lovin Lincoln

This week was awesome! We started out this week with interviews with President Gardner, and it was amazing, I love being able to learn from him. And always Sister Gardner's cookies were amazing. This week we had the opportunity to do a lot of service. On Wednesday, we helped an investigator family move. We were also on exchanges with out Zone Leaders, so it was Elder Johnson and I. We moved like 3 fridges and tons of heavy furniture. It was awesome. That same day, an inactive guy that we see,  invited us over for breakfast, he said that he makes these huge pancakes and has never seen anyone eat more than one. Well when Elder Johnson and I went over, we challenged him that we would eat 3 if he would give us his cigarettes. So he laughed at us and cooked us these three massive Pancakes. He was also kind enough to add a fried egg, as well as a strip of bacon. As soon as I got my plate I went ham. After many fork fulls of pancake, I finished. and it was in about 15 minutes. James could hardly believe that I ate it all. But he did give us his cigarettes. That was such a good day, Elder Johnson is so much fun! Also one other crazy thing that we discovered is every Friday and Saturday night, on O street, every nice car in Lincoln drags main. Like people line the sides of the road with their families, and watch all the nice cars, race each other and do huge burn outs right on the street. It is pretty loud and crazy. It was pretty cool to see though!

We have been able to teach some of our investigators this week, and it is so awesome to be able to help them progress! I love being a missionary so much!

Yesterday was pretty fun as well, we had to skip emails yesterday because of Memorial day, so that meant that we got to have a long p-day! We played a ton of basket ball, and some disc golf! It was so much fun! Anyhow, we have exchanges today with the other Trendwood Elders! So that will be way fun! We have a lot of fun people we are meeting, and I am excited to talk with more peeps as the weather gets warmer! Thank you for all that you do! I love you!

Elder Kirby 

 Popsicles

 Early birthday party!

cake that Elder Beazer made me

Rain

This week was a great week, a lot of tender mercies from the Lord. At the beginning of the week, it rained. And then it continued to rain for 3 days. But of course, a little rain can't stop us from doing missionary work! Elder Stokes and I trekked it out in the rain for 3 days straight, we got completely soaked every day. It was so awesome, because we were able to see a ton of miracles. This week we were blessed enough to find a lot of new investigators. And we got to teach some pretty sweet lessons. We got to meet with Anna and Wade this week, and teach them a lesson about baptism. It was probably one of the most spiritual lessons I have been in. The spirit was just putting words into my mouth as we covered a very wide variety of questions and topics. But probably one of the most amazing parts was when I felt impressed to ask him about his thoughts concerning Joseph Smith. Well, he finally opened up about how he had some concerns about him being a prophet. The spirit helped me out a ton, and as I opened my mouth Heavenly Father gave them a promise that if they prayed with real intent and searched for an answer, then he could give them one that night. I could hardly believe what I was saying. I know that message was from Heavenly Father to them. I am so thankful for the gospel, and for the power of prayer and the Holy Ghost that confirms the truth of all things. I cant fully describe the feelings of the lessons I share with people, I will say that it is the most amazing feeling ever to have the spirit testify through you. I love it. I love my mission so much, I enjoy every single day. I am pretty sad that we only get two years to serve. But I am making the most of every single day! I am so pumped for the rest of my mission, and the rest of today. I hope you all have a good week, I love you!

Elder Kirby

mothers day

Hello everyone, HAPPY MOTHERS DAY! it was so awesome to be able to talk with my fam! This week was amazing, lots of cool things going down here, Elder Stokes and I are seeing some pretty awesome miracles! We were able to teach some pretty sweet lessons this week. This week we had a ton of service, I didn't realize how out of shape I was until I got my hands on a post hole digger for a couple hours. It seriously kicked my butt. It was really nice though!

I do want to share a pretty sweet lesson that we were able to teach this week We are teaching a young man, who is homeless, and 19. Well Elder Haire and I felt impressed to stop by one of our investigators house, well he didn't want to talk with us, well that was ok, because it led us to feel a prompting to go and see Jay. Well we get there, and brother Tuala sits us down and asks us to share a lesson. What insued was one of the most powerful messages of the restoration I have been in. The spirit truly does guide our words, because Elder Haire and I taught in perfect unison. It was an amazing experience. He wants to be baptized, as well as his girlfriend! we were super excited. I cant fully describe how I felt, because I know it was the spirit teaching the lesson not us.

