MTC! And our roommate is a native Brazilian who speaks absolutely no English. But she is patient with us as we try to understand her and communicate in broken Portuguese. I can't believe I'm here! This is crazy. The plane ride was a bit rough. 9 long hours, and I really couldn't sleep. Probably a combination of my mind going in overdrive and not being very comfortable. So I'm running on very little sleep right now. It's gonna be a long day, but I'll push through it and everything will work out great. Anyways, know that I love you all so so much!! I pray that all is well with you. Have a wonderful week, and don't forget to write. :)

Love,

Sister Ramsden

Mother's Day Skypes, Burns, and One-week Delays.

Dear family!

It was so good to see your beautiful faces yesterday! The time flew by, that's for sure. Thank you for helping me be obedient, even though we all wish it could've lasted longer. I'm sure it was a wonderful Mother's Day gift to see the burns I received from the car accident. I just want you to know how much I love you and that I am so sorry that happened. All I know is that Heavenly Father has a divine plan, and that must have been in it. It was a blessing to be able to call home three times in the last week, even though the circumstances weren't super ideal! It was wonderful to be able to hear your voices and to tell you myself that I'm okay. Thank you for the love and for the prayers.

I can't tell you how miraculously and how rapidly we are recovering. It is truly a miracle of God! I can walk much better today than before. My left leg is still incredibly sore and full of bruises, but I have been so well taken care of. Sister Jackson serving in the other ward is an EMT, and Sister Van Dyke's father is a physical therapist. So they have been helping tend to my ailments. Sister Waddoups is incredibly helpful, always looking for somethings she can do to be of help to me. I sat in a chair and directed her in the packing of my suitcases, which are miraculously under 50 pounds, and everything is fitting beautifully.

I received a powerful priesthood blessing from President Cottle when he and Sister Cottle visited me in the hospital. All four elders, Elder Robbins, Elder Moyo, Elder Hunsaker, and Elder Seedall, were able to participate. I know that my speedy recovery is a result of that beautiful blessing as well as all the prayers that have been said on my behalf. I can't even begin to express my gratitude for the Cottles and the elders for all they have done for me. I know I keep talking about this, but it just blows my mind that the elders stayed with me at the hospital for six hours. They sang hymns for me (which they never do!), they read the scriptures for me, they made me laugh, they made me cry. They are absolutely stellar individuals, and I will forever be grateful to them.

I love Heavenly Father so much! I know it's easy for us to be confused or frustrated when plans change, but I know there is a reason that these things have happened. There's a reason that my flight is being delayed until next week, there are reasons for everything, even when we don't understand them. I trust my Father with everything that I am. He knows me and loves me so much more perfectly than I or anyone else does. I know these things are true! My testimony of them is so strong. I love my Father, and I hope I can always be worthy to accept and do His will.

I love you all so so much! I told Mom earlier to just write the mission office if you need to send something. I'll be in Macon recovering for the next week or so. I hope you have a wonderful week. <3

All my love,

Sister Kashmir Janae Ramsden

Tornadoes, Getting Organized, and "Now that I've made you emotional..."

Minha querida familia!
(How's my Portuguese?)

I hope you all had a wonderful week. Just to clarify, there wasn't an actual tornado in Evans, Georgia this week. But one went through my suitcases, that's for sure! I've been tearing my things apart, making list after list, trying to get organized physically and mentally as I prepare to leave for Brazil. Add to that load going on exchanges almost every day this week, and there's another tornado! Sister VanDyke and Sister Eggett both had doctor's appointments the same day, but one was in Warner Robbins, so we had an exchange so they could both make their appointments. I feel like I haven't seen my companion all week! This was seriously the craziest week of my entire mission. Crazier than the ice storm! But I'm happy to say that the sisters have gotten the medical care they needed, and they are doing so much better today. Also, shout out to worthy priesthood holders! It's amazing to know that we have the ability to call someone at any hour of the night, and they will find a companion, put on their suit and tie, and come give a blessing. I love the priesthood!! So I'm just taking things a day at a time, working hard to not get overwhelmed. And I think I'm handling everything pretty well! Thank you for your prayers, they are seriously felt. There's no way I could've gotten through this week without some added strength from my Heavenly Father.

On Tuesday we had our Zone Conference combined with the Augusta Zone (my last one here :( ). It was amazing. President Cottle asked us each to prepare a short talk on a conference talk, and he would ask a few people to share theirs throughout our meeting. Before we broke for lunch, he got up and said they were going to announce a transfer that would take place and told everyone I had received my visa. Then he asked me to share my talk ("Now that I've made you emotional..."). So I spoke about President Monson's talk about love. And of course I cried in front of everyone! But we had an awesome training from one of the Assistants about expecting to baptize. He talked about how we know that baptism is necessary, so we shouldn't be afraid to extend the commitment to be baptized. He gave me this new vision of looking at everyone we meet, knowing that they need to be baptized by the priesthood authority of God. It definitely helps us make our contacts more of a conversation and less of a "Here's a card, bye!" approach. I think we were glowing yesterday as we walked down the streets, because people were so much friendlier and more open than I've seen them in the last three months. Miracles do happen! Sometimes all we have to do is change our way of thinking.

I love you all to the moon and back! Seriously soooo much. Thank you for the advice. I'll definitely take everything into consideration as I continue making my lists and sending things off and buying things. I love you and hope you have a wonderful week! Let me know if there's anything I can do for you!

All my love,

Sister Kashmir Janae Ramsden