Feels Like -22 🥶

 

Week: 50
Date: January 21, 2025
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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Selfies w/Sister Smith at zone conference!
Springfield Illinois
January 2025

Hiii y’all!!!

I hope y’all have had a blessed week! I swear, Illinois is legit trying to kill me… it feels like -20 degrees! I wish I was lying. Don’t be surprised if my next email is from home (just kidding). I seriously have to blink more here, or my eyes start to freeze up! #help

We started off the week by heading to an FYA zone conference! We talked all about the importance of member work, the Word of Wisdom (WOW), and the Law of Chastity (LOC)! Sister Roos and I did a training on how to teach the Law of Chastity. It went really well, and we practice-taught like 16 times before our training so we’d get it right! I really liked this zone conference because we focused a lot on the accomplishments of last year and discussed how we can increase our efforts this year. We talked about how if we’ve done it before, we can do it again and improve. I’m really excited for the goals we set to help people make covenants with God!

On Thursday, we had such a miraculous day!! Like I mentioned last week, Sister Roos and I have really been praying for people who fit the YSA (Young Single Adult) requirements, and Thursday we were so blessed! We met with 5 amazing people: Delphy, Tyler, Ellie, Kate, and Chris! They all expressed a desire to learn more, and hopefully, they’ll continue to progress with us! I feel genuinely blessed to have met them, so I’m super excited for good things to come!!

Thursday night, we played chair soccer at institute, and I actually creamed everyone (okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration), but I did tear a hole right in the knee of my pants… totally worth it for the win! Haha, it was actually a ton of fun and super funny because a lot of us were playing in big snow boots, which made the game a lot more interesting! Try running around kicking a soccer ball in snow boots with no shin guards. I was pretty terrified, to say the least! But I had to record that I did win one game! #slay #stillasoccerbeast

Not much else to report this week, but we’ve been teaching Trent every day, and it’s been GREAT! We go to Trent’s house to teach him, and since it’s a rule to have a woman present, we have his grandma, Grandma Fanny, sit in on every lesson! Ladies and gents, this woman is iconic! She’s this super sweet older black lady with stories for days! She loves to talk and says the most outlandish stuff, but she doesn’t care, haha! My favorite Grandma Fanny quote this week: “I’m scared of 3 things: snakes, God, and Chinese people because I don’t know karate!” She was being completely honest with us, and it took everything in me not to burst out laughing! I LOVE GRANDMA FANNY!! SHE’S PERFECT!!!

TRENT 10 DAYS CLEAN!!! 
Springfield Illinois
January 2025

Sister allred and me in J-Ville!! 
Springfield Illinois
January2025

Zone conference transfer numero 9!
Springfield Illinois
January 2025

Back to Trent! He has officially hit 10 days clean from the WOW!!! I’m sooooo happy for him! For his 7-day mark on Saturday, we brought him cookies and a huge vanilla bean frappé no coffee from Starbucks, per his request! Y’all, this time with Trent has been the best! He’s been taught for ages in missionary time (10 months!!), but he’s totally grown a testimony of the gospel and wants to change his life. He’s just really struggled with keeping the WOW! President McKay promised Sister Roos and me that if we get Trent reading the Book of Mormon every day, he will be baptized! So, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to be 100% responsible and get him in the Book of Mormon, meaning we’ve stopped by his house with his grandma or done phone lessons every day leading up to his baptism! And he’s seriously 10 days clean!!! God is so real! The power of the Book of Mormon is so real! Keep praying for him!

YESTERDAY WAS SO MEGA EVENTFUL!! We went on an exchange with the Jacksonville sisters, where I got to spend the day with Sister Allred in Jacksonville, Illinois!!! We taught some of the craziest women I’ve ever met! It was terrifying and a party all at the same time! One lady had schizophrenia, and that was a whole ballpark I didn’t know how to bat in! #takemebacktospanish!!! But for real, it was a lot of fun, and we got to teach some pretty powerful restoration lessons!

My fav Thomas girls! Minus Sis Thomas behind the camera! love her! 
Springfield Illinois
January 2025

Lily, Sister Roos, and I at bible study! 
Springfield Illinois
January 2025

 #BEREAL w/ Tyler at bible study!
Springfield Illinois
January 2025

Then, last night, we switched back, and I was back in the YSA! Our friend Tyler (from Thursday) invited us to a Bible study with him and his friends! It was hosted by his friend’s grandparents, there was yummy food, and an amazing discussion! We learned all about Jesus in John 3 and 4, reading all the translations of the Bible. It was very fun and very different! At the end of the study, we all got apple crisps from the sweet woman hosting us! The group of college kids was just in awe of Sister Roos, Lily (we forced our bestie Lily from the YSA to come with us), and me! They asked us how we became missionaries, how they can become missionaries, how they can enter the temple, and who Joseph Smith was! At one point, I kid you not, Sister Roos and I were in two different conversations. I was showing pictures of different temples across the world, and she was quoting the First Vision behind me, lol! It was ICONIC!! Our friend Tyler also came to church on Sunday, and he invited everyone in Bible study last night to join us at church this coming Sunday!!! He’s legit already a member missionary!! Haha, I love it here!!

Friday morning, we had the opportunity to be on a Zoom call with Elder Kyle McKay from the Seventy! (He’s my mission president’s brother)! He gave a fire training and talked to us about how not a single piece of our mission is wasted! How every minute is used and magnified by God’s hand! At the end of the training, he opened the floor to questions. I asked him how he can tell when he’s receiving a spiritual prompting. He simply quoted Elder Bednar and said, “Don’t worry about it; every good feeling, every good action, comes from the Spirit.” Then he went on to quote Galatians 5:22-23:

“22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

He reassured me that I was given the gift of the Holy Ghost at 8 years-old! Every action of mine that is good and aligns with the will of God is led by the Holy Spirit! The Holy Ghost is so important in my life, and I’m so blessed to have its guidance! I know the Holy Ghost, Jesus Christ, and God are all separate beings, but one in purpose. I’m grateful to know of the Godhead and for the support and strength I feel as I act in accordance with their teachings!

I love y’all so much! Have a warmer week than we will! Haha, pray for us out here!

-Sister Kimball

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Dad: I hope Honduras was so fun! Jelly I couldn’t be there with y’all!
Mom: Sorry about the nachos! 😅🤢
Colton: Are you sure they weighed you or Reese when it said 11 pounds?
Caryn: Sorry that the world ruined your name…
Taylor: How many things can I say about Canada in these?
Bailey: Thanks for letting me know where you live! Glad y’all are safe!
Clay: Your reels give me and my comp something to watch during lunch #thanks
Lexi: HEALTHY HAIR SUMMER 🔜
Bella: No shot you turn 18 tomorrow…
Collins: Why are you almost taller than Bella’s friends?
Capri: Blessed to talk to you last week!! #urarealone
Kash and Reese: Y’all are pretty special! 😍