Baptism!

Hi Mom,

The baptism yesterday was great! I honestly understood again the scripture in D&C 18 that says our joy will be great. The worth of souls is great in the sight of the Lord, and I was able to help one of them come unto to Christ through baptism. I was so happy yesterday as I was changing out of my baptism clothes right after the baptism. It is the moments like those that make all the hard times worth it. I love being a missionary, and a representative of Jesus Christ!

Sara has changed her life so much to allow herself to come unto Christ.

I was still so amazed the day we went over to her house to help her stop smoking, and she told us that she had already decided to stop. I definitely feel as if I was an instrument in the hands of the Lord, because I don't feel like I did much. All we had to do is follow the spirit, and teach with the spirit. Sara did the rest with the help of Jesus Christ. I have learned so much from her example of faith and love for God. She really wants to serve God, and do all that he has asked us to do.

I also found out that Sara was first taught by Hermana Spencer who is from Pleasant Grove. That is the girl that Haley has worked with at Taco Amigo. I thought that was interesting.

The rest of this week was fairly normal. We are really trying to work hard with the members in finding people to teach. The members do a great job in helping us teach and in friending our investigators, now we want them to try and do the work themselves. This is the first time that I have really reached out to the members in this way, but I think it will go well. The theme that our mission president has given us is We are as one. We are one as a mission, with the members, and as the Church. I am excited to see what will come of this.

I am excited for another transfer with Elder McBride. It will give me more time to work on being patient. I am really doing better though. Hopefully we will be really good friends by the end of the transfer! That is my goal. As well as we need to work hard at improving his Spanish. He has gotten to the point where he can understand the topic of what is being said, and a few sentences here and there. We are going to keep working hard to help him get to where he needs to be.

Texas is so hot! It is like being steam cooked, especially when it is cloudy. We get a break from the heat this week though, because of a storm that is coming in.

I don't really have much else to say. With the baptism of Sara, we are going to have to start all over in finding people that are ready for the gospel in their lives. We really found the prepared in Sara.

Why did Daniel come home? Did he break something? Let him know that I love him! I am praying for Emily as well, so I hope that she will be doing well soon. I love you so much, and I am grateful for your support. I am doing great, and you definitely don't have to worry about me. Except for the fact that I might get sun burned really badly. I love you!

Love Kyle

I forgot the pictures, so I will send them next week.

 

Hi Dad,

 

The baptism yesterday was great. She asked me to baptize her, so I was able to participate in my first baptismal ordinance, and it was all in Spanish. I didn't mess up, so I was excited about that. Sara was so happy before, and even happier after the baptism, so it was a success! I am grateful that I had the opportunity to help her. She will be confirmed a member next Sunday, and she asked me to do that as well. I hope to have the gift of tongues for that.

 

That is exciting that Lynn got back. That must take the stress off of your shoulders a little now that he can take some of your work.

 

I love you! Thank you for your example to me!

 

Kyle

 

Staying in Grand Prairie!

Hi Mom,

We had an Ok week this week as far as the work goes, but it was a lot of fun! First of all, I am staying here in Grand Prairie, with my companion Elder McBride. This was great news, because the baptism that we have planned for Sara is next Sunday. She has been battling really well. Sara is living with her daughter and son-in-law, and they will both be out of town this upcoming week leaving Sara alone. So, we are going to try to make as much contact as possible with her before her baptism on Sunday. Lucky for her, she doesn't work, so she doesn't really have any money to be spending, as well as she can't drive, so the temptation for her to smoke, isn't as big as it would be for other people. She is doing really well!

For the Fourth of July we didn't really do anything special. We had a zone conference that morning so that we could meet the new Mission President. He is going to be a great mission president! I love him already. He is a very nice man, and he has such a strong spirit. The rest of the day, we knocked doors, and taught a lesson. Not really anything different.

