Returned home Feb. 14, 2012

 

He's Home!!!!

Last and final letter from TJ

I will say hello to Draper Utah! Most importantly to my awesome family who is home right now, just waiting with anticipation just as I am! I am very excited to see you all and don’t get me wrong but I will miss the wonderful work of the Lord here in Iowa! It still hasn’t settled into my mind that I am coming home on Friday, but it will for sure when I step foot on the plane. I must also say Happy Birthday to Nicole since I won’t be there on time.. haha so HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE SISTER!!

I can’t describe how wonderful these two years have been, but I know that I will be able to talk to you a bit more about that at the end of the week. It’s been more than just remember the past experience of my mission, but more importantly, of how it’s changed me and my view on life! I can’t express all that I wish through this email or have I been able to in the past emails. I just know that the work is absolutely true and that the Lord is watching over us.

The temple was so spiritually uplifting and was exactly what I needed to finish these two years up. The new video was so amazing and I would invite everyone that can to watch it! It’s truly was life changing in a real sense for me! Temples are the best thing ever! Serving around Nauvoo over a year ago, was such a blessing. Hopefully one day all of you will be able to see it!

I am excited to share what I’ve learned with all of you and I will be even more excited to learn from all of you. Hopefully I will be more teachable this go around! I give my thanks first to my Heavenly Father and to Christ. Following them is my family and everyone that helped me get out to the mission field. Every experience you have in this life, is there to help you in the next. I have learned to choice wisely what I do and what I say and what I watch. The influence from good or evil will play a huge role in the future. Dwelling on the bad past experiences, don’t help you prepare for the future.. just learn from them and move on! Remember, Remember That the only way is through Christ our savior! To him I owe everything!

Other exciting news is that M... G.... will be getting baptized on Wednesday, she is very excited! All she has to do is stay strong. This week will go by very fast with all of the appointments that we have planned! Be prepared because Elder Kirton is coming home! LOVE YOU ALL and I will see you on Friday:)

LOVE ELDER KIRTON From Iowa for the last time!

Only one more email left.

 



The Final count down...:(

Well this being my last full week as a missionary, I am not sure what to expect at the moment. All that I know how to do, is to do missionary work and to finish strong! This week is going to fly by, with the temple trip tomorrow and our Zone pday today! There is lots of stuff to do and not enough time to put it into the good old missionary planner:) Over all I am excited to move on to new things, but will always miss the wonderful experience it is to be a missionary! It’s exciting to here that Paul is going to Minnesota! Where ever you go, there is always plenty of people that need help and the gospel.

Last week is one to remember! We had so many experience and so many lessons, that I am pretty sure I forgot everything that happened.. haha but thankfully I have a planner to look back through. The most exciting news that I have to share is about M.... G.....! She is planning on getting baptized on Feb. 12th, the day before I go to transfers!!! All she has to do is live the word of wisdom and she will be set! As well she asked me to baptize her...I am excited to do so.. I just pray she makes it through the next week!

It honestly just felt like the Lord totally took over this week as we went out preaching the Gospel! I haven't ever had a week flow like this.. well maybe and I can remember.. haha. Really though I feel so blessed to be here in Osky at this time of change and hastening of the work!

Elder Younger and myself went on exchanges here in Osky, Elder Younger is serving in Centerville. So we had a day planned out that wasn't super solid but turned into a miracle day! We had a lesson and a dinner set up with the M..... family. We were hoping to teach sister M.... friend L..., that we’ve been trying to meet with for the last few weeks. We jumped into our lesson with the M..... family and hoped that L.... would show up to pick her kids up, so we could she if she wanted a lesson. She ended up showing up early and I turned and asked her if she wanted to have a lesson. She said, after a few seconds of thought, How long will it take?.. and we were like as long as you want, and she’s like, alright let’s do it! haha it was so awesome and the Lord planned that one out for sure. The lesson on the restoration went really well and we have an appointment with her today.. hopefully it goes well:)

We also taught a guy named G.... W........ he’s a hiphop rapper! Super awesome guy.. too bad he lives in Des Moines.. I might just have to buy his album.. he’s also a gospel rapper too.. which makes it just a little bit better:) haha fun times in Oskaloosa!

I just thought I would reflect for just one moment on the past 2 years! All I can really say, is WOW! The mission has changed who I am and will be forever. There is nothing more important that I could have done in my life.. really though.. at least to this point:) Faith makes sense, Repentance is real, Baptism is so essential, The Holy Ghost is our guide, And Enduring to the End is not easy, but is totally worth it! I can’t express all the words that I would like to, but I hope through time everyone may grasp the importance of these principles, because they are life changing!

I give my thanks to all of you, who have helped me get to this point, whether big or small!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!

LOVE ELDER KIRTON!!

We are so excited to have him come home.

Elder Thomas Jay Kirton
Returns home on Feb. 14th. Valentines Day!
His homecoming will be Sunday, the 16th at 1:00 p.m.
Draper 2nd ward
1617 E 12700 S

Please join us in welcoming him home.
Thanks to everyone for their support throughout his mission.