Transfers

Hello All!!

AHHHH!!

Okay so I have learned that transfers are just stressful no matter what. It's the time for someone you have grown to care so much about to go home. You have to deal with a new companion you might not like. You might be plucked from one area and dropped in a new one. And in this case your mission might be changed. There are so many different elements that go into it all. There is a lot of excitement but there is also a lot of stress. So I know you are all eager to hear what transfers had in store for me...well it's official they are trusting me with a greenie this transfer. I will be training which means I won't meet my new companion until tomorrow. She will be fresh from the MTC. I am super nervous and freaked out but excited at the same time. I am staying in Mesa View which means I will be part of the new Irvine mission effective July 1st. It is so weird. I am looking forward to the opportunity to be part of this mission split and experience something new. It is hard to be seperated from such dear friends I have made though. Especially, Sister S and Sister S. I was looking forward to being companions with them someday. Oh well. The Lord has bigger and better plans for us. There are a couple Elders that have been awesome examples to me heading home tomorrow and it is sad to see them go. But I know that Heavenly Father will always provide me with the strength and support that I need. There is so much change happening, and this is the first transfer that I haven't wanted to throw up or cry all day so I'm improving. Those feelings might come tomorrow but I'm confident I'll be alright.

President and Sister Bowen are so wonderful. Transfer meeting was hard because it was focused not so much on the missionaries going home but on the missionaries going to the new mission. They care about us so much. A lot of times people think that mission presidents have keys over missionary work when they don't bishops and steak presidents in any given area have those keys. The mission president has keys over the missionaries. We are their responsibility. And in the process of getting to know each of us there is a tremendous amount of love. It just made me realize that I have incredible leaders to leave behind and wonderful new ones to look forward to getting to know. I want to make President and Sister Bowen proud by being the kind of missionary they have helped me become. I know that I have a purpse in Irvine. I know there are people there waiting for me to teach them the restored gospel. I am scared but I know that Heavenly Father's spirit is with me in all things.

So my last week in Mesa View with Sister M was great. We were able to put our differences aside and really have fun working hard together. AP was baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday. She was glowing on Saturday. I didn't get to work with A that much. I taught her the last 2 lessons and prepared her for her baptismal interview. I was kind of feeling like I didn't make much of a contribution to her conversion. On Sunday she came up to me and thanked me for teaching her with such conviction. She said she knew that I knew that the things I were teaching her was true. Then she told me that my talk on faith the Sunday before was what really made her reflect on her journey to this point and figure out what was holding her back. It was later on that day that she told us she was ready to be baptized. It is amazing the influence we have on people when we don't even realize it. I think too often we sell ourselves short. I was so grateful that she took the time to share that with me. I was beaming for the rest of the day. She is so solid and has a great amount of faith. She fasted for the first time yesterday, paid fast offerings, and her tithing (which was one of her concerns since her finances are tight). Her faith is overwhelming. She believes that Heavenly Father will make up for what she can't do. I can't wait to work with her on the recent convert lessons with her home/visiting teachers. She was an amazing miracle. I just love her.

We are encouraged as missionaries to use baptisms as missionary opportunities. Although, we were wrapped up in making sure everything for A was figured out we still wanted to invite our investigators to be there. What better place than a baptism to help people feel the spirit. The three D girls were able to attend. They are so willing to come to anything and love it. I just wish their mom was as enthusiastic and interested as they are. We have the girls down now the struggle is getting the mom to commit. Who knows maybe my new companion will be just what she needs. I am excited to keep working with them and see what happens. The Lord can see the bigger picture.

Transfer days are always crazy and my time is shorter than usual. I will be sure to fill you all in on the details of my new companion next week! Thank you for all the support! I could't do it without you all!

Love,

Sister Kimball

(p.s. family members I will respond to your emails next week. Hope you are all doing well. I love you and miss you much!)

May 28, 2013

Hi All!

