tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36966742210870511382024-03-19T03:18:16.853-06:00Sister KimballAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11598150010797376658noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-6301917830917780292014-06-23T14:38:00.000-06:002014-06-23T14:38:11.996-06:00Well...this is it!<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">
Aloha for the last time....</div>
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So the tears have begun. Emotions are high. I am going to keep this short and simple.</div>
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The last week of your mission is a reflection period. You think back to life before you even left and then all that has happened to this current point. For me I had the realization that a mission was the last thing in the world that I wanted to do. It was never part of my plans and I didn't want it to be. I was on an exchange with one of my best mission friends and as we sat there with tears in my eyes I looked at her and said, "What if we had chosen not to serve missions? What if we had never met?" There are so many people that I could stop and have that conversation with and ask those questions to. There are so many reasons that I needed to serve a mission. Majority of them being selfish. I have been transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ into the kind of person that I have always longed to be. I am still so far from perfect but I have learned how to overcome the natural man. I have an entirely different view on the world and that is thanks to a deeper understanding of the plan of salvation. There is no such thing as coinsidence. I know that I hve been changed for good.</div>
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As i shared my testimony in District Meeting and church for the last times I was filled with the Spirit of the Lord and I talked about things that I hadn't even realized I have learned. I was overcome with emotion as I realized once and for all how blessed I have been because of my service to the Lord, my Savior for the past 18 months. You get to a point where you want to repay Him, by working harder but then your time is up. Luckily, I have the rest of my life to live in a way that shows my Heavenly Father how much I appreciate Him and all He does for me.</div>
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At the conclusion of my departing interview with my mission president I asked for a priesthood blessing. As president Orgill placed his hands on my head I immediately knew that the words I was about to hear were from my Father in Heaven. Turns out that my mission was a preparation for the rest of my life. The blessing sounded similar to that of a setting apart. I really did view it as a setting apart to never forget the things that I have learned. A setting apart to remember how to stay on the straight and narrow path and help others to do the same.</div>
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Although, the emotions are high and it doesn't quite feel like my time to go I am at peace. I know that I have served well. I know that the work I have done is eternal. I know that it matters more than anything else. I know that this was the best way i could have spent the last 18 months. I know that everything happens for a reason. I was meant to start in Anaheim and end in Irvine. My entire mission was made for me. I know that for a fact. It wasn't easy. It was actually the hardest thing I have ever done. But it taught me that I am capable of a lot more than I thought. I now know that I can make it through ANYTHING with the help of the Lord.</div>
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This gospel is perfect. It changes lives. It was restored by a prophet of God. The priesthood has the power to heal. The work done in the temple binds heaven and earth. Families can be together forever. Thank goodness.</div>
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I just want to thank all of you all one last time for your prayers and support. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. It is sometimes what kept me out here. The Lord is mindful of us all.</div>
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Have a wondefrul week! I will talk to many of you soon!</div>
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I love you all!</div>
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For the last time...</div>
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Sister Kimball</div>
Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08327891005312636980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-33700318767052330422014-06-16T13:29:00.000-06:002014-06-16T13:29:25.940-06:00<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">
Aloha!</div>
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I have come to realize that part of coming to the end of your mission means you are asked to bear your testimony ALL the time and you randomly get emotional at weird times. But shockingly I have made it through each testimony without crying. How do you explain that one?</div>
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My testimony of bearing testimony has been strengthened this week. I know that as I reflect back on my mission and all of the people I have met and experiences I have had I see the hand of the Lord in my life. I know how inspired each companion I have served in has been. Each was to bless my life and help me grow. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us.</div>
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I had my first official break down last night. I was praying and just started opening up to my Heavenly Father. I shared with Him how much my mission means to me. I shared with Him how scared I am to go home. I shared with Him how hard it is going to be to say goodbye. In the midst of all those emotions I was overcome with a feeling of peace and calm. Although, I still experience those emotions somewhat regularly these days I know that everything will work out.</div>
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The things that matter most are the relationships I have made. I am excited to teach my investigators for the last few times and to bear a bold testimony to each of them that in order to receive all the blessings they desire they must take a leap of faith and be baptized. I want them to know that I have a sure testimony of the things that I have taught them and the things that they will continue to be taught!</div>
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I have made so many amazing friendships. There are so many missionaries that I look to as family. I have created bonds with people that are far beyond my mission.</div>
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It truly has been the best 18 months for my life and I can't wait to finish strong in these last 10 days. I still have time to experience so many more miracles. They happen each and every day.</div>
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I hope you all have a great week! Pay attention to the little things!</div>
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I love you all!</div>
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Sister Kimball :)</div>
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Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08327891005312636980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-22728067728780032462014-06-09T22:52:00.001-06:002014-06-09T22:52:02.249-06:00<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">
Aloha Friends and Family!</div>
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I don't even know where to begin. I am just overwhelmed with the spirit and have a lot of gratitude in my heart for the blessings that Heavenly Father has given me. As I have thought lately of all the different choices that life brings I am still humbled by the fact that I made it out on a mission despite my pride. A mission was never in my original plans. A mission wasn't for me. I could do without a mission. I had my life pretty figured out. I thought I was on a pretty good path. And to be honest it wasn't a bad one. But Hevenly Father had a much better path prepared and planned for me. And now today two weeks from ending this amazing journey I can say without a doubt that a mission, my mission, was definitely for me. I have learned so many things. I have experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows. I have met eternal friends. I have become an immovable representative of my Savior Jesus Christ. I have learned a lot about myself. My weaknesses. My strengths. I have been converted through the power of the atonement. There have been countless experiences that help me recognize just how inspired my mission has been. I know I came when and where I did for a very significant and true purpose. I know that these past 18 months have prepared me for the rest of my life. I have tasted a piece of the celestial kingdom and I want others to taste it too. This is just the beginning. I want to and will work my hardest to one day receive that complete joy in the presence of my Father and Brother. And I will help others do the same. Life is full of twists and turns but as we hold to the iron rod and keep the commandments we will be blessed.</div>
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I know that my purpose is to lift the faith of all of those around me. Be a friend. Smile. Serve. Help others recognize their potential. I have been thinking a lot about what I want the last 2 weeks of my mission to look like. It of course is unpredictable but I know that I want it to be filled with those that I have come to love. I know that I want to bear my testimony every chance I get. I know I want to leave a mark of love and friendship. Time is one of the most valuable resources we have. My time is running out but I know that the effect I can have is still great. I want to make sure that I finish strong.</div>
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I often wondered why the first and second great commandments were to love God and then to love our everyone else as ourselves. I have reflected on this a lot. I know that it is hard for me to love certain people. The Savior is perfect. He is always there to help and uplift us. He is so easy to love. And that is why it is the first commandment to love Him, so we can practice the love we have for Him which comes naturally, on others. I know that when I have prayed for charity my heart is filled with the christlike love I have for those that it is easy for me to love. This feeling doesn't always come right away and it is very closely linked with my desire. I know that all the attributes of Christ come when we work for them. And when we put in the effort the joy that comes is unlike anything else.</div>
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I know that God has a plan for each of us. I know that no matter where we are we can always draw closer to Him and find more joy. I am scared to come home and leave my mission family behind but I truly know it is not an ending but just a beginning. Attitude is everything. Heavenly Father is real. He hears and answers prayers.</div>
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I hope you all have a wonderful week! Listen to the promptings of the still small voice!</div>
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I love you all!</div>
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:) Sister Kimball</div>
Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08327891005312636980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-13127922847854923702014-06-03T22:59:00.001-06:002014-06-03T22:59:13.142-06:00June!<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">
Aloha!</div>
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Quick update on my investigators and that is all you are getting this week. I have a lot of good stuff to report next week!</div>
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Our area is doing wonderfully. Missionary work is really taking off for us.</div>
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We have Nikki who has a baptismal date in August and is progressing very well. She loves our visits. Loves church. She is reading the Book of Mormon on her own as well as with us. She has amazing questions. Her member boyfriend who introduced her to the church will be in town this next week and we are anxious and excited to meet him. She is right on track.<br /><br />Natalie has taken a few steps back but it is for the best. She had a baptismal date for <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1175871188" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">this Friday</span></span> but she has a job right now that keeps her from coming to church. She felt like being baptized was too big of a step when she is unable to commit to coming to church right now. She takes all of this very seriously. So right now we have shifted our focus to trying to help her find a new job which she is very open about so that she can come to church. She is scared of the commitment. She just wants to make sure that she is doing the right thing. We have been focusing a lot on faith, prayer, and the guidance of the holy ghost. Slowly she is becoming more comfortable. In one of our most recent lessons with her we talked about our role as her helpers and how we will love her no matter what. We felt that she needed the feeling of pressure to be completely removed. Especially, since her member friend that lives in Northern California has been pushing it a little. So we are taking a few steps back together and reevaluating how to get her to her ultimate goal of baptism when it feels right.<br /><br />We picked up Jessica from the Laguna Beach elders. She is a Chinese girl here as a nanny for a family. She has been meeting with a bunch of different missionaries over the past 5ish months and has expressed that she likes the singles ward the best because there are people her age. She is 25. We are excited to be working more closely. I was actually serving in Laguna Beach when she was found and met her a couple times at church. She has been the last couple of times and is slowly getting integrated into the ward. It is exciting to watch.<br /><br />Life is so good. I love the work. I love my ward. I love my companion. I love my mission.</div>
