Week Something or Other???

Cher Ma Famille,

Bonjour, comment ca va?  This week has been a pretty awesome week I have to admit.  First things first I haven't got my travel plans yet, but elders in our zone who are going to the Congo have got theirs.  So I'm hoping any day now.  It seems so crazy that I'm leaving the MTC soon.  I love it here.  Time though is a weird things at the MTC.  It seems like I've been here my whole life, but just got here yesterday.  Its such a crazy awesome thing.  I am excited though to go to Benin.  It so close.  I'm trying to utilize though every minute at the MTC because i know it will help me a lot when I get there.  Also this week, there was a bunch of new French-speaking Elders and Sisters who came into the MTC.  They are pretty funny.  Lets see also last week, i had a great experience at the temple.  I went and did some sealings for some of my ancestors.  The sealer said something that really struck me.  That i have received many blessing that I probably have never noticed because my parents were sealed together in the temple and I was born in the covenant.  I had never thought about that, but I know it is true.  Thank you, mom and dad,  for being sealed in the temple.  Lets see also this week,  the field opened for outside gym.  So I get to play tons of soccer and kickball.  It great to get outside.  Also I have had a bunch of experiences this week about how important a mission is to us and the lord.  I know that this is the right thing for me right now.  I'm so thankful for everyone who has helped me come this far.  I know that a mission is the best thing on the face of the earth.  I'm so excited to serve the people of Benin and Togo.  Also it been awesome we have been practicing contacting.  We played this awesome game that i think would be awesome for a family home evening or mutual. You order all of the main points of the first 4 lessons like #7 is god is our loving heavenly father etc. One person pretends to be an investigator,  while the other one is the missionary.  The missionary picks a number.  He then has 1 minute to try to contact someone using the principle that correspondes with the number.  Its pretty hard but pretty fun also.  This week also i saw a huge difference in my teaching.  I know that is because our companionship has made a big emphasis on teaching to our investigators needs.  I know that the  gospel applies to everyone, so we just need to help them understand it applies to them

Questions:

How is the French coming along?:  Bien,  my french is going really well.  I have learned so much.  I love all the times we get to practice, it pretty great.  We speak in french often. 

Are you getting Trunky?:  I never knew this term until I came to the MTC, but people use it all the time.  I'm not really trunky, but mostly because I know I have a lot to learn here.  But I'm excited too.

 I'm so excited that carli did so well in here soccer game.  I can't wait to see the pictures.  Also tell her i have another game for her during missionary week.  Its called QST or something like that.  The game is role play teaching someone, with a companion.  But as you teach you have to start with a question then a statement then testify.  Like this: Companion 1: would ask one question, then companion 2 would say one statement, then companion 1 would say one statement as a testimony.  Now this is the hard part companion 2 then must ask a question etc.  Its pretty hard to do a whole lesson that way but it great practice for being a missionary.

 Also it was great to hear Casey is running so well.  I know that track can be really frustrating, but I know that he can do it and will.

Casey:  Je te remerci pour votre lettre.  Je sais que tu peux plus courir que STAte Qualifing.  Je sais parfois trac est difficle mais je sais que tu seras un mieux coureur parce que de trac.  Bon Chance.

 (Thank you for your letter. I know that you can run that State Qualifing. I know sometimes track is difficult but I know that you will be a better runner because of track. Good luck.)

Je vous aime,

Elder Corey Samuel Kimzey

Week 6- MTC

Bonjour Ma Famille,

Comment ca va?  This week has been an awesome week.  Lets see first things first, Elder Ballard came and spoke to us this last Saturday.  It was really great, he talked on how important our message was for the world.  Also this last Sunday I sang in sacrament meeting with 3 of the other elders in my district and another playing the violin.  We sang L'esprit de Dieu.  It was crazy though because at the fireside that night Elder Archuelta copied us and sang the same song but in Spanish for part of it instead of french haha.  Let see also this week we started a new service assignment where we turn the gym into where we have devotionals.  I like it, it way meticulous, but is kind fun too.  Also my companions and I had a big learning experience this week.  One of our investigator blindsided us with a question about why does he need to be baptized.  We were totally expected to teach on the importance of keeping the sabbath day holy.  Lets just say the lesson didn't go that well, but we learned how important it is not just to think you can solve everyones problems right on the spot.  Sometimes it is important to pray about the answer and to have your investigator do the same.  It is great we get to learn some of these lessons now before we actually go out to the field.  Also this week, we got to start being progressing investigators ourselves.  We get to pretend to be someone we know who was or would be interested in the gospel.  It was interesting to see things from the other side.  Also we practiced contacting this week, which was way different at first, but now is way fun and awesome. It really emphasised how  people really need the gospel and how it can change their lives.  It was great experience, even though it was just practicing.

