I leave next week...

Bonjour! 
 I forgot the DearElder letter that you sent so I don't know if I will answer all of your questions.  How's home?  Tell dad that this is for both of you because I think I'm low on time.  I'm glad the hot tub is working finally!  Sounds like it was a bizarre problem (I might use things like bizarre instead of weird because that's how it is in French).  I leave next week.  You probably know better than me when I call you.  It's either before 7:30 am (I leave at 7:30 on the plane) or when I arrive like 10 hours or so (estimation) later.  If I find out today I will send a quick email.  Tell Dad thanks for the random DearElder in the middle of the week!  I was the only one who got mail that day (we don't get a lot of mail mostly from family members).  
Oh by the way, did Michaels mom get a letter from him yet?  Time is really flying!  It's getting really hard to wake up in the morning though because I'm soo tired even though I got like 7 1/2 hours of sleep! 
 I'm glad you three are all running!  I don't get to run a lot but I ran Friday and I talked with one of our District leaders I didn't know for like 45 minutes and later he said that was really nice and cool of me to take the time to talk with someone that I didn't know.  I hadn't even thought about it at the time I just wanted to talk to someone while running because I was used to talking to people while I ran.  But it felt nice that someone complimented me. 
 Sometimes I feel like an outsider because I don't joke the same way that they joke but I laugh with them and stuff.  People seemed a little bit more agitated this week because I think they realize that they are going to the field soon.  I am nervous because I don't like to stop people when they are walking to stuff like I can do door approaches but contacting is hard for me so I think it'll be hard but I will grow so much! 
 I think my district has grown a lot sometimes they get distracted and stuff and they don't focus on the work but we have bonded really well and I'm giving them some slack...I just hope I'm not giving them too much!
  It's going to be weird being in another country and speaking another language but I think I have the language close enough.  I can say a lot of things and hear pretty well but obviously not perfectly.  We have in-field orientation this week so that'll be fun!  It's weird 3 weeks ago I looked at the people leaving our Zone and said "Wow!  They have been here a long time!"  But really it feels like it's been days since I arrived.  I mean I've learned a ton, but time really flies when you have something to concentrate on all the time!  Today I went to the temple and forgot to give back the little slip after I was done so when we got back to the residence I freaked out but we just ended up (Elder Noel and I) going to the Temple.  How was the hot tub?  Fun?  
It's stressful but a good stressful here (Eustress!)  Where you learn a lot because you need to!  I hope my first trainer is someone who works hard because if it isn't it's going to be really hard because I don't know the city or what exactly we are suppose to be doing all the time so cross your fingers!  This week has been good.  It's hard to find ways to apply principles and such because most of the time you are studying and I already love my district so it's hard to develop charity but sometimes when I get frustrated I apply it then. 
 Well, I love you guys!  Last week of the MTC!

Love,

Elder Kimzey III

Halfway thru MTC

Bonjour!  

That's awesome that Carli did so well!  And Jacob ran how fast?(for you runners out there.. he ran a 1:04 half!)  You told me his paces but not his actual time or if you did it was off because they all started with a 4.  I kinda want to be switched to mandarin but like halfway through my mission.  That'd be awesome!!  That way I learn two of the three languages that I tried to learn before my mission!  French is going alright.  I know a lot but it's hard creating sentences and hearing people correctly especially when they talk fast!

  I found it interesting this week I asked my President how I could find out how to be easier on myself and he said to study Nephi's life and how he overcame being too hard on himself.  My first reaction was, "Nephi was like the most confident person ever!  This can't be right!"  Then I searched it on LDS.org and this talk came up called What Nephi Teaches about Overcoming Discouragement.  It was really interesting and I had never thought it about the way she explains it.  I feel that much closer to Nephi because I understand him!  It was really interesting she says "How is it possible that Nephi, who had spoken with angels and been a witness to the reality of the coming Christ, could have such feelings?  Perhaps it is the very depth of his testimony that makes his own failings so hard to bear:"  I thought that applied to me a lot.  I really just want to do what's right and please Heavenly Father that I just stress a ton about the things I'm not doing but then I remember in Nephi how His grace is sufficient for us when we do all that we can.   Also, figuring out how to be easy but not too easy on myself in striving to be better as a person and a missionary.  This week has been good but I feel like I have trouble recognizing the Spirit like I know only one way he speaks/communicates with me but I'm pretty sure there are more than one way and that I could be receiving more inspiration if I could only understand it.  I prayed to figure out/discern the Spirit but really I second guess myself because I don't know if I'm just making it up.  Of course I read Elder Oaks say that the Holy Ghost won't guide us in every little daily thing and that some things we just have to choose but I don't know which is which.  Any advice?  Well, it's good here but I find it mind-numbing and I'm looking for way to improve that.  It's really great and I love my mission!  It's weird how right I was I don't really mind all this change I actually enjoy it it's pretty awesome!  Well, I'll write the others now!

