The Missouri and Independence of Elder Kelly: Week 19!...I think :)

It is currently raining super hard outside with some nuts thunderstorms. The weather here is really weird and it's hot, cold, rainy, hailing, tornado watch, REALLY raining, in mood swings about every couple hours.

This is Mark, a new ward missionary. We love it when

he comes out with us because he is so funny.

Last week's p-day me and Elder Childress wanted to run some ladders before we left because we are getting fat. And when I say "we" I mean him. We did a few races with it and it was fun. I won't lie though I was so tried at the end of that day and slept hard. We had a lesson with Chris and Jeanie that day and just really talked to them about committing to make the changes necessary to progress towards June 25th. We helped them see how nothing we teach them will benefit unless the do what the Lord has asked. We further went on to show them that even after they are baptized none of this will profit them if they aren't in a good habit of church attendance. I think it seemed to sink in pretty well. This was our second CTJ meeting with them and it has seemed to work.

Wednesday at district meeting was awesome. I honestly live for those meetings. They are the only thing that keep me going spiritually. After, we exchanged with the Leavenworth 2nd Elders and I went with Elder Staheli back to his area. He came out with elder Katoa back in July and we had a really fun exchange. He is new this transfer and this was my first exchange with him so it was just really fun getting to know him better.

Friday was super exciting! Had a mini exchange with the other District leader's comp was with elder Childress at a trading for a couple of hours. We are really tight on miles this month and so we decided to bike to service at thrift shop while they were gone. It was a really fun bike ride actually and it was nice to get a good work out in twice that day. It is really hilly here and while going up one hill my legs were burning so bad and I was reminded of the crazy mountain biking experience up at Navajo lake. LOL Later that day we went and taught Ashley Pasley's friend, Sarah. They are both graduating this year and it was a really awesome lesson! We taught the restoration and at the end invited Sarah to say the closing prayer and the spirit came rushing in as she prayed and she began to cry. She expressed how it is nice just knowing that God is always there as an unchanging strong hold while life is so crazy. She also expressed that she felt that this is where she needs to be. We teach her again tomorrow.

When we did weekly planning this week and we were really excited that we finally got to do step 2 (Set goals and make plans for investigators to be baptized and confirmed in the coming week) WOOT!! Sharon is doing awesome! We went over the interview questions with her and she really does understand the gospel through and through. We asked her to share her testimony at the end and she testified that she knows when we pray with a sincere heart and real intent we receive answers. That was the extent of her testimony but I loved it because that is so central to continuous conversion!

When you finally get to do Step 2 in planning!

Sunday! Chris and Jeanie finally came to church again! WHAT!!!! They both seemed to enjoy it too! It was so good to see them making the changes! Rick Harmer (A less active we have been working with since February) finally came to church too! He has made really slow progression. But progression and it was so exciting to see him there.

Me with Rick Harmer

Some things that I have been really pondering this past week.

1. We taught a lot of lesson on prayer this week and we found a common theme to people have mediocre prayers is that they don't listen. So I would pose the question to each of you. Do you listen after you pray? If not your missing the other half of the prayer. Talking to yourself is considered insanity right? #listen

2. A story was shared in sacrament about a family who had 5 sons on a mission at once and the parents always made sure that they wrote their sons about their personal missionary efforts. So I just wanted to ask any of you that write me to please share the missionary experiences and efforts you are making. If you don't have any then it sounds like a good time to start!!!!!

Love you guys!

-Elder Kelly