November 9th - Random Text from Visiting Stranger

My favorite stranger texted me these two photos yesterday saying, "We have some cute sister tour guides today! You should be proud of them!" I love days like this!! ❤️❤️❤️

October 28, 2016 - A PERFECT DAY AT ISAAC MORLEY'S FARM

Sister Berntsen got a "shout out" from the amazing Brother Wynder!! Not to brag or make other descendants jealous, but Kenya's Morley bloodline comes through Issac Morley's youngest child, and ONLY son with his first wife Lucy. They named him Issac Morley, Jr.

Also, Lucy was his only wife through ALL of the persecution, fear and extermination orders from Kirtland to Nauvoo. She died before the call to go to Utah. She truly was the love of his life! ❤️❤️❤️

 .....Never mind that they were cousins....But they were married in Massachusetts wayyyyy before the"Mormons" got to them!

MORE PHOTOS OF THIS DAY ON ISSAC MORLEY'S FARM  

August 29th Group Email to the Berntsen Family

Picture on October 3, 2016, Kenya's Birthday, of her getting a hug and story from her Grandpa Berntsen!  H was so excited about her call to Ohio.

Three generation picture after Jack was ordained a Priest in July, 2016

Picture of Kenya's daddy with her Grandpa a few days before he passed away from Cancer

August 29, 2015 - Group Email to the Berntsen Family

Hello my sweet family,

Just wanted to send a quick email to you all. (don't have much of your emails though) I received the news of Grandpa's passing on Wednesday by my Visitors center director. It was hard news to take at such a stressful part of my mission, but I think I have been handling it well. This past week has been the hardest my whole mission, for multiple reasons and its just been tough not being able to be there with my family during this all. It breaks my heart to just sit back and imagine how you are all feeling, knowing that I can't be there for support or help.

I am truly going to miss my sweet Grandpa Mike. His slooow driving road trips, the pharmacy, his watery hot chocolate, and of course his love of out doors and his family. I remember one road trip to Moab, we took the trailer and had a fun weekend with some family. On our way home of course, Grandpa doesn't take any chances with his trailer so he went probably 45 on a 75 mile road and kept his hand out the window waving for EVERY car to pass him. Hard to believe I will actually miss that.

It breaks my heart that I can't be there for his funeral and be able to say goodbye to him one last time. But I know that this is where he wants me to be. I know that we may not all have the same beliefs on some things, but I do know with my whole heart that we will all see him, Grandma, Andy and Mac again. I have a firm testimony of eternal families. Even though we are all the craziest and some of the biggest pains in the butt, I am grateful for every one of you, and grateful to have you all as my eternal family.

I love you all and hope that you are all handling this tragic loss as best as you can. We have all dealt with it before. I just wanted to let you all know how much I love you and how much I miss you. I pray for everyone of you morning and night, I have felt prayers sent my way as well. I am grateful for the true gospel of Jesus Christ and grateful for you all. Give Grandpa one last kiss for me please.
#cancersucks #alzheimerssucks

Love, Sister Berntsen

August 1, 2016 - Group Email to the Mattson Family (Her last group email was July 11th)

August 25, 2016 - Kenya's cousin Porter Mattson came home from his mission to Guatemala

August 26, 2016 - Kenya's Aunt and Uncle Quinn and Gina Walker took out their Endowments in the Payson, Utah Temple

August 27, 2016 -  Kenya's Aunt and Uncle Gina and Quinn were sealed for Time and All Eternity in the Payson Temple (Payton and Daisy were able to enter the temple, Quade was 18 and too old to be able to go in)

This is a picture of all of Kenya's Mom's brothers and sisters and their spouses, Kirk, Gina, Angie, Joseph, Jacob, Camille and Candace.  And this was the first time that all of us were able to be together in the temple with our mom and dad, and our Aunt Joan!  

It was Grandma and Grandpa Mattson's best day ever, and I mean EVER!!

Sister Berntsen's Group Email to the Mattson Family on August 1, 2016:

Hi everyone!

Not much to the last few weeks! Sister Ewell and I have been keeping busy this summer! In the month of July Kirtland had over 14,000 visitors! Met some of the greatest people in that. But we have been doing a lot of finding as well! We stopped by a potential this week that I tracted into a few months ago. At the time I didn't see too much interest in him, but we just thought we would stop by and talk to him. And he opened right up to us. He has been going through a hard time and is interested in the church and finding happiness. That just shows that this is really God's work. Its not up to us for people to be ready for the gospel, its up to God. But he makes it possible for those who are searching for the Gospel to find it.

Our testimony is one of the greatest gifts God has given us. I have seen my testimony grow and continue to watch it grow, and it has helped me not only in my missionary work but it has helped me realize all the good that has taken place throughout my life. The testimony of my family and friends have got me far, but now I am given this chance to strengthen my own testimony.

I love this work and although it is the hardest thing I have ever done, it is the most rewarding and amazing experience that I have ever had. I know that this church is true and I know that God chose Joseph Smith to restore the Gospel. I know that God lives, and through sacred temples we get to live with Him and our families for eternity.

Which brings me to the main purpose of this email... To congratulate my aunt and uncle, Quinn and Gina for their decision to enter the temple this week!!!!! They are more than ready for this and I know that the greatest blessings will come to them because of this. There is nothing more special than being sealed as a family for eternity. I am grateful for my parents who made that decision and the blessings that have come to me and my family because of it. I know that similar blessings will come to the Walker family!

