President and Sister Hendrickson

In our first district council meeting with the Hendricksons, President Hendrickson told us, "Miracles come when we get on our knees." He shared with me some personal miracles he had seen in preparing to serve his mission and I instantly felt his love and devotion to the Lord and to each missionary he was called to serve. Sister Hendrickson is a big runner, so right off the bat, I was excited to get to know her better. I assumed I would be off to England soon and not have much interaction with the Hendricksons, but that all changed when I got sick soon after. I was transferred to Provo and was able to spend lots of time in the mission home with them and get to know them better. 

I saw President Hendrickson love struggling missionaries, get excited about new ideas for missionary work, serve his family, and strive to improve the UPM. He cheered me up when I was feeling down, gave me a priesthood blessing, shared words of advice and encouragement, and even drank peppermint tea with giant sphere ice cubes when I was sick. He became my dad away from home(his headstand at MLC is the only one comparable to dad's ;)) and I will always be grateful for the time I had to learn from President Hendrickson. 

Sister Hendrickson is an absolute sweetheart! She was completely different from Sister O'Riordan, but exactly what I needed. She has quiet confidence, a strong desire to learn and fulfill her calling as a missionary, compassion for people in all walks of life, and is determined to make things happen. She cares for each missionary and sees each one at their best and for who she knows they can become. I love Sister Hendrickson and hope to someday become more like her! And to run like the marathon queen that she is haha. 

Even in the short 7 weeks that I had with the Hendricksons, I love them with my whole heart and am so blessed to have served with them in the UPM!

Letter from President Hendrickson about Sister Dougall upon the completion of her mission....

"Oh how we miss Sister Dougall!

Although our time together was limited, she touched us deeply with her love for the Lord and her fierce determination to further His work.  Her smile and cheery attitude, despite some rather frustrating setbacks, has endeared her to us forever.  The words "truly valiant" come to mind when I think of her.

Perhaps a better measure of her impact is how the other missionaries feel about her.  To this day, missionaries continue to call upon her example of faith and devotion.  Some speak of her unusual ability to blend fun and seriousness together for a very productive outcome.

But what really sets her apart from her peers, is her deep and abiding love for the Savior and for sharing His Gospel.  She truly exhibits a core goodness that is inviting and powerful.  We miss and love her dearly and cannot wait to see what the Lord does through her in the years to come.  Watch out world - her comes Kaitlyn Dougall."