11 Month Mark

Aloha Friends and Family!

It is hard to believe that I have been a missionary for 11 months. I am just a few weeks away from my year mark and that is just crazy to me. I feel like it was just yesterday that Emily was dropping me off at the mtc. Each time another month passes I think back on all the experinces I have had. I remember so vividly feeling for the first 6 months that my mission was never going to end. At certain points it felt as if time were at a stand still. I struggled with so many different things but there was miracles hidden in everything. I see the Lords hand in my progression and journey. It was when I was companions with Sister Thompson that I learned that trials are a blessing. They push us and force us to grow. They lead us towards our potential. They make us more like the Savior. They cause us to lean on the Lord. They shape us into who we will become. I know that I went through each step and milestone to get where I am today. A missionary that is dedicated to the Lords errand to bring other unto Christ. There is true evolution and spiritual growth that occurs. My testimony of this gospel is firm. There are still things I need to change and perfect. I am far from being my best. But I am a few steps closer. And I have learned that it is through the Savior and His Atonement that I can reach that full potential someday.

This past week was rough. C was grounded. S is dealing with a lot of family issues. Bottom line "stuff" is getting in the way. I had the opportunity to go on a couple of exchanges this week. It was interesting to see the frustration and struggle of many sisters over the decisions that their investigators were making. There are so many distractions so much bad. I had this distinct feeling that Satan has his grasp on a lot of people right now. There are many that are falling into his traps and getting caught in his web of deceit. I was angry. I was sad. I didn't know what to do. How to help. What to say. I felt helpless. I felt like nothing I could say would make a difference. I was really upset and frustrated for many reasons. The mission choir performed at an interfaith concert last night. As we sang the final words of the last verse of the last song we were performing "And now He comes on earth to reign.." I was overcome with the spirit. I was standing in front of a room full of people bearing my testimony through song that Christ lives. It was in that moment that all that anger melted away. Although, I wish Satans influence wasn't around I know that the power of the Atonement is stronger. I know that Christs love is stronger than Satans hate. I know that if I simply testify of Christ and help others come unto Him. I have the right answer. He is the center of the gospel for a reason. Because He is the answer to everything. I want to testify that I know that Christ lives and that He loves us. Heavenly Father has a plan not only for the world but for each of us individually. I was grateful that my heart was able to be softened and my spirit lifted. It truly was an answer to my prayers. Stop focusing on Satan and start focusing on the Savior.

This is a great season. There is so much good to be done. Many opportunities to serve. The best gift that we can give is the gift of our testimonies. We have invited each of our ward members to write their testimonies in the front of a Book of Mormon and pray to heavenly Father and ask who they should give it to. I would encourage each of you to do the same. I know the gospel is what will bring the most joy in this Christmas season and in every season. I would also ask that when you give the gift you let them know how special it is to you and that you felt inspired to give it to them through the promptings on the Holy Ghost. I promise you that if you take this invitation seriously you will see miracles.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Love,

S. Kimball :)

Tis the Season

This past week has been busy with so many different things. There has been meetings, lessons, choir practice, choir performances, member visits, confirmations, first presidency messages, etc. There are so many things that I could talk about but I will hit on some of the highlight of the week.

First of all B was confirmed in church yesterday and received the priesthood. It was such a special experience. His mother and step father were there. The Spirit was so strong. I was overwhelmed with joy. As bishop G started the blessing the water works began. I knew that this was what B had been waiting for since day one. The opportunity to have a member of the Godhead as a constant companion. As the blessing closed and B was welcomed in as the newest member of our ward and sustained to receive the priesthood my testimony of this work, the Lords work, was reconfirmed in my heart. I looked back on the journey I had taken with B and K and realized how little I really did. The Lord orchestrated the entire thing. It was done in His timing and in His way. Which is the best way. I know that there is no such thing as coincidences and it was foreordained that I would help bring B to a testimony of the gospel. As B sat down, K and I looked at each other and both just winked. We knew what the other was thinking. This has been in the works since before this earthly life. After sacrament meeting B's step dad asked for a Book of Mormon. They live out of our boundaries but said that we would love to set them up with the other sisters or answer any questions they might have when you are over at the R for a visit. They only live about 10 minutes away in Dana Point. Then they proceeded to invite us over on Christmas. The blessings keep coming. We will be spending the morning with the R's at their place and then heading over with them to his parents place. Best day ever. Espcaially sicne I get to Skype with my family and they can meet the R's. Oh and B's Grandma J is now taking the lessons from the sisters in her area and praying about a baptismal date. This family has been prepared and the Lord is working on their Spirits to help them recognize what they are missing.

Second we had our transfer sisters lunch at the mission home with all the girls we are over on Saturday. It was a lot of fun. S. O made us an incredible lunch and we had a short training on unity. We talked a lot about becoming unified with the Spirit and as we do that we will be more able to be unified with our companions which will help the work move forward. S. B is so great. We teach well together and she has great ideas. We did a white elephant exchange and "speed sisters" (same idea of speed dating) to get to know each other a little better. It was a blast. It was a blessing to be in the mission home and feel of the spirit there. I love being able to be with the other sisters in a more social setting. It helps us all become comfortable as friends so when we go on exchanges we aren't some scary leader as the STLs. I love the sisters that I serve. In many ways I learn much more from them than they do from me. They are bright and beautiful. It is a blessing to work with them and learn from them.

Third I had the chance to visit my old ward in Costa Mesa for a choir performance at their ward Christmas party. Being back in that building and driving the streets brought back so many good memories. I was a little afraid that no one would remember me or care that I was back but I was greeted with so much love and excitement. Some of the relief society ladies even screamed it was fun. It is times like these that I feel so blessed for all of the different experiences I have been blessed with. The time serving the Lord full time is so short. I remember at the beginning of my mission never thinking it would come to an end and now it feels like the end is approaching too fast. Seeing old friends and less actives that are now active made me that much more motivated to keep pushing myself to make the most impact that I can before I have to leave. It is truly an honor to be dong the Lords work and meeting and being influenced by so many of His children.

Fourth and lastly was last nights First Presidency message broadcast. It was an emotional day. B was confirmed and I found out that our ward mission leader was being released. I haven't talked about Brother H much if ever but he has had a lasting impact on my mission. He was dedicated to the work of salvation and loved those that he served with. He was an incredible leader and loved us missionaries. I felt the impression to ask him for a priesthood blessing. We had the chance to spend dinner with his family and watch the broadcast. In between I was given a blessing. I was so thankful for his words and the spirit I felt. it is amazing how many adoptive families you make as a missionary. They know how much our families miss us and vice versa and want to make sure we feel loved. The Hs always did such a great job at that. I promised we would keep him in the loop and he said he would hopefully have us back in his home soon teaching one of his friends! I am so blessed. The gospel truly is a message centered on Jesus Christ with the intent to bring peace to all, just like Elder Nelson talked about last night.

