Week 7 Transfer

Hello!

Transfers were this week! And so with Elder Bartlett now back home in the CA, I now have Elder Richardson. He's been out almost 5 months. And he is from the Boston area. He is super notorious for all the puns he makes. So it's a fun time. Also because Elder Bartlett left, and even though Elder Richardson is senior companion, I'm technically leading the area. It's kinda nerve racking. We have a baptism this week and because he has no knowledge of the area I'm kinda on my own with setting everything up. It's fun stuff. 

Also, if you saw my pictures from last week. We recorded two mission song parodies last P-Day. I'll send them to mom and she can determine who to send them to. They are the first mission songs made here so it's kind of awesome. Also. Because of one line I sing in a song I now have the nickname Dirty Cash. And it doesn't seem it's going away any time soon. 

In other news we have a baptism coming up! Her name is Becca Allred. She was from a polygamist background and she finally got interviewed by a member of the 70, and she was approved to be baptized! She's been waiting for almost three months for this to happen! 

We also got to witness a Re-baptism this week as well, it was for a guy named Michael. Not quite sure if he was excommunicated, or if he had his records removed, but he is one lost sheep who has returned to the fold. 

Lately I have been stressing the importance of the Book of Mormon to everyone. I don't know why it's been so important lately to me, but it has been. 

Also! Something I've noticed, is when I'm in a lesson, my voice changes completely. It almost doesn't sound like me. It's weird. 

But so stake conference for the YSA stakes is this week, and I've never heard of a YSA stake conference so this will be fun. We will have to be split as both stakes are having them at the same times, so that'll be fun!

Oh! Also we are teaching some one named Rob, he's an investigator, and when I brought him up yesterday at the 1st stake Ward Mission Leader correlation meeting, I got some interesting reactions. Reason being, he was the biggest drug dealer in all of northern Utah for four years. He found the gospel while in jail, and he's not quite clean, but he is looking for that "something else" and he's probably one of the coolest guys I've ever met.

Then just the other day, I was going on splits and contacting with an Elders Quorm President in the 22nd Ward, and we entered a familiar apartment complex, and it didn't take me to long to recognize it as our old zone leaders live there (they redid the zone boundaries) and I looked to him and said, "How funny would it be if this referral was for our Zone Leaders." Then we walk over to their building and I start busting out laughing. The referral was for their neighbor. (And if you are wondering why they didn't talk to their neighbor is we have a strict rule about not proselyting to your neighbors) After knocking on the door a few times and talking to the Ward Mission Leader for a second, Elder Pereira slowly opens the door and pokes his head out, then busts out laughing saying "I thought I heard missionary talk out here." Then his new companion (his old companion Elder Evans went home) Elder Florez walked over to the door, and I forgot he was his companion and it caught me off guard (because Elder Florez as just released as AP, so I got all awkward real fast), and then after a few seconds of an awkward greeting between the Elders Quorm President and the ZL's I accidentally said out loud "Well this is awkward..." And then Elder Florez broke out in laughter. But we then talked about the neighbor and was then on our way.

So yeah. It's been an interesting week.

But here are some photos to finish up all that I'm lacking in written words!

Elder Bartlett leaving me on his bike...

My Last picture with Elder Barlett

My last photo with Elder Bartlett

 

And me and Elder Richardson

'Till Next Time,

Elder Kentish

Week 6

Sorry!

I won't have time to do a full email today. So here are some photos.

That's our district with DJ Dub-D (on the left of Elder Bullock [the one in blue]) after we recorded some songs in his study for district activity.

We recorded some songs for Pday and I'll send them to you when I have the chance. They are missionary spoofs of rap songs.

Also for music it's anything uplifting. He has no specific "approved" list. So yes. Sufjan is ok and what ever else you think fits under that category.

I see president Killpack probably once a week, but never long enough to interact all that much. He is very kind, loving, and inspired though.

Also tell April what's up, I haven't heard from her in a while. Also tell Mollie to email me, I've gotten a letter from her, and just let her know it'd be easier for emails for me.

I'm so sorry I don't have time for a full letter, it's just been really busy today!

Also transfers are this week and I get my new companion this Wednesday, I'll let you know all about that then!

Elder Kentish

District

Rap Artists

Week 5

Hello!

So another week has gone by and it was a little on the rough side.

We have had tons of cancellations through out the week and people have been getting hard to reschedule with as well. Its not making our lives easy at the time, but who said it would be easy?

In other news though we had one baptism this week for a guy named Brian Perkins, and man is he something else. When we scheduled the baptism, apparently there was a blood drive going on at the church we had scheduled for, so we had to baby sit the fount and the room we were doing the service in for several hours well before the baptism. But it went smoothly and the baptism had a good turn out. It was funny though, during the baptism Brian tried to dunk himself before the baptismal prayer was even said.

