At the end of the day...

Bonjour ma famille et mes amis,

Comment allez-vous? ça va bien ici.(How are you?  I am well here.)  This week has been pretty great.  It has been kind of a harder one because we are waiting for the new missionairy to come.  It has been kind of fun though because we have worked with Ward Missionaries a lot to complete our campanionships.  Also this week we found out that a couple that we have been working with for a long time and who has been coming to church for a few months now are going to get married.  Wohoo!   It is pretty awesome.  Everyone is really excited for them.  

Also we found out that our branch is going to be splitting soon.  So that should be intresting.  I had a very intresting experience this week that I felt like I should share.  We were talking to one of our amis about the importance of the Book of Mormon.  Then we seem to get on the subject of Baptism.  She told us that we could definetly baptize her brothers and sisters, but that she didn't need to be baptized because she had already done that.  We started talking to her about the nessacry authority.  We helped her come to the conculsion that either her pastor had the authority or that authority was found in our church.  It really seemed to make her think.  Now, she hasn't came to a conculsion quite yet, but it renforced an idea for me.  That really we are here to explain our message and to help people to know our church but always at the end of the day it is for them to decide if it is true or false. That is one of the things i love about being a missionary.

Well, this week has really been a good one.  It has been really fun working with my new campanion.  He really loves our amis and tries to help them.  Also i thought i would tell you a funny story.  So yesterday, we were teaching our english speaking couple.  The couple semkens did a great job teaching but left a part for me to tesify at the end.  I totally messed up.  I was trying to  tell them that we were there to help them have faith in Jesus christ, repent, ..., and endure to the end but i couldn't remember how to say endure in english.  I kept saying endurer or perserver.  My campanions thought it was pretty funny.  It is probably good that i get to teach in english once everyweek so that i don't totally lose my english haha. 

 Je vous aime tous!  Je vous souhaite une bonne semaine,(I love you all!  I hope you have a good week)

Elder Corey Kimzey

Bonjour maman,

Comment tu vas?  C'était bien passé.(how are you?It's been good.)  Alors, I can't believe that casey's call didn't come yet.  I rushed to the cyber in annticaption. Oh well, i guess we will get to know next week.  That will be great if Casey, shane,a nd Shean get their calls all at the same time.    It is pretty rare that a ward recieves three calls at the same time.  That is great that Ashley Vogel is going too.  I bet she'll love Nebraska with all its hardcore fans.  

That is great that casey ran so fast.  I think he destroyed my time.    That is amazing how well the XC team did too.  

Answers(daily double)

1.Can you believe you have been out for almost a year? no, i can't believe how fast it has gone by.  

2. Did you find out if you can watch a video if we post it (like on youtube) of Casey opening his call?  I don't think you have enough space on your email (since they limit it to 12 mg). maybe if I send it in a separate email....

 Bon, we aren't allowed to go on anyother site but that of the church.  But if it won't go through the email, i could probably talk to president weed to see if i could watch it.  

3. Do you have a guess for where he is going?  Don't guess paris, we have like 6 guesses for there haha 

I know Elder Noumbolibona,my district leader, thinks he is going to paris but that is mostly because he is from paris so he would like to see my little broother.  Personally, i would love for him to come to Benin but i'm not sure if that is possible.  So i have been debating picking Kumasi, Ghana mission or Congo as my foreign choice.  I think i'll go with Kumasi because it is a new mission and he can learn twi there.  And for my choice closer to home i'm going to chose Orlando Florida Créole Speaking.  

4.they announced 58 new missions to open this summer- but not a split for yours?  Do you think that it will still happen?  Maybe next year?

No, i don't think it will happen.  I say that Dyllen's mission got split.  I think we will probably stay the same till maybe next year.  

5. How is your greenie?  where is he from (city)?  tell us about his family?  He is doing good.  He is still trying to get used to teaching but ca va aller.  He is actually doing pretty good for such a new missionary.   I know he lived in Abijan for a while but he spent most of his life in a village near Ghana.  I know that he has 1 sister and no brothers.  

