Adios Lexi!

 

Week: 1 
Date: February 12, 2024
Location: San Antonio Texas, At Home MTC
Email: leah.kimball@missionary.org
Companion: Hermana Duersch/ Pennsylvania, Hermana Strong/ Arizona

HI EVERYONE!!

The day we got set apart as missionaries for the church of jesus christ of latter day saints!! San Antonio Texas January 2024

: my sisters with my new tag!
San Antonio Texas
January 2024

  I hope you are all well! It is so surreal writing a missionary email right now! Although, all of this feels pretty surreal! Just a warning to all of my friends who have recently received their calls… the time from getting your call and starting your mission goes by in what literally feels like 2 seconds!! Anyways y'all, I am a survivor, I have officially finished home CCM (Centro De Capacitación Misional México), or Mexico MTC! And for my friends who don’t know what an MTC is, and have no clue what I'm talking about, it is a training center that all missionaries get sent to for the first 3,6, or 9 weeks of their mission depending on the language they are assigned to speak. An example of this would be that Lexi, who will speak English in Colorado is going to the Provo MTC for 3 weeks, although for myself I am going to the Mexico CCM for 6 weeks since I am speaking Spanish! 

     Ok, ok, now that  you're all caught up! I finished my first and only week of online CCM and let me tell y'all! It really brings you back to 2020 online covid school, the PTSD is real! Jokes jokes! Let me fill y'all in on a normal day at home CCM! Everyday, I wake up at 6:30 am, scary I know. It is definitely a time I'm still adjusting to but it’s pretty awesome how much I accomplish before noon! At 6:30 we wake up, work out, get ready for the day, and eat breakfast all before 7:55 am when me and my companions have companion study! GUYS!! I forgot to tell y'all about my companions! I am in a trio (which means there’s three of us instead of two)! My companions are the most radiant Christ-like individuals in the world! Their names are Hermana Duersch and Hermana Strong! Hermana Duersch is from Pennsylvania and she is serving her mission in Salta, Argentina!! Hermana Strong is from Arizona and she is serving in the Dominican Republic Santiago Mission! What a blessing my companions have been to me! They are super sweet and our convos flow so nicely!! Hermana Strong and I actually have a mutual friend from BYU (shout out Sadie!!) and that has been a huge blessing because I was very nervous but knowing we have the same awesome friend I knew we were gonna connect pretty easily! And Hermana Duersch is so intelligent and spiritual it’s so wonderful everything I am learning from her!

 my companions! (sorry i’m not sure why i was blurry 🤦‍♀️)
San Antonio Texas
February 2024

Anyways, back to my schedule! After companion study we have classes with our district the rest of the day! Guys, my district is so special, there’s actually only 5 girls in my district and no boys! So it is only my trio and one other companionship (Hermana Gines and Hermana Clawson, both going to the Uruguay Montevideo West Mission, which my cousin is in!! Shout out Maryn!!), I was pretty concerned about this because I knew that having such a small class is pretty unusual, until I learned we are actually in the intermediate class. Meaning we all come from backgrounds where we know a bit more Spanish rather than this being our first introduction to it! And let me tell you, these girls I'm with in my district definitely have the gift of tongues because they are Spanish masters!! Our Spanish class is from 8:30 am to 11:30 am! This class is awesome, our teacher is Hermana Reyna and she is just such a lovely teacher! She’s very patient with my Spanish and she’s the type of teacher who knows how to correct me nicely! IT’S SO NICE!! Then at 1:00 we have a workshop which is a combination of all the missionaries at home MTC this week! Pretty awesome, it’s about 450 missionaries worldwide! Afterwards, we have a preach my gospel class with Hermano Leyva for 3 hours from 2:30-5:30! 

          After our Preach My Gospel class, we have personal study and then I eat dinner and spend the rest of my night with my family. My family and I have been binging “The Chosen” every night and it is so so good!! I 1000000% recommend watching “The Chosen”! It is just so so good and watching the stories of Jesus have been incredibly impactful and I love sharing the stories to my companions and how it relates to our lesson! 

First day of Home MTC
San Antonio Texas
February 2024

Picnic with My Family
San Antonio Texas
February 2024

At the Rodeo with my family on Pday
San Antonio Texas 
February 2024

        This week has been so amazing, full, and nerve-wracking all at the same time because it’s all starting to feel so real! Tomorrow, I leave for the real deal CCM, so next time I write y'all, I'll be living my best vida in Mexicoooo!! Oh and I should probably address the subject line! Lexi is gonna be pretty surprised when she realizes she was the name of my first email out on the mission but it feels pretty fitting! Today, I say goodbye to my bestest friend. If I get too sappy I’ll get emotional but since you all know Lexi and I, you know we are very close! She does my laundry, she cleans my room, she’s like my maid but she happens to be pretty awesome and super funny! My first companion I’ve ever had and it’s gonna be a pretty difficult 18 months without her! Lexi and I haven’t been apart longer than a week so please pray for us, mostly her!! (im kidding im kidding)! I am blessed to have her in my life and I know she is going to change lives in Colorado and I’m super proud of her! I love you Lexi!

        SPIRITUAL THOUGHT!! This week my mission plaque went up and I feel it’s fitting to share the scripture that I chose to have engraved on it and its from Isaiah 41:10 

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

 Officially Hermana Kimball
San Antonio Texas 
February 2024

I love love love this scripture! I know that my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will strengthen me and help me for the next 18 months, and I'm confident when I lean on them for help they will provide a way for me! I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I am blessed to have him as my brother! If you do not know Christ I invite you to start to know Him! He will move mountains in your life! I know that he loves me and I am positive he loves y'all!! 

Thank you all for reading the first of many emails for this adventure I am about to go on! I love y'all and i’m honored to have your support! GOD IS SO GOOD!!

- Hermana Kimball!

PS!!! JOIN MY GOOGLE PHOTOS!! Quick way to see what i'm up to during the day!!