Photos from Kyle 1/23/12

Sunset in Rialto, CA

Elders Ettinger and Bevan

Another week gone by - Ames 1/23/12

This last week was a pretty quick one, but i have to start out by telling a cool story.

So its simailar to kyles, We were at dinner last night and the family knew alot of people from st.george, so she starts naming a bunch of people and i dont know any of them... So you see where this is going right? So we are just chatting at the dinner table and the grandma mentions how "Back when we lived in naperville blah blah blah.." so i say "i have family that lives in naperville, do you know any glassetts?" sure enough, they were really good family friends with Joels family! crazy, I guess Joel was this guys scout leader for quite some time haha. such a small world! it was funny because we talked about their suburban that had like a billion miles on it and stuff.. good times.

So this week was a good one. Our numbers werent exactly where we wanted them to be at, but we were able to find another new investigator this week! so that was super exciting, i love getting the news they are so fun. So we will see how that goes this coming week. The person had something happen that was really sad, but i think it was supposed to happen so she could find the gospel.

We had interviews this last week, those were fun, i love President Killpack so much, he always makes you feel like you are doing an amazing job! its so fun. 

Training is going well, its fun to see how much progress Elder Staley has made since the first day when he got here. So thats really rewarding. Im like kyle though, i dont feel like i know anything about missionary work or how to teach people what so ever, but you just have to roll with it. Im getting ready for some change though, i love this area and the people and stuff, but im ready to move to a new place with some new adventures!

Glad to hear that all the races went well. Thats so cool. I remember back when i was little i told myself that i wanted to run a marathon even with my foot haha, i dont think that im going to do that anymore, i dont like running one bit, ill just bike a marathon :D thats more fun.

Hope all else is going well. Question: Is Jaxon Cooper getting close to his mission? Tell that kid to write me :D

Love you all Lots!

God Speed,

Elder Ettinger

Kyle 1/23/12

Hey There family,

 

This week has been a super quick one! It was a pretty good week, we were able to have 2 lessons taught, one was my companion and another greenie that went on exchanges with him. And a second was yesterday with a younger couple. They are turning out to be eternal investigators, because they just like to compare our belifs to the jewish faith that they have. But its really cool to learn more about others religions. We're gonna go over to there house on a friday evening sometime and do some sort of jewish tradition friday night thing were you eat bread and stuff. So it should be cool ha!

 

The big big city is something very new for me. Everything seems super congested, and the traffic is nuts! but it makes the missionary work easier, because there are tons of people outside to talk to. This past week my companion and i were able to get 54 contacts!! Where as in the desert of applevalley, i was maybe getting 15- 20 contacts in a week. So i actually feel like im a missionary down here in the valley. Doesn't mean i like the city though.

 

My companion is doing well, always learning and growing. I told him that right now all he can do is learn, and later in the mission, thats when you start finding the things that you need to improve on. You gotta climb up the ladder before you can fall off of it right? I love using analagies! ha

 

I'm looking forward to the weeks to come, we are gonna be having a temple trip on Feb 8th, and we're doing pres. interviews sometime this transfer as well. I think its funny that transfers are on valentines day.

 

I hope i didn't make you guys think that i'm like a total bomb spanish speaker, because i'm totally not ha! i just use some words i know, and hope they understand what i'm saying ha! but its really fun to try.

 

Sorry this week is quite slim but i'm hoping for more next week. I'm glad to see that the race went well, and that you guys are also getting rain! its been dumping buckets here in California! It makes it fun to go out tracting and contacting.

 

Love you all, have a wonderful week!

 

love, Elder Kyle Ettinger

Kyle 1/18/12

hello Family!

 

I'll start off by explaining why i didn't email this past monday.

We had our zone conference! Woo! it was held from 8 in the morning till 1 in the afternoon, and since i am a district leader, i had to stay an extra two hours! So it was a really long meeting! especially since it would normally be P-day.

 

Thats cool that dad looked up our areas on google earth. I try not to spend my home money anymore, i dont wanna get off the mission and realize i've spent hundreds of dollars on useless crap. So i'm gonna really try and hold back.

