to spencer from kelsey

Aug 14, 2016

Heyyyyytt buddyyy!!! I tried to email you but I guessed your email incorrectly and i finally got the correct one yayy! How are you doing?! (Im having mom and dad forward your emails to me so im excited to grt them and read them! But this is my email if you could add me to the group message so I could get your emails I'd love that! I hope you are doing well, sometimes things that are the most worthwhile are the hardest.
So kyrk and I are doing good we are driving back from kyrk's parents in union washington to the place we are stayinv in vancouver (2 hrs). We are staying with an lds couple (the girl is the cousin of a past ward member of ours) so we didnt even know the couple until we arrived, butvits been really good. We needed to move because the opdahls daughter hannah finished her mission so they needed the space, which we totally understand. We are just grateful for being able to have stayed with them because it was really good, rent free haha. We just helped pay for the grocery bill which was less than we usually spend on food so they saved us a Ton of money and we came home to awesome meals so we were really blessed. Speaking of, I hope members feed you well! I assume you are in the field now. So I finished work this last friday but Kyrk has one more week left. And then we are going to kyrk's parents for about a week (we will be giving talks in the spanish ward and his parents ward haha) we will then go camping. And THEN we are goingbto disneyland!!!! Kyrk's sister kyna lives 10 min away from it! We are also going to universal studios which includes harry potter world. So we are excited! I just hope I won't be sick (ive been sick nearly Every week since starting my job with the infants and toddlers child development center/day care. Well we will take pictures and send them! We sure love you and are so proud of you!-Kelsey

Aug 15, 2016

Dear Kelsey,

I have been wanting to email you this whole time!!! Ahhhh! I love love love talking with you always, you are so cool funny, and a great listener to even my most mushy and embarrassing stories, so I have always loved being able to confide in you anything that could happen to me for better or worst. I love you! You have always been a amazing sister to me, how could I hope for anything more from a sister than one that is willing to listen to me, laugh with me, and talk with me in the best of loving circumstances. Thank you for being that amazing example to me of the charter of Christ and how he has always looked outwards towards others as you have done, taking such a huge interest in my life! And I know that you genuinely are interested in even the smallest of events that do seem rather large and spectacular to me.

I don't really have a big group message that I send out to a bunch of people because I like making my emails a bit more individualized, but I think for the events that are happening throughout my week I think that that is a great idea to send that information to a big group of people.

You have a to of stuff going on! I hope you enjoy the roller coasters I have a BIG problem with those, here in Ohio I have a problem with how my companion d Ives our car and I get motion sick from just the rapid accelerates and brakes! Roller Coasters? Uhuh. Not on my 'fun' list. And I am starting to realize the importance of using each dollar wisely! The field sure does help with that one

Love ya

Love Elder Kimball

Aug 19, 2016
Dear elder Kimball/Elder Bud :)

I am so happy to hear from you!

I think it is great that you send personalized emails its very thoughtful :)

Kyrk and I are moving today (he finishes his internship today and we are going down to his parents in about an hour) I finished work last week and so I have had this week to relax (try to stay healthy-I kept getting sick at the day care, like 6x's haha) and prepare meals. Its been nice to be able to make good meals again. 

So what I have found out this week is that Kyrk and I are graduating in December, so we will get to walk together (wear the cap and gown and go through the ceremony) I technically am officially graduating the semester after that but all I have left after december is an internship so they allow people to "walk" before their internships. So its been really nice timing wise and with kyrk's internship working out. Also I've gotten great experience through working at the day care and its good for my resume :) Also we are both getting scholarships/tuition waivers and grants (for being married and not having too high of an income) a grant is basically a scholarship (we don't have to pay it back)

So this weekend we will be with Kyrk's parents as we mentioned before, give our talks, camp mon and tuesday and then thursday until the next wednesday be at disneyland and universal studios!! We are very excited

Also something about as exciting as disneyland (if you can believe something can compete with that)

