Locked in 🔒

  

Week: 56
Date: March 4, 2025
Location: Springfield, Illinois
Email: leah.kimball@missionary.org
Companion: Sister Searle /West Jordan, Utah
Blog: https://livinlavidastlouis.blogspot.com/?m=1

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

IF YOU WANNA SEE DAILY UPDATES JOIN MY PHOTO ALBUM: https://photos.app.goo.gl/UtSgfakxxo46tkbd6  

Bored while locked outta our car photos hoot
Springfield Illinois
March 2025

Sister Searle and I got gifted these water bottles
 by our bestie recent convert Gabe and have been drinking 2 a day!!
Springfield Illinois
March 2025

Hey y’all!

This week has actually been one of the fastest yet longest weeks of my mission—lol! Also, today is Temple Tuesday! But the week was jam-packed, so let’s get into it!!

To start the week off, we had such a fire zone conference!! Sister Searle and I had the opportunity to conduct the conference—I felt pretty big-time, lol! But honestly, it was one of the best zone conferences we’ve ever had. My spiritual thought for today comes from this conference because LOVE was really emphasized, and I truly enjoyed every minute of it!

Also, at the very end, they announced that ELDER KEARON IS COMING TO OUR MISSION!!! LIKE, WHAT?!?!? He’s coming March 22nd, and I. AM. PUMPED. !!!

 SPRINGFIELD ZONE!!!
Springfield Illinois
March 2025

And then there were 3... rip @fifita @roos @shumway 
St Louis Missouri
March 2025

 I love Sister Mckay!!
St Louis Missouri
March 2025

The height difference with lil Searle!!
Springfield Illinois
March 2025

After zone conference, we were heading to our car after car inspections and noticed some of the elders just waiting around. We asked them what they were doing and encouraged them to head back to their area, but they told us that the car inspector accidentally locked their keys in their car. So, Sister Searle and I, being the helpful souls we are, said we could drive home, grab a tool, and come back to help.

Well… we went to get in our own car, and lo and behold—we were locked out too. The car inspector had accidentally locked our keys in the car as well. Slay moment. Lol. So, we told Sister and President McKay, who called the car inspector. He said we could either:

1️⃣ Call a locksmith

2️⃣ Ride our bikes (that we did not bring) for the next four days until he came back to town.

So, President advised us to call a locksmith… but until they arrived, Sister Searle, two sets of elder companionships, and I were stuck at the church for two hours. A real bonding experience—lol!! Finally, the locksmith came and saved the day!

 Locked outta the cars...
Springfield Illinois
March 2025

On our morning run to the capital of Illinois or whateva!
Springfield Illinois
March 2025

Your new Springfield YSA sistas!!! 
Springfield Illinois
March 2025

Anotha one !! 
Springfield Illinois
March 2025

After that whole fiasco, Sister Searle and I went knocking, and we met our awesome new friends, Tyree and Aliya!! They’re so cool, and I’m really hoping we can get them to church this upcoming week!!!

We also had the BOMBEST lesson with Elizabeth about the Word of Wisdom and Law of Chastity. She straight up told us she’s already living it! It was so bomb. I just love her. She couldn’t come to church this past week, so we had to push her baptism date back a bit :(( but I have so much faith in her! I literally love that queen with my whole heart!

That night, we also met a guy named Dimeji!!! He’s from Nigeria, and he wants to change his life! He’s so cool and has been reading the Book of Mormon… He showed up at church two weekends ago and even came this Sunday!! We invited him to be baptized on March 23rd, and his smile was so big—he was pumped! So, I’m getting pretty stoked for him!

Also, quick check-in on Halen! He had another GREAT week! He told us he still wants to be baptized and has committed to keeping the commandments, so we will see! I’m praying he keeps up his reading in the Book of Mormon because I know it’s bringing so many blessings into his life right now!

