Welcome to the Mainland

Family,

Well this week was transfers but don't worry I didn't go anywhere. I can't say the same for Elder Torres though, sadly my time in Brazil is over and I've moved a little more East. My new companions name is Elder Tsai, he is from Taiwan. I also have another companion his name is Elder Lam, he is from Hong Kong. So I'm in a triple companionship until this Wednesday when Elder Lam leaves us to pick up his new missionary. He's training here in Birmingham but his boy is coming late.

My new companions, Elder Tasi and Elder Lam

This week was a little crazy with transfers and everything. Lin's baptism went great. It was pretty simple just a few people and us. Nothing too exciting to report but he said that when he hit the water his feelings were indescribable. And after his confirmation this last Sunday he said he just felt super confident. I'm way excited for him but he will be going home in a few weeks.... I'm gonna miss that guy! But Burma needs him more than we do.

The ward here is pretty good. There are a load of YSA because there are a few universities in Birmingham. Also the recently returned missionaries really like going out teaching with us so it's great! It's a big city ward so there are loads of members and not as many active as we would like, but we are doing the best we can. The area that I am in is pretty much just all university housing so we only teach students and mainly foreign students. I sometimes feel like I'm serving my a mission on the mainland of China! By the end of this transfer my plan is to be fluent in Mandarin.

That's pretty much it for this week, hope all is well.

Love,

Elder Kmetzsch

Burmese Baptism

Family,

Well this week has been a bit stressful, but we made it through. And it all ended with a baptism! Wahoo! So exciting, but a little bit about the week first.

Well this week was pretty normal. But we did get a random phone call from one of our potentials friends who said they had gotten our number from a friend and that they were interested in meeting up. It was pretty crazy cause if you know anything about England this kinda stuff never happens ha ha, but we set a time and met up with her. Turns out she is a film student and for a big project she is making a documentary about how to choose a Christian church. We of course we're happy to help her know how to make that decision. With the mission presidents permission, we are going to be a part of her movie! It's not a feature film or anything but hey it was pretty fun getting interviewed. We even had the cool microphones that you hook to your tie like they always do on TV. We were talking after the filming and she chose this topic for her project because she also is looking for a Christian church to join. We are going to be meeting with her to teach her more this week. I'm really excited about teaching her she is way cool.

Next on the list was Lin's baptism! It was a bit stressful trying to get Lin taught everything he needed to know before Sunday.  We have only been meeting with him for two weeks, so teaching him all the lessons was a bit tight with his busy schedule. But we made it through and on Sunday after church Lin was baptized! It was such a great experience but I was a little stressed with trying to make sure it ran smoothly. There were bumps but we got him dunked and now I can breath again. Elder Torres was the one that performed the baptism and it was his first time baptizing someone. When I asked Lin afterwords how he felt he said that as soon as he hit the water his feelings became indescribable. He said awesome was just not a good enough word for how he felt. I love that guy and I'm so happy that he got baptized. He is just the greatest.

Other than that the week was fairly normal. We had an exchange with the zone leaders which is always fun. Elder Kerr is a crazy nutcase but it was loads of fun.

I'm sorry to hear that Ems failed her test. Don't worry little punk you'll pass next time! Brigham is homeless, homeless like the Christ child was, ha ha! Don't worry about Tyler Beckstrand, Alan Buys is in Ghana and he will take good care of him.

Hope all is well is sunny Centerville, cause it rains all the time here.

Love,

Elder Kmetzsch

My Best Buddy from Burma

Family,

What an incredibly fast week. It seems like yesterday was P-day. Loads has happened this week I'll try to get it all in.

To start I'll fill your request by requesting things for my birthday:) crazy to think that I'm almost twenty..... But lately I've really been craving sour candy. England fails at making things sour. So I would like some sour punch straws and war heads and anything else sour you wish to put in. That and money are my only requests, ha ha.

You went fishing again! Dad must be in happy heaven with all the trout he is getting to eat. I just keep getting more and more jealous with all the pictures from those beatiful lakes. I cannot wait to be in the quiet peace of the mountians again. 

Emma you have the absolute worst luck with phone screens. You really need to invest in the phones that we have as missionaries, the Nokia Brick ha ha, that thing is indestructible. Seriously we drop it all the time and it does nothing to the phone. The ipads are a little more fragile and we try to take better care of them;)

Well this week started with a Zone Conference with Elder Dyches from the Europe Area Presidency. It was an awesome meeting and I even got to go up and role play with a General Authority! It was a little scary, but hey I survived. We talked so much about keeping the Sabbath day Holy and I really feel as though the whole church is making a push to improve our worship. I'm starting to think I may not watch the superbowl anymore, but we'll see what happens! Something Elder Dyches said that was so true was that Sunday is game time for missionaries. I would add that there is no other day more important than Sunday for investigators. If an investigators comes to church there receptiveness and desire increase tenfold. As missionaries we are focusing all of our efforts on committing and getting people to church. Just this week our district saw a double in the number of investigators at church. We are truly lead by inspired men. I wish I had my notes with me cause there were so many impressions that I would love to share with you. Maybe next week, ha ha.

