Week 4!

August 23rd, 2013

I am in the wrong lab and I don't have my camera so looks like we will have to wait a week for that. 

ANYWAY. So first week as Zone Leaders was good. I was so stressed at the beginning that we would be the crappiest Zone Leaders ever. We weren't the best at it, but we are getting better. We have responsibilities that we have to take care of and people to take care of. We want people to see us as Elders you can talk to, and I think we are doing better at being that way. 

We got to host this week! (This email is pretty much going to be mostly about technical stuff and not spiritual stuff because I don't have a super lot of time sorry) As a host we get to pick up missionaries at their cars and bring them to where they need to go when they get here. We grab their bags and bring them to a building where they get their nametag, then we take them to their residence and drop off their luggage, then we get their books at the bookstore and then take them to their classroom. It was so awesome! I hosted 2 elders and I half hosted a sister until I found another sister to take over. It is so fun helping them feel safe and helping them not to worry.

So that was Wednesday. Wednesday night, the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders have a meeting with any new districts they have and we got a district of 13 I think this week. They are all so awesome! Elder Williams and I call them "the kids", even though that's not technically accurate or what we should call them. They are just so new and so innocent and really just have no idea what to do and we love answering all of the questions they have about things that we had no idea about as well. We talked to them that night about what it means to be a missionary and how awesome it is. We explained schedules and talked about what they will be doing the next few days to get settled. Then we give them a tour of the campus and let them know about the important buildings and just things to remember while on campus. We then split with the sisters and E. Williams and I take the elders to the residence

Elder Williams and I checked on the elders of our zone every night. We try to make everyone feel loved and it's nice because we are all in the same building. 

I'm thankful for this responsibility because I have already learned a lot more patience and also I am in the process of learning how to be uplifting and edifying instead of telling people they are doing things wrong. It's fine, my words. I'm learning. I am so blessed to have Elder Williams because he can sense when I am having problems or when I am stressed out. 

This week has been great and I am excited to find out my reassignment in A WEEK!

Love, 

Elder William Craig Kesler

Week 3!

August 17th, 2013

Before I start, I'm sure everyone saw the big letters spelling out a well known name down below. Go ahead, read that part first. It's FINE. Then come back

We good? Bom,

Oi minha família e meus amigos! This has been such a great week! So many things to talk about... 

Primiero, Elder Williams and I now officially have 2 long term investigators; Guilherme (Willherm haha) and Stepherson. We have taught Guilherme three times and Stepherson twice. What's cool about our investigators is that they are our teachers and the people they are acting as are people they really know, even people they may still be in contact with. So when we talk about them or to them, we are really referring to someone. It makes it cooler because we know we really have to respect them and think of them and their needs. That's something Elder Williams and I have been focusing a lot on. We are looking for things we can learn about the investigators that will tell us what they need to learn and how we can help them come unto Christ. We are really focusing on teaching people, not lessons. We have had some cool experiences this week and look forward to more. We had to say goodbye to one of our teachers this week, Sister Steinbeigel (spelling?). It was super sad because we all think so highly of her. She came in as a substitute for Brother Dodge for two weeks, and she just hooked us. She knew how to like "chastise" us, not really, but how to like tell us that we need to be better. It was good to hear. It was nice having a sister in the room. I mean we are 14 teenage and early 20's boys and she knew how to bring the Spirit like it was her job. I mean, I guess it was. Still. We got her a Stripling Warriors shirt and we all signed the back. 

We started TRC last P-Day which is when volunteers from outside of the MTC can come in and we talk to them in Português. It's cool because it is so real. We talked to a lady in her late 20's last week from Hawaii and she said she knew the Tukuafus (Spelling? I'm sorry). Yeah that was super cool! She also knew Elder Williams' family there too! It was a great bonding experience. Then we talked to a man who served his mission in São Paulo South just like mom! His name was Scott Loghlin. He said he probably missed you, mom, by like 3 months. Maybe not, maybe you know him. Anyway, we have that again tonight and we can't wait! 

In personal study we were asked to read the entire Livro de Mórmon while we are here. So we had to start over when we got here. I am in Alma, so I'm a bit behind, but I'm getting there. I spend some of my personal study doing that and then some reading Pregar Meu Evangelho. I'm also going through minha escrituras em Português along with the English ones and looking for scriptures that I want to have highlighted or underlined, keeping in mind specific investigators, or even just ones that I know I want to understand in Português. So far I have found some really great ones! I am loving Mosias 24:13&14. It's about how o Senhor knows our covenants with Him and he sees our trials. He talks about how he will take our trials off of our shoulders so much that we won't even feel their pains anymore. I mean we know all about this, but it's an Òtimo visual! 

