Listen...

Bonsoir ou bien bonjour(si vous êtes aux Etats-Unis), good evening or else good day (for those in the U.S.)
Comment allez-vous?  Je vais bien.( How is everyone?  I am great.) This week was great too.  We had some good lesson.  In reflecting on this past week, i was thinking about the importance of listening.  I know sometimes i have to make sure and listen more than I speak.  The reason that i have been thinking about this is because we had a lesson with an amie who has been progressing well and even has been coming to church but I wasn't quite sure how to help her even more.  We showed up to her house and she asked a few questions.  We had planned on teaching Lesson Three:the gospel of Jesus Christ ,but it never seemed to be the right moment to start talking about that.  But don't get me wrong, it was an amazing lesson because we just sat and listened to her life story.  She told us about all the churchs she had visted and how she couldn't ever really find the right one. She started expressing to us why she was looking for a new church.  Then the power cut for the whole neighboorhood.  We sat there in the dark  continuing to talk.  Then the moment came and we talked to her about how she really need to be baptized.  My companion bore his testimony.  She didn't commit to a date then and there but she said that she wanted to be baptized.  I know that if we had just came in and started talking about baptism and the holy ghost that it wouldn't have been as good of lesson.  So it was a good remineder that we always have to listen because listening is way more important that speaking.
Also this week or maybe last week i don't rememeber, we had a crazy experience.  We get a call from a random number and the guy on the phone told us that he has a friend who is a member and he would like to have the missionary lessons. We met him at a major intersection in our secteur but didn't have time to sit down and have a lesson. So we invited him to church which happen to be the next day.  He showed up! I have to admit i was kind of surprised.  The next week we had a great lesson with him about the restoration.  He had tons of questions and is quite intressed.  Then he showed up again to church.  It is really funny how we randomly meet people who the lord has prepared.
Well today has been a great p-day also. We went and played Ping Pong at the Church.  It was really great.  Also we ate achkay today(which is a kind of food from the ivory coast.)
I hope all is going well for all of you.
 Je vous aime (love you)
Elder Corey Kimzey


Excerpt from letter to mom

That is great that Casey is already almost finished his mission papers.  He is going to be a good missionary.  It is crazy to think that he can turn in his papers so soon.  I'm excited for him.  It is so crazy to think of all the missionaries will have in our ward by summer.
That is intresting that that return missionary chose hope as the things that bring people to the church.  It is hard to  pinpoint one thing.  But the thing that i found in general is that people are looking for the truth.  That really just want a place that is Christ church.  I know many of them are drawn just by the fact that we just ask people to pray and to read.  We never force anyone to do anything, people find that kind of refreshing here.
I can't believe it has been raining there all this week.  We had a pretty good lightining storm the other day.  Mine is a little warmer than -20(Corey's cousin is serving in Wisconsin...) it is probably closer to 80...
Je t'aime plus que toutes les tartes, les gateaux, les biscuits dans le monde,(I love you more than all the pies, cakes, cookies in the world)
Elder Corey  

It seemed to click

Patrice and Omar

Bonjour ma famille,
Comment allez-vous?  So this past week went really well.  We have been working a lot with members this week, so that has been great.  It always helps so much to have a member come along.  We have been working a lot with this one family.  They have a ton of teenagers and seemed to be really progressing.  At first, I was kind of worried that they were just listening to us because they are nice people.  But, this week we taught them about the Plan of Salvation.  A recent convert came with us and really helped us explain it.  It seemed to click with them and clarify things that they had always wondered.  It kind of reminded me of a part of preach my gospel(I think its preach my gospel?)  where Boyd k Packer says that as one learns about the gospel, seems with ring a bell for them.  It is because they were taught the gospel before the earth was created.  I sorry, I probably totally misquoted an apostle but i believe it something along those line.  Either way, it was a great experience.
Also this week we had interviews with President Weed.  It was great to talk to him and to see what he thought the mission could improve on.  Right now, he is making a big push about using the book of Mormon more in our teaching.  It is very important, because i have found that for the most part the people who read, pray, and come to church really make a change in their life.  Well, that was kind of my week.  I hope all is well chez vous. (at home)
  Je vous aime beaucoup,
Elder Corey Kimzey
I sent a photo of my baptism of last week(omar is on the right and patrice is on the left), also i sent a photo of the apple pie Elder Ritchie and i made for christmas.  I thought you would think it was pretty funny.