 

This past week we found a new investigator! i dunno if i've told you about him yet. SO i'll play it safe and tell you about him now. We tracted into him, and he had about 20 minutes for us to teach a small lesson. We taught about the book of mormon, and how we can use it to answer our life questions. We committed him to read and pray about it. Our next appointment with him is tomorrow. However, i'm leaving my greenie behind in my area, and we're doing exchanges tomorrow. I'm going into another elders area that is also training. So basically, in my area, we'll have 2 fresh missionaries lost as can be, in a bike area, not knowing whats going on. It should be a great day! ha

 

I really love the area that i'm in, there are lots of people out on the streets to talk to, and it makes me actually feel like a missionary when i'm on my bike!!

 

Funny story, i always find someone that knows someone from back at home, or someone that the family is related to. And this one is legit!

Alright, so we were at dinner two nights ago, one of the daughters use to live in huntington beach, so i told her thats where uncle Tim lived and she said "WAIT! Tim Glassett?" i'm like "Yea do you know him?" she said"I'm like best friends with Trevor! WE went to highschool together!" i was totally blown away! Its such a small world!!!!! ha! so she showed me some yearbooks and stuff of trevor. It was quite funny. She also got onto facebook and told trevor that she was eating dinner with me that night. He was very confused. it was great.

 

Sounds like everyone is doing well back at home! I would like to wish mom good luck with her half marathon! I'll be praying for your success!!! Dad, i'll be praying extra hard for you to do well with your dissertation!! Much love parents!!

 

My training call is going well, there are some nights that i lay in bed and wonder, wow why am i training this kid? i'm such a crappy missionary. But i just always try to do my very best! and to set the best example that i can. I'm having lots of fun with E.Bevan, we get along really well, and have fun at all times.

 

My excercise consists of sometimes riding my bike. The end.

i'm not a fan of working out i'd rather lay sod, and work really hard doing landscaping and getting a work out that way. I'm like dying to mow someones lawn! i'm gonna make an offer in church this sunday ha!

 

thanks for all of the support and love family!

I pray for you each and every day!!

Love, Elder Kyle Ettinger

 

p.s..I was able to give out a few Website cards to some hispanics, IN SPANISH!!

I'm getting better at doing some spanish door approaches. its super fun!!

On the climb Ames 1/17/12

So this week has been, as the subject line shows, and upward trend in our area. We were able to teach more member present lessons this week than we have for a long time, and we were able to get a new investigator that has been coming to church with his grandparents for at least three or four weeks! So we are super excited about that! Man i love the mission!

Sounds like this last week has been a fun one for everyone. Im still trying to go strong on the work out program, i am seeing my reps increase so that helps me want to continue forward.  

Yes dad i live in the middle of no where. It would be uncommon not to have Cyotes running around at night. Cool story though!! well cool to me at least. Our land lords just got a pony!! She is so cute! I also decided that im going to get a horse when i get home, remember how we help out at the horse rescue? well we were there again this week and i just want to take all of them home! So yea im going to get one.

 Im glad my Jehoves came by. And im really glad that Dad took the time to listen to what they had to share! Thats the hardest thing out here, getting people interested in what you have to say with practicly only one sentence because if it takes any longer than that they dont want to hear it. We still move on though :D

Next time we email we will be half way through this transfer... Is time speeding up? I submit that it is. I got a letter from seth this last week and he mentioned that he has less than a year.. What the Heck? He just left!

usualy thoughout the week i write down what i want to email about, but i didnt this week, so im stuck for ideas.

One last thing, So my tooth that had the Root Canal done on it way back when has faded and become pretty gross looking if you ask me. and tonight we had dinner with a dentist and he said that he has a really easy way of fixing it and he said that he would do it for free! So i called sister killpack (She takes care of all medical stuff) and got premission. So im probibly going to be doing that this next week. Ill try and remember to get a before and after picture for yall.

Cant wait to see what happens this next week!

Love you all!

Elder Ettinger

ps. Good luck mom on your 1/2 Marathon! Your gonna do awesome!

 

Hello from Rialto, California Kyle - 1/9/12

This past week went by so fast it was really nuts! So i noticed this past week, that i'm taking on almost every single responsibility that a missionary can have all at once. Being a trainer, Whitewashing into an area(Remember what that means? When both elders are new to an area), i'm still a district leader, down in the valley now, and i'm in a bike area!! holy cow!

