Monday, March 28, 2016

Weekly Update #51

     A beautiful day in Thurso, it is. Hello to you all! Hopefully your days have been as beautiful and just as exciting as what's coming up!

     The rest of Monday we traveled out of Edinburgh, making a quick stop to eat some food, but got caught in traffic as well and Stella, our SatNav, said we were due back to Thurso at 11:34 PM. I did not want to drive and stay up until 11:34, nor did I think I could make it. So, we called up the Inverness elders and stayed the night with them. It was alright. We had a good night's sleep. Also, Putturge (our old car) was replaced by Chandra (our new car!). Chandra's pretty sweet. She can get going pretty well and hasn't been through as much as Putturge. Good exchange on cars. 

     The next morning was our District Meeting. We got up and personally went to the meeting, we didn't have to Skype in this day. It was an enjoyable meeting. After, we traveled back to Thurso and made it safely. We then went shopping, because we couldn't on Monday, had a great time in doing so, and then had lunch. Lunch was good. After lunch, we GQed around Thurso a bit before a coordination meeting. We had the meeting, went out and visited some less-active folks, and that was the night.

     Wednesday we went to Wick. At Wick, we GQed a few folks and did some business we had to get done out there. After, we went back to the flat for lunch, got ready, and went to do some service. It was an enjoyable time doing service. You just have to love doing service! I was still a bit tired after Monday and Tuesday, but I made it through the day! Yeah!

     Thursday we rocked and rolled and started off GQing about Thurso. That went swell. After, a check engine light came on in Chandra, so we went to see what was up with that. The garages were busy, so we'll be taking her in this week to get her checked up on. After that, we met with a chap and his family out in Wick. It was a fabulous conversation! Good craic there! After, we went to meet with a recent convert and his family. That was another conversation which was good. Good conversations all around!

     Friday we weekly planned, GQed, met with a less-active and got volunteered to do a wee bit of service. It was a blast. After, though, we went to the church for a walk-through Plan of Salvation presentation the youth were doing. It was so incredible! Like, I would use words I've been asked not to use in emails by my MTC president, that's how marvelous it was! Such a blast!


     Saturday we did more service at the charity shop where we got engaged into a conversation with several people there! That was a neat experience. We talked about America, Ireland, Scotland, card games, board games, computer games, religion and all the good stuff that goes with it. The fellow we chatted with was a swell chap. After, we did service at the croft and caught some stuff on fire! That was fun! 

     Sunday was Easter! Easter was fun this year. We got several easter eggs, so I made the Egg Tower. 


Splendid. Anywho, during church there were a swamping of musical numbers, each one incredible. Elder Wynder and I were able to sing in the choir as we sung 'Consider the Lilies'. That was grand. After church, we had lunch, tried by some folks, then GQed Thurso a bit to close out the night  While doing so we found an odd hole with strange things by it. I took a picture and then we hurried on our way. 


It was also daylight savings. It's really light now at 7:00 PM. Throws me off.

     What a good day it has been. What a grand week it's been! I'm thankful for the opprotunity we have because of what Jesus Christ did for each of us. How fantastic is it that we can choose our own paths, make decisions, and if we mess up we can recover? Incredibly fantastic. 

     Thank you all for the prayers and the support! I wish each of you a great time this week! Cheers!
Godspeed

Elder Kinville

Jacob 6:12 "O be wise; what can I say more?"

Monday, March 21, 2016

Weekly Update #50

     Bit of a curveball today, but from Edinburgh, hello! Had a crazy 5 hour drive this morning to get to Edinburgh, but we are here and we are rocking it out! Let's get the craic rolling.

     Last Monday was good. We went and did other P-day activities and it was fun. In the evening, we had a dinner with the American family in the ward. That was good. He had a collection of books by Hugh Nibley, which was amazing! To say the least, we selfied it.


     Tuesday we went out and about, had a good morning talking to some folks on the street. We then hopped over for some service and had a good chat with them while serving. In the evening, we did some more street contacting and then returned to our flat. Sort of a busy day, but good!

      Wednesday was another mainly finding day. We went out and about, talked with folks on the street, had lunch, talked with more folks and did that most of the night. In the evening, we had a coordination meeting with our Branch Mission Leader, which was also a blast. He's a neat fellow. We then continued back to the flat to find a massive wood louse. I was a fan of it.