I love this work. I know God is at the head of it all. I pray that you will all look for opportunities to share your testimonies with others especially in this holiday season of giving. Have a giving and not getting attitude. Help others and you will get the most out of it.

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!

S. Kimball :)

Thankful

Hello!

This week has been one of the craziest of my mission thus far. There has been a lot of change, celebration, miracles, and memories. The experiences you have on a mission change you. I am constantly being molded into the person Heavenly Father wants me to be. You meet people that help you see the true meaning of this life and the blessings that come when we turn our will to Gods will. Ultimately, my goal is to change other peoples lives through the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the end I am being changed just as much if not more by the people I have met and taught.

BR was baptized yesterday. It was one of the most spiritual and emotional days of my mission. In the greatest kind of way. The support from the ward was overwhelming. There were so many people there that we were short a few chairs. B's non member mother, step father, grandmother, stepbrother and his wife were all there. The talks were great. E (12) and G (9) prayers were inspiring. Watching B receive a remission of his sins was remarkable. The Spirit in the meeting was so strong. Brian was already a kind and soft spoken guy but you could sense his cleanliness as he rejoined his family after being baptized. He radiated goodness. K and B both bore sweet and simple testimonies. And all I could think about the entire time was the fact that they are now one step closer to becoming an eternal family. I know that I was meant to find this family. I have never felt so instantly connected and protective. I talked to K afterwards and told her that one day I wanted to hear the full story of her dream and get the details because her family had so quickly become a part of my own family. She assured me that the day would come. She again told me, "I know you Sister Kimball and you know us. This is an eternal thing we have here. We've known each other since the beginning." It is experiences like this that prove to me that there is a God. I don't need to see Him. I feel Him and see His plan for me unravel day by day in my life. We are prepared to meet certain people and do certain things in this life. The R family is one of those for me. I will be at their sealing next December. After that conversation with K I had the chance to congratulate B one last time. As we stood there talking and joking around he got serious for a moment and said with tears in his eyes, "It is beautiful what you do. A young person taking a break from life to come and teach people like me. I want you to know that I may just be one person but I am going to spread what I now know to others. I will effect others lives the way you have effected mine." There is nothing he could have said that could have touched me more. I assured him that it is people like him that make all the rejection and struggles of being a missionary worth it. I told him that he has changed me life. It is experiences like these that reassure me that I am where I am meant to be doing waht I am supposed to be doing. This work is real. The gospel changes lives. God has a plan for each of us. He loves us.

Since it was Thanksgiving week we didn't have the chance to meet with too many other investigators. We saw S, C and the W at the beginning of the week so Sister S could say goodbye. All our lessons went well. S came to church with her convert daughter. We were looking for her everywhere after church but couldn't track her down. Turns out she was in meeting with the Bishop who committed her to be baptized on the 23rd of this month. We couldn't believe it. So we have her baptism to work towards. E and G would be baptized tomorrow if they could. Still waiting for permission from their dad. We should know by Thursday what the deal is. B will receive the priesthood next week and hopefully the kids will be baptized before the 1st of the year. There is so much good going on right now. Christmas is such a wonderful season. Especially when you walk outside and it's 70 degrees. It is so weird and hard to really convince myself that it is December.

We spent Thanksgiving with Bishop and his family. It was fun. Weird not to be around our own family but it was nice to be included and looked after. Being around families is the best. We also had a zone activity from 7-9pm which was fun. It is always great to get together as missionaries and a little fun.

My new companions are great! Sister M was in my district last transfer so I knew pretty well. I would see her a few times a week and she was one of the sisters I was over. She is from San Antonio, TX and just graduated. She somehow made it through high school without really ever learning to read. She meets with a specialist 4-5 times a week and do language study at home. She is so sweet. She has such drive and desire to learn and improve. She is very quiet by has a super strong testimony. She knows if there is any place that she could learn to read it is on a mission with the added strength of the Savior. She is great. She is still new to the mission as well. She just finished her training, so has been out for 3 months. Sister B is my new co STL. She just got called so I am training her to be an STL. She is a dancer from Provo, UT. She has been out for about 9 months. We get along pretty well. She is on the quiet side too until you get to know her and then she opens right up. I think it is going to be an awesome transfer. We all get along well. The other sisters in our apartment are great as well. We spend a lot of time all together. It's fun.

Things are just great. I am happy. The work is moving forward. There is so much to be thankful for. I hope you are all doing well. pray for missionary moments and take them! They will make your week better I promise!

I love and miss you all!

S. Kimball :)

Attitude of Gratitude

Happy Turkey Day!

Transfers are here once again. It is always a stressful but exciting time. There is a lot of change. Some good and some not so good. But it is an opportunity for growth and new expereinces. I have learned so much from the different companions and areas I have served with and in so I welcome the change with the best attitude I can. I will be staying in Laguna Beach! YAY! I wanted to be here for Christmas so badly. Sister S is being transferred. I am really sad to see her go. We had our differences but in the end we were a great team. We balanced each other out and got stuff done. I will be in a trio again this transfer. I am assuming with another STL and then just a normal sister. Trios are always a little stressful because you have one more person to worry about and include but it also has its upsides. Ever since transfer calls I have been at peace. I am not exactly sure what is going to happen but I know it will all work out. There are quite a few people in the zone being transferred so it will be sad to see them go but exciting to have some fresh faces around. Elder H, one of the zone leaders that we share a ward with is leaving. I'll miss him a lot. I really got along well with him and we thought similarly which helped in couneling about our zone. But I am sure whoever replaces him will be great. I forget how much drama there is around transfers. Everyone is gossiping and trying to figure out and predict what is going to happen. I used to take part in that and decided it just isn't worth it. Not to mention majority of the time my guesses would be wrong anyways. I will let you know the details like always next week of what ends up happening.