The next day was a great day! I had the opportunity to go back to Waxahachie my first area to see the baptism of Angelica. She was the grand daughter of the less-active that we were working with, Mary. It was a great service, and I was able to talk to all the members that I hadn't seen in almost a year. The best part of that was I could actually speak in Spanish to the members. After the baptism we had a ward party at a park, which was also so much fun! We were able to talk to some non-members, and we had a great turn out. It was a lot of fun!

Yesterday was one of the best Sundays of my mission. We had some great lessons in church, and I was able to feel the spirit so strongly. All the missionaries here in Grand Prairie sang a musical number as well. It went really well, and I even had a solo. I was very nervous, especially since it was fast Sunday, and we had biked to church. I thought that I was going to pass out, but it went well. After the church services, we had another baptism, and a farewell party for one of the sister missionaries here who is going to leave. The spirit was so strong today. I know that I am a part of the only true church on the earth, and I am so grateful that I am able to represent Jesus Christ in the work of salvation.

I am doing great! My wrist is still a little sore, I must have tweaked it pretty good. It really isn't that bad though. I am happy to hear that the family is doing so well. I am really excited for Nate! He should have a great mission! I am glad that he decided to serve!

All the weight that I gained on my mission is now gone. I believe that I am back to where I was when I started the mission, or I may have lost weight by now. All of this Texas heat is keeping me skinny. I really don't have anything to complain about though. It is really hot, and it takes some getting used too, but I feel as if I have adjusted to it. We have only hit the 100s one time.

I love you so much! Thank you for all your love and support. I know this church is true!

Love, Elder Kyle Stewart

Hi Dad,

 

Questions of the week:
1.  How is your new mission president - Do you think that he will be a good one.\

He is great! I am going to love him! President Durrant was a great example and leader as well, but I have a feeling that I am going to love President Taylor a little more.

2.  How is your companion doing?  are you working him hard?

Of course I am! We are working very hard, but we need to work a little harder I think.

 3.  Are you teaching him the things that you wished your trainer had taught you?

Yes, I am trying. I have been pretty bad the past couple of weeks on being patient with him, so that is my main focus for this week.

 4.  Are you still getting along ok?

We are. I really want for us to get along better this transfer though. I will be more patient with him, and hopefully we can improve his Spanish.

 5.  Do you feel like you have had a good mission so far?

I do. It has been the hardest thing I have ever done, and I feel as though I have had more trials over the year that I have been a missionary than I have in my whole life, but because of all those trials, I have become the disciple of Christ that I am today. There have also been some great experiences though. I love being a missionary!

 6.  How is the work going?

It slowed down a little recently. There is always plenty of people to talk to, now we just need to find a way for them to actually be at their house when our appointments are set.

 7.  Are you able to keep Sara progressing.

Yes! Sara has been so strong, and fighting so hard. She hasn't smoked since she said she was going to stop, so now we just have to make sure that she keeps on going, and endures to the end. We are going to have the baptism this Sunday!

 8.  How are the members of the ward you are serving in.  are they helping?

They are doing OK. We can always get them out to the lessons we are teaching, but what we really need, is for them to invite. We talked a lot about that at our training with the new mission president. President Durrant liked to do missionary work the old school way, I think. I feel that President Taylor is going to go away from that a little bit.

 9.  How do you spend your days? Do you do a lot of knocking on doors?

We do knock a lot of doors. We spend an hour to four hours everyday knocking. We are trying to go and visit the members now, but the only problem is that we have three sets of missionaries all in the same ward, so there aren't a lot of members to go and see.

 10.  What experiences have you had this week that have brought you closer to the savior?

I had one of the best Sundays of my mission yesterday. To start off, I saw how much the Lord can help us physically. It was fast Sunday, and I woke up feeling light headed, and very hungry. We were going to sing in church yesterday, and I had a solo, so I prayed that I would be able to go throughout the day with out having to break my fast, and still be able to sing. We went to the church early on our bikes to practice, and by the time we got to the church, I was already out of breath and light headed again. We practiced for awhile, and I kept praying for help. My biggest fear was that I was going to pass out during my solo, but I was mostly just joking. When we went up to sing, I felt great, and our song went really well. Then on top of all that, I felt the spirit so strong during church. It is always nice to have those three hours a week to refresh my testimony that the gospel is true.