(excerpt from mom's letter)

Yeah, up north can be kind of nasty!  I'm glad that i get to come back to St george not nothern utah because coming from hot humid africa straight to inversioned northern utah would be really hard.  I think my realse date is March 12th normally.  That is atleast what my evangliste card says.  I will have to look into that.  We have been getting a bunch of new missionaries.  Mostly beause a bunch are about to leave.  One is actually from Cedar City.  His name is Elder Shumway.  It pretty crazy to think that we live 45 minutes apart but we haven't met until we came half way around the world.  I thought i would ask you too if there was any thing cool that you wanted from here.  I think we are going to Dantokpa in a week or two, so i thought i might pick up some fun stuff.  It pretty funny because some of the stuff is totally counterfeit.  They will sell 120 wristwatches for 4 dollars.  I have bought a few soccer jersey.  I was wondering if casey would want any.  I bought a Paris SAint- Germain Jersey with the shorts for 5 dollars.  I know that they have a bunch of arsenl stuff too.
How are things going? I'm really have been loving this ward and the people of Fidjrossé.  They are amazing.  We have been trying to help recent converts and less actives too because our ward is mostly of recent converts.  The amazing thing is as we work with them, it has helped us to find new people and have even a better realtionship with the ward.
Ok, mom i have kind of a favor to ask.  Could you maybe look at CTR rings?  An Elder asked me about their prices.  So nice time you have to got to Desert Book could you just look at the prices for me?
Mom, i really love you and thank you for always been a great example.  I felt like L tom perry in the sense that i am proud to be call your son.
  I love you more than all the pie in the world,
Elder Corey Kimzey

I'm dreaming in French

Bonjour tout le monde, (hello everyone)
Comment allez-vous?  This week was really a great one.  Omar and
Patrice got baptized.  It was a really neat experience.  They really
both really amazing people and have really made an impact on my life.
Patrice is a funny guy, but since the beginning has wanted to be
baptized.  I think it was maybe the first or second lesson when he
said that he wanted to do it.  So i'm really excited for him.  The
other is named Omar. We actually met him through his brother.  He had
been praying for a long time to find the path of god.  Then he started
meeting with us.  We gave him a book of mormon and he reads it all the
time. He loved it and always is asking questions and sharing his
insights with us.  He talks to his friends already about the church
and he has a great testimony.  I'm sorry if it seems like i'm bragging
or something to that effect.  But it really isn't me who brought this
about.  I guess my point is that the gospel really changes people.
That this two recents converts are just a drop in the bucket of all
the cool gospel stories i get to hear and see everyday.  I'm so
thankful for my mission and so thankful that i can see the power of
the scriptures and the holy ghost working in people's lives.  Such a
great week!
Also another funny story from this week was that we had a lesson with
my english-speaking ami.  He is a really nice guy and speaks english
really well.  The probably was that i can't speak english anymore.  At
points i had to pause for a good long time because i couldn't think of
the word in english.  Even the other day, i think i used the phrase
more stronger?. (insert carli's cringe) Hopefully, english we came back to me someday haha.
This week, i really have experienced parts i will never forget.
I love you all and i'm so thankful for  the prayers and all you do.
 Je vous aime plus que tarte, (I love you more than pie)
Elder Corey Kimzey

Had to post this- wow- english....gone! 

Bonsoir maman,
Comment vas-tu?  et Comment va-tout le monde?(how are you?  and how is everyone is everyone?)  It sounds like you are having a blast in Disneyworld.  The week went really well.  I'm
actually still in Fidjrossé and i'm actually the senior  campanion.
We work really well together.  I have to admit that sometimes it is
easier to talk in french than it is in English.  I was talking to an
english speaking guy the other day and i couldn't remeber english at
all.  I couldn't remember how to say things like garden and eve and a
bunch of other things.  It was super funny.  Sometimes i do have dreams
in french and sometimes in frenglish even.
I have to admit i don't remember much of DisneyWorld.  Sometimes when
i would look at the photos i could remember a little and kind of how i
felt.
That is great that you saw all those african things.  I hope they had
some Beninois Dancers, because their culture dance is kind of
awesome/funny.  It kind of look like they are doing the worm standing
up.  I love it.
  The Hoop de Doo revue, sounds fimilar although i can't put a memory with a name.  Is
that the thing with tons of Basketball hoops?  I'm so glad that you
had a ton of fun.  I can't wait to get the full report.  This week was
really great.  I which i could really explain to you all the things
that go on and all the great cultural things.  But it is so hard to
explain through Email.  One thing that i thought you thing was cool is
that people always are super nice to guest.  They often give water and
food.
Well, i love you a lot.  I kind of have to go.  Elder Corey Kimzey

Bonne Nouvelle Annee!

