Hey family! so i am going to see yall very soon! to tell youthe truth i have still not thuaght about it, i just came from my last interviewwith the mission president and all the missionaries were talking about home andwhat they are excitted to do. but i was still thinking i still get to teach twomore people tonight both are great people and i am very excitted! so tonightafter these lessons ill start thinking about home! but i am really excittted tosee yall and i am really excitted to play board games with yall.... :) !Tonight were teaching a part member family who is really cool Brother Parkerwho is a non mormon and Sister parker who is a solid member! he has read toheliman and at first he did think the book could possible be true, now it is hisgoal to get baptized shortly! we are also going to visit the Moore Family! theyare great freinds and we have not seen them ina while but they have still bereading the scriptures and praying everyday so that is really cool! The Mooresare also a Part member Family! we are also hoping to visit one more familytonight it is the pickering! i stoped by last night but they were all feelingsick, but they are a great family and love the gospel so i hope that we get tovisit them aswell! well i hope that yall have a great week ill see you soon!
Love ya
Elder Joshua Kiser
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Letter from Dad March 26, 2012
ElderKiser,
Itwill be so fun to have you home for conference weekend. Everyone iscoming home to see you. Rob and Melissa are driving in from Maryland,Scott and Amy are driving up from Newport Beach. We are all so very proudand excited to see and be with you. Rob will get in on Sunday afternoon,not everyone will be in town to meet you at the airport, but eventuallyeveryone will be in town together.
Notsure what else to say other than we are so excited to see and be with you andhear about your mission. I love you so very much and am so grateful forthe opportunities that have been afforded to you these past two years. Iknow for me my mission was life changing as I know that yours has been aswell. Not just the knowledge that the gospel has been restored, but theconfidence in the priesthood and the experiences that have been allowed to see,feel and experience the healing powers and authority of the priesthood. These lessons will form a solid foundation for our life.
Loveyou and we will see you on Thursday.
Dad
Itwill be so fun to have you home for conference weekend. Everyone iscoming home to see you. Rob and Melissa are driving in from Maryland,Scott and Amy are driving up from Newport Beach. We are all so very proudand excited to see and be with you. Rob will get in on Sunday afternoon,not everyone will be in town to meet you at the airport, but eventuallyeveryone will be in town together.
Notsure what else to say other than we are so excited to see and be with you andhear about your mission. I love you so very much and am so grateful forthe opportunities that have been afforded to you these past two years. Iknow for me my mission was life changing as I know that yours has been aswell. Not just the knowledge that the gospel has been restored, but theconfidence in the priesthood and the experiences that have been allowed to see,feel and experience the healing powers and authority of the priesthood. These lessons will form a solid foundation for our life.
Loveyou and we will see you on Thursday.
Dad
HEY Yall March 19, 2012
Heyfamily it is crazy that it is already March 19, that means in 5 days it will bemy two year mark. So everyone keeps asking me what it feels like, and itdoesn’t feel any different. This week was really cool, the Lewis family came tochurch as a family, and it was Tasha’s 17th birthday and she stillcame so that was really cool! SO I got a letter from Rob and he told me that hedid missionary work last week. He invited a guy he worked with to church! Hecame and committed to keep coming! It is great these are days of greatopportunity! Nephi tells us that angels have been sent down to prepare peoplefor us! We talked to a family the DiMaggio family! We were tracting rightbefore we a dinner apt. the family talked to us for 45 mins and we told them wehave to go! They were amazed that there family could be together forever! Thewife Lisa cuts hair and told that there are a few Mormons that get there haircut from her, and that they always talk about God around her. Do you think shehad been prepared? As a family they committed to read the scripters and to praytogether as a family! They also committed to repent of the sins they havecommitted! It is amazing to be out here and see many people who are ready tohear the gospel! The time is now to lift up your voice and help others comeunto Christ! The blessings of bringing others into the gospel far out waysanything you could give up or loose. I think the thing that stops one fromhelping a friend is that they might have to give up a habit, or that they maylose a friend. There is another Family we are starting to teach, I don’t knowif I have ever told you his name is Daymen and Melisa Divill, they have agreat friend that lives in Utah, his friend has told him a lot about the churchand has bore testimony of the truth and divinity of the book of Mormon! Hisgreat friend did not see the result of his testimony, but Daymen has read into2 Nephi and loves the feelings he gets while reading the book of Mormon! Theseeds that are planted help the work everywhere grow and such a rapid pace. Sothis isn’t as cool but it was still pretty cool! But we were at Wal-Mart buyinga cake for a elder that lives with us and as we were buying it a lady came upto us and asked who we were and she demanded to let her pay for the cake andfrosting. You could tell that this lady did not have much, but she did tell usof a story that in the past missionaries had helped her pack up out of Texas sothat she could move here. As we talked we asked if we could come over and shewas excited and waiting to say yes! She had defiantly been prepared! I loveyall tons I hope that you have a great week! Thanks for the love and thesupport! I’ll see yall very shortly! Keep planting and harvesting seeds till Iget home! Have a great week!
Loveyou brother.
ElderJoshua Kiser
Loveyou brother.
ElderJoshua Kiser
Hey family! February 27, 2012
Hey family!
how cow time is flying by it is crazy to think it hasalready been a week since i was sitting her last. it is kinda crazy but i thinkthe last like 6 times i have been to the librbary i have used the samecomputer! :) so this week was a pretty good week. we had a chance to meetwith a General authority Elder Clark. he is a cool guy i supose i learned alotof things! o ya last week we got to go to the temple! it was really cool! ireally like it! ao my new companion Elder Gentry is sooo funny! i really likehim! i think one of the reasons why i like him is becouse he is soo real! it isfunny because his name is genTREE and so i am joshuaTREE! o ya there was thisgrandma i helped and i guess she really liked me, so she sat down and looked atall her grandduaghter and chose one for me to marry.. so she called hedughter and her call me so basicaly this ladie called me and asked is i wouldwrite her daughter...... the daughters name is Alision, so we named our caralison, it is soo funny to be around my new compaion. plus we live with twoother missionaries who are awesome! it is a sweet last transfer! so did anyonewho read my last letter invite any frteinds to have a stronger faith is theSavior Jesus christ? it is soo much fun! you should try it! we basicaly told afamily that they have an oppertunity to meet God again face to face but theyhave to prepare by reading there scriptures daily! the Whole family went tochurch last week as a family and theres have ben reading there scriptureseveryday, ( everyone but the mom). the francio are basicaly goofy family. wellthey havent been ro church for three weeks or so, but you can tell a hugediffernce in there house when you go over.. it is crazy. it is not a peace fulland they get into fights, it is crazy, you call tall a huge differnce WHYwouldnt you then want to go to church! ( so i am typing to the metal gear solidthem song, and it is pretty sweet to type to! ) another young ladie is Shannonfontno, she has been trying to work things out whith her boy freind and itworks great for a while, wgile they are going to church, but as soon as theystop like that week all hell breaks loose it seems like and they startfighting... you can choose! my bud joshua says Choose YOU this day whom youshall serve, As for me and my house( family) we will serve the Lord! do youthink joshua maybe noticed the same thing!? one thing i really like about joshis that it is my name! annother thing is that invited, YOU choose this day. notthis dat ill make you. he did say look you retarted people have you not yetnotice how your life is with out it. but he says Choose this day whom ye shallserve.. he kinda forced his own family, but he invited his freinds with liveand i am sure there was some excitment! i bet you he has fun doing it! i loveasking people to choose this day who ye shall serve! i would invite all ofyou to choose this day who you will invite to ciome unto Christ by helping themrevive the restored Gospel! not becouse you have.. but becouse what youhave is what everyone wants, people send there intire lifetime serching doewhat you have. look at tghe two example. so dont share becouse you haveto, but becouse you want to show your love to the savior! you know that iswhy christ did every little thing he did, wasnt becouse he had to ( alough hekind of did) he did everything becouse he loved both us and Heavelyfather! i love in John when it talks about the savior as one who hasgreater love by laying down his life for his freinds! it tell us that we arenot servents but freinds, for a freind knows all that his masters kows and thesavior tells us all that he knows( or what we are willing to accept). it isamazing becuase everything the savior did was based of missionary work. it ismy WORK and my glory to bring to pass the inmortalitly and eternal life ofman.. missionary work! i have learned tons and tons in the last two years of mylife. most of the time it is when i am out doing work. i study every morningbut when i apply it is when it makes sence! so i would invite anyone andeveryone who is reading this to follow the saviors exsample and invite onefreind, family member to learn more about Jesus Christ! it doent have to beabout the Mormon church or the book of mormon, but talk to them about prayersor reading daily, possible keeping the sabeth day holy! be fore i go playbasket ball ill tell you of two great freinds i have met on my mission, Brotherand sister silverman, they were bolth raised Cathlic, sister silveman ( amy)has never learned much about other churchs. and brother silverman ( david) hasread the book of mormon and studied many differnt church. well we went overthere and didnt wip out the book of mormon we talked about prayer.. we spent 45mins just talking about how prayer is like a conversion with God, and they wereblown away about this new info! :) it seem soo simple, but to be able to talkto God! they loved it and is has helped build there faith! they had benprepared from god to hear that sound and true doctrine! i know that many of thepeople you know are prepared and ready to her the Gosple! the reasonswhy the silvermans let us in was becouse missionaries talked to them yearsago and they liked it! those missionaries have no idea that there old freindsare reading the book of mormon, but if it wasnt for them they wouldnt be wherethey are today! so even if your farind say NO it is okay becouse the seed isplanted and when you get to the feet of the Savior you can say i tried! you canshow forth fruite saying i am greatful for you have done! family i love yalltons and hope thatyall have a great week! thank you soo much for the supportand the prayer! i love yall and havea great week!
love elder joshua Kiser!
how cow time is flying by it is crazy to think it hasalready been a week since i was sitting her last. it is kinda crazy but i thinkthe last like 6 times i have been to the librbary i have used the samecomputer! :) so this week was a pretty good week. we had a chance to meetwith a General authority Elder Clark. he is a cool guy i supose i learned alotof things! o ya last week we got to go to the temple! it was really cool! ireally like it! ao my new companion Elder Gentry is sooo funny! i really likehim! i think one of the reasons why i like him is becouse he is soo real! it isfunny because his name is genTREE and so i am joshuaTREE! o ya there was thisgrandma i helped and i guess she really liked me, so she sat down and looked atall her grandduaghter and chose one for me to marry.. so she called hedughter and her call me so basicaly this ladie called me and asked is i wouldwrite her daughter...... the daughters name is Alision, so we named our caralison, it is soo funny to be around my new compaion. plus we live with twoother missionaries who are awesome! it is a sweet last transfer! so did anyonewho read my last letter invite any frteinds to have a stronger faith is theSavior Jesus christ? it is soo much fun! you should try it! we basicaly told afamily that they have an oppertunity to meet God again face to face but theyhave to prepare by reading there scriptures daily! the Whole family went tochurch last week as a family and theres have ben reading there scriptureseveryday, ( everyone but the mom). the francio are basicaly goofy family. wellthey havent been ro church for three weeks or so, but you can tell a hugediffernce in there house when you go over.. it is crazy. it is not a peace fulland they get into fights, it is crazy, you call tall a huge differnce WHYwouldnt you then want to go to church! ( so i am typing to the metal gear solidthem song, and it is pretty sweet to type to! ) another young ladie is Shannonfontno, she has been trying to work things out whith her boy freind and itworks great for a while, wgile they are going to church, but as soon as theystop like that week all hell breaks loose it seems like and they startfighting... you can choose! my bud joshua says Choose YOU this day whom youshall serve, As for me and my house( family) we will serve the Lord! do youthink joshua maybe noticed the same thing!? one thing i really like about joshis that it is my name! annother thing is that invited, YOU choose this day. notthis dat ill make you. he did say look you retarted people have you not yetnotice how your life is with out it. but he says Choose this day whom ye shallserve.. he kinda forced his own family, but he invited his freinds with liveand i am sure there was some excitment! i bet you he has fun doing it! i loveasking people to choose this day who ye shall serve! i would invite all ofyou to choose this day who you will invite to ciome unto Christ by helping themrevive the restored Gospel! not becouse you have.. but becouse what youhave is what everyone wants, people send there intire lifetime serching doewhat you have. look at tghe two example. so dont share becouse you haveto, but becouse you want to show your love to the savior! you know that iswhy christ did every little thing he did, wasnt becouse he had to ( alough hekind of did) he did everything becouse he loved both us and Heavelyfather! i love in John when it talks about the savior as one who hasgreater love by laying down his life for his freinds! it tell us that we arenot servents but freinds, for a freind knows all that his masters kows and thesavior tells us all that he knows( or what we are willing to accept). it isamazing becuase everything the savior did was based of missionary work. it ismy WORK and my glory to bring to pass the inmortalitly and eternal life ofman.. missionary work! i have learned tons and tons in the last two years of mylife. most of the time it is when i am out doing work. i study every morningbut when i apply it is when it makes sence! so i would invite anyone andeveryone who is reading this to follow the saviors exsample and invite onefreind, family member to learn more about Jesus Christ! it doent have to beabout the Mormon church or the book of mormon, but talk to them about prayersor reading daily, possible keeping the sabeth day holy! be fore i go playbasket ball ill tell you of two great freinds i have met on my mission, Brotherand sister silverman, they were bolth raised Cathlic, sister silveman ( amy)has never learned much about other churchs. and brother silverman ( david) hasread the book of mormon and studied many differnt church. well we went overthere and didnt wip out the book of mormon we talked about prayer.. we spent 45mins just talking about how prayer is like a conversion with God, and they wereblown away about this new info! :) it seem soo simple, but to be able to talkto God! they loved it and is has helped build there faith! they had benprepared from god to hear that sound and true doctrine! i know that many of thepeople you know are prepared and ready to her the Gosple! the reasonswhy the silvermans let us in was becouse missionaries talked to them yearsago and they liked it! those missionaries have no idea that there old freindsare reading the book of mormon, but if it wasnt for them they wouldnt be wherethey are today! so even if your farind say NO it is okay becouse the seed isplanted and when you get to the feet of the Savior you can say i tried! you canshow forth fruite saying i am greatful for you have done! family i love yalltons and hope thatyall have a great week! thank you soo much for the supportand the prayer! i love yall and havea great week!
love elder joshua Kiser!
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY YALL! February 14, 2012
HAPPY VALINTINES DAY YALL!
man time is really going by fast! we had our last transfercalls last night, that is why i am writing on a tuesday! i am going to finishin denham springs! i really like it here and i already know all the members andhave great Friends here so it works! although i am going to have a newcompanion tomorrow Elder Keller is trained and ready to go! it would benice to get someone who really likes to work hard, is humble and fun to bearound, and loves missionary work! but i think id rather have someone justopposite of that, that way i can learn new things! The other missionaries inthe apartment have not been getting along very well, and so we went on alot ofexstanges.. Well i went with Elder Williams who is Slow and steady.... Where iam really really fast! it was really fun to be able to see the differences! iwas extremely blessed this week, as i was reading the scriptures i really liketo see the things in them that maybe the nor would of missed it. i was readingIsaiah about spirit world and i thought that was really cool! as well as i readabout a standard in the later days. i just noticed in the last weeks differentthings that maybe i would of just missed if i wasn't looking! Just Like theAngle told nephi LOOK! it is really fun to learn, in Sunday school we talkedabout loving everyone. i brought up i think it was in the book how to winfriends and influence people, well i read like 5 pages out of that book and ittalked about how we need to ourselves in there shoes and have understanding forthem! if you understand them, then you will know who to love them, or how toshow your love to them! i thought it was a really cool idea and we talked alotabout that in church! there was also three investigators at church this week,and they all really enjoyed the lesson! Oya i was able to teach second hour! iwas really cool! Katie moore who has not been back to church since she was like15 and she is like 30 now came this week with her no member husband, they bothreally enjoyed it! anyways in second hour the started to cry a little witheveryone else! the spirit was really strong! we talked about Baptism for thedead and the plan of salvation. so church this week was really fun! O ya beforei forget it is fun that i am coming home! i am truly excited, i am so gratefulto have a family that really supports me in what i like to do! i logged untoMormon.org and there is a really cool guy he is a snow boarder it is a reallyneat video, in fact the Brighton Cabin is in the back ground of a part of it.well as i watched this video i really, really wanted to go skateboarding infact that is all i could think about, and for the next 3 hours i was justthinking about skateboarding and i couldn't really focus on what i was called todo. i love yall very very much and i only have 6 weeks to finish what i wascalled and chosen to do, and i would lovingly ask you to write me and give mesupport but when you do please don't talk about things that might take mythought off the savior! i am so great that i have this opportunity to serve theLord at this time and age! it is really a blessing to me and i am learning andgrowing! it is not a measure of blessings or success, but there is alot ofgreat people that are reading and praying daily, coming to church, as well asgetting ready for baptism! it is really neat to be here! i am loving life! i amtrying my best to focus on things that truly matter most! i am trying to seektrue doctrine from the father! the work again is great! thank yall very verymuch for the support! O almost everyone morning this week we have played basketball! i am still not very good but i think i am getting better! do you thinkthis is true the more you do something the better you get.. but at the sametime you realize how much more there is to it and so you are no thinking youare not really that good to begin with? ha ha that is now at the stage ofbasket ball! :) but it is alot of fun! we are going to play today all day! :)with a few other people! i love yall tons, sorry i know i missed spelt alot ofwords, next time maybe ill misspell one less! :) Elder Williams just said HI!he looks ALOT like Justin! just a little bigger! anyways i love yall have agreat week! thank you very much for the support!
love your brother
ELder Joshua Kiser!
man time is really going by fast! we had our last transfercalls last night, that is why i am writing on a tuesday! i am going to finishin denham springs! i really like it here and i already know all the members andhave great Friends here so it works! although i am going to have a newcompanion tomorrow Elder Keller is trained and ready to go! it would benice to get someone who really likes to work hard, is humble and fun to bearound, and loves missionary work! but i think id rather have someone justopposite of that, that way i can learn new things! The other missionaries inthe apartment have not been getting along very well, and so we went on alot ofexstanges.. Well i went with Elder Williams who is Slow and steady.... Where iam really really fast! it was really fun to be able to see the differences! iwas extremely blessed this week, as i was reading the scriptures i really liketo see the things in them that maybe the nor would of missed it. i was readingIsaiah about spirit world and i thought that was really cool! as well as i readabout a standard in the later days. i just noticed in the last weeks differentthings that maybe i would of just missed if i wasn't looking! Just Like theAngle told nephi LOOK! it is really fun to learn, in Sunday school we talkedabout loving everyone. i brought up i think it was in the book how to winfriends and influence people, well i read like 5 pages out of that book and ittalked about how we need to ourselves in there shoes and have understanding forthem! if you understand them, then you will know who to love them, or how toshow your love to them! i thought it was a really cool idea and we talked alotabout that in church! there was also three investigators at church this week,and they all really enjoyed the lesson! Oya i was able to teach second hour! iwas really cool! Katie moore who has not been back to church since she was like15 and she is like 30 now came this week with her no member husband, they bothreally enjoyed it! anyways in second hour the started to cry a little witheveryone else! the spirit was really strong! we talked about Baptism for thedead and the plan of salvation. so church this week was really fun! O ya beforei forget it is fun that i am coming home! i am truly excited, i am so gratefulto have a family that really supports me in what i like to do! i logged untoMormon.org and there is a really cool guy he is a snow boarder it is a reallyneat video, in fact the Brighton Cabin is in the back ground of a part of it.well as i watched this video i really, really wanted to go skateboarding infact that is all i could think about, and for the next 3 hours i was justthinking about skateboarding and i couldn't really focus on what i was called todo. i love yall very very much and i only have 6 weeks to finish what i wascalled and chosen to do, and i would lovingly ask you to write me and give mesupport but when you do please don't talk about things that might take mythought off the savior! i am so great that i have this opportunity to serve theLord at this time and age! it is really a blessing to me and i am learning andgrowing! it is not a measure of blessings or success, but there is alot ofgreat people that are reading and praying daily, coming to church, as well asgetting ready for baptism! it is really neat to be here! i am loving life! i amtrying my best to focus on things that truly matter most! i am trying to seektrue doctrine from the father! the work again is great! thank yall very verymuch for the support! O almost everyone morning this week we have played basketball! i am still not very good but i think i am getting better! do you thinkthis is true the more you do something the better you get.. but at the sametime you realize how much more there is to it and so you are no thinking youare not really that good to begin with? ha ha that is now at the stage ofbasket ball! :) but it is alot of fun! we are going to play today all day! :)with a few other people! i love yall tons, sorry i know i missed spelt alot ofwords, next time maybe ill misspell one less! :) Elder Williams just said HI!he looks ALOT like Justin! just a little bigger! anyways i love yall have agreat week! thank you very much for the support!
love your brother
ELder Joshua Kiser!
