I am going to skype today. I know it's last minute, but
president took us to Ormoc yesterday morning. I will skype in 45 minutes. We
aren't allowed to use google hangouts mama 🙁. only skype is
authorized. can you please send me the login and password for the skype? love
you! see you all in 45 minutes!
Friday, December 22, 2017
Monday, December 18, 2017
If We are Prepared, We Need Not Fear
Dear Fam,
Well, you probably know what has been happening around here.
the first typhoon, Typhoon Urduja, really forced us to hunker down for the last
couple days. We haven't proselyted since Wednesday. On Saturday, We set up a
command center in the Mission Office, and we were the main callers to check up
on all the areas. That was pretty rough. The majority of apartments flooded
(thankfully not ours) and lots of missionaries had to leave their area to a
safer area. All the Chapels were being used for people in the boundaries who's
houses have flooded. Not going to lie, I opened Grandma's christmas package
early, and lots of the candy was given to the members who slept in the chapel.
Biliran Island, which has 12 missionaries on it, is completely isolated,
because the bridge broke. We'll be getting them out later today. now, that
sounds fun and all, but as Billy Mays always said: "BUT WAIT, THERE'S
MORE!!!!!!" this second typhoon is still far away, and it's already 3
times stronger then the one that hit. It will only get stronger as it gets
closer to the mission. I'm pretty stoked.
This week has been a pretty humbling week. I cannot do a
thing to change the weather, But I can change how I react to it. I can fear, or
I can have faith. They are polar opposites. We can panic, or we can prepare.
one cancels out the other. if we are prepared, we need not fear.
Other then that, all is well. Sacrament attendance was
really good despite the circumstances. Everyone here is happy despite the
circumstances. Life is pretty good here. My trainer, Elder D, emailed me
this week, and he's getting married next year! Not trunky, but it's exciting!
We got to do a CSP earlier today for a house that somehow lite on fire. we
cleaned it out.
All is well. I love you all, and I sent an email earlier
about the new time for the skype. sorry about that! I am excited for this
week!
I feel your prayers. Thank you so much for sending them.
Love,
Elder Kuehne
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Chaos
Dear Family,
Things here are a little bit crazy. The Hurricane here is
causing all kinds of chaos, so I was unable to skype today due to the workload.
Lots of Missionaries need our help. We will reschedule the skype to December
22, at 10:00AM. I am so sorry about this, it was just earlier today that we
realized we aren't able to skype today. In addition, Elder D can't skype today
anyway, so we don't want him to be left out 😂. Mom, Please send me
the information of the skype account that I will use so that I can jump on the
computer immediately on December 22.
Love you All
Elder Kuehne
Monday, December 11, 2017
It was a Very Special Week
Dear Fam,
Last week was nothing more then a bunch of trainings,
madness, and occasionally, teaching lessons. We taught the mission leaders
conference, and also taught the district leaders in their own conference. We
are focusing on the area book, which is a giant folder containing the teaching
information about all the investigators in the area. Some people don't update
it, and that is a big issue if they don't. Well, we found out that a lot of
missionaries are not. Patay. lots of work to do helping the missionaries
increase their work and stride. We'll figure it out.... Eventually 😂
So this week, We visited brother J. He's a new
investigator, and wants to be baptized. he says it's because he came to play
basketball at the church, and he felt peace in his heart. We taught him the
word of wisdom, and he said that he isn't following it, but he will starting
right now. complete goosebumps. he's our most progressing investigator. We also
visited sister J, who is married to an active member. We extended a baptismal
date of December 23, and she burst into tears. She said that her daughter, also
a member, has been trying for a long time to get her baptized, and she always
recommends that her mom gets baptized December 23! We never knew that, we
barely know the family. But Heavenly Father knows her, and extended that
information to us through the spirit. That can't be explained any other way. we
are aiming for a White Christmas.
Being happy is pretty easy. President Argana asked me into
his office, and then had a quick interview with me. He counseled me on
comparing myself to others, which I do. I won't say the exact things he said,
but I do know that, once again, that information was not from him. It was from
the Lord, who told President Argana so he could help me. it was a very special
week.