This is going to be a busy, exciting, weird week. Everytime there is a holiday life seems to slow down for everyone else but us, as missionaries it's not that different. School is out Wednesday thru the weekend so a lot of people will be out of town which is a bummer. But there is a lot of good going on this week. We are serving at a homeless lunch on Thanksgiving in the early afternoon and then have been invited to Bishop G for Thanksgiving dinner. And we have Bs baptism on Sunday night. I can not tell you how excited I am. We were planning out the program in our ward mission meeting and it made me so happy. We taught him the Word of Wisdom, Chastity, and the Law of Tithing this week and he accepted to live all of them. He is a coffee drinker but has no problems giving it up. He reminds me so much of my first convert L. Things just seemed too good to be true. But what I continue to learn is that the Lord is at the head of this work and He is the one that makes all of this possible.  I am just grateful that the Lord has prepared B so well to accept the gospel and that he is using his free agency for good. We picked up G (9) and E (12) (K's kids/B's step kids) this week as investigators. Our vision is that B will be able to baptize them after he has received the priesthood, when the kids have completed the lessons and have permission from their dad. How neat will that day be? Brains baptism is opening up the doors to countless blessings for him and his family. Working with B and K is a miracle. When I look at them I see a family preparing to go to the temple to be sealed. I studied covenants this week and gained so much insight, especially since I am working with the Rh family. Baptism is the first true covenant that we make and it is incredibly important. But it is the gate or the beginning to the opportunity to make more covenants. It is a preparation for the temple. I had never truly recognized that before. B making the covenant of baptism will allow them to work towards being sealed in the temple as an eternal family. THAT IS AMAZING. And I can't wait to be there with them. The blessings of a mission last much longer than the time you simply serve. The experiences you have change you and stay with you forever. And I know I will see blessings from serving a mission throughout the entirety of my life.

I have so many things to be grateful for. As Thanksgiving is approaching I have been pondering a lot on what matters most. There is so much distraction in the world. There is so much fighting for our attention. But in the end what matters most? Well for me at least is comes down to the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is what brings true happiness. This is where I find peace, comfort and understanding. I know that I am a daughter of God. I know that I matter and have a purpose. I know that families can be together. I know the binding power of covenants. I know that we have a living prophet. I know that through the atonement I can change and progress. And so much more. The gospel brings light to all of lifes concerns. I don't know what I would do without it. It has become the core of who I am. my desire to share what I know grows as my own conversion and understanding deepens. I know that God loves all of His children and I am here to help those that have lost sight of this knowledge remember how important they are.

Last night we had the opportunity as a mission choir to perform at a Interfaith Thanksgiving service here in Laguna Beach. There were different scripture readings and prayers offered by other faiths. It was neat to all gather together. The coolest part was the spirit that was there as 80 missionaries stood to sing Come Thou Fount and Prayer of Thanksgiving. It is moments like those when you know you are part of the true church. There is bits and pieces of truths in the others but we have them all.

Remember who you are and whose you are! Children of God. I am so thankful for all of you and your love and support. It means more than you know. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving feast!

Love,

Sister Kimball

Life is Nuts

Happy Monday Everyone!

Life as a missionary will never cease to amaze me. It is the best, hardest, greatest, weirdest expereince you can have. And as more and more time goes on I continue to realize just how much I am being prepared for all the challenges and excitement of my future. There are often times when I am visiting with other sisters that are struggling or investigators with concerns and as I rely on the Spirit to help me know what to say I can't help but think this is preparing me for raising my own kids. It has been cool to see that an element of the gospel can fix just about every problem that someone is facing. Most times it comes down to the Atonement. The Savior truly is the answer to all of our problems. That is why He is the center of the gospel. I have been working on applying this very fact to my own life. When I am frustrated or tired I turn to the Lord for help. I ask for strength. When I am happy and blessings are being poured out upon me, I thank Heavenly Father for His love. Something I have learned over time is rarely do people trust someone they don't know. This is true for Jesus Christ as well. How well can we feel the power of the Atonement in our lives if we don't really know who Christ is to us individually. I have been working on that personal relationship lately and it has been the greatest blessing to strengthen my faith and understanding of who the Savior truly is. He is my brother, my friend, my mediator, my Savior, and He loves me. I invite all of you to ponder on who the Savior really is to you individually. And I want you to know how much He loves each of you.

I can't remember if I have mentioned the weekly Momonade stand that we set up. Laguna Beach high is right across the street from the church building. Every Thursday at 2:30 right as school is getting out we set up a few tables in the church parking lot with lemonade and cookies on one side and a bunch of pamphlets, mormon.org cards, and BOMs on the other. The deal is "Ask a question and listen to the answer...you get a free cookie and cup of lemonade." We have been doing it for a little over a month now and it has been a pretty good success so far. We have a lot of the youth bring friends and hang around as other kids come up and ask questions. The last couple weeks we've been dealing with the sarcastic kid that just likes to argue. He is a huge science vs. religion debator and doesn't believe that God is plausable. He asks lots of questions but never seems to listen to the answers because they require work on his part. This past week a girl from our ward was there as we were talking to him and cut in after a couple minutes because she could tell it was contentious. She bore an awesome testimony of how living the gospel makes her a happier person and that as members and missionaries we are not here to convince or argue but to invite people to enjoy the same happiness we have found from following the example of Jesus Christ. The kid was still a punk but P did such a great job. It was so great to see her stand up for what she knew was right. She is one of greatest member missionaries. She taught me the value of a simple testimony. Many times when we are lost for what to say or don't know how to answer someones question the best thing we can do is share simple decletations of truth. And how we have come to a knowledge of them. Then simply invite others to have an opportunity to have the same assurance and understanding. A testimony is a powerful thing.

Now for a brief update on our investigators:

C came to YW in excellence this week. She has seen a few of the girls wearing their medallions and wants one for herself so bad. She has already started working on personal progress. She is the greateast. Unfortunately we couldn't meet with her later this week because she was grounded for grades and then was in Beverly Hills for the weekend so she missed church as well. She is so ready to be baptized. The only thing holding her back is asking her mom for permission. We told her that Heavenly Father would prepare a way for her to know what to say. When her mom came to church she loved it. It is just a matter of C building up the courage to ask. The youth as going to fast for her. Sister S and I have been praying about her in almost every prayer. We know Heavenly Father has a plan for her. We are just going on faith that she will act sooner than later. We are meeting with her tomorrow to encourage her and set a firm baptismal date with her.

S has made incredible progress these past couple of weeks. We have made a breakthrogh with her. In our lesson on Thursday she opened up about not feeling like she could ever measure up to the kind of mormons that she knows. She feels like she is incapable of making that change. She feels a lot of hesitation because Satan is whispering in her ear that she will never be good enough. We talked a lot about prayer. We had our lesson at the Bishops house with his wife Jen and she shared how imperfect she was no matter how it may appear that she has everything together. Without going into details we all shared that we each have weaknesses that we are working to overcome. By the end of the lesson she saw hope. She talks about the distinct difference she feels when she is around us compared to when she is in the world. She said that since she has been taking the lessons things that people said or did that never used to bother her do now. We explained that she is more sensitive and intune with the Spirit. We invited her to be baptized when she came to know that the things we are teaching her is true and she accepted. This was a miracle. A week ago baptism wasn't even an option. She didn't want us to talk about it or bring it up and now she has committed to follow through on the answers that she receives. Amazing!

