Howzit-Elder Flexy!

Elder Flexy 6:4 -email-

Mama
haha thats funny that colt thought i was gonna be weird when i get home. thats whats funny is on mission you don't change that much you just get better. ya its ok to be a boob i'm like that too i cry all the time too. ya the elders in my zone are awesome.

Questions:

1 What is your Zone Leaders name again?

1.Elder Ngdlovu and Elder Skinner

2 Did you ask Elder Shumway if he knows Dr. Harris' family in Star Valley?

2.ya he knows quite a few Harris's

3 Did you ask the Roy's if they can make you a CD of your pictures to send home!!!????

3. no, but i'm making one here at the internet cafe' asap

4 What did you eat for your Christmas meal?

4.we had turkey, ham, stuffing, baked potatoes and salads.

5 How many elders ate at the Roy's? Did you tell them "thanks"?

5.four and yes we said thanks

6 Did you have any extra good teaches this past week?

6.well we have done some really good less active work.

7 Have you met or seen any important people, like Nelson Mandela?

7.well i saw the governor or whatever of kwazulu natal which is the state we are in.

8 Do the police always recognize you as good people who are not trying to cause problems?

8.ya for sure they know we are church people.

9 Since Elder Martin is not your companion anymore, are you going to learn to drive?

9.ya probably we will see.

10 What do you want for your B-day? Money or a package? or both?

10.whatever is easiest for you to do.

11 Are you taking vitamins?

11.sometimes i don't remember every day but pretty regularly.

12 Have you been sick at all? if so, how?

12.i have just little colds nothing big.

Special Question:

13 What can we do to avoid the pride cycle (see Kelsey's email)?

13.well the best way is to give thanks to god and realize that you wouldn't have what you have without him. 

anyway things are going great the work will continue to go forward!! keep being the great mother you are. love you 

                                                         Love Elder Flexy

Baba
hahahahahahaha riley picks to many fights thets good though ya i've wrestled quite a few people on mission and i've won all of them. but ya not much has changed since we spoke on saturday but its going great and i hope larrys battle wound will heal quickly. ya learning gratitude is a very hard thing. i want you to read the story of jesus feeding the five thousand i want you to notice that jesus gives thanks for the food they have and then the miracle happens. anyway keeping being the great father you are.

                                                          Love Elder Flexy
(Kelsey's email)

Sexy Flexy Elder Man,

Howzit!! It was so fun to talk to you yesterday and see you. It's seems like it's been so long. I'm proud to be your big sister, and to see how you've grown and matured in the gospel. I was telling Brother and Sister Clifford and Brother Simon about talking to you on Skype, and they wanted to know how you were doing. They also said to tell you hi. So today was a really great day. I went to mission prep and we talked about the pride cycle and the dispensations. The pride cycle is when in the scriptures there always seems to be righteous people, but then they become prideful because they are too blessed. Then they have trials and tribulations. They are humbled and repent, and become righteous again, and then it starts all over. It happens all throughout the Book of Mormon, over and over again. Then the dispensations you can remember by saying Adam enjoys nuts and many Christmas sweets (Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Christ, Smith). They each had their own time when the gospel and the priesthood were on the earth. It was pretty neat. Then I went to the family ward and listened to Colter speak. He did a really good job. Then I went to my ward where I taught the lesson in relief society, and in my sacrament meeting two of the sister missionaries that are going to be leaving soon spoke (Whitney and Shalyse ). Shalyse is leaving not this Wednesday but the next, and Whitney is leaving the week after that. It's so exciting, but kind of sad because I am going to be the only sister missionary in mission prep. :( It's okay though. Anyway, I hope things are going great for you. Have a good week, and be good. Love you a lot. Love, Kelsey :D

Sunday Best!

Kelsey taught a lesson today. 

It was based on the talk given by Elder Patrick Kearon. 

Ensign, November 2010.

 "Come to Me 

with 

Full Purpose of Heart 

and I Shall Heal You"

"President James E. Faust taught:

'When obedience becomes our goal, it is no longer an irritation; instead of a stumbling block, it becomes a building block. …

'… Obedience leads to true freedom. The more we obey revealed truth, the more we become liberated.'

