Monday, June 26, 2017

"Jarvis" - June 26, 2017


What's up Fam!!!

- Stark's home has become the go-to place for our Monday partying. We play dunk ball... football... it's a blast. We ate dinner with them the next night. Reminder that Brother Starks actual name is indeed "Tony Stark". I try to keep my fangirling to a minimum but I had to tell them my idea of renaming the wifi to "Jarvis". They were on board.

- summed up... The Starks are awesome. They also love the Utes. They have been added to the ranks of the Baird's, Jessop's, Carlson's, and so many other families I have met and are #FamilyGoals.

- zone conferences were this week. We drove to Billings and it was a sweet meeting hearing from our leaders. It was good seeing Elder Hoschouer and the office staff. Crystal was a surprise celebrity guest appearance and she brought me cookies. I love her so much.


--- cool little story. A while back (you may recall this from an email a few months back) Elder Hoschouer and I were at Walmart one day and we got talking to a couple that wanted to be taught. I was transferred shortly after but the guy wants to be baptized this week!!! Hosch told me that at zone conference and I was freaking out a bit.

- had another Saturday AM service party at the Robison's. We planted some veggies... I also pulled a Kurt and planted potatoes but these will grow in Montana so they'll actually taste good #SpudsFired... and the grand event was castrating the cows... I felt bad for em not gonna lie #CityBoyProbs. But then we had a Nerf/light saber battle and it was a party.

- Briar Broughton had his 2nd birthday. It was awesome. To think Z wasn't even that old when I left is insane! Broughtons are amazing.

Not really sure what else to say fam. I have loved it so much out here. Especially the people. Being around Crystal this last week...the Stark's... Broughton's... doing service for the Robison's... the family I have gained out here far outweighs anything I once considered a "sacrifice". These aren't just people I got to know for 2 years, they really are my family. It's helped open my eyes so much as to how wonderful the plan of our Heavenly Father is. We really are brothers and sisters, striving to return home. I love love love the gospel because it means we will be together again. These emails keep getting short and shorter cause I really don't even know how to put it all to words, it's been amazing seeing what the gospel does to people. It is true.

Love ya fam,

- Elder K

Pics

- zone conference

- mater pic for Z

- light saber battles with the Robison'ss... just wait for the 4th of July

- Briar's birthday

- this weeks training for going home was on dating and marriage.
^^^ all a joke. Kind of. #SorryMom

Monday, June 19, 2017

"60% of the Time...Every Time" - June 19, 2017


What's up Fam!

- exchanges in Belgrade this last week with Elder Rich. It was a blast being back in #BGrade. Went to the Ward BBQ and it felt like a family reunion, starting to hit me how bad I'm gonna miss the fam up here.

--- got Bishop Carlson to answer an open ended question with "yes". #AchievementUnlocked

- had a lesson out at the Robison's... well they taught us. We did scripture study and they are on fire. The light in their lives teaches me what the gospel is all about.

- interviews with President Wadsworth were this week. It was a special time getting to meet with him, luckily we get one more interview together. He's been an amazing spiritual John Wooden to me out here.

- saw 2 of (what I believe to be) the most attractive cars at the same intersection this week. - check pics- #60PercentOfTheTimeEveryTime


 
I'll share a cool little miracle we had this week... in the last few weeks, TWICE we have had the prompting to knock a door in this one neighborhood but no one was home. Saturday night we are in this neighborhood looking for someone else and we see this one family was outside... the kids were driving their electric mini - cars and it caught my eye. Kind of like the Audi Ezra has that honestly functions better than my car... no mom, that is not a free pass to get rid of the panther I still love it... so we go over and talk to the mom outside and turns out she met with missionaries last summer! Hopefully we can go by this week and talk some more.

This is Heavenly Father's work to help His children. He makes it happen, we just show up and deliver the goods for those that want it.