Letter from Dad February 13, 2012
HappyValentine’s day!! Mom and I sure love you.
Melissais in the hospital this morning. Looks like you may have a new nieceabout the time you receive this letter!!! It will be your 21stniece or nephew.
Wehad a fun weekend. Sam Taggart got married. Katie, his wife, isreally cute, there are some real similarities between Spencer’s Katie andSam’s Katie. Both are petite and very energetic. One isblonde and the other has dark brown hair. The weeding was performed atthe Salt Lake Temple and it was packed, lots of family. The reception wasat the Salt Lake Country Club. It think that her dad might be adoctor. I know that Spencer’s father in law is a heart surgeon, sothat may be another common thread. There was really good food and a liveband. The music was fun and lively. Everyone seemed to be having agreat time.
Itis fun for me to hear your stories of playing basketball. I loved thegame so much and almost spent as much time playing basketball as you didskateboarding. I was pretty good and at just under six foot I coulddunk. I never dunked in a game, but I did in warm ups. When Iplayed in college, the floor at Ricks College in Rexburg had a lot of flex, itwas like a trampoline and made it a lot easier to dunk.
Craigan Beccy came down for the weekend as well. Nate got Craig involved in apiece of property in Tooele and Craig is hopeful that they have a buyer for theproperty. So they came down to meet with some folks relating to thatproject. It would be nice for Craig if he could get out of thatinvestment. We all got together for dinner at Dad’s yesterday asBeccy fixed a roast and potatoes. It was nice to get together. I sure reminisced thinking about Grandma Kiser and the fun eventswe had at the house when she was around and fixed dinner for thefamilies. I miss her often and think of her a lot.
GrandpaDriggs birthday was last Thursday and many of the Driggs’ aunts anduncles gathered at Chuck A Rama for lunch.
Thestory about your purchasing a box of Magic Cards is inspiring. Relationships can be difficult and I am glad that you were inspired to dosomething that helped out with your companion relationships. Glad thatyou were all smiling and laughing as you stayed up late and played magiccards. You have learned so much as a missionary and I am so glad that youdecided to serve the Lord as a missionary. Mom has really worked hard onthis proposal she put together for APA. I am glad that she shared it withyou.
Thelegislature has been challenging, it always is. I chair an appropriationscommittee and lots of folks are asking for money. We are going to have totell a lot of people “no”. I wish we could help more, but itjust is not possible. Kathryn and her girls came up on Friday to theCapitol. I just happened to have a bill up for debate and discussion andthey were in the balcony of the chamber in the House to hear me presentit. Claire came down and sat beside me while I presented, it was fun forboth of us. In the ten years that I have been a representative, this isthe first time that Kathryn had come up while we were in session so it wasreally special for me.
Iam sure grateful for you and very proud of your service and devotion toHeavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We are so blessed to have thegospel in our lives and enjoy the spirit and testimony that comes from activityin the church. I have been reading in 2 Nephi as Lehi shares histestimony with his young son Joseph and tells him of the connection that he hasin the past to Joseph of Old and then proceeds to tell him that in the latterdays Joseph Smith will become the prophet of the restoration and bring forththe Book of Mormon. My testimony seems to be founded in the Book ofMormon and in Joseph Smith. I am so grateful that our families had thecourage to come across the plains and to settle in Utah and Idaho. Thatthey were so willing to make the sacrifice to come out and settle inZion. We have rich tradition with the Kiser, Robinson and the Driggsfamilies. I hope that our family will always treasure the richness of ourpioneer ancestry.
Gottago I love you so much. Keep focused on your work as it will end soquickly. You are awesome and an inspiration to me.
Loveyou,
Dad
Melissais in the hospital this morning. Looks like you may have a new nieceabout the time you receive this letter!!! It will be your 21stniece or nephew.
Wehad a fun weekend. Sam Taggart got married. Katie, his wife, isreally cute, there are some real similarities between Spencer’s Katie andSam’s Katie. Both are petite and very energetic. One isblonde and the other has dark brown hair. The weeding was performed atthe Salt Lake Temple and it was packed, lots of family. The reception wasat the Salt Lake Country Club. It think that her dad might be adoctor. I know that Spencer’s father in law is a heart surgeon, sothat may be another common thread. There was really good food and a liveband. The music was fun and lively. Everyone seemed to be having agreat time.
Itis fun for me to hear your stories of playing basketball. I loved thegame so much and almost spent as much time playing basketball as you didskateboarding. I was pretty good and at just under six foot I coulddunk. I never dunked in a game, but I did in warm ups. When Iplayed in college, the floor at Ricks College in Rexburg had a lot of flex, itwas like a trampoline and made it a lot easier to dunk.
Craigan Beccy came down for the weekend as well. Nate got Craig involved in apiece of property in Tooele and Craig is hopeful that they have a buyer for theproperty. So they came down to meet with some folks relating to thatproject. It would be nice for Craig if he could get out of thatinvestment. We all got together for dinner at Dad’s yesterday asBeccy fixed a roast and potatoes. It was nice to get together. I sure reminisced thinking about Grandma Kiser and the fun eventswe had at the house when she was around and fixed dinner for thefamilies. I miss her often and think of her a lot.
GrandpaDriggs birthday was last Thursday and many of the Driggs’ aunts anduncles gathered at Chuck A Rama for lunch.
Thestory about your purchasing a box of Magic Cards is inspiring. Relationships can be difficult and I am glad that you were inspired to dosomething that helped out with your companion relationships. Glad thatyou were all smiling and laughing as you stayed up late and played magiccards. You have learned so much as a missionary and I am so glad that youdecided to serve the Lord as a missionary. Mom has really worked hard onthis proposal she put together for APA. I am glad that she shared it withyou.
Thelegislature has been challenging, it always is. I chair an appropriationscommittee and lots of folks are asking for money. We are going to have totell a lot of people “no”. I wish we could help more, but itjust is not possible. Kathryn and her girls came up on Friday to theCapitol. I just happened to have a bill up for debate and discussion andthey were in the balcony of the chamber in the House to hear me presentit. Claire came down and sat beside me while I presented, it was fun forboth of us. In the ten years that I have been a representative, this isthe first time that Kathryn had come up while we were in session so it wasreally special for me.
Iam sure grateful for you and very proud of your service and devotion toHeavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We are so blessed to have thegospel in our lives and enjoy the spirit and testimony that comes from activityin the church. I have been reading in 2 Nephi as Lehi shares histestimony with his young son Joseph and tells him of the connection that he hasin the past to Joseph of Old and then proceeds to tell him that in the latterdays Joseph Smith will become the prophet of the restoration and bring forththe Book of Mormon. My testimony seems to be founded in the Book ofMormon and in Joseph Smith. I am so grateful that our families had thecourage to come across the plains and to settle in Utah and Idaho. Thatthey were so willing to make the sacrifice to come out and settle inZion. We have rich tradition with the Kiser, Robinson and the Driggsfamilies. I hope that our family will always treasure the richness of ourpioneer ancestry.
Gottago I love you so much. Keep focused on your work as it will end soquickly. You are awesome and an inspiration to me.
Loveyou,
Dad
HEY FAMILY! February 9, 2012
HEY FAMILY! i am Email late today! i woke up really earlyand studied so that we could go fishing in the morning! i caught i big 0! it isokay becouse if you take half of the 0, it would look like this ) and if youadd : it would look like :) and that is a smily face! it was still pretty sweetto go fishing! so would you like to know something sweet that happend thisweek! so the other night i was sick.. mega lame well i was at wall greensbuying medican Night quill and well i felt like i really needed to buy magiccards.. i was wierd because i NEVER play cards infact the cards you sent me igave to a kid for christmas! anyways wallgreens did sell magic cards ( the Cardgame) so i needed to drive to walmart down the road and they solid all sorce ofdiffernt packs and boxes, so i said a short prayer in my hart and grabed arandom box a little confused. we came in about 9:30 at night, and from about9:30 to 11 pm i waited to the other missionaries who live with us to come in toshow them my new tresure, well they had been fighting back and forth all nightcalled president wall and talked to him for a little while... well when theywalked into the appartment they both saw me smiling holding a Big box of MagicCards! Elder williams showed us how to play and we stayed up till 1 PM ( thelatest ive stayed up in two years! and we all were smiling and laughing by theend! it was amazing to slow down a little lift up our eyes and to be able tosee the things that matters most! the stupid thing they were fighting about wasovercomed by a peace and a joy! i belive dilligently doing the things thatmatter most will lead us to the savior! i think we are sooo cuaght up in ourown little world that we miss out on oppertunities and learning exspirances!for instance i would of never ever thought about the card game magic, i foundsomething that brought me joy. i found another thing that i can learn from! ilove miricals like that becouse there kinda goofy and i think God is kindagoofy! do you possible belive god allowed saten to do something to get theothers made so i could get those sweet cards and over all have a better night?O ya i also spent an hour drawing on exstanges while i was helping anothermissionary with a map! and it was soo cool! i drew a mountin with a sweet cave!i looks like a two year old drew it, but i also had fun doing that! i think oneof the coolest things i have learned on my mission is trying new things! o ya ithink i already told you last week! but there is another missionary who likesbasket ball so we were able to play every morning at six A.M.! and i wasteaching the lewis girls and when we walked into there house there was a basketball game and i watched it for about two mins...... those guys are really goodthere fast! so for the last few days i have tried dribbling, shooting andpassing really fast! i am realling liking trying new things, the only thing idid back home was skateboard and play wow! O ya mom thanks for the letter it iscool that you save the much for the schools! i told the missionaries when i gotit that my mom saved $1,222,023.63 (or something) last year, and there mouthsdropped a little... it is true, but then i informed them it wasnt her money! ithink if was your money i wouldnt tell anyone. we are having tons of success!it seems like the less i physically work, and the more i work with my brain themore work gets done! intersting! i am not working hard for the rest of mymission, what i mean by that is doing things that are less acftive that istiring! well i love yall and hope that yall havea great week! ill see yousoon! sam taggert i think you get married this week gratz brother!
love yall
love
Elder Joshua Kiser
love yall
love
Elder Joshua Kiser
Letter from Dad February 6, 2012
HeyGood Looking,
Ireally enjoyed your last letter. I am not sure that you know, but you arerelated to Elder Bednar. His wife is Susan Robinson from Star Valley,Wyoming. She and I were at Ricks College together. I dated one ofher friends and a couple of times stayed at her house when I went to StarValley over a weekend to see Denise Lancaster (the girl I was dating). Grandpa Robinson was one of thirteen Children of John Robinson and most of theother twelve children stayed in Star Valley or Preston Idaho, so we have a lotof relatives in that area.
Iam not doing as good in my reading of the Book of Mormon. I am only on 2Nephi 3. But at least I am on 2 Nephi 3. I really enjoy teachingthe Book of Mormon to the high school students. I have a good class ofsmart students. I have been pretty solid with working out. I havelost about 10 pounds, but I don’t seem very thin. But it iscoming. It would be fun to work out with you, I hope that we get thatchance together.
Yourstory of meeting a boy as you got out of church reminder me a similar storywhen I was in Blackfoot Idaho, my first area. We had just finished a Zonemeeting. Usually the zone meetings were in Pocatello but for some reasonwe had it at the tabernacle in Blackfoot. After the conference ended, mycompanion and I kinda lingered around talking to the other elders that had totravel back to their areas so I think were about the last to leave thebuilding. AS we left and were getting into the car a young woman about 17came up to the window of the car and asked us what she needed to do to bebaptized. We did teach her and she was baptized. It seems like wehad a lot of those kinds of teaching experiences in my mission.
Myone regret is that I didn’t keep a good journal and I didn’t keeptrack of people that I taught and was involved with. When Julie and Iwere first married we lived in a small home up by the University of Utah andwere in a ward with a lot of students. One day after services were overand we were exiting the building I came across a young man that we had baptizedin Rock Springs, Wyoming Clark Gilbert. He had just finished hismission and was attending the University of Utah. I saw him frequentlythat spring as he was in the ward that meet after ours did. Julie and Ibought a home that summer and I haven’t seen him since. It would be niceto know how he is doing.
Gottago. The legislature is keeping me really busy. Staff ask frequentlyhow you are doing. I am proud to tell them of your adventures andsuccesses. I sure love you a lot and think that you are awesome.
Loveyou,
Dad
Ireally enjoyed your last letter. I am not sure that you know, but you arerelated to Elder Bednar. His wife is Susan Robinson from Star Valley,Wyoming. She and I were at Ricks College together. I dated one ofher friends and a couple of times stayed at her house when I went to StarValley over a weekend to see Denise Lancaster (the girl I was dating). Grandpa Robinson was one of thirteen Children of John Robinson and most of theother twelve children stayed in Star Valley or Preston Idaho, so we have a lotof relatives in that area.
Iam not doing as good in my reading of the Book of Mormon. I am only on 2Nephi 3. But at least I am on 2 Nephi 3. I really enjoy teachingthe Book of Mormon to the high school students. I have a good class ofsmart students. I have been pretty solid with working out. I havelost about 10 pounds, but I don’t seem very thin. But it iscoming. It would be fun to work out with you, I hope that we get thatchance together.
Yourstory of meeting a boy as you got out of church reminder me a similar storywhen I was in Blackfoot Idaho, my first area. We had just finished a Zonemeeting. Usually the zone meetings were in Pocatello but for some reasonwe had it at the tabernacle in Blackfoot. After the conference ended, mycompanion and I kinda lingered around talking to the other elders that had totravel back to their areas so I think were about the last to leave thebuilding. AS we left and were getting into the car a young woman about 17came up to the window of the car and asked us what she needed to do to bebaptized. We did teach her and she was baptized. It seems like wehad a lot of those kinds of teaching experiences in my mission.
Myone regret is that I didn’t keep a good journal and I didn’t keeptrack of people that I taught and was involved with. When Julie and Iwere first married we lived in a small home up by the University of Utah andwere in a ward with a lot of students. One day after services were overand we were exiting the building I came across a young man that we had baptizedin Rock Springs, Wyoming Clark Gilbert. He had just finished hismission and was attending the University of Utah. I saw him frequentlythat spring as he was in the ward that meet after ours did. Julie and Ibought a home that summer and I haven’t seen him since. It would be niceto know how he is doing.
Gottago. The legislature is keeping me really busy. Staff ask frequentlyhow you are doing. I am proud to tell them of your adventures andsuccesses. I sure love you a lot and think that you are awesome.
Loveyou,
Dad
HEY Family! Jan 30, 3012
Dear Family
THis week was amazing! i can not even use amazing to desribethis week! i am not sure what we did to be soo blessed! i bet you arethinking what happend that is soooo amazing? first of all i have woren the sametie for maybe 7 or more months, makes it easy on my brain to change ties! :)and to not have to choose what tie to wear! i wore the tie that Rob sent me forChristmas it looks nice! so that was good! mom thanks for putton money on my card,it is nice but thats not a hole lot i can buy, i am in denham springs..... itis like a small city nothing cool hear. so instead you have takin like 10missionaries to luch! they all say THANKS! so thank you mom! :) Look at howcool this is ! so this week was sooooo amazing becousei haveserverd basicaly in the same stake and zone my whole mission! and yesterday wehad a sweet stake training! it was sooo fun to be able to see all my freindsfrom like a year ago, or just alot of poeple i have worked with in the past!theres alot of cool peopel here! so that misght be the hightlight of my week!it was really really fun! there was missionaries and stake leaders there andthe only people i didnt know where the newer missionaries that i hadnt met yet,but i know know them! so that was fun! or my faverite monment could have beengoing over to Derrin Parkers home and found out that he has read into Alma!!!!!he told us that at first Brother joseph made him a little stand off, but as hereads it he knows that a young man could not of writtin this book! it wasreally cool! it must be true! so that was deffintaly a highlight of this week!my faverite part could of being able to find out that sister Lamothe has cancer...i hate her... JK i love her! it is sweet because she is not a member! and nowhaving cancer she really wants to be married in the temple with he memberhusband who just got active in the last month or soo! you could of chosen abetter time to get cancer, right after your husband got active and is now onfire! so that was sweet! o ya mom you baught them ensighs for a year also! donrput more money on my account becosue i have a problem spendig it all... thisweek we were blessed with a chance to visit the moore family! they have cuntiedto read everyday! we tooko an awesome member Brother tarver! ( he reminds me ofa bold Rob, ill take a picture next time i see him and send it to yall) anywayswe had a solid lesson with the moores and the spirit was sooo strong! anothergood thing was while in the lesson brother tarver was sitting with his elbo onhis knee, and when brother moore turned away i mnicked his elbo with my had, sohe kinda fell a little, you know, that is what we do at church to eqach other!it was awesome! i really like brother Tarver he is awesome! i was exstrimlyblessed last night! at the stake meeting a member brought me a letter fromSummer Day sibly who just got baptised a few weeks ago! well i ran into her atwalmart while i was in McComb mississippi, well she basicaly wrote me thenicest thank you note ever! and soo that was great! we were also able to talkto the silvermens who are awesome! and they all committed to read the book ofmormon as a family! finaly theres a family of six that we are fixing to bebaptised, the nunezes, and they are soo golden and ready to get baptised! it issweet! we are truly blessed, something bad will happen soon, but that is okaybecouse then i get a sweet chance to learn! so we are going to play baket balltoday! i love basket ball, i can almost dunk it! i held onto the rim in my siteyesterday! i lso love running! i have really got out of shape. i stoped runningand i stopped biking. the brother i was biking with was not that fun to bikewith. but there is a new guy Elder williams that wants to play basket ball inthe morning, so we will be able to do that, and that will be fun! o ya thanksyou soooooooooooooooSO much for the gift cards you took like 15 missionariesout to luch! thay also say thanks! well love you mom dad micky justin and restof family and anyone else who is currently reading this letter! also i foundout you can make sweet things like this or isnt that sweet! this guyis really cool ! love yall tons thanks for the support! i hopeyall are Enjoying life! I AM! Adam fell that men might be! men are that theymight have JOY! love yall
Love
Elder Joshua Kiser !