Portuguese is coming along, we get new missionaries every Wednesday and during break time we usually run into some of those who are newer than us. It's fun to talk to them in Portuguese and them having to ask us what that means because they haven't learned that word yet or that phrase. It makes me feel like I am actually learning the language. We have a good time learning it and we really enjoy all of the things we get to do to learn.

So as for Devotional this Tuesday, RICHARD G. SCOTT came! It was so RAD! When we walked into the Marriot Center, there were extra chairs on the floor and the stage was set up more more fancily than usual. So we knew it was going to be at least a GA. We have had retired and former 70's come already which have been great. It was so cool though when he walked in. He talked about prayer. Yeah yeah everyone talks about prayer, but I really needed to hear what he said. I feel like a lot of the time we get tired of listening to talks on topics we feel like we know all about. I guess I know nothing about prayer because I learned SO MUCH. Something he said was that out of all of the Cosmos and people on worlds, we can personally talk to Heavenly Father. WHAT. I mean everyone can, of course, but it is just so cool to think about how each and every single individual person can have personal one on one time with Him. So cool. Something else he said was that we need no appointment. It's like picturing Him doing something and right when we start praying, He drops what He is doing and we have is undivided attention. I mean He is perfect and is a personage of light so He can literally do everything at once, but it's cool to think that one of those things He is doing all at once is talking to us and listening intently. Something else Elder Scott said was that there are 3 types of answers to prayer: A feeling of peace and warmth - like a Yes, a stupor of thought or confusion - a no, and then no response. Number 3 is the worst haha. But he then said that we have to realize that we are not the ones calling the shots. We are on His time and everything is according to His will. We can't murmur about getting no answers (which I have been) and we can't get discouraged about how hard it is (which I have been). It was like a punch in the face, yet a kind one because he is an apostle of God and they were OBVIOUSLY things I needed to hear. So Elder Williams and I have been focusing on being grateful for what Heavenly Father is giving us and praying for help to accept His timing and learn what he wants to learn. One last thing about Elder Scott, he said one little phrase that just set my heart and mind rolling, he said "He is at the helm". Well shoot if that doesn't get me going! You know I love sailing, even though I have never been, but just imagine that! I big ocean ship (Pirates of the Caribbean style) with big white sails and there Heavenly Father is, at the helm. We may be the ones on the journey, but He is driving. Man I wish I could paint or something because I just can't stop imagining how COOL that is. If anyone wants to paint that for me, I'm in. If it isn't exactly how I picture it, though, I'm sending it back. Nah, but really. Muito Òtimo!

We are going to the temple for the first time while being here and our entire district seriously can't wait! I am excited to have that experience with all of these people who are so close to me, who have become close to me in such a short amount of time.

I want to thank everyone who helped get me here. This is the greatest experience I have ever had and it's just beginning. So many of you have sacrificed so much for me, whether it was words of advice or a gift. This has been so great and I wouldn't be here if I didn't have the influence of all of you! Muito Obrigado!

Thank you to everyone for all of the Dear Elders and packages and letters and everything!! 

I'll get some pictures send to Becca so she can post them on the blog or something! 

Love from the MTC,

Elder William Craig Kesler

MTC Pictures

Meeting Jenny Oaks Baker

 This one is for Chelsey Fiorni--she gave him the journal.

 Why yes, they DO have prefects in the MTC.

 With Elder Williams, his companion.

Week 2 Down

August 9th, 2013

LONG week. And it's still not really over. We got a new investigator this week, Maria (AKA Sister Steinbeigel, who is our teacher). Not a whole lot happened with her and we are only teaching her maybe once more, but still. We are starting TRC tonight. Don't ask what it stands for I have no idea, but it means we are teaching real people. They could be members or non-members. A Korean girl got baptised last week from being taught my missionaries here. It was crazy. They had her come up to the stand during Mission Conference and bare her testimony. There was a translator and it was just so rad to heare that she came to know of the truth from being taught here! I'm nervous but excited to be teaching for real.

 

I have been kind of sick this week, getting better, really. But now Elder Williams has it. Lots of coughing and sneezing and phlegm (gross word). We have been using that Emeregen-C stuff. That helped me out a lot.