Last week I met a 92-year-old man who had been involved in many of the major campaigns of World War II. He had survived three injuries, one of which was a land-mine blast to the jeep in which he was traveling, which killed the driver. He learned that to survive in a minefield, you must follow exactly in the tracks of the vehicle moving ahead of you. Any deviation to the right or left could—and indeed did—prove fatal.

Our prophets and apostles, leaders and parents continually point out the track we must follow if we would avoid a destructive blast to our souls. They know the path that has been safely cleared of mines, and they tirelessly invite us to follow behind them. There are so many devastating traps to entice us from the track. Straying into drugs, alcohol, pornography, or immoral behavior over the Internet or on a video game will head us straight toward an explosion. Deviating to the right or the left of the safe track ahead of us, whether because of laziness or rebelliousness, can prove fatal to our spiritual lives. There are no exceptions to this rule.

If we have strayed from the track, we can change, we can return, and we can recapture our joy and our inner peace. We will discover that returning to the track from which the land mines have been removed brings enormous relief.

No one can find peace in a minefield.

Our Savior is the Prince of Peace, the Great Healer, the only One who can truly cleanse us from the sting of sin and the poison of pride and change our rebellious hearts into converted, covenant hearts. 

His Atonement is infinite and embraces us all."

When we come to the Savior with "Full Purpose of Heart" it means we are open to what the Savior wants to teach us. We are ready to receive His love and guidance. We are humble, willing to change and grow. I have heard many teachers compare us to clay and the Savior is the potter. He will mold and shape us into something beautiful, He knows what the lump of clay can become. In Kelsey's lesson, one sister raised her hand and told us, "We need to be humble, meaning soft and pliable. So that the Jesus can mold us into what He sees as our best potential. If we are prideful and disobedient, we, or the clay, is hard and dry and not able to be molded." I thought that was a really good example, the dry or hard clay cannot be molded. We must be soft, or humble, ready to change and become who the Master sees as our potential. 

One way that I try to be humble and teachable is to follow those who have more knowledge. Just like the tank going through the mine field. I stay close to God and others who can direct and show me the way. I trust their examples, their lives have been just like the path that went through the mine field. Sometimes we leave the path with tragic consequences. But even in a tragedy, Christ is trying to communicate with us. He is always there. He will help us know what to do to get back on the path. I believe He is there helping all of us to become our greatest potential. 

Hope your Sunday was the Best! Love, Joy    

Family History Friday (FHF): Merry Christmas!

Share 

Family Traditions 

from long ago!

 Where are your ancestors from? 

What would Christmas be like for them? 

Adopt one of the traditions from your ancestors and continue celebrating traditions from your family now! One of our traditions is to read the story of the 

birth of our Savior.

 We have a manger that sits under the tree and on Christmas Eve we wrap one of my girls "baby dolls" and put it in the manger and read the story. I love Christmas time. I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas! 

Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

Fork in the Road!

Ode to the Zode

By Dr. Seuss

Did I ever tell you about the young Zode,

Who came to two signs at the fork in the road?

One said to Place One, and the other, Place Two.

So the Zode had to make up his mind what to do.

Well... the Zode scratched his head, and his chin and his pants

And he said to himself, "I'll be taking a chance

If I go to Place One. Now, that place may be hot!

And so, how do I know if I'll like it or not?

On the other hand though, I'll be sort of a fool

If I go to Place Two and find it too cool.

In that case I may catch a chill and turn blue!

So, maybe Place One is the best, not Place Two,

But then again, what if Place One is too high?

I may catch a terrible earache and die!

So Place Two may be best! On the other hand though...

What might happen to me if Place Two is too low?

I might get some very strange pain in my toe!

So Place One may be best," and he started to go.

Then he stopped, and he said, "On the other hand though...

On the other hand... other hand... other hand though..."

And for 36 hours and a half that poor Zode

made starts and made stops at the fork in the road.

Saying, "Don't take a chance. No! You may not be right,"

Then he got an idea that was wonderfully bright!

"Play safe!" cried the Zode. "I'll play safe. I'm no dunce!

I'll simply start out for both places at once!"

And that's how the Zode who would not take a chance

Got no place at all with a split in his pants.

****************

Happy thoughts for the upcoming New Year! 

Merry Christmas!

Love, Joy

Howzit-Elder Flexy!

Elder Flexy 6:3 -email-

(Here is Kelsey's email to Alex first:)

ALEX!