B is a super star. We met with him last Monday and set a baptismal date for November 30. We met with him later that week at Bishops house with a member. We taught the Plan of Salvation and it was super powerful. K and B have 2 little girls and K has 2 kids from a previous marriage and he is just the best dad. Knowing that he could be with his family forever was amazing to him. Since he had no religious background he had never really worried too much about where he came from or why he was here. We asked him to say the closing prayer and in it he thanked Heavenly Father for the path that he is on and all his questions that have been answered. He talked about how he had always longed for someone solid to follow and how he knows Jesus Christ is the best example. It was so neat to listen to him pray. Church was packed this week because we had a traveling acapella group visiting from BYU and a homecoming talk. When B arrived there wasn't many seats and I had to ask people to move so they could have a place to sit. I noticed that K wasn't there and just figured she was trailing behind. After they sat down and were all situated I asked where she was and he told me she was sick. My heart melted a little. I thought of how easy it would have been for him to just not come but instead he came and brought all 4 kids with him. He is amazing. He longs to truth and feeling the Spirit. I can't wait to have a Family Home Evening with them tonight at the C's house. He is right on track for baptism on the 30th! :)

I feel so blessed to be a missionary. I know I am where I am meant to be doing what I am supposed to be doing. The things I am learning and the experiences I am having are changing my life and making it better. It is the greatest feeling waking up each morning and knowing I am in the Lords team doing His work. I have seen so many miracles and I have come to realize that nothing is impossible with the Lords help. He has made that abbundantly clear.

Thanks for all your prayers and love. I hope you all have a good week!

Much love,

Sister Kimball :)

Miracles Continue

Aloha from sunny Laguna Beach!

So this week I definitely hit my half way mark freak out. I have been reflecting a lot on my mission experience so far. I have been a part of so many amazing things. oddly enough, looking back it is hard not to feel like all in all I have not accomplished very much. I was kind of down on myself. I felt like I had wasted so much time. There was so much more I could have done. But then I realized I was looking at it all wrong. I wasn't counting the miracles and blessings that I experienced and continue to experience everyday for what they are worth. I remember when L was baptized I told myself that I felt like my mission was complete. I knew there was more people for me to meet and teach but I felt all the success I needed in bringing her unto Christ. As time goes by those feelings begin to drift away. How we look at success and its definition has become a true focus for me. There is always more that I can do but as long as I am doing my best that is all that matters. That is all the Lord expects of me. I am excited to move forward and finish my mission well. Time flies by and now more than ever I want to make sure that I make every day count.

This past week was incredible. The miracles kept coming. It is amazing how a week can start off slow and just burst into opportunities by the end. I have decided that it is Heavenly Father trying our faith and then blessing us for our obedience. Good things take time. I have truly been overwhelmed with the Spirit and my testimony of why I am here, now has grown even deeper. The Lord is aware of me. And He is aware of you. He is preparing us all for so much greatness. The question is are we going to turn our will to His will?

Miracle #1

There is a family that was brought up in ward council a couple weeks ago by the YW's president (Cl). Long story short it is a friend of hers who grew up in the church but has not been active for years (Ch R). She is married to a non member (B R). They have 4 kids. The oldest son is friends with S. C son. Ch approached S. C one day and started asking about the church it wasn't long until she was in the Bishops office talking things over with him. They participated in our wards Trunk or Treat and their daughter (non member) participated in our wards primary program. They have been to church for the past 3 weeks. Ch has stayed all 3 hours every time. You can tell that she has come home. She just fits in so perfectly. B stayed for the all three hours for the first time yesterday. This is where it gets exciting. We have felt so excited about setting something up with them since the first time we heard their names. The Cls kind of told us to back off so that is what we were doing. We actually were told by B. Cl that he thought it would be better for the Elders to teach B because they are guys and can relate better. We were super bummed and let down. At church we waved and said hello to the R's and left it at that. But then something amazing happened. After gospel principles class as we were getting ready to move on to relief society Ch grabs my arm and says, "this is going to sound crazy but I haven't been to church since I was like 16 and my husband has a bunch of questions...would you be willing to come over to our house this week and teach us?" It didn't sound crazy to us at all. It was music to our little missionary ears. We were so excited that they had sought us out. We set up a time and chatted for a bit. She asked us where we were from and said I looked familiar. I could tell there was something she wanted to say but was holding back. I didn't want to push it so I left it alone. Then when we were in Relief Society before it began she came up to me and and with tears in her eyes said, "I know you. I couldn't say this when we were with my husband but I know you. I have dreamt about you. You are supposed to teach my husband." With tears in my eyes I gave her a hug and said, "well it looks like we are going to get to know each other a lot better!" I was overcome with the Spirit in a different way than I ever had been. Heavenly Fathers plan never ceases to amaze me. I just feel so blessed to be a part of it. It reillistrated to me that there is so much work for me to do. There are people that have been prepared for me. It was one of the greatest moments on my mission thus far. We are meeting with Ch and B tomorrow night. I am kind of nervous. I feel like there is this new found pressure not to mess things up. But I know the Spirit won't allow that to happen.

Miracle #2

After church we went to see if R and A were home (the hispanic father and son). And they were. We asked if they had a few minutes to chat and they said sure. R the dad opened up about how he had been doing a lot of research on the internet and there is a lot of negative stuff about mormons out there. We were all worried they were just going to drop us and it was a little contentious at the beginning but we got into a discussion about truth. We reexplained what the Book of Mormon is and went over the story of Joseph Smith and modern day prophets. The son Anthony had a question for everything. The Spirit was there and Sister S and I had an answer for everything. It turned into what we like to call a "smash" a smart bash. It wasn't our words against theirs...it was let us add more truth to that which you already have. R feels like he needs more time to get a basic understanding. We compared A to joseph Smith, he is in the search for truth in a world of so many religions. You can tell he wants to follow God because of the kinds of questions he asks. He is smart and well versed in the Bible. He kept talking about Gods plan for him and how he was led to the bible. We said that was awesome but that maybe we were part of Gods plan for him too, to add even more to the knowledge that he has. They are both defintiely interested. Then R Jr. shows up. This is the oldest son who is an athiest. We talked to him for awhile too. It was all so facinating. The best part of all is we were able to present truth to a non believer and someone searching for truth and they listened. Different questions would lead into different parts of our lessons and it got to the point where we told them we were going to leave them on a cliff hanger for now. We told them to write questions down as they study from the Book of Mormon. We set up to meet with them next Sunday same time and got their number so we can plan for something inbetween. It was awesome. In the end we picked up R Jr. and A as new investigators. We are so excited for the next time we get to meet with them.

