Still Fulfilling My Purpose

hello friends! so yeah. things are really different since the last time I emailed... this virus has the whole world shut down. it's been especially crazy for us missionaries because so many are getting sent back to their home countries! President has been getting updates almost everyday on who's allowed to stay and who's not, and he makes changes to our area assignments constantly! it has been sad to say goodbye to my international missionary friends AND MY TRIO!! (Hermana Gutierrez got transferred to be with another sister whose comp went home!), but I know God is in control. He knows what He is doing, I just need to trust Him.

I thank my Heavenly Father everyday that I still get to be a missionary! Getting called an hour away from my college home has proved once again to be a huge blessing. I won't take this time for granted anymore. it is too precious to me!! 

As many of you know, we have been quarantined for the past two weeks. Honestly, the first week was rough. good thing I ran out of time to write a weekly email to you all or else it would have been pretty depressing haha. It was a huge shock to go from always being out and about to being shut in my apartment all day. I let myself have my own little pity party for a few days because missionary work "wasn't the same anymore," and I didn't really like that. So, I was not a happy camper... but Heavenly Father definitely softened my heart. I was praying really hard one morning that He would just take this all away and make everything back to normal again! I thought that sounded like a great idea! But if there's one thing I've learned on my mission it's that God's plans are usually different than mine -- and so much better!!!! I felt a calming assurance that He is aware of what's going on and He has a plan to get through it. I just have to trust Him. That morning, I decided I would make the best of this weird, very different part of my mission. 

.... and it worked! This week was SO MUCH BETTER! We taught TONS OF LESSONS (36 to be exact! We had a competition to see which companionship could teach the most lessons in 2 days. We taught 22 lessons and won! We had back to back video calls from 2 PM - 9 PM haha so we pretty much sat at our kitchen table all day on Wednesday. it was sweet!) and our peeps are progressing! My friend Kristin is getting baptized this week!! Yay!! She's worked hard for it and has some awesome friends supporting her. How sweet is this??? two of Kristin's friends gave up soda to support her in overcoming her bad habits! We even gave up chocolate to show our support as well! Kristin said she knows Christ is there for her because she has felt him give her strength to overcome her challenges. She is awesome and I am so pumped for her! 

I am still fulfilling my purpose, just in a very different way! I am very blessed here in Layton. That's because this isn't my work, it's the work of Almighty God. It will go on no matter what!! 

"The standard of truth has been erected. No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the great Jehovah shall say the work is done."

LOVE YOU ALL! stay healthy!!

love, Sister Keeler