Dear Mom and Dad,
Everything about Cache Valley is true! The people are great, the members are super helpful and supportive, and the community is very strong here. Smithfield is beautiful, and I love the area we work in! My companion's mouth is healed now. We were very easy-going for a couple of days, making sure he got plenty of rest, but we're back up to speed now, and we actually doubled our lessons this past week! Of course, that was after the wisdom teeth week, but it was still very encouraging! Also, I was able to get a coat and a sweater and gloves for very cheap at the Deseret Industries in Logan! The weather this week has actually been really pleasant though, but I'm sure we'll get hit with winter soon enough. That's crazy that it's colder there than it is here! I'm not sure how long that'll last though.
It's great to hear that the work is moving forward back home as well! Is Elder McReynolds still in the YSA ward or did he transfer? The work is going well here, and the fact that we can get on Facebook is really just incredible! I feel like it opens up a whole lot of possibilities for missionary work. I can keep in touch with friends back home, as well as people here in this area! It's truly amazing how accessible the Gospel is in our day.
As for the visa documents, I'll get those taken care of and sent back home ASAP! I'm hoping that this means my visa paperwork is at the top of the stack now, haha. I'm sure it'll all work out the way it should. I know this is where I'm supposed to be right now, and I'd be fine staying here for as long as I need to!
I hope everything is going well back home! Give everyone my greetings and love!
Love,
Elder Kamilos
Elder Kamilos on October 29, 2013:
Dear Mom and Dad,
I'm in the field!!! And as you can see, my p-day is actually on Tuesday, so it's the same as in the MTC! My first area is Smithfield, which is pretty much part of Logan. It's SO beautiful here, I absolutely love it. My trainer's name is Elder Trujillo, and he's from Monterey, Mexico, and he's a great missionary! He actually just got his wisdom teeth pulled today, so we might be stuck at home for a couple of days :/ But my first week here has been absolutely incredible! I'm amazed at how much work there is to do out here! We cover the Smithfield Stake, which has 8 wards. We're in a biking area, but we actually walked last week because I was in a trio up until yesterday. Elder Jensen had been here for about 2 months waiting for a visa to Argentina, and he just left yesterday! So that was exciting for him, and now we're back in a duo companionship. We have a baptism this weekend for an 11 year old boy named Joseph Soto, and last
Thursday, I gave my first baptismal invite to a family of 5, and they accepted!! I felt so blessed!! Also, yesterday, we met with a 14 year boy named Larry Hernandez, and gave him the first two lessons and set
a date for him to be baptized on the 9th of Nov! He is SO prepared, and he's an awesome kid. I can totally see him being a general authority or something, because he has such a strong spirit about him.
About the mission! The Ogden Mission was the third mission in the WORLD to implement iPads into the work, so we're blessed with such an amazing tool to hasten the work. Along with that, we can also use
Facebook to proselyte! How cool is that!! So starting this week, I'll be able to log into my normal profile and hopefully get in touch with my non-member friends! The condition is that we can use it as long as we're fulfilling our missionary purpose, so as long as I'm discussing the gospel, fellow-shipping members, or doing other mission related things, I can use Facebook! The Gospel really has no limits now! And my mission president, President Hiers, made a great point: the middle-east doesn't have missionaries, but it has the internet and facebook! The message can be carried to pretty much any part of the world through a variety of ways!
Today was the first snowfall, but it warmed up and melted. But winter is definitely coming soon! And we're going to get me a coat and other stuff in a little bit today. Also, Elder Trujillo just got his wisdom teeth taken out today, so we might be stuck at home or nearby for a couple of days, which is unfortunate, but we'll get some good planning and study time in!
As for the package, I can't think of anything I really need right now. Just whatever you'd like to send will be great for me!! I'll let you know next week if I need any cold-weather supplies, but I should be able to get what I need here. I probably won't need another suitcase, the ones I have are enough for all my stuff.
I'll try to get you some pictures next week! I left my camera at home (we actually live with at a member's home in the basement), so I'll make sure to get some next week. I'm glad you got the pictures from
Sister Davis of me singing! It was a lot of fun!
I'll talk to you next week!! I love you and I pray for the family every day!
Love,
Elder Michael Kamilos
Ps. There are so many awesome members here! We have dinner appointments everyday, and actually on this last Sunday we had two...I was SO full afterwards, because I had to eat a full dinner at both
appointments. And then we had a lesson that night, and they gave us peach cobbler and ice cream. It was all so good, but I felt like I was going to explode. There are also a lot of places in Logan where we can eat lunch for free (we just tip well). Oh the joys of being a missionary in Utah, haha.
Pps. OH MY!! I forgot to tell you something awesome! So last Friday, we had dinner at a member's house, and it turns out his mission president was President Monson! But that's not all! Apparently just two days before we were there, President Monson was at that house visiting them!! We were completely surprised! Apparently President Monson woke up that morning and felt like he needed to visit him and his wife, and so he stopped by that afternoon and gave him a blessing and everything! Sooo yeah, Thomas S. Monson was in our area, a couple of blocks from our house, just four days ago. Only in Utah, haha. But it was really cool to hear the story! I wish I could have been there when he was there, but I know President Monson would rather have us out doing missionary work, which is what we were doing, haha :) But yeah, that was one of the more exciting experiences I had this week.
Love y'all!!
Hey Mary!!
Ogden indeed, haha. And actually, my first area is in Smithfield, which is just outside of Logan. It's beautiful here! I love the people and the town. My companion and I cover the Smithfield Central Stake (yeah, each companionship gets a whole stake), which has 8 wards. I'll put all the details and stuff in my e-mail to Mom and Dad, but I love it here!
Also, this mission was the 3rd mission in the WORLD to get iPads, so that's pretty sweet...
But yeah!! I'm way excited to be out here in the field. Today we had the first snowfall of the year, but it's warmer now so it didn't stay. I'm already starting to witness miracles, it's absolutely amazing. I feel so blessed to be out here serving the people of Smithfield and the Lord. Despite the huge number of members here, there's still a lot of work to be done, and I'm so humbled to be a part of it.
Also, I'm glad Elizabeth sent you the pictures! It was a lot of fun singing at the departure devotional, and I felt so privileged to get to do that.
I hope everything is going great! I pray for everyone in the family every day, and I appreciate all of the prayers you send me!
Love,
Elder Michael Kamilos