Bonsoir et Bonne Nouvelle Année,
Comment allez-vous?  So this was really great.  I learned a lot this
week and learned to appreciate things i have never really even thought
about before.  So here in Benin, and i guess for most of Africa, New
Years is actually bigger than Christmas. People seemed to celebrate
the New Year for days and some even for the whole month of January. I
thought that was kind of wierd because obviously in America it is the
contaire.  Then Sunday someone explained to me why it was that way.
It is because people here celebrate because they are so thankful to
see 2013.  It doesn't matter if 2012 was not as good as they hoped,
they are still thankful to God that he protected them through out
2012.  I was thinking about how much we forget about that.  When the
New Year comes around we are always hopefull for the up coming year
and thankful for all the things we recieved.  But are we ever just
thankful to that we lived through the past year.  It definetly made me
stop and think.  I realized all the blessings God has given me and
especially the gift of seeing 2013.
Then that same sunday, we had one of the best testimony meetings that
i have ever heard.  Almost all of the members who spoke were actually
recent converts.  They all bore testimony of how the gospel changed
their lives.  One shared a story about how before he accepted the
Gospel he didn't have a home.  He slept on the side of the road.  He
then started to accept the gospel in his life and now he has a job,
and is about to buy a home for the very first time.  Then another
testified of how before the missionary cames he had given up on
churches.  But he didn't know how to thank God for everything he had
recived.  He showed up at the Church to find a member there.  The
member then introduced to the missionary.  Because of the lessons, he
was able to stop smoking and really put his faith in God.  Another
recent convert talked about how every night see prayed to God to have
a good husband.  One day she had a dream about a man that she didn't
know.  Latter on she met the missionary and joined the church.  She
then found the man in her dreams at church.  It was a great meeting.
It really made me realize how important the gospel is to this recent
converts and how it really has changed their lives.  Also it made me
realize how much it has changed my life.  I love you all.  I wish you
a Bonne Nouvelle Année.  I'm so thankful for each one of you.  I love
you more than pie, Elder Corey Kimzey
note from kim- President Weed asked the missionaries to not spend as much time at the  internet cafe, so it's corey right? yeah... so I'm now receiving one paragraph letters...hard to fault really obedient kids...
 Bonjour maman,
Commet vas-tu?  I don't have a ton of time so I will try to answer some of your questions.  I have heard that the mission might be spliting.  It seems like it is going to happen.  I know they were looking for a mission home and office in Togo.  I know they were hoping to have the mission split by July.  I don't know where i will be yet;  It is kind of a hard one too because both place are so amazing.  Also i know with the mission spliting they are hoping to open up new cities like Porto Novo.  It is defiently an exciting time to be here.  I hope all is well.  Have a great time at DisneyWorld.
 I love you more than pie,
Elder Corey Kimzey

Nouvelle Année

Bonjour Tout le monde,
Comment ça va?  So this week was an intresting one.  We had a bunch of great lessons.  On Christmas we had a great time teaching a few of our amis about the importance of Christmas and what we can give to Christ as a gift.  We read Luke Chapter 2 with them and it made me thing about what an amazing experience that must have been for those humble shepherds.  How amazing it must of been for them to be invited to see Christ himself by a multitude of angels.  Then the thought came as we were teaching how aren't we all like the humble shepherds in the sense that we are all invited to come unto Christ.  It was something i think is very symbolic but so important.
Also this week, my companion got transferred to Togo.  So I recived my new campanion today.  His name is Elder Ta.  He is from the Ivory Coast.  He has been on his mission about the same time as i have.  I don't know him that well, but he seems like a great missionary.  It is kind of hard though because i have been in this area for only 3 weeks or so.  So I don't know the area that well but i sure we wander around till we find our amis house. 
Also we have some baptisms coming on the 12.  And we have some other amis who are progressing well also.  We also got to teach with Elder and Sister Semkens yesterday.  We are teaching an young couple who speaks English, so invited them to come over and help us.  I was so thankful that they were there.  It was nice to have someone else who also spoke English;  And also they were able to relate more to our amis because they are a couple themselves.  It was a great experience and hopefully one that will lead to the couple to keep progressing in the church.
Also we have been working a lot with a brother of a member here.  He already has a great testimony and wants to bear it in church already.  He has wanted to get baptized since the start.  He is a great ami and will hopefully kept doing what is right.  
It has been a great week.  We met a lot of new people that have been looking for the true church of Christ.  Or they are wondering why there are some many church today.  I think we definitely have a message for them.
Well, Je vous souhaiton un bonne nouvelle année. (I something, something a happy new year) 
Je vous aime beaucoup, Elder Corey Kimzey