THis week was amazing! i can not even use amazing to desribethis week! i am not sure what we did to be soo blessed! i bet you arethinking what happend that is soooo amazing? first of all i have woren the sametie for maybe 7 or more months, makes it easy on my brain to change ties! :)and to not have to choose what tie to wear! i wore the tie that Rob sent me forChristmas it looks nice! so that was good! mom thanks for putton money on my card,it is nice but thats not a hole lot i can buy, i am in denham springs..... itis like a small city nothing cool hear. so instead you have takin like 10missionaries to luch! they all say THANKS! so thank you mom! :) Look at howcool this is ! so this week was sooooo amazing becousei haveserverd basicaly in the same stake and zone my whole mission! and yesterday wehad a sweet stake training! it was sooo fun to be able to see all my freindsfrom like a year ago, or just alot of poeple i have worked with in the past!theres alot of cool peopel here! so that misght be the hightlight of my week!it was really really fun! there was missionaries and stake leaders there andthe only people i didnt know where the newer missionaries that i hadnt met yet,but i know know them! so that was fun! or my faverite monment could have beengoing over to Derrin Parkers home and found out that he has read into Alma!!!!!he told us that at first Brother joseph made him a little stand off, but as hereads it he knows that a young man could not of writtin this book! it wasreally cool! it must be true! so that was deffintaly a highlight of this week!my faverite part could of being able to find out that sister Lamothe has cancer...i hate her... JK i love her! it is sweet because she is not a member! and nowhaving cancer she really wants to be married in the temple with he memberhusband who just got active in the last month or soo! you could of chosen abetter time to get cancer, right after your husband got active and is now onfire! so that was sweet! o ya mom you baught them ensighs for a year also! donrput more money on my account becosue i have a problem spendig it all... thisweek we were blessed with a chance to visit the moore family! they have cuntiedto read everyday! we tooko an awesome member Brother tarver! ( he reminds me ofa bold Rob, ill take a picture next time i see him and send it to yall) anywayswe had a solid lesson with the moores and the spirit was sooo strong! anothergood thing was while in the lesson brother tarver was sitting with his elbo onhis knee, and when brother moore turned away i mnicked his elbo with my had, sohe kinda fell a little, you know, that is what we do at church to eqach other!it was awesome! i really like brother Tarver he is awesome! i was exstrimlyblessed last night! at the stake meeting a member brought me a letter fromSummer Day sibly who just got baptised a few weeks ago! well i ran into her atwalmart while i was in McComb mississippi, well she basicaly wrote me thenicest thank you note ever! and soo that was great! we were also able to talkto the silvermens who are awesome! and they all committed to read the book ofmormon as a family! finaly theres a family of six that we are fixing to bebaptised, the nunezes, and they are soo golden and ready to get baptised! it issweet! we are truly blessed, something bad will happen soon, but that is okaybecouse then i get a sweet chance to learn! so we are going to play baket balltoday! i love basket ball, i can almost dunk it! i held onto the rim in my siteyesterday! i lso love running! i have really got out of shape. i stoped runningand i stopped biking. the brother i was biking with was not that fun to bikewith. but there is a new guy Elder williams that wants to play basket ball inthe morning, so we will be able to do that, and that will be fun! o ya thanksyou soooooooooooooooSO much for the gift cards you took like 15 missionariesout to luch! thay also say thanks! well love you mom dad micky justin and restof family and anyone else who is currently reading this letter! also i foundout you can make sweet things like this or isnt that sweet! this guyis really cool ! love yall tons thanks for the support! i hopeyall are Enjoying life! I AM! Adam fell that men might be! men are that theymight have JOY! love yall
Love
Elder Joshua Kiser !
Coming home Info. January 19, 2012
Family,
We were notified by the church travel agency that Josh willreturn home on March 29th at 1:55 pm American Airlines flight 1301 from Dallas. Who would have thought that two years could be so long and so short. Thank you for our support.
Todd
We were notified by the church travel agency that Josh willreturn home on March 29th at 1:55 pm American Airlines flight 1301 from Dallas. Who would have thought that two years could be so long and so short. Thank you for our support.
Todd
FAMILY! January 16, 2012
FAMILY!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! i got you a sweet present last week andi told my self like 600 times to mail it off, and I've been really busy, as ityped that i realizes it was a lie i guess it hasn't been on the top of my priorities,but i love you and i will send it off very soon! but it is really sweet i knowyou and the family will like it! it is great to hear the family came over, iknow you like to share and the gift is one you share so bumbed that i didn'tget it off in time... But it will be there shortly! So i am not going to lie wehad an opportunity to meet with Elder Bedmar, and i was not excited to.... ifigured he would ask a question on like faith and missionaries would just saythey baptised or say something way off topic.. they defiantly did not! and itwas amazing! he told us not to tell you what happened inthe discussion we all had. the reasons why is because he said that wewould try to tell what happened best and we would not be able to, and he saidthat every mom would try to send the Email to everyone in the world and itwould just not be good, it was really funny! so the best way i can tell youwhat it was like to talk to an apostle is, the spirit was extremely strong, andand words cant justify how it felt! we ALL talked about faith! it was not justhim talking to us, but it was an open discussion! anyways Tons of fun! don'ttell anyone but i was the only missionary, but i got to talk to him for amin 1 on1 and take a picture with him! it was pretty neat! i was just at theright place at the right time! it was just really cool! this weeks works hasbeen going well! i believe the lord is really blessing us! it is crazy it hasalready been two years already, i seems like i am now just figuring out what todo? know i am really learning tons about teaching agents and not just teachingobjects, now i am learning tons on the importance of listening! we are stillteaching the Moore Family! Sister Moore wants to come back to church reallybad, and she knows it is true! we went over there with a member last week andshe was like we have only read 17 chapters and were trying to repent of oursins, trying to help our lives be more in line with the saviors! it was AWESOMEto hear that! the member that came was stunned! He is going to invite them overto there house to hang out! (it would be weird to just hang out, I've beenon the mission to long). O ya before i forget, we played basket ball yesterdayfor preparation day! and it is really my first time in a long while... when ifirst dribbled i lost control, got it stole b bunch, but by the end of the dayi could almost dunk it, as well as i was remember all the tricks i used to beable to do! last like 4 games our team was doing really good! it was reallyfun! it was cool to realize that how fast i re learned the game, it onlytook me around an hour and i was able to do some of the things i used to,then about two hours i could almost slam it, and by the end of the day i coulddribble it past people, juke people, and make a lot of 3 pointers! you might bewondering why i am wasting time thinking and talking about basketball when myfavorite sport is soccer! well the reason why, because it relates so much tomissionary work! i came to the Basket ball court not very good at the sportbecause it has been like 5 years since the last time i had played against someone ( around 10th grade year), but i really wanted to learn how. Many of uscome to the world not remember what we need to do or how to do it, but aswe practice and we re learn it will all come back! it will bring usthe joy that everyone is searching for! i would invite everyone readinghis to invite one of there friends or family members to Relearn what theyalready know what is true! we know that the lord stated! I will go beforeour face, i will be on your right hand and on your left, my sprite will be inyour hart, and my angle will be there to bear you up! a month or so ago mycompanion and i tracted into a less active part member family!the husband has come back to church, there he is remember the Joy that heonce had. the wife we met with last night and had a great discussion andlearned a lot! :) we know that in Nephis visions he saw angles preparing peopleto teach! do you think the family i just talked about was a little prepared? doyou think that the Moore family was prepared! being able to do missionary work24/7 has taught me the power of God, and realize how much he really plays apartin my life as well as those around me! i know that everyone that reads this hasa friend, or a family member that has been prepared to hear thegospel! i would Invite you to learn what it is like to take part insomeones conversion! you are filled with a joy that you wont ever fill doinganything else! think of some one you truly love! imagine them be able to knowthat families are forever! imagine them know that there really is a God and itis just not one of the other lies there parents told them. listen to astory that happened last week at church. we had an investigator come to churchthis Sunday and it was amazing! at first i was frustrated, our ward missionleader missed church and well that made me on the spot teaching the lesson! itwas on families can be together forever! there started out with just us and theinvestigator in the room! over 20 mins there came in 5 other members! alltestified of the divinity and power of the Book of Mormon. it was fun toexpound of the death of grandma Driggs. i told him that i lost my grandmotherwhile i was on my mission. i received a phone call from my mission presidentduring our morning studies. as he told me that my grandmother was dead instancei felt sad, a tear or two came to my eyes, there was a pause and mytrainer asked what was wrong, i told him nothing. president woods asked if iwould call my family, and as he said that i just knew that families wereforever, i told him there wasn't a need but i would seem them shortly. i pausedfor a few mins and went back to work now knowing another truth of thegospel of Jesus Christ! that investigator as well as many are ready tohear the gospel! Slow down a little and notice the things that truly mattermost! we would do well to focus on the significance of God and his sonsAtonement, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matters most! thereare many great things that happen and it is a blessing to be part of them! ilove y'all very much! i hope that yall are having a great week! mom happybirthday! i love ya!
Love your son
Elder Joshua Kiser
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! i got you a sweet present last week andi told my self like 600 times to mail it off, and I've been really busy, as ityped that i realizes it was a lie i guess it hasn't been on the top of my priorities,but i love you and i will send it off very soon! but it is really sweet i knowyou and the family will like it! it is great to hear the family came over, iknow you like to share and the gift is one you share so bumbed that i didn'tget it off in time... But it will be there shortly! So i am not going to lie wehad an opportunity to meet with Elder Bedmar, and i was not excited to.... ifigured he would ask a question on like faith and missionaries would just saythey baptised or say something way off topic.. they defiantly did not! and itwas amazing! he told us not to tell you what happened inthe discussion we all had. the reasons why is because he said that wewould try to tell what happened best and we would not be able to, and he saidthat every mom would try to send the Email to everyone in the world and itwould just not be good, it was really funny! so the best way i can tell youwhat it was like to talk to an apostle is, the spirit was extremely strong, andand words cant justify how it felt! we ALL talked about faith! it was not justhim talking to us, but it was an open discussion! anyways Tons of fun! don'ttell anyone but i was the only missionary, but i got to talk to him for amin 1 on1 and take a picture with him! it was pretty neat! i was just at theright place at the right time! it was just really cool! this weeks works hasbeen going well! i believe the lord is really blessing us! it is crazy it hasalready been two years already, i seems like i am now just figuring out what todo? know i am really learning tons about teaching agents and not just teachingobjects, now i am learning tons on the importance of listening! we are stillteaching the Moore Family! Sister Moore wants to come back to church reallybad, and she knows it is true! we went over there with a member last week andshe was like we have only read 17 chapters and were trying to repent of oursins, trying to help our lives be more in line with the saviors! it was AWESOMEto hear that! the member that came was stunned! He is going to invite them overto there house to hang out! (it would be weird to just hang out, I've beenon the mission to long). O ya before i forget, we played basket ball yesterdayfor preparation day! and it is really my first time in a long while... when ifirst dribbled i lost control, got it stole b bunch, but by the end of the dayi could almost dunk it, as well as i was remember all the tricks i used to beable to do! last like 4 games our team was doing really good! it was reallyfun! it was cool to realize that how fast i re learned the game, it onlytook me around an hour and i was able to do some of the things i used to,then about two hours i could almost slam it, and by the end of the day i coulddribble it past people, juke people, and make a lot of 3 pointers! you might bewondering why i am wasting time thinking and talking about basketball when myfavorite sport is soccer! well the reason why, because it relates so much tomissionary work! i came to the Basket ball court not very good at the sportbecause it has been like 5 years since the last time i had played against someone ( around 10th grade year), but i really wanted to learn how. Many of uscome to the world not remember what we need to do or how to do it, but aswe practice and we re learn it will all come back! it will bring usthe joy that everyone is searching for! i would invite everyone readinghis to invite one of there friends or family members to Relearn what theyalready know what is true! we know that the lord stated! I will go beforeour face, i will be on your right hand and on your left, my sprite will be inyour hart, and my angle will be there to bear you up! a month or so ago mycompanion and i tracted into a less active part member family!the husband has come back to church, there he is remember the Joy that heonce had. the wife we met with last night and had a great discussion andlearned a lot! :) we know that in Nephis visions he saw angles preparing peopleto teach! do you think the family i just talked about was a little prepared? doyou think that the Moore family was prepared! being able to do missionary work24/7 has taught me the power of God, and realize how much he really plays apartin my life as well as those around me! i know that everyone that reads this hasa friend, or a family member that has been prepared to hear thegospel! i would Invite you to learn what it is like to take part insomeones conversion! you are filled with a joy that you wont ever fill doinganything else! think of some one you truly love! imagine them be able to knowthat families are forever! imagine them know that there really is a God and itis just not one of the other lies there parents told them. listen to astory that happened last week at church. we had an investigator come to churchthis Sunday and it was amazing! at first i was frustrated, our ward missionleader missed church and well that made me on the spot teaching the lesson! itwas on families can be together forever! there started out with just us and theinvestigator in the room! over 20 mins there came in 5 other members! alltestified of the divinity and power of the Book of Mormon. it was fun toexpound of the death of grandma Driggs. i told him that i lost my grandmotherwhile i was on my mission. i received a phone call from my mission presidentduring our morning studies. as he told me that my grandmother was dead instancei felt sad, a tear or two came to my eyes, there was a pause and mytrainer asked what was wrong, i told him nothing. president woods asked if iwould call my family, and as he said that i just knew that families wereforever, i told him there wasn't a need but i would seem them shortly. i pausedfor a few mins and went back to work now knowing another truth of thegospel of Jesus Christ! that investigator as well as many are ready tohear the gospel! Slow down a little and notice the things that truly mattermost! we would do well to focus on the significance of God and his sonsAtonement, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matters most! thereare many great things that happen and it is a blessing to be part of them! ilove y'all very much! i hope that yall are having a great week! mom happybirthday! i love ya!
Love your son
Elder Joshua Kiser
Letter from Dad January 16, 2012
DearJosh,
Momsbirthday today!! We had a fun time yesterday as Kathryn and Mat withBrooklyn, Claire and Addy come up from St George, Jane and Jeromy with theirfamily came down from Ogden and Marianne and Greg and Natalie and Adam withtheir families came over. Grandpa Kiser made the short trip over for thedinner party and we had 24 people over for dinner. Mom got her wish andplayed games past midnight and came to bed at 4am. Way too late for me tostay up. I guess she visited with Jeromy and Jane. They just camehome from Singapore so I guess their mental and physical clocks must have beenoff just a bit.
Iam guessing that the reason we have not seen an email from you is because it isa holiday today. That is giving me a chance to get a short note off toyou. We heard a great message from a return missionary from the 16thward yesterday. He was speaking with the high councilman. He hadserved in the Ukraine where they had just dedicated the first temple in theeastern bloc countries that had been part of the Soviet Union. The day hearrived the Mission President took him to a small hill where President Packerhad dedicated the missionary work. As they looked out over the city ofKiev, the mission president told them that President Packard prophesied thatthe city would be dotted with temples. The fulfillment of that prophecyhas just started with the completion of this first temple and the missionarywork is moving forward. He had wonderful experiences and were able to usethe influence of the temple in their mission as a tool to share with inactiveand people of other faiths. The temple is such an incredible blessing forthese people.
Iguess that it is not too much different with the Baton Rouge temple not too farfrom you.
Idriving up on the Sandy/Draper boarder and could see the Draper Temple, theRiver Jordan Temple and the Oquirah Mountain Temple. Icouldn’t see the downtown lights, but I knew of their proximity and wasgrateful for the Salt Lake Temple. What a blessing it is for us inthe valley to have a temple so close to each of us.
Thelegislative session starts in a week, next Monday. It will all come toofast. I am grateful for the opportunity but this will be my final sessionas I am not planning on runnignfor office again. Business has been reallyslow with the recession and I just lost my largest account so I just need toget back to work and support the family.
Hey,just know I love you so much and am so proud of you. I just think thatyou are totally awesome.
Loveyou,
Dad
Momsbirthday today!! We had a fun time yesterday as Kathryn and Mat withBrooklyn, Claire and Addy come up from St George, Jane and Jeromy with theirfamily came down from Ogden and Marianne and Greg and Natalie and Adam withtheir families came over. Grandpa Kiser made the short trip over for thedinner party and we had 24 people over for dinner. Mom got her wish andplayed games past midnight and came to bed at 4am. Way too late for me tostay up. I guess she visited with Jeromy and Jane. They just camehome from Singapore so I guess their mental and physical clocks must have beenoff just a bit.
Iam guessing that the reason we have not seen an email from you is because it isa holiday today. That is giving me a chance to get a short note off toyou. We heard a great message from a return missionary from the 16thward yesterday. He was speaking with the high councilman. He hadserved in the Ukraine where they had just dedicated the first temple in theeastern bloc countries that had been part of the Soviet Union. The day hearrived the Mission President took him to a small hill where President Packerhad dedicated the missionary work. As they looked out over the city ofKiev, the mission president told them that President Packard prophesied thatthe city would be dotted with temples. The fulfillment of that prophecyhas just started with the completion of this first temple and the missionarywork is moving forward. He had wonderful experiences and were able to usethe influence of the temple in their mission as a tool to share with inactiveand people of other faiths. The temple is such an incredible blessing forthese people.
Iguess that it is not too much different with the Baton Rouge temple not too farfrom you.
Idriving up on the Sandy/Draper boarder and could see the Draper Temple, theRiver Jordan Temple and the Oquirah Mountain Temple. Icouldn’t see the downtown lights, but I knew of their proximity and wasgrateful for the Salt Lake Temple. What a blessing it is for us inthe valley to have a temple so close to each of us.
Thelegislative session starts in a week, next Monday. It will all come toofast. I am grateful for the opportunity but this will be my final sessionas I am not planning on runnignfor office again. Business has been reallyslow with the recession and I just lost my largest account so I just need toget back to work and support the family.
Hey,just know I love you so much and am so proud of you. I just think thatyou are totally awesome.
Loveyou,
Dad
Hey family! January 9, 2012
Hello my family! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!
i know it is really not your birthday, but I just wanted tobe the first! :) this week was really good! alot of neat things happening! wehad stake conference and i spoke one of the speakers in Japanese, it was fun toremember alot of the words i used to know! it was kinda cool as i startedspeaking alot of the stuff i used to know came back to remembrance! So thisweek on Jan 14 Elder Bednar is coming to the mission and we are going to have amission conference with him! everyone is really excited, it is kinda funny tolook at! we got a letter that talked about make sure your shoes are shined andour shirts are ironed, as well as make sure we just look our best.... as i readit it just said look FAKE because some is going to look at you.. i don't thinki should really think that , but that is what it sounded like to me. it is SOoften that we are fake, or just tell people what they want to hear so that wecan feel like we pull ahead! when really we are just lieing to ourselves. weare all in a race! the thing is that we are only racing ourselves so it ispointless to cheat, be cunning, or steal. anyways this week we were looking atvideos online and i really wanted to type,, and well i typed this really coolconcept, Mom ill mail to y'all! o ya we have a new missionary in thedistrict, he is not a new missionary, but he is really cool, so this lastweek has been really fun! this letter is short and kinda lame, but i lovey'all! i hope y'all are enjoying life! pray ALOT! seek truth always, therestons out there! don't waste time holding onto things that are not true! i lovemore then a penguin likes snow!!