Miracle #3

We met with C on Monday and she is just so great. She is kind of slow to understand things sometimes. But in her defense she is only 14 and all this is brand new to her. With cross country finishing up and Halloween we didn't get to see her again until church yesterday. A family from our ward invited us and her over for dinner. We talked about the importance of baptism and why we get baptized. After dinner we were able to take C to a baptismal service. She loved it. We kept dropping hints all night about her baptism. To remind you she is our investigator who's mom is being slow to give her permission to be baptized. At one point as the baptismal service was finishing up and refreshments were being announced...I leaned over and said, "there will definitely be food at your baptism!" She responded, "yeah if my mom ever lets me get baptized." I responded, "don't worry eventually she will." And to that she said, "And even if she doesn't, i'll just get baptized when I'm 18." I know with an attitude like that and the joint prayers of so many people her mom is going to soften her heart. She is actually going to come to church with C next week. We are going to extend a baptismal date for November 30th and then put our trust and faith in the Lord. As C was getting ready to leave the baptism with her friend from the ward (Sidney Kimball, weird!) she said, "hey, if there are any more of these baptisms...please invite me to come." She is so ready to be baptized. She feels the Spirit when she is at church, in lessons, and now at baptisms. I am hopeful that she will have to opportunity to be baptized soon!

These are just a few of the many miracles of the week. Please keep them all in your prayers! Reliving them as I typed each of them out brought back the same feeling of the Spirit I had as I actually experienced each of them. The Lord is preparing people. I feel so lucky to be a part of this work. It truly is amazing! I feel so spoiled for the blessings and miracles I am receiving. My testimony of this gospel grows each day. I know I am strengthened by my brother being out and my best friend preparing for the mission field. I could not be here without all of your love, support, and prayers. So thank you!

I hope you all have a wonderful week. Take time to look for the hand of the Lord in your day. He loves you.

:) S. Kimball

Happiness

This week was one of the best I've had in awhile. Missionary work and opportunities to teach and meet new people were EVERYWHERE. It was so great. I'm just going to give a little run down of the main events of the week.

Update on the W family. They were invited to decorate a trunk for our wards annual Trunk or Treat event. They came and it was great. They were able to interact with a lot of members and just have a good time. We had a powerful lesson with them on Monday night. We did a recap of the first half of the plan of salvation and finished it up. We talked about the importance of families being together. We were able to take a member that just got off of his mission. We were all able to bear strong testimonies and the spirit was there. We invited them all to pray to know if this plan we taught them was real. They accepted. We are excited to follow up and see what kind of experiences they had. We are meeting with them tonight. We decided to talk about the nature of God. Who he is. How much he loves us. We have so much faith that the W family will be baptized we just have to practice some patience.

We picked up a new investigator this week. Her name is C. She was actually passed to us from the elders. She is 14 and a freshman in high school. One of our young women from the ward P (a senior) overheard her talking about mormons one day at school and invited her to come to church. They are on the same cross country team. She came and started taking the lessons with the elders shortly after that. We came to find out that her mom didn't know and was not a supporter at all. She had been reading anti mormon literature and was not happy. P's mom asked if C's mom would be willing to sit down with her and the bishop and talk out any concerns that she had. She agreed. They met this past Friday and it went really well. Initially, C's mom was very hostile and they said by the end they were laughing and invited her to check out church so she could see first hand what her daughter was being exposed to. We went from an angry mom to a potential investigator. Our ward members are so great. They understand their role and are willing to fulfill it. We are still waiting to see what happens. C was at church yesterday and we are meeting with her today. She is so eagar to learn. After talking with her a little meeting with her twice last week it was obvious that a lot of the things that she had been taught didn't stick. We are definitely keeping things simple and applying them to her and constantly checking for understanding. She prayed for the first time in our lesson on Thursday. It was one of the best first prayers I have ever heard from an investigator. We are so excited to prepare her baptism and extend a date as soon as we get the go ahead from her mom.

So back to the trunk or treat event, it was such a gold mine of opportunities. There were 40-50 non members there and we just social networked the night away. It was so fun to make connections and learn more about people. The even cooler part is the primary program was the next day and a lot of the people that were at the activity came to church. We have a list of solid potentials that we are excited to follow up with. Most all of them are families and were invited by members so we have a connection in the ward already. We have asked and invited all of them to set up a family home evening with their friends and invite us. A simple way to introduce them to the gospel and the missionaries. We are so excited to get the ball rolling and remind our members to follow through.

Yesterday was a day of miracles. After talking to numerous potentials at church we went and had dinner with a member family. The mom asked if we would run some of the leftovers to a less active lady around the corner of course we jumped on the opportunity. We have tried to visit with Sister F before but never found success. We were surprised when she was home and invited us in right away. We chatted for a bit and she opened up about not being active. She is an older lady who married a non member and just fell away. She said she still believed in the principles of the gospel. We told her it was never too late come back and we would love to see her at church. We shared 2 Nephi 31:20 about enduring to the end (my favorite scripture). We asked if we could practice the lessons on her and she said sure. She said it would be nice to get a refresher on the basics. She left us with her number and told us to give her a call. It was a miracle. Totally unplanned and wonderful.

Then as we were leaving her house and heading back to the car we passed a couple of guys. Both S. S and I didn't really want to talk to them. They both had tattoos all over and were smoking and just had a creeper vibe. But then one of them asked us if we were from the home owners association and we told them we were missionaries. We talked to them for a long while about the Book of Mormon. We taught about Christ coming to the Americas and left them with a copy to read. Turns out it was a father and son. R the dad said he was very intrigued and would definitely read. Anthony the son chimed in and said they did everything together so he would read too. We also had the chance to pray with them and teach them the power of the spirit in conversion. They are hispanic and we have the best feeling about them. We told them when and where church meets and said they are welcome anytime.We plan to stop by sometime mid week to check in on them. Another miracle. It proved to me that there are opportunities every where. Heavenly Father has been so patient in teaching me not to judge others. I am so glad that we were provided with an opportunity to be proven wrong. We thought they would never listen but in the end boy were we wrong. It was such a blessing. It is so amazing to know that even in my weakness God pulls through. He knew those men needed to hear the truth and worked through me even at a time when I was being a coward. It is the best. I learn to much everyday.