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I hope you will all pray for missionary opportunities this week or for those returned missionaries out there, reflect on your missions and the lessons you learned.</div>
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The Lord is waiting to bless us.</div>
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I love you all!</div>
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Have the most spledid week!</div>
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:) Sister Kimball</div>
Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08327891005312636980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-14349839557490551262014-05-27T22:51:00.000-06:002014-05-27T22:51:00.642-06:0029 Days<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Aloha!</span><br />
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It is officially June gloom weather. It is overcast most of the time. The nice thing is it is still warm but you don't have the sun beating down on you. I am hoping that I am still able to get a little color through the clouds. It would be embarrassing to come home from Southern California pasty white. I am sure I will have some horrific tan lines to figure out #missionaryproblems. </div>
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Anyway, it has been a terrific week. The learning never ceases. </div>
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I have been thinking about my mission a lot this week. I was thinking about all of the mistakes I have made. I was thinking about all of the miracles I have witnessed or been a part of. I was thinking of all the amazing people I have met and created lifetime relationships with. I was thinking of the good times. The bad times. The funny times. The spiritual times. And everything else in between. But in the end all the natural man in me really focused on was all of the missed opportunities. All the things I could have done better. When the clock is ticking it makes you second guess things and wonder if you really are "returning with honor". Like countless times before the Lord opened my eyes and helped me to see all of the good I have done. He blessed me with multiple tender mercies. Many of them small but of great worth and significance to me. </div>
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I would like to share a couple of those experiences with you:</div>
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1.There is nothing quite like someone complimenting you. Especially when you are feeling a little down in the dumps. I think that most of us get a little uncomfortable or awkward when they are being paid a compliment. I know I do. But the feeling of joy that accompanies it is so great. My companion Sister Wilkerson and I don't always get along. But we love each other. We are both strong willed and stubborn. But we are also willing to point out a strength when we see it. As we got back into the car after a lesson she just sat there for a minute and then said, "You know what? You are an amazing teacher. You just connect with people on such a genuine level. You are real. You don't fake it. You teach them what they need. You listen not only to the Spirit but to them. You have a gift for teaching and connecting with people." I am getting emotional as I type this up. What an amazing compliment that I am not sure I deserve. But it came right when I needed it. Right when I was feeling like I wasn't making a difference. I am the biggest believer in Spencer W. Kimball's idea that many times the Lord answers our prayers through other people. That was very true in this instance. </div>
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2. There has been a lot of stress in the mission. There are a lot of people in SoCal. There are so many opportunities to baptize. But the work is hard. Not everyone is interested. We have a lot of missionaries with extra needs. But there are still Standards of Excellence (goals produced by the mission president and assistants) to uphold and pressure to bring people into the waters of baptism. Sister Wilkerson and I were out walking around a nature park right across from our church building <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1921660485" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Sunday</span></span> before church talking to people. No one was interested. Everyone was busy biking or hiking. We felt kind of useless. We found a boulder in the shade and went and sat down on it. We sat there in silence for a good 15 minutes just thinking. Then out of no where the 1st counselor in our mission presidency, President Ellis shows up. I have worked pretty closely with him and grown to love and admire him a lot. He told us what an awesome idea it was for us to be sitting out in the park. He went on to talk about how there is a lot of stress in the mission because our measure of success is skewed. When Elder Anderson was here he talked about the importance of lifting the faith of those around us. He talked about how we never know what influence we are going to have on people. A lot of times a simple hello or acknowledging that someone is there goes a long way. P. Ellis told us how we are being missionaries when we are just out and about wearing our namtags loud and proud. We will never know the impact we will have on someone's life. Often times we freak out thinking if we don't talk about the church right away the opportunity is lost. But maybe all that person needs is someone to talk to. Isn't that true for all of us? In many ways we want instantanious results. We want a baptismal committment within 10 minutes of talking to someone. We challenge the will of the Lord with our personal wants. The Lord will do his work on His timetable. We are asked to invite, to love, to lift faith. If we are doing those things the Lord will bring the miracles and he will guide His children to us or us to them when the time is right. We need to stop trying to do it our way and do it His way. It was a blessing from heaven that day to talk to P. Ellis. He put a lot of things into perspective. And while we were sitting there feeling lame, he complimented us for being out and allowing others to see us. It all has to do with out motives and perspective. Sometimes the little things are the things that have the most impact.</div>
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3. Sister Wilkerson and I were talking about pride. So often we allow Satan to get into our heads and distract us from what is right in front of us. This has definitely been true for me many times in my life and specicially with all the negative thoughts about my mission. Along with that there have been fears of going home. Worry of what it will be like. Will all of the things I have planned for myself work out. And so on. What we realized is that all of these thoughts are selfish. We came to the conclusion that the past doesn't matter because of the Atonement. Every day we can repent and have a fresh start. The future is out of our control and when we worry about it we forfeit our faith. We get so caught up in thinking about the past and the future that we miss the present. Now is the time to learn and grow. All the yesterdays are turning us into the person that our Heavenly Father wants us to be in the eterneties. There are always things that we can do better and that is what the tomorrows are for. When we fear things our trust disappears. I have realized that fear is natural. So it is kind of dumb to say "I am going to overcome fear all together." Instead the frame of mind should be I want to develop the natural response of turning to the Savior any time I feel that fear. We can improve how quickly we do that. It is something I have been working on my whole mission. I am still far from perfect but I have made a lot of progress and the best part of all is I am a lot happier. We don't know everything. But God does. Trust in Him and have hope that it will all work out in our favor. Beacuse with His help it will.</div>
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Pitty parties don't get you very far. Feeling sorry for yourself just leads to unhappiness. But using the Atonement and prayer do work. They bring a new found sense of hope and peace. None of us are perfect but we are all enough in the Lords eyes. He loves us and accepts us regardless of our shortcomings and faults.</div>
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I encourage all of you to compliment someone this week. Say hi. Smile. Serve. You never know the impact it will have and it will make you feel good.</div>
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When we make time for the Lord, He will make time in our own schedule for ourselves. We can still get it all done. We just have to sacrifice to show Him that He is worth it.</div>
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I hope you all have a great week! I love you!</div>
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:) Sister Kimball</div>
Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08327891005312636980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-37249274807916389842014-05-19T20:41:00.001-06:002014-05-19T20:41:59.682-06:00<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">
Aloha!</div>
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So there are a lot of little highlights that I want to share with you all this week! It is funny how the hand of the Lord is in all things. I know that He is aware of all of us and is just waiting to give us the help that we need. It is amazing to think that we all struggle with different things yet He can be there to help us all. It is pretty amazing when you think about it. He really is all knowing.</div>
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1. The mission is reading the Book of Mormon together in companionships everyday to help build unity and invite the Spirit into our lives. Sister Wilkerson and I decided that we were going to forgo the 5 pages a day and read 15 pages so we could complete the Book of Mormon together by the time the transfer is over and I leave. It has been a true blessing to read from the Book of Mormon with her each day. I have noticed that since we started doing this the work has progressed, the Lord trusts us more, we get along better, we have better communication, we have the energy to do the things that we need to, and so many other blessings. My testimony of the reality of the people and experiences in the Bok of Mormon have increased. I know that their expereinces are for my benefit. I know that it is another testament of Jesus Christ. I know that it is true and I feel happy when I read it. Blessings come when we keep the commandments of the Lord.</div>
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2. We had an awesome dinner with Natalie (our investigator getting baptized on <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1572681952" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">June 6</span></span>) and Candice (her friend from NorCal that referred her to us) last night. We were able to have a really fun dinner together and then a powerful lesson on the importance of baptism and keeping the sabbath day holy. She has a job on Sundays that keeps her from coming to church. She needs it to financially be able to support herself. It is the only real obstical we have met as we have worked with Natalie. Last night we were able to explain that we had our ward looking for alternative jobs for her and she was touched. She expressed that she wants more than anything to be part of church. She undstands the importance of the sacrament. She wants to be a part of it. The Spirit was strong. She was talking about all the changes she was willing to make to be a part of this gospel. It is amazing to see the affect the truth can have on someone. Her desire to follow Jesus Christ is so pure. She is such an awesome example. I am so hopeful that she will be able to switch up her schedule and find a job that will allow her to come to church on Sundays. She has such a righteous desire. We know it will all work out. The Lord is working in amazing ways in her life. It will be great to see what happens.</div>