Like ames said to us, its really crazy that we're already a third through our missions! would everyone agree that it feels like ames and i just left for the MTC? i still look at the picture of ames and i doing a fist bump walkin away from the car. It makes me laugh, because it seems like we were just there! But nope! Almost 8 months in already!

Being down in the valley there are alot more people to try and contact, more people out walking on the streets, and alot more people seem to be home. I'm looking forward to being able to do alot more missionary work in the new area that i'm in.

I was able to experience my first encounter with a dog a few days ago, and of course it was also elder Bevans first experience. The dog came running up to us in a full sprint barking and growling, it was super scary! but he went after my companion, and not me. So i knew i'd be alright. my companion was also alright. No worries.

Funny news, but first, Its really funny to see how connected ames' and my missions really are, meaning the people we meet are always related to each other! Ames' bishop in his ward has a nephew out here in my mission, who i didn't know until now. He's one of my ward mates!! (Ward mates happen when a geographic ward is so big, that it takes 2 companionships to cover one ward) So Elder Laulusa, who is the nephew of ames' bishop, is one of my ward mates right now!! Small world huh?! its pretty intense!

Also, a member came up to me and said he has tons of family that live in st george. Do Any of the family know anyone by the last name of Squire?? He's related to all of the hafens in st george as well.

i'm looking forward to the weeks to come! its gonna be a good time training, sometimes rough, but i'm learning alot already! and i'm glad i took the call.

Love you all have a great week!

Love, Elder Kyle Ettinger

Ames 1/9/12

First of all, its really really crazy that we are already into 2012! i remember as a kid when we hit 2000 and how crazy that was! and that was 12 years ago! holy cow!

This last week has been a pretty normal week. We are kind of to the point where our area needs to be "Rebooted". We are setting our goals alot lower, and starting back at the bottom with hopes that, with time, we will get the area where it needs to be.

We were able to go on exchanges this week with the zone leaders, mainly because our area is struggling right now so they just wanted to see whats up and how they can help. So i went to the ZL area and spent the day there. I learned a TON! The best part included the whole day, in the morning during comp study we were planning out our day, and we decided to have an appointment with the lord. This is where you set a time to go tracting, and pray about where the lord has a prepared person at that time, and then both companions look at a map of the area and select three streets each as directed by the spirit, without the other person seeing. After both have got their three, you compare what streets you chose. We both had one street in common :). We went and tracted out that street at the set time, and we had few people answer the door, and those who did were quick to turn us away. We walked toward the very last door on the street, and it looked pretty empty, and we couldnt see any cars. But instead of saying something I kept that to myself and just walked to the door with faith. Turns out there was a car, it was just around the other side of the house. A younger lady answered and we had an awesome first contact. She accepted a Book of Mormon, and a return appointment for the next week! It was super awesome! It built my faith so much! I learned how effective planning and strict obedience to the rules can bring amazing miracles to an area, that day we taught a total of 5 lessons and set a date with one investigator and got that new as well. This last saturday was a day that will change the rest of my mission.

We also got a new gator that day as well, but since i wasnt there i dont know anything about her. So i will update you on that next week after we meet with her again.

I had a dream last night that kyle and I went on exchanges, so we were companions for the day! ha it was super fun. This morning i was thinking about it, and what would happen if kyle and i were comapanions? I think it could go either way. We could probibly teach super well together, using our twin telethapy. But at the same time i think we would joke around a ton! but i think the former outweighs the latter :D

Glad to hear all is the same at home. Props on all the Exercising. My program is doing well. I have seen improvments, small but they are there!

Love you all!

Elder Ettinger

 

Kyle is transferred to Rialto - 1/2/12

hey there family!

So here comes some news for you, buckle your seat belts!

I have been called to be a trainer!!! And, i'm finally leaving the village ward of apple valley. I'm super super nervous, and totally wish i could call ames right now and talk to him about his training call. but its alright, ha i asked our president if i could text ames and tell him, but he said no.

This past week has been super nuts! just because i've been really stressed out about transfers! and i cant believe i'll be going down the hill tomorrow to meet my Bran new companion!!!! i'm REALLY hoping that i can train the Elder Palmer that ames met in his ward in his mission. that would be really cool.