God knows my love for temples so he sent me to Kirtland, where the first one was build! But I want to share with you all before you go with Quinn and Gina to the temple just how special temples are. Not only was the temple constructed here in Kirtland, but temple priesthood keys were restored. A man named Elijah appeared inside the Kirtland temple and conferred the keys of the sealing power to Joseph Smith. That sealing power is the power to unite families for eternity with one another and with God. I know that that happened and I know that that same sealing power is still on the earth and the Walkers will get to experience that sealing power for themselves this week! And I could NOT be more excited for them!!

Also, only low key jealous that Porter gets home this week and gets to go with them. But I have LOVED being able to write my cousin the past 2 years. His service is a big reasoning behind my service as a missionary, and I am so grateful for that. I know that this crazy family of mine is sealed for eternity. And after some Christmas parities I wonder if I still want to be included in eternity. But I have grown up around the greatest people and I just can't wait for this special day this week for the Walkers!!

I know that families are forever and I am so grateful that you are MINE. My love and prayers are with you all! Send me LOTS AND LOTS of pictures of this very special day! Love you all!!! :)

Love, Sister Berntsen

July 18, 2016 - New Companion, Kenya's 3rd Companion is Sister Ewell

July 18, 2015 - Transfer One of the first pictures of Kenya and her 3rd Companion, Sister Ewell,
They just loved each other from the beginning!

2nd Companion, and 4th of July in The Ohio!!

This is a picture of the Sister's after Kenya's first transfer getting a new companion. Her first "baby", Sisters Langlois.  There have been here have been more transfers, but she's kept the same Companion until now.

Below is a picture of  them on the 4th of July with her second companion, Sister Langlois.

JULY 11, 2016 GROUP EMAIL!!!!

JULY 11, 2016 GROUP EMAIL!!!!

Hello Family,

I'm sorry that I am the worst at sending emails, don't blame my mom for my sins. But I love and miss you all and have been thinking of you a lot lately! 

These past few weeks have been really good!! Super busy and really good! I got to take my old seminary teacher and his family of tour last week and that was a really neat experience. His class changed everything for me and that is where my testimony really started so it was a nice refresher for my testimony. It meant a lot that Heavenly Father allowed it to happen so perfectly. 

Summer time is crazy and very busy at the Visitors Center! We give tours by ourselves most of the time because there are so many people coming through, but I love solo tours so much! I hope you're not too sick of me talking about the Visitors center, but it has been using a lot of my time lately. I just feel so blessed that I get to serve in a place where I get to meet so many amazing people throughout the world and help them strengthen their faith. Yesterday, my companion and I took a large family of about 25 and they were from Taiwan and a lot of them didn't speak English, but Heavenly Father gave us the gift of tongues!!.... Just kidding, one of the family members interpreted for us. Haha. But the grandpa bore his testimony in the Revelation room and the lady was translating for us and it was so powerful! It really strengthened my testimony a lot, just knowing that God speaks to ALL of His children, no matter where we are, who we are, what language we speak, sinners or not, He speaks to us all. 

Next to the School of the Prophets, my favorite part of the tour is the Revelation room where Joseph received the revelation of building the Kirtland temple. In that room I love to talk about that and the appearance in the Temple of Christ, Moses, Elias and Elijah. Elijah is the one who gave Joseph and Oliver the sealing power. Testifying of eternal families and the sealing power in a room where is started is so special. I just think of my crazy, wonderful family and extended family in that room every time. 

Our investigator, Joe is this SUPER awesome younger black man and he is just wonderful! He loves the church and has such a strong testimony all he has to do is get married to his atheist girlfriend.. So we are trying to convince her to have the wedding at the Visitors center! He came for a tour on Saturday and it was awesome! He had already been before but this time he finished the whole tour. We walked into the school of the prophets and it sits down and says "there's that feeling again." The spirit in that room in undeniable. I would invite you all to study on the school of the prophets but you can't find all the information on LDS.org. But the spirit in that room is life-changing. The experiences that I have been apart of in that room have been life-changing. 

So I am just finishing up training Sister Langlois and this week I will begin training a new missionary this week! So this last week I got to go with the other sisters who are training to the mission office in Cleveland and that is always super fun! I LOVE Cleveland. It's SO ghetto and everyone is just so weird and funny. Heavenly Father really knew me well to send me to a ghetto town but also have a normal area to serve. But I am very excited to train again and I know that this will be a humbling and strengthening experience for me. 

Not much else is up. I will try harder to send more group emails! I love and miss you all so much and pray for you everyday. I want you all to know how grateful I am for you all. I am grateful for my grandparents and my ancestors who accepted the gospel and started this path for the rest of us to be on. I know that families are eternal and I know that God is a just, yet merciful God who loves all of His children. There is no greater happiness than through the gospel, I know that the Book of Mormon is the true word of God and I know that Joseph Smith endured so much pain and heartache because of how true this gospel is. Have a great week everyone!! Love you all so much!!!! Email me updates and pictures!!

Love, Sister Berntsen

1. When you are still excited about the Cavs game that you didn't watch. 

2. The "This Is Kirtland" musical started this week and this is my 5th great-grandpa Isaac Morley!