6. What is the name of the new american in your apartment? I'm on a Facebook page for your mission for parents, and so I know a couple of the missionaries that are coming.  I'm sure that you will help him with the "shell shock" of arriving in Benin- you've been there.

The funny thing is we don't know his name yet.  He should be here around wednesday.  I'm sure he will do fine.  Most missionaries it isn't a problem.  

Well, je t'aime plus que la tarte,

Elder Corey Kimzey

New companion to train

Bonjour tout le monde ou bien tout le monde qui lis mes lettres,(Hello everyone or everyone who read my letters,)
Comment ça va?  ça va très bien chez-moi.  This week was so great.  I hope you get the pictures of the baptism.

 It went really well.  There were 7 people getting baptized.  It was great to hear all of their testimonies.  It was cool to see Elisabeth get baptized because she has been looking for the truth.  She asked me after her baptism what  caused us to knock on her door.  I told her that we were just walking down the street and felt like we needed to knock on her door.  It is crazy to think that just because we followed a simple feeling to knock on a door, that she ended up finding the  answers to her questions and was able to get baptized.  How amazing is that?
Also, this week we had transfer calls again.  My companion is getting transferred.  Which was sad to here because we had a lot of fun together. So my new companion is actually Elder Kognani who is the new ivorien elder who just moved into my apartment.  Which means we get to do training together.  It should be pretty exciting.  He is a pretty awesome missionary, so i pretty excited for the future.  Also we found out that soon,  we should get a brand new american straight from the Provo MTC coming to our apartment to work with Elder Noumbolibona.  So it should be a great apartment.
Je vous aime tous.  J’espère que vous aillez avoir une bonne semaine. (I love you all. I hope that you got to have a good week)
Je vous aime,
Elder Corey KImzey

Sister Missionaries for the mission

Bonjour tout le monde,(hello everyone)

Comment ça va?  Moi, je vais bien.  (How are you doing?  me-I'm doing great)This week was a pretty big week for our mission.  For the first time since our mission was a part of the Côte d'ivoire mission, we have sister missionaries in our mission.  Also they have been opening up a bunch of new areas.  It is really exciting.

This week was a great one for us too.  Honest got baptized this week.  I sent the photo of the baptism.  He is pretty awesome.  He actually called us to find out about the church because his pastor moved to Nigeria.  Then 3 weeks latter he is baptized.  Talk about someone who was already  prepared.  His baptism went really well too, so that made me happy.  

Also this week, we were late to one of our appointments with one of our amis.  By the time that we got there it was too dark, so we were talking at her door.  She said we could come back the next day, but before we left she said she decided that she wanted to get baptized this next week.  It was definetly a shock, but a good shock.  I'm really excited for her because she has been looking for the true church of Christ for a really long time.  I'm happy that she finally found it.

So that was kind of my week.  We got a new missionary in our apartment.  His name is Elder Kognani.  He is from Côte D'Ivoire like my campanion.  So now in my apartment there are two ivoriens, one frenchmen, and one american.  We have a lot of fun together.  And also  it really helps my french because every in my aparment are native french speaker.  It is great! 

 Well je vous aime tous, ( I love you all)

Elder Corey Kimzey

Bonjour ma mère qui est plus belle que la soleil à midi(i learned that expersion this week),(Hello my mother who is more beautiful than the sun at noon)

Comment tu vas?  ...

Wow, i can't believe * already getting married.  I think she is the first.  I haven't talked to** in a long time so i might be wrong.  If it true that the better my wife is the better i speak the language, I definetly going to study hard during language study. haha- (insert kim laughing at corey's english)

Wow, that is crazy that Casey is all set already.  It is crazy how fast time flys sometimes. 

Questions:

1.  How was your birthday?My birthday was great.  My apartment suprized me by buying sparkling grape juice.  We had a fun time shooting off the cork.  Then for dinner, we eat some charawambas and hamburgers.  It was a pretty good time.  