This past week has also been a really tough one, knowing that i'm leaving, and this being my last P-day here in this ward. Finding time to say my goodbyes to my new missionary friends is really hard! i feel like i've gotten so attached here to the members and my zone, that its like leaving on my mission again from the very beginning! its crazy! but i'm doing all that i can to be happy about this new change in my mission.

I hope all was well with the holidays, we were in our appartment at 7, and got our transfer calls around 9, Then i just started to pack, and went to bed around 10:30. So nothing exciting for me for new years, but thats alright.

Thanks for everyones love and support! its so great! some extra prayers for my training call would be appreciated. thanks again! Have a great week!

Elder Kyle Ettinger

Then on 1/3/12 . . .

Hey there Family. I was able to jump on a computer real quick to let you know that i'm no longer in the desert! i'm super upset about it! but, i'm kinda excited to try something new. it was just really hard to leave all of the friends i had made in apple valley.

 

i'm now "down the hill" or "In the valley" whatever you wanna call it. I'm serving in a ward that elder bowler has served in. Its called Rialto. I'm serving in the Rialto 1st  ward, with my new greenie elder Bevan. He's from Tooela UT. i think i spelled that wrong. Anyways, i was able to meet elder palmer at the transfer meeting, but i was really wanting to be his comp!

I'm still a district leader, and i'm in a bike area now! ugh! i thought i was gonna have it easy in a car my whole mission ha. Rialto is sometimes a really sketchy place, lots of crazy people, and i've heard its deffinatly the "Hood" So i'm pretty nervous to work there.

 

I met my greenie today at the meeting, but now they're off doing things with our president and the AP's. We'll meet back with them tomorrow at presidents house, then eventually make it to my new area to un-pack and hopefully get some sleep! i've been so stressed and nervous its crazy! The new way to train is super weird, and i wish i could just do it my own way ha.

 

Its cool that ames and i are both training right now, but i wish i was in ames' shoes, and only having 6 more weeks with my new comp, not 12 ha! because i wanna get back up to the desert as soon as i can!!!

 

Anyways, thats just an update of my new area and things, i may just have the mail sent to the new mission address while i'm in this area, but be sure to take off the old AppleValley address on the blog, so no one sends mail there. thanks!

 

Much love everyone!

Love, Elder Kyle Ettinger

Take Three in Picture Rocks - Ames 1/3/12

So as the subject line insinuates, im going one more in the picture rocks ward, still comps with elder staley. Im pretty excited becasue we could easily see a baptism come from this transfer :D. This week was pretty slow. The last one of the transfer seems to always do that. You are just burned out and ready to see what is going to happen next. So im pretty excited to see what happens this next transfer in the area.

Christmas was awesome! loved all the presents! i must admit that i look awesome in the sweater :D and that tree thing maren sent was the coolest thing ever. haha. And of course the Cars 2 legos were bomb. love legos.

Thats crazy that kyle is Training! haha. dude i hope so bad that you train Elder Palmer. That would be flippin insane! haha. Here is my only advice, Let your greenie struggle enough to learn but not get discouraged. If you let them fail a little bit then they will be able to learn on their own and learn alot quicker than you just dictating to them what they should and shouldnt do. not that great of advice, but iv only been at it for 6 weeks so what do you expect? are you still going to be DL? Im psyched for you.

Our new years eve was pretty uneventful, we had to be in the appartment at 6, and i was in bed at like 930 or 10, so i didnt ring in the new year whatsoever. although tons of people out in picture rocks had some sweet morter fireworks and what not. so that was fun. But not much more than that. Glad to hear that California was fun, thats funny that you were in kyles mission ha. that would have been cool if you saw him tracting or somthing lol.

Today for p-day we played the normal basketball, but i played SO good today. at least i felt like i did. I juked this one elder twice with the same move. Super awesome. and i even had a layup with like a spin in it. also sweet.

Some awesome potential coming up this transfer in the Picture Rocks ward. Cant wait to tell you all about it.

one more thing, Dad will be proud, a few other elders and i are starting a new work out program in the moringings, Another elder helped design my program to focus on losing fat and turning it into mussle. its going to be super hard, but im in it for the long haul, because im the heaviest i have ever been in my life right now and that needs to end! haha. ill keep you updated as the weeks go on.

Love always,

Elder Ettinger