Transfer coming up!

He promises pictures next week.

HELLO! FROM Waukee Iowa

and good bye from Waukee Iowa as well!

Ya I got the news on Friday, I am being called to another part of the good old Iowa Des Moines mission. I will be heading to transfers on Thursday and will know where I am headed that same day. I am super sad to leave this awesome area, but I am always excited to meet new people and see new places. I know that the Lord is in everything that we do, so it’s going to be the perfect place for me to learn. It’s hard to believe that’s it’s already been six months here in Waukee and four and a half with Elder Maughan! We have a great time together and learned much from each other, as well as the people here. This could be one of my last transfers, since I only have 6 months left, but you never know what is in store. I will still be a Zone leader where ever I go, I am grateful to still be in this calling! I really enjoy it a lot, it’s stressful at times but it really helps you learn a lot. So that’s really the biggest news of the week here.

We’ve been working really hard to get H.... ready for baptism, these past few weeks. The only sad news is, it’s not looking like it’s going to happen before I leave. It’s all good though, I know the Lord has plans for him and his family. I’ll have to get a picture with him before I leave. hopefully...It’s been a great learning experience here in Waukee, with all of the people we’ve been teaching. It truly is a miracle that anyone gets baptized, with all of the false, even anti material.. It’s super sad to see all of the people around us, miss out on something that can absolutely change there life’s, just because someone else says it’s not true. You must try it out for yourself and ask God if it’s true. .. I won’t go on a rant about that though.. haha it’s whatever:)

So school sounds like it’s going well for everyone so far..  even  Kalhin will be going to school! Man everyone is growing up so much now.. not me though.. I still look the same.. maybe.. haha! Let me know how it goes for everyone.

It’s a special day on the 2nd! Happy birthday to you MOM! I am sending it now, because the library is closed on Monday! So I will give you an early happy birthday! you’re turning like 36 right? haha whatever the number have a good one for me! I’ll try my best to find something good for you.. love you!

There is so much that I’ve learned that it’s impossible to even like about trying to write it down.. I have really been thinking about that lately.. 2 years is a long time of learning and progressing.. I think I’ll have to write a book on the mission someday.. Most importantly! The church is as true as it’s ever going to be, until Christ comes again... No matter the person or the place, you can always talk to people about the gospel.. try it sometime! Refer them to the missionaries after, we always love getting Member Referrals.. They have a very high rate of baptism.. Numbers don’t mean anything,but the Lord does number his children and he knows everyone of them!

I am grateful to serve! Thanks so much for all of your support and love! Have Great week!

LOVE ELDER THOMAS JAY KIRTON!!                                                                                    

 

Exciting week for TJ.

Hey there family!

So the email worked great this time and the pictures came through as well, looks like they had some fun out on the water. They look so old now.. haha not to much older. I’ve had a great week as a missionary here in Waukee and this week is looking even better. Today we have 3 lessons set up, with the possibility of 3 new investigators, I am super excited!

About transfers, they are next week, crazy huh? I think I just emailed you all about that just the other day. There’s no way I could remember everything out here.. thank you journal.. if I write in it haha mom I write in it! just for you! Anyway this Friday we will receive our transfer doctrine, on where we will go. I am on target to leave, do to the fact that I’ve been here for 6 months.. I really love it here and would love to stay another, but I will go where ever the Lords needs me to go. You will know next Monday what happens:)

This week we had the wonderful opportunity to go out with President J...., well I guess he came out with us in our area. haha.. We had a great time and taught some awesome lessons. I used to be super nervous around the President when I first came out on a mission.. That’s probably just because I was scared that I wouldn’t know what to say. Now since we are around him all the time, we really get the chance to know him on a more personal level. I know that President J..... and Sister J..... are called of God for us here in the Iowa Des Moines mission. I’ve learned a lot from both of the mission Presidents so far! I wish you could spend some time with them as well.

The lessons we’ve had with H.... have been great! We are shooting for the end of the month to get him baptized, so I will let you know how that goes. He’s such a great man, that has changed a lot. His wife, V......., is also learning right now. We are just praying that we can help them get baptized within the next couple of weeks. The sad part is, they are moving at the end of the month.. but our mission president gave us permission to continue teaching them.. which doesn’t usually happen.. YES!

It’s super good to hear from you again! I hope school goes great for everyone! I miss you all! These six months are going to go fast, but they are going to be a great learning experience for me!

LOVE ALWAYS                                                                                                  

ELDER KIRTON!!

:)

New suit looks great!

 

 

 

How’s the fam fam doing?

I hope that you’ve had a great time at Pinedale Wyoming and that you’re all safe! This was a great week for us as well, here in the good old state of Iowa. We’ve had plenty of powerful meetings this week, that will hopefully continue to motivate us to finish this year off strong! Meetings as a missionary are super awesome, I wish everyone could participate in them. As always the spirit of missionary work continues to flow through the air and around the world.