I encourage all of you to take opportunities to do good. It will always make you feel better in the end. I know this is kind of a weird email and nothing really connects but it is just some of my weeks experiences. I hope you are all doing well.

All my love!

Sister Kimball :)

Half Way!

Dear Family and Friends,

So it's that time again. Today is transfer day which means my time is limited. I don't know what it is but my days have been crazy the past couple of weeks. So much to do and so little time. So for a quick update on what is happening. I am staying in Laguna Beach with S. S. She is my co-sister training leader (STL). My other companion S. K is done training and was asked to be a senior companion and is being transferred. So the change for me this transfer is limited which is really nice. We are however moving apartments. There is an apartment with 2 companionships of sisters and they have been having issues so we are switching places. It is also good because we are moving in with sisters that we exchange with so that will make things easier being around them and at their service. Moving is no walk in the park. I am not a fan. But I dejunk a little more every move which is good. I don't want to accumulate too much. 

Oh which reminds me...tomorrow is my 9 month mark. Can you believe it! I made it half way. When I look back there are times that were HARD and went by SUPER SLOW but all in all it has flown by. I am freaking out a little bit. Now that I have a little bit more experience and I am used to the idea of change I am afraid this second 9 months is just going to whiz by. But I know that the time that I am here is valuable. I still have things to learn and people to meet. The work is such a blessing. I feel selfish being a part of it sometimes. I feel like I grow and receive so many blessings. It reconfirms my testimony that God is aware of each of us. He wants to bless us. 

I had the unique opportunity to go to the temple again this week. One of the sisters that I am over has been struggling a lot and President O gave her permission to go to the temple as needed with one of her STL's. She asked if I would accompany her and of course I accepted. I had just been to the temple a few weeks before and had a great experience. But there was something special about this time. I know that it was a hidden blessing/tender mercy. I didn't know that I needed it before I went but afterwards it was so clear. The house of the Lord is so clean, pure, and reverent. It is a place to receive revelation and help in furthering the work of salvation for those on the other side of the veil. I felt so close to the Spirits that dwell there. It is a sacred place. A place to ponder, reflect, and ask. I encourage all that are able to go to the temple this week. Let it bless your life like it blessed mine. 

I almost forgot the most exciting part of my week. Elder Falebella of the Seventy was here with us for a zone conference. He and his wife both spoke to us. It was amazing. We discussed agency and how the ability we have to choose frees us. In reality all the commandments that many think bind us are what protect us and allow us to be happy and receive blessings. We also talked about the importance of the Spirit in conversion and missionary work. This is impossible to have if we are not worthy of it, which of course brought us to the topic of diligence, desire, and obedience. Being a missionary is not easy. It is far from it. But with the help of the Lord it is possible. Elder Falebella taught us the importance of fixing what doesn't work. If we are continually doing something that proves not to work don't keep doing it. The results will be the same. I have been so motivated to think outside the box. One of the things we are starting is Mormonade Stands. I missed the first one since I was at the temple. But the idea behind it is we set up a lemonade stand with cookies in the church parking lot right across from the high school as classes are getting out for the day and offer kids a free drink and cookie if they will ask and listen to the answer of a doctrine based question. My companions said it was a booming success. They had awesome conversations, gave out Books of Mormon, pamphlets and so on. There are so many ways to do missionary work beyond the cookie cutter suggestions. We know that the youth have had an awesome success with bringing friends in the gospel and want to re motivate them be missionaries. It is an exciting time. People seem to be more excited about being missionaries. It makes me look forward to being a member missionary when I am home. This work is important and Heavenly Father needs all of us. 

Not a whole lot to report on investigators. Not a whole lot of change this week. We have faith that good and exciting things are in store. Social conversion in southern California is key. Luckily we have some pretty awesome ward members. I'll fill you in with some more details next week!

I hope you are all doing well. Pray for missionary opportunities! Take them. Introduce them to the missionaries! It is the greatest gift you could give to those you love. 

I miss you and I pray for you!

Sister Kimball :)

General Conference Rocks!

Hi Friends and Family!

So General Conference could not have come at a better time. Unfortunately, my companions and I all caught a cold and it was a tender mercy to have 4 hours this weekend to just sit and listen to the prophet and apostles. The flood gates of personal revelation were definitely open. It is always a treat to come together as missionaries. We all watched at the stake center. Some were blessed with the attendance of investigators. We had no such luck. Jenny was out of town and the Whitcops were busy with sporting tournaments. It was a bummer but what can you do?  

It is a special experience to watch conference as a missionary. You are mentioned in almost every prayer and the excitement of missionary work continues. The brethren have made it rather clear that members and missionaries have an equal responsibility in bringing souls unto Christ. It is cool because members are responsible for the social conversion and the missionaries are responsible for the spiritual. The job of a member is simply to be a friend and invite. I know this can sometimes be scary but it all begins with prayer and courage. 

There were a number of different themes that I picked up on throughout the entirety of conference. Missionary work, enduring to the end, remembering covenants, strengthening families, and making our love for God more of a priority. I continue to be amazed by the way the talks always come together. Each speaker is open to talk about whatever they are inspired to and the Lord always brings it all together. It is magical. It is obvious that we are in the last days. The world is slowly going to hell in a hand basket but the Lord is aware and that is why he is hastening His work. I know that there is light in all the darkness, and that is Jesus Christ. If we take the time to step back and prioritize what is most important in our lives we will find happiness. How sad it is to think that members and nonmembers alike get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that they forget to show their love and gratitude for God by doing the simple things. Life is not easy but it is a whole lot harder when we don't allow our Heavenly Father to guide and bless us. 

I loved the talk given in the Saturday morning session by Ulisses Soares on meekness. The characteristics that he described are all things that I want to be. The more I reflected on it the more I realized that all these things represent the Savior so perfectly. And who else do i want to be more like that Christ. "I'm trying to be like Jesus". The only way we can truly do this is if we do follow in His ways and make changes. We are all capable of so much greatness. And many times the only person holding us back from reaching that potential is ourselves. I love that with the help of the Savior we can overcome all things including death. The gospel of Jesus Christ is amazing. 

As far as my investigators go:

We met with J this part Thursday and had a really good visit with her. We have been worried about her because she shows every sign of being ready for baptism but we could tell something was holding her back and we didn't know what. She is in tune with the Spirit in so many ways but she also lacks the gift of the Holy Ghost. We finally figured out that she has some reservations about the law of chastity and the word of wisdom. She understand why they are important but is not sure she is willing to love them yet. We shared with her that Heavenly Father would give her an answer and explain why it was important for her personally and the blessings she would receive. We know she will be baptized it is just a matter of time. She is the type that wants to make absolutely sure she is all in before she makes a decision. We are giving her a little space to work through things. She told us she would be at church this coming week. We will see what happens. 