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3. The Lord hears and answers prayers. I have had a lot of different things on my mind this week and I wasn't sure how to make sense of it all and I figured what better place to turn than to my Heavenly Father. As I communicated with Him my desire to stay focused on the work and the things that matter most He blessed me with a clear mind and understanding. Although all of my concerns didn't vanish or disappear they became more managable and didn't seem like such a big deal anymore. Heavenly Father wants us to be happy. He wants us to turn to Him when we are struggling. I know that when we do turn to Him, He will provide the peace we are looking for.</div>
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4. Finally, in ward council yesteday everyone was picking on me and asking me how long it was until I go home. It hit me that this is it. I really am on the final stretch. There have been multiple times when I have gotten emotional thinking of the fact that life as I know it is only going to last for a little while longer. I was comforted by the idea that there is a time and a season to all things. I know there are many wonderful things to look forward to but I am excited to make these last weeks count. There is a lot of work to be done!</div>
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I hope you all have a great week! The Lord is aware of each of us and the trials we are expereinceing. If we turn to Him we will receive answers and guidance.</div>
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I love you all very much!</div>
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:) Sister Kimball</div>
Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08327891005312636980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-61760110371912961612014-04-14T22:24:00.002-06:002014-04-14T22:24:24.439-06:00:)<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Aloha!</div>
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This has been a magical week full of miracles. I feel like I haven't talked about how the work is going in awhile. You might be wondering who are they working with? In all honesty we hadn't been having a lot of success and there wasn't a lot to report but this week it is quite the opposite. It was the busy week we had been praying and waiting for!</div>
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The work in San Clemente YSA is exploding. We picked up two new solid elect investigators this week. One was a referral from a girl in Northern California (Natalie) and the second was a referral from a local girl (Nikki). They are both amazing, open, and ready to come closer to Christ by following His gospel. It is so exciting. I can't stop smiling as I write this email.<br />Natalie is 27ish and just hit her 3 years sober mark this week. She is a student at CalState Long Beach but lives in Aliso Viejo. She wants to go into fundraising work to promote people to love themselves and the skin they are in. She has made a lot of changes in her life lately and is in a really good place. She grew up catholic. Her friend Candace who referred her to us grew up catholic as well but converted about 3 years ago. She has been married in the temple and found the joys that comes from the gospel. Natalie had the opportunity to visit Candace and picked on the fact that something seemed different. She recognized the Spirit in their home, at the temple grounds (Candace took her to the Sacramento temple when she was there visiting), when she was with other members, when she was with the missionaries, when she was with us. She had the fist lesson in NorCal and liked it a lot. She then met with the missionaries again in Costa Mesa when she was at her member friends house. Then this week were able to get in touch with her and meet up. She said that all growing up that all the mormons she knew seemed different. They had a glow about them. She has felt that difference with every memeber she has been around. She is eager to learn more. She is coming to fhe tonight and institute on Wednesday. We are meeting for a quick lesson before fhe. She will also be at church this Sunday, which is a miracle since she works on Sundays. SHe was able to get Easter off. She is so prepared. And I think she is going to be an example to all of us, especially my companions of strength and the power of self worth. </div>
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Nikki is the friend of a married girl in the area. She just recently got back from a study abroad to China. When she signed up to go she had no idea she was joing a group that was offered through BYU until she realized she would have to go to Utah to meet up the group and have a orientation. Well on that 5 month trip she hit it off with a guy who is a member of the church and now they are dating. He is at UVU so it is long distance. He took her to church a few times and now she is determined to go on her own (we met her at church with her married friend). We asked if we could teach her and she accepted. We have a time set up with her right before institute this Wednesday. The member friend that is coming to that lesson (not the married one) said that she sees a lot of potential. She is shy but awesome. We can't wait to get to know her better. And our Relief Society lesson was all about Joseph Smith so it layed a great foundation for our first lesson with her.</div>
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They are both amazing and I look forward to working with them more. The Lord is providing us with amazing opportunities. It has been an awesome week!</div>
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I know the work that I am doing is real. It is not just changing peoples lives here on earth but in the eternities as well. It is the best and most gratifying work. I couldn't be happier.</div>
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I hope you all have a wonderful week!</div>
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Love,</div>
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Sister Kimball</div>
Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08327891005312636980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-39725382273589017692014-03-31T14:49:00.001-06:002014-03-31T14:49:42.499-06:00Transfer #11<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Aloha!</div>
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Transfer time is here once again. I was confident and excited that Sister Rawle and I would stay together for at least one more transfer. That was the plan but last minute things changed. Sister Rawle is being transferred. I know that I am going to cover two wards again and be in a trio. I am kind of freaking out but I know that trasfer planning is done through the spirit. It is times like this that I really come to realize that I need to trust myself as well as the Lord as much as He trusts me. I know that He will not ask me to do anything that I am not capable of. I know that this transfer will come with its share of trials and challenges but it is in those times that we truly turn to the Lord and work through the hard times that we grow and become more like the Savior. I will fill you all in on the details next week. We are hoping that President doesn't pull too many jokes <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1035958511" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">tomorrow</span></span> at transfer meeting since it will be April Fools day and all. He is the type to take advantage of a holiday like that. We will all have to be on our toes.</div>
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I know that the Heavenly Fathers plan is perfect. <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1035958512" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Saturday</span></span> evening was a series of awsome events. We went to the General Womens Broadcast which was great. It really got me in the General Conference spirit. I can't wait to hear from the prophet, apostles, and other inspired people this coming weekend. It is going to be fabulous. I can only imagine how much work and preparation goes into their talks. And it is a blessing to know that the words that they will speak are the words of the Lord. They are what He would say if He were here. We are so blessed to have a living prohpet on the earth that holds the priesthood of God. It is just such a blessing to hear from him twice a year as he addresses the world. The womens meeting is always an awesome kick start. After that we attended a baptism. It wasn't your ordinary convert baptism, it was special. An elder from our mission had the opportunity to baptize his father. He flew out from Nevada. Elder Tanefski is the only member in his family. His mom died when he was younger. He found the gospel, joined the church and decided to serve a mission. As he has been out the missionaries had been teaching him, his 8th or 9th set. He finally committed to be baptized and made special arrangements so his son could perform the ordinance. It was an incredible event. Elder Tanefski's home bishop and his wife came with his two nonmember brothers. And numerous other extended family that are not members of the church. Elder Tanefski and his father both bore powerful testimonies. The spirit was strong. I was so grateful to be there and be a part of it. Brother Tanefski plans to come back in a year to go through the temple with his son who will still be on his mission! TALK ABOUT A MIRACLE.</div>
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Brian (my recent convert) and his wife Kristy were there and I got to sit with them. It is always the greatest blessing to see them. I am just instantly filled with happiness and excitement and I know that they are as well. They are just my people. I would do anything for them. They have changed my life just as much if not more than I have changed theirs. I feel so lucky to know them.</div>
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It is always hard to know if you are having an impact on those around you. You think that you are doing good but it is hard to tell if it is helping others the way that you would hope. We had fast and testimony meeting yesterday and a number of different people talked about how important missionaries are not only to the non members that they teach but to the members that they strenthen. Many shared personal stories of how Sister Rawle and I have changed their lives and been an answer to prayers. It was every missionaries dream to know that we are indeed making a difference. One of the hardest things about working in a YSA (young singe adult) ward is gaining the members trust because you are close in age. It is important as missionaries to find that balance between missionary and friend. This ward had a history of mistrust and Sister Rawle and I were able to change that just by being ourselves and sharing what we know to be true. We have received more referrals than we know what to do with. The Lord knew what He was doing when He put us together. I just hope this same momentum can continue with my new companions as we have more responsiblity. I know God is at the head of this work and His will in the end will be accomplished.</div>
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I know this work I am doing is real. I know it changes lives. I love it. There is nothing I would rather be doing right now than serving the Lord.</div>
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Choose to be happy everyday! :)</div>
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I love and miss you all!</div>
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Sister Kimball</div>
Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08327891005312636980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-75168015255482122182014-03-24T15:32:00.001-06:002014-03-24T15:32:15.105-06:00<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Aloha!</div>
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So the freak out has begun. I am in 'ah, I have to get everything I have ever wanted to accomplish as a missionary done in the next 3 months mode' and let me tell you it is nuts. It is strange to think that my life as a missionary has an expiration date on it and it is just around the corner. I was focusing a lot on the 'I have to get this done because it is always something I have wanted to do as a missionary' which isn't always bad because it keeps me focused. But at the same time I kind of lost sight of whose work I am out here doing. There might be a lot I want to accomplish to feel like I served a successful mission but in the end it really all boils down to whether or not I fulfilled what the Lord would have me do. I studied chapter 1 in Preach My Gospel a lot this week. I realized that the most important thing I can do right now is focus on helping others come unto Christ. All of the other little goals just don't matter. I have the rest of my life to accomplish those things but I only have 3 more months to be the Lords ambassador full time. I can rest assured at the end of the day that the Lord is pleased with me if I have done all I can to listen to the guidance of the Holy Ghost. I know that there is still a GREAT work for me to do. I have the opportunity to change many more lives. I just need to stay focused on what really matters.</div>