       How are you doing? I hope you are doing great. So I finally got my call! Are you ready? Take a deep breath. I have been called to serve in the Texas Fort Worth mission, teaching in the Spanish language. YEAH!! Isn't that cool? You may now call me Hermana  (that means "sister" in Spanish). :) I'm going into the MTC in February , so I'll probably see Andrew, because he is going at the end of March, but I'll be there longer because I am learning a language. I'm so stoked. The church is definitely true. There is no doubt about it. We had a good lesson today in mission prep. We were learning about latter day prophets and scriptures to use to teach people about how we have them now. After class I talked outside with Whitney (who is going to Tahiti and learning Tahitian and French) and Shalyse  (who is going to Ecuador and learning Spanish) for like an hour, just talking about mission stuff. It was really fun to talk to some other girls that are doing the same things as me, because there aren't that many. Then I went to the family ward, and announced where I am going on my mission in sacrament meeting, so that anyone who hadn't already heard (there weren't very many) would know where I was going. Then I went to my ward. I was the only person in temple prep that wasn't a teacher for the class, so Justin (who was teaching; he served in Texas too, but in McAllen) was basically just having a talk with me about the first lesson in the temple prep book (about the Plan of Salvation). It was really neat. Then I announced where I am going again in my ward, and bore my testimony. We had a really nice Christmas program by my ward choir, and then the relief society president asked me if I would teach the lesson next Sunday. I'm terrified, but I told her I would do it. So I've had a pretty busy/exhausting day. I've been up since four thirty this morning, so I'm pretty tired. Anyway, I better go. Love you lots. Be good.                    Love, your big sister, Hermana Kelsey 

Kelsey,

HOLY COW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that is freakin Lakker!!! i'm so glad you are learning a new language i'm working on my Zulu but its really hard. so Elder Brown in my mtc group lives just outside the boundries of your misson so he might see you the last two monthes on mission. but ya i'm so happy for you i'm actually crying in this internet cafe its kinda awkward anyway. so you will love the temple its is such an amazing experiance and i hope all your preparations go well and you will be out here in no time. oh ya and start practicing recipes right now otherwise you will be eating crumy food like me. and don't worry about the lessons that will be easy, you know the doctrine just teach it. anyway i'm running low on time. Love you tons keep strong and i'll see you in no time!!!!

                                                    Love Elder Flexy

Mama!!!

ya kelseys call is awesome and she is gonna love the field. its such a good experiance. ya i'm glad you have a new calling having differant callings makes it fun. and tell Parker that he is a goof. so this last week an investigator called me a tokaloshi as a joke its pretty funny a tokaloshi is a little deamon summoned by witch doctors to attack people in there sleep. but he was just making fun of my height. tell Hollie congradulations for me. 

1 How have your P-days changed or have they with Elder Shumway?
1.they haven't changed much we still play sports and email just like usual.

2 Do you still have appointments on Monday? Are they after 5:00?
2.ya we only have one today because the other wants us on Sundays.

3 What things are your investigators struggling with the most right now?
3.well just coming to church as always if they came to church they would be baptized.

4 Is there anyone you would like us to include in our prayers, specifically?
4.can you pray for the Mguni family they are the closest to baptism.

5 Do you have plans for Christmas?
5.yes we are eating a late lunch at the Roy families home which is where we will call home from.

6 We have Skype, but Bro Sandstrom said that sometimes the internet gets bogged down. We will get a calling card to save money if we end up using that. What do you want to do? Do you want to try Skype and if that doesn't work have us call you somewhere? Think about it and let us know ASAP?
6.i will just phone the house phone on skype so just stay close. and tell colter to be ready to come over on christmas day because i want to have a chat with him.

7 For Christmas, will you eat at a members home? or will you just be with the missionaries?
7.yes we will eat at amembers home.

8 Is it still hot to you? Are you adjusting to the humidity?
8.i'm adjusting quite well which is funny cause i'm gonna freeze when i get home.
9. it rains quite often mor often than at home.