Questions:

Eating:  This ones for you Ryan.  We get to eat at this huge cafeteria.  It all you can eat too.  I remember the first day I eat a ton because everything tasted so good.  The problem is the food they have here sits like a rock in your stomach.  The first few week, it was way hard on my stomach.  Now, though i figured out ,for the most part, what is good to eat.  Also on every Wednesday and Sunday they serve ice cream, which is really good. 

Benin missionaries:  There are five Beninese missionaries right now.  We are all in the same district and sleep in the same room.  My two companions, Elder Maxwell, Elder Kent, and I are all the Beninese missionaries in the whole mtc.  Also we get new missionaries coming in to our french zone, but they are all going to Canada and France. 

French:  Casey asked how well did i think i knew french coming into the mtc.  When i came in I thought i was pretty good, now i know i wasn't.  I have learned some much, and still new to learn a lot.  It is definitely coming though.  I know that the gift of tongues have helped me so much.  Now we have sections of time set for speaking in french only.  It was fun to do, but crazy to think how far we have all come from the first day.

Fish:  I can't believe Tiger is still alive.  I bet carli he has been alive for almost two months.  That is crazy, you must be doing a really good job taking care of him.

 

I was glad to hear that everyone is doing so well.  Casey, it sounds like you ran a crazy good race.  I know that you'll keep improving and dominating everyone.  Also i just wanted to share 2 things i learned this week.  I learned a lot of things this week.  First,  i learned how important studying is.  I know that our study time is so important.  I know that as we study we receive revelation for us and our investigator.  So i was thinking how i which i had used this time better before my mission.  That studying the scriptures aren't just for learning doctrine, but really do apply to us and our everyday needs and questions.  Also i learned the importance of listening and relating things to people also this week.

Well i better go the computer is telling me my time is up.

Je vous aime,

Elder Corey S Kimzey

Pictures from the MTC

 Corey's Zone

 Elder Kimzey and Elder Pickard

Friends from USU

Singing along with the Missionary Choir at Conference

Missionary Tag



Corey's District (4 Going to Benin, 2 to Congo)

Two new companions and Easter

Bonjour Ma famille et mes amies,

This week has been a very hard one but I've learned a lot from it.  My companion went home this week, so that was very hard.  I know though that it is the best thing for him, so I'm excited for him to return someday.  So  I got new companions this week.  Their names are Elder Haggard and Elder ne-kindga.  In my photo Elder haggard has blonde hair and Elder ne-kindga is the African American elder.  They are really great.  Elder Ne-kindga's parents are actually from the Congo, so he always has good insight on things.

Also this week it was really great because it was Easter and fast Sunday on the same day.  We had a huge sacrament meeting with everyone in the Mtc it was pretty cool to have the sacrament passed to so many people.  I think they had 4 sacrament tables there.  During the meeting we had too general authorities talk to us.  It was Pres. Packer and his son.  Pres. Packer gave a great talk on how we need the atonement to be cleansed.  It was pretty amazing.  I liked it a lot.  After that we had a Testimony meeting with our branches.  It was amazing because almost all of them were in french.  So Easter was a great experience.  It was pretty cool considering most people don't get to be at the mtc on Easter.  Also that night for a devotional the byu's men choir came and sang  to us.  They are really awesome. 

I also started teaching with my new companions this week.  Our first lessons were kind of rough just because we didn't understand how to teach in a tri companionship, but now they are going a lot better.  It pretty crazy to think how far I've come.  I know it's not because of me but because of the Lord's help.  This week we've been having Pvl session( parler votre langue, speak your language.)  Its a time where were just supposed to talk in francais.  I think it was Thursday we did it for most of the day.  We do it everyday now.  I like it a lot.  My french is getting so much better because of it. 

Questions: (I had Carli write the questions this week)

What do you do on P-days?

P-days:  On p-days, I go to the temple, which is a great experience.  I love having it so close.  Also we do laundry and write letters and emails.  Since ours is on Tuesday we also have a dev at night.

Are there a lot of sister missionaries?

Sister Missionaries:  there are tons of sister missionaries at the mtc.  There is only 5 though here learning french.  They are really great.  Most of them are going to france but a few are going to canada.