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I have the opportunity to practice teach quite a few newly returned missionaries in my ward as well as many that have been back for some time. The number one thing I have learned is that a full time mission really is just preparation for the rest of my life. Sure I won't be able to focus ALL my time, efforts, and energy to missionary work but I can still make it a priority. I have come to see that the gospel of Jesus Christ is what truly matters in this world. If we will make time to continue to develop and work on the simple doctrines (faith, scripture study, prayer, etc.) life is all the more manageable. It is amazing to see the brilliant power and spirit the message of the Restoration brings each time I share it. The message never gets old and I have the opportunity to learn from so many different people about how it relates to them and see that it truly is a message for EVERYONE. It changes lives. It changes mine each day. Sometimes I am spiritually in tune and other days I am not. The great thing is the gospel is alway there ready for us to pick up where we left off. It is a plan for imperfect people to work toward their potential. It is a plan of hope and happiness. It is something that I want to share with all of my brothers and sisters!</div>
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I know that God lives and He loves us. We are His literal spirit children. I know that Jesus is the Christ. I know that He died for our sins. I know that we can be forgiven of all the mistakes we make no matter how terrible they may seem. I know the atonement can cure all things bad. I know that families can be together forever. I know that the gospel has been restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. He saw God the Father and His son Jesus Christ. I know that the same church Christ established is back on the earth today. We have the priesthood to bless our lives. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and contains the fullness of the everlasting gospel. And finally I know that you can know that these things are true too. All you have to do is ask. Prayer works. God is listening. He is there waiting to answer. All you have to do is ask and listen. Life is not perfect. Life is not easy. But it is possible. Because of the gospel of Jesus Christ.</div>
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I hope you all have a marvelous week. I love and miss you all!</div>
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Sister Kimball :)</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">From March 10th</span></div>
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Aloha!</div>
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It is SUPER hot in the library and I haven't had anything to eat so I am feeling a little light headed staring at the screen so I am going to keep this short and simple. It has been a pretty eventful week. I will give you a rundown of the highlights. Some funny, others exciting, and then some downers.</div>
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1. We got back to our apartment after emailing and shopping on Monday and our door is ajar. We were super confused and wondered if we had forgotten to close it sicne we were all half asleep when we left to take S. Semones to the airport. We sat outside the door for a minute and then I just decide to kick the door open. As I do we see a guy standing in our living roon looking right at us. S. Rawle screams and and a lady comes from around the corner into the living room. I start busting up laughing. Turns out it is Elder and Sister Johnson doing our apartment clean checks. I saw the white shirt and tag before I had a chance to freak out. It was so funny. We were relieved to say the least to see that it was them and we hadn't gotten robbed or anything. Leave it to the senior couples to freak you out!</div>
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2. We had zone conference this week and President Orgill gave an amazing training on the difference between the forces of light and the forces of darkness. Both are around us all the time. We invite Satan and his followers to tempt us each time we break a commandment and as we justify our actions that multiplies the influence that they can have on each of us. They can pick up on our actions and attitudes and use that to their advantage. But on the flip side when we use the atonement and do what is right we have angels to beat us up. We have forces of light around us to help us. But we must invite them to help us. They will always be there with more power but unless me seek their help they cannot help us. Satans power is real. But so is Gods. We have the opportunity to personally bind Satan out of our lives by making good choices and following the example of the Savior. That is incrdible if you ask me. We are more powerful than we think.The other thing that he talked about that really struck me was who we were before we came to earth. I know that we are spirit sons and daughters of God and that we lived with Him before we cam to earth. President said, "If each of you were to get a glimpse of the strength you had and how righteous you were before, we would all have an increased desire to be better here and now." When he said that it made me want to be better regardless. I want to reach my potential and I know I can. It won't be easy but I have so many tools to help me. Like prayer, repentance, the atonement, scriptures, family, temple, church, faith, etc. We have it all. I want to have the forces of light around me. And I am working on telling the forces of darkness that pick on my weaknesses to get lost. I know you can all do the same and see how much joy comes from being your best self.</div>
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3. So you might be wondering, how is the work going? Well, at the beginning of teh week things were pretty slow but now I am happy to report that miracles never cease. It is amazing how the moment you have real faith and work your hardest the Lord provides you with blessings. Every single time. We went to contact a couple referrals that are roommates and as we did one was home and the other was not. We set up a lesson for Saturday. We show up to this lesson not sure what to think. We learn that he is a recovering addict of about a year and is in a place in his life where he needs a change. We had an awesome spirit felt lesson and invited him to be baptized on <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1589523384" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">April 11th</span></span> and he accepted. He is great and excited to learn more and figure out if the things we are teaching him are true. To give you an idea of what it is like working in YSA...when we asked him what it would mean to him to know that the experience Joseph Smith has was real, he paused for a minutes and said, "that would be super chill!" We agreed with him. He likes the ides of modern day prophets and the priesthood a lot. I can't wait to keep you updated. His buddy Norm is going to be there at our lesson with him this week. So we are banking on picking him up as an investigator and extending a baptismal date to him as well. We are super excited. The Lord is aware of us and helping us find those that are ready. It is interesting how in missionary life you can go from close to nothing going on to someone progressing towards baptism in just a matter of hours. It really is an exciting and unpredictable work. I know that everything happens for a reason. I am just helping the Lord in his work.</div>
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4. So super random experience that once again shows that the Lords hand is in everyting. I had the impression to facebook a friend from BYUI, Kelsey Flora, because she is from around where I serve and ask if she had any friends we could go visit. I end up running into her at the church building and being able to grab her number. We saw her last night and she told us that she was trying to figure out how to get in touch with the missionaries and then she got my message on fb. She is leaving on her mission soon and wants to go out with us as much as she can. It is weird to see her not in Idaho. It was a small example but we were an answer to each others prayers. I am excited to take her out with us. I have had so many little experinces like this on my mission that just help strenthen my testimony that Heavenly Father really is in charge. He knows us and loves us and want to help and bless us.</div>
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5. We had a little bit of a tragedy this week. We were over doing some service for a member when we get a phone call. It is for S. Rawle so I hand the phone over and she starts to go white in the face. Turns out one of the families from her first area (like the family that she fell in love with) the wife out of nowhere had a hurnia and died on Friday. Her husband was a nonmember that they had been working with and to make it even crazier S. Rawles sister served in Carlsbad years ago and brought the lady who died back to the gospel. So the husband wanted more than anything to track S. Rawle down which he did because she became like family. So needless to say she was a wreck. It was like finding out her sister had passed away. She is being really strong but I can tell how much she is hurting. It is so hard to see her so hurt. We have been talking a lot about the unexpected. How nothing is a for sure in this life. It just made me realize how every day really does matter. The small choices me make matter. It has been a really valuable learning experience. It has made me reflect and thank Heavenly Father that I ahven't had to go through anything like that before. But you just never know. You can never be too safe.</div>
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Life is full of the good the bad and the ugly. It has been a week full of that as well. But the Lord is always there to help us out. Sister Rawle said something super profound to me a couple days ago. She said, "I know that my friend that passed away is just a force of light in my life on the otehr side now." It makes me emotional just thinking about it. What an awesome perspective she has. She is such a wonderful example to me. I love being a missionary. I love seeing God run His work. I love knowing that I am where I am supposed to be doing what I am meant to be doing. His work is real and I love that I am a part of it.</div>
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I hope you all have a marvelous week! Cheer someone up this week. There is always someone worse off than you. Trust in the Lord. Seek for His help in all things!</div>
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I love and miss you all!</div>
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S. Kimball :)</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">From March 3rd</span></div>
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ALOHA!!</div>
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I like Spencer was not the smartest tool in the shed and kept my weekly email until last so my time is a little far spent but I will highlight the week. I liked the format Elder Kimball used in his email so I am going to be a copycat. That is the nice thing about getting his weekly email before I write my own...and can I jsut say that he is one awesome missionary and an amazing example to me! I am one luck girl to have such an awesome brother!</div>
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(Keep in mind that these are in no particular order...)</div>
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1. Life in YSA is definitely not the same as life in a family ward that is for sure. There is a lot of activities and drop bys and getting to know people. Everyone is my age(ish). Weird. But at the same time I feel like I can connect with them on a different level than I could with "older" people. It is interesting to learn what is important to different individuals and tailor the docrines of the gospel to what will help them. It is like a game. I would always fall back on the importance and blessing of eternal families but that isn't what is on a lot of young peoples minds these days. We don't have any progressing investigators right now which is always a little tough. I feel like a lot of my mission has been being put into areas where there isn't a lot going on but it all always seems to work out. There is so much potential in my area. We cover 2 stakes and have one of the best ward mission leaders around. It is going to be a great transfer.</div>
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2. A lot of this week was focused on getting S. Semones ready to go home. She had her departing interview on Tuesday. While she was doing that we orcestrated a surprise lunch for her with S. Orgill and all the office ladies that have become our adopted moms. We had that lunch on Friday and it was a blast. She was super surprised and happy. We also had her departing dinner at the mission home last night. There was delicious food, funny stories, and lots of laughing. It was fun to celebrate S. Semones and S. Risley (another sister going home, who was my very first exchange in the mission). They will both be missed.</div>