This week, we travel all over the place for interviews, and
spend the weekend in Sogod, in the southern part of the mission. Wish me luck
there. I haven't yet received the turkey recipe, is it possible to send that
next week so that president Argana can buy the things we need? thank you so
much
Now, the news.... I will skype December 18, 2017 at 10:00AM
Manila time. I'm not sure what time that is in Bountiful, but the internet is
pretty smart!! Can I please have the skype information sent to me so that I can
have the login and password so that this will be a little bit smoother? thank
you so much! I AM SO EXCITED FOR SKYPE!!!
See you
Elder Kuehne
Monday, December 4, 2017
The Book of Mormon Feels Good
Dear Fam
Transfers just happened, and really nothing new happened for
me! still here, still here with Elder D, Still an assistant. The only
difference is a new Missionary in my apartment, Elder U, from Texas. He's
such a stud! Other then that, just the same old same old. We did get to teach
the mother of one of our Recent Converts, Sister R. She had a great
question, and we used the scriptures to answer her. She said that something
about the Book of Mormon feels good, and she prays all the time with her kids.
She's a good investigator, and I hope that she makes it to her baptismal date
in December. other then that, Not a lot of teaching due to transfers, making
trainings, and other fun stuff like that. Lots of investigators came to church
however! We can't work often, but somehow all these blessings still happen. I
call it a miracle, because It really is!
Good to hear Trent is on his way to the mission field. I'm
so proud of him!!!!
This is just a small email this week, due to the crazyness
of this week. I received the birthday card from grandma, and it made my day!
tell her thank you!
now, I have a small thing to ask. President Argana has found
a real turkey, and he wants to cook it for Christmas dinner! however, He has no
idea how to do that. So, I said I would ask you about how to do it! can someone
please send me a recipe for turkey next week? the kitchen in the mission home
is modern, so the recipe at home will work here! Thank you so much!
I love you all
Elder Kuehne
Monday, November 27, 2017
I Love what Heavenly Father has Given Me, and what Jesus Christ Did for Me
dear fam,
Last week was the best! Interviews in Catarman and
Catbalogan zones, and a zone conference in Beautiful Calbayog city! Literally
heaven. Life is so good here! The drive was long, and it was a pretty hard
drive, just chilling in the passenger seat for 5 hours. but it was really worth
it.
Calbayog has grown so much since I was last there. it's
cleaner, has more stores, has a big new department store, new streets, and even
has plans to build a new airport there! I was reminded that when I was there,
it was so different, but now it's much better. Catarman is also so nice, except
for the pouring rain of course! I got to see all the missionaries there, and
some of my favorite missionaries are there too! Little secret; I am gaining
back weight. Why? because President Argana buys a lot of food at restaurants,
and then I am their last hope to finish it! plus, we travel a lot, so no time
to walk. but, I'm starting to eat less and work out more. I was doing that,
until I received your birthday package! :D I ended up giving a lot of it at the
conference. They loved it by the way! it was their first time to have a rice
krispie treat, and they said it was delicious. Thank you so much for the snacks
and photos, They really gave me a boost in this rough time.
I say it's a hard time because this week is transfer week,
the busiest week of the cycle. We have 4 missionaries staying in our apartment
right now, that all will be going home. I should be happy for them, but all
they did was talk about their experiences doing disobedient things like
Boating, Going on hikes with Sister companionships, and all kinds of other
activities. they really slacked on their work, and their key indicators show
that. They really didn't mention their successes in the mission. Now that they
are going home, they feel comfortable talking about it because at this point,
they are already going home. They don't care. And I feel so sorry for them.
They have been given a sacred trust, and they are breaking it. Something that I
have learned on the mission is that when we eat the sacrament, ALL of our
covenants are renewed, Not just the baptismal covenants. I have been reminded
of those covenants, and I feel so strongly that I wouldn't want anyone,
especially myself, to break those covenants. All I can do is try to remind them
what they promised to do, and hope that they listen. Being a leader in the
mission is one of the hardest things I could ever imagine. Long story short, I
am reminded of that mormon message from Elder Ucthdorf about the man who
traveled the world on the cruise ship, but didn't take advantage of the
opportunities he had. The opportunities I am talking about is growing in the
gospel, gaining knowledge, preparing for an eternal marriage and a family, for
future callings. for success in the mission in Baptisms and obedience. I have
resolved to not waste the time I have on the mission. Have fun, yes, but be
obedient while I do it.
