March 10, 2016 - June 15th was SO much closer than July 27th!!

So it wouldn't be so long between my Blog updates if Sister Berntsen didn't take so long in between group emails.  

I'm not allowed to share our personal emails.  

She's threatened me with my life.

Kenya and her companion Taylor....

She loves being "Kenya and Taylor" again!

I will be posting 2 group emails and this first one is her most recent group email from

March 1, 2017:

Hello family!

I hope you have all been well! I appreciate so much all the emails, letters, pictures and videos you send me! Everything out here in Cleveland/Kirtland is great! The area I am serving in is basically right next to Cleveland, lots of diversity and VERY different than Utah Valley. But so much fun! I am also loving my companion Sister Talbot and grateful for the experiences we are having. 

This week we had a lesson with a recent convert in our area. We invited Karl and Joyce Anderson to come with us. Karl Anderson is known around here as "Mr. Kirtland". He is probably in his mid-late 70's and knows just about everything about Kirtland. He has written 2 books about Kirtland. "The Savior in Kirtland" and "Joseph Smith in Kirtland". He takes all the general authorities on tour here but he is the sweetest and most humble man I have met. He is the Kirtland Stake Patriarch and he is in our ward currently. 

Anyways, the lesson went great! We taught the recent convert about Patriarchal blessings. Brother Anderson shared with us an experience he had. He was going to give a blessing to a young man who obviously did not want the blessing and was rebellious. He wouldn't share his thoughts or feelings openly and Brother Anderson was scared to give this blessing. He pleaded that the Lord would help me give this blessing. 

As he began the blessing, no promptings came to his mind. No words, thoughts or impressions. He prayed 3 times for the words to come and finally, he heard a voice that said "I would surely hope that you would love him too, I do, I gave my life for him." 

After that, he said he repented and gained stronger love for this boy and gave him the blessing. 

To think that we are loved by someone enough that He gave His life for us. From this I learned that we must "love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you" (3 Nephi 12:44) Why? Because the Savior does and we want to become more like Him. Whether its co-workers, friends or family. God asks us to love them even when it's hard to. 

How grateful I am to have a Savior who understands me, loves me, guides me and even died for me. Thank you for being a support and strength to me. I love you all! :) 

PS, the weather last week was in the 60's almost all week 

So in January, Kenya told us in an email that President Brown asked her to extend her mission one whole transfer!!  So instead of June 15th, she will be coming home July 27th!!  YES, to mom and dad, that's a LONG TIME, but we're so stinking proud of her.  It's the absolute busiest time in Kirtland, and although she wasn't very excited about it at first, she now realizes how lucky she is to be one of two sister missionaries asked to extend, and she knows it will be an amazing blessing!  

This is Kenya's group email from:

February 6th.  

Notice the way she sneaks in telling everyone about her extension:

Hello family and friends!

I know it's been awhile since I have sent a group email but I have been doing great! I have had one of the best transfers on my mission with Sister Henrie. We have found so many miracles in our area these past few weeks and I feel that the Lord really has provided all the success and miracles. But all good things must come to an end.. So my companion will be getting transferred this week. I will miss her but my new companion is someone I have come to know and love very well on my mission, so I'm very excited to have her as my new companion!

I have loved my mission so much! I can't imagine where my life would have been without it. I know that the Lord has shaped me into the person I am today. All I have learned, gained, experience has prepared me for so much more. There is nothing in the world that compares to being on the Lord's errand and being His mouthpiece. 

I am so grateful for the experiences that lie ahead for me and to have an extra 6 weeks than I had expected to do this work.

Thank you for your prayers, love and support! I couldn't be more grateful for all of you. I do pray for you everyday. Love you all!!

This past week we had to go to Cleveland on our preparation day so we made a stop at Downtown Cleveland and had some fun there :)

1. Lebron James.. Of course
2. Indians field (progressive field)
3. An Elder in our mission was asked to have his picture taken to be blown up in one of the busiest train stops in Cleveland

These two absolutely LOVE being companions, and Kenya has literally asked us to pray that they get to stay companions through another transfer, which will be the end or March.