     Thursday we were on exchanges in Inverness! That was so much fun! Inverness is a lovely city. Anywho, I was with Elder Clay for a bit, then I went contacting with Elder Perkins. It was a wonderful day. We had dinner and cooked up a campfire in the back garden so we could roast marshmallows and make s'mores. We didn't have grahm crackers, so we used digestive biscuits. Same difference, but it was a wonderful night.

     Friday was right off epic. We went by Loch Ness, which was incredible! After, we returned to Thurso and went right off doing what we do: finding. That was a blast. In the evening, we had an appointment with our recent convert and had a wonderful lesson and chat with his family.

     Saturday we got a call saying we had to drive down to Edinburgh to get our car exchanged for a different one. That was exciting. Anywho, we did service on this day, and like always it was a blast. Helping folks is fun! I had another good chat with some of the charity shop folks we serve with about the States and sort of what I'm doing out and about here in Scotland. Blessings. Maybe one day one of them will ask or will accept if we invite. Hopefully!

     Sunday was a fabulous Sunday, let me say. We had a grand church meeting and had choir practise after. After that, we did some street contacting, because that's we do in Thurso. Anywho, had some good times, good chats, a few laughs, overall was grand! After, we had dinner and got ready to wake up at 5:00 to get ready to drive to Edinburgh the next day.

     Today, we drove. It's been a great five hours, so far. Lovely scenery; we saw the end of a rainbow (no pot of gold), and saw some beautiful countryside. What a blessing.


     That was me for this week, pretty basic, pretty straightforward but that's how missionary work is to be. I hope you all have had a marvelous week and that you all keep having a marvelous week! Thank you all so much! Cheers!
Godspeed

Elder Kinville

Jacob 6:12 "O be wise; what can I say more?"

Monday, March 14, 2016

Small Miracle

Every week, my Mom and Elder Kinville exchange miracles that they experienced that week.

Here is Elder Kinville's latest miracle...

Mother! 
Hello! I am good, how are you? I am not in need of anything at the moment. Thank you. 
Wow, hopefully all goes well for those two. They've had a lot of action and movement in their time, thus far. But with your comments, I can't help but think about how Heavenly Father and Mother feels about watching us as we make choices, sometimes not the best. Agency is the greatest blessing we have, but if we use it improperly it is also the greatest curse.
Good miracle! Mine was that we had a lesson with a less active fellow, who let us in and was drunk. Apparently, he got a bit off at us and wanted to come over to us on the couch, but he said that there was a wall or barrier preventing him from getting up. Miracle? Yes. Incredible? Yes. Are we going to see him again? If the Spirit directs, I know that if we see him again the same protection will be there.
Thank you for your prayers! Have a great week! Love you!

Godspeed

Elder Kinville

Jacob 6:12 "O be wise; what can I say more?"

Weekly Update #49

     What a wonderful week! 

     Monday was a Monday; pretty usual, I know. We went about in the evening and did some GQing and chatted with a few folks after emailing, shopping, and eating food.

     Tuesday we had a District Meeting, so we Skyped in there and it was a jolly meeting! Elder Perkins, our new District Leader, is in the same group as Elder Oldham and will be going home in two transfers (about 12 weeks). That is insane! Anywho, after we tried by some folks, chatted with some of them, went about, and then did some knocking to close out the night. It was pretty good, I'd say. But what made it better was that we created pretzel bites for dinner. 


Now, that was good! It was like, science had a child and it's name was Clarence! That's how good it was! 

     Wednesday we rocked and rolled out with some GQing right in the morning. We did that, chatted with a few people, nothing too interesting. We then went out and about and did some service for members, moving some muck about and helping them on their croft. We got to groom their horses, which was incredible. They have this large Clydesdale and a little Shetland pony. Elder Wynder, being six foot whatever, got the Clydesdale and I got to groom the pony. It was grand.

     On Thursday we weekly planned and talked about the branch. It was a good session, plenty of jolly discussion. After, we had lunch and then boogied off to Wick to do some try-bys and finding! Always fun, always fun. While out, we were walking through a park, chatting with folks there when we found a bunch of foam. 