Last week was definitely a roller coaster week. It started off pretty poorly. I was in bed sick all of Tuesday with what turns out to have probably been my first migraine. As wonderful as all the experiences I am having are it is also super stressful. Needless to say we weren't able to get a lot of work done. My eyes were effected by the migraine the following day and the nurse for the mission Sister W didn't want me driving so that limited work on Wednesday. I was just feeling down because I didn't feel well and work wasn't progressing because of me. I went to the eye doctor to make sure everything was okay and thankfully my eyes are healthy. The optometrist was the one that suggested I experienced my first migraine and told me to visit my family doctor if headaches continue. She kind of freaked me out thinking I could have a tumor or something. Luckily, I am pretty sure I can blame it on the stress of being a missionary and having a million thoughts rushing through my head ALL the time. I am doing much better now, thankfully. All I needed was a little rest. The end of the week was a miracle. Thursday we were able to meet with the D Family and have a wonderful lesson with the girls. Unfortunately their mom had to work and wasn't there to join us. We taught them about the importance of keeping the Sabbath day holy. They responded so well and want to come to church so badly. As we follow up with them about the things we have taught them the previous week I am amazed at what they remember. It is so amazing. The Spirit can work in children so incredibly. 

We had a missionary meeting that night which was wonderful. Our stake president, mission president, and area seventy spoke. They were all so powerful. It was a meeting for all the bishops and ward mission leaders in the Newport Zone stake. They decided to include the full time missionaries from the area so we were up to speed on what the leaders were being trained on. The meeting was all about motivating the ward members to be part of the ward mission plan. Help members to see being involved in missionary work is a responsibility but going about to help motivate and cause excitement. It was great to be included. I am hopeful that miracles are in store for the Mesa View ward. I know that as a missionary I need to help teach the Doctrine of Christ and build up confidence. 

I spoke in church on Sunday. The bishopric didn't give me a topic so I decided to speak on faith. It has become my favorite principle to study. I love it because without it we literally can't progree very far. It is the fisrt principle of the gospel for a reason and because of that it makes so many things possible. Like, prayer, repentance, baptism, etc. It was the second time ever that I gave a talk without writing the whole thing out. I just used bullet points. As I finished up and sat down I was concerned that I jumped around and didn't connect my points and ideas very well. To my surprise I was showered with many compliments. I guess I did an okay job. President S (my stake president, who's home ward is our ward) came up to me after and shaked my hand and just said "wow" as he shook his head. It was such a blessing to feel the confidence of the ward members in me. 

I sat up on the stand and Sister M stayed down in the congregation. We were kind of depressed because we weren't expecting many if any of our investigators to show up. I saw her leave the chapel for a minute and wondered what se was doing. I figured she saw someone that needed help. To my pleasure after a few minutes she talked though the doors with all three D girls. Their mom dropped them off. Sister M invited her to stay but said she wasn't dressed properly and had things to get done before the holidy. Although, we wished she would have stayed it is a start that she trusts her daughters to come and stay with us. I am prayerful that with some time and the example of her girls she will come to church with them and feel the Spirit. It was definitely a step in the right direction. The girls loved primary and were teaching us about all the wonderful things they learned. That was miracle number one. 

Our second miracle was A. She is our investigator that has been reading the Book of Mormon and wanting to come to church but has had some problems with her mom made it to church this week. We taught her the lesson three - The Gospel of Jesus Christ. She had expressed earlier on in the year that she wanted to wait to be baptized until the summer when school was out and she had more time. Her friend (a ward member) didn't want to pressure her. The sisters promised her that if she made getting baptized a priority and asked Heavenly Father for help He would provide a way. Without any of us knowing she took that to heart and had been thinking about it a lot. During the lesson she stopped us and said that she knows that the church is true and wants to do whatever it takes to become a member. She said she didn't want to waste anymore time and wanted to move forward. She asked us what she needed to do to be baptized. We are teaching her lesson 4- The Commandments and she is being interviewed this week. She is scheduled to be baptized June 1(this Saturday) and we could not be more excited. She has such a beautiful testimony. I could feel the strength of her Spirit from the moment I met her. The Lord is so aware of our area and of our investigators. He is helping the work move forward. It has definitely been a trial of our faith as missionaries but miracles are coming forth. It was a true testimony of patience. We have had so much disappointment this transfer of our investigators not showing up to church after a powerful lesson during the week. And this past Sunday proved that it is all in the Lords time. He see's the bigger picture.

Crazy to think there are only five more days in the transfer. President told Sister M that she will be transferred into the Samoan program. But as for me it's all up in the air. I have a pretty strong feeling I will be staying here, therefore, being transferred to the new mission. My zone leaders told me they think I should be training so we'll see what happens there. It will all work out. Change is in the air. I'm not looking forward to it but I know I can handle it! :) 

The gospel is true! I know it. I love it. I live it. 

Hope you all have a wonderful week! 