Love ya
Elder Joshua Kiser!
P.S. Good luck at the state meeting, sessions, i am notreally 100% what you call it when you go to the state capital and work!
O ys one of the coolest things is that i have served almost2 years in this one stake, so at stake confrance i was able to see alot ofconverts as well as a bunch of freinds from past wards! so i thaught that wasreally cool! love yall thanks mom and dad!
i know it is really not your birthday, but I just wanted tobe the first! :) this week was really good! alot of neat things happening! wehad stake conference and i spoke one of the speakers in Japanese, it was fun toremember alot of the words i used to know! it was kinda cool as i startedspeaking alot of the stuff i used to know came back to remembrance! So thisweek on Jan 14 Elder Bednar is coming to the mission and we are going to have amission conference with him! everyone is really excited, it is kinda funny tolook at! we got a letter that talked about make sure your shoes are shined andour shirts are ironed, as well as make sure we just look our best.... as i readit it just said look FAKE because some is going to look at you.. i don't thinki should really think that , but that is what it sounded like to me. it is SOoften that we are fake, or just tell people what they want to hear so that wecan feel like we pull ahead! when really we are just lieing to ourselves. weare all in a race! the thing is that we are only racing ourselves so it ispointless to cheat, be cunning, or steal. anyways this week we were looking atvideos online and i really wanted to type,, and well i typed this really coolconcept, Mom ill mail to y'all! o ya we have a new missionary in thedistrict, he is not a new missionary, but he is really cool, so this lastweek has been really fun! this letter is short and kinda lame, but i lovey'all! i hope y'all are enjoying life! pray ALOT! seek truth always, therestons out there! don't waste time holding onto things that are not true! i lovemore then a penguin likes snow!!
Love ya
Elder Joshua Kiser!
P.S. Good luck at the state meeting, sessions, i am notreally 100% what you call it when you go to the state capital and work!
O ys one of the coolest things is that i have served almost2 years in this one stake, so at stake confrance i was able to see alot ofconverts as well as a bunch of freinds from past wards! so i thaught that wasreally cool! love yall thanks mom and dad!
Hey family October 31, 2011
Hey Family!
golly this week was a triel..... we did alot, it was justalot of wierd stuff, and deffintaly patint testing! but it is all over and i amliving so it is okay. my comp got sick. saturday we went to a wedding, and wegot to open the door, then lock up! it just took 6 hours.. and a bunch of otherwierd stuff. i think i know why! i feel as if i have been oped up to a wholenew world in a way. overload of information it seems like! ive read 2 nephi 31and re read it many of times this week! Do you know that God only speaks a fewtimes in the scriptures maybe 5-10 times at the most! and one of the times isin 2 nephi 31! it talks about the Lords purpose and Gods purpose, and the HolyGhosts purpose, and there all one purpose! then it talks about what we must do!and it is the same thing! and now you might be thinking i am 18 months into mymission and now i am thinking about this? like i knew it, but it never reallyhit like it has in the last weeks or so! i always thinking of the restorationis the church being restored, Joseph smith, the preisthodd power, temples, andsoo much more! do you whant to really know what the restoration is? it is theGospel, the Doctrine of christ! the only and true doctrine!!!! the restorationis, Faith, Reptantance, Baptism, Reciving the Holy Ghost, enduring to the end!that has been restored! all that other stuff is really neat and fun to talkabout, but not what a missionaries purpose is! i have learned more about those5 topics in the last 3 weeks then my whole mission! it has been amazing, but ican feel satin really trying to make things pop up so we cant go out side, eventhough wiered things have peoped up, i feel like i have been more successfullin the last 3 weeks then my whole misson! my testimony has really grown and mydrive has gone up as well! foristance why would i tell some one about authortycoming back to earth if they dont yet have faith in Christ? another example ishelping people stop smoking, if you teach people to have faith it will lead torepentance, repentance will lead people to stop smoking! it works way better!we were talking to a brother nammed tray! we tracted the whole street and ofcoarse he was the last door! he was a bit slow to talk, told us we wereworshiping false Gods, and a bunch of false things. we talked for about 45 minsand he really like it! we talked about faith and how it brings us peace! as wewere talking he possed... and said i need to repent dont I? it was amazing! hewas sooo real and wanted to know more about God! one last story, we tracted aHUGE neigborhood! and everyone and there dog was stamming doors at us ( lame )and of coarse the Last door we knock was this family who has a strng testimonyabout God! and of Christ! and we talked abuot the blessing about faith! it wasgreat she had met with missionaries and had them over to dinner when they livedin another state! she was excitted to meet more missionaries! we went inside ofher house for a few minutes and it just felt like a mormon house! it was reallycool! well miricals hppan everyday! it is great! love yall and thank you soomuch for the support! i hope yall have a great halloween! dad thanks for theletter!
love yall!
Elder Joshua Kiser!
golly this week was a triel..... we did alot, it was justalot of wierd stuff, and deffintaly patint testing! but it is all over and i amliving so it is okay. my comp got sick. saturday we went to a wedding, and wegot to open the door, then lock up! it just took 6 hours.. and a bunch of otherwierd stuff. i think i know why! i feel as if i have been oped up to a wholenew world in a way. overload of information it seems like! ive read 2 nephi 31and re read it many of times this week! Do you know that God only speaks a fewtimes in the scriptures maybe 5-10 times at the most! and one of the times isin 2 nephi 31! it talks about the Lords purpose and Gods purpose, and the HolyGhosts purpose, and there all one purpose! then it talks about what we must do!and it is the same thing! and now you might be thinking i am 18 months into mymission and now i am thinking about this? like i knew it, but it never reallyhit like it has in the last weeks or so! i always thinking of the restorationis the church being restored, Joseph smith, the preisthodd power, temples, andsoo much more! do you whant to really know what the restoration is? it is theGospel, the Doctrine of christ! the only and true doctrine!!!! the restorationis, Faith, Reptantance, Baptism, Reciving the Holy Ghost, enduring to the end!that has been restored! all that other stuff is really neat and fun to talkabout, but not what a missionaries purpose is! i have learned more about those5 topics in the last 3 weeks then my whole mission! it has been amazing, but ican feel satin really trying to make things pop up so we cant go out side, eventhough wiered things have peoped up, i feel like i have been more successfullin the last 3 weeks then my whole misson! my testimony has really grown and mydrive has gone up as well! foristance why would i tell some one about authortycoming back to earth if they dont yet have faith in Christ? another example ishelping people stop smoking, if you teach people to have faith it will lead torepentance, repentance will lead people to stop smoking! it works way better!we were talking to a brother nammed tray! we tracted the whole street and ofcoarse he was the last door! he was a bit slow to talk, told us we wereworshiping false Gods, and a bunch of false things. we talked for about 45 minsand he really like it! we talked about faith and how it brings us peace! as wewere talking he possed... and said i need to repent dont I? it was amazing! hewas sooo real and wanted to know more about God! one last story, we tracted aHUGE neigborhood! and everyone and there dog was stamming doors at us ( lame )and of coarse the Last door we knock was this family who has a strng testimonyabout God! and of Christ! and we talked abuot the blessing about faith! it wasgreat she had met with missionaries and had them over to dinner when they livedin another state! she was excitted to meet more missionaries! we went inside ofher house for a few minutes and it just felt like a mormon house! it was reallycool! well miricals hppan everyday! it is great! love yall and thank you soomuch for the support! i hope yall have a great halloween! dad thanks for theletter!
love yall!
Elder Joshua Kiser!
Hey family! October 24, 2011
HeyFamily Oct 24 2011!
thisweek was great! there is allot of good things happening! so like you know i amback serving in denham springs! it is really fun to be back and see old friendsthat i once had. it is fun because i am in a ward and most of the ward reallylikes us, almost every day this week a member has either given us food, or hasfed us! :) so i thought that was really nice! I am always nervous to eat at amembers or a non members house, because you never know what you are going toeat or how it was prepared.... but it has been a great week! we are teaching aBrother named Greg! he used to live in Utah and loved the Mormons! he is tryingto get back on his feet, and reading the scriptures and praying he said hasreally helped him! his roommate is a really good friend named Kenny! Kenny imet a year again he lived with his girl friend and them and there kids wereattending church and loved it! they were planning to be baptised, just neededto get married first. well after i left a few months later Andie his girlfriend left him and he got really depressed and he stoped reading and coming tochurch.... it is cool because i now that i am transferred BACK i alreadyknow him and i was able to teach very boldly! we had a great lesson! he pickedback up smoking and drinking and is breaking the Law of chastity... but i askedwhat his real concerns were and it was just really spiritual! i think mostpeople focus on what people DO instead of focusing on how we are being! if thatmakes sense. it was fun because i didn't even really talk about what he wasdoing (smoking, drinking,etc) instead i focused and who he was (father, son,brother). more or less we tried to build his Faith and tried to help himRepent, because if he feels the faith growing then he will have a desire torepent! if he has a desire to repent then he will have a desire to stopsmoking! but if we just tell him to stop breaking commandments they he never wouldhave or will. so i am hoping this new way will work! i think it will! it makesway more sense! lately i have really focused on Faith, Repentance, Baptism,Receiving the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the end! i believe it is like a snowball effect! so it is really we need to strive to have faith, and teach othersto have faith! it has been really fun to have spent time focusing on differentwas to learn and different ways to teach! for instance the last missionary herebaptised 7 people in 7 months! the way he did it was just by being therefriend, and instead of teaching them, they just hung out.... and why they werehanging out he would bring up the gospel. it is cool because he baptised somany people... but once he left, the people no have no real testimony, so theynow have not been coming to church. isn't that interesting? this last week ihave been thinking alot about that really! it has really made me focus on ourpurpose (the fourth article of faith), and finding people that has beenprepared to be taught by the Lord! it is fun to do different things and learnfrom them! I just finished the book of Mormon for the THIRD time :) i marked ingreen everything that has to do with faith, repentance, baptism, receiving theholy ghost, and enduring to the end! now i am restarting and i am going to markall the Christlike attributes in purple! i suppose if we become more Christlike ourselves then it will much easier to help others be Christlike! Soanother great experience i had was... a year ago while i was serving here, wewere visiting a Recent convert and was trying to get her to go to the youngsingle adults ward! well the last Sunday i missed her at church and so i askedaround and no one seemed to have see her for a couple of months.. at first iwas really sad:( because she was a great friend. out of any person i have met ithink she is almost my favorite! she is almost def, and tried to go to regularcollage and she is just really go getter and self motivated, even though sheis partly def! it is cool because so many people would use that as anexcuse to take money from the government, or to just give up... but she usesthat to work even harder or to push herself more! anyways so she wasn't atchurch so we went by to visit her! as we drove up to her house shecame out to greet us and we talked, she knew who i was i new her, so wegot right to talking about the gospel! she still has a strong testimonyand has been attending the singles ward for the last while! it brought alot ofjoy to my hart to know that! and it is great to see an old friend with such astrong testimony! at first i was very sorrowful, but when i understoodmore of Gods plan it seemed like i was filled with joy! i betthat that sane things happens to use more then we think. so why dowe get sorrowful? why not just get joy and stay with that joy! :) anotherthing this week was really cool! i think i told you about brother Durand! itaught him last year and he was a hard head and was not really progressing butonly coming to church... we invited him to read out of the Scriptures and itchanged him completely! it was was awesome! he then committed to baptism! andwas off! then we both got transferred out a year ago, and he was just kindaforgotten about because of his smoking problem. well right before i gottransferred back he got sick and had to go to the hospital.. well they told himif he didn't stop smoking he would die!!!!! and well when i got here he wassmoke free for 2 weeks! now it has been 3 weeks! :) isn't that great! we sawhim a few days ago with the bishop and he is still progressing and were prayingthat he will get baptised soon! he wants to when his body heals! he really justneeds to read the Scriptures everyday! so it has been really fun to beback in the area! O ya last Monday on Preparation day i was playing basketball! and well i tried to do a sweet trick... and as i jumped i slippedand well the inner part of my elbow got fractured.. when i landed on my armi herd it pop, so then i went home like half hour later and laid on my bedthinking of what to do.... because i could fill that it weak, so icalled sister wall (after a 2 hours of laying there) and had to go to thedoctor... lame i know. it was really swollen. now it is only kinda swollen andreally bruised. really color full :) ya so that was really lame! thedoctor gave me a cast that i could take on and off, it is really fancy, andsome medicine. we'll see if i can do that trick again later today! :) itonly reminded me of all the times i fell skateboarding! (don't tell sisterWall, but that night everyone was playing soccer for family night, and after 30sec. i got bored of watching... and well my team won)! overall this weekwas great! i got a letter from Micky and it was awesome! well love y'all i hopethat y'all have a great week! love y'all
Love,
ElderJoshua Kiser!
thisweek was great! there is allot of good things happening! so like you know i amback serving in denham springs! it is really fun to be back and see old friendsthat i once had. it is fun because i am in a ward and most of the ward reallylikes us, almost every day this week a member has either given us food, or hasfed us! :) so i thought that was really nice! I am always nervous to eat at amembers or a non members house, because you never know what you are going toeat or how it was prepared.... but it has been a great week! we are teaching aBrother named Greg! he used to live in Utah and loved the Mormons! he is tryingto get back on his feet, and reading the scriptures and praying he said hasreally helped him! his roommate is a really good friend named Kenny! Kenny imet a year again he lived with his girl friend and them and there kids wereattending church and loved it! they were planning to be baptised, just neededto get married first. well after i left a few months later Andie his girlfriend left him and he got really depressed and he stoped reading and coming tochurch.... it is cool because i now that i am transferred BACK i alreadyknow him and i was able to teach very boldly! we had a great lesson! he pickedback up smoking and drinking and is breaking the Law of chastity... but i askedwhat his real concerns were and it was just really spiritual! i think mostpeople focus on what people DO instead of focusing on how we are being! if thatmakes sense. it was fun because i didn't even really talk about what he wasdoing (smoking, drinking,etc) instead i focused and who he was (father, son,brother). more or less we tried to build his Faith and tried to help himRepent, because if he feels the faith growing then he will have a desire torepent! if he has a desire to repent then he will have a desire to stopsmoking! but if we just tell him to stop breaking commandments they he never wouldhave or will. so i am hoping this new way will work! i think it will! it makesway more sense! lately i have really focused on Faith, Repentance, Baptism,Receiving the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the end! i believe it is like a snowball effect! so it is really we need to strive to have faith, and teach othersto have faith! it has been really fun to have spent time focusing on differentwas to learn and different ways to teach! for instance the last missionary herebaptised 7 people in 7 months! the way he did it was just by being therefriend, and instead of teaching them, they just hung out.... and why they werehanging out he would bring up the gospel. it is cool because he baptised somany people... but once he left, the people no have no real testimony, so theynow have not been coming to church. isn't that interesting? this last week ihave been thinking alot about that really! it has really made me focus on ourpurpose (the fourth article of faith), and finding people that has beenprepared to be taught by the Lord! it is fun to do different things and learnfrom them! I just finished the book of Mormon for the THIRD time :) i marked ingreen everything that has to do with faith, repentance, baptism, receiving theholy ghost, and enduring to the end! now i am restarting and i am going to markall the Christlike attributes in purple! i suppose if we become more Christlike ourselves then it will much easier to help others be Christlike! Soanother great experience i had was... a year ago while i was serving here, wewere visiting a Recent convert and was trying to get her to go to the youngsingle adults ward! well the last Sunday i missed her at church and so i askedaround and no one seemed to have see her for a couple of months.. at first iwas really sad:( because she was a great friend. out of any person i have met ithink she is almost my favorite! she is almost def, and tried to go to regularcollage and she is just really go getter and self motivated, even though sheis partly def! it is cool because so many people would use that as anexcuse to take money from the government, or to just give up... but she usesthat to work even harder or to push herself more! anyways so she wasn't atchurch so we went by to visit her! as we drove up to her house shecame out to greet us and we talked, she knew who i was i new her, so wegot right to talking about the gospel! she still has a strong testimonyand has been attending the singles ward for the last while! it brought alot ofjoy to my hart to know that! and it is great to see an old friend with such astrong testimony! at first i was very sorrowful, but when i understoodmore of Gods plan it seemed like i was filled with joy! i betthat that sane things happens to use more then we think. so why dowe get sorrowful? why not just get joy and stay with that joy! :) anotherthing this week was really cool! i think i told you about brother Durand! itaught him last year and he was a hard head and was not really progressing butonly coming to church... we invited him to read out of the Scriptures and itchanged him completely! it was was awesome! he then committed to baptism! andwas off! then we both got transferred out a year ago, and he was just kindaforgotten about because of his smoking problem. well right before i gottransferred back he got sick and had to go to the hospital.. well they told himif he didn't stop smoking he would die!!!!! and well when i got here he wassmoke free for 2 weeks! now it has been 3 weeks! :) isn't that great! we sawhim a few days ago with the bishop and he is still progressing and were prayingthat he will get baptised soon! he wants to when his body heals! he really justneeds to read the Scriptures everyday! so it has been really fun to beback in the area! O ya last Monday on Preparation day i was playing basketball! and well i tried to do a sweet trick... and as i jumped i slippedand well the inner part of my elbow got fractured.. when i landed on my armi herd it pop, so then i went home like half hour later and laid on my bedthinking of what to do.... because i could fill that it weak, so icalled sister wall (after a 2 hours of laying there) and had to go to thedoctor... lame i know. it was really swollen. now it is only kinda swollen andreally bruised. really color full :) ya so that was really lame! thedoctor gave me a cast that i could take on and off, it is really fancy, andsome medicine. we'll see if i can do that trick again later today! :) itonly reminded me of all the times i fell skateboarding! (don't tell sisterWall, but that night everyone was playing soccer for family night, and after 30sec. i got bored of watching... and well my team won)! overall this weekwas great! i got a letter from Micky and it was awesome! well love y'all i hopethat y'all have a great week! love y'all
Love,
ElderJoshua Kiser!
