Car wrecks and baptism dates!

Hey everyone!

So my week was a good one, it started off with getting into a car accident. We were just sitting there getting ready to pray so we could go in to our appointment, and all of the sudden there was a huge crash sound and the car lurched forward. Elder Kendrick got out and was pretty irritated, and I got out as well, when we looked at the damage, only a small part of the bumper was dented. We were really lucky. So Elder Kendrick got on the phone to start the paper work and such, and I talked to the young woman who ran into us. Her name was Kenezsha and she was on her way to work, and swung in to call her friend to come out, and her brakes went out. And she hit us. Upon talking to her more, I discovered that she was looking for a new church in the area, because she was tired of the hypocrisy of her current church. So I was able to give her some cards, and a book of Mormon, as well as directions to our church. Sadly she doesn't live in our area, so we referred her to the capital Elders. It was a really awesome miracle that was provided for us, I am so thankful for Heavenly Fathers loving guidance. On a good note, Dameris committed to be baptized on  February 4th. we had a few good lessons this week, one in the chapel where we taught her the plan of salvation. She cried the entire time. And her kids are the cutest, we gave them there own book of Mormon, and they brought them to church on sunday! Dameris is so awesome and so prepared for this gospel. Lots of things have happened to get her where she is now, and I am so excited for her. Not a whole lot else happened this week, besides interviews. Which were awesome! My District meeting was pretty good, except the other Elder I assigned to give a 15 minute training gave one for 40 minutes, so I had to condense my training a ton just to get all of the major points in. It was still ok though. I will be interviewing one of the sisters investigators for baptism this week as well. I am pretty nervous for it, but I know it will go well! Overall, I am having a ton of fun here in Lincoln, I cant believe how fast the time is going. It seems like just yesterday I was in the MTC. And now its been almost 7 months! I love my mission so much. I love all of the people.

Sincerely,

Elder Kirby

1. Have you been sick at all since you left? Not really sick at all

2. How's your apartment? Is it sketchy? My apartment is pretty nice, especially with my deer mount.

3. How are your teeth? Any cavities? Teeth are good. Probs have some cavaties lol

4. What's the biggest difference between papio and Lincoln? Lincoln is a lot more hood. It's so much fun!

5. How are all your clothes and shoes holding up? My clothes are good...other than the blood stained suit....(bloody nose)

6. How's your money situation? Money is tight all the time haha

7. Do members feed you in Lincoln or do you have to do more cooking now? We cook quite a bit more here in Lincoln.

8. What are you eating for breakfast? Lunches? I usually don't eat breakfast, and lately lunch is Nutella on toast.

 Car wreck

Deer mount in our apartment 

Elder Horne

*** Elder Kirby wanted to let everyone know that he is really cramped for time to send emails on p-days, so if its awhile before you get one he's sorry! He said he misses everyone and sends his love and prayers!! Keep the emails and letters coming they brighten his day!****

Transfers, DL, New companion

 I am in LINCOLN now!!! It was so crazy to be transferred this time, because President wouldn't tell us where we were going until we got to transfer point on the day of transfers.  So all I got told in my call from him was "you will be a District Leader in your new area..."  so I had no idea where I was going. But I am super stoked now, I have 4 companionships in my stewardship, and I have to give trainings and lead meetings, and set up exchanges every week! Its going to be so much fun!! Also, my new companion Elder Kendrick, is from Bountiful and I LOVE him!!!! He was a wrestler just about as long as I was, and we have so much fun together! He is 6 feet tall and like 240 pounds, so we look kinda odd, but we have so much fun together, and we just click. He is definitely one of my favorites! So Lincoln is like kinda scary, we teach some pretty crazy people, like a drunk guy named Gerald who gave me a Porkchop Sandwich. I ate half and then he took it from me and finished it haha! However we have 3 people set for baptism and about 2 or 3 more that have expressed the desire to be baptized. So I am super stoked. I am so excited for this transfer, I feel like its going to be a really good one. My apartment is pretty nice, we have a sweet view and we now have a deer head mounted in our living room that I got today from our Zone Leaders. Its the coolest thing ever. Lincoln has so far proved to be my favorite area, I love the feel of it, and the people are so awesome! Overall, I am stoked to be a missionary! Especially in Lincoln now!

Elder Kirby

New address: 5330 R St. #9

Lincoln, NE

68505

*valuable packages can still be sent to mission home address, as packages left at the apartment are unattended while out.

 Saying Goodbye

 More goodbyes

 New companion Elder Kendrick

Gift from the Zone Leaders!

