WAT UP FAMILY

FAM BAM,

Arizona is great. As you saw, I did get to see Holly--which was awesome. Someone came up to me and was like "Sister Hubmann I think you are going to have a visitor tonight because someone just called and asked if you were working. It was a female voice." So I freaked out and kept my eyes peeled. We got to talk for a bit and then watch the pageant together which was fun.

The working is going here. We have a woman progressing to baptism on April 20th. She's really excited to be baptized but she's not doing her reading. We are hoping to establish her with some friends within the ward tonight for FHE so that she will have that friend base when we can't come every Sunday. She just texted us and said she was in the hospital last night with heart pains and is out now but it hurts to breathe. So please pray for her. Satan is trying hard to stop her from meeting with us and we can see that almost every time we meet. Something almost always comes up.

I really love the work. I am quickly discovering that is is not at all what I thought it would be, but I love it. We are teaching a couple little boys who are about to be baptized--I think and hope. They are so cute and great. It's amazing how fast little children learn. Y'all will be happy to know that I haven't really had to bike at all last week. Because we are working pageant we have to get rides everywhere to maximize our time. It'll be the same for this week too. I bought a new bike since the other one was sketch. I have only had to ride it once since we've had lots of rides. It was so hard to ride it that night to. I legit was struggling so much. We were talking with some elders that live in our apartment complex and they came and looked at my bike. And why was it so hard to ride you may ask? Because the tires. Super flat. Like super super flat. Seriously. Come on Walmart pump up your tires before you sell your bikes to people. They lent me their pump today though. So when we get home later I will be pumping those bad boys up.

We had a really good experience at the Visitor Center this week. Well Sister Lewis did, so I'll tell you about it. I was showing the video "God's Plan For His Family" and I had to run out and get some referral cards. When I did I Sister Lewis was like "Hey you have an investigator in there." I was like "Oh yeah I know his name is Alex.(I had talked to his friend right before I started the movie.)" And she was like "Well I just promised him that if he watched this video and prayed with a sincere heart he would know this is true and his questions would be answered. So no pressure." I immediately start freaking out. Well in the video--spoiler alert--the Grandfather dies. And so here I am trying to bear my testimony pretty much balling my eyes out, praying to Heavenly Father that I am saying what this kid needs to hear, and I see him crying. Sister Lewis talked to him afterwards and he was interested and now is going to have the missionaries over to his house. Super exciting right? I think so. It's crazy the miracles I see happening here. And that is only one instance. People are excited to hear about Christ and you better bet your bottom dollar I am excited to tell them about him.

I am glad that the service for Papaw went well. Good to know that he was so loved that it was a full house. It is such a blessing to know of the Plan of Salvation. I know that it would be a lot harder to handle him being gone if I didn't have that knowledge. But I know him and Mamaw are up there together now. They're both so happy and I know it.

I love you all very much!

-Sista Hubmann

WHAT UP KINGSPORT?

Why hello there family!

How's Tennessee? As beautiful as ever I would assume. Things are wonderful here in Arizona. This is my first P-Day in Arizona! We started off cleaning the Visitors Center for the Easter Pageant coming up this week and next. Then did some personal study. And now here I am, writing you. I guess this email will be filled with all of the things you really wanted to know. So here it goes.

I am in East Mesa. My companion's name is Sister Lewis. She is from Salt Lake. She's been out for a while, so after she's done training me she's peacing out. She's really great and I'm already learning a lot from here. She's pretty much awesome. I am covering the 30th, 46th, and 76th wards. Everyone is super nice here. We had problems getting a hold of members to go to lessons and stuff with us because it was spring break this past week. But it's already looking better for this next week! I still haven't really gotten to unpack yet. I haven't had any time. But I think I will get to go that later today. I am in a biking area--I know parents that you hate that, but it will be okay. Sister Lewis is a super defensive biker, so I am too. I am getting my own bike today. I've been using a mission bike and it is sketch. The front wheel is making a noise that doesn't sound too good so I am glad I am getting rid of it. We live about 2 miles from our area, which sucks. But I am getting in shape. I can tell! How can I tell? Because of the pain I'm in hahaha. Totally worth it.