Love, 

Sister Kimball

May 20, 2013

Greetings from Costa Mesa!

First off I want to apologize for not writing last week. I felt horrible about it. Luckily last week was really slow and I didn't really have much to report anyways. I did get to skype home for Mother's Day which was awesome! It was so good to not only talk to but see my parents and Spencer. I thought I was going to get all homesick and bummed out but I didn't. I was so grateful. I took that as a sign that I am used to being a missionary, finally. 

This week was a busy week with lots of different stuff going on. 

Tuesday we had zone conference from 9:30-3:30. We were trained by the AP's on making our daily/weekly planning more efficient and meaningful. Sister B talked about obedience and faith. President B gave an awesome talk on principles. He taught that a principle is an eternal truth. He then went on to talk about the importance of helping our investigators understand and apply repentance in their lives. I decided later that week to study repentance during my personal study. It is amazing to truly recognize that sacrifice that our Savior made for us which made repentance possible. It is such a comfort to know that Jesus Christ knows exactly what I going through when I feel guilt from sin. It is incredible to know that I can be forgiven. It made me think of the commandment that we are required to forgive all men. This is because that is what Christ would do. He is the perfect example of charity which isn't possible without faith and hope. 

On Wednesday we spent all day helping set up flags for armed forces day. It was an awesome expereince. We helped make and plant 1776 flags. It was hard work and took a lot out of us but it was so much fun. Not to mention seeing the finished product and result of our labors was very neat. You are given countless opportunities as missionaries to participate in great causes. I felt so lucky to be a part of that project. 

Thursday-Saturday we focused on finding new people to teach. We are still struggling to get out investigator to church. We meet with A, the D family, and a few other potential investigators and our lessons go well. We were able to get a few member presents which was awesome as well. It really does make a difference. When we meet with our investigators I feel the Spirit so strongly and I can see that the Holy Ghost is teaching the people we visit but for some reason I feel like it doesn't stick. We are always received well but our investigators aren't keeping their commitments which is frustrating. Costa Mesa is a lot harder to tract in compared to La Habra. People are rude and not interested in listening at all. This week we were threatened a couple times. I mean harmless stuff. People are just freaks. Our investigators do have agency. I have to remember that and realize that everyone I teach is unfortunately not going to be baptized. We just need to remain faithful and work hard to eliviate concerns and find new people to teach. It teaches in Preach My Gospel that success is not measured by how many lessons you taught or how many people you baptized but by how hard you worked and we did all we could this week. We just need to keep doing what we're doing and be patient. 

Sundays are just the best. We had ward council at 7am which was no fun. I actually started the day pretty blah and grumpy but by the end of sacrament meeting the Spirit was there. I was finally able to snap out of is and enjoy the sabbath day.

It is hard to believe that there is only two more weeks in the transfer. Time is flying by. I continue to learn so much about myself from handeling different situations. I am growing, learning, and changing which is always good. 

Life is good. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week!!

Love,

Sister Kimball

Calling home for Mother's Day!

Hi All!

I just wanted to start off by thanking those of you that take the time to email me. I apologize that I don't always respond but it means a lot to hear from you all and receive that support and encouragement. I often tear up and feel so motivated to continue pressing forward, especially when times get rough. Love coming from home means more than you realize, so thank you. Just a reminder that I can still receive dearelders and love getting those in the mail midweek. No pressure but just something to consider if you don't get around to emails on Monday. 

This week was much better. I still hate change and struggle with it but I am getting better at adjusting to new situations quicker. Which is a blessing because i was pretty miserable at the beginning of last week. I just had to keep reminding myslef that I get to choose the attitude I have. I am starting to really like Mesa View. Tracting here is not easy. White people are a lot ruder than hispanics. But I am more confident in my abilities and getting rejected just doesn't sting as much anymore. What hurts the most is when someone starts to bible bash and there is little hope of the Spirit being there. It's in those times that we just share a genuine brief testimony and agree to disagree. I often walk away from those houses thinking how sad I am for those people. If only they knew the truth. If only they would be open to hearing it. But I know their time will come. They just aren't ready yet. I have come to have such a love for the simplicity of the gospel. It breaks my heart when people don't want to be a part of it. But my job is to invite others to come unto Christ. The Spirit is there to convert them. But in the end agency is still there, as well as Satans influence. As a missionary I have seen how hard Satan is working to tear me down and cause me to doubt. It is hard. But I have gained a deep testiomony of the power of the Holy Ghost. Satan only has as much power as we give him and when we are worthy and call upon the Spirit to be with us he has no chance. Heavenly Fathers power trumps Satans everytime. Realizing this has helped me realize just how incredible the gift of the Holy Ghost is. It motivates me to want to allow as many people as possible to have the opportunity to receive that gift. This life is hard. It is full of trials and tribulations but the Spirit is what guides, comforts, and carries us through those times. 

