Más Christ 🌲🎄🌟🎅🤶

Week: 46
Date: December 23, 2024
Location: Springfield, Illinois
Email: leah.kimball@missionary.org
Companion: Sister Roos /Paradise, Utah
Blog: https://livinlavidastlouis.blogspot.com/?m=1

Lexi's Mission Blog: https://iputtheradincolorado.blogspot.com/

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Sister Hansen and I on exchanges!!!
Springfield Illinois
December 2024

Hey y’all!

Another email from your favorite missionary in Illinois! We are seeing so many miracles and working our behinds off!

Tuesday we had zone conference, and it was our Christmas zone conference, so it was a pretty bigggg deal! We drove all the way to St. Louis, had a very spiritual-filled morning, ate lunch, then played Minute to Win It games. Springfield zone was not going to lose whatsoever, so we were hyping everyone up! I've never yelled as much or cheered more than I did at zone conference. I may have gotten a little too competitive, but we did win, so #Springfield🔛🔝!!! My voice suffered for the days following, but Pres. McKay sent us a text and basically said we slayed at hyping our zone up! So my mission is accomplished!

After zone conference, Sister McKay allowed each of us to hit up St. Louis City Mall to go to the Giving Machines. So the squad and I headed there, and I got to donate something for the Giving Machines! It's seriously the coolest way to give and was so fun! I was also there with my literal mission besties (minus Shumway… miss you, girl), so it was a total party!

just us lighting the world ✨️
St Louis Missouri
December 2024

Me, sis Roos, and Tookia!!! 
Springfield Illinois
December 2024

Wednesday, we did another exchange with the Litchfield sisters. I went to Litchfield, Illinois, once again, but this time with Sister Hansen. I got to take Sister Hansen on her very last exchange as she finishes up her mission in a couple weeks! It was a good time!

This past week, we have been working with our friend Richard A LOT to prepare him for his baptism! I am genuinely super excited! Everyone, please say some extra prayers for Richard—he's definitely one of the coolest people I've ever met, so I'm pumped! After teaching Richard all the commandments on Saturday, we had to push his date back by one day!! So we are now preparing for January 5th, 2025!! I’m so excited about that, and after our lesson, we had a YSA Christmas party, which was amazing! Richard got to come as well, and we all played board games and ate Christmas food. It was a huge success! He's awesome!

Miss Carolyn got us Christmas presents!
Springfield Illinois
December 2024

Anna fish tail braided my hair!! #queen 
Springfield Illinois
December 2024

We’ve had some of the weirdest interactions. Sister Roos is really good at talking to everyone, so we talked to everybody… which means the weirdos, too. We had two pretty funny instances this past week. We taught the whole Restoration to someone, and the Spirit was so strong… and we asked him what he got out of it, and he started going off on a tangent about how we are living proof of aliens and multiple gods… it was so funny. We also were walking home and met this older Black lady. She was so cute and absolutely ate up every word we were saying. She was doing that thing where she repeats the words we say, and then would add, like, "Praise Jesus," it was awesome! We even prayed with her! Then… I kid you not… she starts absolutely vomiting… just everywhere. We politely walked away. We didn’t realize she was completely drunk. Anyways, loving my life right now!

Isaiah is a FYA member in lesson 
Springfield Illinois
December 2024

. Richard and Isaiah and the pic we gonna
recreate at Richard's baptism! 
Springfield Illinois
December 2024

Also, we went and knocked on some doors yesterday after our Christmas church service (which was amazing)! I was in a handchime choir and rang bells as a musical talent to play “Silent Night”… but anyways, we knocked into these two men who are of the Muslim faith, and they said they will read the Book of Mormon if we read the Quran… so I’ve got my studies laid out for me this week!

This upcoming week is literally going to be so magical! We’ve got some really fun plans from some amazing members lined up, and I am just feeling so blessed. This week, trying to get into the Christmas spirit, I listened to all the past Christmas devotionals, and this one, specifically, really touched my heart:

The Perfect Gift
Link to the talk

I genuinely love this talk so much because my whole life, I’ve been excited about the gifts side of Christmas—what am I going to get? What will I get others? I’ve always been focused on the giving and receiving. This year, I kinda feel like an old person… like the grandmas and grandpas of the world who start to look back at their lives and think, “Wow, I really do have everything I could ever want.” And that's how I feel right about now. I just feel so blessed, and I genuinely have everything I ever need. I’ve truly seen the blessings of what the gospel has given me and have caught myself in this season of my life, counting each of them. I truly just love my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that He is the reason for the season. He is really the reason I can have my eternal family and live in paradise! I just love this life. I love Jesus Christ, my Heavenly Father, and my Heavenly Mother. I know that the Bible and the Book of Mormon are true testaments of Jesus Christ’s life, and I am beyond grateful for His birth!

I love each of y’all!! I hope you know that! Always remember who you are and what you stand for! ¡DIOS ES BUENO, FELIZ NAVIDAD!! 🌲🎄🌟🎅🤶

- Hermana Kimball 🎀

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Dad: Cleaning the church on the day you fly out is very Trent Kimball.
Mom: I miss you lots, first Christmas away from home :(
Colton: When you pop up on my phone memories, I genuinely don’t even recognize you.
Caryn: Your spiritual gift is the gift of validating my feelings! I love you!
Taylor: Big 🏌️‍♂️
Bailey: What big news?
Clay: You get me clout out here.
Lexi: Gosh, Colorado looks miserable right now #70degreeweather
Bella: Singing on the spot! Can’t wait till you sing at my wedding.
Collins: Girl, you are almost taller than Bella…
Capri: I'm so jealous you saw Jack :(
Kash: Do you even remember me?
Reese: Tell your mom to keep the Reese pics coming!