Christmas and Comp Cardies

Family!

It was so nice to talk to everyone last week! I very much enjoyed it. I hope you liked hearing Magnus (Elder Costigan) talk! He has a cool accent! I love his guts. 

Looks like you guys had quite the Christmas!  We actually got a really nice present from the weather man as well. It was the day after Christmas but it was the thought that counts. We were at a members house for dinner and we looked outside and to our surprise it was snowing!!!! It snowed for a solid half an hour, just long enough for have Elder Costigan to have his first snowball fight! He was like a little kid running around. He could hardly believe his eyes, snow was actually falling from the sky. He was mind blown, ha ha! It really makes you appreciate the beauty of snow when you watch someone who has never seen snow before react to it. It was hilarious! He just couldn't believe how cold his hands got during the snowball fight and was amazed that it actually fell in flakes. It was a wonderful Christmas present cause I have been missing the snow very much. 

Boxing day didn't turn out to be as much of a success as I would have hoped. I haven't found a suit yet, but there are still sales on today and I will see if I can't get a good one. If I can't find one then I won't be sending home anything anytime soon. Even though we didn't find a suit, we did have success in finding cardigans. We found some really cool cardigans for way cheap and just had to get them! So now we have matching ties and matching cardigans, or Cardies as Elder Costigan says. They are pretty cool! So wish me luck in finding a nice suit today! I know with enough faith anything is possible, ha ha!

They rest of our week hasn't been very eventful because nobody is around! Everyone is on holiday or with family, so it is hard to get appointments. Christmas is over now so hopefully things will start to pick back up! I love you guys lots and hope all goes well with your New Years Eve party this year! Tell everyone I miss them and to not have too much fun without me! Not that you could, but you could certainly try!

Love you,

Elder Kmetzsch

Through the Cold, the Rain and a Haircut?

Family,

I've decided that I hadn't ever really experienced cold until this week. Humid cold is not pleasant, not pleasant at all. I have invested in a nice big scarf and that has improved the situation greatly! But I do like being cold rather than hot! There are only so many layers you can take off! But you can have 2 jumpers, (sweaters) and a big coat and it'll all be just fine! 

Elder Rutter and I about to Brave the Cold!

Man, I still can't believe Emma is so old! It seems like last week I was in CJH Madrigals going to Reading Elementary and dancing just as awkwardly.... I can't believe she is actually touching a boy!!! AHH gross! 

Christmas time really is a special time of year. Even if you don't believe in Christ or have an religion at all, for most people Christmas is a time to spend with family and friends. The traditions we have and the feelings we get make Christmas something that is like nothing else. Just today I was walking through a store and saw a 1000 piece puzzle and I was pretty sad that I couldn't do one this year! I love our Silver tree. I hope Emma was gentle with it, cause it has to last at least 2 more years. I think I like Christmas time the best for missionary work. Especially with the new initiative. People are much more willing to stop and talk if you are asking them about Christmas! We have seen some really cool miracles with the new video and I think this Christmas will be the best one ever! 

I wish I could have gone fishing with Cameron in Florida. But I think I would have hurled as well... I have always wanted to go deep sea fishing. For now I will just have to be content with being a fisher of men, I guess. We actually had a Zone Conference this last week and we talked a lot about how we are fishers of men, and how when Christ called the apostles they, "strait way left there nets." We talked about how we each in our own lives have nets that are holding us back from the Savior. It could be something as simple as R movies or something larger like a serious addiction. Whatever it may be Christ is calling us to leave are nets and become fishers of men. In other words he is calling us to leave behind our desires and to focus on others. This Christmas season I personally am trying to decided what my nets are, and how I can give them up. This year the gift I am going to give my Saviour is me. My thoughts, My desires and all of My effort. I hope that everyone can find something they can give to Christ this year. I know that when you do you will have a better Christmas than you have every had. So strait way leave your nets behind and see how giving to the Savior will change you this year. 

Zone Conference

This week has been a bit of a rebuild for us. We have lost some investigators and have spent a lot of time street contacting and trying to build up our area. We have had some long days, but there isn't really a dull moment with Elder Costigan. He really is a nutcase... I love his guts though and I am learning so much from him! Lots of people are going out of town for Christmas and it is pretty frustrating but hey in January we are going to have loads of people to call! 

We had Zone Conference and I was asked to sing a solo... Probably the scariest performance of my life. I sang, "Mary Did You Know" and it went really well! I didn't even crack at all, ha ha. I hope you are proud that I am still using my talents, Mom! 

I needed a haircut this week and I finally gave into the classic having your companion cut your hair approach. I was pretty nervous but Elder Costigan did a very nice job, ha ha!

Anyway I think that I'll still be in Coventry for Christmas, we'll find out tonight.... If I do stay then I will call at around 6:00 or 7:00 here. I will let you know for sure next Monday but for now plan on a call at 11:00 or 12:00 on Christmas! I'm not really all that excited for it, but I guess I'll talk to you guys for a little bit. Have a great week, don't have to much fun without me!