The Ws are are family that a member referred us to. It has been an interesting situation with them since I got to Laguna. They seemed overwhelmed and we all received that we needed to back off and give them some space. The dad is a teacher and coach at the local high school. He has known a lot of mormon kids through the years. His wife is now a stay at home mom used to be a teacher and they have 3 younger kids. After about 2 weeks of letting them be we received a text from them saying they missed us coming around. Our inspiration worked. They had noticed a difference in our absence. I unfortunately have been on exchanges the past two times they were visited. We have a lesson with them tonight. I am excited to finally get in there and get to know them better. The ward has been great with helping us with them. They are going to take some time and patience too. 

It is frustrating at times when people are slow to commit and change but when I stop and think we are inviting them to do a lot of things that are out of the norm and they need time to gain a testimony ad get in a good routine. We are so blessed to be working with J and the Ws and are hoping to add a bunch of new people to our teaching pool soon. 

Life is good. I am loving the work. Transfers are coming up a week from tomorrow so who knows what is in store. 

I love you all. Hope you are having a wonderful week!

:) S. Kimball

Balance, balance, balance

Hi :)

This week has been crazy to say the least. I went to the temple last week on Wednesday which means that my pday got switched to that day which means there was limited time to do just about everything which means I'm sorry I was a lame-o and didn't get a weekly email out. Anywho, the temple was fabulous. There is just such a special feeling that comes from being in the House of the Lord. My companions and I didn't want to leave. It made the idea of making our houses a temple seem so much more appealing and important. It means to me to make your house a place where the Spirit can reside. A place that people feel safe and loved. A place that feels different from the world. A place that people want to be. I definitely want to make my future home a happy place, a "heaven on earth" as it says in one of the primary songs.

So totally unrelated, being as STL (sister training leader) is nuts sometimes. We are literally on call therapists and babysitters. I say that with all the love in the world. Seriously. It has been a blessing and honor thus far to serve the sisters that I am over but boy was I naive and ignorant to all the personal problems that people are dealing with. I was struck by something my dad said in his weekly email to me. He was talking about how on the surface people seem to be fine but when you dig a little deeper many people are struggling. As a missionary, especially a sister, no one wants to be the "problem sister" so on the surface they lead everyone to believe that all is well when in reality they are working through trials and hardships. As an STL it is my responsibility to discern problems and help people realize that they don't have to deal with everything alone. The neatest part about my calling is the opportunity I have to constantly be looking outward and focusing on serving others. Part of being a missionary is helping your fellow missionaries stay strong and motivated. I have seen the Spirit work through me like never before. I am incapable without the help of the Savior to guide and council these sisters. Satan is working overtime on the full time missionaries. I have been blessed with the responsibility to help others understand their divine nature and the love that God has for them. Never have I cared for strangers more than those that I have had the privilege to serve on my mission. 

Sometimes it is hard to be away from my own area on exchanges but it is fun to meet other people and see that it doesn't matter where you are, the work is the same. I love seeing the confidence of the sisters I work with increase. They all have such incredible potential. It is amazing how when you serve others you get just as much if not more out the experience. Heavenly Father is definitely helping me to continue to develop patience and compassion. I am not as quick to judge situations. I am growing and evolving each day. 

I could not be more excited for General Conference coming up. I encourage all of you to prepare yourself for the messages that will be shared. We have been sharing a message with people this past week and will continue this week about the importance of Conference. In Mosiah 2:9 King Benjamin begins his speech to the people. This can be viewed as the first General Conference in Book of Mormon times. All the saints and those that choose to listen gather together to listen to an inspired message from a prophet of God. He says at the beginning of his speech, " My brethern, all ye that have assembled yourselves together, you that can hear my words which i shall speak unto you this day; for I have not commanded you to come up hither to trifle with the words which I shall speak, but that you should hearken unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may unfolded to your view." I love this verse because we are invited to have a desire to learn more of God and His gospel. Those that take part in conference work through about 18 drafts before they turn them in to be translated. The brethern want to make sure that they are relaying the message TO THE WORLD that the Lord would have they give. They love us that much. I urge you all to take the time to prepare. Fast, pray. I invite you to think of two questions, one of a doctrinal nature and the other of a personal nature. Heavenly Father is eager to answer the questions that we have. General Conference is a perfect time to open the portals to heaven and seek out personal revelation from our Heavenly Father.

I have a testimony of this gospel. I wouldn't be here if I didn't. Being a missionary is hard. But seeing the light bulb go off in someones mind makes it all worth it. I am bringing others unto Christ. There is no better pass time. 

I hope you are all doing well! Look for opportunities to serve. Invite you friends and neighbors to watch conference with you! :) 

I love you and miss you!

Sister Kimball :)

8 Month Mark!!

Greeting from LB!

Today is my 8 month mark! Can you believe it? Only one more month and I will be half way done. It is so bittersweet. I still feel like I have so much to learn and so many people to meet. As time passes me by it has become a good motivator to keep me focused and encourage me to work hard. 

It was a good week. Work is a little slow in Laguna right now but if I'm being honest, work is a little slow everywhere right now. It's the end of summer. Everyone just started school. So now is the perfect time for work to pick up again. We have one solid investigator right now. Her name is J. She is 50 something years old (although you'd think she was in her 30's). And she is so golden. She was a referral from a couple ladies in the church that met her at an exercise class. She has the same morals and agrees with everything that we have taught her. She has been stressed out moving and is involved in a legal trial this week but things should be calming down. We are hoping to baptize her on September 28th. We know what a blessing the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost will be for her as she deals with all the trials and tests of life. It is amazing how fast I have learned to love people. My ability to look past faults has increased so much over the past few months. I truly see people as they can become and not as they are now. I am so grateful for this. It is a blessing. It makes transitioning to a new area and working with new people a lot smoother and easier. I just have a genuine concern and care for people from the get-go. 

