Kyle - Oct 3, 2011

Hello folks,

The past week  has been pretty good, not a whole lot going on. But i do have one really neat experience to share.

we were on exchanges last friday, and the spanish elder in our zone came to my area. His name is elder tenney, who is actually from richfield, UT. We were tracting friday morning while it was still somewhat cool outside. We finished tracting one big long street with only a few contacts and no return appointments. We then decided to try a new street. But before we drove down the street to scope it out. We decided to pray, and ask heavenly father to give us a blessing, to choose one house to knock on. so we finished our prayer and slowly drove down the road, looking at all the houses waiting for inspiration.

We got to one house and elder tenney and i glanced at it at the same time and said, in unison, "That one...". We immediatly pulled over and grabbed our bags, and ran up to the door. A guy opened it that didn't even live there. He was a worker that was fixing the house. We shared the message about the book of mormon. And he got really excited about it. We gave him a card, and he said he'd call the number to get the book of mormon. It was a pretty neat experience.

I really enjoyed reading the story about dad helping that person across the finish line, its always so fun when we are able to serve others unexpectedly. its one of my favorite parts of the mission so far.

Yes transfers are coming up this next week. I'm hoping to stay in the same ward, alot of the ward members want me to stay. But, i'll be happy with whatever happens. change is tough, but good in some cases.

Hope all is well in St George! i'm looking forward to see what you sent with miguelle. He's such a funny guy! He and his parents are the ones that want me to stay the most.

I love you all and hope everything is going well!

 Love, Elder Kyle Ettinger.

Kyle 9/26/11

Hello everyone,

This past week has been pretty good, not a whole lot going on in the village ward. But we're progressing at a slow rate.

Last Wednesday we had a lesson with our younger gator. We taught him about the importance of having a prophet in these days, and also about baptism and confirmation. He seemed to understand everything that we taught. But he is still unable to attend church. So we aren't able to set a Bap. date with him yet. His dad said he's gonna see if they can work something out, to get him to attend our ward. So we're praying hard for that  one this week.

Mom, sorry i forgot to tell you last week in the email. But, yes we get the ensigns in our mission. The Oct issue was super helpful! and i'm excited to incorporate some things i learned into my lessons that i teach. Thanks for asking!

I have a question for you mom, a lady in our ward use to be friends with a professor Nelson that taught at BYU a long time ago. I was wondering if you know if Grandpa Glassett may have known him. Just out of curiosity.

I forgot that the seminary building had the pictures of the missionaries that are out serving. Thats cool that kyle owens cared enough to go out and get some pictures from you mom.

Dad, thanks for sharing those stories and experiences. We're taught as missionaries to never get discouraged if a person doesn't become interested with the gospel as soon as its out of our mouths. We're always planting seeds, and you never know when one may "Sprout" ha

i'll be printing off pictures today when we go shopping, so keep an eye out for those.

I love you you all!

Have a great week!

Love, Elder Kyle Ettinger

I Feel a Change Coming - Ames 9/27/11

So i really dont konw how i feel about transfers coming up, its mixed emotions. They are still two weeks away, but it still seems so close!

I love it here in the Gila Valley so much, and i dont really want to leave at all, but at the same time it would be fun to change it up a bit. and see other parts of the mission.

This week has been a turn for the better =). We started teaching that highshool kid. I extended my very first baptismal commitment! and he accepted! he then accepted october 22

for his date! i was so freaking stoked! we have met with him four times now, all with his friends who are members, and he came to church yesterday as well. You can really tell that this kid knows that what we are teaching him is true, He even told us how he came to know that the book of mormon was true and how he recived answers to his prayer. Amazing! Unfortunatly transfers are before that... he is just one of the many reasons that i want to stay here in the valley. We also have a less active family, well they are pretty much active again, but they just started taking the temple prep class, and they are super excited about getting sealed in the temple. The work has just gotten so awesome this last week. The lord really does have his hand in all things. Regardless of what it is.

Mom: Yes we recive the Ensign. And we have been told that we are going to be getting a ton of extra copies this next month so we can hand them out to people. (I have only seen this issue, i havent gotten my copy yet)

Dad: isnt missionary work just so much fun? did that experience remind you of being back in england?

Maren: You better cheer loud at the marathon this weekend, the cheer section will be two members less this year. Make me proud. haha, remember at the ironman, when we would yell the peoples names, and they had no idea who we were or why we would know their names haha. good times :D

 

Love you all so so much!

Love What You Do, Do What You Love

Elder Ettinger

Goat Surgery

Straight rainbow that grew to be a regular rainbow

Helping with an Eagle Project

Ames atop Mt. Graham

Short one - Ames

So this email is going to be pretty short, not a whole lot going on this week, and not a whole lot of time to email.

First of all, im emailing super late today because we went hiking today! it was so sweet. and the weather up there was like 60's! way nice!

I also got to go up on the mountain on saturday to help a ward member out with an eagle project. pretty fun stuff.

