I'm Legal!

Family,

Congratulations Papa I can't believe you have been at General Atomics for 9 Years! I still remember the day you took me to work, when you still worked on Hill Air Force base. I got to thumb wrestle with your boss. I remember nothing else about that day, but that I had a pretty epic thumb wrestle, which I do believe I won! I also remember the time that Dad took me and Brigham to the Air Show. We got to park in his work spot and eat lunch in his office. I am grateful that I have such a wonderful and hard working father who made my childhood pretty much as idealistic as you can get. I hope I can be as good a Dad as him someday.

There are actually quite a few missionaries from Viewmont serving in the Manchester mission right now. I think it is up to 4 or 5 if I am right, but there is only two of us holding strong here in Birmingham! It blows my mind that Elder Beckstrand will be going home, I am sure Scotland will miss him greatly. Tell Spencer Christensen that I love him and congratulations for me will ya? That is so awesome! He will be a great mission president and I am jealous of the missionaries in the Arizona Tempe mission. I was thinking about it though and I realised that if he reports to his mission this coming June or Early July then I won't see him for 5 years!! That's crazy!

Yes it did snow, but only for a couple of hours. Just enough to give us almost an inch or so. By the end of the next day it was pretty much all melted and ever since then the temperature has started to get higher. I think we have made it through the coldest of winter but I don't want to jinx it! I don't know about Six months to Salvation but I think we will stick with Six months to sexy or there will be know point in us taking a courtship and marriage class at BYU!! Speaking of BYU, do I need to do anything in terms of signing up for classes and anything for housing? I am pretty sure it is getting to that time of year and would like to have a say in what I am taking this fall. If Brigham or someone with the knowledge of BYU could inform me of what I need to do or help me out with this that would be wonderful.

Well then on to our week. Yes we did get to watch to World wide Missionary Broadcast, which was really amazing! I thought for sure that they had some really big announcement that they wanted all the missionaries to hear about at the same time, but I was wrong. The devotional was really simple and focused on repentance and the Holy Ghost. I really loved that quote that Dad sent me how Elder Oaks was just really bold with how he said we are not called to make exceptions or teach the things of the world. But instead are called to teach the doctrine of Christ. Simple but very powerful. One of my favourite quotes was from Elder Anderson's talk and he said, "Repentance is a change of attitude, the beginning of a Mighty change of Heart." They really counseled us to teach repentance better and not just skip over it on our way to baptism. It was a great meeting over all though.

The rest of our week was fairly normal. We went on a work-over with one of the teams in the zone to help them find some more people and had an exchange with the Elders in Boston. Which is the farthest east you can go in the mission. I stayed in Nottingham with Elder Stout and Elder Shaw went out to Boston. The reason that I stayed is because I can drive now!!! I passed my driving test with only three minor faults and they let you have 15. So I am officially legal and should be getting my license soon. I don't have a picture of it yet, but I do have a picture with the pass certificate that I will send. I am so relieved that I got it on the first try so I don't waste the churches money taking the test 5 times. Plus it is nice to be able to drive instead of just sitting in the passenger seat!

We did have a miracle on Saturday night though. We got this random call from a number we didn't recognize and they left us a message. Turns out it was some Elders in the London South mission calling to give us a referral. Anyway we called them back and they told us that one of there recent converts had a friend that lived up in Nottingham that she wanted us to teach. We got some info about him and they told us he wanted to come to church in the morning and to call him them. Sunday morning we called him and he was like yeah I want to come to church and what should I wear? Anyway long story short he just came to church on his own accord and seemed to have a great time. We are going to start teaching him this week which is going to be awesome!

The Zone

Other than that not too much happened, ha ha. Well I hope all is well in good old Centerville and that no matter where you are that you feel Gods Love for you today!