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3. Oh random funny story, on our way home from the mission office on Tuesday we stopped at Cafe Rio for lunch and bumped into some spanish elders. They came in right as we were finishing up. It is always a little funny when you show up at the same place as other missionaries. We said hi and chatted for a minute and we were on our way and didn't think much of it. Then after we were seated at Olive Garden on Friday for the surprise lunch who else is seated at the table next to us but those same spanish elders out of their area for lunch. We just start laughing when we see them. And joke around that they are following us. Turns out that they had a baptism the night before and one of the elders had a giftcard to Olive Garden but told him mom that he wouldn't use it until he was celebrating a baptism so they got permission to go to lunch there. What a small world. What are the odds that they would show up right behind us to lucnch twice on the same week. Fun times.</div>
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4. It has been super rainy here for the past week which has been a nice change. It hasn't slowed us down any and California needs it so it is a true answer to prayers. It makes talking to people while we are out a challenge but kind of fun at the same time. We made a goal to talk to a red heard, a black person and get a sticker for our tags on Saturday and we acheived all three. Who says being a missionary can't be fun? :)</div>
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5. I love life and I am happy. The Lord truly is aware of each of us and the trials and struggles that we face. The Atonesment is for everyone and everything. I watched a lot of different mormon messages this week and it really opened my eyes to the way that we treat ourselves and others. I would encourage all of you to ward the new mormon message on bullying. It is frighting the way that peopel talk to each other these days. We have made it a goal in our companionship to stay positive and talk about others the way we would if Christ was around even when what we might want to say that is negative is true. We are all children of God and he loves each one of us. I am trying to develop that love for ALL that I serve around. It is not always easy but the blessing of the atonement is slowly making it possible! Don't let pride get in the way.</div>
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6. Finally, we dropped S. Semones off at the airport this morning. It was weird to see her off. I think I mentioned this before but it is a tradition for some missionaries to grad a baggage tag and put the elastic part around their wrist to remind them how short our time as full time missionaries really is. I put one of those around my wrist in addition to the one I have from when S. Bergau went home. It is a good reminder. Sometimes the reality of a mission actually ending is hard to grasp. She was ready. It was her time. I can't wait to hear how her homecoming experience was. S. Semones served an awesome mission and impacted a lot of lives including my own. As we were walking out of the airport with President he confirmed my departure date for <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1589523385" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">June 25th</span></span> and it was weird to hear. I know my time is short and I want more than anything to do ALL I can before I go. I know there is still work for me to do. Sometimes it is hard to be companions with someone that is leaving but it really wasn't. It was her time but it wasn't mine.</div>
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7. S. Rawle and I continue to get along great. We have a blast together. We are going to get so much work done. We are both so excited to help this ward progress. I am happier than ever! This church is true and the gospel changes lives. It has changed mine and continues to everyday.</div>
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I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!</div>
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:) S. Kimball</div>
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Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08327891005312636980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-41379660661634033462014-02-26T10:41:00.003-07:002014-02-26T10:41:39.619-07:00Let the Good Times Roll<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Aloha from San Clemente!</div>
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I am just continuing my tour of the mission. If I am being completely honest it was weird to leave my last areas after such a short amount of time but I never really found my place there. It was great to be with Sister B. We worked well together but I found it hard to connect on a deep lasting level with anyone in either ward. It was my first experience like that on my mission. I think it was simply a time where Heavenly Father was preparing me for what was next. I am now serving in the San Clemente YSA ward with Sister R and Sister S (my former companion from Laguna Beach who goes home a week from today). As all of you know I am not the biggest fan of change and I was freaking out in transfer meeting wondering what was going to happen to me. Of course they didn't announce my new zone until last. When sisters were being called into companionships and my options were slowly melting away I couln't help but feel comfort that I was going exactly where the Lord needed and wanted me to be. When they called my name and my companions, I screamed. Awkward. But I was so happy.</div>
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So let me tell you, working with YSA's is way different and I am still trying to figure it out. Everyone is busy all the time and it is kids my own age. It is kind of a shock. But it has been fun so far and I see so much potential. There is a lot of potential and I am excited to figure out how to be successful in a YSA ward. And let me tell you how weird it is not looking for families anymore. It requires a total mindset change. It will all come together with some time. I am excited.</div>
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Now a little bit about my companions...I was with Sister S during a dark time in her mission. She struggled with self image and confidence. She held a lot of resentment toward different situations in her life. But throughout my time with her I literally saw the darkness be overtaken with the light of Christ. She transformed into a totally new person and it was a miracle to watch. She saw the worth and potential in herself that was there all along. It was magical. She says a lot of this change had to do with me which I don't know if I agree with but I feel so blessed to have helped her in any way that I did. She was always one to be very hard on herself and I guess I played a part in helping her realize that no one is perfect. The Savior atoned for our sins so that we could use it each day and have a clean slate. As she bore her departing testimony she said, "I now know that I am a daughter of God and He loves me!" That is the first thing that we teach people but it is also one of the hardest concepts for people to believe and accept. She is amazing and I am excited for all the good she has done and will continue to do. And she goes to BYUI so I will see her in the fall! :)</div>
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Sister R is from Springville, UT and already graduated from UVU in criminal justice. She is 22 and awesome. She is one of the sisters in the mission I have always wanted to get to know better and boom here is my chance. I still don't know her that well. But what I do know is she is another sister that lives way beneath her potential simply because she doesn't see it in herself. My goal this transfer is to help her so how capable she truly is and in the process see all this success from hard work and faith in the Lord. She started in the Carlsbad mission but came out around the same time as me. It is awesome being in a companionship where we are all experienced. It makes the work so much fun. We are going to tear it up! I am the happiest I have been on my mission. I foresee countless miracles. We are going to find, teach, baptize, retain, and reactivate! Now is the time!</div>
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BR's grandma J that bore came to his baptism and felt the Spirit and bore her testimony was baptized yesterday. It was amazing to be there and share in the experience. B baptized her and seeing him exercise his priesthood was awesome. It was crazy to think that 4 months ago he wouldn't have been able to do that. The Lord is amazing and His plans truly are inspired. There were many friendly and familiar faces at the baptism. It was a wonderful reunion once again. K gave me a sweet note that talked about how grateful she is that we are "sisters" and that I helped her dreams of having an eternal family someday come true. I am just so overwhelmed by the Spirit each time I think about the R family. I love them so much. E and G were talking about how much they want to come visit me in Utah. They can't wait to go to temple square. They are just incredible and I don't know what I would do without them!</div>
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Life is so good. I am happy. The work is good. I love being a missionary. The hand of the Lord is in all things. I am not only changing lives but my life is being changed each day for good! I love the Lord and I am grateful for Him.</div>
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I hope you all have a wonderful week!</div>
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All my love,</div>
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S. Kimball :)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11598150010797376658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-67869256655994117052014-02-19T09:31:00.000-07:002014-02-19T09:32:57.566-07:00Transfer #10<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Aloha Friends and Family!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Transfer time is here once again. I can hardly believe it. There is a lot of changes this time. I assumed that I would be staying my in areas or at least one of them but ends up I am out of there. It is my shortest stay in a zone but I know that Heavenly Father needs me elsewhere. It is hard to leave members, investigators, missionary friends, and companions behind. I just remind myself that I am moving on to another opportunity to meet and make good relationships. I had a mild freak out today when I thought to myself, "I am starting my 10th transfer. That means that I only have 2 more after this one. Time is going to fly by." I can't imagine life not as a missionary. I know my time is coming to an end but I know that I still have a lot to learn. The opportunity to learn, grow, improve, change, and evolve is never over.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So we had N's baptism this week. It went well. It was actually kind of a disaster is some ways. I mean she is amazing and had a good experience but there was a lack of reverence throughout the whole program. Little unnecessary comments, clapping after the baptismal ordinance, and a lot of talking during the talks. The Spirit would be there and then just leave so quickly. Luckily N saved the day as she got up to bear her testimony and explain to her non member family why she had just been baptized. It was powerful. There were so many people there to support her. It was a success. There are imporvements to be made but what matters most is Nellie is not a baptized and confirmed member of the church and has the gift of the Holy Ghost.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There is nothing better than hearing the words, "how did you know I needed you? You came at the perfect time!" as a missionary. Sister B and I had that a couple times this week. One of them was with a member. Sister G is a a ward missionary and we stopped in on her one day and ends up she was going through her food storage with another lady from the ward. We offered to help and she told us how much she appreciated it and was freaking out wondering how she was going to get all this done without a litttle more help. Then voila, we show up. The Lord works in mysterious ways. We had a blast helping her. It ends up that a lot of her food storage was from 1991 (so the year I was born, meaning it is 23 years old...gross). She was freaking out about it all being bad and how they had a false sense of security all this time. Sister S reassured her that she would be able to restock it and all would be well. It was hilarious to open up the cans of rice, and apples, and powdered milk, and smell it/taste it to test if it was bad. I learned that everything smelt terrible to me. I was told I made lots of funny faces. Those who know me well know that I react to things. It was fun. There are so many random experiences like this on a mission. It is what keeps things exciting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Something I have been working on a lot these past couple of weeks is charity. There are many times in our lives when we feel like it is okay to be offended or mad or whatever the emotion because to the wrong doing of someone else. I read Beware of Pride and realized it is something we can all work on. It is hard to develop any of the other Christlike attributes until we understand the importance of charity and apply it as best we can. I learned that charity is recognizing that we are truly all children of God and He loves us regardless of our mistakes. We must love those that offend or hurt us. The key is using the atonement of Jesus Christ to do that. His help and power make it possible. I know when I am frustrated or annoyed the person I am hurting the most by hanging onto those emotions is myself. I want to be better at using the atonement for EVERYTHING so I can be happy in everything. A lot of times it is easier said than done. I know that it is possible though. I can only help others as far as I help myself. How selfish and sad it would be to stay miserable and in turn not be able to help others get out of their misery. I have the gospel. I have all the answers. The question I keep asking myself is what am I doing with that knowledge that I have?