Next up for the week is Lin. Lin is progressing at lightning speeds, like I have never seen anyone progress so fast. He is already in contact with the missionaries and branch in Burma as well as doing extensive amounts of personal study. He truly is one of God's elect. He just gets it and is so prepared. We were about to go over the baptismal requirements with him and he told us that he had already read it all on lds.org and all he was going to have a problem with was coffee. Will you all pray this week that Lin will be able to just drop coffee in preparation for his baptism next week! That would be much appreciated. We also found out that they have just recently started to translate the Book of Mormon into Burmese and the branch sent Lin the first three chapters in Burmese. He was freaking out it was amazing. He also told us about an oral history of his tribe in Burma that apparently coincides and matches perfectly with the Book of Mormon. It talks about Gold plates and people sailing from a continent into the west and crossing a great body of water. For those of you who know the BOM particularly well I'll let you figure out where that is, ha ha. But I'll tell you more about it when I know about it. It has just been such a blessing to teach such a humble and happy person. It has made a fairly slow last few transfers worth it and brought a lot of joy to my missionary work. I just feel like I can take on anyone after our lessons with Lin.

Well besides those few big things the week has just been filled with a lot of teaching a finding. I just love teaching it's defininly one of my favourite aspects of missionary work. Finding is just okay, but I'm gaining a love for it slowing but surely. 

Before I close my email I must attend to a matter of great importance. 

HAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPYYY BIIIIRTHDAY TOOOO YOU HAAAAAAPPPPYYY BIIIRRTHDAY TOOOO YOU

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR MAMA

HAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPYYYY BIRTHDAY TOOOOOOOOOOO YOU!

This week, just a few years ago, my wonderful mother was born. I just want to tell everyone how much that I love my Mom. Mama your the best, and I love you.

I love you all but not as much as I love my Mama and I hope you have a great week.

Love,

Elder Kmetzsch

Interesting Interviews

Family,

That sign was just randomly placed on the drive from Aberystwyth to Swansea. We passed it all the time and as it got closer to my year I just had to stop and take a picture. I don't know what it is the halfway point for, but it's halfway!

Man I hope Dad is still in the teachers quorum next year so that I can go up to camp with him when I get back! That would be super fun! But it's sounds like he had a great time, and I'm sure the boys loved it. Dad is a great young men's leader, I'm so grateful that I had the chance to have him as my leader. Some of my best memories and learning moments from my Dad where on those camps. Love you paps!

Congratulations my dearly beloved brother Nathan on becoming a student doctor! What a cool thing that I get to tell people. Ha ha, my brother is a doctor well kinda. But now that you are a doctor it's time to shave your face a get a haircut! I love you but bro come on, ha ha!

I saw recently on the front page of a  newspaper an article that said, "Utah on high alert and Drivers are being Cautioned to stay off the Roads," as I kept reading it told a story about a crazy teenager who recently took to the roads named Emma. I'm not sure if it's you Ems but be careful out there! Try not to kill anyone okay?

Here's an update on Lin. Lin is absolutely amazing like sooo prepared and elect! We taught him the restoration and he literally freaked out, I kid you not he was pretty much speechless. It was truly incredible for me to get to teach someone with so much humility and desire to follow God. All he wants in the world is to find the right church and to live the way that God wants him to live. We set a date for him to be baptized in the first lesson and hopefully he will make that date. He is set to be baptized on the 16th of this month, so pray that he will make it to church this week and next. Also that all will go smoothly as we teach the lessons rather quickly in the next two weeks! He is such a miracle and I'm so thankful that the Lord put him into our path.

These last two weeks I've had the chance as the district leader to interview two people for baptism. What an amazing experience. Truly a testimony builder to me to see these amazing and humble people desiring to come into the fold of God. What a privilege it is to help them along the way. The first was a few weeks ago and his name is Roy. He's a cool dude. The second was this last Saturday and his name is Ming. Attached is a picture of me and Ming. I honestly think that I learned more in that interview than Ming would ever learn from me. An interesting thing that the branch president in Aberystwyth told me, he said that 100% of the people who truly know how to repent get baptized. I can testify that that is true. When someone really repents, they are humble enough to listen for the answers that God is giving them. Ming knows how to repent.

Ming at his baptism

To answer your question, we are kinda back on bikes. We live about two or three miles away from where we do most of our finding and teaching and the train and bus are lots faster than biking. So we normally will ride the train or take a bus and we have bus/train passes, but we also have our bikes for when we need to get around faster in the area that we are in. Haven't used the. Too much but we are planning to use them more.

These are two of the members in my ward. Doesn't the one on the right

look like Jamie's husband John?? I thought so, ha ha!

Hmm a little bit more about my companion. He is a funny little guy from Brazil from Rio to be exact. He has two siblings one older brother who just finished serving in the London mission and an older sister. Umm he likes to eat and like me has a love of video games if you have an questions I'm sure he'd love to answer them!

Well I hope ya'll have a great week!

Love You Bwts (butts/friends),

Elder Kmetzsch