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Totally "Fort Worth" it!

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Hermana Kelsey 3:1 -email-
Madre,
 
Hola! How are you doing? I hope things are going great for you. The mission field is really weird, especially when I’ve been so out of the world for so long. I am forgetting how to use technology! It’s craziness. Anyway, the spanish is no bueno. I can’t understand half of what anyone is saying because they talk so fast. I can pick out words, but it’s really hard. And I feel so exhausted at night because my brain is working so hard to try to understand people all day. Plus, we teach in english too, which you would think would be nice, but it just confuses my brain, and now I can’t teach very well in either. It’s really hard. I’m don’t feel like I’m learning any spanish at all, but my companion says it will come in time.
 
My companion is Hermana Vaughn. She’s really cool. I’m her last companion before she goes home, so she’s been out for a while. She is from Idaho. She just had surgery to get her gallbladder taken out like a three weeks ago, but she is almost completely better and doing the work like usual. She has a really good spanish accent, and she speaks spanish very well. She is great.
 
But anyways, my first area is a really big area. It’s kind of weird, but I like it. I’ve been meeting a ton of people, and most of them are totally crazy. They say the funniest things, but I never understand them until Hna. Vaughn explains them to me later. But they are pretty much hilarious. We have a few people that they have been teaching for a while that are supposed to get baptized soon, so that’s pretty cool. I think it’s crazy, because when we go tracting, we meet people who have never heard of the Mormons. I thought everyone knew of us, or at least had crazy ideas about who we are. That was definitely eye opening.
 
We had church yesterday, of course, and it was insane. We went to the just spanish ward, and it was so tiny. There are only ten women in Relief Society on a good day, and in sacrament meeting there was only like 30 people. I’m used to really big wards to that was really strange. Since it was fast Sunday, the President asked us to get up and bear our testimonies. So I did…and I slaughtered it. They could all tell what a gringa I am. It was sad. But everyone is really nice so that’s good. I also ended up saying the closing prayer in sacrament too. So that was fun.
 
I will probably call after church on Sunday. We have church at 11 on Sunday too. But since we are an hour ahead, it will probably be between like 3 and 5 ish. I’m not really sure. Just keep your phone handy. 🙂 Anyway, I better go now. Love you lots. I’ll talk to you on Sunday.
  
Love, Hermana Kelsey 
 
Padre,
 
My first week has been okay. The work is really hard, but I like it. The Spanish is crazy! They talk so so fast, and most of the time I don’t know what they are saying. Me and my companion don’t speak that much Spanish with each other, but we talk some. I ask her a lot how to say things, and she’ll tell me so I can say them at another point. It’s fun.
Anway, I better go. Love you lots.
Love, Hermana Kelsey

Thejoyfulnest is 2!!

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It’s true! I have been officially blogging for 2 years! 
It has been a wonderful thing! 
What has been my goal for the past two years?

  • To have a joyful and happy place for people to visit!
  • To write fun and interesting stories about life and family?
  • To be informative about how to get started doing “Family History!”
  • To make a history of my family and my darling missionaries!
  • To tell the world that I believe that life is wonderful, and challenging, and if we “just keep swimming” it will be great!

My goals for the future of thejoyfulnest?
More of the same! I will hope for a few more visits and new friends! 
Love, Joy

Totally "Fort Worth" it!

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Dear Family,
Sister Sagers and I want you to know that your missionary has arrived safely here in Texas. We look forward to serving together in accomplishing the Lord’s work. We hope you enjoy the attached picture of your missionary, as well as knowing that the missionaries are in good hands here as they are in the Lord’s service.
Sincerely,
President and Sister Sagers

Howzit-Elder Flexy!(for real)

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We got an email today. I am so glad.
Elder Flexy 10:3 -email-

Make,
sorry i didn’t Email yesterday was a national holiday so no email shops were open but I’m doing fine we hiked Execution Rock again, it was super fun and we had a brai(Barbeque) on top. So apparently i still have my hiking skills because i smoked the other elders! Life is good we are teaching like crazy, we are having three baptisms on Sunday its gonna be sweet. I went on exchanges with Elder Henson the native American and it was great we taught very well, it was fun. I’m so glad Ariane is coming back to church. Thats so good to hear. this week we successfully outdid a Jehovah witness without even losing the spirit, now that is dang near IMPOSSIBLE!! and we stared down a dog that could have eaten us. but ya its been a awesome week. i love you.
    Love Elder Sebenele (Swati name)


    

Baba
dang i thought that might happen the last time we fixed that pipe but (note: a secondary water pipe broke in the yard). wow that story about Adam is pretty funny that reminds me of me being called a Tokoloshi in my last area which is a little demon the witch doctors summon to get there enemies. but ya, mission is pretty sweet i’ll let you know about the baptisms next time. love you
    Love Elder Dirkie

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Just an FYI, Kelsey left for Texas this morning! 
We talked on the phone, she is nervous and excited. 
Please pray for our missionaries!

Howzit-Elder Flexy!