The first meeting we had this week is called Mission Leadership Council, it’s like the best meeting ever! All of the zone leaders, assistance to the president and the mission president are there. It really does make a great meeting, 100% focused on missionary work! We receive the instruction from the mission president who gets it from the first presidency so it’s super cool! That’s just one of the great privileges as a missionary.

Well working in the Waukee area this week, we saw a lot of miracles with the people that we are teaching. Not only those that we are teaching but new people to teach. H... is someone that I’ve talked about before, he’s doing great and came to church this Sunday with 3 of his kids. We finally taught his wife after months of working with H..... It was so awesome to be able to teach them both, now we can work on getting the who family to church. It’s a long process but they are super prepared for this gospel. We have a lesson with V.....(H...'s wife), so hopefully it will go well.

As we were walking around the area where most of our members live, the Lord placed people in our pathway that are willing to listen to the message we share. Walking on 20 minutes around the area, we talked to two people that wanted us to come back. We ended up teaching one of them, who happens to have been taught by missionaries in the past. E... is the man’s name and he has a great story. He’s speaks English, but is from Vietnam. We seem to find all kinds of people around these parts. We’ve given out a Vietnamese and an Arabic book of Mormon already.. just goes to show that no matter the person, the gospel can help them. The only way we can teach them is through the spirit, we would be totally lost without it.

A funny story for the week happened on Sunday. H.... came to church and stayed the whole time, so when priesthood came around he attened it. President P...., the stake president was there today as well. So he stood up and started talking about the missionary work of the stake and the work of salvation broadcast. Well he asked everyone why are you a Mormon. as everyone was thinking after his question.. he walked over to H.... and asked him why he’s a Mormon? ... H....'s said I’m not a Mormon sir.. and president p.... said well why not? so after a few minutes H.... turned to us and said why am I not a Mormon.. so were like H.... we are working on it.. haha it was super funny! It definitely sparked Henrys desire a little bit! So my question to everyone that reads this letter is.. Why are you a Mormon? you never know when someone will ask you..

I am a Mormon, because I know that this is the true gospel and that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God. As well being a Mormon makes me super happy and I have a knowledge of why I am here and where I am going. Jesus Christ is the Savior and the Book of Mormon is true! that’s why I am a Mormon!

I love you all! hope you have a great week! Get ready for school to start! love you all! YOU’RE THE BEST!

LOVE YOUR FAVORITE! ELDER KIRTON!!



 



Family vacation in Pinedale, Wyo.

HEY HOWDY!

I am glad that you’ve made it safe and sound to Pinedale Wyoming! How’s the water? I hope that everyone has a great time and doesn’t get into too much trouble! You’ll have to save me spot next year..

BRET!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODAY!! HOPE YOU HAVE A SUPER FUN DAY! 9 years old! you are too old.. I hope you like you present.. LOVE YA! LITTLE MAN!!

This past week has had its ups and downs, just for a few reasons.. I got sick again with the same thing I had before, but this time it was a little worse. I went to the doctor on Tuesday, but then Thursday came around and I had to go back, but all is good now! Priesthood blessings always do the trick, because they really work! That was the only bad news for the week luckily! haha

We’ve been getting to know a lot of the new members that have been moving into the ward, since school is starting up here really soon. New medical students keep showing up, so we help them move in and get them ready to do some missionary work! It’s so great! Most of them keep moving in from Utah! so we seem to know a lot of the same places which is really nice. My time in Waukee has been so much fun and I have learned a lot while staying here as well. Maybe I’m supposed to be a doctor, since we work with a lot the students here.. haha it’s just a thought though..

The other day we were talking to a less active lady and of course trying to help her return to activity.. well we ended up talking about a lot of family history! I than found myself desiring to know a lot more about the whole topic... so when I get back we are going to have to go over a few things.. what do you think? anyway I would have never thought that I would desire to do a lot of that until I was a little bit older.. I just figured it’s for older people.. haha sorry grandma's and grandpa's.. haha you’re still totally awesome!

We’ve been teaching a lot of the same people for a little while now and were getting to the point were either they will be baptized or will have to let some other missionaries teach them.. we are really working hard to get two baptisms this month, will see where the Lord takes us with this goal.

How’s everyone Preach My Gospel reading going? hopefully you’ll be able to do that on a weekly bases.. I have found that it really helps keep you centered in the plain and precious doctrine.. a lot of times I fill like we can get too carried away by every wind doctrine and sometimes that results in doubt and inactivity in the gospel that we know to be true! Remember Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and Enduring to the end! is the most important thing to study and remember!

Again! I love you all and hope you have a very fun trip at the good old lake! Save some fish for me!

LOVE YOU!                                                                                                                         

ELDER

KIRTON!! <>< <>< <><

 

Another beautiful day in Iowa!