Hey Family October 11, 2011
Hey family! oct 11 2011
this week was great! there was a lot of great things thathappend, and the work has picked up! Just Fyi this week was transfer and i amnow getting transferd, i am not 100% where yet but i am moving wensday,President woods used to call and just tell you where you are going... PresidentWall is having us all meet up and then he is going to anounce where we aregoing! it will be new to me! new thinds are fun! McComg has been a tuff area.when we first got here no one wanted to help, infact our branch president andward mission leader did not support the missionary work. asked if the branchpresident would help us a few times and all the times he just said NO. and theward mission leader was really rude, he even told us we were worthless and weneed to just stop and leave..... ya at church when you waled it it just feltgross, there was only a few members that would come each week, and it wasreally really lame... for the last month there has been around 50 members eachweek! some members cleaned the church really good so it doesnt smell like oldpeople, we cleaned the out side of the church so it looks really nice! andthere has now been maybe couple great families re activated! there was abrother Daniel pierse we walked into church for the first time in like a fewyears last week and he said he could feel a huge differnace. and the stakepresident and i meet last week after chhurch for a little bit and he said hecould feel a huge differnce, he had been to church many of times but this lastpast week really felt the spirit! it is amazing that this little branch in adeing city is now living and growing! it is really amazing! alot of membershave started to help and it has made a huge differnace! we haev 3 famlies thatwill come out teaching once a week, before i had to plead for a week just toget a member to come out teaching! so the work in this little town is doinggreat! on top of that there is 4 less active families that have not been tochurch in a very long time that are right on the ridge of comming back tochurch! it is amzing! plus what ever work the sisters are doing, like i thinkthat they have 2-3 families that are thinking of comming back and thereprepareing a few people to go to the temple! we really one have oneinvestigater that is progressing, it is whitney Rutter! she is amazing! he dadis a temple working in the baton rouge temple! she grew up in the Mormonchurch, and the baptist church. dad mormon, mom baptist! she thinks, acts andbelives like a mormon would do! she wachted all of generil confrance and reallyliked it, and she watched that women confrance a week or so again! but she isweel on her way! she even told us how much she wated to go to the temple! shehas started to read the book of mormon, she is almost done with the 1 book of nephi,and is excitted to be done so she can read the doctrine and covedents! she hasread them all in the past but now she is reading with re intent and looking tosee if what we are teaching is true! so she is really great! so i might of toldyou this or i might onot told you, or i told you and you forgot, or i sent itto you and it didnt make it, or soething else? about 4.5 months ago McComg wastrying to be shut down! the stake prayed about it, then gave it to the rear guywho is prayed about it and he gave it to elder Gonzles, who prayed about it andthought it should be shut down, then gave it to the church shut down crew andmake branches and wards person who elder Benard and Elder christopherson of the12 were on. and they all prayed and decided that mcComb needed to be shut down!so then it went to the first presidency and it was on President eyerings deskand he read it prayed about it, then prayed about it! and he decided it shouldnot be shut down! since then it has been amazing to see the hand of thelord in this work! our stake president when him and i were talking saidsomething about president eyeing and this area ( i didnt quite understand him)but he said something like he had been watching this area and is like reallyexcitted about it! it is crazy that some one who is of the first presidencylooks at little branches in mississippi! anyways i thouhgt that was reallyneat! so latly i have been thinking somewhat about whwn i get home and what todo?.... that is the million dollor quistion what to do? but i have beenthinking of maybe going to shool again, i alost hate to say it but maybe BYUIdaho? mom do you know when school starts there i kow marianne went there andthat is why i might ask you when it starts... i would ask marriane, but maybe youkow!!?!?!?! i doubt i would even get accepted becouse of my grades, but itnever hurts to try! I am kinda sand to leave McComb I have been being here forsooo long now, and i have really like the change, it is almost an area whereyou would want to go! becosue there are now so many members on fire! well thisletter is huge it seems like, i was going to make it in big print just soo itlooks like i wrote more but that would be lying so i am not going to! but ihope that yall are having great week!
Love
Elder Joshua Kiser!
this week was great! there was a lot of great things thathappend, and the work has picked up! Just Fyi this week was transfer and i amnow getting transferd, i am not 100% where yet but i am moving wensday,President woods used to call and just tell you where you are going... PresidentWall is having us all meet up and then he is going to anounce where we aregoing! it will be new to me! new thinds are fun! McComg has been a tuff area.when we first got here no one wanted to help, infact our branch president andward mission leader did not support the missionary work. asked if the branchpresident would help us a few times and all the times he just said NO. and theward mission leader was really rude, he even told us we were worthless and weneed to just stop and leave..... ya at church when you waled it it just feltgross, there was only a few members that would come each week, and it wasreally really lame... for the last month there has been around 50 members eachweek! some members cleaned the church really good so it doesnt smell like oldpeople, we cleaned the out side of the church so it looks really nice! andthere has now been maybe couple great families re activated! there was abrother Daniel pierse we walked into church for the first time in like a fewyears last week and he said he could feel a huge differnace. and the stakepresident and i meet last week after chhurch for a little bit and he said hecould feel a huge differnce, he had been to church many of times but this lastpast week really felt the spirit! it is amazing that this little branch in adeing city is now living and growing! it is really amazing! alot of membershave started to help and it has made a huge differnace! we haev 3 famlies thatwill come out teaching once a week, before i had to plead for a week just toget a member to come out teaching! so the work in this little town is doinggreat! on top of that there is 4 less active families that have not been tochurch in a very long time that are right on the ridge of comming back tochurch! it is amzing! plus what ever work the sisters are doing, like i thinkthat they have 2-3 families that are thinking of comming back and thereprepareing a few people to go to the temple! we really one have oneinvestigater that is progressing, it is whitney Rutter! she is amazing! he dadis a temple working in the baton rouge temple! she grew up in the Mormonchurch, and the baptist church. dad mormon, mom baptist! she thinks, acts andbelives like a mormon would do! she wachted all of generil confrance and reallyliked it, and she watched that women confrance a week or so again! but she isweel on her way! she even told us how much she wated to go to the temple! shehas started to read the book of mormon, she is almost done with the 1 book of nephi,and is excitted to be done so she can read the doctrine and covedents! she hasread them all in the past but now she is reading with re intent and looking tosee if what we are teaching is true! so she is really great! so i might of toldyou this or i might onot told you, or i told you and you forgot, or i sent itto you and it didnt make it, or soething else? about 4.5 months ago McComg wastrying to be shut down! the stake prayed about it, then gave it to the rear guywho is prayed about it and he gave it to elder Gonzles, who prayed about it andthought it should be shut down, then gave it to the church shut down crew andmake branches and wards person who elder Benard and Elder christopherson of the12 were on. and they all prayed and decided that mcComb needed to be shut down!so then it went to the first presidency and it was on President eyerings deskand he read it prayed about it, then prayed about it! and he decided it shouldnot be shut down! since then it has been amazing to see the hand of thelord in this work! our stake president when him and i were talking saidsomething about president eyeing and this area ( i didnt quite understand him)but he said something like he had been watching this area and is like reallyexcitted about it! it is crazy that some one who is of the first presidencylooks at little branches in mississippi! anyways i thouhgt that was reallyneat! so latly i have been thinking somewhat about whwn i get home and what todo?.... that is the million dollor quistion what to do? but i have beenthinking of maybe going to shool again, i alost hate to say it but maybe BYUIdaho? mom do you know when school starts there i kow marianne went there andthat is why i might ask you when it starts... i would ask marriane, but maybe youkow!!?!?!?! i doubt i would even get accepted becouse of my grades, but itnever hurts to try! I am kinda sand to leave McComb I have been being here forsooo long now, and i have really like the change, it is almost an area whereyou would want to go! becosue there are now so many members on fire! well thisletter is huge it seems like, i was going to make it in big print just soo itlooks like i wrote more but that would be lying so i am not going to! but ihope that yall are having great week!
Love
Elder Joshua Kiser!
Letter from Dad October 6, 2011
DearElder Kiser,
Conferencewas great, getting a chance to be with your old companions was wonderful. They all admire your hard working attitude and fun spirit. Things arewell on the home front, I would like to get down to visit with Natalie and Adamand their new baby Claire. Having two Claire’s in the family willbe interesting. As you may know, Melissa is expecting a baby too. They just found out from a ultrasound that the gender of the baby is aboy. When Rob and I spoke last, he indicated that their first choice fora name was Jack, that having been chosen already he said that he did not thinkthat they would use it and duplicate the name in the family. I did get atext from Rob during the Priesthood session that he was missing being togetherwith his Dad and brothers. I felt the same way. It is nice to knowthat we are all connected that Saturday evening with the prophets. Learning together and feeling close to one another.
Justinis happy with his job at APA, he loves teaching the children and sharing withthem. I think that it is a great experience for him right now. Itis good for his confidence. Micaela has some upper division classes thatare challenging for her. She loves dancing. She is so excited to beable to get her driver’s license this next January.
Iwanted to share some thoughts with you;
Thiswas a favorite poem from my youth maybe 7th grade
Bossand Leader
Theboss drives his men…
Theleader coaches them.
Theboss depends on authority…
Theleader on his good will.
Theboss inspires fear…
Theleader inspires enthusiasm
Theboss says “I”…
Theleader says “We”.
Theboss gets there on time…
Theleader gets there early.
Theboss fixes the blame for the breakdown…
Theleader fixes the breakdown.
Theboss knows how to get it done…
Theleader shows how to get it done.
Theboss make work a drudgery…
Theleader makes work a game.
Theboss says, “Go”…
Theleader says, “Let’s go”.
Ithink of you as a leader and not a boss. You like to get people involvedand lead. You are always friendly to people and you love to make thingsfun and to make it a game. That is a lot like mom, you really enjoy beingwith people and making the best of every moment. Whether it was skateboarding, riding in your car or being with your motorcycle you were always sohappy and so kind and generous. You like to find things that you have incommon with people and to share with them.
Hereis another thought from my missionary IP Book;
TwoSeas
Thereare two seas in Palestine. One is fresh and there are fish in it. Splashes of green adorn its banks. Trees spread their branches over itand spread their thirsty roots to sip the healing waters. Along itsshores the children play, as children played when He was the. He lovedit. He looked across its silvery surface when he spoke His parables andon the rolling plains not far away He fed the five thousand.
Theriver Jordan makes this sea with sparkling water from the hills, so it laughsin the sunshine. Men build their houses near it and birds build theirnest there and every kind of life is happier because it is there.
Thisriver Jordan flows farther on south into another sea. Here there are nosplashing fish, no fluttering leaf, no song of birds, no children’slaughter. Travelers choose another route when passing. The airhangs heavy above its waters. Neither man nor beast nor fowl will stopand drink.
Whatmakes the mighty difference in these neighboring seas? Not the soil inwhich they lie, nor the country roundabout. The Sea of Galilee receivesbut does not keep the Jordan. For every drop that flows into it anotherflows out. The giving and receiving go on in equal measure.
Theother sea is shrewder, hoarding its income jealously. It will not betempted into generous impulse. Every drop it gets, it keeps. Receiving all and giving nothing. It is called the Dead Sea. Theother gives and lives.
Thereare two seas in Palestine; and two kinds of people in the world.
… Bruce Barton
Asmile is the light in the window that tells that the heart is home --
Ithink that you are wonderful, I have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for His life and example and for the influence that Histeaching have been in my life as I have raised my family. I am gratefulfor my mission experience, for what I was able to share with people and forwhat I learned. Although I don’t keep track of the many friends andcompanions that I had in the mission field and have not kept track of peoplethat I met, knew and had an opportunity to teach and see join the church I havecounted my mission experience as one of the most valuable experiences that Ihave had in my life. I could not have learned what I learned in themission filed anywhere else. I am not sure that I could have experiencedanything like my mission except on a mission. I am not sure why Ihaven’t shared much of what happened in those years with my family. I count much of it as personal and perhaps that is why.
Oneof the gals just kind of gasped and ran to the window. There aresnowflakes the size of fifty cent pieces falling from the sky. On the wayinto work this morning I saw inches on the roof of a car. They must begetting some heavy snow in the mountains. Hate to see the cold come, butwithout the snow in the mountains, this desert would be pretty tough to livein.
Loveyou, I think that you are awesome, glad that you like the m&ms.
Love,
Dad
PS Shawn Adame said that he didn’t print his emails from his family becausethe library charged money $0.15 a page to print the email. Would you likeme to mail these to you as well, or is email ok. I remember going to thepost office daily to check our PO Box to see if we had scored mail as amissionary. It was always just part of our routine. Some days were betterthan others and I remember long stretches without hearing from anyone. Ihave always thought that going to the library on Mondays and printing an emailwould be just as fun, anticipating the emails. If you would like aprinted copy, I will also send this regular mail. Please let me know
Conferencewas great, getting a chance to be with your old companions was wonderful. They all admire your hard working attitude and fun spirit. Things arewell on the home front, I would like to get down to visit with Natalie and Adamand their new baby Claire. Having two Claire’s in the family willbe interesting. As you may know, Melissa is expecting a baby too. They just found out from a ultrasound that the gender of the baby is aboy. When Rob and I spoke last, he indicated that their first choice fora name was Jack, that having been chosen already he said that he did not thinkthat they would use it and duplicate the name in the family. I did get atext from Rob during the Priesthood session that he was missing being togetherwith his Dad and brothers. I felt the same way. It is nice to knowthat we are all connected that Saturday evening with the prophets. Learning together and feeling close to one another.
Justinis happy with his job at APA, he loves teaching the children and sharing withthem. I think that it is a great experience for him right now. Itis good for his confidence. Micaela has some upper division classes thatare challenging for her. She loves dancing. She is so excited to beable to get her driver’s license this next January.
Iwanted to share some thoughts with you;
Thiswas a favorite poem from my youth maybe 7th grade
Bossand Leader
Theboss drives his men…
Theleader coaches them.
Theboss depends on authority…
Theleader on his good will.
Theboss inspires fear…
Theleader inspires enthusiasm
Theboss says “I”…
Theleader says “We”.
Theboss gets there on time…
Theleader gets there early.
Theboss fixes the blame for the breakdown…
Theleader fixes the breakdown.
Theboss knows how to get it done…
Theleader shows how to get it done.
Theboss make work a drudgery…
Theleader makes work a game.
Theboss says, “Go”…
Theleader says, “Let’s go”.
Ithink of you as a leader and not a boss. You like to get people involvedand lead. You are always friendly to people and you love to make thingsfun and to make it a game. That is a lot like mom, you really enjoy beingwith people and making the best of every moment. Whether it was skateboarding, riding in your car or being with your motorcycle you were always sohappy and so kind and generous. You like to find things that you have incommon with people and to share with them.
Hereis another thought from my missionary IP Book;
TwoSeas
Thereare two seas in Palestine. One is fresh and there are fish in it. Splashes of green adorn its banks. Trees spread their branches over itand spread their thirsty roots to sip the healing waters. Along itsshores the children play, as children played when He was the. He lovedit. He looked across its silvery surface when he spoke His parables andon the rolling plains not far away He fed the five thousand.
Theriver Jordan makes this sea with sparkling water from the hills, so it laughsin the sunshine. Men build their houses near it and birds build theirnest there and every kind of life is happier because it is there.
Thisriver Jordan flows farther on south into another sea. Here there are nosplashing fish, no fluttering leaf, no song of birds, no children’slaughter. Travelers choose another route when passing. The airhangs heavy above its waters. Neither man nor beast nor fowl will stopand drink.
Whatmakes the mighty difference in these neighboring seas? Not the soil inwhich they lie, nor the country roundabout. The Sea of Galilee receivesbut does not keep the Jordan. For every drop that flows into it anotherflows out. The giving and receiving go on in equal measure.
Theother sea is shrewder, hoarding its income jealously. It will not betempted into generous impulse. Every drop it gets, it keeps. Receiving all and giving nothing. It is called the Dead Sea. Theother gives and lives.
Thereare two seas in Palestine; and two kinds of people in the world.
… Bruce Barton
Asmile is the light in the window that tells that the heart is home --
Ithink that you are wonderful, I have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for His life and example and for the influence that Histeaching have been in my life as I have raised my family. I am gratefulfor my mission experience, for what I was able to share with people and forwhat I learned. Although I don’t keep track of the many friends andcompanions that I had in the mission field and have not kept track of peoplethat I met, knew and had an opportunity to teach and see join the church I havecounted my mission experience as one of the most valuable experiences that Ihave had in my life. I could not have learned what I learned in themission filed anywhere else. I am not sure that I could have experiencedanything like my mission except on a mission. I am not sure why Ihaven’t shared much of what happened in those years with my family. I count much of it as personal and perhaps that is why.
Oneof the gals just kind of gasped and ran to the window. There aresnowflakes the size of fifty cent pieces falling from the sky. On the wayinto work this morning I saw inches on the roof of a car. They must begetting some heavy snow in the mountains. Hate to see the cold come, butwithout the snow in the mountains, this desert would be pretty tough to livein.
Loveyou, I think that you are awesome, glad that you like the m&ms.
Love,
Dad
PS Shawn Adame said that he didn’t print his emails from his family becausethe library charged money $0.15 a page to print the email. Would you likeme to mail these to you as well, or is email ok. I remember going to thepost office daily to check our PO Box to see if we had scored mail as amissionary. It was always just part of our routine. Some days were betterthan others and I remember long stretches without hearing from anyone. Ihave always thought that going to the library on Mondays and printing an emailwould be just as fun, anticipating the emails. If you would like aprinted copy, I will also send this regular mail. Please let me know
Hey Family September 12, 2011
Hey Family!
Man this week was great! we visited a bunch of less activepeople as well as we were able to stumble upon a few new investigaters! so thatis nice! i also have been doing alot of pondering and reading in the book ofmormon! the Book of either is soo great! it is an aweomse book! the brother ofJared is soo full of fath and is ready to do what the lord wants him to do! ialso noticed how humble he was about the matter aswell! it was really neat! ittalks about when he saw the Lords Finger that he fell to the earth! i thoughtthat was really cool! i sometimes think i would be like SWEET! I KNOEW IT!WOOT! wanna go skateboarding? or something if the Lord apperd to me like that!but he just fell to the earth! i thought as cool! so the work is reallystarting to pick up! we are seing a few less active lately as well! the firstis debra johnson she is great! she has stoped smoking weed and is giong to stopamoking ciggertes! she is almost going to srt comming back to church so that isreally nice! we are teaching a less actives with Brother eithrigde that is goodalso! and we tracted into a less active who dad is a temple worker and she issoo nice! so i hope that she will start to come back to church as well! therewas 50 people at church this sunday and about 3 months ago there was only about15 or 20! so i belive the work is starting to progress! the Lord directed usinto a BRother who is wanting to stop drinking! he a really cool guy! he missedchurch but he is going to come next week! he had to go to work........ but iasked about his reading and he told me about revlation that he reiced aboutDrinking and how to stop while reading the bookof mormon! he does not kow thatwhat happend was him getting revelation! so were going over tonight to talkabout that! The last person we started to teach this week is Misha! she is 21 ithink and is also trying to stop drinking! she is inroled in AA ans really wantsto change her life around! we got a call from a freind who lives in liberty andshe told us about Misha and how she is stopped drinking or in theprosses! and so we went over to visit her.. at first it was really wierd and wetracted that door a ltiile eirlyer that week, but we talked on the porch andshe asked if we wanted to go on a walk.. i was a bit hesitent, but we walkedmaybe a mile or so with her and talked about the perpose of life! as well aboutwhat she wants to do when she recovers and setting and achiving goals! it was agreat lesson! it wasnt very formal but it was still good! well i love yall goodluck with the schools! it is great that alot of people are helping you and thatis it working out! i hope yall have a great week! love ya!
Love,
Elder Joshua Kiser!