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So it’s Monday at about 7:10 p.m.
I have been checking my email account
 off and on all day, and nothing. 
Our darling Elder has not sent an email. 
Paranoid me says, 
“What’s wrong? Is he ok? 
Maybe he’s just too busy today.” 
Faithful me says, 
“He is great! Doing the Lord’s work!
 He is definitely safe, the Lord will protect him. 
You need to relax!” 
Momma me says, “That little stinker! 
Doesn’t he know I worry? 
Can’t he at least give me a few lines?!” 
It will all be just fine, but it is a challenge for me. Who knew when I decided to name Alex’s posts “Howzit-Elder Flexy”, that it was prophetic. That there would be times many times when I wonder “Howzit?”
I thought I would tell you a story about Alex when he was five. Just to keep my mind off the fact that I haven’t heard from him, and to give you all something to read today. 
—————–
The school was having a talent show. Because we’re not that talented at our house, I’ve never been a big fan of them. But this time Alex decided on his own, that he wanted to be in the talent show. I never heard a word about it. I found out after the talent show was over, that Alex had indeed taken part in the talent show. He signed up and on the sheet he said he was going to whistle. I’m sure that the teachers thought he was going whistle a song, a tune of some kind. But when he got up to do his talent, all he did was whistle. Just one note, for about 3 seconds, then he sat down. Everyone applauded. And Alex felt super. The teacher who told me the story started to cry when she told me. She said it was the sweetest thing, to see this little boy sharing his whistle with his peers. He believed that they would think that was so neat. I need to tell you here, that there were kids who could play the piano, sing, and all kinds of talents that the parents had spent money helping their child develop. I didn’t have to spend any money, ’cause Alex’s talent was to whistle. What a darling little boy! He has always been such a great kid. Always happy and easy to please. I know that he is a blessing to the people of South Africa, and I am happy to share my wonderful son with them. 

Family History Friday: What Are You’re Ancestors Telling You?

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New York Times-picture
Have you ever read
a journal or 
a story of an ancestor, 
and thought that what they were saying in word or in the life they lived might be for you? 
I’m sure it was for you and anyone else who is a descendant. Just like we love our families and those who will come after us, the ancestor’s of those in Japan loved their descendant’s too! 
I found an amazing article about a village in Japan whose ancestor’s left a message for their descendants. 
It was a warning on a stone, 
that said not to build their homes below a certain spot. Apparently, many stones were found, but not all headed the warning. You can read more about it here. 
Our ancestor’s have left messages for us. 
They may not have written all of them down, but when we research and find the stories about their lives, they will speak to us. If we are listening with our hearts, we will hear what they are trying to say. Think about your ancestor’s, their lives, the way they lived, and what it all means. When I think of mine, I think they might want me to know, life is full of hard work and wonderful. They are telling me, “It was hard sometimes, but I did the things that I needed to do, you can do what you need to do. Be amazing!” I love them, and am so thankful for the messages they have left for me. 
Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

Totally "Fort Worth" it!

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Kels and Em!

Hermana Kelsey 2:5 -email-

Madre,
My week has been good. A little bit stressful, but just because I have a lot of things to do before I leave, and I’m really worried about making weight. My bag is like 15 pounds without anything in it so I’m hoping that I can fit everything I need and still be under what I’m supposed to be. I might buy another luggage piece from the bookstore. I hope that is okay. 🙂

I’m so excited you get to watch T and G. I miss those little boys so much. Tell them I love them. There is an Elder that was in our zone that just left on Tuesday, and he reminded me so much of G. He was really tender and sensitive, and he even looked like him, only with darker coloring. Pretty funny. It was really sad when that district left. They only got here a week before us so we’ve spend the most time with them. We had a really hard night the day they all left, because we were so sad. They are such great Elders, and I can really say that they are some of my best friends ever.
I’m glad you are staying busy. It is really good to be doing things a lot. I feel bad for all the time I wasted when I didn’t really have any purpose in my life. It’s kind of sad. But things will be different from now on.
Spanish is coming along. I feel like I don’t know near enough, but everyone tells me that I know enough to get by, and I’m not expected to actually learn Spanish in the MTC. You learn it the most out in the field. So hopefully I’ll be learning A LOT of Spanish in the field. 🙂 I’m looking forward to seeing some of the people that I met in the MTC that went to my same mission too, so that should be really fun.
In other news, we had our last devotional on Tuesday, and guess who came to speak to us…Elder Richard G. Scott! Yeah the apostle! It was so great. We haven’t had an official member of the twelve this whole time, but we lucked out that we got one before we left. Some people never get to see an apostle. It was pretty neat. He did an amazing job of course, and he blessed us, with the authority of his apostleship, with the gift of tongues. It was so amazing.
Anyway I was wondering if there was anyway, you could send me my address for in the mission field so that if I decide I want to send something there so I don’t have to pack it, I can. That would be fantastic. Gracias!
I will be sending pictures this week. I tried to this last week, but there was an issue in the bookstore so they didn’t get printed off. But now they are, so they’ll be coming soon.
I better go now I love you lots. Love, Hermana Kelsey
———————
Padre, I’m glad you are doing good. Bye. 🙂 Love, Hermana Kelsey
———————
Emmysaurus Rex,
I’m sorry you are having such a hard time with the baby. (Note: Emily had one of those babies from Child Development, it cried for hours last night) When I was in high school, it was extra credit to do that, so I never did it. Anyway, I better go now. I’ll write you a real official letter once you write me one. 🙂 Love you lots. Love, Hermana Shelton
P.S. How is Sandy doing?
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX