:)

Well sorry it's been two weeks but life gets crazy! Lots has happened between now and then so sit down and get comfy.

So two weeks ago we went on exchanges with the independence 2nd ward elders. I went to Inde 2nd with E. Haderlie. Their area is a bike area and I was a little skeptical considering I've only biked one day on my mission and never actually served in a biking area. Well E. Staheli went to Raytown so I was on his bike. E. Staheli however is 5'5" or less and so I was on a very tiny bike. We hit it that day and I actually had a ton of fun. I'm hoping some people driving by got a laugh out of a really tall skinny dude on a tiny bike.

When E. Haderlie and I had planned the night before we set a goal to find someone to baptize in November. There was a return appointment with a guy named Brian who they had met miraculously the day before. I guess Brain saw them as he was driving and felt like he should talk to them but drove away. He felt the prompting again so he drove back and found the elders and asked if he could visit with them. We taught him the restoration and when we invited him to be baptized on the 12th he immediately without hesitation said yes. So cool how the Lord helps us hit our goals.

I have told Elder Taylor about Canes and how 

good it is....look what we found just outside Independence!

Elder Taylor and I were discussing how we often receive Bible referrals from online requests but not once on either of our missions have we received a Book of Mormon referral. Literally, later that day we got one! And the following day we got another! Small tender mercies are the best!  We contacted both but only one of them brought fruition. His name was Michael Perkins. (Brother Perkins I sent pictures of last week). When we met with him we quickly discovered that he had some sort of learning disability. He lives in an assisted living home and we get to visit him every day and teach him more. He is able to read and discern right from wrong so it is slow but exciting to see him begin to learn the doctrines of the gospel. We teach only one doctrinal point a lesson and often time back track to a point previously taught. He has one of the sweetest spirits and brings a lot of joy to E. Taylor and I. We asked him why had requested a Book of Mormon and he informed us that it just popped into his head one day. He was able to make it to church this Sunday (it was stake conference) and he seemed to really enjoy it. He told us he liked the music. No surprise there. The music was extremely good! John Davies was our organist and he is an RLDS convert that used to play the organ at the Community of Christ temple for their conferences. I'm pretty sure the organ there is built after the one in our conference center is SLC.

Teaching Michael Perkins about the 

Restoration at the Visitor's Center

Elder Taylor and Elder Kelly

We went to try and follow up with Deondre and Michael from a couple weeks ago and we were at their apartment door when a man outside saw us through the window. He walked up the stairs and told us to come teach him, "The Word". We gladly followed because after a second knock on Deondre and Michael's door they yelled at us to leave from inside.  The man that came and talked to us is named Henry Freeman. We followed him to his apartment and when we walked in it was quite the sight. The table had cigarettes and alcohol on it. It wasn't the cleanest apartment but none the less my attention was drawn to the wall that the front door was on. On it was a giant dark red splat. My heart sank as my first thought was that it was blood. We asked him what it was and he told us some teenagers broke in and threw ketchup everywhere and he hadn't been able to clean it all the way. Still not sure if I believe him. We taught him anyways and actually had a really powerful lesson. He was engaged and asked questions. As we testified of God's kingdom being on the Earth he asked when he could be baptized. In fact he asked us if we would leave a note on his door later that day of when and where he could be baptized in the following week. We informed him that he needs to learn some things prior to being baptized. He was fine with that and then we invited him to get rid of the narcotics because he would be closer to the Lord if he didn't indulge in those things. He said ok and then he also committed to come to church.  Sunday morning we got a voice mail saying that he had thought about what we had said pertaining to the narcotics. Brother Freeman said that he wanted to get some help with those things first so he wouldn't be at church that day. We will be following up with him tonight to see if he went and got some help! So rewarding to see someone act on the promptings of the Spirit.

Tony Murray is the ward mission leader's

son.  He goes out with us quite a bit and 

he is a lot of fun.

On Friday Elder Taylor and I went on exchanges with E. Katoa and E. Beyeler.   E. Katoa came with me to Raytown and we had a lot of fun talking about Parkville and all the funny stuff that happened out there. It was sad exchanging back but it is also nice not dreading to be with your real companion again. I have been blessed to never have that on my mission.

I know that God lives. I know it. He answers our prayers as we promise him to act and then do according to our promise. It works. I know that Christ died for us and that he rose on the third day. I invite anybody reading this to please read the Book of Mormon and the Bible. That is how God speaks to us!

Love Elder Kelly!

Cameron, who was recently baptized 

will soon be moving to Idaho Falls.