Sister M and I are getting along much better. She is not the most obedient when it comes to waking up on time or getting places in a orderly fashion. As her companion I have decided to take the role as an example instead of enforcer. Not to say that I am always the perfect example. But she knows the rules and expectaions. Nagging her every morning to get up or rushing her out the door isn't going to do any good. All I can do is love and encourage her. I have seen a change in myself as I have stopped worrying about her. I can't allow her actions to dictate my happiness. I know that as I do what I need to and stay obedient our companionship will be blessed. It is not always easy to do. Heavenly Father is incredible and truly knows the intents of our heart. I have been receiving so much help. I learned very quickly that I am not a very patient person. But that is one of the weaknesses that is slowly becoming a strength. I have also learned to be flexible and work with the unexpected obsticles that arise. My mission has helped me see that I have so much to improve on but that those improvements are possible. We are put with companions that need us sometimes and other times we need them. I am learning things about myself through the interactions and experiences I have with my companions. Although, situations might not always be pleasant I am learning and growing and becoming more Christlike. I now know that trials really are blessings in disguise. We just have to put our trust in the Lord and believe that His way is better than our way. 

Investigators:

We are struggling to get people to church. I don't know if that is normal for some of the investigators or not. There is a lot of interest as we teach them but committing to coming to church is proving to be hard. I am hopeful with time and as their testimonies grow they will make the effort to come. 

D Family- We taught them the restoration this week. The mother joined in this time and participated. We were hoping that the dad would join us as well but he excused himself into the other room. He is open to his wife and kids learning but he has no interest for himself. His wife talked about how she is hoping she can be an example for him and eventually he will come around. She wants him to do it for himself though and not for her. The kids love when we come over and the 10 year old daughter asks such inspiring questions. I can see her desire to know Christ better. She has given the prayer twice. I know that the mom wants religion for her kids and the kids want that knowledge so badly. I am hoping she will help them get to church. They were not home at the time we scheduled our lesson but she called and asked if we could come back. It was nice to see that they really did forget and wanted to be taught. I see a lot of potential. 

A- We taught him the first lesson as well. He is so ready to make a change. He has a lot of struggles in his life and I think feels like he has "hit rock bottom". He knows that God is there and that everything happens for a reason. We invited him to church and he said he would let us know if he could come. He is wheelchair bound and sometimes unable to go places because of discomfort. I look forward to every lesson we have with him because I can see the progress he is making. Again we just need to get him to church so he can be fellowshipped and feel the Spirit. 

Tomorrow is another "Princess Party" where all the sisters meet together for lunch and a lesson. I am excited to see Sister S (mtc companion) and Sister S2 (from my previous zone). I haven't heard much since the transfer and look forward to catching up with them. Not to mention it is always a treat to see Sister B. If I do get transferred missions I hope my new mission president and wife are as great as the B's. He was the President of the PCC in Hawaii prior to his mission president call. I'm sure he is great.

Oh a tender mercy of the week. WE GOT A CAR. It pays off being in the same ward as the senior couple that just got released from the mission working with assigning cars. They are still training the new couple and put in a good word with the AP's and we got it. They received 5 brand new cars last Monday. We got a beautiful Chevy Cruze. We are so blessed. it has made life so much easier. It is nice to re self sufficient and not rely on the other sisters in the zone for a ride places that are too far to bike. Heavenly Father has a close eye on me. I am feeling very blessed. 

I feel like a lot of times my weekly emails are so random and just a jumbled mess of my emotions and experiences. I hope things make sense. I try to include what I am learning. Because I am learning A LOT. 

Missions are so valuable. They bring blessings that I didn't even know I was in need of. It's great.

I love you all. I encourage you all to trust in God. Pray often. Read your scriptures. Go to church. Serve others. These are not commandments just for the heck of it. They are ways we can more fully have the Spirit to be with us. We all must endure to the end. 

2 Nephi 31:20 my favorite scripture!!

Have a wonderful week. Look for the miracles. They are there!

xoxo

Sister Kimball