He cares about His children, I know that with certainty. Father's Day is a great time to celebrate those who have been fathers to us... I lucked out with some amazing fathers around me, but I'm also so grateful for a loving Father in Heaven. When we came to this life we started with a clean slate, no memory, but I know that Heavenly Father remembers us and loves us. He wants to reveal himself to us and he does that by blessing us through our obedience. He wants us to return to Him.

All about family,

Love ya fam.

- Elder K

Pics

- Starks sport court is the new place for Monday zone ball. Their girls are awesome and we play catch and talk Utah football.



- forgot to send this last week... and then there were 3


- Belgrade sunsets


- digging a bunker with the Robison boys for our 4th of July water balloon fight coming up.


- drive to Big Sky, if you look close you can see the people on kayaks


- this one is for Mama J, both of us served in #HamTown.




Wednesday, June 14, 2017

"Dinner with Tony Stark" - June 12, 2017


 
What's up Fam!!!

- had a sweet Plan of Salvation lesson with Drew this week. That's no doubt my favorite lesson to teach, life's a lot easier with the big picture that's for sure.

- went to Virginia City to help clean up some members cabin for girls camp coming up. It was a party, we built a bridge over the creek, cleaned the out house, caught a snake, it was a good time.

- there was this guy outside our apartment complex that was clearly under the influence of some drug  and he was super awesome. Elder Baum even invited him to learn about the Gospel. I doubt he remembers that conversation but at least we tried!

- had dinner with Tony Stark and his fam... his 9 year old girl opened the door in a Utes hat. #FamilyGoals

To be honest this is all turning into a real blur and I'm not sure what else to say. We were able to attend two farewells Sunday aaaaaand...this is starting to get weird. That brought back a lot of memories of two years ago. Wow I'm grateful for this journey.

Love ya fam,

- Elder K

Pics

- after serving a year in this stake... and as Mufasa would say - "everything the light touches,  you have served in".


 
- chicken massacre pics with Lilly Robison

Monday, June 12, 2017

Mango Habanero - June 5, 2017


What's up Fam!!!

So... this week was kind of a blur with transfers and all that so this will be a short email.

- lots of service this week. Farmer/missionary tan is turning into a real doozie.

- spent two days out at the Robison's doing yard work and stuff. Super fun. Saturday was the chicken massacre... it was quite gnarly not gonna lie.

---  I didn't chop any but I did catch and name them based off of Buffalo Wild Wings sauces. Ex. "Ok mango habanero time to go night night and I'll see you soon on a Tuesday." It was a sad moment so I tried to be nice to them before their heads were removed.

----- hanging out with the Robison's is so great. I love that family so much. Brian and I worked on sprinklers for a few hours while talking about Disney and occasionally getting blasted in the face with water and it was a lot of fun. Hanging out with those kids too... They really are family.

- stopped by a members house and this family is total Disney status...they had pins too... so I was freaking out. Great dinner.

- also got to spend some time with more Belgrade family! Barber's son was having his grad party out at the ranch so I got to hang out with Corey, McKayla, and Briar. What a place that is... it took all self control to not hop on the 4-wheeler with Corey but we decided we will do that in a few weeks. That ranch was amazing and I can't wait to come back up.

- having Elder Potter back in the zone has been amazing. We used to follow each other on Twitter 2 years ago before the mission and now we are serving in the same district for the 3rd time... last night we started planning our basketball court business. #PrestigeWorldWide 💦

Going to church was a great highlight of the week. Got to attend the Big Sky branch and Belgrade1. Lots of great people up here. I love it out here, the Gospel does something special to people, most of all it unites us.

Love ya fam,

- Elder K

Pics

- Barber's property



- McBuckets, Splash, and Baum.



- service at the Robison's

 
- when Elder Potter and I have a sleep over. #SplashElders




"#TractFest" - May 29, 2017


 
What's up Fam!!! 

- apparently a politician up here attacked a journalist, sounds like Happy Gilmore. I think it got him votes because he ended up winning. #WelcomeToMontana

- came to the realization that the movie Cars really takes place on
pre- cival war cybertron and lightning is a prime.#WeeklyPlanningThoughts

We hit the streets a ton this week looking for some people we can teach and we were blessed with some pretty sweet miracles that further taught me we aren't the ones in charge of this work. Won't list all of em... but just know... #SpiritKnows.

