Happy Parts of 2011!

So grateful for these! They really made what could 
have been a fail year turn out to be a semi-successful 
year. Thanks happy parts!

Ringing in 2011 at Disney World!

Getting back to my French Class roots and finding 
the king in the cake with the fam. 
Happy Epiphany!

Discovering places like Ford's Theater and the Spy Museum with friends

Almost dying in Snowmageddon the Younger. Thrilled to be a part of it actually. Feel I missed out being in Romania during Snowmageddon the First. Good thing we had Marissa's bed to keep warm in when we didn't have power for, oh, three days.

Discovering places like The National Cathedral with friends

Visiting The Aunt in Asheville, North Carolina

Cherry Blossoms!!!

Saying good-bye to The Brother. Okay, so that wasn't 

totally happy, but getting him back in 16 more 

months will be! 

Knowing I have friends in Utah who still care :) (I think...)

Being in St. George for Elizabeth's wedding and learning 

about a family that is very different than mine but 

as equally incredibly wonderful!

THE BEACH

THE BEACH!

THE BEACH!!

(seeing the USS Cole & the USS New York: a ship 

forged from the steel of the World Trade Center)

DANCING INTO TWENTY-FIVE

@ a party with which some awesome friends 

surprised me. Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties,

the video is not available for your viewing pleasure 

on this page. You will have to check The FB.

Running my 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th 5Ks. This year's goal:

Half Marathon. Wish me luck!

Discovering Eastern Market!

Watching Fred learn how to drive 

and parallel park :)

Celebrating the Fourth of July in DC!

Attending my Romania Mission President's homecoming!

So good to see all the mission buddies!!

Driving across the country to get to the homecoming!

If you're ever in Denver, you must hug the big blue bear.

Thank you for making the trip happen Jeffrey Divis.

Spending time in Palmyra, New York with Missy, her family,

and friends visiting LDS Church History sites and

seeing the Hill Cumorah Pageant!

Introducing new family to the best place on earth

and spending two weeks with them there.

Discovering the Library of Congress with the Relief Society.

I now have a reader card and can sit and learn in that 

beautiful building whenever I want!

Um, Grandma got baptized! That's about all I can say

about that. I'm kind of still in shock. :)

Having so many great Romania Mission 

buddies here in DC!!

Visiting Pittsburgh's greatest nurse in Steelers Country!

Bucket List moment on Thanksgiving Day

in New York City :) (well, basically the whole

trip was incredible!)

Making awesome Christmas memories in DC!

Like singing in Institute Choir, singing in the ward

Christmas Program, and singing carols

at the Romanian Embassy!! Did I mention I did a lot

of singing this Christmas? And...discovered a LOT

of delicious holiday recipes. Hit me up if you need

some next Christmas!

Happy New Year!

No longer MIA!...and what he's teaching

Almost 6 months into his mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Santiago, Chile, I have finally seen pictures of my CUTE wittle brother in a suit with a name tag! Not because he sent them, because our family stalked his mission blog. :) Behold:

 My brother is in the front, second from the left!

Dead center, front row

view of Santiago and the Andes

For details on why he is in Chile and what he is doing there, see here. However, as I spent 18 months in Romania teaching the same things, I can tell you the basics. He was called by a prophet of God (President Thomas S. Monson) to tell people that the church established by Jesus Christ when he lived on the earth began to fade away after His death. Members faced severe persecution and all but one of the apostles were martyred. This is a period called the Great Apostasy, when there was a “falling away” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3) from the gospel Christ organized. The authority to bestow priesthood keys and to receive revelation for the Church was lost along with many precious teachings. This website, run by the LDS Church, explains things better than I can.

My brother is telling people about Joseph Smith, a teenage boy in 1820, in upstate New York, during a time of religious excitement. Joseph was confused about which church he should join and asked God through prayer. The answer he received was that none of them were true. He (through the power of God) was instrumental in restoring the true church of Jesus Christ to the earth again.

Recently, there has been a lot of media, political, and other attention focused on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or Mormon Church). I am generally happy about the attention regardless of whether it is positive or negative because it means more people with become at least a little familiar with the church I belong to! Once in a while, however, I feel it is necessary to clarify; even if the offender could be classified as psychologically insane and even if no one is listening to me :)

Anderson Cooper interviews Dr. Robert Jeffress (a baptist pastor who believes there should be an evangelical president in the White House and called Mormonism a cult):

Now...even if "cult" can be theologically defined as a religion/religious group with a founder other than Jesus Christ, Mormonism (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) doesn't qualify. Why? Because Joseph Smith did not found said church. Jesus Christ did. Joseph Smith restored it. If you have questions about that, see my linked websites, comment here, or get in touch with me and I will put you in touch with people like my brother who are in your area. People called of God to explain it.

P.S. Points to Anderson Cooper, he ROCKS!

He's Alive!

Okay, so I promise this blog won't become a shrine to my brother's missionary service in Chile. But he survived his first week in-country and I'm so proud of him!! Posting his FIRST email from Santiago, well, pieces. The parts that remind me of my mission :) Say some prayers he will be protected and led to speak with those who are ready to hear his simple but TRUE message! Thanks.

