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