May 19, 2014

Hello Family!!! I miss you all so much! I can't believe that it have been over a week since we Skyped! It seems like it was forever ago!! I loved EVERY second of it! you guys were really choppy the whole time unfortunately but just as we were saying the prayer goodbye, I decided to turn the little fan off that was blowing at me cause they don't have A.C. and when I did that, I could hear you guys perfectly! I was so mad at myself. I had the power to make it so that I could hear everything you were saying and maybe it wouldn't have frozen up so much... Or maybe it still would have been like that... I don't know. But it was amazing! :)

Dad: Congrats on the awards! I always knew I had the greatest dad in the world and now everyone else knows it too! I'm sure it was an easy decision for the Huntsman's to choose you for the award. Everyone around you loves you so much and you can't go anywhere without someone from your school coming up and saying hello. Most high school teachers have it hard cause they have to remember over 100 kids names, maybe 200 if they teach a popular subject. But you have to remember every kid in the schools name because they all know you and come up to you to say hi! Because of you, I wasn't scared to go to jr high or high school because I knew that I would have an immediate friend pool once they found out I was your kid. Fathers day is coming up in the next little while. I wish I could skype and tell you happy Fathers Day but I can't... But I got you two gifts that I will send you soon! :) I love you dad!

Mom: I love reading your emails! I am never worried about home or not being there for something special because I know that you will tell me everything that happens there. :) I wish that I had some ideas for your lesson to give you but I can't think of very much right now. There is a quote by someone that says, "Preach the Gospel. If you have to, use words." This is so simple to! I never realized it but everyone around us, whether they are members or not, are watching us and looking to us as examples. So in our every day actions and language, we just have to live our testimonies and that will draw people to us. That is what a testimony is for in the first place. It is our foundation to stand on at all times, not just at church for 1st Sunday or just when we are around the Bishop. We need to live our testimonies and tell people through our actions what we believe. I don't know if that helps or if that is the way you want to take the lesson but that is what was coming into my mind as I was thinking and typing. Hope it didn't sound like just rambling! :) I LOVE YOU MOM!!!

Gavin: I heard that you got some awesome selfies from the banquet! I have never met the Huntsman's or the Governor so that is really cool that you got that chance! Were they nice? What else did you talk to them about? I also heard that you played the State Champion the first round of the tourny. That is unfortunate but now you know what to work towards! What grade was he in? I bet you played your little heart out! You'll get it next time. :) I love you Buddy!

Connor: Hey dude! School is almost out! How was your first year of Jr. High? Now is the BEST time for you to make some good habits of getting your homework done and turned in on time. That is something I have struggled with my whole life, even into college. It is a really hard habit to break so don't get into it, okay? :) How was your choir concert? Mom and Dad said that you did great and that you got a lot of compliments too! I believe it! From what I heard from Skype, Im sure that you did great! I love you Mr Connor-Bloomin-Bottom!

Syd and Dave: I can't believe how big Calvin is! He seemed so happy too which must mean you guys are doing a great job raising him! Are you excited for the summer and just being able to spend every second with him? I bet you are! I would be too if I could just spend all that time with him. I get to spend it with Elder Siglin for now so that is exciting enough for me! ;) How is work going Dave? Are you still in a managing position for NuSkin? How did you get into that position in the first place? That sounds like a great job! I LOVE YOU!

Grandma and Grandpa: Happy 50th ANNIVERSARY! I love you guys so much! You guys serving your missions helped me make the decision to serve a mission as well. Thank you for always loving me and supporting me! I love you so much!!

I can't believe that I am under a month away from hitting a year. I am almost at my hump day and it couldn't be coming any faster! I have learned and grown more than I could have possibly imagined I would! This is going to sound a little silly but sometimes I feel like everything else around me is going in normal speed but I am just going in slow motion. What i mean is I don't really feel like I am going to grow up and get married and have a family and someday be old and wrinkled with 15 great grand children. I want it to but it just doesn't seem like it will every happen, you know? I know it's a weird thing to think about but it just keeps coming into my head. Maybe that is God's way of telling me I need to live in the moment and not worry about tomorrow or something like that. :P

This week was actually a pretty good one! I went on 3 exchanges so I got little work done in my own area. But Elder Siglin took over the area like a BOSS and worked hard every time. This week we didn't hit our goals but we were really close. I went on exchanges with Elders Alston and Stoelk, and Elder Maughan. Elder Taylor Alston is from Sandy and has been out for 14 months. He is training Elder Stoelk who is from Oregon and he's been out for just over 1 month now. I remember being at that point and thinking to myself that I still had FOREVER to go. And I did, luckily! I am glad that I still have a while because I have learned so much out here and love the feeling I get every time I meet someone new that wants to learn! Elder Maughan is from somewhere.... I don’t remember where though! He has been out for 4 months and is legally deaf! He has hearing aids so he can hear pretty much everything that's going on around him. He has been thinking for over 2 months now about a sign name for me. A sign name is what deaf people give you so that they can just do that instead of signing your name every time. The catch is that only a legally deaf person can give you the sign name. You can't just make one up unfortunately. But when I get mine, I'll let you know what it is! Syd: in your sign language class from high school, did you get a sign name? (can you even remember that far back? :p)

I don't remember anyone we taught in the other areas and we didn't have any big miracles like not dying or baptizing the world but that's okay! I am really working on looking for the little things in life to be grateful for and it has helped me be happier! Something big that is coming up though is we have 2 baptisms this Saturday! Isaac and Karina are getting baptized at 4 p.m. :) I am SUPER happy for them and proud of them for making this step forward! :) I can't wait to see how the Gospel can change their lives!

Well I know there isn't a whole lot in this email and I'm sorry. I will do better next week. I guess this letter was mostly to tell everyone I love you and I miss you. Remember to say your prayers and read your scriptures! <3

~Elder Kyle Harris