Patience and Power Hours

Family,

This week has been a roller-coaster, up and down and up and down. The main up and down was with the iPads. We have them, that's the up. The down is that we aren't actually allowed to use them yet. So we got the iPads on Thursday and we set them up and connected everything and then we were told to turn them off until further notice. Well that night we got word that on Friday we had to take an hour long safety course for using the iPads and once everyone finishes the course we can start using them. So we went and took the course on our iPads and then turned them off again to wait until we had the all clear from President Rasmussen. Well it has been a few days since Friday and our iPads are still at home with the power off! Patience is a virtue right? But we also found out that only the missions in the states or canada will have the option of buying the iPad to take home after the mission. So sorry Mom, it looks like you are just going to have to buy your own iPad mini cause mine is staying in Birmingham.

Other than some iPad drama we have had the normal ups and downs of missionary work. With university in its finals all of the students are just busy, busy, busy, with studying and taking tests! So it has been a bit challenging finding people to teach. And this weekend was a holiday so a lot of the other people in the town were just here on Vacation. But we have found a few really cool people. One of them came as an answer to a prayer. President Rasmussen sent out a challenge for the mission to have a power hour of street finding.  During this hour we were to teach someone and get a new investigator from it. We were about to go out to do our power hour and whenever we leave the flat we say a prayer for protection and the spirit. In this prayer we asked that we would be able to teach someone on the street and get a return appointment, we also asked that they would be staying in Aberystwyth for the summer. So we went out and the first person we talked to was a girl from Ireland. She is Catholic and just a student here is Aber. We taught here about the Restoration and the Priesthood and gave her a Book of Mormon. When we were finished we asked for her number to get a hold of her and for a return appointment. She told us that she is going back to Ireland in a few days and could find missionaries if she wanted to and just walked away. I was like What! That was it, that was the miracle, and she just walked away. But its okay cause our miracle was the next person we talked to. Her name is Betty and she is pretty cool! She lives just outside of Aberystwyth and is a research student so she is sticking around for the summer. We taught her about the Book of Mormon and set a return appointment for the next day. We went and taught her the restoration the next day and hopefully next week she will be able to come to church! Heavenly Father answers prayers, I know that. I know that when we pray like it all depends on Heavenly Father and then get up and Work like it all depends on us. He always helps us, but we've got to keep moving. Faith is an action word and we've got to do all that we can do if we want to expect miracles to happen in our lives. 

But other than a few other appointments and lots of finding our weeks been fairly chill. This coming week is transfers, but I'm like 99% sure that I'm staying in Aberystwyth to finish training Elder Richardson, so don't expect any changes this week. You don't need to worry about music, the members here got me covered! 

I'm glad the package got there safe and sound. Now whenever Brig plays his guitar he can think of me!;) ha ha and I hope Dad didn't share that chocolate with any of you! Also I hope the skinny tie isn't too skinny for Nate. I thought it was pretty sweet but definitely too skinny for a missionary. 

Good luck to you Ems! Break a leg! Also what's your part? I don't think you guys mentioned anything about what she is doing for this musical thing? But you should definitely try and send some videos and lots of pictures! 

Well I hope all is well and know that I love you all!

Love,

Elder Kmetzsch 

You Dress Like A Million Bucks You Play Like A Million Bucks

Family,

Well another week of driving hundreds of miles has come and gone. When I say hundreds of miles I mean hundreds! We went back to Birmingham again this week, and then to Swansea and then to Merthyr Tidfil! All in all like 500-600 miles. But I guess it's better to drive than it is to bike! But I'm definitely starting to miss my bike and my waist is missing (gaining) it too. To answer your question we either shop at a store called Lydil or Morrisons. They are just like normal grocery stores. We can use the car for 2 things on P-day, shopping and emailing. But they are both close enough that we can walk. Everything and anything in Aberystwyth is like a 5 minute walk from us!

But besides memorizing every word to all the EFY music that I have we had a pretty good week. We had stake conference this weekend which was awesome. The Adult session was in Swansea so we drove down and then stayed the night with the Zone Leaders. Then the normal session was in Merthyr Tidfil. We had Elder Dykes from the second quorum of the Seventy and the Europe area presidency there and Elder Piltz a newly called area 70 as well. It was a really good meeting and it was mainly focused on the Sabbath day and how we need to be better at keeping it Holy. But it was a lot of fun to see all the missionaries from the Zone and to stay in Swansea again.

Well to explain the pictures I sent home a little bit more I'll tell you the back story. We had an appointment with our investigator Shirley so we drove to her house as normal and when we got there Victor (her member "friend") wanted us to help with some service. He wanted someone to help him hold some sticks while he cut them up with a chainsaw. He saw that we weren't dressed for service an he didn't want Elder Richardson to get sawdust on his nice trousers so he proposed an idea. He found some old fishing waiters and had him put them on. He then gave him one of his hats and some nice big safety glasses to top it off. Reminder that all of this gear is so that he can stand there to steady some sticks! I thought it was just too good to pass up taking some pictures of the two hard working men. But in the words of Coach Hymas, "you dress like a million bucks you play (hold sticks) like a million bucks." You gotta love that Sweater vest:)

