Kyle's Last Email!!

Hello!!!

 

I don't feel like I am going home. I feel like when I wake up Thursday morning, I am going to put my missionary tag back on and I am going to go preach the gospel. I am excited to come home, but I am going to miss teaching non-members so much. There is no better feeling in the world than when you are teaching and testifying of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, the Restored Gospel, and about Jesus Christ.  I will most likely go through withdrawals when I am home, but I will get over it. I love this gospel and missionary work so much!

This week I bore my testimony 5 times. In District meeting, Zone meeting, Mission Leadership council and in both wards. It has been great for me to reflect on everything that I have learned, and all the changes that have been made in my life.This experience is unlike any other, and I would hope that every one would take advantage of it if they have the chance. I am not going to share all that I learned right now, I will wait until I can share it face to face, but I am so grateful that I have been able to serve the Lord, Jesus Christ here on the mission. I do what I do not for myself, and not fully for other people, because my number one motivation is the love I have for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. That love and desire to serve them the rest of my life has definitely grown over the past two years. I know that Jesus Christ lives! He helps us through our trials. He comforts us in times of need. He is the Redeemer of the world who took upon him the sins of the world. He is my light and my hope. He has succored me so many times on my mission, and for that I will always serve and obey him. I love my savior Jesus Christ!

I can't wait to see y'all on Wednesday. It is going to be so weird seeing y'all again, and yet I feel like it hasn't really been that long. After awhile it will be like I never left. I hope y'all can make it until Wednesday. I love you!!!!!!!!

Con Muchisisisisisisimo Amor,

Elder Kyle Stewart

Howdy Y'all!!

Howdy Y'all, I honestly haven't every really said Howdy before, so I decided to use it in my last couple of emails. Good News! Next Thursday we will be getting Ipads........

 

This week went pretty well. It was slow to start, but it turned out to be great by the end. The most eventful thing that happened this week, was our Ipad training. We had Elder Nielson who gave the talk on waiting for the Prodigal Son. It was a fantastic meeting even though I won't be getting an Ipad. They talked about how to protect ourselves from the dark side of the internet, as well as how to focus on our purpose as missionaries, and in life. I learned some great tips that I will definitely use. Ipads are going to be such an amazing blessing for missionaries if they use them the right way. Missionaries will use them for studying, showing videos, and our area books will now be on the Ipad. After a month or so the missionaries will then be able to start using Skype to be able to have a member present in their lessons if no one can come, as well as Facebook to proselyte online. Again, it will be a great blessing and it is the way that the Lord is Hastening his work.

After the Ipad training we ran a 5k as a mission. I believe it was over 90 degrees when we ran it, and it was fairly difficult, but it was a lot of fun to be around all the other missionaries. I am going to really miss these missionary meetings.

Friday I had my last interview with President Taylor. It was mostly a reflection of my mission. It was great to think back on how much I have grown, and it has been an incredible experience. He didn't really give me any advice on the future, he said that the talk on marriage and all that was going to come Tuesday before we go home.

This weekend we had Stake Conference, and we had an incredible meeting on Sunday. They had a recent convert speak who had been baptized 2 months ago or so. He is very well off financially, and he was actually a referral from the Millers in Utah. It was incredible listening to his story.

Unfortunately we won't have any baptisms this week, nor the next, but I have really come to realize that the part of missionary work that I love the most, and the part of missionary work that I am going to miss the most is teaching non-members about the gospel, and watching them progress. I love the teaching moment where people start to realize that this is the true church of Jesus Christ on the earth, and that they desire to be a part of it. I will miss those feelings so much!

I love y'all and I hope y'all are able to wait just one more week. I feel really weird being this close to coming home. I don't know what to expect, but I can't wait to be with y'all again.

Love, Kyle (That name seems so foreign to me now.)

A Really Slow Week!!

This week was really slow as far as the work went. We did a lot of stuff to prepare for the baptism, and we also did a lot of zone leader stuff. I didn't like it very much, but it is all good, because the baptism was great! I loved it so much. Jessica was baptized by her dad, and there was some pretty good support. There was also a lot of support from the members.

 

There wasn't a whole lot else that happened. The work is going good, and the members are great! Unfortunately I don't think we will be able to have either of the parties at the end of my mission nor the baptisms, but that is OK. We will still have Stake Conference though this week, and I am excited for that!

I am sure that there has been a lot that has changed back home. The people, the buildings, everything. It is going to be crazy coming home to all that.

I am sorry that I really don't have much to say. The work really slowed down, and there wasn't much that happened. We have our Ipad training meeting this Wednesday, and I will have my exit interview on Friday.

I love y'all very much! I am excited to see y'all soon!

Crazy Weather!!

Hi Mom,

 

We were able to teach a lot of people this week. We mostly taught lessons to less-active members, but our investigators are progressing well also. We will be having a baptism this Saturday for Jessica Camacho the 10 yr. old. I am really excited for her, and hopefully we will have a good turn out. Our building here in Mesquite is now completely closed, and it will be from now until the end of my mission. This has been a crazy obstacle that we have had to face, but our investigators that are progressing are still coming to church.

 

The weather here has also been crazy. We have only had about two sunny days in the last three to four weeks, and the rest has been cloudy as well. Lots of rain. Many people are saying that it has rained more this spring than it has in over 40 years. On top of that, the forecast shows more rain for most of this week. I hope it keeps raining for three more weeks, so that I don't have to deal with the Texas heat this year. Today it is 90 degrees with lots of humidity.

 

The Mcswain family is also progressing very well. The Mom was baptized at 8 years old, but got married and left the church when she was 16. She recently started coming back, and so has their kids. This week we taught the kids, age 9 and 8, about baptism and they had a really hard time understanding what it was. Luckily, there was a baptism of an 8 year old in the ward which they were friends with, so they came to the baptism to see what it was like. They had a great time, and they are excited to be baptized. Yesterday they also came to a 8 is great activity where the primary talked about getting ready for baptism. They are very excited to be baptized, but they would like to move the date of their baptism to the middle of June.

 

Time has really begun to slow down these last couple of weeks. We have so many things going on and yet it still feels so slow. I guess that is a good thing, but at the same time it isn't. I am so excited for what we are going to be able to accomplish these last couple of weeks. I am so motivated to finish strong!

 

I am so excited to hear the Stewart band featuring Chase on the drums when I get back. I love listening to a good drummer. And it is going to be weird to see if there are a lot of new buildings in the area when I get back that weren't there when I left, like Taco Amigo. I love y'all very much, and I am excited to see y'all soon!

 

Love, Kyle

Tired of Emails!!

Hi Mom,

 

I don't really have very much to say about this week, or better said, I really just don't like emailing any more, and I will tell y'all everything that is going on Sunday. The work was slow this week with all the adjustments that we have been making, so we have gotten settled in, and we now have some great plans on how to work with the ward for the rest of my mission. We are really excited for what is going on.

My companion is Elder Bench from Los Angeles. He has one transfer left after this one, so again we are making each other really trunky, but at the same time, I am still working so hard. I haven't let up at all.

This week, the work has been going slow, but we were able to find some great young families with kids who want to be baptized. One is the Rodriguez family and her 8 year old daughter will be baptized on the 16th. That isn't a missionary baptism, but it is going to be great. The other is the Mcswain family where the Mom is a member, and she has two kids that are 8 and 9. They came back to church for the first time this Sunday, and we will probably be teaching the kids soon.