Man this week was great! we visited a bunch of less activepeople as well as we were able to stumble upon a few new investigaters! so thatis nice! i also have been doing alot of pondering and reading in the book ofmormon! the Book of either is soo great! it is an aweomse book! the brother ofJared is soo full of fath and is ready to do what the lord wants him to do! ialso noticed how humble he was about the matter aswell! it was really neat! ittalks about when he saw the Lords Finger that he fell to the earth! i thoughtthat was really cool! i sometimes think i would be like SWEET! I KNOEW IT!WOOT! wanna go skateboarding? or something if the Lord apperd to me like that!but he just fell to the earth! i thought as cool! so the work is reallystarting to pick up! we are seing a few less active lately as well! the firstis debra johnson she is great! she has stoped smoking weed and is giong to stopamoking ciggertes! she is almost going to srt comming back to church so that isreally nice! we are teaching a less actives with Brother eithrigde that is goodalso! and we tracted into a less active who dad is a temple worker and she issoo nice! so i hope that she will start to come back to church as well! therewas 50 people at church this sunday and about 3 months ago there was only about15 or 20! so i belive the work is starting to progress! the Lord directed usinto a BRother who is wanting to stop drinking! he a really cool guy! he missedchurch but he is going to come next week! he had to go to work........ but iasked about his reading and he told me about revlation that he reiced aboutDrinking and how to stop while reading the bookof mormon! he does not kow thatwhat happend was him getting revelation! so were going over tonight to talkabout that! The last person we started to teach this week is Misha! she is 21 ithink and is also trying to stop drinking! she is inroled in AA ans really wantsto change her life around! we got a call from a freind who lives in liberty andshe told us about Misha and how she is stopped drinking or in theprosses! and so we went over to visit her.. at first it was really wierd and wetracted that door a ltiile eirlyer that week, but we talked on the porch andshe asked if we wanted to go on a walk.. i was a bit hesitent, but we walkedmaybe a mile or so with her and talked about the perpose of life! as well aboutwhat she wants to do when she recovers and setting and achiving goals! it was agreat lesson! it wasnt very formal but it was still good! well i love yall goodluck with the schools! it is great that alot of people are helping you and thatis it working out! i hope yall have a great week! love ya!
Love,
Elder Joshua Kiser!
Hey Family! September 6, 2011
Hey Family! Sep/6/2011
Thank you soo much for sharing that story! that is reallycool! and i love hearinf stories like that becouse i have a brother, and lovehim soo much, i guess i have two brothers that ilove very much...... thatis great that Justin Got a job at APA! fancyschool! and it is great that Micky is loving life soo much! amd loving dance!this week has been interseting! our mission almost got turned into a servesmission! we were on lockdown for 2 and a half days! it was soo boring i almostwent insane! a huge storm came through that was staring random tornatdoes...luckily my area was mostly safe just a few branches fell and tons and tons ofrain. but no one really got hurt! and no real damge got done! it was suposed tohave been alot worse but the lord blessed us and it was not that Bad! so we gotsisters in our area and thay are on fire! they are just ready to go andbaptised! it is really neat! they took over Summer Day Sibley, so that is kindalame but i think that will be better! you really make alot of freinds out hereon the mission! it is really nice! i know that she will get baptised soon! sheis great! O yay mom i got your letterday, havent read it yet but i am excittedto thanks! anyways summer is great! she has stoped drinking coffee and tea! aswell and stoped drinking BIG kids drinks ( that is what she said) and soda pop!now she just needs to stop smoking! and she will get baptised. church wascancelled becouse of the storm and we were on lockdown.. so she didnt come outto church... but if that had not been the case i know that she would of been!we were Blessed whith two great people who are intersted in the church! thefirst is willam! he is really cool! it was raining ( right before we got onlockdown) and he was amazed that we were out knocking on doors when the newssaid we were about to have a hurricane! so he felt bad ( i think) and let usin! we tought him and his wife about the restoration! and they bolth commiitedto come to church! as well as they are starting to read the Book of mormon! (church got cancelled so thay didnt come ) we are going up there today to talkawith him and his wife so that will be nice! we also stared to teach abrother Named Crieg! he is really cool! he invited us in, gave us water andgave a s sweet racing shirt! it is the first time that has happend to me! wetought him about the restoration and he said it was intersting and would like acopy of the book of mormon! he committed to read it and we are going to followup thursday with him! he is a really nice guy! he grew up baptist and convertedto cathlic looking for something! i love it when we run into people like that!or better said directed into people like that! the mission is going great! weare not having tons of instant success.. but the sisters seem to have some...so maybe the lord is letting them have our blessnigs? ...... maybe? well thisweek was really great! just not for the few days we were locked up. is was soooboring, but it was great because now i enjoy going out more! o last night i wasin Liberty mississippi and tought a really nice ladie at a members home and itwas such a powerful lesson! she is committed for baptism and is going to readthe book of mormon! i know that she will get baptised and be blessed! so preparedfrom God! i tought district meeting today and it went really really well! italked about how when we say, Will you follow the example of jesus christ andbe bapsized by someone who holds the priesthood authourity!?!?! we are reallyasking someone to return back to heavily father with there family and lovedones! we are asking someone to been a king and priest to God and his Father! itwas a really cool districy meeting! then we talked about inspired questions!because quistions are KEY to missionary work! you cant teach some one till youknow what there concern is! shoot well i love yall and hope that yallhaeva great day! HAPPY LABOR DAY! i hope yall haev a great week!
love Elder Joshua Kiser!
p.s. yall should go out teaching with the missionaries! itis fun! :)
and thank you jack jack!
Thank you soo much for sharing that story! that is reallycool! and i love hearinf stories like that becouse i have a brother, and lovehim soo much, i guess i have two brothers that ilove very much...... thatis great that Justin Got a job at APA! fancyschool! and it is great that Micky is loving life soo much! amd loving dance!this week has been interseting! our mission almost got turned into a servesmission! we were on lockdown for 2 and a half days! it was soo boring i almostwent insane! a huge storm came through that was staring random tornatdoes...luckily my area was mostly safe just a few branches fell and tons and tons ofrain. but no one really got hurt! and no real damge got done! it was suposed tohave been alot worse but the lord blessed us and it was not that Bad! so we gotsisters in our area and thay are on fire! they are just ready to go andbaptised! it is really neat! they took over Summer Day Sibley, so that is kindalame but i think that will be better! you really make alot of freinds out hereon the mission! it is really nice! i know that she will get baptised soon! sheis great! O yay mom i got your letterday, havent read it yet but i am excittedto thanks! anyways summer is great! she has stoped drinking coffee and tea! aswell and stoped drinking BIG kids drinks ( that is what she said) and soda pop!now she just needs to stop smoking! and she will get baptised. church wascancelled becouse of the storm and we were on lockdown.. so she didnt come outto church... but if that had not been the case i know that she would of been!we were Blessed whith two great people who are intersted in the church! thefirst is willam! he is really cool! it was raining ( right before we got onlockdown) and he was amazed that we were out knocking on doors when the newssaid we were about to have a hurricane! so he felt bad ( i think) and let usin! we tought him and his wife about the restoration! and they bolth commiitedto come to church! as well as they are starting to read the Book of mormon! (church got cancelled so thay didnt come ) we are going up there today to talkawith him and his wife so that will be nice! we also stared to teach abrother Named Crieg! he is really cool! he invited us in, gave us water andgave a s sweet racing shirt! it is the first time that has happend to me! wetought him about the restoration and he said it was intersting and would like acopy of the book of mormon! he committed to read it and we are going to followup thursday with him! he is a really nice guy! he grew up baptist and convertedto cathlic looking for something! i love it when we run into people like that!or better said directed into people like that! the mission is going great! weare not having tons of instant success.. but the sisters seem to have some...so maybe the lord is letting them have our blessnigs? ...... maybe? well thisweek was really great! just not for the few days we were locked up. is was soooboring, but it was great because now i enjoy going out more! o last night i wasin Liberty mississippi and tought a really nice ladie at a members home and itwas such a powerful lesson! she is committed for baptism and is going to readthe book of mormon! i know that she will get baptised and be blessed! so preparedfrom God! i tought district meeting today and it went really really well! italked about how when we say, Will you follow the example of jesus christ andbe bapsized by someone who holds the priesthood authourity!?!?! we are reallyasking someone to return back to heavily father with there family and lovedones! we are asking someone to been a king and priest to God and his Father! itwas a really cool districy meeting! then we talked about inspired questions!because quistions are KEY to missionary work! you cant teach some one till youknow what there concern is! shoot well i love yall and hope that yallhaeva great day! HAPPY LABOR DAY! i hope yall haev a great week!
love Elder Joshua Kiser!
p.s. yall should go out teaching with the missionaries! itis fun! :)
and thank you jack jack!
Letter from Dad September 6, 2011
HiJosh!!
Hopethat you had a fun Labor Day!! I got the chance to look at some of thematerial that you had send us. Thanks for sharing that with me. Youhave truly labored with all your heart mind and soul in serving the Lord. I will celebrate Labor Day in honor of your great service and laborfor the Lord and the work in the Louisiana Mission. I am gratefulfor your example and dedication. It is no easy thing to serve amission. As you have learned the weeks are filled with hope, excitement,joy and disappointment. The lessons that you are learning and theexperiences that you are having will guide you through your mission and for theremainder of your life. By now I am sure you have heard that mom and Ipicked up Justin from the MTC. I am grateful for the three weeks that hehad there. It was a life changing experience for him. He truly feltthe spirit and recognized that there were changes in his life that he needs tomake. When he goes out again he will be doing it for the right reason,better prepared.
Bothhe and Mic bore their testimonies last Sunday. Micaela is darling. The Young Women’s leadership was changed and they released Sue Lamb(pres) and her two councilors, Tamara Holm and Carolyn Pixton. Mic’s testimony included how grateful she is for these women and for thelove that she has for them and that she felt from each of them. She thenwent and sat with Sister Lamb, after two other girls did the same thing and satwith Sister Lamb, Mic got up and went over and sat with Tamara Holm. Micis really a sweet sensitive princess. Justin expressed appreciation forthe plan of salvation and for the love of the Savior.
Justinis awesome and he rocks, he got a job at APA as a teacher’sassistant. He has to be up early to be a school by 8 am. He wantsto go back into the mission field. I am confident that he will get thatopportunity and I am hopeful that it will happen sooner than later. Isure love him.
Whenyou sent us the planners and diary from your mission, I thought that I mightshare a story that I was given while in the mission field that I kept in one ofmy mission preparation books. I only have a couple of things that haveescaped the 40 years of time and from being thrown away. One of theregrets I have is that I did not keep a written journal. Someone told meto just take pictures. Well I did, they are slides not hard pictures andtime has left me with few memories that I can remember. I wish I hadwritten more down.
Ithought that I would share this story with you, it came out of my IPBook, (instant preparation so titled in case I was asked to give a talkon the spot) I do not ever remember using the story in a talk, but I rememberliking it as I had four brothers and I was raised in the military. Thestory is titled Dependability;
Thisstory is of two brothers in WWI. They had grown up together, they hadgone to school together, they had joined the army together, they went intotraining together, they went into the trenches together and they went over thetop many times together.
Onemorning as their outfit returned from No Man’s Land, one of the brotherswas missing. Immediately the other brother went to the officer in commandand said, “Sir, I would like to go back into No Man’s Land and findmy brother.” But the officer said, “:You cannot go. Itwould be a useless risk, your brother is probably dead anyway, and your riskwould do no one any good.”
Alittle later Jim returned and ask, “Sir I would like to go back into NoMan’s Land to find my brother.” Again the officer said,“No.” Later on her tried again and once more permission wasrefused.
Thenjust as darkness was about to fall he returned to the officer and said,“Sir, I would like to go back and find my brother.” Thedisturbed officer said, OK, Go ahead, it’s your life. If you wantto throw it away, that is your privilege.” So Jim climbed out ofthe trench on his hands and face and went under the barb wire and disappearedinto the darkness of No Man’s Land.
Hourspassed and he did not return, midnight came and went, but there was noword. Just before dawn the sentry saw something moving in thedarkness. As it came closer Jim was recognized and helped into thetrench. He went immediately to report to the officer in charge. Whenthe officer saw him coming he said, “Well, I hope you aresatisfied. He is dead Isn’t he?” And Jim said,“Yes, He is dead, but he was alive when I found him. He told theofficer how he ad retraced the expeditions course and how all night long he hadsearched among the dead of yesterdays battle. And finally in a shell holehe had found his brother, unconscious from his injuries and tormented fromthirst. Jim raised his brothers head in his lap and gave him a drink fromhis canteen. Then after Jim had washed his face and made his positionmore comfortable, his brother regained consciousness before he died just longenough to say five words, he looked into his brother’s face and said,“Jim, I knew you’d come.” Then Jim said to the officer,“Sir, I would have died a thousand times time than to have left mybrother out there in No Man’s Land expecting me only to die indisappointment.
Christloves us, will look for us and find us. He will not leave us alone in NoMan’s Land.
Loveyou tons. I am grateful for my mission experiences, for the testimonygained and the blessing it has been to me throughout my life. You areawesome.
Love,
Dad
Hopethat you had a fun Labor Day!! I got the chance to look at some of thematerial that you had send us. Thanks for sharing that with me. Youhave truly labored with all your heart mind and soul in serving the Lord. I will celebrate Labor Day in honor of your great service and laborfor the Lord and the work in the Louisiana Mission. I am gratefulfor your example and dedication. It is no easy thing to serve amission. As you have learned the weeks are filled with hope, excitement,joy and disappointment. The lessons that you are learning and theexperiences that you are having will guide you through your mission and for theremainder of your life. By now I am sure you have heard that mom and Ipicked up Justin from the MTC. I am grateful for the three weeks that hehad there. It was a life changing experience for him. He truly feltthe spirit and recognized that there were changes in his life that he needs tomake. When he goes out again he will be doing it for the right reason,better prepared.
Bothhe and Mic bore their testimonies last Sunday. Micaela is darling. The Young Women’s leadership was changed and they released Sue Lamb(pres) and her two councilors, Tamara Holm and Carolyn Pixton. Mic’s testimony included how grateful she is for these women and for thelove that she has for them and that she felt from each of them. She thenwent and sat with Sister Lamb, after two other girls did the same thing and satwith Sister Lamb, Mic got up and went over and sat with Tamara Holm. Micis really a sweet sensitive princess. Justin expressed appreciation forthe plan of salvation and for the love of the Savior.
Justinis awesome and he rocks, he got a job at APA as a teacher’sassistant. He has to be up early to be a school by 8 am. He wantsto go back into the mission field. I am confident that he will get thatopportunity and I am hopeful that it will happen sooner than later. Isure love him.
Whenyou sent us the planners and diary from your mission, I thought that I mightshare a story that I was given while in the mission field that I kept in one ofmy mission preparation books. I only have a couple of things that haveescaped the 40 years of time and from being thrown away. One of theregrets I have is that I did not keep a written journal. Someone told meto just take pictures. Well I did, they are slides not hard pictures andtime has left me with few memories that I can remember. I wish I hadwritten more down.
Ithought that I would share this story with you, it came out of my IPBook, (instant preparation so titled in case I was asked to give a talkon the spot) I do not ever remember using the story in a talk, but I rememberliking it as I had four brothers and I was raised in the military. Thestory is titled Dependability;
Thisstory is of two brothers in WWI. They had grown up together, they hadgone to school together, they had joined the army together, they went intotraining together, they went into the trenches together and they went over thetop many times together.
Onemorning as their outfit returned from No Man’s Land, one of the brotherswas missing. Immediately the other brother went to the officer in commandand said, “Sir, I would like to go back into No Man’s Land and findmy brother.” But the officer said, “:You cannot go. Itwould be a useless risk, your brother is probably dead anyway, and your riskwould do no one any good.”
Alittle later Jim returned and ask, “Sir I would like to go back into NoMan’s Land to find my brother.” Again the officer said,“No.” Later on her tried again and once more permission wasrefused.
Thenjust as darkness was about to fall he returned to the officer and said,“Sir, I would like to go back and find my brother.” Thedisturbed officer said, OK, Go ahead, it’s your life. If you wantto throw it away, that is your privilege.” So Jim climbed out ofthe trench on his hands and face and went under the barb wire and disappearedinto the darkness of No Man’s Land.
Hourspassed and he did not return, midnight came and went, but there was noword. Just before dawn the sentry saw something moving in thedarkness. As it came closer Jim was recognized and helped into thetrench. He went immediately to report to the officer in charge. Whenthe officer saw him coming he said, “Well, I hope you aresatisfied. He is dead Isn’t he?” And Jim said,“Yes, He is dead, but he was alive when I found him. He told theofficer how he ad retraced the expeditions course and how all night long he hadsearched among the dead of yesterdays battle. And finally in a shell holehe had found his brother, unconscious from his injuries and tormented fromthirst. Jim raised his brothers head in his lap and gave him a drink fromhis canteen. Then after Jim had washed his face and made his positionmore comfortable, his brother regained consciousness before he died just longenough to say five words, he looked into his brother’s face and said,“Jim, I knew you’d come.” Then Jim said to the officer,“Sir, I would have died a thousand times time than to have left mybrother out there in No Man’s Land expecting me only to die indisappointment.
Christloves us, will look for us and find us. He will not leave us alone in NoMan’s Land.
Loveyou tons. I am grateful for my mission experiences, for the testimonygained and the blessing it has been to me throughout my life. You areawesome.
Love,
Dad
Hey Family August 21, 2011
HAY FAMILY!
golly this week was so ogreat! we have had a lot of success! it is aweseome!there is great stuf that is happining! we had two great people at churhc thisweek! there is miss Summer Day Sibly! She is awesome! she is not goigng to getbaptised this month.. but i know that she is going to get baptised soon! :) inow that she is ready to get baptised! she is awesome! you can tell adifferance !she no longer drinks or smokes and she even gave up soda pop! i thinkshe is awesome! we also had a Brother Charls clutta come to church this week!he ia really cool! exstrily out going and very nice! his son just got made thenew Branch president! His son is awesome aswell! he is going to read the bookof mormon with real intent and he is going to start comming to church regurlynow! we are also teachiing a few others people! it is awesome! we have tried toocme up with new ideas to find poeple for baprtism! thiss week we have zoneconfrance this week! i am excitted about that! so there is a really cool website Mormon.org! theres is a new video named Kevin federson... i skateboardedwith that kido soo many times and it is filmed at the draper skatepark.. and onthat nine stair he does i have 2 never been done tricks! it is http://mormon.org/people/ then go toKevin he is the only skatbaorder! it is pretty cool! the only problem is now ireally want to skatebaord:) ha ha ha! anyways.. that is sooo cool that justinis fixiing on going out on his misson i think today or tommorrow he leaves forCALI! isnt that great! so we have a new Branch president, first counsler and afew members! so missionary work really is starting to pick up! soo Transfersare next tuesday! .. 8 days i hope hat i stay you know! it will be lame if ihave a to leave right when it is pickig up! wel i love you soo much i hope yallhave a great day! i am excitted to be out here and be able to do great stuff!there is work allround you just have to pray i guess! Sam taggert rought me anice letter the other day! he told that that his is doing ok.. but i also toldme to keep bankin off the miricals that is how you will fing teach and baptise!it is the lord work! rely on him! MOM i hope the school stuff is working ok! loveyall soo much!
Love Elder Joshua Kiser!