 Man oh man, I can't believe Emma went to your last Jr. High school concert. What is CJH gonna do without the Kmetzsch's?? They won't be able to run the place! But I'm sure that Emma Lou is more than happy to get out of there and into the big old Viewmont High. I hope she can survive her first year there without me home to protect her. But I'm very sad that I couldn't have been there to hear Emma sing. More than a few sources have been telling me that she is becoming quite the star. Maybe me and her can become the next Donny and Marie cause we all know that the youngest children are the most talented!:)

HAAAAPPPY Birthday too you You live in a Zoo. You Smell like a Monkey AAAAAnd you look like one too!! Happy Birthday Daddy:) You are an extrordinary, vigorous, vivacious and energetic father, but I forgot to mention one thing and that is that you are a Fruit Cake! Well I am a failure of a son and sent your gift a little late but there is something for you, Brigs and Nate. It should be arriving this week or the next. Happy Birthday to my Big brother as well:) Love you Brig!

Thank you guys for all your love and prayers. They are felt and very appreicated!

Love,

Elder Kmetzsch

Oh Look it's Raining Again

Family,

It was unbelievably nice to talk to you guys yesterday. At Christmas when I said goodbye it was hard to think about going back to doing normal missionary work, but after I said goodbye yesterday I was just pumped to get out there and do it. Honestly you guys are one of my biggest motivations. And I'm sure that it has nothing to do with my little brother syndrome:)

We went for a hike today to a memorial for the Duke of Wellington. 

He was the guy that beat Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo! 

Well I don't really know what to say. This week was really good, but pretty mundane when it comes to exciting stories for people to read. It was pretty amusing the day after me and Elder Richardson went finding in the rain for 4 hours straight. We looked outside and it was raining again! The color drained right out of Elder Richardson's face and I couldn't help but chuckle. I remember absolutely hating going finding when I just got out on my mission, so I felt his pain. But because it isn't our time that we are on it is the Lords time, we went out and we went finding even though it was pouring! To give you an idea of how wet we were when we went in for lunch that day; I had to put my jacket and my trousers in the drier while we ate so I wouldn't be miserable for the rest of the day!

This week we went to Swansea yet again and coming up we have another trip to Birmingham. I figured it out and since I've been in Aberystwyth I have driven over 4,000 miles, 4,000! Pretty soon I will have driven my way back to Utah. But the meetings we drive to are worth it.

Awesome view from up here but it was super duper windy!

I know something that Brigham can do that is worth while.  He can do Family History! Ha ha, but really there is so much work to be done it is insane. I'm sure he gets a great perspective of both sides of that work working in the temple! That must be so awesome!

Well that's all for this week. I'm sure something way more exciting will happen this coming week, so look forward to a real thriller next week.

Love you all,

Elder Kmetzsch

I am an Agent not an Object

Family,

Wowee, it has been a crazy week for us over here in Aberystwyth. First off it is weird to have a new companion especially one straight from the states. It is especially weird when he mentions stuff that happened after I came out on my mission.... Odd. But things are going absolutely great here. We have had a great week full of meetings, service and teaching. 

Awesome Church

The most exciting part of our week was the mission wide conference about iPads and technology. The meeting wasn't really all that much about iPads and more about keeping ourselves safe while using technology and learning how to develop good habits not just for our missions but for life. We had Elder Allen the General Manager of Missionaries or something like that. Basically he is the guy that is in charge of all the of the missionaries. He was extremely funny and such a great speaker. Funny enough I learned something from him that I wasn't expecting to. 

I often have wondered to myself why there isn't just one perfect way for everyone and why it isn't easier for a being, such as God, to make us perfect. But I learned from Elder Allen an awesome lesson about the difference between Agents and Objects. In a short definition the difference between the two is that objects are acted upon and agents act for themselves. God could create perfect objects and act on the perfectly and there would never be any mistakes, but God loves us much more than that. God loves us so much that he created us to be agents, to live on this world and to learn to become like him. We are here learning how to make decisions that will eventually lead to us becoming perfect. We are learning simply how to make good decisions for ourselves rather than having someone tell you what to do. And of course there is an amazing scripture that explains it perfectly, (2 Nephi 2:26-27).  We are here to become agents for good, constantly making right choices. Heavenly Father loved us enough to let us make our own mistakes because he wanted us to become much more than perfect objects. He wants us to become perfect as He is, constantly choosing the right while still having the freedom to act for ourselves. 

The conference was great and the speakers were great, but I think the best part of it was that I got to see everyone that I've served around for the first time in a few months! It was really great to see Elder Costigan again and I got to see all of the old crew from Coventry:) 

Besides the conference we helped one of the members put a roof on one of their barns and did some yard work. It was fun but the 7 meter long metal sheets were just a bit heavy! 

So it sounds like you guys have a lot going on. Go Emma on the Solo!!! That is so awesome:) Also Cameron is moving to North Carolina? That's news to me, ha ha! Sounds like Nate's new car is pretty nice and the trip to Kansas sounds fun. I definitely plan on road tripping hard core when I get home! I hope Craig gets that job and that all goes well there as well. 

So for next week with skyping I will be on at around 5:00 which would be around 10:00 for you guys? Hope that doesn't conflict with peoples church, but family first right? I am really looking forward to seeing you all. I can't believe it's been 5 months since we last talked. But I will see you next Sunday at 5:00:)

Love,

Elder Kmetzsch