10 Do they have domestic dogs and cats?
10.ya too many dogs they make the work harder but they have both.

11 What do you usually eat for dinner, when you're where you live?
11.PBJ or maybe an egg or something easy.

12 What is your favorite thing to eat?
12.i would have to say the chip and cheese rotis like a frie and cheese borrito

Special question:

13 How would you explain the purpose of the Sabbath day to someone who doesn't know about the Sabbath? 

13.i would tell them that it is a sacred and hallowed day for reverence and thinking of and respecting God and to partake of His holy sacrament.
anyway i;m out of time love you

                                                        Love Elder Flexy 

Baba,

ya dad i'm glad your staying active its good for you so i got slide tackled on saturday and i minorly hyper extended my knee but i'm doing fine so i saw my second dead person on mission the streets of SA are a dangerous place. but its going well and the work is going forward. Love you.  

                                                       Love Elder Flexy

Sunday Best!

-FAMILY-

******

"The time will come 

when only those who believe

 deeply and actively in the family

 will be able to preserve their families

 in the midst of 

the gathering evil around us."

-Spencer W. Kimball -1980

***************************

"We no longer have the luxury of spending our energy on anything that does not lead us and our families to Christ...In the days ahead, a casual commitment to Christ will not carry us through." 

-Sheri Dew

*************************

Helaman 5:12

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. 

*******************

Wishing you and 

your 

family 

love and happiness!

Hope your Sunday was the Best! Love, Joy

Family History Friday (FHF): Sayer's Post!

My fifth great grandfather's name is 

John Sayer. 

I have talked about him before, he was a fur trader in the late 1700's and early 1800's. He has an amazing history. He came from England. He married an Ojibwa woman and ran a post in Minnesota. He also wrote a journal. This journal has turned out to be quite famous. It is a written history of the day to day, life happenings at a fur trading post. Some people might mistakenly call a post "a fort". But a fort was built to keep the Native Americans out. A post was all about interacting and doing business with them. The Ojibwa would trap the animals and bring the pelts to the post to trade them for goods. The journal is available for purchase. It is quite interesting to read. But not only that, John Sayer's post is available to visit. It was and is located on the Snake River in Minnesota. And has been excavated and is a living history museum. 

You can read about it here!

Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

My Dream Come True!

Mission call opening party!

Kelsey 

(aka: my dream come true!)

 with her mission call! 

Where will she go?

(See Aunt Lisa and Uncle Larry on Skype in the background?) 

Lots of friends and family here,

 to see her open her mission call!

Reading!

"You are hereby called to serve 

as a missionary for 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints..."

Crying!! What a sweetheart!

Smiling!!

 It's Texas, Ft. Worth-

 Spanish speaking!!!

 Well, that is awesome!! 

I was a missionary in Texas when I was young!

 I'm so excited that she will grow to love Texas, 

like I do!!

"The stars at night, are big and bright!!

deep in the heart of Texas!!"

We feel so blessed! We will have two missionaries now!

Family Party!!

Natasha getting her gift from cousin Summer!

Gettin' the vittles! 

Wendy and Melinda!

Scott, Stacy and Ian!

Ok, it can't be Christmas time! Where's the snow? 

Andrew, expecting a ball! and Kelsey!

Nancy getting instructions on her new digital camera!

Emily, Erin and Kiefer, cousins!

I love a family party!!

Howzit-Elder Flexy!

Alex- the day he got his mission call!

Elder Flexy 6:2 -email-

Mama!!
Wow we have worked so freakin hard this week!! we tracked for five and a half hours the other day it was crazy! but it has been great we had a christmas party for the ward it was pretty fun. we also saw a life size nativity scene with black people sculptures. so ya things are going great.
So here are a few questions: (Emily and Kelsey helped)

1 Is it hard to follow the mission rules?
1.some are easier than others.
2 What color is your toothbrush?
2.its blue
3 Are you flossing?
3.yep every day (usually)
4 Is your companion cute?
4.he has a girlfriend so that doesn't matter HAHA
5 How do you wash your clothes, is it a washing machine like that time we went to the laundry mat?
5.we have a washer but we have to hang dry them.
6 How do you decide what or how to teach?
6.well we have study and planning time to discuss those things with your comp.
7 Do you ever feel discouraged or upset when people don't listen?
7.not anymore i used to, but now it just, is what it is.
8 How are you and Elder Shumway doing?
8.he is doing well he dosent like our bathroom but he will be ok.
9 What do you usually eat for breakfast?
9.toast with PB and Nuttella
10 Do you often have dinner appointments? How often?
10.sometimes maybe twice a week.
11 Who do you get letters from at home?
11. you guys, Jess, Carlie, and Geni
12 How do you respond when someone is attacking our church?
12.well we say "we aren't here to fight have a nice day."
Special question of the week:
13 How do you explain the Godhead to people on your mission? What scriptures do you use?
13.well we just explain that they are three separate beings but are one in mind and we usually don't have to use scripts for that but when we do its Jesus's baptism.
anyway things are going awesome we might have some baptisms soon!! and ill get some pictures home to you soon. love you
Love Elder Flexy