P.s. will you write me what justins first area Adress is?thanks!
golly this week was so ogreat! we have had a lot of success! it is aweseome!there is great stuf that is happining! we had two great people at churhc thisweek! there is miss Summer Day Sibly! She is awesome! she is not goigng to getbaptised this month.. but i know that she is going to get baptised soon! :) inow that she is ready to get baptised! she is awesome! you can tell adifferance !she no longer drinks or smokes and she even gave up soda pop! i thinkshe is awesome! we also had a Brother Charls clutta come to church this week!he ia really cool! exstrily out going and very nice! his son just got made thenew Branch president! His son is awesome aswell! he is going to read the bookof mormon with real intent and he is going to start comming to church regurlynow! we are also teachiing a few others people! it is awesome! we have tried toocme up with new ideas to find poeple for baprtism! thiss week we have zoneconfrance this week! i am excitted about that! so there is a really cool website Mormon.org! theres is a new video named Kevin federson... i skateboardedwith that kido soo many times and it is filmed at the draper skatepark.. and onthat nine stair he does i have 2 never been done tricks! it is http://mormon.org/people/ then go toKevin he is the only skatbaorder! it is pretty cool! the only problem is now ireally want to skatebaord:) ha ha ha! anyways.. that is sooo cool that justinis fixiing on going out on his misson i think today or tommorrow he leaves forCALI! isnt that great! so we have a new Branch president, first counsler and afew members! so missionary work really is starting to pick up! soo Transfersare next tuesday! .. 8 days i hope hat i stay you know! it will be lame if ihave a to leave right when it is pickig up! wel i love you soo much i hope yallhave a great day! i am excitted to be out here and be able to do great stuff!there is work allround you just have to pray i guess! Sam taggert rought me anice letter the other day! he told that that his is doing ok.. but i also toldme to keep bankin off the miricals that is how you will fing teach and baptise!it is the lord work! rely on him! MOM i hope the school stuff is working ok! loveyall soo much!
Love Elder Joshua Kiser!
P.s. will you write me what justins first area Adress is?thanks!
Hey Family! August 14, 2011
Hey Family!
Dad thank you very much for the Email! it is always fun tohear from the family! that is great that there is soo many family members onmissions! man that is a lot of good! ha ha that is awesome that justin onlywants Snail mail.. i bet it will change when he goes to the libray on mondayand his comp is on the computer reading mail! :) O ya that is soo cool howthere is 3 elder kisers in the MTC right now! I am sending a paper to the localradio station with info that the DJ or talk host is going to say! but the ownerwould not let us come and talk becosue theres to many religous parties whowould like to do the same and if you let one you would have to let them all!SOO FOR GOOD NEWS! i RAN a mile in 6 mins and 8 secs! :) hi speed :) i think itis becouse i bought a new pair of running shoes! :) there really light and irun fast in them so i like it! :) i also bought a new shirt! i Also bought anew shirt it is really cool! it says on the front I skateboard, i ownbussnesses, I'm a missionary. then on the back it says ....And I'm a Mormon andat the bottem on the back it says Mormon.org! it would of cost almost $30,, butthe ladie really liked us i guess and charged $12 :) but it ias a sweet shirt,infaact i ran in it today and sombody stoped me today and asked if i reallyskateboarded! :) it was awesome! our area is doing great it has really pickedup! we are also getting two sister missionaries in the area next transfer, twoweeks or soo. i really hope i stay atleast one more transfer becouse i havereally worked hard and well now were are ablwe to see some of the fruits! :)summer day is doing excilent she was out of town so she missed church! she canstill get baptised on the 27 if she keeps doing like she is! we have a lessonset up for tonight at 6:30 and we going to have a really spiritual restorationteach about how the Holy Ghost conferts us! and re commite for the 27! i knowthat she is ready! and i kow it will help her soo much! i think she would besuch a great young woman teacher! we are having a really nice member come outwith us tonight aslwell! he does remind me alot about Grandpa Kiser! we alsogot a Medei refferl! it is a members dad in the eara next to ours! i amreally excitted to visit him! i think we are going to stop by thursday! we alsohaev alkesson set up with great people next sunday! so i am really excittedabout that! we haev these really cool people who got transfered into our littledeing branch! and ill tell you what that 1 member can really make a differance!it is awesome! we also are goign over to teach a less active and his son thisweek! he said his son is interested! and ontop of that our nighbors who livebelow us want to konw more about the mormon church! it is really cool becosuefor the last three months i have just been myself and fun around them and theyare now realizing that i have something they do not! so i am excitted to seethem sometime thise week! .. P.S. she even did my was last week! i put my closein the washer and forgot about that and i came down to switch them like 5 hourslater and they were neatly folded on the dryer! :) isnt that really cool! se isvery nice! normly peopel would just through them on the floor or something!this week has been really great i am now really feeling like a missionary iguess, or i mean i am able to see more succes! well i am fixing to get kickedoff the cumputer! but i love yall soo much! ill send you pictures of my SWEETnew shirt! thank you for the radio idea dad!
Love yall tons!
Love Elder Joshua Kiser!
Dad thank you very much for the Email! it is always fun tohear from the family! that is great that there is soo many family members onmissions! man that is a lot of good! ha ha that is awesome that justin onlywants Snail mail.. i bet it will change when he goes to the libray on mondayand his comp is on the computer reading mail! :) O ya that is soo cool howthere is 3 elder kisers in the MTC right now! I am sending a paper to the localradio station with info that the DJ or talk host is going to say! but the ownerwould not let us come and talk becosue theres to many religous parties whowould like to do the same and if you let one you would have to let them all!SOO FOR GOOD NEWS! i RAN a mile in 6 mins and 8 secs! :) hi speed :) i think itis becouse i bought a new pair of running shoes! :) there really light and irun fast in them so i like it! :) i also bought a new shirt! i Also bought anew shirt it is really cool! it says on the front I skateboard, i ownbussnesses, I'm a missionary. then on the back it says ....And I'm a Mormon andat the bottem on the back it says Mormon.org! it would of cost almost $30,, butthe ladie really liked us i guess and charged $12 :) but it ias a sweet shirt,infaact i ran in it today and sombody stoped me today and asked if i reallyskateboarded! :) it was awesome! our area is doing great it has really pickedup! we are also getting two sister missionaries in the area next transfer, twoweeks or soo. i really hope i stay atleast one more transfer becouse i havereally worked hard and well now were are ablwe to see some of the fruits! :)summer day is doing excilent she was out of town so she missed church! she canstill get baptised on the 27 if she keeps doing like she is! we have a lessonset up for tonight at 6:30 and we going to have a really spiritual restorationteach about how the Holy Ghost conferts us! and re commite for the 27! i knowthat she is ready! and i kow it will help her soo much! i think she would besuch a great young woman teacher! we are having a really nice member come outwith us tonight aslwell! he does remind me alot about Grandpa Kiser! we alsogot a Medei refferl! it is a members dad in the eara next to ours! i amreally excitted to visit him! i think we are going to stop by thursday! we alsohaev alkesson set up with great people next sunday! so i am really excittedabout that! we haev these really cool people who got transfered into our littledeing branch! and ill tell you what that 1 member can really make a differance!it is awesome! we also are goign over to teach a less active and his son thisweek! he said his son is interested! and ontop of that our nighbors who livebelow us want to konw more about the mormon church! it is really cool becosuefor the last three months i have just been myself and fun around them and theyare now realizing that i have something they do not! so i am excitted to seethem sometime thise week! .. P.S. she even did my was last week! i put my closein the washer and forgot about that and i came down to switch them like 5 hourslater and they were neatly folded on the dryer! :) isnt that really cool! se isvery nice! normly peopel would just through them on the floor or something!this week has been really great i am now really feeling like a missionary iguess, or i mean i am able to see more succes! well i am fixing to get kickedoff the cumputer! but i love yall soo much! ill send you pictures of my SWEETnew shirt! thank you for the radio idea dad!
Love yall tons!
Love Elder Joshua Kiser!
Letter from Dad August 15, 2011
HiJosh,
Lovedseeing you in the paper, thanks for sending us copies. You are awesome,inspiring and working so hard and smart. A thought that I had that mightbe helpful, sometimes radio stations will give interviews. While I was inWorland Wyoming, one of the stations asked us to be on the station Sundaymorning for several weeks in a row. We shared testimony and some thoughtsfrom the Ensign. I remember being a little scared, but it went reallywell. The radio host who we went on the show with us was LDS so thequestions were friendly, in politics we would call the questions “softballs” instead of 98 mph fast balls . You may ask to beinterviewed and perhaps ask if you could share the Joseph Smith story and theRestoration. It seems that there are there are a lot of small radiostations that are looking for material to broadcast on a Saturday orSunday morning. You may ask for a time to share information on a weekendor later in the evening. You just never know who might be listening.
GrandpaKiser went into the hospital on Thursday night. He is still in thehospital this morning. He should be released today. Life isfragile. He missed a dialysis session on Wednesday to see a specialist tohelp him with some severe pain that he had in his leg and back. Thatdoctor prescribed oxycodine, a strong narcotic for pain. Unfortunately,with the missed dialysis session and the complications of the narcotics it shuthis kidneys and his bowels down. Marianne heard him fall twice and he hadvery little strength. Greg took him into the Emergency Room at the U Of UHospital. The docs called the condition life threatening because he couldhave very easily suffered a heart attack or a stroke. Grandpa loves youso much and is so proud of you. I was with him for 12 hours on Friday and4 Hours on Sunday night. I do not think that there is any permanentdamage. Just a big bill for a four day trip to the hospital, and somelessons learned – no narcotics.
Josh,Justin needs you mailing address, he does not want to do email. I hopethat changes, but for right now he just wants regular snail mail. Hismailing address is;
ElderJustin Kiser
MTCBox 202 CA-RIV 0823
Provo,Utah 84604
Hesays that he loves the MTC, that it is intense and rushed. That it is inspiringand brings peace to his heart to see so many trying to bless people with thetruth of the restored gospel and the light of Christ. He is telling usthat the MTC is starting a new program with a new curriculum stressing theimportance of teaching by the spirit. He will do so very well, just likeyou. It won’t take long for him to make a real difference inhelping people. You might not know, but Daniel Kiser (Craig’s son)and Jonathon Kiser (David’s son) are in the MTC together. They wentin together the week before Justin did. Justin has seen Daniel some butnot Jonathan. Grandpa has grandsons out from Bart (Kendal) Todd(Josh and Justin) Craig (Daniel). Four of his five sons have missionariesin the field and if Gareth goes soon, he will have grandsons from all five sonsout at the same time. WOW.
Lovedyour pictures, thanks for sending so many. The $1.00 sunglasses rock, wedon’t get the humidity, but they don’t get the dry heat with thecracks in the skin. Your feet looked so sad, glad to hear that themedication helped clear up the soreness. That is the first time that Ihave seen a “Golden Watermelon”, it must be a sign of goodfortune. You and your companion bagged 700 sand bags, just incredible,and all the other 6 workers in your group only bagged 500. WOW.
Myfavorite picture though was the one with you and Elder Jackson. I couldtell from the expressions on both of your faces that you are dear friends andthat you were both glad to be with each other. Reminded me of the experiencein Alma 17 when Alma the younger is reunited with the Sons of Helaman. Itis an inspiring picture to me.
Itlooked like from the pictures of your bicycle that you have a differentone. Did you buy a different one from one of the missionaries that wasgoing home? I do not remember the one that I bought as having frontshocks.
Josh, You are amazing and inspiring to me. I am grateful for your hard work andtestimony. I am grateful what you are learning and experiencing. You are in my thoughts and prayers constantly, as are your companion and thosethat you are working with. I hope that the baptism date for Summer holds,it is a great story on how you met her and how she wants to be baptized.
Loveyou so much,
Dad
Lovedseeing you in the paper, thanks for sending us copies. You are awesome,inspiring and working so hard and smart. A thought that I had that mightbe helpful, sometimes radio stations will give interviews. While I was inWorland Wyoming, one of the stations asked us to be on the station Sundaymorning for several weeks in a row. We shared testimony and some thoughtsfrom the Ensign. I remember being a little scared, but it went reallywell. The radio host who we went on the show with us was LDS so thequestions were friendly, in politics we would call the questions “softballs” instead of 98 mph fast balls . You may ask to beinterviewed and perhaps ask if you could share the Joseph Smith story and theRestoration. It seems that there are there are a lot of small radiostations that are looking for material to broadcast on a Saturday orSunday morning. You may ask for a time to share information on a weekendor later in the evening. You just never know who might be listening.
GrandpaKiser went into the hospital on Thursday night. He is still in thehospital this morning. He should be released today. Life isfragile. He missed a dialysis session on Wednesday to see a specialist tohelp him with some severe pain that he had in his leg and back. Thatdoctor prescribed oxycodine, a strong narcotic for pain. Unfortunately,with the missed dialysis session and the complications of the narcotics it shuthis kidneys and his bowels down. Marianne heard him fall twice and he hadvery little strength. Greg took him into the Emergency Room at the U Of UHospital. The docs called the condition life threatening because he couldhave very easily suffered a heart attack or a stroke. Grandpa loves youso much and is so proud of you. I was with him for 12 hours on Friday and4 Hours on Sunday night. I do not think that there is any permanentdamage. Just a big bill for a four day trip to the hospital, and somelessons learned – no narcotics.
Josh,Justin needs you mailing address, he does not want to do email. I hopethat changes, but for right now he just wants regular snail mail. Hismailing address is;
ElderJustin Kiser
MTCBox 202 CA-RIV 0823
Provo,Utah 84604
Hesays that he loves the MTC, that it is intense and rushed. That it is inspiringand brings peace to his heart to see so many trying to bless people with thetruth of the restored gospel and the light of Christ. He is telling usthat the MTC is starting a new program with a new curriculum stressing theimportance of teaching by the spirit. He will do so very well, just likeyou. It won’t take long for him to make a real difference inhelping people. You might not know, but Daniel Kiser (Craig’s son)and Jonathon Kiser (David’s son) are in the MTC together. They wentin together the week before Justin did. Justin has seen Daniel some butnot Jonathan. Grandpa has grandsons out from Bart (Kendal) Todd(Josh and Justin) Craig (Daniel). Four of his five sons have missionariesin the field and if Gareth goes soon, he will have grandsons from all five sonsout at the same time. WOW.
Lovedyour pictures, thanks for sending so many. The $1.00 sunglasses rock, wedon’t get the humidity, but they don’t get the dry heat with thecracks in the skin. Your feet looked so sad, glad to hear that themedication helped clear up the soreness. That is the first time that Ihave seen a “Golden Watermelon”, it must be a sign of goodfortune. You and your companion bagged 700 sand bags, just incredible,and all the other 6 workers in your group only bagged 500. WOW.
Myfavorite picture though was the one with you and Elder Jackson. I couldtell from the expressions on both of your faces that you are dear friends andthat you were both glad to be with each other. Reminded me of the experiencein Alma 17 when Alma the younger is reunited with the Sons of Helaman. Itis an inspiring picture to me.
Itlooked like from the pictures of your bicycle that you have a differentone. Did you buy a different one from one of the missionaries that wasgoing home? I do not remember the one that I bought as having frontshocks.
Josh, You are amazing and inspiring to me. I am grateful for your hard work andtestimony. I am grateful what you are learning and experiencing. You are in my thoughts and prayers constantly, as are your companion and thosethat you are working with. I hope that the baptism date for Summer holds,it is a great story on how you met her and how she wants to be baptized.
Loveyou so much,
Dad
Hey family! August 8, 2011
Hey family!
Sorry for not writting yall this last past week, i now haveto fill out 2 reports each week and well we only have less then 30 mins and thecomputer ya kinda lame i know! so this week has been great we have tried abunch of new things in our area! we were in the News paper last friday! :) itwas really cool! and this week i am going to try to get onto the radio! i thinkthat would be great! i am going to try to have my voice, or my actions reachmore people.. like instead of nocking doors, i called the chambers of commerseand am trying to see if i can be a guest speaker at one of there events, icould talk about goal setting and planning! i am also setting up a soccerclinic where i teach kids to play soccer.. it would only take like 45 min on apreperation day! but i am making a mormon.orgshirt and i could wear that! it will help for when we go out into public i canmeet families who were at the clinic and we already have becouse freinds! :) weare also trying to do a few other new things! were going to an old folks hometo play BINGO! were hoping we will be able to teach people that work there!!!!and when people win i am going to give them a card that says they WIN! and onthe bottom it will have mormon.org, so whenthey show there kids there prize, they will see mormon.org!:) we are seeting up big boards around town infront of stores things like thatand we can talk to poeople who are about to go into stores! we already have afew people that said we would be able to do it! we are also starting aninstitute class where members can bring there freinds and i am going to teachit and have it be really fun! :) we are also making a big baord that were goingto hang up at the library that talks about family history and offer to teach aclass on it! i hope these activiteis will better progress the work i mean thatis the goal! MOM if you can think of any new and funs ways to share the gospelill try it! i also want to try to get on the news and teach a lesson on tv! ithink that would be able to effect alot of people! anyways if anyone readingthis did anything out of the nor, or have any cool idies for missionary workplease let me know! :) i know member are the best way to go by far! but we onlyhave 15 members and non of them want to help! we have gone by to see someless actives and i think that is really golden also! so were are teaching thisreally really cool person by the name of Summer Day Sibley! she is awesome! weran into her last monday ay the store she went to mormon.organd has spent hours and hours on theat web site! she order a book of mormon! wewent bu to drop it off nad we committed her to baptism on the 27! it wasawesome! she came to church and loved it! i am really excitted tio have abaptism in McComb! it is a great area! well love yall soo much! what is justinsAddress and Email? I am sending yall a package with news paper! it is notpacking look i am in it! WOOT! well love yalll soo much! i hope micky ishaveing a fun time at the dance camp! that is AWESOME that you placed a book ofmormon! your nothin but the very best! love yall thanks for the letter mom! iloved how you talked about how loving people will set you free thata way youdont need to try to control you know! have a great week!
Love Elder JOHSUA kiser! that is great Justin is inthe MTC!
Sorry for not writting yall this last past week, i now haveto fill out 2 reports each week and well we only have less then 30 mins and thecomputer ya kinda lame i know! so this week has been great we have tried abunch of new things in our area! we were in the News paper last friday! :) itwas really cool! and this week i am going to try to get onto the radio! i thinkthat would be great! i am going to try to have my voice, or my actions reachmore people.. like instead of nocking doors, i called the chambers of commerseand am trying to see if i can be a guest speaker at one of there events, icould talk about goal setting and planning! i am also setting up a soccerclinic where i teach kids to play soccer.. it would only take like 45 min on apreperation day! but i am making a mormon.orgshirt and i could wear that! it will help for when we go out into public i canmeet families who were at the clinic and we already have becouse freinds! :) weare also trying to do a few other new things! were going to an old folks hometo play BINGO! were hoping we will be able to teach people that work there!!!!and when people win i am going to give them a card that says they WIN! and onthe bottom it will have mormon.org, so whenthey show there kids there prize, they will see mormon.org!:) we are seeting up big boards around town infront of stores things like thatand we can talk to poeople who are about to go into stores! we already have afew people that said we would be able to do it! we are also starting aninstitute class where members can bring there freinds and i am going to teachit and have it be really fun! :) we are also making a big baord that were goingto hang up at the library that talks about family history and offer to teach aclass on it! i hope these activiteis will better progress the work i mean thatis the goal! MOM if you can think of any new and funs ways to share the gospelill try it! i also want to try to get on the news and teach a lesson on tv! ithink that would be able to effect alot of people! anyways if anyone readingthis did anything out of the nor, or have any cool idies for missionary workplease let me know! :) i know member are the best way to go by far! but we onlyhave 15 members and non of them want to help! we have gone by to see someless actives and i think that is really golden also! so were are teaching thisreally really cool person by the name of Summer Day Sibley! she is awesome! weran into her last monday ay the store she went to mormon.organd has spent hours and hours on theat web site! she order a book of mormon! wewent bu to drop it off nad we committed her to baptism on the 27! it wasawesome! she came to church and loved it! i am really excitted tio have abaptism in McComb! it is a great area! well love yall soo much! what is justinsAddress and Email? I am sending yall a package with news paper! it is notpacking look i am in it! WOOT! well love yalll soo much! i hope micky ishaveing a fun time at the dance camp! that is AWESOME that you placed a book ofmormon! your nothin but the very best! love yall thanks for the letter mom! iloved how you talked about how loving people will set you free thata way youdont need to try to control you know! have a great week!