Kyrk's older sister kyna is seriously dating a guy :) We are So so sooooo hopeful for her and excited. Because Kyna is wonderful and amazing and we want her to be happy and married to a good man :) It would be ever so wonderful :) So hopefully she is married and settled soon :) (The guy's name is david)

want to hear something crazy? So do you remember Rebecca Tew/ well she is married and renting from us. They weren't supposed to even have one animal but we found out they have 3 cats AND a dog (which is currently probably relieving himself on our carpet). We stayed quiet when we heard about the cats because we didn't want to get her angry and things but anyways now with the dog we mentioned it and of course she got defensive saying she has a doctors note and what not and that its for her "ptsd" and Then I find out a week after that she is selling them all in preparation for moving to a new apartment (so when we come back) probably because her new apartment told them they couldnt have pets (which ours did as well). But anyways because they are paying more then we owe for the apartment the extra money works as damage control (meaning we can clean carpets if we need to) she says she will though but we will see. I think above all it makes me realize how much honesty means to me. Also that I am glad we don't have an inside dog, I wanted one growing up but now I am glad we didn't (we currently are staying with people who have an indoor dog). My my it definitely makes us almost consider not having dogs haha (with the amount of constant barking/yapping because its a small dog haha). But truthfully we are VERY blessed to have been able to rent out our apartment then live with aunt marianne and uncle pat for as long as we did (only paying for groceries) and now having a place to stay (we are paying rent now but its nothing compared to how much we would have to pay if we were actually renting out a place). And this has been a Great experience living with this young couple (They even put a tv in our room) a pretty big one too haha.

Also when we get back from disneyland we are going to lagoon for kyrk's nephew/my nephew tanner's 5th bday (sep 2nd) and then to angelica perez's wedding (sep 3rd) 

So we have been very blessed and we are excited for this adventure. well we love you and hope you are doing well! Goodluck with everything!

Love Kelsey (Kyrk also loves and supports you, he happens to be hard at work right now though which allows me to sit here and relax and write you haha)

Arriving in mission field

8/1/16
Dear Mom,
  I LOVE you! And I miss your cooking very much! I get to "make" my
own meals...aka cereal and pb and j and those good stuff. I realize
NOW how much I have taken advantage of the charity that emanates from
your heart and soul. You have been sooo good to me and I want to say
thank you! What is weird about leaving the home though is that I have
never had such a desire to have a clean apartment, to play the piano
for hours on end, and to sing with choirs!? I mean that doesn't even
sound like me! Since I have been out in the field/mission I have sung
in three choirs, and been able to play the piano for sacrament and
other opportunities a few times! And it has been awesome!
  I am currently in Ohio, and my companion is Elder Young!... Except
not the one that we met at the temple right before the MTC, he is a
different Young. When we arrived in Ohio (me and all the other newbies
that were serving in the Ohio Columbus mission there was 26 of us!) we
all got to meet the Pres. For about 2 seconds before it was the next
missionaries turn. We had a big meal and the next day we went out
tracking for a bit to just get a little taste of it, and that was
interesting. I am now in a town called Hilliard Ohio. And there a lot
of interesting people here, it is weird having people not who us
missionaries are but it seems that they all think that they know who
we are so they aren't as interested as I was hoping. We have found a
few good and nice people here in the area.
At church there was a lot of new faces, but there just wasn't very
many people in the congregation, so I hope in the 12 or more weeks I
will be able to be friends with them before I leave the area. I am
used to starting all over again but in all the other times that I have
done it I have had a year or more, I went from having 14 years
somewhere, to two, to one, and now to 12 weeks! My life has really
been one long preparation to meet people quickly and effectively.
You'll be glad to hear (hopefully) that I have already become my old
awkward self around pretty daughters of God, when my companion and I
knocked on this door we were hoping to meet a man there, then this
young women answers the door and I immediately go "uhhhhh....." And
then turn to my companion...yeah, that was weird. But other than that
area of life I have been progressing in spirit and learning of Christ.
                Love, Elder Kimball!
8/8/16

Dear Father Kimball,
 I like to think that my efforts thus far are considered as working
hard because that is what I am trying to accomplish as I am out here
in the field. I love meeting more and more people and I think that is
why it is so easy to see God's hand in my life because as long as I
keep meeting new people that are awesome I will continue to grow and
learn from all of them. It is amazing to hear all of their stories and
how they got to where they are now.
I will continue to work hard and follow the example that you have been
to me, I want to be as good of a father as you have been to me and I
believe that the mission will be what helps me achieve that goal.