Love,

Elder Kmetzsch

Christmas Carols and Confirmations

Family,

Man this week has gone by super fast! Actually the last month with Elder Costigan has flown by. I feel like we just got together last week, but it is almost the end of the transfer. I really am hoping to stay in Coventry for another transfer, but I may leave. If I do leave it'll be on the 17th right before Christmas!!! There are a lot of members that want to have us over and I'll be pretty bummed if I leave. But they always say once you are comfortable in an area then you get transferred. 

Happy Birthday Lil Darling! You are sooo Old! I can't believe they are going to let you drive, and just so you know I didn't study for my permit test and it only took me two tries to pass;) I know everyone says it, but I am really glad that I am in a different country now that you are going to be on the road! 

Well this week was a bit of a crazy one. Chris, Marco and Arnold all got baptized this last Saturday! We had planned for Arnold to be baptized next week, but out of the blue Elder Costigan decided he needed to be baptized this week, (in the middle of a lesson). So we challenged him and he was ready. All three of them are Chinese Students and pretty much just my best friends. I really find it amazing to teach someone who has no background in religion or of God! To see that first moment when they realize that God is there and that he loves them and cares about everyone. It has really made me appreciate what I have. I never doubted that God was there, and I have always known and felt his love. A lot of people in this world don't know about that. They need it so bad, once they realize how much God loves us it changes them. I can honestly see a difference in the light that they have. Arnold is like a completely different person and Marco just quit smoking like it was nothing! 

Marco, Arnold and Chris

The baptism was really amazing and I finally got to baptize someone that I found and taught! I baptized Chris, Elder Costigan baptized Arnold and a Chinese member from Hong Kong named Derek baptized Marco. Marco is from a city near Hong Kong so he speaks Cantonese! Is was extremely special to baptized Chris. The next day was the confirmations of course and we were scrambling in the morning to get a hold of the Chinese members so that they could have them done in Chinese, but of course we couldn't. So last minute I had to do one of the confirmations and I can assure you that I had never been so nervous! It was my first time and it was in front of the whole ward! But I just relaxed and let the Lord say what he wanted to. Honestly if we just trust that he will give us the words they will come. But it was still a pretty scary experience. 

Sunday night was pretty cool. The stake had a, "Christmas Carol Concert," it was a big deal too! The Lord Mayor of Coventry came and everything. Basically all the ward choirs prepared a song or two and then there was scriptures and sing along carols. It was good fun and I enjoyed just singing my heart out, sometimes people gave me weird looks but I didn't even care. There was also one song where they told the story of the German Soldier singing silent night during WWI and they had someone start singing it in German and then all around the room people started standing up dressed in army uniforms singing silent night and for the last verse everybody joined in. It was a very spiritual experience, it nearly brought tears to my eyes. This year was a big year over here with it being 100 years since WWl so it was a really cool presentation. 

The rest of the week was full of fun and craziness. I hope things are just as crazy for you guys. Give everyone my love! 

Love,

Elder Kmetzsch

Thanksgiving??

Dear Family,

Wait was this week Thanksgiving?!?!? Too bad they don't celebrate it over here! But don't worry we had a wonderfully nice family make us a great Thanksgiving dinner. There was stuffing, pumpkin pie and even cranberry sauce! It was very nice, but I did miss Kitty's yams and Mom's stuffing! And where is my carrot pudding? Thanksgiving was weird because it was just a normal day besides the fact that I had to bike 45 minutes to get dinner. It was worth it. 

Thank you so much for your prayers for Louise! She was baptized this week and it was such a special experience! She brought her Grandma with her and her grandma definitely felt the spirit! She cried from the moment Louise went under the water until they went home. Man I really hope it softens her heart toward listening to the missionaries, cause that is what we are about right? We bring families closer together through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Being at the baptism on Saturday and seeing what we were able to do has given me an insight to why I am here. I have seen what the gospel can do in peoples lives and it's my job to share it! 

Louise's Baptism

This week has been a really cool one. Besides the baptism, we have started the "He is the Gift" Initiative which is a special world wide Christmas initiative that the church is doing. You have probably heard about it, but it is a major thing for the missionaries. We have new pass along cards and are focusing every conversation that we have with people on the first gift of Christmas. The gift that God gave us was Jesus Christ. We have been doing this new approach for a couple of days now and have already seen some amazing things begin to happen with it. I love Christmas and what it really means. I don't think I could give up my son and watch him suffer like Heavenly Father did. But because he did I can return home to him, and that is something I am very thankful for!

Things are continuing to go great with lots of our investigators especially Chris and Marco. They are seriously the coolest! We had dinner with them the other night and Chris made us some real Chinese food. I am not gonna lie, it tasted a lot like Raman but hey it was great! 

It seems like you guys had a great Thanksgiving. I'm sure that it was loads of fun and I wish that I could have been there. I sure miss you all and hope you aren't having too much fun without me. 

Love you guys,

Elder Kmetzsch