On a happier note, I love the mission. I love what Heavenly
Father has given me, and what Jesus Christ did for me. I am indebted to them
with a Debt that I can never pay back. but I can try by sharing the knowledge I
have to all I meet concerning the gospel and the church. I feel so happy
helping others and teaching. I love the work with all my heart! I miss you all,
but I won't trade these 2 years. I hope everyone is alright at home, and that
you are all happy and well. Good work on the 5K, and if dad needs any advice
about how to get referrals from the members, I would be happy to tell him how
things are done here! yesterday, We got 3 referrals from the same family, and
the ward has a program to have every family give a referral to us before
Christmas day. We spend all week contacting referrals!
I love you all. Morgan, I love and miss you. Bump mentioned
some boyfriends, good work. Tyler, I heard you ran a 5k Race. I will do one
with you next year. Let's see who is faster!
Mom and Dad, your example has taught me some things that I
yet lack. I am so grateful for your patience for me and the rest of the family.
I can't wait for next month to see you!
love,
Elder Kuehne
Monday, November 20, 2017
Working Harder is Good, But it's Better to Work Smarter
Dear Fam,
The day has past. Yup, MY BIRTHDAY!!! 20 NA AK!!! LAGAS
NA!!!! good luck looking that up on the internet 😂😂 Recently,
It's been a little hard to type English. My mind just kicks into Waray, and I
just start typing Waray words. Thanks for the patience.
So, last week was a very different week. We didn't end up
going to Palo for exchanges. Something came up, and we were unable to go. the
good news is that we got to work in our area ALL WEEK!!! we taught so many
people. We got a referral from a recent convert, Brother J. we asked if we
could teach his family, and he said yes! also, he said that he had a cousin who
wanted to join the church. so, we went and taught the cousin with brother J.
we asked if she had a question. she asked how she could know if she could
receive forgiveness from God for her mistakes. That is a question from the
heart, and she meant it. We shared some verses, and she was blown away with the
answer that YES, she can. we extended a date of baptism to her and her other
cousin that was there, and they both accepted. Actually, this sister had
already asked her parents if she could join the church, and they said yes! it
was a good week for that. this girl is the perfect example of what the mission
is aiming for. President Argana has been pushing for referrals, instead of
tracting. there are some missions who have made actually made tracting
forbidden. this girl is not someone off the street that we found and may or may
not be interested. This girl is a person that we know is interested, is searching
for something, and we have the answer! in addition, she has 2 people, 2 a
member, that can answer her questions, teach her, and take her to church and
activities. Working harder is good, but it's better to work smarter. We have
the gospel, the ultimate answer to people's questions. there is no one that the
gospel cannot help, there is no one "too good" to repent and be
baptized.
It was a very trying week. Lots of work, lots of teaching.
but, I am better then when I started the week. This week, I go to Catarman and
Calbayog for zone conference and interviews. Calbayog is where I lived in my
first area, so I am absolutely stoked to go back!
that's really all. I hope all is well at home. Make
someone's day today.
Love
Elder Kuehne
photos: My lineage (Elder R, who I trained, and Elder
H, who he is now training.)
District picks
Jeeps are weird
Filipino vandalism.
Sunday, November 12, 2017
"Super Brief"
Dear Fam,
This week marked a very important event. It was the baptism
of Brother J and Sister J. They were interviewed for baptism before,
but Brother J drank, so he didn't pass. But he did not let that stop
him. He started reading the scriptures like crazy, building his faith, and
stopped drinking from that day on. He and his wife are so happy that they were
baptized. it was the greatest feeling in the world to know that they are now in
the Lord's fold. After the baptism, we sang some hymns while we were waiting
for them to change their clothes. As they did, their little boy, who is really
hyper, found the backpack with their clothes. As we started singing another
hymn, he JUMPS into the classroom, doing a superman pose with his spare briefs
over his jeans, and Loudly shouted "Super Brief!" I could not join in
the next hymn because I was laughing too hard!!!!!! 😂😂😂 Definitely
one for the record books. We also started teaching brother D. He has come
to church 4 times now, and we just had time to contact him at his home. We
asked if he was reading the book of Mormon, and he said that he is in 2 nephi
22! he is very knowledgeable about the bible, but he understands the book of
Mormon and understands it's role to testify and clarify. He is amazing and
active in the classes at church.
