Totally "Fort Worth" it!


Hermana Kelsey 1:2 -email-
Madre,
Hola! Comos esta? It’s crazy it’s been two weeks. The first week felt like a month, and this last week has felt like a few days. I’m glad you are doing good. I feel like we have so much time to study all the things we need to, but it’s never enough. Oh well. Esta bien. It’s all good. I did get the package the day before yesterday. I was so excited because I hadn’t gotten any mail for like a week. I told my companions that if I didn’t get any mail that day that I would cry, and Hermana Rasmussen said, “Hopefully you get mail because if you cry then I’ll cry.” Then our district leader, Elder Geest, walked in after he checked the mail, and said, “Hermana, I have bad news you didn’t get any mail…but you got a package.” I couldn’t stop smiling. 🙂 Anyway, I’m glad you got to see Natasha. She definitely isn’t afraid to tell people what she thinks. It’s an admirable trait, but it may get her in trouble. 🙂 Tell everyone I say hi back. 
So this last week has been really crazy, but so good. I’m am to the point though, when it comes to food, that I just don’t want to eat anything ever, I have no appetite, and I just force myself to eat, and keep the food down. But I’ve gained six pounds, the last time I weighed myself. I’m pretty sure that it’s mostly muscle weight, because I’ve been riding the stationary bike like every day, but still. Six pounds! It’s crazy. Meals are like some of the best times here. It’s pretty much the only way we keep our sanity. Although the elders do crazy things. They have contests to see who can eat any entire cup of jell-o in one swallow fastest. It’s quite hilarious.
The spanish is coming along slowly, but surely. I feel like I’m starting to understand more, but I’m stilll behind like everyone in the class. It’s kind of sad, but I know that the only reason I’ve been able to learn all things I have is because Heavenly Father is helping me. This last Sunday we had a testimony meeting in sacrament and it was SOOO amazing. Some of the elders who got up got teary, and it was so sweet. It’s wierd to see their serious spiritual side when all you see normally is their goofy side. Anyway, it was super spiritual. On of the districts in our zone is leaving this coming Wednesday. It is so sad because they are like an awesome group of people, and they have the only other Hermanas in our zone. Hopefully we’ll get some the next time we get a new district. On Monday, we moved to a new building. I guess they are going to renovate the old one. So now we are one floor higher. It’s killer to walk up that many stairs.
This last Tuesday we had our second TRC which is where we teach a lesson to volunteer investigators. We had the hardest investigator ever! She made us work so hard, and we got nowhere. She acted like she was interested, but had no motivation to do anything. It was very frustrating and disheartening. I just wanted to scream how important the gospel is, but I couldn’t.
Anyway, I better go. I’m almost out of time. Love you bits. Love, Hermana Kelsey XOXOX
 
Padre,
Ha ha yeah I sure am getting up early to exercise. The gettting up early isn’t as bad as I thought it would be, although I do get tired after we eat lunch and go to class. Sometimes it’s hard to stay awake. Anyway that’s funny you got shirts for soccer. I wish we could play soccer. They might open the playing field outside when it gets warm, but it might be after we leave. Love you, Hermana Kelsey

Totally "Fort Worth" it!

First Letter February 24th 2011
Dear Familia,
Hola, Wow! The MTC is crazy! There are so many great people here. Today is thursday, so the wild stuff is mostly over. Yesterday was pretty much a blur, but I’ll tell you what I can remember. After you guys left, they took me and my luggage back to a room where a bunch of other sisters were. I met a bunch of them and we chatted for a little bit. Then a sister that has been here for a while came and got me. She took me around to pick up a bunch of different items I would need (i.e. my key to my room, my name tag, books and scriptures in Espanol, and lots of other things), and to drop off my luggage. Then she took me to my class. Hermana Billins is so cute. She is one of my teachers, and she mostly speaks Spanish. she’s trying to have us speak as much as we can, as often as we can. Haderlie is my other teacher. He is great too. I’ve only met with him a little, but I can tell he is going to be awesome. After class we had a Welcome Orientation where we met the MTC Presidency. They are so amazing! I know they are called of God. Next we went to dinner, which reminded me of high school or jr. high, except everyone is nice, and talks to you.
Oh, I forgot to tell you about my two companions. Hermana Rasmussen is from Idaho Falls, and Hermana Barlow is from Washington DC. They are super great and adorable. At dinner I saw, none other than, Sister Buswell! It was so exciting! We both got all excited and gave hugs, and she talked with me a bit. It was so nice to see her. She is such an inspiration to me. Also, I saw Brother and Sister Fowers, and gave them hugs. After dinner we went to a group teaching where you are in a small group (maybe 20 missionaries), and you teach an investigator. You are supposed to try to see what their needs are. We met with three men. It was really a good experience to talk to them, and see what we could do for them, and to see how just us sharing small parts of the gospel with them changed their disposition. It was really neat. After that, we met our Zone Leaders, and them ca e back to our room to unpack. I had a really hard time sleeping last night I got bed @ 10:30, but couldn’t sleep because I had so much going on in my head. Plus I woke up several times in the night. We decided wake up @ 5:45 to go to the early morning exercise class just for girls, so we went to that. Today has just been really busy. That’s pretty much what we always are though. Busy, busy, Busy! But another good thing about today…I met another Sister going to Fort Worth, Spanish speaking!! Her name is Hermana Valdez and she is leaving to go down to Texas in March, because she already knows Espanol. It was so exciting to meet her though. I’ll probably see her down in Texas. Anyway, I probably better go now. Love you all lots. Do good things! Love, Hermana Kelsey
PS Be sure to give my address to everyone!  I want lots of letters!
🙂 oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Totally "Fort Worth" it!

We dropped off 
our beautiful daughter Kelsey
 at the Missionary Training Center yesterday! Wow, it was rough! Here is how the day went…
Kelsey doing last minute arranging in her suitecase!

Aren’t they darling!!

Ready to go!!

Lunch on the way!

Driving up the hill to the MTC!!
The Elders are there to help with her luggage!
Emily is saying the whole time, “Aren’t they cute!”
Hugs and tears!!!

A manly hug and no tears from Riley!

We are so excited for Kelsey!! 
She will be a great missionary!

Yes, Pappa cried too!! He is a tender Dad! 

And there she goes!! 
We are all crying and watching her go!! 
The Elders take her into the building on the left,
 were the Sisters are waiting for her!
We leave and spend the rest of the day 
trying to stay busy and 
think happy thoughts!! 
She is going to have a wonderful mission and will be a blessing to those she is called to serve. She is also going to have all kinds of experiences, all of which, will bless her for the rest of her life. 
We are so proud of her!!;)

My Dream Come True!

Mission call opening party!
Kelsey 
(aka: my dream come true!)
 with her mission call! 
Where will she go?
(See Aunt Lisa and Uncle Larry on Skype in the background?) 
Lots of friends and family here,
 to see her open her mission call!
Reading!
“You are hereby called to serve 
as a missionary for 
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints…”
Crying!! What a sweetheart!
Smiling!!
 It’s Texas, Ft. Worth-
 Spanish speaking!!!
 Well, that is awesome!! 
I was a missionary in Texas when I was young!
 I’m so excited that she will grow to love Texas, 
like I do!!

“The stars at night, are big and bright!!
deep in the heart of Texas!!”
We feel so blessed! We will have two missionaries now!