Thank you for all the BYU updates! Even though I am not going to be able to watch any of the games, I still get excited. I really hope they beat Texas while I am here. Does Texas play in Arlington? I can't remember. I love you Dad so much! Thank you for always teaching me what is right, and helping me know that this is the true church, and the key to happiness. I am praying for you!

Love, Kyle

 

Another Good Week!!

Hi Mom!

We had another good week this week. It wasn't as successful as other weeks which we have had, but it was a very good week. We went by on Wednesday to see Sara and try to create a plan that she can use to stop smoking. She told us though that she had already stopped that day, and that she wasn't planning on smoking any more. It was a great lesson that we had with her. Since then, we have tried to go by every day to make sure that she is still doing well. We will probably give her a priesthood blessing the next time we go over to help her have the strength that she needs.

I did get the package that you sent me for my year mark. Thank you very much! The chocolate cake was really good, and I am so grateful to have such a great Mom, and family to give me things like that. It helps me out when I get a package from you. I have also already gone through all the Pringles, so thanks for those as well, and the shoelaces were definitely needed.

I have recovered quite well from the crash that I had. My wrist is still a little soar, but that is probably just because I haven't given it any rest. I have still been biking hard. My bike is still working well, so that was good. After I crashed, we didn't go get icecream, mostly because I just wasn't in the mood for it. I was feeling pretty bruised, and I needed to clean myself up.

We are still working hard, and I am really looking forward to this upcoming week. I am not sure what our plans are going to be for the fourth of July yet, but the day after, we are going to have a ward party to celebrate. I am excited for that. I am also going to meet my new mission president, and Saturday I might be going to a baptism for one of the investigators that I taught in Waxahachie. It should be a good week.

Thank you for all your love, support, and prayers. I love you so much, and I am grateful for my opportunity to serve.

Love, Kyle

Hi Dad!

 

We had a pretty good week this passed week. I love being able to help other people repent, and make the changes in their lives that they need to make. I love serving as a missionary!

 

Answers

Questions of the week:

1. How is your companion?

My companion adjusted much faster than I did. He is still trying to pick up the language, but he is working hard.

 

2. Are you getting along?

Yes. I have been working very hard on being patient, and I feel like I have improved a lot.

 

3. Did you do something for you hump day?

We ordered Domino's pizza to celebrate, and we went out and worked hard. I also made the cake that Mom sent me.

 

4. Have you been able to play some?

We played some basketball this morning. It was a lot of fun.

 

5. Are you ok after your fall (dog bite and now this, you will have some great stories and scars)

I am doing good. My wrist is still a little soar, but that is normal. My hand has scabbed up, so it should be healed soon.

 

6. How are your investigators doing?

Good. We are still working hard with them to help them progress. We have been trying to teach a lot, but we don't have anyone that is very close to baptism, except for Carlos, and Sara.

 

7. Is the Sister able to stop smoking?

Sara is doing very well. We went by on Wednesday to try to help her create a plan to stop, but she told us that she had already decided on stopping that same day. As far as we know she hasn't smoked since. We are going by everyday, to make sure that she is still doing well. I was happy to hear that she wasn't smoking anymore.

 

8. How is the work?

It is going well. We are working hard, and we should have at least baptism this upcoming transfer.

 

9. Have you met your new Mission President yet?

No, we will be having a meeting with him on Friday, and that will be the first time.

 

10. What spiritual experiences have you had that stregthend your testimony?

The other day, I was studying in the scriptures, and I am not sure what brought me to it, but I decided to go to Isaiah 53, when Isaiah is prophesying of Jesus Christ. I read through the first seven verses I believe, and in verse 7, Isaiah gives the analogy of Christ being like a lamb carried to the slaughter, and a sheep that is mute. I thought for a moment on what that meant, and how when Christ was being judged by Pontius Pilate, and King Herod, he kept silent. He didn't have to die at that moment, and he had the ability to save himself, but he remained silent. And like a lamb to the slaughter he went willingly to die for all of us. The spirit was so strong. I am so grateful for my savior Jesus Christ, and I hope that I can do all that I must do to live with him again someday.

 

11. Any other funny stories other than falling off your bike (did that once by the way)

This week, the police came by again for the third time since I have been here. We really aren't even making that much noise. The policeman told us that if he complained again, we may get evicted. We decided to go apologize to him, and as we did, he didn't even let us finish talking to him, before he shut the door. So, we went by the office, and they told us there is no problem. We are completely fine. So, we are not too worried.

 

I am enjoying this area! It is starting to get really hot out here, but it is very worth it. I love all that I have been able to do, and for the privilege that I have to represent Jesus Christ. I love Him! I love serving him so much!

 

I love you! Thank you for the great example that you have always been to me!

 

Love, Kyle

Cell Phones and Bikes Don't Mix!!

Hi Mom!

 

We had a very good week this week. It was very eventful in a good and bad way. Overall, I love being a missionary!

 

 

It all started on Wednesday. I said goodbye to my Mission President as we had our last training from him. It wasn't too hard to say goodbye, since I know that I will see him again when I go home. It was a great training though. I have really enjoyed my time serving with President Durrant. He has been such a great example of the leader that I want to be. I am sad to see him go. The night after this meeting, we had a lesson with Sara. Everything was going great with her, and then out of nowhere, we found out that she has a problem with smoking. It came as a big surprise, but it is OK. I am grateful that I get to help her through this temptation, and hopefully she will be ready for baptism soon.

Every Thursday we have our coordination meeting at the church. This is about a 4 mile bike ride from our apartment. On our way home from the meeting, we were riding really quickly to try and get home in time to get some ice cream from a store next to our apartment. We were making great time, and on the last stretch, I pulled out the phone to see the time. As I did, I fell off my bike and hit the ground hard. I scratched up my hand and elbow, as well as I sprained my wrist from the crash. I am feeling good now, but it hurt the day it happened. I tore up my suit pants, so it is a good thing I have two pairs. It was quite the experience.

 

 

 

 

When the weekend came around, I was feeling a little beaten up, but I didn't let that stop me at all. Because of the sacrifice I made, we had a great end to the week. We found some great people who I believe are going to progress. We also taught more lessons this week than we have the passed couple of weeks. Yesterday, to finish everything off, it rained all day long, and we again didn't let that stop us. We were so wet. During church my companion and I we shivering because we were still wet from the rain. It made for a long day, but it was a great week!

I actually received my end date the day I went into the MTC. I have a ministerial certificate which certifies that I have the right to be a missionary, and the expiration date was for the 10th of June, so I have always known. I still am having a hard time believing that I only have one year left. In some ways it feels like it has been a long year, but it also feels like I was at home only yesterday.

My companion is doing well. He is adjusting to missionary life, and the Spanish is slowly coming. Hopefully we will be able to help him pick it up faster.

Last week I sent an email to Josh asking if he was an assistant to the President yet just joking with him. He sent me a message the same day saying no not yet, but today he emailed me and said he got the call this Saturday to be an Assistant. I thought that was pretty funny. I wish I could be his companion!

I am glad y'all are staying busy. I am excited to hear that Nate loved the temple so much. He will be a great missionary! I hope that everything goes well with Emily and Allyce. I will be keeping them in my prayers, and I hope that they recover quickly.

Have a fantastic week! I love you, and I will keep up the hard work!

Love, Kyle

 

I Love the Mission!!

Hi Mom,

We had an OK week this last week. Nothing too special. I have learned a lot recently, and I can feel myself growing spiritually everyday. I love the mission!

Sarah is doing well. She doesn't really have anything getting in the way of baptism. She is excited for it, and I am even more excited for her. It will be a great day. For now here baptismal date is the 29 of June. We are going to have to cram this week to make sure she gets all the lessons, but that is just a side note. She is already living the commandments, reading, praying, and willing to come to church when she can. I am excited!

I read the link and story, and the comments that followed. That was really sad. I am glad to hear that the kids are doing OK. I hope that the kids continue to recover well. I also read the comments that followed and wow, how sad. I can't imagine how the renstroms must feel. Being one that has participated in the parade, I never thought I was in danger. It really must have just been a freak accident. I will be praying for all of them!

I love Dad! He is the best. He is always been there for me, and I know that the comfort that I have felt from him must help other people a lot. I am so grateful for someone who has not only taught me how to live, but more importantly has shown me how to live by example. I hope I can grow up to be like him.

I don't really have much else to say. I don't know if y'all have heard, but my mission isn't going to be a full two years. I am going to be cheated by two weeks. So I come home June 10 meaning that my half way mark is in two day and my one year mark is still June 26. It is going by too fast.

I love you Mom! Thank you for the updates every week. I am so grateful for your example each week in allowing me to grow up in the gospel and serve a mission. You are the best!

Love, Kyle

Short and Sweet!!

Hi Mom!

 I did get the toaster that you sent, and it works great! Thank you for sending it to me. I am grateful for such a great Mom! We had a good week this week. We found some great new investigators that are doing really well. We started teaching Sarah this week, who accepted a baptismal date for the end of the month. She is the Mom of a recent convert that was baptized earlier this year. The missionaries have taught her several times over the passed two years, and she always said that she wouldn't accept a baptismal date, because she was already baptized in another church, and she didn't need to be baptized again. During my studies on Tuesday, I studied for what we could share with her to help her see why baptism was necessary. By the end of the study, I had a list of scriptures to share. When we taught her that afternoon I shared a story in Acts where the Apostles talk to some people who hadn't yet received the Holy Ghost. The people in the story are baptized again and receive the Holy Ghost. After reading this one story, Sarah knew she needed to be baptized. She accepted a date for the end of the month, and we are so excited for her. It is great to know that I was able to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord. He really loves his children, and he allowed me to share the scripture that helped Sarah commit. It was a great experience!

My companion is doing well, and his Spanish is improving. He still has a long way to go, but he is doing good. I have come to really love him, and I hope that I can be the trainer that he needs.

I am excited for Nate! He should have a great experience as a missionary. It is hard, but he can do it! He will love it!

I am grateful for the opportunity that I have to serve! My mission president has been a great example to me, and he is leaving in a few weeks. He wanted me to send you this message

Feel free to forward this to your parents if you'd like. We posted it on Facebook for all former Texas Dallas Missionaries:

Now that our departure date is less than four weeks away, it's probably time to discuss a couple of items. 1) We would love to see all of you. With that in mind, we plan to hold a reception July 5 from 1pm to 4pm at the Grandview Stake Center located at 1600 N 1830 W in Provo, Utah. We plan to mingle and say hello to everyone who can stop by for a few minutes.

2) At the reception at 2pm, Sister Durrant and I will give the same talks we plan to give at our homecoming sacrament meeting. We ask that you not come to the homecoming sacrament meeting because it would potentially make the sacrament time difficult because we have served with over 650 missionaries. With parents and friends added to that number, the group could be quite large. Also, we wouldn't have a good opportunity to greet each of you that day.

For those reasons, please plan to attend our reception and talks on Saturday, July 5. If you can't make it then, we also hope to have a reunion near the time of the October General Conference. We send our love. President and Sister Durrant

I am not sure if y'all wil be able to go, but if you would like to, you can. He is such a spiritual giant, and a physical one too. I love him! I hope you have a great week!

Love, Kyle

First Week of Training!

Hi Mom,

We had a so-so week this past week. We contacted a lot of people and we taught some lessons, but I feel that the work is now starting to pick up a little in this area. Training has been hard, and frustrating at times, but it is a lot of fun as well. I have realized how much I like teaching Spanish to other people, and I might do something like that after my mission.