 

Portuguese is coming along. I would write things in the language on here, but it's a hassle to change the keyboard to portuguese to add the accents and such. But it's good. I mean I would be lying if I said I wasn't struggling, but I am learning which is good! We have been doing better at knowing what we need to say when we need to in the language. Sometimes Elder Williams and I practice by just talking in the language (Fala Sua Lingua). Stop me if I have told you all of this. Or whatever, I'll just talk forever.

 

I fasted yesterday for guidance and help with learning the things I can. We watched a talk last week during Movie time (RIGHT?) by Elder Bednar called Character of Christ.... LIFE CHANGING. It is all about how even in the roughest times during the life of Christ on earth, he only helped others. He was suffering on the cross and he didn't ask Heavenly Father to help the pain go away for him to be able to die quicker, he asked Heavenly Father to forgive the HORIBBLE people who were doing it to them. We have been praying to learn how to turn outwards instead of inwards like Christ did. I was fasting to know how to apply that yesterday as well.

 

Everything else really is same old. The MTC is awesome and I am so glad to be here. I think about Grandpa a lot and about how I know he is helping me.

 

Prayers are always helpful! I love you all!

 

Elder William Craig Kesler

 

I don't know which photos I will send, but I'll get a few out.

August 2nd, 2013

HOLLAAAA! Remember that time I was a Missionary?

 

So the MTC has been great! My companion, Elder Williams, is a GREAT missionary. We get along so well and goof off a bit, but still know how to get down and work hard. When I first got here I was really nervous and even thinking about that first day gives me anxiety. The only reason for that, though, is because I had no idea what to expect. After my host and I got my suitcases in my residence, we went to the classroom where I would be spending most of my time. I met my comp there and was I glad to have him. Irmao (Brother) Dodge wasn't speaking a single word of English so we had to work together as companions and as a district to get to know each other in Portugues. None of us knew what we were doing, which was quite refreshing.

 

Oh! Yeah so there are 13 Elders in our district. We had 14 but one was too advanced (Elder Lee, no he isn't Asian) and got to move up to a district that was leaving earlier. His mom is from Portugal and his parents served their. He leaves in a week! But really we have the best district. Our District Leader is Elder Sharp who is from Oregon, and we couldn't have asked for a better leader. As you read this email, I will probably talk about how everyone has a huge testimony and is so strong and we get along so well... That's because we DO! So, Elder Sharp has a huge testimony, and alwasys has the greatest stories to support it. He is a Champ and during gym time each day we susually run together in the indoor track. Another Elder I am getting close with is Elder Craft. He is Sam's age, and he too always has a crazy story to tell. To be honest we are kind of the cry babies in the room. I'm not going to say that it is because we feel the Spirit the most, but if that's what it is, then I mean I'll take it. No, we all have strong spirits and you can tell we are all so receptive to the spirit. Elder Craft and I just aren't as good as the others at letting it overwhelm us, in a good way, of course.

 

The language is going well. We are progressing at a good pace. I wish I knew how to write the crazy symbols on the keyboard because I would say something in Portugeus. Let's be honest I don't actually know what I'm talking about. We finished with out first investigator this week, Marcos. We taught him 5 times, in Portugues. It was super hard, but after the third lesson we got rid of notes and just trusted that we would know how to say what we needed to and we rocked it. We committed him to read o Livro de Mormon and he did and prayed to know if it was true. Which it was. He wasn't ready for baptism though, so I wish we could have had a few more lessons with him. We will get two new invetigators on Monday. We are always so nervous before we start. We of course pray like it's our job and always have a prayer of thanks afterwards. I am learning so much that it's almost discouraging when I am in class and we aren't learning enough. It has been RAD.

 

I also have been kind of sick. It sucks haha. I went to the doctor and he told me to just lay low, but that's kind of impossible while being a missionary.

 

The food is actually really good. They have an entire wrap/salad bar, and usually 3 different options for dinner... where you can get all three if you want. You can get just fries or just a side or whatever. It's really nice and I am probably getting super fat. We have gym pretty much every day and during that we either go to the gym and play basketball, volleyball, four square (I'm a beast at it), or I just run in the upper indoor track. There is a weight room gym which we have talked about going to but that hasn't happened yet.

 

I'm going to send a few photos, we'll see how many I will be able to send, but I'll send the most important ones I guess. I know this isn't super long, but I really wanted to let everyone know I am doing great!

 

Love, Elder William Craig Kesler