Do you have to wear your Missionary clothes all the time?

Missionary clothes:  Yes, i do wear missionary clothes almost all the time.  Its actually really fun and isn't that bad.  Although, on p-days for most of the day we don't.

How much do you study the french scriptures?

French Scriptures:  On average, i spend probably 2  hours a day in english scriptures and maybe an hour in french.  I lost my english scriptures a few days a go, so I've been using my french more which is fun.  I bet my english ones will turn up though.  The one thing that is kind of different is there isn't a king james version of the in french, so our is the louis version.  So sometimes the scriptures in french mean something different than the english version.

Do you do service projects- are they in the community?

Service:  we do service for an hour a week.  We do all of it at the mtc.  We sometimes clean bathrooms or vacuum.  This week we got a new one where we set-up for dev.

Do you like your companion?

Companions:  My new companions are awesome.  We get along really well.  I really miss Elder Pickard, but I know he is where he is supposed to be.  There has been questions on how companionship's work with bathroom breaks.  We are supposed to stay within sight and sound of each other at all times, except for bathroom break or in the lunch room.  When one of us is using the restroom, though we have to wait outside the door.  It actually is really great to have someone there who always has your back. 

Daniel:  Okay, holy cow.  I can't believe Daniel ran that fast.  That is amazing.  That is so crazy fast.

Well I'm glad everything is going well at home.  Also i think I'm doing good on most things.  I have tons of food and stuff, so don't worry about me not eating enough.  Also that remind me I've also been running more often now.  Elder Kent in my district has been running with me so it been pretty fun.

Merci beaucoup for all you support,

Elder Corey S Kimzey

I can't believe they picked him for the choir over me...

Bonjour ma famille et mes ami,

Comment ca va?  This week has been a lot of fun and a big testimony boost for me.  Conference was really great.  We all got to sit together in this big gym and watch it.  There was so many great talks.  My favorite talks was probably was Presidents Erying's Saturday morning talk and also i liked L Tom Perry's about the book of Mormon.  There was so many good talks though.  This week also there has been a lot of talk of Elder Archeulta.  It is true he is here.  So its great I usually get to see him at lunch.  No we haven't quite become lunch buddies yet , but I except that is because I was rooting for David Cook over him haha. Also I agree mom I can't believe they pick him to join the choir over me.  I mean come on I have about 0 years of choir experience, it totally shocked me when they picked him over me.  Just Kidding.  It been great to hear about Carli and Casey great soccer and track events.  I'm excited to hear about how they keep dominating.  Also this week we got to teach a ton.  This week at trc, we taught this lady and she was way nice.  We were teaching about pray and how it can help us in our life.  It was going really well.  We asked her if she had any questions.  She didn't but she said something like I know that through the holy ghost God answers my prayers.  For some reason I heard her wrong.  I thought she said Satan answers her prayers.  I was a little confused.  When I asked her if that's what she meant we all started busting up laughing. It was great experience.  Also I have been able to study the scriptures so much.  We try every day during our personal study not to study for ourselves, but to study for what the Holy Ghost thinks our investigator needs to hear.  It makes a huge difference.  When I do this though, my testimony strengthens along with my investigator.  Also another great thing that happened this week is the French ambassador come to our zone.  I didn't get to meet him personally, but from what I heard he seems pretty amazing.  Also this week my companion is doing a lot better. So it been great he is doing better. 

Questions:

French:  French is going quite well.  I didn't get to study very much because of conference, but it been great because my district has been using it more and more everyday. 

Zone Leader: Zone leader duties are going great.  Its not that bad especially when we don't have meeting because of conference.  I love it though because i get to know all the people in our zone so well. 

Schedule for conference: The schedule for conference was way different.  It was kind of a more relax day than we are used to having.  Usually we have very little free time, but during conference we had tons.  Also we got to go on a few temple walks, which was fun.

Needs:  I now remember I forgot a few things, not life threatening, but important.  I forgot my patriarchal blessing and priesthood lineage.

Letters and Pictures:  I am sorry i haven't sent off some of my letters and pictures but  there almost all ready and I promise they will be in the mail today.

Chelsea  I heard chels got in an accident i hope she is ok.  I hope hunter is doing well also

Casey:  Bonjour, mon frère; comment ca va?  Maman me a dit que tu a cour très vite.  10:10 c'est très bon.  Je crois que tu va courir plus vite prochaine week-end.

Je vous aime;

Elder Corey S Kimzey