Our other investigators are still doing well! I love y'all and thank you for your support. I am very excited to talk to y'all on Sunday, and we will probably be skyping around 7:00 our time around 6:00 your time. If that doesn't work you can just tell Sis. Klein. I love you Mom! Happy Mother's Day!

Love, Kyle

Dad,

Chase and I will have some crazy one-on-one matchups when I get back. Then all three of us will have to start playing all the time. I am so excited to play with him. That will be great! I can't believe he dunked it two handed on 8 and 1/2. I know I couldn't do that when I was playing at that age. I still can hardly jump.

 

This week was crazy. It was very stressful with the companion change and with zone meeting and it was somewhat slow as far as the work went, but it is getting better, and we have some great plans for the next couple of weeks (which means the rest of my mission). I am excited to come home, but at the same time, I am going to miss being a full-time missionary so much. I wish I could come home and continue being a missionary there at home, but I guess I will have to start becoming a great member-missionary instead.

Questions:

1. How is the new and last companion?

Great! He is the first Elder that I have served around before he was my companion. He is from Los Angeles California, and he has one transfer left after this one. I think it is funny how most of my companions have all been out about the same time as me my whole mission except for when I trained.

 

2. Is he a zone leader too?

No, he is not.

 

3. Are you glad that you are staying in the same area?

Yes, I didn't really want to move for one transfer.

 

4. How was the work this week?

Slow, but we found some great people.

 

5. How was splitting time at the different Church buildings.

It is going OK, the problem is that I like to greet members from both wards, and now I can't.

 

6. How are the investigators coming along?

The Gutierrez family is doing very well, and the Camacho family are still coming to church.

 

7. Do you spend most of your time with the English or Spanish?

We try really hard to make it even, and as of lately, it has been very even.

 

8. Are you taller than when you left, are you wider than when you left?

Maybe taller, but I am the exact same width.

 

9. Any good stories lately? ( old men falling over in the lazyboyz)

Not really.

 

10. Do you know that your parents could not be any more proud of their missionary son?

 

Thank you Dad for all that you are doing to support me, and for all that you have taught me before. I can't wait to talk to you on Sunday! I love you!

 

Love, Kyle

Howdy Y'all!

Howdy y'all!

 

Don't worry, howdy is not part of my vocabulary. We had an alright week this week, with some real big trials that we are going to have to over come. This weekend on Friday we were in the church practicing for a song we were going to sing at a baptism of some Elders, and we saw some people working on the chapel. We weren't really sure what they were doing, so Saturday morning we got a phone call from someone in our ward saying that we aren't going to have church in our building for the next 6-8 weeks, because of some structural problems with the ceiling in the chapel and cultural hall. This was a little stressful to hear. So, for the rest of my mission I will now be going to church in Spanish at a stake center outside of our Stake from 1-4 and for English we will be attending at the stake center of this stake from 3-5 every Sunday. This means that both wards that we cover now overlap in two buildings that are more than 30 minutes apart from each other. Because of all of this, our investigators didn't go to church, nor did the less-actives that we had been working with so hard. So with this obstacle, I thought it would be a great idea to fast for a miracle, that our investigators will still come to church even though it isn't close to their home.

The other really big news of the week is that the Gutierrez family also decided that they will prepare to be baptized on the 7th of June. They are really solid, but they need to read more and come to church. I am really excited for this family! We also have a date for the 23rd of May for a 9 year-old girl.

As far as transfers go, I will be staying, and my companion will be leaving. I am guessing that my next companion will also be the zone leader in this area. I really hope so! It would be really nice, and I believe that we could help the zone out a lot better if we were together. Almost our entire zone will be changed this transfer, because almost no one was changed last transfer. I am so grateful for my mission! I have met some incredible missionaries, and this is probably what I like most about being zone leader.

I don't really have anything else to write about, it will be interesting to see how things go with the whole church experience. I am excited to talk to y'all soon! Have a great day!

Love, Kyle

Hi Dad,

 

This was a very eventful week, and it was OK as far as the teaching went. Not too bad, but no amazing either.  There is a saying about the mission that goes: If your mission isn't hard, you're doing something wrong. So, the mission must have been getting pretty easy, because it just got really hard. We should be OK though. With the help of the Lord, we can do it.

 

1. Did you like the new car.  ( if you behave Mom may let you ride in it)

I do like it, as long as I don't have to ride in the back on long road trips, but even then, I think it will be great!

 

2. Did you get transfered?

No, but my companion did, so I think my next companion will also be my zone leader companion. I will find out tomorrow.

 

3. How was the work this week?

It was OK. The highlight of the week was that we set baptismal dates with the Gutierrez family for June 7. Now we just need to get them to church.

 

4. Any baptisms on the horizon in this area?

One on the 23rd of May and two on the 7th of June

 

5. Do you keep in contact with any of your friends from home.

Every once in a while. Josh is a zone leader, Ryan has been a zone leader, Esteban is a zone leader, I haven't heard from Todd in a little while but I am sure he is in some sort of leadership position, and Bryson and Kurtley are both having the times of their lives. I am really excited about how Kurt has done. He has loved his mission. I have such a great group of friends, and I can't wait to meet up with all of them again. It will be quite the reunion.

 

6. How was going to the temple?

Great! I loved it!

 

7. Are you going to teach us about family history and help me find some names when you get home?

 

Absolutely! I will help you find the name of your 7th cousin 4 times removed, and you will be able to take his name to the temple. Unfortunately our work isn't as easy as some of the other people I help here.

 

We actually also had a meeting this week without power. We were all in the chapel while it was dark listening to a presentation. At this meeting the Safety specialists from church headquarters came to the mission to install a TIWI box. It is a box that records our speed, aggressive driving, and whether or not we are wearing a seat belt. So now our mission office tracks all of those things and they will take away our driving privileges if we have to many violations. 

 

Thank you for your love and support! I love you!

 

Love, Kyle

This week was great again!

Wow, a new car? And I saw that it has a DVD player. Perfect for road trips. I am excited to see it. What year is it?

 

This week was great again! We found lots of new investigators, and we taught lots of part-member families. We have so many solid investigators now, and I am very excited about how busy we are now teaching them. I have never had so many teaching opportunities on my mission. This week, we found 10 new investigators, and we are continuing to see lots of success here in getting the members of the ward involved. I love working with the members. It is so much fun!

 

This past Saturday, we went to the temple. It was my first time in over a year, and it was also my first time seeing one of the new temple videos. I enjoyed it a lot, and it was great to feel the spirit that is there in the temple. I plan on going much more often when I get home, but for now I am going to focus solely on working hard and helping the living. This week I also went on another exchange over to Lakewood again, which is right on the outskirts of the downtown area. I love going there, but I hate how busy it is. I definitely won't be living in a city any time soon. It was a great exchange, and we were able to learn a lot.

 

Sunday morning we had another meeting with the Stake President. Going in to the meeting, I thought it was just going to be us and him, as well as a few other high councilors, but instead the Stake President had invited all of the ward mission leaders. We started out the meeting going around and having everyone introduce their ward mission plans, and then we all discussed how we could get our wards and ward councils involved in carrying out our ward mission plans. It was a very inspiring meeting. Both of our ward mission leaders who were there came away very motivated to finish and edit the ward mission plans as well as get everyone they could involved. It was also such a great meeting for me to be able to learn how to be a great ward mission leader if I ever have that calling in the church. I hope that I can still work with the missionaries after my mission, because I love it so much!