2.  I was talking to Dyllens mom and she said he doesn't have running water for long periods of time. How about you?

We have water a good percentage of the time.  Sometimes we will go a few days without running water, but it isn't that bad.  

3.  I saw a picture of the the dust storms- wow.  Have you had any lately?The dust storms are pretty awesome although it makes it hard to keep the apartment clean.

4.  How was transfers?  Did you get any new missionaries in your apartment?Yeah, we got a brand new missionary straight from the Ghana Mtc.  He is from the Ivory Coast.  

5.  Dad and I were wondering when you talk to Pres. Weed, is it in French or English?(mostly because we didn't know if he could communicate in English well now!)

Usually with President Weed, i speak in English.  Although, sometimes it is more like frenglish because i forget sometimes the word in englsh. haha.  

Thanks for the photo.  I liked it a lot.  Tell carli that is really cute. 

 Bon, je t'aime plus que la tarte,

Elder Corey Kimzey

Bonsoir

Bonsoir, Comment ça va?
So last week went really well.  We had a lot of good suprises this week.  First off, this week we have been working a lot with one of our amis who comes to church often.  She is amazing, but she has visted a lot of churchs so she isn't sure which one is true.  She has been coming to church and praying about it a lot, so we hope that she keeps progressing.  But the thing that was really suprising was her son told her that he wanted to be attend a lesson.  Then at the lesson, he asked us a bunch of question like how can he have faith in Jesus Christ, did Adam have many kids, which church is true, etc.  We answered his questions the best we could.  At the end, he told us that we were the first people that seemed to answer his questions.  He seemed really excited and fixed another appointment with us.
Also another great suprise was we had a bunch of new people come to church.  Which is always great for Fast and testimony meeting.  We have another ami who told us that he wanted to get baptized.  He has been coming to church reguraly, but is busy often so we don't get to teach him very often. He seems to know already that the church is true and the importance of getting baptized, so I'm really excited for him.
Well, that is what happened this week.  I sent two pictures too.  One is of a mangez-vous that we had a while ago that i thought you would like and the other is from the baptism in January.  I hope you all have a good week especially because it is my birthday.
Love you all more than pie,
Elder Corey Kimzey


Bonjour maman,

Comment tu vas?  Je vais bien.  No i haven't heard much about whether the mission is splitting or not.  I heard that if it is going to that usually takes place in July.
That is great that everyone is going on a mission.  I can't believe that Shane should get his call so soon.  I'll start praying that he comes to Benin.   It is crazy to think that most of Casey's friends will all get their call at the same time.  I can't wait to see where they go and to here all their great stories.  Casey is going to be a great missionary.
Thanks for the birthday wishes.  I think we decided we might order hamburgers from a restuarant or something like that.
Answers to question:
1.We were wondering if you wanted us to pick you up?  what does president weed think of that?I think that would be awesome if you could come and pick me up.  I don't really know how that works but i would love to show you around and visit my investigators with you.  I don't know how president weed would feel about that.  He is a pretty relaxed president, i'd have to ask him what he thought about that.  I would love that though.
2.  How are your amies doing? My amis are awesome.  We had a bunch randomly show up to church, how great is that?  We have a few who are really progressing well, so i'm excited for my secteur.
3.  When are transfers? Actually, the next transfer is tommorow.  Elder Ritchie is leaving our apartment and his campanion is going to be training a new missionary from the Ghana Mtc.  So that should be exciting.
4.  When are you getting your next batch of greenies?  So we get new missionary this week and then even more in another 2 weeks.  It pretty exciting too, because for the first time in a long time we are going to have sister missionaries.  Crazy huh?
5.  How are the sand storms?  when will rainy season start? The sand storms have been wicked this week.  There is dust everywhere and the tempertuare drop a few degrees.  Raining season shouldn't start till april or may.
6. Can you believe you are 20?  and that next month you will be out a month?I can't believe that I will be 20 in 3 days either.  That is weird to even think about.  Also i can't believe i will be finished with half my mission next month.  Time really does fly.
Ok, Thanks for everything mom.

 I love you more than pie, Elder Corey Kimzey

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