Love,

Elder Kmetzsch

Sunshine and Snowfall

Family,

I agree with Mom when she says January isn't her favourite, and without skiing and masses of snow there just isn't much to keep me going! Just cold and grey all the time. It isn't the nicest but it has it moments especially this week. Well this week we had the rarest of occasions happen and it was three straight days of blue skies and sunshine! It was flippin cold but at least the sun was shining. And then to top it off, after the wonderful sunshine, Saturday night it SNOWED!!!!!! AHHHH, it only snowed an inch the whole night but at least it snowed. Me and Elder Shaw ran outside last night and had a pretty epic snowball fight and got it on time-lapse. If my iPad lets me I will try and send it too you. On Sunday morning we went for a nice romantic, (ha ha), companionship walk in the freshly fallen snow. We mostly went because Elder Shaw has never really seen real snow on the ground so he really wanted to go and walk around. Honestly the sunshine mixed with it finally snowing has just made me sooooooooooooo happy and recharged. Sunshine can make a big difference in someone's life. I have decided that I need to live in a place with more of it than England has.

Well as you consider whether or not you are coming to good old England I hope you know that I don't mind either way, it is completely and totally up to you. I have no preferences or suggestions for you, but yes you should respond to the mission home very soon.

Man oh man I love Solo and Ensemble. We had the attention span of well teenagers, Ha ha. You know that you loved us Mom! But you guys should film it and send it to me!?!? Because I would love to see my little Sister singing and hear them. I love emails, but pictures and or videos make my day and that goes for all of my family immediate and extended. I love all of you and would love to hear how you and your families are doing so feel free to email me! My email is  jacob.kmetzsch@myldsmail.net. That goes for brothers and sisters and cousins and aunts and uncles and friends. I don't have a lot of your emails or I would email first so don't be strangers and when you read this act now!

This week is a big week for me. It is the week that I will hit the mark of 6 months left in the mission field. In the mission we have what we call, "Six Months to Sexy." So I like my father and sister will be eating healthier and working out much more than I have been, cause I gotta get fit or I will never get MARRIED!! Ah..... so me and Elder Shaw will be pushing me to be better.

Yes we have an investigator named Marvellous and he is truly marvelous. He has so much real intent and really listens when we are speaking that it just makes it so nice to teach him. There isn't too many exciting things to report but he is doing really well and progressing nicely.

Oh Robin hood!

Things are continuing to look up for our area and I am really feeling the Lords hand strengthening me in all that I have to do and my desires are ever increasing. To answer Moms question on average we travel around 300 miles in a week but that is if we don't have an exchange or have to go to the mission home. I actually have my driving practical test tomorrow if all of you could pray for me that would be wonderful! I am a bit nervous because I haven't really been behind the wheel too much in the last few months but hopefully I will pass!

Also about the email you forwarded. I do know Sister Price and we made the connection that she knows Fran Luczak a few weeks ago! It is really cool that we ended up in the same zone though and it is always nice to have common friends with someone. Sister Price is a cool cat, ha ha!

I love you all and hope that you are doing well.

Elder Kmetzsch

A New Year

Family!

Well Dad I'm going to have to agree with you about the whole perspective thing. Life as the Lords servant is really never boring but some weeks are more eventful than others. Last week just happened to be one of those less eventful weeks. But I am really learning that it is the little things that matter most. Especially when it comes to keeping the commandments and just being an active member of the church. If you don't do the little things or if you do them grudgingly then it in the long run it will profit you nothing, but if you do those little things slowly but surely they will change your very nature.

I was way excited when I saw that, "Press Forward," was going to be this years mutual theme. 2 Nephi 31:20 is one of my very favourite scriptures! I have shared it over and over again with those that are just about to or have just been baptized. It is actually a scripture that I have used in every single one of my baptismal interviews. Needless to say I really like that scripture and the picture that it puts into my mind. I strive always to have a, "perfect brightness of hope," hope just drives me and that scripture says is so well.

I am really glad that everyone made is home safely and that they are back into the regular schedule of things. I hope and pray that everything goes well with the move for Torie and Craig and am really excited to get to go and visit them in there new home.

Great pictures Dad, but man, that hair!!!!!  You never cease to amazing me Father. But that is way cool that you got to talk to an old mission buddy. I love how exchanges really help you get to know the others missionaries that you serve around more than just your companion. It is nice to have someone who knows the bible well and can back up what you are saying. I like my Father have the gift of gab and sometimes get myself into a bit of trouble because I can't always back up what I am saying with exact references and then my point becomes invalid, ha ha. So a good companion is necessary. I hope that I will be able to stay in contact with old mission friends and hopefully like Dad be a good example and light to them.