 

We are teaching lots of people and so far, we only have one person set for baptism, but we have lots of people that are showing lots of potential. I am hoping that we can help them to come to church, then we will be able to help them realize that they need to be baptized. The work is going so well in this area!

 

I am looking forward to talking to y'all in a few weeks as well. Thank you for all that y'all do to help me. I love this gospel, and I love Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for my mission and for the opportunity that I have had to serve this mission.

 

Love, Kyle

One of the Best Weeks of my Mission!!

Hi Mom,

 

We had one of the best weeks of my mission this past week. We were so busy teaching, and we saw some great progress in the area. On Monday, we played basketball again for preparation day, and afterwards we taught some good lessons that night. Tuesday we went around and tried to find part-member families as well as we knocked to find new investigators. We set up several appointments, but we weren't able to teach really. On Wednesday we went to visit some members to help them with their family history, and in about a half an hour we were able to find 20 names and 60 ordinances for them to take to the temple. They were so excited about that, because most of those names were her close family relatives. She is went and did the work for her parents, grandparents, and aunts/uncles. It was such a great experience for all of us!

Thursday was a great day! We visited some people in the morning, ate lunch with some members, came back to plan, then we went and taught 5 other lessons that night including our dinner appointment. We ate some great food, and we taught some great people!

Friday was our day of service. We went in the morning to go help a member put a patio in their backyard. That was a lot of fun, and afterwards, he made us hamburgers which he grilled. That got me excited about summer bbq's, but as Dad says, I am not thinking about that yet. We then went and helped another lady who's husband had died recently with some yard work, and we will be teaching her as well as her grandkids on Friday.

This weekend was also really good. We found a part member family last night where the husband was a member but his wife wasn't. The husband stopped going about five years ago, and the wife has been going to our church in Allen, because she cleans houses for lots of members that live over there. So we found a non-member that has been active in another ward. It was a miracle, and every time I find someone like that, it strengthens my testimony that these people are out there, and they are ready for the gospel. We should have some great success with them!

It was such a great week, and I am so happy! I love this work so much, and I especially love how the work is progressing here in this area. The Spanish ward is amazing, and the English ward is getting there!

I love you Mom!

Love, Kyle

Hello Dad!

 

We had one of the best weeks of my mission this past week. We are doing so much and staying so busy, and I am having so much fun! We have done a little bit of everything this week, from teaching lots of lessons, serving different people, helping members with their family history, having great missionary coordination meetings, and finding part-member families. The Spanish ward is on fire here, and the English ward is slowly getting there. I am loving this area, and really my goal before I leave is that it will be in such great shape by the time I go, that the whole ward is involved in the missionary work. I hope that we can get the members inviting, and we have made the plans to help them do so. I am so excited about the work here!

Answers:

1. How is it being a Zone Leader?

I love it. It keeps me busy, and I love helping those in my zone. We are planning on doing a big exchange tomorrow where us zone leaders will be going to a district to give trainings, and then to do exchanges with them!

 

2. Do you think this will be your last area?

Yes I do. I really hope it is my last area.

 

3. Who is your most promising Investigator?

We are teaching a part member family named the Camacho family. Their daughter is 9, and she hasn't been baptized yet, so we are going over and teaching them. They were less-active, but are starting to come into activity again. We set a date with the daughter for baptism, and that got the parents really excited about being active again, so we are going to be waiting for that. We set the date a little far off in the future so that we can make sure they are active before she gets baptized.

 

4. Why is a member doing your laundry?

I don't know. She has been doing it for awhile now for the missionaries, so it was just a usual thing. It is really nice of her.

 

5. What do you like most about Texas?

The people. I love having the Hispanic/English culture mix. I have loved spending time with the Mexicans and other Hispanics while still having the comforts of the United States. Spanish speaking missions in the United States are the best!

 

6. How is your zone?

They are doing great for the most part. There are a couple of companionships that struggle a bit, but it has been really good for the most part.

 

7. Has it worked out having your other zone leader not be your companion?

Yes for the most part. Communicating over the phone isn't as effective as if he were my companion, but we have been able to coordinate everything well.

 

8. Why is a member doing your laundry?

See answer #4

 

9. What is the one thing that has changed you the most?

The Atonement of Jesus Christ. As Ether 12:27 says, "And as men come unto me, I will show them their weaknesses...." I have come to realize just how many weaknesses I have, because I have come unto Jesus Christ. But, I have also become more humble in knowing that I needed to change through his Atonement. And I feel like I have started that process of changing and developing those Christ-like attributes that I lack. I wasn't a bad person before the mission, and yet the Atonement has still made a great change in me. I love Jesus Christ!

 

10. What are you the most excited to do when you come home? (but don't think about that yet)

OK, I am going to answer this question without thinking about it.... I am most excited to.... be able to sit down, rest and do nothing with my family. But I definitely won't be doing anything like that before I go home. Work, work, work, and more work. That is all there is time for, and I love it!

I am doing so good. This week, was probably the happiest week of my mission. I have really loved how things are going, and we have been able to meet some great members. Thank you for you love and support! I love you!

Love, Kyle

Conference Weekend!!

Hi Mom,

 

I enjoyed this week quite a bit. It was busy, and I loved General Conference! General Conference as a missionary is so great! There was some downs to this weekend though. My companion had food poisoning, so we weren't able to do much Sunday afternoon, because he had to be close to the bathroom. I had a little bit of food poisoning, but not as bad as him. We are feeling better now.

On Monday we found out that we were going to have interviews on Wednesday. This came as a shock, because we had to plan 8 hours of trainings and what not, and my companion is not very close. So Tuesday morning we got together, and we were able to plan out a zone meeting that would fill the 8 hours. The Assistants took up a lot of time, and President took up some more time, and we asked several people to also train on various topics. We were feeling pretty good about the meeting and about what was going to happen.

The interviews meeting on Wednesday went really well I thought. It was a very long meeting that started at 8:30 and ended at 4:30 or so. We did a lot of role playing on teaching skills, and on contacting which is something that we haven't done too much since President Taylor came. We are really trying to help everyone perfect their teaching skills with the new method of teaching that we recently learned. I personally feel like I am starting to get the hang of it. I really like this new way of teaching. I think it is a lot of fun. Overall I think the meeting was great!

This week the work started picking up again. We found a lot of new investigators, so we will see who is ready for the gospel. We are working really hard to help the ward become more engaged in the work as well, and my hope is that by the time I leave, the ward will be engaged in missionary work. This means that I probably won't see the fruits from it, but that doesn't matter as much to me as building up the kingdom of God, and working as hard as I can. Hopefully we can see some success in that. The mission is going by so quickly.

This weekend was great! We watched the first two sessions in Spanish at a member's house. In between sessions they made us lunch, as well as they went and bought pork from the store. I don't know what it was that we ate, but afterwards I didn't feel too great, and neither did my companion. Then for dinner we had a seafood soup, which was really good, but I think it just made everything worse. Priesthood session that night was and always is my favorite session by far. The talks that are shared are so great in helping me know how I can change and be better. It was a great day overall.