On Friday, we also got to take a trip down to St. Louis and be at MLC with all my best friends!! I love MLC. I miss my friends so much, and they literally are all serving on opposite sides of the mission right now!! I LIVE for MLCs because it’s the one day I get to hug all of them and eat lunch together. It’s like hugging a piece of home!

The tender mercies of the mission are so real. I just love those girls so much! Also, I love Sister McKay! She is seriously so funny and so Christlike—her and I are best buds! I feel so blessed to have her as one of my mission leaders.

Exchange with the Litchfield sisters!!
Springfield Illinois
March 2025

MY MLC SQUAD
St Louis Missouri
March 2025

Then, Friday after MLC, we had exchanges! I went on another exchange with Sister Carpenter in J-ville!! I just love it there! We got to teach some of their friends on date as well as their French-speaking friends!! They’re also the sisters who are now teaching my Haitian friends, Chener and Jeanette, from last week! So, it was genuinely a blast!

This week was just so happy. With the weather getting better, Sister Searle and I jamming out to music, and getting to teach so many amazing people, I literally can’t complain!

 VANESSA W/ HER POWERPOINT for whiteboard night!!! 👏🙌 
Springfield Illinois
March 2025

My best friend Yung Ling and I at the Thomas' home! 
Springfield Illinois
March 2025

 Facetimin Roos with my fav Thomas family! 😍
Springfield Illinois
March 2025

We also got to see our newer friends, Larry and David, come to church this past week! I’m just so excited for everyone we are helping, and I’m stoked for another week ahead!

At zone conference, our mission leaders gave us some “words of wisdom,” which was basically a slideshow of all the phrases and advice they say a lot. One of them really stood out to me:

✨ “Duty: What do I have to do?

Love: What more can I do?” ✨

THEN!!! Later in the week, I was reading Jacob 5 about the laborers in the vineyard, and I came across this verse about Jesus Christ:

Jacob 5:41

“And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard wept, and said unto the servant: What could I have done more for my vineyard?”

I talked about this a while back in one of my emails, where I mentioned listening to a BYU speech about love being our only motivation.

If love truly were my only motivation, wouldn’t I be doing more than I am? Wouldn’t I care more, work harder, and labor more diligently in the vineyard?

When I came out on my mission, my reasoning was:

“I want to share the love of God and Jesus Christ.”

Now, I definitely stand behind that, but I want to add: “the love of Leah Kimball as well.”

I love these people so much. I want to share my love with them daily. I want them to truly know how much I pray for each of them—and, most importantly, how much I genuinely care about their eternal lives and families.

I want to end my mission with no regrets, never thinking I could have done more.

With love as my motivation, I have tried to shift my focus to what more I can do—how I can work harder in the Lord’s vineyard. I’ve challenged myself to do this because I know the Savior would.

The Savior would never give up on me.

So, to fully show His love and mine, I will do more!

I truly can’t say it enough—I love my Savior, Jesus Christ! I know He is risen, for me and for all of you. And I know He would do more, because He loves you more than you even know!

Have the most fantastic week! I love each of y’all! Let me know if there’s anything I can pray for this week! 🩷

— Hermana Kimball 🩷

Family Shoutouts:

Dad: Following Bella and Lexi to BYU?

Mom: BEST PLANNER EVER!!! I am extremely grateful to have the best momma!

Colton: I love your Clay gf jokes—they get me every time.

Caryn: Kash likes Chipotle? Lol, miracles are real!

Taylor: 🇨🇦🍁 (Hope your life is swell.)

Bailey: Weird coincidence—we are always chatting about you right before you hop on the call! Haha, love you! ❤️

Clay: “@meta AI, best places to find a girl who will watch Conan with me?”

Lexi: Cute ring! Thanks for inviting your random companions—glad they’ll be there!

Bella: Praying for you, Beth (I mean, Bella).

Collins: Your hair is so long—what!!!

Capri: Your TikToks are legit so good!

Kash: 🇲🇽🌯🌮

Reese: 11 pounds of cuteness!!!