On to the week. Well this week has been great. Our investigators pool is beginning to really pick up and we have found some cool people. We are also seeing a LOT of miracles in the zone which makes up for where we fall short in our own area. I love seeing other people succeed, I honestly like seeing and helping others do well more than actually doing it myself. So I am happy to see the zone doing so well and staying happy. But back to our week. Well the main and coolest thing was that we started teaching a man by the name of Marvellous. Marvellous is from England and Sweden but we have our suspicions that his parents are either from Nigeria or Ghana. He is a student here in Nottingham and

we found him on the street. He is really just trying to strengthen his relationship with God and he isn't sure how he should do that. Well it's a good thing that we can help him. It was a really great first lesson and I am excited to continue to get to teach him!

I also got to go on another exchange to Lincoln this week. This time I went with Elder Chugg and Elder Riesen because there is a trio in Lincoln at the moment. It was a fun night. Elder Riesen was in the MTC at the same time as I was and we roomed together. It was cool to catch up on each other's missions because we haven't really served around each other until now. He is from Switzerland which is way cool and he is just an all around cool guy.

Oh yeah, we also had zone meeting this week which was slightly stressful but we made it through. Me and Elder Shaw did a training on the Holy Ghost and how we can use the Spirit more in our missionary work to really find those who are prepared. It was good enough, ha ha!

Well that was pretty much our week. I hope you enjoyed the email and I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love,

Elder Kmetzsch

And A Happy New Year

Family,

Sorry for not writing last week I was very frustrated with my iPad and it's difficulties. Did you guys get the video that I sent from a different missionaries iPad??? I am not sure if they went through. Hopefully Apple will fix the problems that the mail app has soon, so I can send you more stuff ha ha, dumb technology.

Well what can I say about these last two weeks. It was the crazies two weeks ever. We had tons of meetings and traveling and just dealing with stuff which was way tiring. But on the other side we had a lot of rest time as well to recover and now I just feel normal and tired as ever. I am just glad that the season is over and we can just get back to the regular schedule. I don't know how I am going to function without a set schedule and things to do everyday. But anyway Christmas was absolutely amazing! I felt so much love from the ward and we just had a great day. It was also amazing to talk to all of you! I think I might still love you guys, but only time will tell! I ended up giving the extra corn bag that Mom gave to me to the Mother of one of the families that took us in for Christmas and feeds us a lot. She is just like Mom and is always cold. I thought it would be a nice way to say thank you for all she has done, cause she has cooked for us a lot! 

New Years was great as well. Probably the most chill New Years that I have ever had in my life but it was good to get some rest. We had to be in our flat by 6:00 and then we cleaned the place up and did some planning. Then we were in bed by around 9:00, ha ha. Then the next morning we weren't allowed to go out until 1:00, so we did a little more planning and cleaning and then went to a members for lunch. Then later that night another member fed us again. But it was slow in terms of missionary work cause no one wants to open there door or talk to you on the street on New Year's Day... But we survived.

We also had a what I started calling the, "Grand Council," so instead of just having the Zone Leaders and the Sister Training Leaders come the the Mission Leadership Council for the start of the year, they had all of the District leaders come as well. Which was really fun and cool! I got to see quite a few old companions and loads of missionaries that I went to the MTC with. President gave some great training and hopefully we will be able to convey that training to the rest of the missionaries at this weeks Zone Meeting. Wish us luck!! Ha ha

The Grand Council!!

Well my life is pretty boring and there is not much else to say. I don't know if I mentioned it but I passed my drivers theory test a few weeks ago. Now all I have to do to get my license, if I pass the practical test. Pray for me!!

But I hope you are all doing well and that everyone has had safe travels.

I made a pretty amazing roast chicken dinner in a slow cooker that me

and Elder Shaw inherited. I even made my own gravy from the juices!

 You should be proud Momma!!

Love,

Elder Kmetzsch