Sunday I felt about the same, but my companion woke up not feeling good at all. The conference was really good, and I loved being able to watch two of the general authorities speaking in Spanish. When they spoke, we ran from the chapel over to the relief society room so we could hear their voice. Something about hearing the person's voice who is speaking just makes their talk so much better. To finish out the night my companion really wasn't doing very good, so we stayed at the member's house where we do numbers the rest of the night. I hate being sick, or having a sick companion on the mission. I just want to go out and work hard, but I know that it isn't always the best thing to do, especially when my companion is sick.

Thank you very much for the update on the family. It is going to be so weird going back to parties and stuff like that with the family. I feel like I don't know them anymore, but I look forward to that. I love the mission, and I am excited to go home, but I don't want to give up missionary work, if that makes sense. I want to continue to be a full-time missionary, but I guess I will just have to work on being a member missionary. This work is great! Thank you as well for the Easter package. I haven't been able to eat any of it because of how I have been feeling, but I am doing better now. I love y'all, and thank you very much for your love and support! I hope y'all have a great week!

Love, Kyle

Last week of March!!

Hola mama,

 

This week was a little slow to tell the truth. We weren't able to meet with many of the people that had been to church the week before, but we did find some new people. There were some really exciting things that did happen this week.

Thursday we had a special leadership training meeting for the mission. Brother Donaldson who was the Mission President of the District 2, and Brother Jarman who works at the MTC came to the mission to train us on some things. What they taught changes the way we teach completely. To start out the meeting, they both talked about the doctrine of Christ. I learned so much about what they talked about. Afterwards, they taught us how to plan more effectively. I learned from this meeting that Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith on September 21st to tell him about the Book of Mormon. That day is significant, because it is called the first day of Fall, or the first day of the harvest. When you learn more and more about the history of the church, you come to find out that there was no way that Joseph Smith could have made it up.

Then came the big change. Normally it takes us about 30-40 minutes to teach the Restoration. Brother Donaldson taught us how to do it in 7 minutes. At first I was thinking that was crazy, but he showed us how he did it. To teach this way, you use the restoration pamphlet. He gave one pamphlet to the person he was teaching, and he also had one in his hand. They looked at the first picture and he asked, "What do you see?" Then he asked, "What thoughts do you have about this picture." He continued to do that through out the whole pamphlet, but he would stop occasionally to say one to two sentences about what they were reading. They also read a lot from the pamphlet. They finished in about 7 minutes. The reason why we teach this way, is because the missionary department is come to find out that the person who does the most talking in a lesson learns the most. So we have the other person read and we ask lots of questions. Also, we don't want to take up a lot of time at investigators' houses, so we teach short powerful lessons so they will want to have us back. It is a very different way of teaching, and it is going to take a lot of practice.

We had to show this teaching method to our zones the next day, and Brother Donaldson asked us to have miracles happen so that we would have evidence of this new teaching method. So that night I was on an exchange with a district leader that had also been to the meeting, and we set out to have a miracle. We only had about a half hour to find someone to teach, but we had a lot of faith in that moment knowing that we needed to see a miracle. We went to go knock when my temporary companion took a phone call. I stood there praying to know where to go, and I saw a man walking down the street on the opposite side from where we were standing. I felt like he was the one we needed to teach. All of a sudden he crossed the street and came walking right towards us. I was able to contact him, and we ended up teaching him and his friend who both felt the spirit strongly while we taught them. It was the miracle that we needed.

This new teaching method is hard, and my companion and I feel like we are new missionaries again learning how to teach. It is exciting, but it will take a lot of practice and repetition.

That was the exciting part of this week. I can't believe that March is over. The mission is going by way to fast, but that means that I am enjoying it. I am excited to go home, but I am not excited at all of not being a missionary anymore. It is too great. I have loved it. I am really excited for general conference next week, and I hope y'all enjoy it! Have a great week!

Love, Kyle

Life is great, the area is great!

Hello Mom,

 

The work in the area has really started picking up. We found a lot of new investigators, and we started working with a lot of less-active families this week. Yesterday at church we had a new investigator come to church for the first time, and we had 6 less-actives come back, so it was a great week as far as that goes. A part from that, there really isn't a whole lot to write about. I feel like after writing these emails over and over again for about two years now that I am writing the same things. Life is great, the area is great! And the ward is great! Elder Giles does go home the same time as me.

Missionary work is really fun in this area. We try really hard to do lots of different things which keeps missionary work fun. This week we went to a part-member family that we are teaching, and we helped them paint one of their bedrooms. It was so much fun, because there are some senior missionaries in the area, the Nielsen's, who were also helping us out. They are like our Grandparents in the mission field. I love being around them. I also loved seeing how grateful the family was for our service. In this area, we have also been trying to teach a lot of the members about family history. Speaking of family history. I was playing around on my tree the other day, and I was able to find my was all the way back to ADAM!!! It was so exciting. Unfortunately some of the information was wrong, but I was still so excited that I was able to find my way back. I felt the Spirit of Elijah for sure.

Some of the other things that we are doing to try to help the ward and area in every aspect of missionary work are: Service, Home Teaching help, YSA list hunting, Part member family hunting, visiting Less-actives that the ward tells us we should visit, knocking doors (of course), visiting referrals, member visits, family history help, and we try to bring members with us everywhere. At the beginning of my mission that list was: knock doors. So it is easy to see how much more I have been enjoying the work. We still knock doors, because missionary work wouldn't ever be the same without it, but we do a lot of other stuff to keep things interesting. I love this work, and I really wish I would have done this more at the beginning of my mission.

I am glad that Haley is getting excited to go to Utah State. Has she registered yet? And where is she going to be living? I can't wait to hear Chase on the drums also. That is going to be so great! And you sound like you are getting really busy working a couple nights a week. That is so exciting! My Mom works now. That is kind of weird to think about sometimes. I finished the ecclesiastical endorsement stuff, and I already had my interview, so it should be sent soon. I pick up my suit tomorrow, and I will definitely send pictures. I am a little jealous that Todd gets to extend. My mission President doesn't really allow anyone to extend.

I love y'all! Have a fantastic week! It is almost Conference Time!!

Love, Kyle

Another transfer has come to an end!

Hi Mom,

 

We had another really good week with lots of great stuff that happened. The transfer has come to an end, and I believe that my companion and I will be together for one more. We work really well together. We really get along well. I am very excited to see what we can do with the ward, and how we can help everyone.

 

On Tuesday I bought myself a new suit to finish off my mission, and to wear when I get home. I almost made it to the end of my mission without having to buy a new one, but not quite. Now I will have a nice one for church and big meetings.

 

Thursday we had the zone conference with Elder Foster, and he talked to us about some amazing things. I love listening to general authorities, because their knowledge of the gospel is incredible! It was a great meeting! After the meeting my companion got sick, so I was able to relax for the first time in who knows how long.

 

Carlos Martinez had his birthday on Friday, so we took him out to get baleadas which are food from honduras. They were pretty good. It was a lot of fun to be with Carlos for a little while on his birthday.

