Kaile's address from May 2nd- May 23rd: 

Sister Kaile Ann Knell
Washington Tacoma Mission
Provo Missionary Training Center
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604
United States

Once she is in Washington you can send letters to the mission office until we receive the address of her first assignment. This address can also be used for sending packages.   

Sister Kaile Ann Knell

Washington Tacoma Mission

4007 Bridgeport Way W Ste D

University Place, WA 98466-4330

United States

Check this blog for her weekly emails and pictures updated by her family! 

so simple

I am clingy.

Remember how I am leaving on a mission in two months? Somehow this has given me the liberty to cling to as many comforts as I can manage this semester. 

Blythe is home from her mission. I have/will have a total of 4 months to smother her with friendship before I leave for mine. She can definitely attest to my clingy-ness.

Maren and I pushed our beds together this weekend. You may think that's cute and everything, but I don't think you fully understand. Our room has an odd shape to it, so we pushed them into the center of our room leaving absolutely no room to move except by jumping across our beds to get to our dressers/closets. We thought we'd keep it for the rest of the semester until it gave us a serious headache from all the clothes piling up on the floor. But you better believe we'll recreate the slumber party every weekend until finals. Maren is a gem for succumbing to my clingy behaviors.

 

Emilee, Kate, Maren and I watched High School Musical 3 in our footy pajamas and colored giant pictures of Disney princesses on Friday night. The ultimate comfort. Needless to say I was completely in my element.

I'm really fun, I promise. This has just been a different semester for me.

Let me explain. Everyday since the fall, Maren and I come home from school and tell each other every detail of what happened that day. Who we talked to, what happened in our classes, etc. (Essentially we are each others' boyfriends). Yesterday I came home from a particularly busy day and Maren told me about all the boys she talked to. I told her about all the food I ate. If that doesn't give you a glimpse into my life right now, I don't know what will. Funny how a mission call changes your priorities and thoughts. 

Also, this happened last month back in DC.

change

"There are two ways of evolving: deliberately and accidentally. You can either decide who you want to become and deliberately work toward that end, or you can just go with the flow and become whatever life makes of you. In that event, you will become whatever the fickle circumstances and forces of life and society will make of you; whatever is currently considered to be popular or in; whatever is easiest. But, whatever you become accidentally will not be nearly the full measure of our potential. You will become just someone, somewhere in the middle." 

 "As you consider the question of what kind of person you will become, you must understand the dynamic process of life. You not only can change but you do change all of the time. Sometimes people do not believe this. They excuse their failures and weaknesses by saying: "That's just the way I am." "I am just short tempered, impatient person." I can't get up in the morning. That's just the way I am." "That's my nature." Or, "I'm just shy. That's all. That's just who I am." "I am not really a spiritual person." To believe that weaknesses and deficiencies in your character are unchangeable is to reject the central truth of the plan of salvation. You are not cast in stone. You not only can change but you do change all of the time. You are a dynamic, changing, evolving being. You are always changing. You never stay the same. You cannot stand still." 

- Lawrence E. Corbirdge "The Fourth Missionary"

called to serve

Five years ago, my friend Blythe and I applied to attend EFY at BYU only to find out that we weren't accepted. It was a little shocking and disappointing, but many of you know how the story ends. We attended EFY in Southern Virginia and I met my best friends in the world that I simply cannot imagine my life without.

I tell you this story not because receiving my mission call was in any way disappointing (definitely the opposite in fact), but I know that I'm going to meet people that will change my life forever as I hope to change theirs. I won't be able to imagine my life without them.

People tell you that your mission is always the last place you'd ever expect to go. Days leading up to opening my call, I literally looked over the list of LDS missions online about a dozen times (since I'm psychotic like that). But I wanted to make sure I wouldn't be completely shocked when I opened my call. Maren and I would be lying in our beds before sleep and I'd be scrolling through my phone, saying "What if I went to ____?!" every few seconds. But of course, I must have looked at every mission except Washington. I scrolled right past it, not suspecting anything. So when I opened my call and read Washington Tacoma, I ended up feeling those overwhelming/shocked emotions after all!

Since then, I've googled probably every city in my mission boundaries. Oh, forget to mention: Forks is in my mission (and La Push and Port Angeles). Good thing I love Twilight. Okay that was a joke, but you cannot deny how beautiful that area of the country is. Seriously, my entire mission is absolutely gorgeous. It's the furthest northern and western part of Washington and covers the entire coast line! And I think I can get used to the rain, after all I did grow up in Maryland.

But aside from all of that, it really and truly isn't about where you go. I don't think I fully understood that until now. It's easy to get caught up in the Mormon culture of mission calls. All of the build up is extremely exciting, but this incredible experience I'm about to have is not a study abroad, it's an opportunity to share my testimony of the gospel with people who are waiting to hear it. And I'm beyond excited!!

"boys watching this would find us so unattractive"

Let's be honest, spiders really aren't that scary. But sometimes you have so much pent up energy that you need a reason to scream and act ridiculous on a Sunday morning.

That's Evita, our half Peruvian roommate whom we love so much. I still don't know why we haven't started compiling a book of all the funny stories she tells/things she does. She definitely makes life interesting.

I think my favorite line in this movie is when Evita yells "Get Hillary!" Hillary is the responsible, mature one in the house and we love her for it.

Throwing in some Halloween pictures from last weekend. Maren borrowed my monkey onesie, Rachel borrowed Maren's skirt, and I borrowed Kate's bee costume last minute. I may or may not be wearing the onesie right now as I am typing this...

Living in the same room as Maren is basically just a constant giggle-fest. I'm sure she can agree with me when I say our sides hurt on a daily basis. That poor girl, I can be a little much sometimes. Like, it's completely normal to sing High School Musical lyrics in a thick Indian accent, right? That new talent was discovered on the way home from the temple Thursday morning, and we can't stop. 

oh mother

"I'm not a regular mom, I'm a cool mom"