Six months

This week was a good one. A little tough, but good. We had our zone training this week, and we had some really good lessons, about turning to Heaven to ask inspired questions to our investigators. And also one about how we can overcome the influence of satan. Both of them were awesome!! After our meeting, we went on exchanges with our District leader Elder Arnold, who came here with me. We had such a good time, and had an amazing experience with one of our in, who ended up dropping us, but we used the inspired questions like we learned, and it totally worked, the spirit was so strong. It was a ton of fun, and I was sad that he told us he no longer wanted to learn about the gospel. Its ok though, he is an amazing guy, and I am happy we got to teach him. 

My best friend Mark passed a way at 7 Wednesday morning. Im not going to lie it hurt me a little bit. But I was completely calm and happy that his time had finally come. He is no longer suffering. Some preparations were made, and the funeral was this past Saturday. His family asked me to speak, and I was really nervous. There were about 150 people who attended including 4 pastors.  I had the opportunity to read Marks testimony of the Book of Mormon that he wrote, and also spoke a little about him. It must have been ok, because I made the crowd laugh a few times. I also had the amazing opportunity to bear testimony of the Plan of Salvation. My bishop said to me afterward, "You do realize Elder Kirby, you just bore testimony to 150 non members right?" it made me laugh. It was a really good service, and i am so happy that Marks family reached out to us as missionaries. I have made some really good friends. I love all of Marks family, and while he will be missed,  know for a fact that he is in a better place now. 

Overall I had a pretty good week, I have learned a lot and I am excited to continue my journey! Transfer calls come in tomorrow morning, so its up in the air as to where I could go! I am excited to finally find out! Ill keep you updated on everything in next weeks email! I LOVE being a missionary. Its the best decision I have ever made. More fun to come I'm sure. 

Elder Kirby

 Morning Run

 Elder Olsen and Elder George

Six month burning of the tie!

Happy New Year!!

This week was a good one, have to email on Tuesday because of new years! I had a really fun and touching week.

Elder Boyer took the Stellas Food challenge yesterday, which is a 4 pound hamburger that is 36 inches tall. It was crazy, he almost finished too, but was disqualified because he threw up haha! We also got to walk around old market in downtown Omaha, it was a ton of fun! New years was fun too, we got to stay up until 10:30 if you can believe it! I finished off the year by reading the rest of Jesus The Christ! I was pretty excited about that! We also drank some sparkling cider to celebrate!  Overall I had a good time, and I am definitely enjoying my time as a missionary, things are going so fast for me! I can hardly believe it!

  So this week has been a blessing, yet one of the hardest yet. I learned this week of the love our Heavenly Father has for each of us. As you know, my friend  is struggling. Well this week in the hospital, he started do decrease very rapidly, and was admitted to hospice care. Well we went to see him one day, and he was hallucinating and it just wasn't a fun thing to see. The next day, we got a call from his sister,  he was dropping rapidly. So we went up again to see him. When I arrived I was brought to tears as I saw my best friend trembling with pain. He was unresponsive. He no longer eats or drinks, and he is suffering greatly. All we could really do was comfort the family. However the following moments proved to be the most spiritual and saddening moments of my life. Shortly , our bishop and one of his counselors came up to see him, and it was determined that he was to be given a blessing. I stood behind him and laid my hand on his head along with the 4 other men there. And bishop gave a blessing in which he released him from this life to meet his Heavenly Father...I did all I could to hold back my tears as I heard the rest of the blessing. After it was finished, I stepped into the hallway where I took a second to just cry and process what had happened. Luckily my companion came with me and put his arm around me. I can testify of the love Heavenly Father has for his children. HE LOVES YOU. HE LOVES ME. and HE LOVES ALL OF US. I felt it. and I cannot ever deny it.

As of now he is still alive, but not for too much longer according to the update I

just got. However, it will be soon, and I know that he will be in a much better condition. Death is just a necessary step in the Plan of Happiness that has been set for us. It is amazing to know that I will be seeing my friend again in a perfect condition. I am blessed to have this knowledge.  This memory and message is one of happiness though, my soul is very comforted to know what lies ahead for him. The Plan of Salvation is a real thing and I am so grateful for it! And I leave my testimony of this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Questions from Christmas:

1. Favorite Christmas present:  Sweaters, disc golf disc, pajama pants from Miranda. There are so many of them that I can't list them all!

2. Favorite Skype moments: Talking to my family and hearing how deep Clyde's voice was! Also talking to Zander and having Miranda read me her mission call!!

3. New Years Resolution: Not eat so much candy.....

4. Most memorable moment:  The exploding trash can that happened a couple weeks ago. (I'm not even gonna ask about that!)

Never been so cold!