 

We had a great day Saturday! It all started with us going to the temple to do baptisms for the dead with Carlos and some other recent converts and members that hadn't ever done it before. It was a great success! All of the people that went really enjoyed it! Then we went out to work in the Pleasant Grove area later that day, and we found some amazing families. My companion while he was on exchanges contacted a young man who said he would be interested in some family history. We went back by Saturday and he was asleep, but his parents answered the door. We told them about how their son was interested in family history, and they said that they would be too. They started telling us about their family, and they became really excited about the fact that we were going to help them find that information. They then went on to tell us about how they had the missionaries teaching them 40 years ago. The husband, Gerardo, had read through many parts of the Book of Mormon, and he said that he really enjoyed it. He then told us about how he always really respected the missionaries, and members of our church. They always seemed different to him than the Catholics and Jehovah's Witnesses. It was great to be able to talk to them, and they were so excited about family history. They came to church yesterday, and we have another appointment with them on Friday.

 

Yesterday at 7:00 pm we had a fireside with the three wards that meet in the building. President and Sister Taylor came as well as the Stake President, President Larsen. The meeting was fantastic! The spirit was really strong, and the members that went to the meeting came away ready to do missionary work. Unfortunately there wasn't a lot of people there, but it was still a great meeting. I conducted for the first time of my life, and it took me a little while to warm up to it, but by the end it felt natural. Also, the missionaries sang a song in the middle. We sang Be Still My Soul, and we sounded really good! There were 6 Elders in total, and we really were able to bring the spirit into the meeting. After we sang, and after I introduced President and Sister Taylor, President Taylor leaned over to me and said you will make a great Bishop some day. I didn't know whether to be happy or scared about that, but it made me feel really good. President Taylor is so good at giving compliments to other people. I hope I can be like that some day. All of the speakers did a great job, and overall I think that everyone that was there really enjoyed the meeting.

 

I am really excited for this next transfer. I hope that I can better serve the zone. I love missionary work, and the time is going by so fast. It is funny. It is really hard for Elder Giles and I not to talk about home, but every time we do, we hate it. So, hopefully we can focus more on the work.

 

Thank you for all your love and support. I love y'all!

Kyle

 

A Busy Week!!

Hi Mom,

 

Our week here in Texas was really busy, and it flew by so fast. On Monday we had our preparation day and we played basketball again with the zone. It was a lot of fun. On Tuesday we started helping people with Family History, and I am starting to feel the spirit of Elijah really strongly in my life. We taught it to some of the High Priests in the ward, and then this past Sunday the High Priest's wives were going around telling everyone about how they need to have the missionaries teach them about family history.

 

Tuesday night I went and slept at the assistant's apartment for the ward leadership council that we were going to have the next day. Leadership council was amazing! I loved it so much! We felt the spirit so strong in that meeting, and it was so great to learn from all the other great missionaries in the mission. I was talking to some other missionaries, and we were all joking about how after that meeting we all feel like such terrible missionaries and that there is so much that we can improve on. During this specific council, we discussed how we can be more Mighty, bold, and powerful in our missionary efforts. The things we discussed were so motivating to me in my missionary work. I am so grateful that I was able to be a part of that meeting. Sister Taylor makes really good food too.

 

After the meeting we went back to our area, and that is when it started to snow/ice, so we went back to the apartment and we called it a night. My zone leader companion was stuck with us at the time, so he had to stay the night, and the next morning we were able to plan our zone meeting for the next day. If y'all remember this time last year I talked about doing what is called McKinney Madness. Well we have decided to start our own Mighty March Madness for the Dallas East zone. It started yesterday and it will go until Easter. We are really excited about it, and people are already working harder because of it, so it is going well.

 

The zone meeting on Friday was so good. We had a zone council and we were able to talk about some great things on how to be mightier contacters and missionaries. We also went on line to relative finder where we have a group for the mission, so we were able to find out how closely we are related to everyone else in the mission. It was fun.

 

Saturday night we had the baptism of Carlos Martinez. He has progressed so much and it was great to see him get baptized. I love watching him and seeing him change. He told us he used to not be the best person, but now he is doing great! We were very excited to see him and watch him grow/change. I hope that everything continues going great for him. He is already talking about serving a mission, so he could leave in about a year. That would be great for him, and I hope he does it.

 

Yesterday and Sunday night we did another exchange and our preparation day was moved to today. That is why I am emailing y'all today instead of yesterday. It was a weird time for an exchange, but it was the only time it could be done. This week went by so fast, and this next week is going to go by so much faster. On Thursday we are have a zone conference with Elder Foster of the seventy and then on Sunday the three wards that meet here in Mesquite will be having a fireside now called a devotional with President and Sister Taylor along with the Stake President. It will be exciting!

 

I like the trip plans that you have made. It will be fun for y'all to see what we did, and I want to explore Dallas a little bit. Plus I will really like going to church somewhere to see all the members again. I am excited. But at the same time I don't want my mission to end. I do, but I don't at the same time, and I am sure Dad knows exactly how I feel. I am going to miss so much about the mission when I go home. It is going to be quite the adjustment.

 

I love you Mom! Have a great week and good luck with your events.

Love, Kyle

100 Days left!!

Hello Mom,

 

This week has been really slow. We have had to stay inside some days, and when we have left, most of the time we haven't been able to drive, just walk. So it was a pretty slow week. We will probably have one more storm coming up soon, but after that, I think spring will come. The weather here in Texas at the end of February, beginning of March is very crazy. It jumps from 70 to 20 and back to 60 all in a couple of days, but we should be done with all of the cold at the end of this week. My companion has been with lots of other missionaries, and I have been back to teach that part member family. I really enjoy working with the whole zone, and it isn't too much stress, but it does add a little.

I honestly don't have much to say about this passed week except for that Carlos Martinez will be getting baptized this Saturday! I am very excited for him, and he is even talking about going on a mission. That would be an awesome experience for him, and I really hope he goes. He is so prepared!

This week, we have been working really hard with the ward to help become one with them, and to get them more involved in missionary work. We met with the Bishop, and the High Priest group leader of the English ward, and this next week we are going to be helping them out with home teaching, and Family History. I have never been so excited about missionary work. Working with the ward and the members makes missionary work so much more fun. These wards are really starting to become more missionary minded also.

Today is officially my 100 day left mark, and it has caused me to reflect a little on my mission. I am sure you are probably tired of hearing the same email from me every week, so I would like to change things up a little, and share my testimony on missionary work and my mission. I love my mission. I haven't always loved this work, but as of the last few months, I have really started to enjoy and make the most of my mission. It has been hard, the hardest thing I have ever done, but because of that it has also been the most rewarding thing I have ever done. People ask me a lot what my favorite thing is about the mission, and honestly my favorite thing changes from time to time, but for right now it is a tie between watching the gospel change the lives of my investigators, and watching myself become more and more converted to the gospel. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is real, and it allows all of us to change from bad to good, and from good to better. I have seen people give up addictions and other bad habits, and I have also seen them become nicer, happier, more charitable people. It is amazing to know that Jesus Christ suffered for us to help us in EVERY aspect of our lives. I love Him so much! My mission has also changed me. The trials that I have gone through and the people that I have taught have helped my faith to grow and have increased my desire to be obedient and follow every commandment that Christ gives us. I know he lives, and he lives to help all of us to become more like him, because that is the whole reason why we are here on this earth is to become more like Him. That is where true happiness comes from. I am so grateful for Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father who love us so much that they created the plan of happiness for us. I invite everyone to come closer to them, and to think of how we can all live better in our lives.