Now, you can't see it in the picture, but when we first saw it, bits of the foam were flying about because of the wind. It was magical! F'reals! We then went over to the recent convert and had a lesson with him.

     Friday we started by GQing some more. People know us pretty well. It's fun. Anywho, we then visited two less active folks, both of which are fantastic people. After that, we continued our quest in finding and then closed the night with kebabs. It was marvelous, and it was also Elder Wynder's 18 month mark. Crazy! I remember celebrating his year mark when I was last with him. Bueno, bueno.

     Saturday was a service Saturday! We rocked it out at the charity shop, sorting some items and just being incredible. We talked with a few of the people there who asked some questions, but nothing big came from it. After, we did some more muck service on the croft, which is always fun. We're almost done clearing out this pen, and hopefully this week it'll be done! Then we can do other things on the croft! Like serve more! Whoo!

     Sunday was a kicker, though! We went to church, had a grand time there, and then after went to the Winkle's for a lunch. They are a fantastic family! It was a grand time being able to chat with them and all that. So worth it. Also, we may end up doing service there, too. Serve, serve, serve! Gonna be great! We did some GQing for the rest of the night and then had fajitas for dinner. What a blast.

     Mosiah 4:11-12. What a wonderful verse! Read it, right now. And with that I shall paraphrase Hugh Nibley in saying that this is a wonderful verse in that we are to remember our own nothingness, so we have nothing to worry about. But then, we are to remember God's greatness so we have everything to rejoice about! Not only does this apply to missionaries, but it ought to apply to each and every one of us. 

     That was this week! Thank you all so much for the support and prayers! May ya'll have a grand ol' time this week! Cheers!
     
Godspeed

Elder Kinville

Jacob 6:12 "O be wise; what can I say more?"

Monday, March 7, 2016

Weekly Update #48

     The dynamic duo! The devastating duet! The... D-adjective dudes are back together again! Hooo-yeah! Elder Wynder and Elder Kinville are back in action! Watch out Thurso! Here's what we did this week:

     Monday we started by travelling to Inverness, as many already know. We spent the day there, getting the car fixed, finding, chatting with folks, doing things that can't be done in Thurso (like eating at Subway). It was grand.


     Tuesday me and Elder Thueson were told to keep Inverness pretty for the day. So we did finding. It was alright. We got the car back, had lunch, did some finding, and then drove down to Aberdeen. It was a lovely drive. After, we had a meal with a member down in Aberdeen and then met another chap and called it a night. We stayed the night at some other elder's flat. I can't remember the other elder, but one of them was Elder Tullis. He's a champion.

     Wednesday we got up early, dropped off Elder Thueson and Elder Tullis' companion, and then I got Elder Wynder back! Hooo-yeah! That was grand and all. We instantly kicked back on old jokes and began the supposed-to-be-five-but-turned-to-six-because-of-weather drive. That was great. We then got some foodstuffs and called it a night.


     Thursday we kicked it off by GQing around Thurso to show Elder Wynder what's what. We did that for the morning, had lunch, helped Lee with some rubbish, did weekly planning, and then went to Wick to GQ around there. It was fun. We talked to some folks. It was grand.

     Friday we went off to call/text/contact folks and GQ. That was good. After lunch, we did more finding, try-bys, and whatnot. In the evening, we met with Lee and his son (who's a recent convert) and had a grand lesson there. It's such a blast. After, we had dinner and that was the night. 

     Saturday was a service Saturday! We worked at the charity shop for a good while and then had some lunch and then went to the Tolworthy's croft for some more mucking. That was fun! We cleared out a horse pen thing and it was pretty fun. We then ate some good haggis and that was the night.

     Sunday we went to church, had a blast there, and then had lunch and then went about to do some finding in some villages. We found a breath-taking place. Thurso is so pretty sometimes! 


     That was this week! Short, but we did a ton of travelling and a ton of good things hit the floor. The same should be happening this week! What a blessing it is! Never underestimate the power of service and example! Wow!

     Cheers, folks! Have a great week and keep being who you are.
Godspeed

Elder Kinville

Jacob 6:12 "O be wise; what can I say more?"