Dear Mom,
So we are moving?? Do we actually have a house now? And what are the
Bear tooth mountains? I have never heard of those before? And so what
do you mean go to the Henry's Fork ward for the last time? Wow...a lot
happened in the last week. I guess what was slowing down buying a
house was me! 
I have finally been led to find a few people that are kind to
missionaries and are actually willing to listen to what we have to
say. And I might have kind of freaked the guy out by how happy I was
when he asked his first question to us!!! Because for the week
previous we hadn't been able to really answer anyone's questions
because no one really wanted to talk to us. So when he began asking
his question my smile grew and grew! And my heart swelled with joy!
   Do you know the Ludlo's? Because in the MTC I met a Josh Ludlo that
apparently knows Kelsey and our family and close friends in Laie
because he lived there with his family, I taught him as one of my
investigators and he turned out to be a member ( at the MTC they pay
people to pretend to be investigators...yeah that was a little devious
and under- handed in my opinion..lack of trust for how that all
works).
   Cody sent me a Captain America action figure with my face on it!
What! So cool!
    Oh and if we are actually moving ("you see the quotation marks
that I am making with my claw like hands...it means I don't believe
you! " except that I do) can I get our new address for when I will be
sending you more letters.
    I think I have finally hit that stage in a boy's life where I am
just hungry all the time and I can just eat and eat....now that I am
18 and on a mission and don't have your amazing cooking and meals
everyday!!! Bad timing on my body's part for sure.
        Love you so much! Elder Kimball

From mom

My dear Elder Kimball,
> We love you so much! We recieved your wonderful card and felt your spirit right here with us. Each one of us felt personally touched by it:
> lil' Tessy (smiley face)
> Ditto tee hee
> Dad and I had to ask about the jojo something or other. Laramie laughed out loud when she read it and also explained to dad that Sandy was a character thus leading out in the foursome.
> I felt your love, spirit, and fun-ness jump right off the page and it brought happy tears to my eyes. I know some moms are so sad when their kids are gone, but I feel so much joy at your ability to progress there and the joy it brings us to hear of your testimony growing.
> I did look for you at the sacrament table today since we went back to the Henry's Fork ward one last time to teach our lessons.
> I was doing well until we were released from our callings. Brother Schatt almost said our names in a hushed tone. We felt so loved.
> I shared my testimony of service and about what I was taught by the Spirit as I drove over the Beartooth mountains (which will be in the letter I sent to your mission office. Thank you for the address from your letter which we will send our letters to, but so sorry for the lag in you getting our letters. They will catch up to you soon.)
>
> Anyways, Treyson testified that trials make us stronger, and later Brother Lee Walquist said he drove over the Beartooths and thought it was so beautiful.
> I loved how those added to my experience as well. Truthfully, after driving over the Beartooths, I was not afraid to drive over Dead Indian Mountain any more because I had gained wisdom and experienced something much harder.
>
> Abe came up to visit us again today. It was an answer to Sheridan's fasting and prayer. She wanted to tell him that they needed to take a step back (since they were really talking marriage and had never dated.) He has feelings for Angie on a mission now and I think it is great for both of them to be at this level of the pyramid which they skipped no matter what the end result is if they end up together or not.
>
> I have the house packed up. Dad is hoping to move by my birthday on the 19th.
> The card you sent us and your faithful service as a missionary is a birthday present to me! We LOVE YOU AND WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU AND WE ARE SO THANKFUL THAT YOU ARE SERVING THE LORD.
>
> Today my lesson in Sunday School was about writing in your journals. You are a great example of that.
> When I read the title, I thought it was going to be a boring lesson, but by the time I read President Eyring's talk, I was so excited to teach the lesson. my two girls were mildly interested in it, but for me it took "journal writing" off of the "to do" list, and put it onto the "how to open the windows and communication channels of heaven."
>
> He said, before writing, ponder and pray about your day and ask yourself,
> "Have I seen the hand of the Lord work in my life today or in the life of others,; and
> "Was there a message sent just for me?"
> and we should write in our journals not with the mind set of recording our history, but teaching our children and gchildren..... to come unto Christ
>
> and that by doing so, God will help us see what we couldn't recognize
> and that by remembering what He has done for us....we will have His Spirit....
> love Him.....and become like Him.
>
> We will get our letters sent to the address on your card.
Love Mom