 Bonjour maman,
comment vas-tu?  thank you for all the picture.  The other missionaries really liked that i happened to be at the wedding and in africa at the same time.  I really wish that i could have been at the wedding.  It would have been really great.  But i am really glad that i am here.  I have learned so much and hope to keep changing my life.  I hope i can always live up to the standard of being the son of such an amazing mother.  I love you a ton.  Even more than pie,
Elder Corey Kimzey
Hey, dad and mom
so the mission president has asked us to use less time at the cyber. (I'm not looking forward to this..)  So i'm sorry if i don't write all of you every week.  It sounds like Chels' Wedding went really well.  I loved the pictures that mom sent me.  The venue looked really good.  And all of you looked good too.  I'm glad the wedding went well also.  It sounds like it was short but sweet.  This week has kind of been a wierd one with the suprise transfer and all.  Also I had a great experience with an ami this week.  We decided to read Lehi's vision with her.  It seemed to be just the thing she needed.  She said that people of her village had been making fun of her because she had converted to christianity.  She said also that the story really helped her to understand that she just needs to hold on to the Iron rod and all will be okay. 
By the way it was really nice to talk to you on christmas.  It is so nice to know that everyone is doing so well.  Thank you so much for all you do.  I love you so much,
Elder Corey Kimzey

C'est la saison de Noel

Bonsoir,
Comment ca va?(How are you?)  Je vais tres bien parce que Noel va arriver bientot.(I'm very well because Christmas is coming soon)  So this week was really great.  We had zone conference this week with all the missionaries in Benin.  A member from the Seventy who is the 1st Counseuler for the West Africa.  His name is Elder Curtis.  His wife came along too.  So it was really great.  We recieved lessons from Pres. Weed, Sister Weed, Sister Curtis, and Elder Curtis.  It was a highly insightful day.  Sister Curtis talked about prediciton of Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon.  Elder Curtis also talked about the Book of Mormon.  He asked all of us what we thought were some of the great chapters in the book of Mormon.  For me it was 2 nephi chapter 9.  It was amazing when everyone started to name of great chapter, we realized the great knowledge we recieve from the book of mormon.  Then he asked each one of us to make a list of great chapter in the Book of Mormon and why they are important.  I thought it was pretty inspiring. 
This week has been going really well.  We taught my English -speaking ami a little bit this week.  It is kind of intense(Do you know what else is intense? Sleeping Bags sorry it just reminded me of that pun)  It is a little harder because i have to translate between my companion and the ami.  He is progressing really well though.
We also have started teaching a new ami name Lorence.  She said that she has gone to a lot of church and  has been baptized a few times too.  But she doesn't know what church is true.  She said she had been praying to find the true church.  I was so excited.  We explained the Restoration and asked if she thought that our visit was an answer to her prayers.  She said that she thought it might be.  What an  amazing experience! 
Also we have been teaching this student who came here from another country. He is progressing so well and loves the gospel.  He comes to church and even reads out of the book of mormon every night. He seems to know so much about the gospel already and we have only taught him 4 times.  It is crazy how people are just prepared.
Bon je vous aime beaucoup, et je vous souhaite une joyuese saison de Noel, (I love you very much, and wish you a happy christmas season)
Elder Corey Kimzey
Bonsoir maman,
Comment vas-tu?  Joyeux Noel!  Merci for chelsea's bridal pictures.  They turned out really well.  I like them a lot. Chelsea looks very beautiful(like usual.)  That is so cool that they took pictures at the Harris' house.  I think the chance are really one in million.  They seemed to turn out really great and i'm sure they will be a great keepsake.
That is good that Chels' Bridal shower went well too.  How is Reann doing?  That was nice of her to put on a bridal shower.  I also like your twist on the ward christmas party.  We are having our ward christmas party this saturday.   I guess that Elder Ritchie and I are making an American Dish for Everyone(yeah don't ask me what one would consider an american dish)  We have been thinking about making some form of apple pie or apple tart but without an oven it makes it more diffcult.  Also all the  missionary  are going to sing"the first noel."  Then the next day we are suppose to sing again for sacarment meeting.  I think we are going to sing "a little town of Bethlem" for that meeting.  It should be fun considering i cant hold a tune to save my live.  Good thing some of the missionary in my district sing very well. 
That is unbelievable sad to hear the story of the little kids in Conneticut.  It really is unimaginable.  It just so sad.  I'm sorry for those parents...(insert corey's political views here)  I'm sure everyone will be praying for those parents.
I told corey that I had taught a lesson in YW on talents, and asked him what he thought his talent was-Talents?  I guess one of my talents is that i like learning.  It really helps on my mission.  I'm sorry if that sounds really lame but it is something i think is important.
I love you mom way more than pie,
Elder Corey Kimzey