Loved La Vida St. Louis 🩷
Week: 71
Date: June 16, 2025
Location: Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Email: leah.kimball@missionary.org
Companion: Sister Richins /American Fork, Utah
Blog: https://livinlavidastlouis.blogspot.com/?m=1
Lexi's Mission Blog: https://iputtheradincolorado.blogspot.com/
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| Ice cream w/ my bestie Sis Matthews!!! Cape Giardeau Missouri June 2025 |
Crazy that this will be your last email from me! Where did all the time go? Ending my mission is so bittersweet—it truly has been the greatest time of my life. And y’all, let me tell you, this last week was no exception. We ended my time in the MSLM with a bomb week! So let’s get into it!
This week, Sister Richins and I were reaping the blessings from our diligence the week prior. We had set up sooo many appointments for ourselves last week, so this week was just lesson after lesson! It was genuinely a blast!! We have made the COOLEST friends—Lyla, Adam, JJ, and J-Money (his name is Jaylen, but he told us to call him J-Money). I knew it was gonna be a bomb week once we had met all of them and taught them before Thursday! Like, a slay start to the week!
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| Last district council!! W/ (left to right) Elder Bramlett, Elder Thornley, Sis Richins, Elder Kooyman, and Elder Ing Cape Girardeau Missouri June 2025 |
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| Our youth missionary Julia! This girl joined us in knocking so many doors !! Cape Girardeau Missouri June 2025 |
Anyways, in district council, we all bore our testimonies, and it made me really reflect on how grateful I am for my mission. Like genuinely, I don’t know who I’d be without it! I just LOVE Jesus Christ, and I am forever grateful for the spiritual gifts I’ve gained out here—especially my testimony of my Savior!!
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| Faith and Lenaya!! I'm gonna miss these girls so much!! Cape Girardeau Missouri June 2025 |
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| . My lovely Staples! My fake parents! I love them!! Cape Girardeau Missouri June 2025 |
On Friday, we met our sweet friend named Faith, who I have to tell y’all about… Faith is the sweetest 16-year-old who is legit READY for baptism! Every time we go over, she’s like, “I wanna be baptized.” Being able to teach her this past week was so fun and rewarding. Faith comes from a very broken home, and she hardly knows who Jesus is. So bearing my testimony of my Savior to her was so tender. She hooked on to every word we were saying like it was gold. I felt like I could just see her life changing as she listened to us! She’s seriously the sweetest, and she came to church Sunday with her little sister Lenaya and everything! She’s genuinely amazing, and I’m so excited for her baptism—hopefully July 6th!!
I also got to go on another exchange in Farmington, Missouri, with Sister Matthews. We got some YUMMM ice cream and had the funnest exchange of all time. This girl genuinely inspires me—she just cares so much about the work, the gospel, and everyone she serves. Talking to Sister Matthews, we reflected on how special it is to teach people about Jesus Christ. Like—we have the COOLEST life!! Missions are actually the best (and I can legit see 6-months-ago-me cringing at that sentence). But it’s seriously so true. What a DIVINE opportunity to gain a greater testimony of our Savior and to teach others about Him. The best LIFE EVER!!
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| Miss Shelly was baptized!! Cape Girardeau Missouri June 2025 |
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| She is actually 4'11! What a cutie!! Cape Girardeau Missouri June 2025 |
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| The whole ward photo support , ft. Faith and Lenaya!!! Cape Girardeau Missouri June 2025 |
Although—yesterday morning, opposition was in play, and Dennis got a stomach bug… it was so sad. He called us and just sounded awful. Due to his unfortunate state, we had to push his baptism to next week. But that’s okay! He’s already interviewed and ready to go. It’ll actually be good because next week his family can come and support him!
Shelly still got baptized yesterday!!! It was so amazing! She’s the sweetest human of all time, and being able to help her on this journey was a big blessing! Shelly had the BIGGEST smile on her face. One of my fave things about being a missionary is that we help friends of all ages. Shelly is pretttty old, but it’s never too late to accept Jesus into your life! I’m so happy for her—yesterday was one of the best days of my mission!
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| The Perkins and aerial are doing a goodbye dinner for me tonight !! 🥲🫶 Cape Girardeau Missouri June 2025 |
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| Elder Ing brought his fancy cam so enjoy this pic of me ! Cape Girardeau Missouri June 2025 |
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| Elder Ing and Kooyman and Sis Richins, the funniest of DC Cape Girardeau Missouri June 2025 |
The Missouri St. Louis Mission has changed and blessed my life in ways I can’t even explain. A couple transfers ago, my sweet bestie comp Sister Searle used a quote to describe the mission as “the hardest thing I have ever loved.” I could not agree more. This has been the most challenging yet rewarding time of my whole life.
I cannot put into words how much love I have for los latinos y los americanos who reside in the MSLM. A little bit ago, I was reading in Mosiah about Alma the Younger and the sons of Mosiah, and y’all—they are genuinely some of my fave missionaries of all time! I read Mosiah 27:36–37, and it really encapsulates how testifying and bringing others to recognize the goodness of God and Jesus Christ has blessed my life. The verses say:
36 And thus they were instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, to the knowledge of their Redeemer.
37 And how blessed are they! For they did publish peace; they did publish good tidings of good; and they did declare unto the people that the Lord reigneth.
How blessed am I!
There are so many relationships, memories, and testimonies from this special time in my life that I wouldn’t trade for a million dollars. I truly can’t deny the grace of Jesus Christ that I have found as I have taught others of Him. I can’t deny the power of the priesthood and the Spirit that I have felt along the way.
I really do love my Heavenly Father with all my heart. I know the only way I can return to Him is through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is my best friend, my advocate, and my brother. I love Him, and I want others to love Him and feel His love the way I do.
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| HANNAH FUNK!! Just my absolute bestie!!! I'm gonna miss her! Cape Girardeau Missouri June 2025 |
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| My whole squad at church! I love these girls w/ my whole heart! It's hard leaving them ! Cape Girardeau Missouri June 2025 |
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| Analinda!! This girl is literally the best!!! Cape Girardeau Missouri June 2025 |
I love Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the incredible people I’ve met in St. Louis, Champaign, Springfield, and Cape Girardeau. God is truly so good, and I see His love and hand in my life each day. I really am so blessed, and I know He really is a God of miracles!
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.
¡Les quiero mucho! ¡Nos vemos pronto!
GOD IS SOOO GOOD!! 🌟🩷
– Hermana Kimball 🩷
Missionary Friends: Add my email to your letters! 👉 leahvkimball@icloud.com
KIMBALL FAMILY: SEEE Y’ALL THURSDAY!!!! 💘💝💖💗💓💕
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