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I know that God lives and He loves us. I know the Savior atoned for us. He wants us to be happy. I hope you all have a wonderful week!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Love,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sister Kimball :)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11598150010797376658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-7582153832367621792014-02-11T12:49:00.001-07:002014-02-11T12:49:05.098-07:0023 Today?!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I can't believe that I am 23 years old. I feel so much younger than that. And everyone tells me I look a lot younger too. But I have learned a lot in these 23 years and I have an unlimited amount of things to be grateful for. I was reflecting on what the word "birthday" means and as we all know it is the day of our birth. As I pondered I came torealize just how magnificent that day really is. 23 years ago I left the presense of my Heavenly Father to come down to this earth to an incredible family. I have been blessed to be brought up in the gospel and to know from a very young age that I am a child of God and that He loves me. My mission has helped me to better understand His plan for me. It has made sense of things in the past and given me so much knowledge for things in my future. I know that God is aware of each of us. He not only has a general plan for all of us to return to Him and be like Him but a specific plan for each and everyone of us. He knows us by name and He wants nothing more than to bless us. But we must turn to Him.</div>
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I have been thinking and studying a lot about creating a celestial culture or a culture of high expectations. We were in a Mission Leadership Council meeting this week and one of the trainings was on this very topic. Something that stuck out to me was that the best way that we can be examples to others is simply by living the gospel of Jesus Christ. Obviously none of us are perfect but when we follow the Saviors example we become more like him. President O asked us to consider 6 questions related to a celestial culture. All of which were geared towards the mission and what is so cool is it applies to everyone. Not just missionaries. Anyways the 6 questions were:</div>
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1. What is it? <span class="s1"><span style="color: #274e13;">Christlike</span></span></div>
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2. What does it look like? <span class="s1"><span style="color: #274e13;">Transformation (conversion)</span></span></div>
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3. What does it feel like?<span class="s1"> <span style="color: #274e13;">Peace</span></span></div>
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4. How is it created? <span class="s1"><span style="color: #274e13;">Remembering</span></span></div>
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5. How is it perpetuated? <span class="s1"><span style="color: #274e13;">Example</span></span></div>
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6. What difference does it make? <span class="s1"><span style="color: #274e13;">All the difference, Exaltation</span></span></div>
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I have had the opportunity this week to ponder on this a lot. We talked about it in a group. Then I have the opportunity to council with the other leaders in my zone and finally on my own. For each question I have come up with a one word answer for myself 9the words in green). Our ultimate goal is to become perfect even as God and Christ are perfect and enjoy the blessings of exaltation. But there are things we need to do to get there. Such as feast upon the words of Christ, become true converts to His gospel, repent daily, and believe in His power. When we do these things we feel peace and happiness. When we expereince this joy we want to share it with others and be that example for them and lead them to the truth. But it all begins with remembering the testimonmies we have and the moments when the spirit has witnessed truth to our hearts and minds. It is a formula to perfection. It is something that has literally change my mission and my life. I can live in a way here and now on earth that is preparing me for the celestial world. Heavenly Father expects a lot of us because He trusts us. He wants us to experince the peace that the gospel brings and share it with others. We are all capable of much more than we give ourselves credit for. I know that I am learning things on my mission that are changing the way I think. I am truly becoming more converted to the gospel. The atonement of Jesus Christ is transforming me into the person God wants me to be. I don't know where I would be without the knowledge I have. I am working each day to be worthy of the spirit and create that celestial culture for myself and those around me! You can do it to. I invite you all to consider these questions and come up with an answer that makes sense to you!</div>
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I hope you all have a wonderful week!</div>
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Transfer calls are this weekend so I will let you know next Tuesday (transfer day) (oh and monday is a holiday) what is happening. I just got here so hopefully I stick around. And it is hard to believe the 6 weeks is already almost up!</div>
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oh and N is getting baptized on Saturday!!!! I will let you all know how her special day turns out! Her nonmember husband, son, daughter in law, and two teenage grandsons will be there as well. An amazing opportunity for them to feel the spirit!</div>
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Love you all!</div>
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:) S. Kimball</div>
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ps A little run down on my birthday day. We got together as a zone for breakfast at 6:15am which meant we had to wake up at 5:30...gross (but found out the zone leaders got up at 3am to make it, my new heros). Met at the stake center where we didn't realize seminary would be going on, so all the rooms were filled and we ended up sitting around and eating in the lobby. It was kind of ghetto but we make it work. And the ZL's put sprinkels in my pancakes for my birthday. Very cute. Then we went on a zone hike. Did studies on the top of a hill. Beautful and peacful. had a little devotional and testimony meeting, where the spirit was strong. It was the perfect beginning to my day. Then went to a late breakfast with the RS president of one of my wards that is aweesome. So needless to say i am getting taken care of. Forgot my camera otherwise I would have attatched a picture. And Sister B is treating me to a comanion date for dinner :) I am blessed and happy!</div>
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Thanks for all the birthday wishes. I appreciate you all so much! I couldn't do it without your love and support!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11598150010797376658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-24451305192447093722014-02-03T17:44:00.000-07:002014-02-03T17:44:51.842-07:00Pray for Rain!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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ALOHA!</div>
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The time just keeps passing me by. I don't even get it. I can't believe we are already in February. It is crazy. One bummer thing of the week...the weather was actually a little winter like. I have worn my coat a couple days and boots have been my go to footwear. I decided it's a good thing I am coming home in the summer because a utah/ Idaho winter at this point might kill me. Oh and while we are on the topic of weather, the state of California is experience a draught. We all fasted and prayed for rain this past Sunday and it rained last night. The Lord really does deliver. Especially, when many of His children band together for a worthy cause. If you all could pray for rain to end this draught as well that would be wonderful! :)</div>
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It was a great week. Probably the best week of the transfer so far. The work here is moving forward. I still feel like there are so many more people to meet and get to know. I love covering two wards but it does have it's challenges. There is so much potential and missionary work to be done in both the Foothill Ranch and Aliso Creek ward. I feel like both wards have members that are ready to take it to the next level and be true missionary minded wards that are focused on hastening the work. One of the challenges we face is feeling like we can't give 100% of our time and attention to both wards. It makes it hard because we want the best for both. I also feel like the wards feel like they only have part time sisters (which is kind of true) and wish that we could be more full time. With the schedule of church times we can't attend both. Rumor has it that they might put full time missionaries in both ward next transfer which might not be such a bad idea. </div>
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I don't think I have given a good run down on the work in awhile, so here you have it:</div>
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This week in Foothill Ranch:</div>
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We picked up an investigator named K. He is friends with a family from our ward. He is friends with their daughter who is out on a mission. They met each other at work. He attended her farewell. He is 21. He opened up to us a lot about his struggle with depression and how he wants to badly to believe in something. We shared the new training of the restoration and talked a lot about personal revelation. That he can come to know things for himself. He is looking forward to meeting with us and is hopeful that he will find an answer on his journey. We had him pray and he said it felt good to talk to God again. He kind of gave up on prayer after he felt like he wasn't receiving answers. We are excited to get a baptismal date with him this week.</div>
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N is our hispanic investigator that will be baptized on February 15th. She is so amazing. Everytime we are with her the Spirit is so strong. She is one of those people that was prepared throughout her whole life for this moment. She has an amzing testimony. We taught her the Word of Wisdom this week and we asked her why she thought this "health code" Heavenly Father revealed to Joseph Smith might be important and she said, before she opened teh pamphlet I might add, "Because my body is a temple. It is a gift from God and I must treat it as such." I couldn't beleive it. She is so inspired and close to the Spirit. We would love for you to be at her baptism if you are available!</div>
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We are working with a part member family the Ws. R is less active and N is not a member. They are an awesome older couple. We invited them to take the lessons and they accepted. We are excited to get them involved and participating so the Spirit can testify truth to them. They are wonderful and would be a great asset to our ward. We have ward missionaries fellowshipping them as well. It is great.</div>
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This week in Aliso Creek:</div>
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We found a bunch of new potentials this week. 1 high school aged girl,1 couple, and a family.</div>
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As we were visiting a member from the ward we saw a girl off in the distance flop to the ground on the curd. She didn't look very happy and had a bunch of stuff with her. It looked like she needed some help. We approached her and told her who we were. She said that she had just been kicked out of her aunts house. She was so nice and open to talking to us. We explained that we thought our message could help her and she expressed interest. We got her number and will be meeting with her this week. She definitely had the light of Christ in her. We are excited to sit down and teach her.</div>
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We went to contact DH a referral we received and we end up finding his wife home. She was sick and didn't want to give us the germs so we talked on the doorstep for a bit. She talked about how she is catholic but then said that they were church shopping. She talked about how her husband had worked with some mormons and they were great and they always kind of wondered about what we believe. We explained that as missionaries it is our job to do just that, teach people and help them come closer to Christ. She said that she and her husband would love to sit down with us. We will be seeing them this week as well. They also have 4 kids. </div>