Baba!
thats awesome to hear about the party and you wrestling those kids they need to be roughed up a bit. so i have a confession i've wrestled four guys in the ward and they are all bigger than me but i won all four it was pretty fun. is riley getting tough? i hope so i want a challenge when i get home. ya that lesson is a good one. and i always just look at the fact that my leaders can actually see better than me so blind obediance is not even accurate in most situations. but ya things are going great here in SA. tell nathan hi for me. love you
Love Elder Flexy

Sunday Best!

Doctrine and Covenants 50:24

That which is of God

 is light; 

and he that receiveth light, 

and continueth in God, 

receiveth more light; 

and that light groweth 

brighter and brighter 

until the perfect day.

Hope you Sunday was the Best!! 

Love, Joy

Howzit-Elder Flexy!

Elder Flexy 6:1 -email-

Mama

this week has been crazy!!! we have worked so hard! ya this week was transfers and i'm staying in Durban North but i got i new companion Elder Shumway. He is a cowboy from Wyoming. he is awesome i can tell we are gonna have a good time. ya he isn't related to the shumways we know but ya.

1 Did you or Elder Martin get transferred?

1.Yes Martin was sent to blomefontain to be a zone leader.

2 If so, who are you with, and/or where are you?

2.Elder Shumway in durban north still.

3 How are your investigators doing?

3.they are doing good hopefully they continue to progress.

4 Have you gained or lost any weight?

4.ya i gained like two KGs but now i'm back down to the same i have always been.

5 Have you had any interesting weather since you've been there?

5.just hot weather and humid but its not to unusual.

6 Would you like a copy of the Conference report Ensign?

6.we actually already have the conferance one so we are good thanks.

7 Anything new on pictures?

7.i will buy another memory card and send the other cards home.

8 Do you want me to send you some memory cards? I'm worried you have had to stop taking pictures because of not having any memory.

8.ya i will for sure.

9 Did you receive your Christmas package yet?

9.yep i got it, it was super nice and thanks for the photos they were super nice i loved them.

10 Do the South Africans celebrate Christmas like we do?

10.ya its very similar there is just no snow.

11 Do you have plans for Christmas?

11.not yet but we will do something fun. about my phone call home we are allowed to use skype which would be cheaper and better so if you could get skype that would be great.

12 Do the South Africans play any other sports besides football (soccer)?

12.ya they play Rugby and Cricket as well.

Special question of the week: How would you explain to others that we are Christian? 

13.well that is simple we beleive in Christ and we know that only through him can we be saved.

anyway things are going great with the new companion!! and the work is going great love you. 

                                                                Love Elder Flexy

Baba!!

i'm so glad to hear you are having such a good Christmas season. i hope this season is good for everyone back home. so yesterday we tracted into this very mean man that just wanted to bible bash so we just left. but ya i had a desire to punch him but i'm a missionary and i'm bigger than that so i didn't. but he chased the spirit away and we had to pray to get it back but other than that its been great.ya having christmas come really does make me miss home a little bit but i'll be fine. anyway love you Baba

                                                                 Love Elder Flexy

Kelsey

ya waiting for the call is the most exiting thing EVER!!! ya but it will be worth it in the end. ya about the parables that you were talking about maybe when Jesus taught like that it was to teach the meek and humble the ways of the lord. but the rich and prideful could not interpret the parables so only those who were in tune with the spirit could learn the mysteries of god. anyway mission is awesome and you will love it so much. love you

                                                                 Love Elder Flexy

Sunday Best!

We had a lovely 

Creche

display in our neighborhood,

 and I thought I would share some of my pics from it. In case you don't know what a Creche is, it is a Nativity. 

Here you go!

Do you love it? 

I do!! 

Remember He is the reason for the season!!

Hope your Sunday was the Best!! Love, Joy