This week has been another slow week for the missionary work. Not a single lesson taught. but we did set up some sweet stuff for next week. We are going to be teaching a kid that is the high school quarterback, and he has been going to seminary for the last few months, so the seminary teachers, who are both in our ward, said that he could be taught during his seminary class, well he wasnt about to miss seminary, so he said he would ditch another class so he could meet with us. haha this kid already sounds legit! so we have three appointments with him this week. the firset one is tomorrow, hoping to set a bap date with him! gonna be sick!

So thats about it for this week. sorry this one is so short!

Love you all so much!

Elder Ettinger

4 month Mark - Kyle

Hello folks,

Well its 4 months today, time just flies by from my perspective.

the past week has been pretty empty as far as the missionary work goes. We tract almost every morning for about an hour or two. And usually only get one return appointment out of, 30 houses that we knock on! We also forgot about our investigators this week, and failed to show up to the appointments we made. So right now we're really just not doing good ha. It makes me laugh because we were just so excited to do more service this week for members, that we just forgot everything else.

yesterday was a pretty exciting day though, it was apple Valleys stake conference, and we got to hear from the temple president and his wife, and our mission president and his wife. Great talks. But, to finish it all off, we got the privilage to hear from Elder Packer of the seventy! He is one of the most funny guys in the world! He was crackin jokes left and right, but also had a really spiritual message for us.

I Think about it now, and don't remember if i told you that we got to go to the redlands temple two weeks ago. We did an endowment session, and it was really fun! i got pictures of the temple at night. So You'll be seeing it next time i send pictures. 

Dad, thats really neat that you were able to be a missionary again and talk . . . about the gospel and missions. Isn't missionary work just so much fun!? i love being on a mission, its just super awesome! We really are "Tools" in the lords hands. 

Speaking of, did i tell you guys that here in apple valley there are VW bugs, baja's, like all over the place? almost every 5 houses has at least one VW bug. i always walk up to the cars and check out the engines, and interior. 

Oh, we visited one of our usual less actives.  He rides dirt bikes quite a bit. But, he says he doesn't really know how to work on them much. So in a week or so i'm gonna help him rebuild his carburetor. It should be a good time.

thanks for all that you do for me! 

the mission goes on! One day after another.

Love, Elder Kyle Ettinger

Kyle 9/12/11

hello everyone,

I apologize for not sending any letters the past week since i was unable to email. Usually if we have a holiday on a p-day, we get to email the next tuesday, but our mission pres. didn't give us permission this past labor day, so thats why i didn't get on.

The past two weeks have been the average weeks in the mission, slow finding, some lessons taught. However some sad and good news. sad first.

All 5 of our investigators are no longer being taught, incuding our solid couple. . . and so he called and said he will continue to read the book of mormon, but no more visits. Lame!

Good news, WE have 2 New gators that we're teaching, one is a boy named scott who is 11 yrs old. He was taught by missionaries in the ward he moved from. And he's pretty dang solid right now. We just have to get him to come to church. He lives with his mom on weekends, who is not a member, so its gonna be tough. But we'll work something out. The second is a lady named Shilawn, she knows her bible back to front its crazy! We are gonna teach her the plan of salvation this week.

E.Riley only has 10 weeks left in his mission, ha i count down for him. He's not excited to go home. oh well! ames and i will be 4 months next sunday! crazy stuff! the time just keeps flying on by! and the mission in so fun!

sounds like everyone is doing well and is having a blast!! Mom, and dad you guys be safe in japan! i expect lots of pictures! thats so cool that you guys get to go there! We do email and laundry at sis winelands house, she is a retired Flight attendant, she's been all over the world many times! she's told me some fun stories.

Thanks for the love and prayers!

Love, Elder kyle Ettinger

Ames 9/12/11

     First of all, that subject line means nothing, it just sounded cool. Secondly, this week has gotten alot better =) Elder Nordyke and i are getting along well, and we have two new investegators, and a part member family that we should start working with. Exciting stuff. We were only able to teach two lessons though last week, but with these new 'Gators' as kyle says, should get us some more lesson oportunities. Two weeks ago, we had alot of chastizement from the zone leaders to the zone on not going out and finding enough and getting new people to teach. The Zone has definately changed their attitude and the lord has blessed us with at least 15 new investegators this week as a zone! And we are in the Gila Valley which is over run with mormons =) So its getting pretty exciting.

     So another pretty sweet story from this week. My ward mission leader in 4th ward has a little brother that just got his mission call this week, where is he going? California San Bernardio Mission English speaking! haha i told him that was where my twin bro was at and he was like "Shut up Dude... Your Bro?" haha he then proceeded to tell pretty much everyone "Guess whos brother is in Travis' Mission?... ETTINGERS!!!!" haha it was pretty tight that he was so excited about it. We figure by the time that he gets to the field, that kyle could very well be his trainer. =) you could say that it was revelation. So kyle, look out for a Farmer Boy, Travis Palmer from the Gila Valley. And When you see him be sure to take a picture with him and send it to me :D

     All else is going well.

     Stay Cool.

 

Love Elder Ettinger