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As we were coming out of dinner on Saturday night there is a couple across the street moving in. We go help them unload the truck. The elders are with us as well. We are obviously in our proselyting clothes and they are shocked that we would randomly stop and come and help them. They accepted our offer to help quickly. The wife B was very outgoing. After some time I hop up into the truck with husband C and help move things from the back of the truck forward for people to carry in. We get talking and he starts asking questions about missions. It was a pretty basic conversation but he we super impressed and thankful. They talked about how blessed their day had been and what lifesavers we were. We ended up leaving them with a Book of Mormon and our number. We are probably going over there this week to help them unpack and if not we are going over for a lesson. She said she wants to pick our brains about mormons. It should be great. Oh and turns out that she cut her leg that night after we left and went over to the members across the street for some band aids so they know each other now. And our ward executive secretary Brother J stopped when he saw white shirts and ties and ended up helping as well. B talked to his wife for awhile and we found out church that they had dinner at the Js last night. AMAZING. They have had so much love from members already it is amazing how the Lord works.</div>
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There is a lot of good going on. Sometimes it is hard to feel like you are accomplishing much when you aren't reaching the goals you set. But I know that Sister B and I are laying a foundation. I take a lot of comfort in D&C 64:33. It continues to be a comfort to me. I know that my efforts aren't wasted. The Lord is blessing us with confidence and piece of mind. I am so excited for this upcoming week and all the good that will come and the progress that will be made! :)</div>
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I hope you are all doing well. Be happy. Put your trust in the Lord. Believe in Him.</div>
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Love,</div>
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Sister Kimball :)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11598150010797376658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-49593171918573747022014-01-25T09:21:00.001-07:002014-01-25T09:21:35.276-07:00We All Have So Much Potential<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This week was a GREAT week!</div>
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Two guys from SLC came to evaluate our mission which was a little intimidating but they gave us a training that change my life and mission. It was for all the leaders and future leaders of the mission. There was about 90 missionaries (so half the mission) there. I learned a lot about the beauty and power that comes from simplicity. I know that Christ taught plainly and boldly. I am excited to try the new strategy of teaching and see the Spirit take over as investigators and members "participate" and authorize the Spirit to teach them. It is such an incredible concept. Both Elder D and G have a gift for public speaking. I could connect to the messages that they were sharing. I have a new more developed understanding of my purpose. We are here to invite others to follow Christs example and be baptized as a means of receiving the gift of the holy Ghost so they can endure to the end and enjoy eternal salvation with their families. We asked our investigator N from the Foothill Ranch ward last night why she wanted to be baptized and she told us "so she could receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and the promise of His constant companionship". She gets it. Sometimes I feel like investigators get it more than we do because they aren't distracted by all the other stuff. It is amazing how pure their knowledge becomes so quickly with the help of the Spirit. She accepted a baptismal date for February 15th. I can't wait to help her get to the point where she is ready to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. She just needs to run it past her husband and make sure he is on board. He is slowly looking more and more promising as a potential investigator. He has a bad history with organized religion but we that is because it was not run in the proper way. We are confident that as he sees the joy that continues to come into Nellie's life thanks to the gospel he will be curious to know what it is all about. We view her baptism as a wonderful opportunity for him to feel the Spirit. I am very excited. </div>
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As far as other investigators go we are working on it. Unfortunately, we have not been able to get in touch with those that the sisters had been working with before transfers yet. We are being patient and in the mean time working to find others that the Lord has prepared. We can feel the potential of the areas we serve in and are excited to press on. We know we are laying a foundation. Things will pick up soon. Both Sister B and I have been depressed by the numbers that we have reported the past couple weeks but we both received a spiritual witness that we need to be patient and that those numbers don't mean anything. There is work for us to do and if we follow His plan miracles will follow. Needless to say we are excited to see what happens! </div>
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Going to the temple with B and K was magical. It was amazing to see them there dressed in white doing proxy work for their ancestors. The spirit was strong and the experience memorable. I couldn't help but sit there and think to myself, "It is moments like this that make all the hard times worth it." I am making a difference, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem sometimes. There are people that I need to find. The work that I am doing is important. The work of salvation however is not just for missionaries. The opportunity to feel the joy that comes from sharing the gospel is available to all of us. Are will willing to catch the vision. We had stake conference and the talks were all focused on this great work we are apart of. The time is now. The field is white all ready to harvest. The gathering of Israel is happening now and it will excellerate until the Lord comes again. It is an exciting time. One that the brethren is marking as important and significant as the 1st vision or the coming forward of the Book of Mormon and we have the chance to be a part of it. How cool is that? Are we commited to helping others come unto Christ?</div>
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I studied a lot about potential this week and how we are all children of God. His literal spirit children. We have the potential to be like Him and joint heirs with Christ. We rarely give ourselves enough credit. Sure we all make mistakes and have weaknesses that we can work on but that is why we have the atonement. A very wise friend emailed me about just that this week. We are all working toward perfection but along the way we are going to mess up. That is part of the plan. When we do we must repent, recommit to be better, and move on. The Lord will forgive us of our sins. The question is are we going to forgive ourselves and move on in faith? We were give the commandments and we make covenants or promises with God to protect us and keep us accountable to something but in the end there is always room for growth and change. It is never too late. I love this knowledge that I have. How can I not want to share this message of hope with others? It is the cure to all of lifes problems.</div>
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I love being the Lords called servant. I love the opportunity I have to talk to everyone. I am so blessed. This church is true. I know it.</div>
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I hope you have a all have a wonderful week!</div>
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Sister Kimball :)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11598150010797376658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-76735792560946139782014-01-14T13:49:00.003-07:002014-01-14T13:49:33.349-07:00Transfer #9<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Greetings to all from Ranch Santa Margarita!</div>
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So as most of you know transfers were this past week. A lot changed for me and there were quite a few mission changes as well. For startes my last zone Laguna Niguel was split into the Laguna Beach and Aliso Viejo zones each being lead by solo zone leaders (meaning that their companions are not zone leaders). A Spanish zone was finally created with a solo zone leader appointed as well. All of the STL's are solo now except for me and my companion (thank goodness). There were something like 14 new elders that came in and 1 hermana. I think that is all the crazy news mission wide.</div>
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As for me and my new area and companion. I am in the Rancho Santa Margarita zone now covering two wards, Aliso Creek and Foothill Ranch. It is crazy and there is so much to learn and so many people to meet but it is awesome. I love my companion Sister B. She is my age and an STL as well. She is from North Carolina and came out just a transfer behind me. She is seriously the sweetest. I am so blessed to be with her. I am excited for the new challenge of being over two wards. We share both the wards with elders. One set rocks and the other is alright. They make everything a compition and the ward is naturally elder lovers so there is going to be a bit of a struggle there but we have a game plan to fix all that. Overall things are good. There are quite a few familiar faces around which is nice.</div>
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We have been talking with a lot of our ward members this week about their potential to be missionaries and help in the work of salvation especially at this time as the Lord is hastening His work. We can either be a part of it and receive the blessings that come from sharing the gospel or not. The choice is ours. We have been sharing the President Hinckley quote from the last part of chapter 1 in PMG. I love his use of the word earnestly. We must have real intent and "earn" the Lords help. We can't do everything on our own and there is a pattern and proccess that we must follow. It is explained beautifully in 2 Nephi 28:30. The Lord gives us more and more pieces to the puzzle as we turn to Him and trust in Him. It is the same with sharing the gospel. There are steps we can take to help prepare friends and neighbors to hear the gospel. It all starts with praying for meaningful gospel discussions each day. That has been our invitation. The ward members so far have all been super pumped. The key will be following up with them. I can't wait to hear about all of their successes! I would encourage all of you to take the same challenge!</div>
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There is still a lot to learn in my new areas but I am excited. I know there are people here that I can influence for good.</div>
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B and K are doing baptisms at the temple this Wednesday and I am hoping to get permission to go with them. I am so proud of all the steps forward they are taking as a family. K will be speaking at Stake conference and B spoke in sacrament meeting last week. I haven't had the opportunity to meet any of our investigators here yet unfortunately but I will let you know when I do!</div>
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I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!</div>
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:) S Kimball</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11598150010797376658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-19831613509691929792014-01-07T09:18:00.000-07:002014-01-07T09:24:49.488-07:00Bye Bye Laguna Beach<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Dear Friends and Family!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Transfers are here once more. I can't believe it. The past 6
weeks have gone by so fast. This has been the fastest transfer by far. They
always say that the last 6 months just fly by and I never really thought it was
true but I am beginning to think that I was wrong. It give me all the more
motivation to make the most of the short time that I have left. I got the
dreaded call on Saturday night that I will be leaving Laguna Beach. I knew it
was coming. I am at peace about it. I love it here and there are many people that
I will miss but I know that I will be back to visit. My time is up and I have a
work to do somewhere else. Now the question is, where am I going and who am I
going to be with? Rumor has it that they are going to try out solo zone leaders
and solo STLs which means that your companion is just a normal missionary. This
means that they can spread out the leadership. I am kind of freaking out but I
know it will all work out in the end. I will be sure to fill you all in next
week with the details of what happened. Laguna Beach will always have a special
place in my heart. It is the area that I really found myself as a missionary.