I love y'all, and I appreciate all you have done to help first to encourage me on serving a mission, and second to support me as I have served. I love you Mom so much! Have a great week!

 

Love, Kyle

Another Ice Storm!! Finally some pictures!

Hi Mom,

 

This week was really good! I loved it! We started the week off playing basketball on  Preparation day with lots of the Elders in our zone. It is a lot of fun playing with all of them! That night, my zone leader companion and I prepared to go on an exchange with the Elders in Lakewood (they cover Down-Town Dallas) so I worked in my zone leader companion's area, and that night we went to Lakewood for an exchange. This exchange was what the mission is calling a district building. The assistants, and a few other missionaries along with the zone leaders go to a district and we help build them up.

On Tuesday morning we had a district meeting with that district, and I trained on the obstacles keeping us from being one with the members, and how we could work towards resolving them. The meeting went really well, and we ate some good waffles to start it all off. Then we went on the exchange and I spent the whole day with the Lakewood YSA elders, and it was fun to be with them. Their area is struggling a bit, but they are working on it. I then slept at their apartment again Tuesday night for another district meeting Wednesday before we all went back to our own areas.

Then on Thursday night I went on another exchange with some other Elders here in Mesquite, and we learned a lot from each other which was great! On Friday night, I had the privilege of going back to the Rowlett ward where Maria Leos was getting baptized. It was so much fun to see her be baptized, but also to talk to all the members there in the Rowlett ward. I was reminded of how much I loved the members there in that ward, and I hope I can go back there again at least once before going home. I loved serving there in Rowlett!

Sunday is when the rain started coming down. It rained pretty much all day Sunday, and it started to get cold that night. When we woke up Monday morning, we were iced in again. We spent most of the day playing UNO and Phase 10. We then decided to venture out into the cold to go eat at Wing stop about a mile away, so that took us about three hours or so. Honestly it was a really relaxing day. I really enjoyed it! Then that night we went out to knock doors. We only knocked on three doors, and the third one let us in, and we were able to teach a lesson and find a new investigator. We were blessed for working in the ice.

This week we also found a great new Part-member family named the Rubios. The Dad is a member, and he was just married to his wife Jessica in December. They wanted to talk to missionaries, but the missionaries were never informed, so we went over and taught them about the gospel, and they are interested in returning to church. Hopefully we can help them return!

I love y'all, and I hope that you are doing alright. I am doing great, and I am loving the mission! I hope that y'all enjoy your week, and I will be praying for you.

Love, Kyle

Hi Dad,

 

The mission is going by so fast now, and I really don't want it to. We are staying super busy working with the zone and helping all the other missionaries while still working hard in our own areas. I have never been so busy while on my mission, and I am loving it. This passed week I went on two exchanges in the zone, so I only spent about half the week in my own area.

Answers:

1. Do you like your new area? ( we are so grateful to Sister Klien for giving us some info. on you)

I do like it a lot, because there is so much work to be done here. The work is slow right now, but we are working hard with the ward, and we are visiting lots of less-actives/part-member families. There are so many people, and so little time it seems like.

 

2. How is it being a Zone leader?  (is it hard with the other zone leader not being your companion)

I am really enjoying it. I love teaching and inspiring missionaries! I don't think I am doing the best job I can yet, but I am getting there. I am also excited to meet with President Taylor.

 

Yes it is hard, because we don't have very many miles, and he is on a bike, so we have to use the members a lot whenever we have to do something together. And we have to communicate everything over the phone which isn't fun.

 

3. Is the work going well there?

Like I was saying, it is a little slow right now, but there is so much for us to do that we are always busy. We just need to find progressing investigators.

 

4. How is the new companion? 

He is good. We get along well, and I don't have to worry about teaching him Spanish or anything like that, so that is nice.

 

5. Do you have meetings with the mission president every month?

Yes, and I will have my first one March 4

 

6. What is the new area like, and what do you do on P-days?

The area is kind of like Pleasant Grove. Not run down, but not the newest city either. Our zone covers down-town Dallas, so one of these days, we will have to go there on a preparation day. There are a good handful of Hispanics also which is always good!

 

7.  How is the zone are they working hard and being obedient.

There is improvement that can be made, but I think that for the most part everyone is working hard. There are only a couple of areas that are struggling with work right now, but the areas are tough. Any tips on giving correction by the way? I find it very hard.

 

8. Any baptism coming up.

Yes, Carlos Martinez on the 7th of March. He is so ready, and he will make a great member!

 

9. Tell us how you spend your time now that you have more responsibility

I try to go on two exchanges a week, and I really like going to the area of the other missionary, that means I spend a lot of time away from my apartment. Last week I spent two nights on the couch instead of on a bed, luckily the couch was somewhat comfortable. We have zone meetings the first week of every month, and Stake President's report every 3rd Sunday. We also meet with President Taylor once a month, so I am always staying busy, but it is a lot of fun.

I had the opportunity on Friday to go to a baptism back in Rowlett, and I was reminded of how much I really did love the members in that ward. They were so great! The baptism was for Maria Leos who I was teaching for a long time before I left. She is now a member. It was such a fun time to be there and to see her, as well as all the members that I had grown to love. I loved Rowlett!

Thank you very much for your love and support Dad! I love you and I am so grateful for your example. Thank you for the package also. I love you!

Kyle

 

 

The Work is Getting Busy!

Hi Mom,

 

The work has been getting very busy, because of the zone leader responsibilities that I have. We are meeting with each district individually to help them in their respective areas, and then we are counseling together to see how we can help their district in their work. It has been crazy, but I enjoy being able to work with so many missionaries. There is so much to learn from everyone.

I did get your package. Thank you so much! I love y'all! The apartment here is not very good, but I am about used to having bad apartments by now, so it isn't too big a deal. I am enjoying the work in this area. Carlos came to church again this last Sunday, and he is progressing really well. We are meeting with some less-active families in the wards and we are trying hard to work with the ward council of these wards. The members have been very helpful with getting us rides to all the meetings that we have to go to. We are going to have to use them a lot since we have to drive all over the place.

Being zone leader made things really busy for me like I said. On Tuesday of this passed week I did an exchange with an Elder, and we were able to go in and learn a lot from each other. He was a really hard worker, so I enjoyed my time with him. Then on Thursday we had a meeting with a district that is a little ways away. On Friday I filled out my first Stake President's report. It was such a long and boring process. It took us 5 and a half hours to do all of it, and I was so happy when we were done. We had to gather information from every area in our zone, and put it all together for the Stake President. On Sunday morning we had a meeting with the Stake President where we were able to discuss how the work is going in all of the areas. It was a great meeting, and I loved being able to be apart of it. There were some great things that I learned to use in our area. I hope it will help the whole zone out.

Friday and Saturday nights, we had a couple of parties for our wards for Valentine's day. The English ward party was alright, but the Spanish ward party was so much fun. The people there had a great time, and I loved it.

I am sorry, but I forgot my camera at the apartment, so I promise that I will send you pictures next week. I am glad that everything is going well back home. Have a great week! I love you!

Love, Elder Stewart

Zone leader and a new area!!