I just have such a strong testimony of the spirit working in our lives. If you think about it, we can do just about anything with the spirit. I can testify that if we pray to increase out spiritual capacity to learn and love, and then live accordingly, we can reach heights that we never thought were possible. We learn and grow at such a rapid rate with the spirit that it is crazy. I love feeling the spirit, especially when I read from the Book of Mormon. It is my favorite. I would invite all to pray and ask for the spirit to teach you every time you begin your day. There is something that Heavenly Father is waiting to teach you everyday, and its your choice whether or not you listen. if you, I promise you will grow. I love this gospel. I know its true, I am thankful for my mother who has taught me so many amazing things about the gospel, I wouldn't be who I am today without her. I am thankful for the opportunity I have to serve, time is way to short. Enjoy every minute of every day. Have a good week, Love Elder Kirby

10 months

Hello again, it appears that the tides have changed, because this week was HOT. Summer is coming so fast I cannot believe that I have been out 10 months already. That is so crazy. Time is going by way to fast.

This week was a really good week full of really powerful lessons. We saw a ton of miracles this week. One of my favorites I will share: Elder Stokes and I were trying some of our investigators in an apartment complex, and we knocked on one of their doors, and received no answer, so for some reason I just headed back to the car. Well I got in and started off, and slammed on the brakes because I realized that we still had people to talk to there. So we get out of the car, and I notice a lady smoking on her porch, the spirit told me to talk with her, so we went over and I gave her a card. She told us that her friend needed to hear our message of hope, and peace. She then sent us to her friends car who was just across the lawn. We set up an appointment with her for later that night, and headed off to her friends car. We approached this young woman sitting in her car, and I introduced myself, and told her about our message, her face when we walked up and gave her a card about Jesus was priceless. We were able to teach her a lesson while we were standing in the pouring rain, we got completely soaked, but it was so worth it. We set her for baptism on the 20th and later that evening we set her friend as well. Since then they have both come on a church tour and been taught again.  The girl in the car, expressed to us her desire to be baptized, and change her life. It was just really cool, and such a miracle, because if we wouldn't have got in the car, we wouldn't have noticed the girl standing on her porch, and we never would have met her friend. This work is so amazing, and I am so blessed to be apart of it.

We also had an amazing Zone conferece this week. One of my favorite highlights, was when Elder Haire hit a hawk on the way to Kearny. It was hilarious. But Zone conference was good, we learned a lot about living the doctrine of Christ, and how it is essential in everything we do in this life. I can testify that that is true. We are what we choose to do. When we choose to live the doctrine of Christ, we are choosing to progress and become like our Heavenly Father. And also as we live it, our capacity to love and repent become magnified. The doctrine of Christ is not something we obtain, its what we become.

Elder Stokes and I are doing well also, we are having a ton of fun together! I also love Elder Swaner and Elder Haire, who are the other Trendwood missionaries. They are some of my best friends! We have had some pretty good times, like carrying a piano up 3 flights of stairs. Good times. Anyhow, it was another amazing spirit filled week. Keep smiling, and always strive to live the doctrine of Christ.

Love Elder Kirby

 lovin floral ties

 Trendwood missionaries

 Mtc buddies reunited

rain

Well this week started out much like the last, we found another hole in the wall restaurant down town. It was awesome! It was quite the bland and  grey. Nothing but rain and more rain. However, nothing can stop the work from progressing, not even the weather.

We met some really cool people this week, and found some really sweet investigators, one of them being a Russian guy named Vladimir. He says that God led him to America, and that the KGB has tried to kill him multiple times...it is pretty legendary. He also lives in a huge mansion..it was so awesome! We also had a really good lesson with our other investigator , we taught her about faith, and promised her that if she excercised her faith and came to church Heavenly Father would provide a way for her to make it. Sadly, she didn't show this sunday, but her son is now interested in learning more about the gospel, so we are teaching both of them now. We also had an interesting lesson with another investigator. She is from Sudan and really only speaks Arabic. Well we can't get a translator, so I was like well looks like we are gonna wing it then and I asked if her daughter could pull up google translate, and we answered some of her questions by typing them into the phone. It was one of the most interesting experiences of my life! I felt the spirit so strong, even though there were hardly any words said. I love this work. Nothing will stop it from progressing. Where there is a will, God provides the way! What a wonderful work to be engaged in, Nothing brings me more happiness than waking up and spreading the gospel! OH also we have an investigator whos name is John... and it just so happens that John shot the #4 largest white tail in the state of Nebraska. I love teaching him. He is awesome.

Other than that, nothing else too crazy yet. Elder Stokes and I are working our butts off every day, and having a ton of fun! We are looking forward to a good week with hopefully a little more sunshine. Nevertheless, I am pumped either way! Keep smiling and have an amazing week. You only get to live one day at a time.. you might as well smile. Love you all.

Love, Elder Kirby