Hello from Freezing Omaha! With wind chill this week, we reached -25 at the lowest, and I tell you what, I have never been more cold in my entire life. It cuts right through you out here! No matter how many layers you have on! Christmas time around here is the best time. Especially being a missionary. We have so many cool opportunities! I am having a blast sharing the gospel with the people of Papio. I wish I could stay forever, but with transfers on the 11th, its looking like I wont be here for much longer! I am excited for the new adventures though! I wont know where I am going until the day before, so I will keep you updated in the coming weeks!

This week was a good one,we had a missionary fireside where I had a short speaking part. I was also able to sing bass in the choir! It was so much fun! I talk with as many wrestlers as I can, we seem to run into a lot of them out here! In fact, we are teaching one of them who wrestles 132 at a local high school!  It's been really awesome. One of my best friends out here who is a 59 year old man, was admitted to the hospital about a week ago, and isnt doing well at all. We have been up to see him a couple of time, and he isnt looking all that well. However he is staying strong and he continues to amaze me every day. I finally know of the love Heavenly Father has for each of us. And I can testify of that love, because I have seen it change this mans life. It is real and it is powerful beyond measure. I absolutely love this time of year. As I look at the wonderful Christmas lights this time of year, it prompts me to think of the savior and how he is the light of the world. That same joy that comes from the extravagantly decorated trees and streets this time of year, is the same love that the savior can bring into our lives every day. The key however is we have to seek him. or "plug him in" so that he can light up our lives. I can testify of the pure love of the Father who sent his son to atone for our sins so that we can be made clean, and comforted in our times of need. I testify that our savior lives and that he loves each of us. As this season comes and goes, I pray that we all can remember the true light of our lives, and the one unfailing source of happiness,  our savior Jesus Christ. I humbly bear testimony of these things in his name. Amen. 

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas! Be safe! 

Love Elder Kirby

 Elder Olsen and I

 Rhino riding

 Yo!

 Freezing selfie

Monkeying around!

BRRRRRRR!!!

Hello From freezing Nebraska! Things are pretty cold and slow this time of year! Not too much has happened, we went on exchanges in Bellevue again, and I went with a greenie to an are that I have never been and we just had to walk around and try and find people. Its was nuts! We survived thank goodness, I got to try out my spanish again, so that was fun and cool! Later this week, we had our Zone training, and it was really good, talking about different ways we can use the Light the World Initiative to find people and share the gospel with them! Its so awesome! Elder Buxton and I also got our journals! I am definitely so pumped to finally have mine! We had an awesome opportunity to teach a couple sweet families this week, one of them is having a rough time right now, but the gospel is definately helping them! We also had our ward Christmas party this week, we dressed up as jews because it was themed "A Night in Bethlehem" It was so much fun! I love our ward, there are so many good people! I also love Christmas time!It's my absolute favorite time of the year, and its so special being a missionary during this time, because we really get to reflect on the saviors life! It has been really cool thus far! Next week is a big week for us, we have a lot of appointments, and conferences! I am learning a ton and having so much fun out here! However I miss wrestling season a ton! luckily we are near some other Elders who are wrestlers! More fun adventures to come next week! Stay warm out there! 

Love 

Elder Kirby

 Basketball game

 Ward Christmas Party "A night in Jerusalem"

 Leather journals for memorizing scriptures

 Zone training

 Any skype info yet? Not yet

How is the cold weather different in Nebraska?  Its like a wet cold that freezes you from the inside out. It sucks because you can't get warm, so you just tolerate the cold. In all reality it's manageable.

Slow week....but we got snow!!!

Hello everyone,

Pretty slow week this week, not a whole lot going on, We got to take out new missionaries on Tuesday, that was a ton of fun, I took out Elder Amsden from Ogden, he is an awesome kid and a great missionary. Wednesday was transfer day, I am still here in Papillion! Im having a blast! We had a church tour with one of our investigators  set up for Sunday, sadly, that fell through. But we are hoping to meet up with him sometime soon! On Saturday this week, we got to help a super cool family move into their new house, they aren't members, but have been talking to the missionaries, it was so awesome! Service is definitely one of my favorite parts of being a missionary! Its just so awesome to help people and just work alongside them. It brings me a lot of happiness! Also on Saturday, we got like 4 inches of white fluffy snow! It was awesome, however we had to walk that day, so that kinda sucked because I was freezing and soaked to the bone. Total we walked close to 7 miles that day in the snow! However, I absolutely love it. I am pumped for Christmas! We get to sing as missionaries in a Christmas Devotional on the 18th! Also another accomplishment, I passed off all the scriptures in tier one this week! I will be getting my journal on Thursday! I am super excited and I cant wait for more snow, and for the adventures to come next week! I love you all! have a great week!

Love,

Elder Kirby

 New missionary Elder Amsden

Elder Kirby said he is wearing his hair like this all winter in honor of Coach Praska and the Poky team!!!