Well I didn't really move very far at all, in fact my area borders my old ward. My first Sunday here there were three members that were there visiting from Rowlett 3rd, so I am still very close. I am currently serving in the Skyline ward, and the Rio Trinidad ward. It is a bilingual area, and it should be great. On top of that, I was called to be a zone leader. It has been overwhelming at times, and I am still getting the hang of it, but I am happy to be serving the biggest zone in the mission. This transfer they did something a little bit differently however. The zone leaders are not companions in most of the zones. My companion is serving in Garland in the Casa Linda ward, meaning that whenever we have to plan zone meetings or do anything, we have to meet somewhere, which is hard, but that is what the mission is all about. There is saying that goes, if you are comfortable with missionary work you are doing something wrong, because there are always trials or problems to solve. I am excited though.

My companion is Elder Giles from Sandy, Utah. He has been out the same time as I have, and he is a great Elder. It took us awhile to warm up to each other, but we are doing good now. He played Lacrosse before the mission, and he loves music.

The members of the ward that I have met so far are good. The atmosphere in these wards is a little weird, but maybe that is just because I am new. I have met some great people though, and the leaderships of these wards are working hard to help the missionaries in the work. My very first Sunday here we were asked to teach the lesson in Gospel Principles, and because we have two wards, my companion was in the Spanish Ward Council, so I taught it all myself. It went very well!

As far as the work goes, we have a baptismal date coming up at the beginning of next month for a 23 year old named Carlos Martinez from Honduras. That name may sound familiar, because I taught a man named Carlos Martinez for a long time in Grand Prairie. Carlos is doing really well, and has come to church three times. He is a great man. We are also teaching a lot of Less-actives in the ward, but we haven't seen any success from that yet.

This past Tuesday I had my first Zone meeting as a zone leader. As a mission for this transfer we are pulling out a new initiative called the Turning the Hearts Initiative. It is centered around families and family history work. That is why we asked for those stories about our family. It was a good meeting, and I am starting to feel the desire to learn more about my family and to do family history work, but for now we are trying to help others get involved.

Pleasant Grove is in my area by the way.

Preparation days in this area should be a lot of fun, especially since we don't have to worry about doing laundry. Some Elders have a ping-pong table in their apartment, and we usually play basketball at the Stake Center. Those sports are my favorite sports to play, so it should be great!

As far as after the mission goes, I am not sure what we should do. I don't know how the whole Spanish barrier is going to work out. I would love to come visit the mission after, but maybe just for a few days. I don't know. What do y'all think? I haven't heard about my release date for sure yet, and it honestly doesn't matter to me when my homecoming talk is. It can be whenever. I would like to go on vacation after.

I hope y'all have a great week! Hopefully you can get more work this week, and I hope you know that I am happy and doing great! Thank you for the stories.

Love, Kyle

Visit from Elder Nelson

Hi Mom,

We had another very eventful week. It was great, and so boring all at the same time.

Monday through Thursday went by fairly quickly, and we were able to teach some really good lessons. Maria is still progressing very well, and she should be baptized on the 14th of February. Friday was when the apostle came, and when we woke up that morning, my companion told me that he was sick, we came to find out that he got strep throat again for the second time this month. We still went to see the apostle, but then we came back and were stuck inside for three days. I was so bored. I already had watched all of the videos we had the last time he was sick, so there wasn't a whole lot to do. I am happy to be back out again, but just in time to leave.

I loved the meeting with the apostle so much. Elder Nelson and Elder Robbins of the presidency of the seventy came, and it was a great meeting. Elder Lynn G. Robbins talked a lot about the Book of Mormon, and how important it is in our missionary work. Elder Nelson then got up and talked about identity. He started by talking about the 12 tribes of Israel, and all the blessings that we receive from them as well as the responsibilities we have. Then he talked about how we were chosen to come to earth at this time. He shared a scripture from the 138th section of the D&C that said that we were taught by Jesus Christ in the spirit world after he was crucified, and we are called to come to earth at this time to help gather Zion. It was a great message.

Elder Nelson also talked about one of the biggest challenges that he said he has overcome. He called it the gap. It is the difference between who he should be as an apostle, and what he is. Moses felt that way when he was called, and we all feel that way as we receive callings. We have feelings of inadequacy, and we need to overcome that. He said that he has done that through increased effort in his scripture study, and in being more diligent while praying always. I thought about Dad in that moment, and from your emails it sounds like his is filling the gap.

The best part of the meeting was the end when Elder Nelson said he felt prompted to invoke a blessing upon us. He gave all of us a blessing from the pulpit. It was a great experience, and when he closed his talk the spirit was so strong in the room. We sang a song at the end which was Hark all ye Nations, and it was hard to sing without getting teary-eyed. I loved it! It was one of those moments where I thought to my self, wow this is my mission, and this is such a great cause that we are fighting for. I love this church, and I don't know how anyone could deny it after hearing an apostle. It will be a moment that I will never forget.

This week we also finished the Book of Mormon. We read it in 40 days, and that was really fast for me. I read it in Spanish which means that there was 647 pages to read instead of whatever it is in English. It was a great experience to get to know the story better, and know what each chapter is about. I love that Book, and I know it is true!

Another fun little thing that I started last week is called the D&C countdown. I read section 128 today, hint hint, but who's counting? I am just reading D&C backwards...

The rest of the week was the really boring part. And today I found out that I am getting transferred. I don't know where I will be going, but I am excited to see where I end my mission. It has been great, and these next few transfers should be very successful. I love the mission! (Except when I am stuck inside.)

I am happy to hear about everything that is going on at home. I hope y'all have a great week, and I will let you know where I go next week. I love y'all!

Love, Elder Stewart

A Crazy Week!

Hi Mom!

We had a little bit of a crazy week this last week. There were a couple of really slow days, but also a couple of great days! We taught some really good lessons this week as well. Maria Leos is still doing really well and she is progressing a lot. The only real obstacle is the fact that she is like any other 14 year old, she doesn't like to read the scriptures. But she prays and comes to church.

This last Saturday we did another Temple tour with some of the investigators and less active members. It went so well. We had a small little meeting with everyone before we went to the temple where we showed them a video, and we also had some of the members share their testimonies of the temple. It really helped motivate a lot of them.

On Sunday I spoke in church again. Giving a talk that is long enough isn't really a problem for me anymore now that I am giving lots of trainings and stuff that are an hour. Now the problem is making sure my talks aren't too long. I really like speaking, and it is definitely a work in progress, but I am progressing.

I love the mission, and I have loved this area so much. I will probably be leaving after this week. I am so grateful for the things that I have learned here, and I am very excited for what my last area will be. It is crazy to think I will probably be going to my last area. I wish I could have started my mission knowing all that I do now. It has been the best experience of my life!

Love y'all

Kyle

Hi Dad, the work is still going so great in this area, and I have recently made a lot a few changes in the way that I do missionary work. I have loved this ward so much, and I am so grateful that I have been able to serve the people here in Rowlett.

First of all to answer your question about how I teach those who are questioning their faith. The first would be an object lesson. I like to build a tower of cards when I am talking about the church that Jesus Christ established when he was on the earth. I start with a foundation which is a piece of card board that I lay on a table or on the floor. The foundation is the priesthood. With out the priesthood we can't build the church. I then go on to say that all of the cards are the teachings and commandments that Jesus Christ gave. When Jesus Christ and the apostles died, the authority was taken away, which makes the tower of cards fall, and the cards scatter. I then pick up the cards and give a couple to each person I am teaching saying that they established their own churches with parts of the truth. But they changed some doctrines, and they didn't have the foundation or the Priesthood to build their church. I then describe how the spirit testifies of truth, which means that you can feel the spirit, and feel good about going to all of these churches. If that feeling is all you know, then you can be certain that it is a true church. However imagine how you would feel if you had all the truth of the church of Jesus Christ. That feeling that you may have in other churches will be much greater, and you will know that it is the true church of Jesus Christ, because he will have answered your prayer.