Hola Familia!

Well, I´m not as stressed out as I was at first but it´s totally crazy! Because I can´t understand what people are saying! Oh, and interesting fact for you all...I´m not learning Spanish!!! I´m learning something called Castallano (I think that´s how it´s spelled), which is a dialect of Spanish!!!

It is SO different here!!! Apparently Santiago is the second greatest civilized city in South America...they even have a McDonald´s and a KFC!!!

There´s more dogs than smokers - and in a week I can´t count how many smokers I´ve seen. I´ll probably come back to the States addicted to secondhand smoking! (Hopefully not)

They drive really crazy here. The one thing I continuously pray in my heart for besides people who want to hear the gospel, is for all the cars that are here to have their breaks working.

P-day was good today! Happy 4th of July! We played soccer and had churipans! Oh and the mayo here is top of the line! Churipans are slightly thicker mini hot dogs wrapped in bread with any condiment of choice. It´s pretty good!

The main meal here is lunch - in fact, it´s such a big meal that there have been a few days here where I have had only lunch and I have been COMPLETELY fine. It´s weird sometimes having only one meal a day but I´m getting accustomed to it.

Most schools here are on strike! Chairs are backed up to the gates with students patrolling with metal pipes and bats. Something about wanting better education.

(Something else I forgot to mention): Every place...EVERY PLACE...has a gate or fence of some sort here! I can´t think of a place I´ve seen here without one! So that´s pretty weird.

And it´s COLD here in the mornings! No snow, not really any wind...it´s just cold!!! It´s like the air itself is the essence of cold! But that is just the mornings. Once it gets about to 9am it´s not so bad and it doesn´t get cold until the next morning when I wake up...so it´s not Too bad - it´s just freakin cold in the mornings!

Church was really good! There was a baby blessing and the Primary kids made me short little welcome cards! They are all so wonderful!!! When I introduced myself, I was blessed not to forget all my Spanish and was even able to get a laugh out of them! So it´s not too bad. I just can´t understand what they say back to me. So that part is bad. But other than that life is pretty good!

President and Sister Laycock are just about the greatest people I could have for mission presidents!!! It was so cool! We each had a short interview with the President and Wow! Every time I learn more and keeping the commandments I realize again and again, with more surety that this Church is the True Church! There is NO way it´s NOT true! And all the members are just one big family! Sacrament meeting and the other meetings don´t change...except they´re in spanish!!!

We had a Public Presentation two days ago (where we go do something in the plaza) and we shined people´s shoes while we talked of the gospel...it was the coolest thing ever!! It was pretty funny too!! Me and Elder Gordon were trying to talk to this one man and after we left, Elder Gordon told me a few of the things he said...1 - How come you don´t ever have any African American (what he said was nigger) missionaries? 2 - You are all spies sent to check on the situation in Chile 3 - A few other things that aren´t very nice that Elder Gordon refused to share with me.

To all those types of people with crazy ideas...I just want to tell them...PICK ANY OF OUR CHURCH HOUSES - IN THE WORLD, Then go to any other of our church houses (in the world) and tell me if it´s really all that different!!!! Because it´s NOT! The church is the same all over and it´s true. And you will realize - huh they don´t seem like spies to me...if nothing else they´ll know that what we are teaching is what really happens!!!! It´s just frustrating to have to think that there are even people in the world that exist with such strange ideas!!!! You can´t battle craziness!!!! You just have to share your testimony and walk on by!!!! I just want to tell them that I chose to come on a mission and no one like the government sent me because I like being warm in the mornings!!!! Yep, you can´t battle craziness!!!

But the Gospel is still true! All things done under God´s power can´t be undone without it being His will! Just because someone goes apostate doesn´t make the church which God restored (through a prophet) it doesn´t make the church untrue! And that´s that!

Well...I think that´s that (at least until next week). I´m trying to think of more to write -OH...We had two baptisms this last sunday...an elderly couple Jacob y Luisa. They are great...(almost everyone here calls us some relation) and they call me their nieto or grandson.

Oh, and Chileans say PO like Canadians say EH. It´s pretty funny...I´ll have to try to get that down.

Surprisingly - they play a lot of popular american songs in english here (in fact I´m listening right now to We are the Champions)! Being american, or being able to go to america or other stuff like that makes you pretty cool for some reason around here...something like that.

I´ve also found that it sucks when appointments for teaching fall through! You just want to yell to the world...WHAT WE ARE TEACHING IS GOING TO MAKE YOU THE HAPPIEST YOU HAVE EVER BEEN... PLEASE DON´T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF PASSING THIS UP! But...it happens.

Wow...it got dark soon.

Chau!

LOVE

Elder Kimball

CHI CHI CHI, LE LE LE, CHILE!

Disclaimer: There is no picture with this post because after 8 1/2 weeks in the MTC, we have received ZERO pictures from our dear missionary. We stopped receiving letters a few weeks in. Apparently we should have been sending stamps instead of cookies.

After two long (believe me Elder Kimball, I understand) but valuable months at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, Elder William Kimball flew to Chile (Santiago East) yesterday to begin the remaining 22 months of his 2 year LDS Mission.