My excitement and drive has just grown so much. The people I have met and the
expereinces I have had will be with me forever. I know that I will be back to
visit A LOT.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This week with the new year we have been sharing a message
on goal setting and making 2014 an inspired year. It is always amazing to me
when we construct the outline of a simple message that we are going to share
how different it ends up being with each individual or family that we share it
with. The Spirit guides and directs me to share it in such a different way each
time depending on the personal background of the people we are talking to. My
testimony of goal setting has been strengthened and I have a much deeper
understanding of their purpose. In Alma 5:14, 26 a few different questions are
posed about our conversion and if we have experienced a change in our hearts
and if we have do we continue on in the search for more. A lot of times we lose
sight of the little simple things and focus on deeper doctrine. The most
important things we can do is stick to the basics. Are we constantly and
consistently thinking about our Savior and the true purpose of this life? I
know for myself as far as goals go I will write a list of things that I want to
work on or accomplish and within days it is either lost or forgotten about. The
desire and intentions behind the goals that we set makes all the difference. In
missionary work we set goals ALL the time. I have seen a night and day
difference between the goals that I take time to think about and those that I
just set because I have to. The main difference between the two is whether I
involved my Heavenly Father or not. I know when I pray over goals and ask if
they are possible and what steps I need to take to acheive them my desire to
accomplish them is a lot greater. Uninspired goals are just as good as not
setting them at all. I know that my confidence in my goals that are inspired and
supported my the Lord are much better. I have been reflecting a lot on the
purpose of goals. Why do we need them? Why as missionaries are we encouraged to
set goals about EVERYTHING? Why are there key indicators to track our success?
For me it boiled down to two things. Gods example and the purpose of this life.
First in Moses 1:39 we learn that as Gods children we are His work. As the
father of our spirits He has set goals for each of us and planned out ways for
us to acheive them. pretty cool when you think about it. Even Heavenly Father
works off of a system of goal making. And second we are here on this earth to
gain a body and to learn and grow. Goals are a way for us to manage the growth
that we are making. They push us to try new things or improve on our
weaknesses. It is a way to be accountable for reaching our potential. In the
end as we work towards and achieve inspired goals we are really only helping
Heavenly Father acheive His goals as well. It is amazing to see the full
circle. I am amazed by Gods plan and perfect it truly is. I know there is so
much good that we can do. I know that Heavenly Father relies on us to help move
His work forward. I pray that you will all consider these things as you set
goals for this new year. Remember to keep them simple. Think through the
process and plan it out and pray to God to know if they are pleasing to Him. I
know that if you will do that the Lord will help you acheive them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I hope you all have a wonderful week. It is a great time to
start fresh and be better. It is never too late to change. I love and miss you
all!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">:) Sister Kimball</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11598150010797376658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-1686911388142423672014-01-02T01:52:00.003-07:002014-01-02T01:52:50.151-07:00New Years!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="p1">
Happy New Years Everyone!</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
It is hard to believe that Christmas is already over. Of course the best part of the day was skyping with my family. It was so good to see their faces and hear their voices. The holiday season really is all about gathering together as family and remembering the things that matter most. It is a season of love and giving. I had a pretty humble Christmas but that is just the way I would have it. I wanted my focus to be on the Savior and all He has done for me. The small gifts from home were thoughtful and made up of memories I never want to forget.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I got to spend a lot of time with the R family and I think it is safe to say that we are life long friends. I wanted nothing more than to introduce them to my family and I got to do that. Although, it was brief and a little awkward it was so good to talk to my brother Spencer. He doesn't quite know what an example he is to me. I remember how hard it was to adjust to the mission field and he is doing so well. And on top of all I had to go through he has another language to worry about. So he is very impressive. It is all about working to find the balance and he will. His service is such a blessing to me. There is so much to be grateful for and there is so much good to be celebrated in this world filled with bad. We just have to take the time to see it and appreciate it. The hand of the Lord is everywhere.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
With the new year close at hand I have been doing a lot of reflecting. It was a year ago that I was in Africa with my family. It was a year ago that I was preparing for the temple and my mission. It was a year ago I entered the MTC. And I have spent the majority of this year in the service of my Savior. I can't think of a better way to spend a year. I can't believe it has done by so fast. The great things is I still have 6 months left as a full time missionary and then a lifetime to be a member missionary. I know that I have been in the right places at the right time. I have made plenty of mistakes along the way but have learned and grown so much from them. Heavenly Fathers plan is perfect. I know that there are trials that lay ahead but I know that there are countless blessings awaiting me as well. This is true for each of us. I pray that we will all make the most of this new year. Continue the good habits. Work on breaking the old. And implement new goals that will help us be just a few steps closer to our full potential.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I hope you all have a wonderful week! I love you!</div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
Sister Kimball :)</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11598150010797376658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-34034142752739402882013-12-18T14:26:00.001-07:002013-12-18T14:26:15.327-07:0011 Month Mark<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Aloha Friends and Family!</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I hope you all have a wonderful week!</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Love,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">S. Kimball :)</span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11598150010797376658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-47545868142132181592013-12-10T10:25:00.002-07:002013-12-10T10:25:50.741-07:00Tis the Season<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="p1">
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.</div>
<div class="p1">
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!</div>
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S. Kimball :)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11598150010797376658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-60376902919748369872013-12-02T20:59:00.001-07:002013-12-02T20:59:44.320-07:00Thankful<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hello!</div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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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!</div>
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I love and miss you all!</div>
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S. Kimball :)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11598150010797376658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-53996170452718354252013-11-25T22:44:00.004-07:002013-11-25T22:44:35.782-07:00Attitude of Gratitude<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Happy Turkey Day!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Love,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sister Kimball</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11598150010797376658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-30412459733820645002013-11-18T14:33:00.005-07:002013-11-18T14:33:45.191-07:00Life is Nuts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Happy Monday Everyone!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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, <a href="http://mormon.org/"><span class="s1">mormon.org</span></a> 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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now for a brief update on our investigators:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thanks for all your prayers and love. I hope you all have a good week!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Much love,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sister Kimball :)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11598150010797376658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-52073635271013536042013-11-05T09:31:00.004-07:002013-11-08T14:56:59.207-07:00Miracles Continue<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Aloha from sunny Laguna Beach!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Miracle #1</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Miracle #2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Miracle #3</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I hope you all have a wonderful week. Take time to look for the hand of the Lord in your day. He loves you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">:) S. Kimball</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11598150010797376658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-42651241184852254552013-10-30T19:32:00.004-06:002013-11-11T15:16:51.880-07:00Happiness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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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.<o:p></o:p></div>
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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.<o:p></o:p></div>
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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.<o:p></o:p></div>
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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.<o:p></o:p></div>
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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.<o:p></o:p></div>
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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.<o:p></o:p></div>
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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.<o:p></o:p></div>
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All my love!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sister Kimball :)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11598150010797376658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696674221087051138.post-42508696051719863642013-10-16T11:58:00.003-06:002013-10-16T11:58:33.277-06:00Half Way!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Dear Family and Friends,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I miss you and I pray for you!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sister Kimball :)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11598150010797376658noreply@blogger.com0