-Elder Kimzey the third (you, corey then me!)

writing emails at the MTC is like taking the ACT

Mom,
Sorry, I didn't respond.  I thought I did!  You know you made fun of Corey for short letters but it's seriously like taking the ACT you have this timer at the top right that counts down!  It's soo much pressure!!
 But anyway, that's good that corey is doing well!  I'm trying to write long letters but really it's the samElder Hastings and I kind of messed up Sunday when we didn't turn in the agenda for the sacrament on time (we turned it in right before...our bad!)  
We have 5 districts and one has 18 Elders in it!!  And that district leader has already had (in the first week and a half) some pretty hard stuff to deal with!  (I'm not saying what because I'm not suppose to say)  I feel like he is pretty much a lone zone leader with that group because he is in a different building than us!  
Oh I want a combo scripture I can't remember the exact reference but first half is in Mark 5 and the other in Mark 9.  It goes like "Be not afraid only believe..."-"for anything is possible for them that believe"  I think that'd be amazing! 
 Ya having companions go home is rough.  I can't imagine!  I've always worried someone in our district would leave...that'd be sad! 
 Heard you almost finished the hot tub!  I can't wait to use it...in two years!  haha but time really flies.  I feel like I've hardly been here!  You are so busy about time you forget about time! 
 Oh ya they were good brownies!  The other missionaries and I like devoured most of our food we got from you!  I think the gold fish only lasted like a day and a half!
(asked elder kimzey if he has seen the infamous butterscotch tree) Oh I've seen it but haven't smelt it.  It really isn't a big deal to people here it doesn't seem like but I don't know.  I'll be honest I've only taken one picture but it was of my whole last zone!  It's pretty sweet I'll send it next week with explanations of who is who and stuff!! 
Ya I played four-square but the guys who play it pick on one of my elders (not like openly they just try to get him out and they show it by like signals with their eyebrows so I don't play anymore because it makes me mad.  I shoot basketballs and run because Elder Hastings is good at basketball!  He apparently is boss at football though.  Tell dad I will respond to him but it will be kind of short because I am running out of time!  Love you, Elder Kimzey the 2nd

Dad,
Thanks for the letter!  Sorry this might be short but just remember the other things I've said in Carli's and Mom's emails are to you too!  I watched Becoming a Missionary video yesterday and it was kind of a slap to the face saying get into shape boy!  But I really like that quote.  It's been hard trying to just try to think about others I mean I do but not near as much as I should!  I know Christ would not think about himself as much as I do.  But Live and Learn I guess!  I'm glad you guys survived camping!  Sorry this is so short!  Have a good week!  -Elder Kimzey

Mtc Week #2- I'm use to doing hard stuff...do hard stuff

Carli,

My favorite memory from camp has to be nerf sword fighting on the hill and xc testimony thingy!  Way to run fast!  I know you'll do the best you can this year running!  Just be patient some of the best runners took a year to get use to it!  Volleyball is the best!  We played it once at gym time here and I loved it!  Four square is really fun too!  I spend most of my time in a classroom but my district makes it hilarious and fun!  I haven't laughed so hard and this much for soo long!  You'd love it here!  People say it's hard but I'm use to doing hard stuff and hard stuff is fun so...DO HARD STUFF!  I only got to run once but it's no big deal I've only gained one or two pounds here.  I rowed today and it was super hard!  Ya I got your last one but I didn't get it until you were gone to xc camp so I thought I'd wait for you to come back.  My first investigator was Rafael and we 'baptized' him but he is our teacher now he was just faking it, but I got to share my story with him and the atonement and it was really cool.  I prayed once... then I opened to the First chapter of Enos.  And Enos asked God my question and God answered Because of thy faith in my only begotten who has yet to come or something like that so I have been strengthening my faith in him since I've been here.  My favorite Disney Movie has to be...Aladin.  and my favorite character was/is aladin.  My favorite year of running was my senior year because I stopped worrying and just ran for fun (not every race but the majority) then in track I started worrying again and it stunk so DON'T stress!  Running is fun!  Corey drug me out to run in the summer and i did it for soccer so I came and I grew to love it!  

Love you more than pie!

P.S. sorry I only answered your questions I don't have loads of time

Elder Kimzey  

Bonjour mon père! 

 comment allez-vous?  Je vais tres bien!  It's cool here!  Elder Hastings and I are the new Zone leaders!  We get 43 new missionaries Wednesday...yikes!  It'll be fun though!  I only new our zone leaders for a week (elder muller and elder palmer)  and they were so awesome!  Me and Elder hasting have the exact same birthday...weird!  He struggles with the language but I would too if I hadn't known a lot before!  He is a football player from Rexburg!  He's awesome!  Really time flies here!  No joke!  I can't believe we are coming up on two weeks I feel like I've been here two days!  I would tell you what I did day by day but really they all blend into like one day.  Elder Oaks daughter came and taught a devotional yesterday and it was super good!  She is like a world renown (i dont know if thats spelled right) violinist.  She talked about spiritual gifts and how we can strive and ask for them it was awesome!  Also we watched a video of Holland speaking in a devotional way back in the day.  He said that missionary work has never been easy and that it will never be easy, because 'salvation was never cheap!'  Also he said that it wasn't easy for Jesus in Gethsemane and Calgary so why should it be easy for us?  I thought that was really cool!  I forget sometimes that life is hard for a reason and doing the right thing was never easy.  I like the scripture (somewhere)  that narrow is the gate and straight is the way to salvation but wide is the gate to condemnation.

  Sorry I don't have a bunch of time to write you. 

 Respond in DearElder and I will write more I just don't have a lot of time sorry!

Love Elder Kimzey

No letter for maman (bummer- must have run out of time)