Love Elder JOHSUA kiser! that is great Justin is inthe MTC!
Hey Family! July 25, 2011
Hey Family July 25 2011
Man this was a great week! Church was a bit differant.. wehad President Wall and Sister Wall come to church with us and 10 othermissionaries! so 14 full time missionareis were there! then on top of that wehad all the stake leaders come to church as well! :) it was a great Sacrement!with a bunch of other missionaries there i was Talked about twice ni church :)one by the stake President and and President Wall! so i thout that was cool!then afterwards we all met in anoher room and talked about going to see lessactives and inactives, it was cool becouse i was chosen to discribe what wasabout to happen! :) it was really cool! we were able able to see every household on the roster! i am not sure how suceesfull it was when i got back toreport on what we did i have to leave and teach a few more people, so i ammeeting a brother at the church on wensday and were going to go over all thepeople tought and what came from it! :) it was really cool, i loved being ableto be a part of the effert! and i hope it went well and we have alot offamilies to go see! that is what i heard atleast! :) so the mebers are nowdoing great:) we werer able to teaach a few people! we talked to Stephany andJason! we talked about the PLan of salvation! it went very well! then we talkedabout rasing kids with ADD! it was really cool! MOM do you know of any charterschools in mississippi? McComb area? thanks i doubted it but i thought wouldask? Do you have any advise i could give them about raising kids with add? theywere exstrimly intrested when we started talking about that! it was awesome! ialso gave them the talk by elder Robbins to read! we are still teaching Aaron!he is really cool! he asked us the craziest questions! one of them was whattype of food did the Niphites have! or what type of animals did they have?things like that? i have never thought about that! but he is comming around! hewants to bealive it but is hesitant.. and now he is running out of questionsbecosue he konwsa it is true! :) we also started a few more great people! thefirst is Maria! she was really cool when we met her! :) she accpted a baptismdate and asked about church! :) the lesson was great we felt great! she feltgreat! it was just a great lesson.!!!! we called satureday to invite to churchand it seemmed as if she read some anti, or talked to an Anti freind.... it isto bad people just listen to there freinds instead of praying.... so lame, butwere going to stop by today! maybe she was just haveing a bad day when wecalled!?! we teaching another ladie nammed Maria as well! they live way farapart and have no idea who each other are. the lesson we had with the secousenMaria was AMAZING! it only lasted 2-3 hours! we tought the plan of salvation!and he restoration! she asked the perfect questions it was great! the spiritwas soooo strong there! at the end we asked when we could come by she said intwo weeks.. then we asked her to come to church... and she said her husbandwould really not liek that.... GRRR but were still going to teach her in a weekor soo! and i hope it goes amazing! the last person Elder Neild and I saw wasBrother micheal nubbles! he said saturday ro come by on sunday! and so we didthat we stoped by! he let us in! we had a great lesson! it was sooo spiritual!at the end he asked us to come by tuesday night! and he is going to read andpray about the Book Of Mormon! but the spirit was there soo strong! he said theclosing prayer and again it was a faith filled prayer and he is excitted toread the book of Mormon! he also said that he reconized us as servents of theLord! :) it was a Great lesson! well all is well here in McComb! DAD!!!!!!!!!!is it your birthday ( i forgot if it was aug 28 or july 28th ) if it is yourbirthday i love you, if it is not your brithday i love you! O ya i have a newcompanion his named is Elder Neild! he is really cool! a hard worker FromIdaho! him and i get slong very well! mostly becouse he is a hard worker! sooJustin is fixing to go on a misson!!!!! that is great! so does he have the sameshoes as me? i hope not... if i could give you advise get light shoes.... andcheap shoes..... becouse there going to break and you walk alot:) so you wantthem light! well love yall so much! i know the church is true! when you have lessonswhere the spirit is just soo strong, you cant just deni that! the joy theGospel brings is unbeatible. i hope that all remember that and i hope that ifyou are reading his you are smiling and about to call a freind that is not amember and invite tham to church with you so that that to can enjoy this joythat you have found! if you found a great new flavor of soda or a new candy!you would want to tell every one about it! and now whatyou haev it alot betterthenm a candy or a soda but a way of like where families can be togtherforever! i am deffinatly greatfull for yalls support and love! thank you! ihope yall have a great week!
Love Elder Joshua Kiser!
Man this was a great week! Church was a bit differant.. wehad President Wall and Sister Wall come to church with us and 10 othermissionaries! so 14 full time missionareis were there! then on top of that wehad all the stake leaders come to church as well! :) it was a great Sacrement!with a bunch of other missionaries there i was Talked about twice ni church :)one by the stake President and and President Wall! so i thout that was cool!then afterwards we all met in anoher room and talked about going to see lessactives and inactives, it was cool becouse i was chosen to discribe what wasabout to happen! :) it was really cool! we were able able to see every household on the roster! i am not sure how suceesfull it was when i got back toreport on what we did i have to leave and teach a few more people, so i ammeeting a brother at the church on wensday and were going to go over all thepeople tought and what came from it! :) it was really cool, i loved being ableto be a part of the effert! and i hope it went well and we have alot offamilies to go see! that is what i heard atleast! :) so the mebers are nowdoing great:) we werer able to teaach a few people! we talked to Stephany andJason! we talked about the PLan of salvation! it went very well! then we talkedabout rasing kids with ADD! it was really cool! MOM do you know of any charterschools in mississippi? McComb area? thanks i doubted it but i thought wouldask? Do you have any advise i could give them about raising kids with add? theywere exstrimly intrested when we started talking about that! it was awesome! ialso gave them the talk by elder Robbins to read! we are still teaching Aaron!he is really cool! he asked us the craziest questions! one of them was whattype of food did the Niphites have! or what type of animals did they have?things like that? i have never thought about that! but he is comming around! hewants to bealive it but is hesitant.. and now he is running out of questionsbecosue he konwsa it is true! :) we also started a few more great people! thefirst is Maria! she was really cool when we met her! :) she accpted a baptismdate and asked about church! :) the lesson was great we felt great! she feltgreat! it was just a great lesson.!!!! we called satureday to invite to churchand it seemmed as if she read some anti, or talked to an Anti freind.... it isto bad people just listen to there freinds instead of praying.... so lame, butwere going to stop by today! maybe she was just haveing a bad day when wecalled!?! we teaching another ladie nammed Maria as well! they live way farapart and have no idea who each other are. the lesson we had with the secousenMaria was AMAZING! it only lasted 2-3 hours! we tought the plan of salvation!and he restoration! she asked the perfect questions it was great! the spiritwas soooo strong there! at the end we asked when we could come by she said intwo weeks.. then we asked her to come to church... and she said her husbandwould really not liek that.... GRRR but were still going to teach her in a weekor soo! and i hope it goes amazing! the last person Elder Neild and I saw wasBrother micheal nubbles! he said saturday ro come by on sunday! and so we didthat we stoped by! he let us in! we had a great lesson! it was sooo spiritual!at the end he asked us to come by tuesday night! and he is going to read andpray about the Book Of Mormon! but the spirit was there soo strong! he said theclosing prayer and again it was a faith filled prayer and he is excitted toread the book of Mormon! he also said that he reconized us as servents of theLord! :) it was a Great lesson! well all is well here in McComb! DAD!!!!!!!!!!is it your birthday ( i forgot if it was aug 28 or july 28th ) if it is yourbirthday i love you, if it is not your brithday i love you! O ya i have a newcompanion his named is Elder Neild! he is really cool! a hard worker FromIdaho! him and i get slong very well! mostly becouse he is a hard worker! sooJustin is fixing to go on a misson!!!!! that is great! so does he have the sameshoes as me? i hope not... if i could give you advise get light shoes.... andcheap shoes..... becouse there going to break and you walk alot:) so you wantthem light! well love yall so much! i know the church is true! when you have lessonswhere the spirit is just soo strong, you cant just deni that! the joy theGospel brings is unbeatible. i hope that all remember that and i hope that ifyou are reading his you are smiling and about to call a freind that is not amember and invite tham to church with you so that that to can enjoy this joythat you have found! if you found a great new flavor of soda or a new candy!you would want to tell every one about it! and now whatyou haev it alot betterthenm a candy or a soda but a way of like where families can be togtherforever! i am deffinatly greatfull for yalls support and love! thank you! ihope yall have a great week!
Love Elder Joshua Kiser!
Hey family July 18, 2011
Hey family!
thank you soo much for the letter and the FUN picters anddrawings yall gave me! this week has been great! that is awesome that micky isoff at dance camp! and it is great that justin is going though the temple andyall are able to do it freqwently with him! yall should doendownments with each other! i love doing endownments! thanks for lettingElder Adame and Elder Houghter stay at the house! they are reallygreatful! thet is awesome that you shared that talk i love reading it! Whatmanner of men out we to be! if we could all just be loving we would all grown!it would be great i cant wait till the day! so i think it is getting close forjustin to leave for his mission! man that is great is he nervis? scared?excitted? i hope he has fun! so this week was tuff at first then it turned intoa great week! we walked over 30 miles in just a few days tracting and tlking totons of people and i was kinda bummed becouse we didnt have any fruits orit seemed as if we were not progressing. we met Two great families! thefirst is Britney and Chris! the bolth 20 years old! and they want to be marriedbut there parents wont let them but they live together and have a kidtogether...... you have to be 21 to get marriered with out parent concent. wetracted into them and they said we could come back, so we did and they werebusy... any ways she ended up going to Mormon.org and ordering a book OfMormon! it takes us 3 days to get the txt. she orderded it like monday, Mondaynight she saw us in the store and we talked, they told us to come over tuesday!and the lesson on tuesday was great they are committed for baptism for Aug 20!the next day we got a text saying they ordered a Book of Mormon! so i thougtthat was really inspired thet we ran into them right after they were onMormon.org and ordering something! they are great! they need to get marrierd, andget sundays off work! were going over tonight to teach them somemore! we areteaching two more great people there name is Stephany and Jason! Steph isawesome! we tought them a Restoration! and the questions they asked wereperfect inline with the lesson it was great! i really was able to feel thespirit there! they to are committed for Aug 20! they are really cool! infactfor there weding they had a dress up party! :) but i am very greatful the lorddirected into them! this sunday was awesome! we had some one from the 70 comedown to our little branch! and the stake was there! so i thought that was fun!this next sunday were going out and visiting all the inactives! there will belike 10 missionaries! the stake and all the active members! i am really ecittedbecouse Part Member families are goldin for misionary work i think! well i haveto Go i love yall and thank you soo much for the letter yall have been sendingme it is fun to hear that yall are still kicken!
Love Elder joshua kiser!
thank you soo much for the letter and the FUN picters anddrawings yall gave me! this week has been great! that is awesome that micky isoff at dance camp! and it is great that justin is going though the temple andyall are able to do it freqwently with him! yall should doendownments with each other! i love doing endownments! thanks for lettingElder Adame and Elder Houghter stay at the house! they are reallygreatful! thet is awesome that you shared that talk i love reading it! Whatmanner of men out we to be! if we could all just be loving we would all grown!it would be great i cant wait till the day! so i think it is getting close forjustin to leave for his mission! man that is great is he nervis? scared?excitted? i hope he has fun! so this week was tuff at first then it turned intoa great week! we walked over 30 miles in just a few days tracting and tlking totons of people and i was kinda bummed becouse we didnt have any fruits orit seemed as if we were not progressing. we met Two great families! thefirst is Britney and Chris! the bolth 20 years old! and they want to be marriedbut there parents wont let them but they live together and have a kidtogether...... you have to be 21 to get marriered with out parent concent. wetracted into them and they said we could come back, so we did and they werebusy... any ways she ended up going to Mormon.org and ordering a book OfMormon! it takes us 3 days to get the txt. she orderded it like monday, Mondaynight she saw us in the store and we talked, they told us to come over tuesday!and the lesson on tuesday was great they are committed for baptism for Aug 20!the next day we got a text saying they ordered a Book of Mormon! so i thougtthat was really inspired thet we ran into them right after they were onMormon.org and ordering something! they are great! they need to get marrierd, andget sundays off work! were going over tonight to teach them somemore! we areteaching two more great people there name is Stephany and Jason! Steph isawesome! we tought them a Restoration! and the questions they asked wereperfect inline with the lesson it was great! i really was able to feel thespirit there! they to are committed for Aug 20! they are really cool! infactfor there weding they had a dress up party! :) but i am very greatful the lorddirected into them! this sunday was awesome! we had some one from the 70 comedown to our little branch! and the stake was there! so i thought that was fun!this next sunday were going out and visiting all the inactives! there will belike 10 missionaries! the stake and all the active members! i am really ecittedbecouse Part Member families are goldin for misionary work i think! well i haveto Go i love yall and thank you soo much for the letter yall have been sendingme it is fun to hear that yall are still kicken!
Love Elder joshua kiser!
Letter from Dad July 18, 2011
DearJosh,
Ihope that this past week has been successful for you. Loved your talk andthe comparison with building a home, plans, foundation walls and roof. Excellent comparison, it is great that you are able to put that processtogether and present the material so well. You have really blossomed intoquite the speaker and writer. Greg has your motorcycle. He broughtall the licensing current and is using it. Thanks for letting him use it,he is loving the 45 mpg it gets. Jeromy and Jane were not interested inusing it.
Iam glad that you are working so hard continuing to put your faith in God. I hate to quote cliché’s but, sometimes it just takes a lot of work toget success. Something fun. I used the talk that you sent us byElder Lynn G. Robbins, “What Manner of Men and Women ought ye be?”for my home teaching message this month. Brother and Sister Jepson saidthat it was exactly what they needed to hear, and were truly grateful for themessage. I had made a photo copy of the talk for them and left it withthem so they could study it a little more. Mom had kept the articleattached to the fridge for months. She had also written on the copy thatyou sent, in the right had corner, Josh’s favorite article. On theleft hand corner she wrote, “mom’s favorite now too!”. We both enjoyed reading it and sharing it together.
Wewent to the temple again with Justin last week and are hoping to go with himagain tomorrow or later this week. Micaela flew out toMichigan to go to her dance camp for three weeks. I hope that it is allthat she wants it to be.
Itaught gospel doctrine yesterday, the lesson was on theResurrection. I feel bad for the wrap that Thomas takes as adoubter. This is truly a first, no one has ever been resurrectedbefore. I can at least appreciate why he doubted. I really enjoyedPresident Hinckley’s quote, “Have you not heard others speak asThomas spoke? Give us they say, the empirical evidence. Prove before ourvery eyes, and our ears, and our hands, else we will not believe. This isthe language of the time in which we live. Thomas the Doubter has becomethe example of men in all ages who refuse to accept other than that which theycan physically prove and explain—as is they could prove love, or faith,or even such physical phenomena as electricity…
Toall within the sound of my voice who may have doubts, I repeat the words givenThomas as he felt the wounded hand s of the Lord: Be not faithless, butbelieving.” President Hinckley really does hit the nail on thehead. We all seem to want empirical proof before we want to accept. I hope that those that you are teaching will have the ability to have faith andbelieve.
SoJosh, as you work so hard and diligently, be not faithless, butbelieving. All things are possible and the Lord will bless and sustainyou in His work. He knows, trust in Him. Seek Him and how He wantsthe work to progress in McCombs.
Mommade an interesting point as she read and discussed Luke 24:36-43. Christappeared to the eleven and said, “Peace be unto you.”. but insteadof immediate peace coming to the eleven, they were terrified and affrighted andsupposed that they had seen a spirit. Now I don’t blame them fortheir fear either, their best friend had just been tried and crucified. Iam confident that many of the Jewish leaders wanted the apostles killed aswell. The tomb is empty, and the Jewish leaders will blame them. Iam thinking, they must be thinking things are looking pretty bad, we should beleaving town.
Ilove you so much, appreciate the experiences that you are having and pray foryou and your companion and your investigators.
Loveyou
Dad
Ihope that this past week has been successful for you. Loved your talk andthe comparison with building a home, plans, foundation walls and roof. Excellent comparison, it is great that you are able to put that processtogether and present the material so well. You have really blossomed intoquite the speaker and writer. Greg has your motorcycle. He broughtall the licensing current and is using it. Thanks for letting him use it,he is loving the 45 mpg it gets. Jeromy and Jane were not interested inusing it.
Iam glad that you are working so hard continuing to put your faith in God. I hate to quote cliché’s but, sometimes it just takes a lot of work toget success. Something fun. I used the talk that you sent us byElder Lynn G. Robbins, “What Manner of Men and Women ought ye be?”for my home teaching message this month. Brother and Sister Jepson saidthat it was exactly what they needed to hear, and were truly grateful for themessage. I had made a photo copy of the talk for them and left it withthem so they could study it a little more. Mom had kept the articleattached to the fridge for months. She had also written on the copy thatyou sent, in the right had corner, Josh’s favorite article. On theleft hand corner she wrote, “mom’s favorite now too!”. We both enjoyed reading it and sharing it together.
Wewent to the temple again with Justin last week and are hoping to go with himagain tomorrow or later this week. Micaela flew out toMichigan to go to her dance camp for three weeks. I hope that it is allthat she wants it to be.
Itaught gospel doctrine yesterday, the lesson was on theResurrection. I feel bad for the wrap that Thomas takes as adoubter. This is truly a first, no one has ever been resurrectedbefore. I can at least appreciate why he doubted. I really enjoyedPresident Hinckley’s quote, “Have you not heard others speak asThomas spoke? Give us they say, the empirical evidence. Prove before ourvery eyes, and our ears, and our hands, else we will not believe. This isthe language of the time in which we live. Thomas the Doubter has becomethe example of men in all ages who refuse to accept other than that which theycan physically prove and explain—as is they could prove love, or faith,or even such physical phenomena as electricity…
Toall within the sound of my voice who may have doubts, I repeat the words givenThomas as he felt the wounded hand s of the Lord: Be not faithless, butbelieving.” President Hinckley really does hit the nail on thehead. We all seem to want empirical proof before we want to accept. I hope that those that you are teaching will have the ability to have faith andbelieve.
SoJosh, as you work so hard and diligently, be not faithless, butbelieving. All things are possible and the Lord will bless and sustainyou in His work. He knows, trust in Him. Seek Him and how He wantsthe work to progress in McCombs.
Mommade an interesting point as she read and discussed Luke 24:36-43. Christappeared to the eleven and said, “Peace be unto you.”. but insteadof immediate peace coming to the eleven, they were terrified and affrighted andsupposed that they had seen a spirit. Now I don’t blame them fortheir fear either, their best friend had just been tried and crucified. Iam confident that many of the Jewish leaders wanted the apostles killed aswell. The tomb is empty, and the Jewish leaders will blame them. Iam thinking, they must be thinking things are looking pretty bad, we should beleaving town.
Ilove you so much, appreciate the experiences that you are having and pray foryou and your companion and your investigators.
Loveyou
Dad
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