In over news I spoke twice this last Sunday on missionary work. One talk was 8 minutes long, the other I gave was 25 minutes long. A big difference between the two. But both talks were focused on the conversion story of Zeezrom, and the background that got Alma the younger and Amulek to the point of meeting with him. I spoke about how the change of one man lead to other great things as Zeezrom later becomes a missionary with Alma and the sons of Mosiah for the Zoramites.

So two pretty interesting events happened this week. One just a few hours ago and the other a few days ago.

The one that happened a few days a go was super strange. We were in the Cherry Hill Sisters area (Sisters Inman and Denning [Their area being the home wards to our second YSA stake]) doing what we call a 'Blitz'(which is where everyone in the district focuses on one area in the district, this area being the sisters district at the time). And while on the Blitz we were hitting up some referrals for them in an area we weren't to familiar with in south Orem. So eventually we get a little lost, and start driving down this weird road in the middle of a neighborhood, and we see something lying in the middle of the street. As we pull up to it we discover its a dog, and the dog looks like it was hit by a car. It wasn't moving or anything. So I rolled down my window to try and get a better look at it and once its down Elder Bartlett then honks the horn on the car, and this dog we thought was dead just jumps to its feet and starts barking, scaring both of us and causing us to speed away as quickly as legally possible. But it gets better as we try to drive away this huge herd of cats just wanders into the road. and when I say huge, i mean there was at least a dozen or more cats. And it was just a super strange site, and at this point Elder Bartlett just yells our "WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE WE!" I don't know. I thought it was pretty funny.

Then the event that happen a few hours ago was Elder Bartlett was having a rough morning as his iPad wasn't working, and as we were leaving the grocery store this is a Chucky Cheese across the street and while pulling out of the parking lot Elder Bartlett just says "Let's just go get a picture with Chucky." and we pull into the lot and go on in. Next thing I know we are talking to the owner and Elder Bartlett is asking to get a picture with Chucky, and then the Owner offers us free food, so we at lunch for free at a Chucky Cheese today, and also have a picture with the over sized mouse costume. So yeah, it was a pretty interesting time...

So yeah, it was a pretty interesting week, and as this is the last full week of the transfer Elder Bartlett will be going home not this Thursday, but next. and I'll be getting a new companion on next Wednesday. So it'll be a fun time as Elder Bartlett finishes out his time here.

Hey, so I finally got the package, and I ate all that candy on my own because I'm a fatty now. Elder Bartlett isn't to big a fan of sweets so they were all for me at that point. lol

I have some requests for the next care package when ever that will be. More skinny style ties (not super skinny though. Like the rum ties is the skinniest it can be {and that tie is a Penguin tie, and I want more of those, you can tell by the penguin on the back of it.}) Also, a CD and a Flash drive with a bunch of MoTab (two specific hymns I really want be it MoTab or what ever is 'If You Could Hide To Kolob' and 'Be Still My Soul' ) and every every single religious Sufan Stevens song you can find that is around. (His Christmas volumes should all be good, as well as a bunch of songs off of his Seven Swans album) you can also send the Nashville tribute band. but if you can get all those music files on a flash drive we can plug the flash drive into our car to listen to it. so that'd be awesome. also like two or three more scarfs, not to many scarfs. Also less food and more material things that will stick around more.

Yes there are biking areas, but I never know when I'm going to need one. So just keep that money sitting there and when the money goes poof that's when I needed it.

Also I cant receive videos, but pictures would be ok for MTW and Brents farewells. What I'm holding in one picture is my TiWi card, a card I have to use to log in every time i drive. But with elder Bartlett being the designated driver I haven't gotten the chance to yet.

Tell Miss Clara thank you for the shirt, and tell Tia LoLu thank you as well for the package. Also let Nana know I said thank you for the card.

It's been a fun time and I'll write again soon.

Elder Kentish

With Elder Bartlett

Baptism Time

TiWi Card and Driving Priveledge

Week 4

Hello Everyone!