Young men and women spend anywhere from 3-12 weeks at the MTC learning how to teach the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and usually studying another language. From personal experience, I know the work they are called to do all over the world is the most sacred, inspired, important work and the best thing they could possibly be doing with their time! Not only are they humbly inviting people to learn more about their Savior Jesus Christ, about a book called the Book of Mormon and about a boy who was called to be a prophet named Joseph Smith, but they are (frequently obliviously) learning more about themselves, the Latter-day Saint Church, religion, culture, psychology, sociology, cooking, cleaning, motivation and leadership in a 2-year time period than they have learned in their entire life up to that point!

As evidenced in emails he has been sending us, it is clear Elder Kimball has already learned a lot (starting with week 1 up through last week):

I miss you all loads, but the grand thing is is that there's so much to do I don't have time to be distraught about it. THE MTC IS LIKE YOUR BEST FRIEND(S)! Take EFY and "multiply it by six!.............." I will be sending part of a written letter later, because there is some info I would like you guys to have. If you could please send my regards to everyone and tell them I am reading their letters, I just can't respond to everything...My first meal was steak and potatoes and yes I ate everything on my plate(s) :)

There's something here called the free box! Any elder puts anything in there it's yours for the taking (I have a box of Nerf Guns!)

I'm in a great district...It's almost liked we planned it in the pre-existence!


I'm pretty sure every missionary here feels like the prophet Mormon..."not even a hundredth part can I write." And it's so true. We have the coolest teachers here and we have the best district and zone. We have just about the best everything! I miss you all and love you all and Can't wait for the second coming so I can remember and tell everything to you all.


Well...it's been 5 weeks!! Certainly hasn't felt that long. It honestly still seems like I just got here yesterday...and if things go according to regular schedule for the MTC, then I'll be a Hosting Missionary this Wednesday!!! The "homework" here has been bumped up a notch since we got Hermano Ellot to be our teacher! He is way cool. He's also more "you can do this, (at least with the Lord's help), so do it! It's good practice for the field, I guess.

MTC is really spelled G - R - E - A - T - !

I know the Gospel is True! I know that we will be blessed if we are obedient!!! I know we can be happy also if we are obedient!

Things going on here: I finished reading the Miracle of Forgiveness! It's pretty powerful - I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone!

Teaching is going great (except for it could still be better). But it's been getting better!

We should be leaving for Chile in about 2 weeks! I can't wait to get out, meet my trainer and mission president and get to work!

Well...Oh yeah! We got a really great lesson the other day from Hermano Jensen...HOLY SMOKES! He is a great teacher! And he gave us some study work and we'll also be having another great lesson Saturday evening from him.

I'm not sure there is too much to tell...most of it is small stuff...eating, sleeping, and studying...All what's left that's cool that I can say is that MIRACLES DO HAPPEN! I remember a saying, "If the church were not true, the 19 year old boys that go out on missions would have sunk the church, years ago"...and so very true! The Gospel is real and it blesses the faithful young men and women who go out and serve missions. The church will grow! But, as President Hinckley said, "Activity is the genius of God's church." I believe there will most certainly come a time when it IS every member a missionary because either you'll be for God, and will be able to stand the trials that will come your way, or we'll not be as hardworking as we should be in the church, in inviting and teaching, and because of our lax nature, we'll lose our testimonies and our good standing with God, and we will be left to ourselves to deal with our problems. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, "As we come closer to Christ, the path of discipleship becomes narrower and narrower..." keeping the commandments probably will take more faith and sacrifice in being obedient. I know the President, his Counselors and the Quorum of the Twelve are Special Witnesses and receive guidance to direct the church. THE HEAD OF THIS CHURCH IS THE LORD JESUS CHRIST - the prophets just speak His words. So listen.

Give my love to ALL the family, everywhere - learn from your own and others mistakes so you don't have to make them as well

And the Church is True.

Love you all

Elder Kimball

After saying "Sé que nuestro Padre Celestial nos bendecirá al guardar los mandamientos," he was gone from the other end of the phone. I love you Elder Kimball! See you in 22 months!

Origins

On October 31, 2009 I walked out my door on the 4th floor of an apartment building in Cluj-Napoca, Romania to find dog poop and one kiwi fruit occupying the same 1 square foot space on the landing. Aside from having a strong desire to regurgitate breakfast, I was intrigued. How do two seemingly different objects come to be in such close proximity to each other?? The wonderfully fabulous Sora V., who resides in my top ten favorite people in the entire world list, kindly posed for a picture:

after which, I laughed to myself while the aforementioned Sveta Vasylyeva likely mused on how strange her companion was. Perhaps it was the state of eternal exhaustion I seemed to be functioning in or the two hours I had just spent attempting to create analogies and metaphors tied to scripture stories and religious principles in personal and companion study, but that combination seemed like the perfect example of how nonsensical and purportedly messed up life can seem. I therefore vowed in the elevator ride down that kiwi and dog poop would somehow become my life maxim, motto or mascot, if you will, for putting life events into perspective and proper order. And so it begins...