- got a prompting to talk to this guy sitting in his garage. He was a big, scruff, biker... and kind of scary looking. I was thinking "nah, he doesn't want it." After a few minutes I realize how stupid I was for judging him and went back and he was gone.... so I felt like a royal pile of horse turd. Next day the prompting comes and I wasn't turning it down again so we went over and caught him as he was leaving and he was sooooo friendly and invited  us back. Really cool guy with a beautiful truck.

Don't judge people. Don't ever think someone you know isn't ready for the gospel, I screwed that one up but I'm glad we could go back and fix it. Lesson learned. The rest of that night we were really trying to follow the spirit and it was so cool. Can't even describe it. Last door we knocked she let us in and we had a great talk.

- I'll share one more sweet experience... so the next day we go to this neighborhood to find people and I left my water bottle at home. I didn't want to go back to grab it... but I was dang thirsty so I said a prayer we could be sent somewhere that I could get some water haha.

We get walking to visit a less active member and I was thinking they would offer me some. Few minutes into our walk I see a car with a NAVY license plate, instantly I think "if Potato boy was here he'd want me to knock that door" so without hesitation I walk up and knock. This older guy opens it and we have a good talk about the Navy. He said he served in Southern California... Port Hueneme... as a Seabee...  so in my mind I'm all "no... freakin... way" and we get talking about Kurt and the Seabees. Super cool.

Then... he says "well, do you guys need to use the restroom or get a glass of water?"

#SpiritKnows #AchievementUnlocked

So then we went inside and talked some more. He has a son that's a member in Iowa so he knows a little bit about the church. Isn't interested in taking the lessons but took our number if he needs anything.

Those are just a few experiences, but it was so sweet. There's nothing like the spirit guiding you. Things happen that you know aren't a "coincidence".

So much other cool stuff but I think I'll leave ya with one more.

Someone I knew from the YSA last fall got baptized over the weekend.

He'd come play ball with us, we'd golf... super fun dude. He had some cousins in the Ward so that's how we got to know him. He expressed he wasn't interested in joining or talking church stuff so we just became bros with him. Well a few months ago he changed his mind and was baptized yesterday. Really neat getting to see him and how happy he is now.

Also got to do another sleep over in Big Sky at the Treasure's home and lesson with the Bell's then got to go to the branch. I love that branch, so much fun up there. We checked out the ski resort on Saturday and it was sweeet. Did some contacting and contacted a guy by talking about the bear poop on the trail. #FurryTractor

Sorry this one was all over the place. So much going on.

I don't know how all this works out but it does.  Kind of like everything else in life... I have no freakin clue how a phone works, or how the sun rises, or how oxygen gets into my blood stream, but hey, it just happens. Heavenly Father knows us and loves us, his plan is a plan of Joy. Don't spend your time freakin out cause you don't understand it 100%. If I waited to do anything till I understand it 100% I'd never get to live and miss out on a lot. Learn as you go and enjoy the ride.

Love ya fam,

- Elder K

*happy 2 year anniversary of the Disney fugitive incident.
#NeverForget #NotASelfieStick

*Baum and I are getting one more transfer 😆... and the real big news is Elder Potter is going back to Three Forks... which means the Splash Elders are finishing in the same zone where it all began. 💦

Pics

- sunsets last week. No filters on that. It was sweet. #WelcomeToMontana


 
- I think I forgot to send this one last week. Bennett and I at mission tour with our toys.

 
- district pics. Going to really miss Wilson, can't wait for splash to get here too though.



 
- stealth op raptor attacking the zone leaders.



- me and Leroy, Max, and Milo (one who got baptized). They are all from Mexico and golfing with them last fall was one of the highlights of my life no doubt.



- big sky pics. That ski resort was insane.




 
- happy birthday to ️ Maddy, Sister Baird sent me this yesterday.