Second, you could talk about how we shouldn't deny past revelation.

Answers:

1. How was the meeting with Elder Nelson

It will be on the 30th.

2. How is being a District Leader - Do you like your district.

Yes I really do. We had some problems last transfer, but the people in the district now are doing really well, and we are seeing a lot of success.

3. Do they call you every night?

No, just a couple of times a week.

4. How is the work progressing?

It is about the same. We have had some success with some of our investigators, and we have lost others.

5. Is your testimony getting stronger?

Yes! I really enjoy this work, and I have seen my testimony grow so many ways, on so many different things.

6. Are you having fun?

Yes! I am loving this ward, and the progress that we are making.

7. What would you say to the priests who are seniors and getting ready?

About 3 weeks into the field, a family asked me if I would have done anything different to prepare for my mission, and I obviously could have prepared harder, but at the time I couldn't really think of anything. The reason for that was you told me about 4 months before my mission that I should try to do all I could to feel the spirit. I could have done better, but that honestly prepared me a lot, and strengthened my testimony so much. So tell them what you told me. Seek out the spirit.

8. What would you say to the members about keeping their testimonies strong.

Follow Elder Ucthdorf's talks in conference in both the Saturday morning and Priesthood sessions. I loved his talk on Lord is it I? And also Elder Scott's talk was really good!

9. Are you happy?

Yes! I am so grateful for all that I have learned, and all the growth I have made in the mission.

10. How can we better help and support you.

Y'all area already doing it! Just keep praying, reading, and have family home evening.

I love you Dad, and I am so grateful for the amazing example you are to me. I can't imagine how you are feeling right now with all this stress, and I can't imagine how much the Lord must be supporting you. My mission has also helped me appreciate so much the role of the Bishop and all the work they do. I love you so much!

Love, Kyle

Finding people to teach!

Hi Mom,

Not a whole lot has happened this past week. We were able to leave to work on Tuesday around 4:00, but because we were inside so long, it was hard to find people to teach. Phones are great, but people really don't like talking to us sometimes. I feel like they try to avoid us. So, this week we talked to a lot of people, and we set up some great appointments for this upcoming week, so hopefully we will be able to help more people and teach more lessons. Luckily I didn't get sick, and my companion is feeling much better, so everything should be good for this week.

Maricruz still hasn't really progressed at all, but Maria Fernanda Leos is our next best investigator, she is preparing to be baptized on the 7th of February, and she has progressed so much! She is the daughter of Ricardo Leos, and Marta Leos who we tried teaching when I first got here. Ricardo was baptized in February, and he is still doing so well. Now we are working on the rest of his family. Maria has started coming to church and praying, and she even started reading a little bit. Not only that, but Marta the Mom has finally started progressing so much. She is now reading the Book of Mormon as well.

At the end of the Month we are going to have Elder Russell M. Nelson come visit the mission. I am so excited to hear what he has to say and teach us. He is only going to be here for two hours, but I can't wait.

Other than that there really isn't anything else that happened this week. We knocked lots of doors, and we are working hard even if we aren't teaching lots of lessons. I love my mission! I hope you enjoy your job at UVU, that is so weird to think that my Mom is working now, since it isn't something you have done since I was 3 or so and you worked at Toys R Us for a few weeks. Have a great week!

Being sick as a missionary is the worst!!

Hi Mom,

I don't really have much to say, nor very much time to say it for this week, so this email will be short. The week started out really well. We are teaching a less-active family that hasn't been to church in ten years, and they are now showing a desire to come back. We also have a baptismal date with a young girl that is the daughter of a recent convert in the area. That should take place on February 7. She is changing a lot.

On Friday my companion became very sick, and we found out that he had strep throat, so we stayed inside all week end. I am really bored, and I think I think I am starting to get sick myself. Hopefully we will get better soon.

I will let you know more next week. Have a good week!

Love, Kyle

Hi Dad,

Sorry I don't have much time right now to email. My companion has had strep throat over the last couple of days, and he just started on the antibiotics this morning. So the last couple of days have been really boring, and I am hoping that we can leave and work tomorrow. I am tired of being inside all the time. I am not feeling great either, so we will might be inside for the next couple of days as well. Being sick as a missionary is the worst!

1. How are you and your companion getting along?
Really well. We are having a great time together.

2. How is trraining different this time around?
I am more patient, and I now how to teach better, and involve him more.

3. When are transfers and do you think you will go this time?
The beginning of February, and yes I do think I will be going.

4. How is flooding Dallas with the Book of Mormon going?
Alright, we have been teaching a lot and my companion was sick, so we haven't had much time to do it.

5.  Is the work progressing well?
Yes, the work is going so well in this area. Better than I have seen on my mission. I am loving this area.

6.  Did the family get married?
No, they want to postpone it again.

7. Did yo feel all the earthquakes? ( I was in one on my mission, very creepy feeling when the grounds starts to move under you.)
I didn't feel anything. I didn't even know there was an earthquake here.

8. What faith building experience have you had lately that will strengthen my testimony?

9.  Any funny stories?
I will tell you some next week.

10. What is the most important thing that you have learned one your mission?

Jesus Christ and his gospel are the most important things ever. It is the key to happiness, peace, comfort, blessings, and fulfillment in life. With out it, there would be no point in living. Jesus Christ should be our number one priority in everything we do, no matter what. I have seen so many people change their lives because of the gospel. And they have become so much happier. The most important thing I have learned on my mission is follow Jesus Christ by following his gospel as close as possible.

Have a great week, I will write more next week.

The Holidays are Over!

Mom,

We had a pretty good week this week, and we were able to teach lots of people. There wasn't a whole lot to write about, but I am very happy about how the work is going in this area. Unfortunately we haven't been able to teach any of the investigators that we found on Christmas, but that is how missionary work goes, so we keep working hard to find more people. We were able to teach a lot of less-actives this week, and those lessons went really well. Most of them committed to come to church on Sunday, but most of them weren't able to make it.

 On New Year's Eve, we went to a party at 8:30 and left by 9, so that was about the extent of our holiday. It will be good to get back to school and work, so that people won't be so busy. I love the holidays, but it is always nice when they are over so that we are able to meet with everyone.

The big thing that is happening right now in the mission, is that we are making a big push on the Book of Mormon. To start off, we as a mission are reading the Book of Mormon in 40 days. We started on Christmas, and we have had to read 7 or so chapters a day. It is great to be able to read the Book of Mormon so quickly, because it is helping me get a better idea of the stories and where everything is.

We are also trying to "flood the earth" with the Book of Mormon. Or at least the Texas Dallas Mission. We have the goal of inviting 40,000 people to read the Book of Mormon in the month of January. It should be a great way to see more success in the mission!

 

I am doing really well, and I am really enjoying my time out on the mission. I hope y'all enjoy going back to school. Have a great week!

Love, Kyle