My new companion is a quieter Elder, and he needs a lot of work on his Spanish, but he is excited to be here, and he is a happy person even though the first transfer is so hard. I am excited to work with him. He has had cancer twice in his life, but he is completely cured now. It must have been really hard for him, but he is still out here serving a mission. He is also 20 years old, so I am training someone older than I am.

The ward here is still great. I love being able to talk and interact with the members of this ward, and even though I have been speaking Spanish for a year, it still amazes me that I am able to speak Spanish. I love being a missionary!

I don't really have a whole lot to say this week either. I am enjoying training, and I hope I am doing a good job. I love you Mom! Have a great week!

Love, Kyle

 

Hi Dad,

 

Training has been a very humbling and eye-opening experience. I can honestly say that I am being more obedient and I am working just as hard as I ever have on my mission. I love missionary work, and I am so happy that I get to share that love with my new companion. It is hard, and I really need to be more patient, but I am improving everyday, I really hope I can help him have a better experience than the one that I had.

 

Answers:

1) How is the new "Greenie" (do they still call new missionaries Greenie)

He is doing OK. He needs a lot of work on his Spanish, but he is still excited to be here. He has gotten discouraged a couple of times because of the Spanish, but that is very normal. I remember my first week in the field. The Spanish was the worst part, but now I can speak it just fine.

 

2.) What is he like - do you get along?

We are getting along. Partly, because he is working hard, and he is trying to be obedient. He is 5'6" blonde hair blue eye, so now we are the blonde haired companionship that speak Spanish. He likes extreme sports, biking, snowboarding, longboarding. He is 20 years old (maybe someday I will have a companion that is younger than me.) He is doing well.

 

3.) How is the work going?

We have gotten some new opportunities to teach some part member families, and some old investigators, and we will be teaching them this week. Things are starting to pick up here.

 

4.) Any new investigators?

We found one new investigator who was very interested in our message, but we are not sure if we are going to be able to teach him. He has gotten in trouble with the law, and he is on the run, so we will see.

 

5.) How is being a trainer?

It is hard, a lot of fun, and fantastic! I love teaching. Being able to teach my trainee has been great. It is hard to stay patient, but I am working on it. I noticed this week how much I like to teach Spanish. I am thinking that when I get home, I could get a job at the MTC or something teaching Spanish. It is great! It is also really helping me work out the small problems that I have had with my Spanish. I love it!

 

6.) Any good experiences this week?

We had a ward party this passed Friday which we had a great turn out! We watched the movie 17 miracles. We had around 40 people show up, members and some non-members, so we were very excited about that. We also had lots of frozen pizza to make for everyone to eat. I was put in charge of making the pizza, so now some of the members in the ward know that I am a great pizza chef. It was a lot of fun.

 

7.) Did you know that there are 97 days till BYU football?

NO!

 

8.) Did you know that the sacrifice you are making right now will continue to bless you. your whole life?

Yes, and I am very excited to be able to put the things I have learned to practice. Lately I have noticed how much my priorities have changed as a missionary. I wasted a lot of time before my mission doing things like watching TV, and I now realize how important it is that I put the spiritual things first.

 

9.) Are you working as hard as you can so that when you are done, you can look back and have no regrets?

I have been working as hard as my companions will let me work if that makes sense. I have tried to work hard all the time. I haven't been perfect, but I feel pretty good about it. Do you have any suggestions on how to get your companions motivated to work hard? I don't really have to worry about that now, but I know I will probably have to in the future.

 

10.) Who are you going to have over to your apartment this week?  maybe the FBI, since you have already had the Police & Fire Department.

Let's hope nobody shows up. It was a crazy transfer though.

 

My advice for the youth are two things

1. Learn about and use the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It can be used in so many ways and in every aspect of our lives. It can help with school, work, social life, everything! As they come to love Jesus Christ more and more, they will see how much happier they can be. I love Jesus Christ, and I know that he lives.

 

2. Learn how to prioritize their time. Do the most important things first, and everything else will fall into place.

 

I love you Dad! I hope you enjoy you crazy month with camping. It should be fun even if it is a lot of work. Thank you for your great example, as well as your love and support.

 

Love, Kyle