Another week has gone by and we have had a few interesting experiences.
So earlier this week we had taught a lesson in a bathroom that is
bigger than our apartment. Now I'm sure you're wondering why a
bathroom. But it was because we were helping a member move out, and as
we were admiring their bathroom (which is seriously almost twice the
size of our apartment) he just asked if we could do the lesson there
because he didn't feel like moving. So yeah. Lesson in a bathroom.
Also I finally got the chance to go to the Provo City Center Temple
open house. I got super lucky as they extended the time recently for
missionaries to take investigators to it. And so we escorted our
investigator through and I finally got to see it. It was an an amazing
Temple. And there was tons of wood work in it. Like. Seriously. Tons.
But it was so beautiful and I feel seriously so lucky I got the chance
to see it.
Another fun experience I had was on Sunday. An investigator was in
need of a baptismal interview and because Elder Bartlett is our
district leader we needed a zone leader to do the interview. Well, the
zone leaders had a Ward council they needed to attend. So I went with
Elder Pereira (the Brazilian dentist) to their Ward council (because
him and Elder Evans are the zone leaders) while Elder Evans
interviewed the investigator. Well. Our zone leaders are Spanish
elders. So I got to sit in on a Spanish Ward council, and I had no
idea what in the world was going on the entire time. But it made me
want to learn Spanish (for once).
So something else interesting happened on Sunday. As I'm sure you all
are well aware it was fast Sunday, so therefore it was a testimony
meeting during sacrament. Well, right towards the end and after tons
of people gave their testimony (including Elder Bartlett) we had an
investigator we have been working with by the name of Kandi (She is
someone who has very little religious knowledge period, and was
attending with her boyfriend), walk right up to the pulpit. She then
stated she was prompted by an unknown feeling to get up there and
express her personal testimony. She spoke on how she enjoyed
everyone's testimonies and how she loved the standards of the church.
She made sure to say she didn't quite know if the church was true or
not, but she was definitely open to it. It was an amazing experience.
And as she was walking down for the pulpit a member of the bishopric
stopped her and whispered something to her, which we assumed was
something along the lines of 'have you met with the full time
missionaries' as we then immediately see them point to us and we all
gave out a nice laugh. It truly was an amazing experience and
something no one saw coming.
So other than being really cold this has been a pretty eventful week.
It was hard to get lessons Sunday night because of the super bowl
though, but none the less glad the Broncos won.
For those of you wondering what I've been doing on my Pdays you'd be
disappointed. So far every single one has been filled with shopping
and sitting around doing nothing, because Elder Bartlett had been
preparing for coming back here for school. So like today we sat at the
DMV for three hours because he was getting his residency and he has to
finish his UVU application and all this other paperwork related stuff.
It's not fun because we are going to be missing our Zone Activity
which literally starts in a few minutes. (I'm writing this email as
he's filling more paperwork out) So yeah.
Any how, that's an overview of all our interest moments this week.
Everyone feel free to email anytime!

Till Next Week,
Elder Kentish

Week 3

Hey Everyone!

Shorter Letter this week as its been busy in the sense of doing the...
same thing. Teaching lots of people and doing electronic paper work.

But so this last Tuesday I went in exchanges with Elder Cole in the
UVU South area which covers the UVU campus and most of student
housing. It was interesting seeing how things were going on over
there. They only cover one YSA stake but it is super busy. Elder Cole
is a fun Elder and I had a blast with him. But when I got back with
Elder Bartlett it was nice having him back. Because it was
interesting. Elder Bartlett always seems to be in a rush in
everything, while Eder Cole seems to be a little laid back for
everything. Never in a bad way for either. It's just interesting to
see how even though we all do the same work, people do everything a
little differently.
But so like I said we have been teaching lots of people to the point
were a couple nights this last week we were on splits and we plan for
all of this upcoming week to be on splits. It was interesting teaching
a lesson virtually on my own (even if the Ward Mission Leaders are a
big help). It's really interesting though. After every lesson everyone
asks how long I've (or we've) been out. And when I tell people I've
only been out for less than a month people have started to not believe
me. Apparently I'm just that good, because a lot of people guess I've
been out for at least a year.
I feel really blessed that a lot of our Ward Mission Leaders are RM's
so they all know how Ward Mission Leaders should be doing their job.
My favorite Ward Mission Leader is the 17th wards. His name is Brother
Bryson. He's served in the Phoenix Arizona mission and was one of the
trial iPad missionaries. So he knows our current electronic Struggles
and such. He's been a huge help with everything and plans on making
some big changes to the way Ward missionary work will work.
In other news a Less Active we were teaching last night gave us a
little parting gift. His mother made like seven loafs of homemade
bread, and right as we were about to leave he gives us the biggest
loaf and sends us on our way. The bread is so amazing and it's already
halfway gone. So now it makes sense why she made seven. Because it's
gone in a second.
Also in other news, last Pday while we were at the store two separate
ladies gave us each 20$ and another woman paid for all of our
groceries. Like, I always heard that stuff like this happens, but I
never thought it would happen to me. It was weird because no matter
how hard we'd try to deny their help they always swoop in on the last
second to ring what ever it is we had up on their card.
But so, I've been really enjoying the area (even if it has snowed
almost everyday I've been here) and the people I teach and teach with
are awesome. I can definitely see how I was placed here to teach
specific people. And I feel very blessed.

Till Next Week,
Elder Kentish