We also gave trainings to more zones last week. This week,
President Argana is in Manila, so We are using this time to do some exchanges
with the zone leaders in the nearby zones. That means I get to go and work in
PALO, my 3rd area! i'm really excited to see how the area is doing. Recently, I
have noticed something. I have baptized some people, but there are also so many
others that I found or taught that others are baptizing after I leave. AND THAT
IS OK!!! the work is too big to be done by just one person, and it makes more
sense to set up baptisms for the missionaries to follow. In fact, It makes me
think of others more then myself. If we try to steal all the baptisms, that
that leads to issues like unclear teaching, unanswered questions, and unsure
testimonies. But if we allow others to finish what we started, and prepare the
investigators for the next missionaries, then they stay active and help others.
perhaps there is a lesson in this for someone who reads it. For me, it's
helping others to have success instead of just focusing on making myself look
successful.
I miss you all. A couple weeks ago, I got really homesick.
it's better now that I am busy. I love you all so much that if I'm not working
24/7, I think about you! that's special, Diba? 😎 I
hope all is well at home and everyone is happy and well.
Love, Elder Kuehne
Monday, November 6, 2017
The Lord's Love for and Confidence in Me.
Dear family,
This week was so much fun! We had the Tacloban Zone
conference, and we got to visit 2 zones in the mission, And talk with and train
3 zones in the Ormoc Zone Conference. Lots of trainings, Lots of learning and
training. This week, We go to Sogod, in the south, Borongan in the north east,
and Tolosa in the east. It's a busy busy time as we give a training 4 times
this week. The training is about setting goals and achieving them, and I am
learning a lot from that training.
It was a good week, lots of fun. I had a very spiritual
experience at church yesterday. It was a strong feeling from the Lord of his
love and confidence in me. It was deeply needed at this time.
Sorry that I don't have a big email this week. We had to do
an internet training, and that leaves very little time for email.
I love you all, Morgan, good luck in surgery tomorrow, I
love you Tyler, And I am so grateful for you mom and dad
Love,
Elder Kuehne
Monday, October 30, 2017
My Testimony has Been Reinforced
Dear family,
Boy oh Boy, last week was a doozy. I gave my first training
at a mission leadership conference to all the zone leaders and sister training
leaders, and I also helped train 2 zones during their zone interviews. Yes, My
companion is also an AP. We do all the planning, training, and discussing
together. The good news is that Elder D was my companion before, and I
already know so much about him, and he knows so much about me. That really
makes life so much easier, and less awkward. He's teaching me how to handle the
life of an Assistant. This is a little secret, but there are missionaries that
do not like the Assistants. Not a lot though, just a few. Elder D is a fun
loving guy, but he is also strict about the rules, and does not leave any room
for disobedience. He does it so lovingly, because he really does love the
missionaries, despite their individual issues. He is honest, and when he says
he will do something, he does it. He also listens to first promptings, and
follows them immediately. He is the best, I love him. he's a really special
guy. people don't like the assistants because they are obedient and will tell
president about the disobedience that is happening. People can be offended, but
that is the work that the Lord has called us to do, and so we do it, no matter
who doesn't enjoy it.
This week was also a pretty hard one. Lots of struggles,
lots of working and teaching. Nothing new has come up yet, but we did contact a
referral, C and E. Yeah, they live on the side of a fetching mountain.
That was a hard walk. But they are really good, and I am excited to visit this
week. I have learned a valuable lesson. I was stressing out because of Tagalog
speaking people, But Elder D helped me out and simply told me to focus on
Waray, because people here understand it just fine, even if they are Tagalog
speaking. So, the stress went away, and happiness is back.
This week, We have 2 zone conferences!!!! one in Tacloban,
and one in Ormoc City. Ormoc City is so clean, but the issue is that they don't
speak Waray there. They speak Cebuano. so I probably won't be doing that much
OYMing there. but the conferences are so much fun and a great opportunity to
meet the missionaries and help them grow. it will be a pretty long drive, But I
imagine that it will be pretty fun. We will also be staying in Ormoc and
Biliran Island for a night. Lots of traveling. just like Dad, but with no pay.
However, we still get free food.
Love the pictures. Ty must have been in heaven. I hope the
rest of you are enjoying your vacation. I love you all. The reason I haven't
sent photos is because the computer shop here is a little bit sketchy, and it
has deleted my sim card twice. So, I am forced to wait until I find a better way
to send those. forgiveness, eh?
All is well here, and I enjoy the work still. However, My
testimony has been reinforced, and I know things I never knew before. Missions
are the best!
Love,
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)