Hola Amigos!

Dear Mi Familia y Amigos,

Como estan? I have been doing really well this week. The MTC is always the same but always the best. It is really amusing to see the new missionaries come in every Wednesday. I hope that I did not look that scared or perplexed when I walked into these doors. I can't believe how much I have realized in these short 3 weeks. The days are long but the weeks go by so fast. It seems like I have been here forever, but at times it seems like it has wizzed by. It is hard to explain but all you return missionaries know what I am talking about. I am already so anxious to get to the field. I am not really ready for the cold just yet but I will bring the fire of the gospel to warm me up...hehe. Hermana Bauserman left on Saturday to go start her elementary teaching job. It was a sad day but we all had such a great time with her. We gave her a journal with all our testimonies in it and sang "God Be With You Till We Meet Again". The funny thing was that 4 of us had kazoos and we played it to the tune of the song. It brought a laugh to her mouth and a tear to her eye. She will be missed. We receive a new teacher today or tommorrow to work along with Hermono Arnold. We need two teachers because some days we have two class periods. Those are hard days because it can get really hard to focus. But we switch up the routine and learn new things.

The Spanish is getting better everyday. You are almost forced to learn it because it is everywhere. We teach all our lessons in Spanish and it has been difficult to get my point across about a certain doctine in a different language. But it is getting easier and easier as we learn new ways of teaching. I understand now when people say that you are just a tool and the Spirit teaches through you. It is truly miraculous. We also started doing door approaches. This is challenging, especially when you ask someone if they believe in God and they say no. But it is fun learning effective ways to spread the gospel. We have this thing twice a week called the TRC. This is where people from the "outside" world come and let us teach them. They play themselves. So sometimes you will get a college student or a bishop. It is really fun and allows you to use different ways of teaching.

We had a devotional on Sunday from Elder Allen from the 70. He talked about not being stupid missionaries and explained many stories of missionaries making stupid decisions and forgetting who they were on their name tag. He told us a story of some missionaries getting the great idea of making bombs (fireworks) and lighting them off in the street. The cops showed up and found a map on the wall with little flags on places throughout the area. (Area map) They were hauled off to jail and spent the night there. We heard from Elder Zivic of the 70 from Argentina on Tuesday night. He explained that we need to realize the responsibility we have and the potential we have. I have not really thought about it before the role of missionaries in the grand scheme of things. We are very important and need to picture ourselves as the best we can be. I will take this to heart and work hard to become the missionary I potentially can be.

Me and Elder Anderson have been rocking it on the volleyball court. The two of us and two other missionaries we get along with are all on the same team most of the days. We rock it! haha It is amazing how much energy you can get out during the 50 minutes they give you. It is probably because you are sitting in the classroom using your brain for 11 hours a day. But I am growing to love my companion and the people in our district. The Elders that were going to Peru left yesterday. It was sad to see them go. But Elder Dennis did not get his visa so he is still stuck here. I pray that he will receive it soon to get to Peru.

I feel some much love from my Heavanly Father and the opportunity he has given me. Realize you are loved as well.

ST: Read 3 Nephi 11; thats all I need to say

Mucho amor,

Tu Hijo

Colby's MTC District

Week 3!

Hola from the MTC!

How is everything going in the outside world? I am not going to lie but I really don't care about it that much.This place makes you focus so much on the work and learning that you find littel interest on what is goin on outside its protected walls. Today we went to the temple again. It is always a wonderful experience. As many know, Sunday's are the best at MTC. You really

Colby's Companion: Elder Anderson from Temecula, CA

Elder Rodriguez - one of his favorite elders in the MTC.


treat it like a day of rest. Richard Heaton (the director of Administration at the MTC) spoke at Sunday's divotianal. He spoke about success in the field and how many missionaries get hung up on the number of baptisms. He proceeded to say that success is bringing others to Christ and baptising, but it is also how pleasing you are in the eyes of God in our diligence. This is goin to help me in the field give everything I have and expect nothing in return. A mission is like tithing in years. I am about 20 and I am giving to years to the stregthening of other. Only fair.

My companion Elder Anderson said something very interesting the other night while we were writing in our journals. He said "Going on a mission is like a business...the currancy is blessings and the savings account is for souls." Just a little comer para pienso. We began teaching Alejandra this week. She is from Argentina and smokes a lot. The lessons have been going smoother, but there is always room to grow. I am working on Spanish pertaining to each lesson and trying to utilize the scriptures more as I teach. I have faith that the Sprirt will help me a lot if I just prepare and treat people with care. We also learned this week that if you don't seem like you are interested in the person, they will not be interested in you.

I am growing to love my district. We study in the Heber C. Kimball building 8M and live in the Ray L. Pratt building 6M. I am realizing everyday that first impressions don't and shouldn't mean very much. There are people that have had very different circumstances than I thought, but because of how they acted, I put a label on them. I will be working on treating everyone with the respect they deserve because everyone is an iceburg. I challange everyone to do the same.


Spiritual thought: I read the story about the woman that touched the heam of the Saviors garment in Luke 8 the other day. This is one of my favorite stories in all scrtipture. It shows tremendous faith. I strive to obtain the faith that this woman had in her Savior. I challange you all to read this story and question your own faith. It will humble you.

I love you all so much and wish the blessings of heaven on you. I am working hard and trying to be the missionary my Lord wants me to be. Stay strong and know God loves you more than you can comprehend.

Much love,

Elder Kipp

I can't put pictures on the email until i get to the field, so ill send some pictures soon that I have printed out.

P.S.- If you want to send me messages during the week dont email me. I dont have enough time to read them all. I will in the field though. Got to dearelder.com and send me a message from there. I get it the same day usaully. Tell everyone do do that rather than email. Thanks!