So it is one of those weeks where I don't feel like I have a lot to report. We worked hard this week but it just doesn't feel like we have a lot to show for it. I think this is the case more than not in missionary work. You set up appointments you drop by countless peoples homes. You talk to hundreds of people. But in the end nothing really comes from any of it. A lot of times this is frustrating. I know it was especially difficult to deal with at the beginning of my mission. But then I came to understand my purpose better. i was touched by a part in my brother Spencer's weekly email home from the MTC where he talked about how he and his companion had discovered that missionary work has little to do with the missionary and a lot to do with helping others come unto Christ by inviting the Spirit to be where we are at all times and in all situations. I was impressed that Elder Kimball picked up on this so quickly. Because it is one of the keys to truly becoming a successful missionary. It is so neat to read his emails each week. It takes me back to my own experience in the MTC. I can relate so well to many of the things he has been going through. I remember too having the same realizations. It also makes me realize just how happy I am to be in an English speaking mission. I am so proud of him for working so hard on his Polish. What a champ. 

I continue to learn that we much have faith in all things. We must trust that our Heavenly Father has a plan for us. We must believe that our Savior will help us through those times of despair. If we plant ourselves firmly in the gospel then we will find happiness. 

I have been thinking of many scriptures as I have been typing this quick email and I would like to share a few with you. They are all scriptures that have helped to uplift and motivate me to be better, understand my purpose more clearly, and grow closer to my Father in Heaven. I would invite you all to study and ponder what they might mean for you. 

Ether 12:27

2 Nephi 31:20 

Moroni 7:12-13

Proverbs 3: 5-6

John 14:26

I wish I had time to go through each scripture and explain why it is so important to me and what it has taught me but I don't. I just want you all to know that this church is true. God lives and He loves us. Jesus Christ is the son of God and the Savior of the world. he atoned for our sins. We have so much potential. I pray that each of you will ponder on that potential and do something this week to be better!

I love you all! 

Sister Kimball 

Big Week!

Greetings from ... (wait for it)! 

Wow has a lot happened. I apologize for not writing last week. It was quite the transition and emotional roller coaster. I thought I was pretty much over that but to my not so surprise I found that change is still hard. I got the call on Saturday that I was being transferred. I knew it was coming but it didn't make it any easier. I didn't realize just how comfortable I had become in Costa Mesa. Everything was going well and I was loving it. I have come to figure out that just when you have figured things out and know what your purpose is in an area or with a ward or companion Heavenly Father changes everything up. In all honesty it is super frustrating but I know it is because there are many more things for me to learn and people for me to meet. This time last week I was freaking out. I didn't know where I would be. Who I would be with, or anything like that. The worst part of change is when you are left in the dark. I was really struggling but as we entered the chapel and sat down for transfers on Tuesday afternoon I was overcome with a calm and the Spirit promised me that everything was going to be okay. I needed that. And I was grateful that heavenly Father blessed me with that tender mercy. 

I know you are all just dying to know what happened at transfers. :) And let me tell you. A LOT happened. So I am now serving in the Laguna Beach ward in the Laguna Niguel stake. I am literally steps from the ocean. Think of sterotype so cal and that is where I am. Everyone is tan and dressed head to toe in designer everything. At first I was freaking out thinking that everyone was going to be stuck up and closed off to the gospel but in reality it is quite the opposite. The ward members are incredible. Very involved and pumped to be included in missionary work. Taught me once again not to judge too quickly. Bishop actually drove us from transfer meeting to our apartment which was neat. He is awesome. I look forward to getting to know him better. He has 8 kids and his wife is the RS president so they have their hands full. Yet he still finds time to be involved in the missionary efforts. Laguna is beautiful and believe it or not a little hotter than one would hope. But it should be cooling off here in a few weeks. Oh and I am in the land of Kimballs, it is so weird. Every new ward member i meet hears my name and tells me how well i am going to fit into the ward. Apparently there are parents that have 7 boys 5 of which are in the ward with their families, making a total of 6 Kimball families in the ward. Woah. That is a lot. We haven't figured out exactly how we are related but we are related through both Heber C. Kimball and Spencer W. Kimball. It is fun to be surrounded by random family but so weird to hear and see my name all the time. Not to mention one of the wives is Kristin with an "i" Kimball. Small world. Her husband saw my scriptures and was super confused. He took a picture of them to show to his wife after we talked it over and I explained who I was. I am excited to get to know them all better. 

Moving on to my companions. I am in a trio again! Yay! I am actually really grateful. I like having the extra companion to relate and vent to when the other is driving you nuts. All within reason of course because you want to maintain companionship unity. I joined Sister S who is half way through training Sister K. You might be wondering why I was thrown into the mix. Seems kind of random. Now is probably as good a time as any to mention that I was called as a Sister Training Leader. Ahhh! What? Me? Yeah it happened. So now on top of everything I am trying to figure what the heck is expected of me. Don't get me wrong it is an awesome opportunity but I am kind of freaking out. Sister S was called as one as well so we are doing our best to figure things out together. We are the only companionship of STL that were both called this transfer. Not to mention our ward has us and the zone leaders in it. So there is a lot to be done here. No pressure or anything. But I am looking forward to all the Lord has in store for me. I have kind of been caught up in this inward, it's all about me web and I am so grateful that this leadership position with force me out of it. We have 4 companionships of sisters that we are responsible for. We conduct exchanges and help them with any struggles they might be facing or dealing with. It is going to be stressful and scary but I know the Lord will qualify me for the work. It is also a little unnerving knowing that all eyes are on me to be a good example but I think it will be a great way for me to constantly be aware of myself and work towards truly being my best at all times. 

We had mission leadership council this past week which was awesome to be a part of. It is fun and sad to be part of the inner workings of the mission because you get to see all the success but you also hear about all the problems. We are struggling with the motivation of the new missionaries wanting to work hard and be here. Their respect for authority is low and there is still a disconnect between what obedience truly is since the mission is still divided between Anaheim and Carlsbad ways. It is going to take some time to figure things out. We have already run into this problem in our own companionship. Sister S is Carlsbad and I'm Anaheim and our greenie is Irvine. There is a difference in how we were trained and the cultures we are used to. We have had to compromise and work on figuring out what works best for us. In the end President O taught us that the Lord isn't specific in all things. He allows us to govern ourselves and use our agency. In the end it is our responsibility to take our personal/companionship concerns to Him and allow His guidance to help us understand what is best. We have slowly seen that there is no right or wrong way there is the Lords way and that is what we want to follow. 

Change is hard but it is necessary for our growth. Although, I don't think I will ever like it. I know it is for my benefit and will get better with time and as I put my trust in the Lord. 

I feel so blessed to finally be serving with my brother Spencer. I can't believe he is officially Elder Kimball or however you say it in Polish. I'm sure you were all as impressed as I was of his first email home. He is going to be an incredible missionary. I am so proud of him. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week. Thank you for all the prayers in my behalf. I couldn't do this work without them. It is hard but it is worth it. I love being a full time representative of our Savior. Remember that He knows and loves each of you! 

:) Sister Kimball