I've Been Here a Week

Hello Mi Familia!

 

It has been a great week here so far in the CCM! The food has turned out to be pretty good. They have a lot of healthy options to choose from so that is bien. When I dont eat well I get stomache problems. So that is great motivation to eat healthy. We are always so busy that I forget to eat sometimes. But I am continuing to learn spanish. It is difficult, but to see the progress that I have made since I got her is amazing. Teaching the investigators has become easier and is getting better. I can understand more than I can say, but it is coming along. I know that I am learning Spanish for some reason and the Lord never gives us challanges that we cannot complete. I will continue to be dedicated and strive to learn as much as I can before getting to the field. I am already anxious to leave. I already feel a close bond with people I haven't met. Many feelings of joy and peace come to my heart when I realize where I am and what i am doing. It is all for the Lord and other people. I have also learned that no one ever looses in missionary work. I benefit, other benefit, the families of all involved benefit, the Church benefits, and God benefits. It is such an oppurtinity to serve.

 

Today I got to go to the Provo Temple and it was glorious! It was inspiring to go inside a temple that I had lived 1 minute away from for a year. I saw the work being done in a light different than that of a non-missionary. I went with my district. they are great and all have a desire to learn. I already feel a close love for them. There is one Elder and his name is Elder Guyman. He has to be the definition of a goober. But I love him so much. He makes me laugh so much and is so unique. He talks about his honey badger and how he misses it. Just the way he talks makes me happy. My distirct and I have become so close in a weeks time. Probably because we havee spend almost every minute with each other! We truly are borthers in the work of the Lord.

 

Elder Anderson and I have been going to choir practice. it is really uplifting and gives us a break from the language. You were right dad; to sing Called to Serve with hundreds of missionaries is absolutly breathtaking. The Spirit was so strong and eyes were wet. Obviously there is a lot of stress to learn the doctrine and the language, but there is also an amazing peace to be found here. I love the confirmation that I get from the Spirit that what I am teaching is true. I am so blessed to have the oppurtunity to invite others to come unto Christ and feel the Spirit that I do everyday of their life.

 

We have gym almost everyday. You would be happy to know that there is some mean ball in here. I love playing with people that love basketball as much as me and occasionally shooting over the top of a 6'7 elder! Know that I am safe and love you all so much. I want to tell everyone that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. It is the only way to be truly happy and feel at peace. Endless blessings are in store if we just put our shoudler to the wheel and trust in the plan. Remember what Devon Rapp said, "If you say you are humble, you are not humble." So let us be humble and try our best to become better people through the Lord. Rome wasn't built in day; neither are our testimonies.

 

I love you all so much and send that love to everyone you know.

 

Mucho amor,

 

Elder Kipp

  

P.P.S - Spiritual thought

 

Cecil Samuelson of the Seventy spoke to us on Sunday and he read Timothy 4:12. "Be an example unto the believers. Who is the best example? Christ. And who is the best believer? Christ. becasue he believes in us!

First Weeek in the MTC! Whatsup! Hola!

Hola! How is everything going? My new life in the MTC is becoming more and more comfortable everyday that I am here. It is a very spiritual place and I have learned so much already. My teachers name is Herman Bowserman and she is the greatest. She only speaks in Spanish so that is a little difficult. But everyday I am able to comprehend more. My companion's name is Elder Anderson and he is from Temecula. Small world huh? He is here for the same reasons as me and knows more Spanish than I do. I have a feeling that we are going to make a great companionship. We teach each other new words all the time and try to speak as much in the language as possible. The days are long. Everyone says once you get past the first week that it goes by a lot faster. I am still waiting to see if that is going to happen. You try and push yourself all the time so getting tired is a natural occurance.

 

Some of the things are difficult as well. Yesterday Elder Anderson and I had to teach an investigator. All in Spanish! It is difficult when you know so little. It went well and you really do have moments were the Spirit takes over and it feels great. other moments are so good. I blanked for a few seconds but it felt like 10 minutes. Elder Anderson and me are learning to work together in the lesson rather just bear your own testimony. Yesterday we had to bear our testimony to dos personas diferentes and that was hard to. You have so much you want to say but you have so many words that you are limited to. Hermana Bowserman told us that if we think the lesson was a trainwreck, we need to understand that we do not realize everything we say. Besides it is only the first week and we are teaching someone in a language we know little about. I have learned a lot about faith already. I tell myself that I need to look at the big picture because I will learn everything step by step. It is like drinking from a firehouse. But the Spirit of the Lord is helping me comprehend and say things that I need. My branch president sadi worry more about the doctrine and the language will follow. We are on a brand new lesson plan. So I know that I am in good hands.

 

This place is truly amazing. To walk around everydayand see so many men and women wearing nametags and taking upon them the name of Christ is an incredible testimony builder. I feel the Spirit more than I ever have in my life in a more consistant way. I am incredibly blessed to have the oppurtunity to serve the Lord and learn a new language. I know that I was called to Canada for a reason and I am already realizing the love that I have for those people. Everytime I get discouraged or feel down I think of those people I am going to teach and I am comforted. Eventhough it will be difficult, I will grow incredibly through this experience. I am staying obedient and trying my hardest to keep the faith and learn as much as I possibly can. The gospel of Jesus Christ is absolutly amazing and I cannot wait to share it will the people of Canada in Spanish. I am happy and know that I am doing the right thing.

 

Spiritual Thought:

 

Read Matthew 5: I really love the first that talks about if we hunger and thirst after righrtousness we will be comforted. Let us all "hunger and thirst" for the truth in our lives.

 

How is everything? Tell me all you can about Cass's school and the cabin. I miss you guys and know I love you.

 

Love to everyone,

 

 

Elder Kipp