 

Oh. Hey! Our mission recently decided that we get an hour and a half to email each week. ANNNNNDDDD--drum roll.............................................I can email everyone! So make sure to put my email on my blog/facebook so people can email me. Also, Sis. Lewis told me that we get to skype on Mother's Day and Christmas--yay!

So you know how I wanted to work at the Visitors Center, but my call said 'sorry sista, you ain't doing that'? Well guess what! I am! This week and next we will be working at the VC. Sister Lewis is a VC Sister(that's what they call themselves) and they need her to come in and work the Easter Pageant. So what does that mean? That means Sister Hubmann comes with! I am really excited, yet really nervous at the same time. I have about an hour of training and everyone else has at least a week in the field. Oh well, the Lord will bless me. I know I will be inside during my shift. But I'm not sure what days I am working--So if a certain cousin who lives in Tempe would like to call the VC and ask then she totally should because I would LOVE to see her. I am really excited to be working it. We are getting a new art exhibit today that is supposed to be AMAZING. It's by Liz Lemon Swindle--Bekka, I always think of 30 Rock every time someone says her name. The Elder that's over the VC said that if you don't shed at least one tear, you don't have a heart. No pressure right? I better take a box of tissues just in case.

We had the coolest experience last night. We had just left an appointment and went back to a different area to where we had parked out bikes, when we saw a man. We just said hi since he was going somewhere with his dog. He came back in just a minute and we still hadn't left. So we stopped and talked to him. We asked him if he had been to the Easter Pageant and he said no. We asked if he had ever talked to missionaries before and he hadn't. So we asked him if he believed in Christ, he said no--he was Jewish. But we asked if he would like to hear our message sometime. And what did he say? HE SAID YES. So fingers crossed something happens there. It was so exciting and I was singing and dancing all the way home haha. We have a lady named Lisa set up for baptism on the 20th. We brought her to the VC to watch the Joseph Smith Prophet of the Restoration movie. She really liked it. She hated the part when he was in the Sacred Grove and Satan was trying to get him to not pray. But that was because the other day right before our lesson, she didn't see us. And she felt a force pushing her back to her car, and she knew that it was the same thing that had happened to him. I thought it was awesome she was able to recognize that. She was supposed to come to church, but didn't get to. So hopefully she will be able to come next week.

This Sista is headed to Arizona

FAMILY!

How is everyone? I hope all is well with y'all in Tennessee! I sure do miss the green. Or any color for that matter. All I do is stay in white rooms all day. It is making some of the members from our district go crazy. I will make sure to keep Papaw in my prayers. Make sure to keep me updated on that. I bought my calling card for the airport a couple days ago! So keep your phones on you. We are leaving here at 5 am so I am guessing we'll get there by 6. So expect a call between 8 and 10 your time? Not 100 % sure so just be ready.

As much as I have been wanting to get out of the MTC, it's a little sad leaving. It's going to be a little sad saying goodbye to everyone. But mostly everyone from my district is making the trip down to AZ with Sister Esmond and I. Today Sister McQuay heard a mad beat boxer in the bathroom. She notified me since I am trying so hard to learn. We went in and talked to them and they are going the Arizona Mesa too! Awesome right?

Anyways. I knew my acting career would take off one of these days. But I had no clue it would be in the MTC. On Friday we had In-Field Orientation and there was a play at the end of the orientation. While we were waiting a lady came out and asked Sister Esmond if she wanted a role. She--loving theater--said yes. Thus accepting for both of us. So there you have it, a star was born. I played a Relief Society President and there were like 300 people. But thankfully they were using multiple stages, so the audience wasn't actually facing our stage. But our district was so kind as to sit right next to ours. I will never live the phrase "Hugs for everyone!" down. But it's okay. Because while I was acting I had to try to hug the elders--one of them was a Romney. Just sayin.

Ma, I feel ya on the time change. I hate it. I was so tired all the next day. It's a good thing I got to do time change for a total of like one day. We switch back and hour when we go to AZ since they don't do time change. So just when I will have adjusted, I'll have to switch again.

I made fun of the Elder on the district who said he was always tired, but still so happy. All along I knew I would be like him. I totally am. I'm so happy because I know I'm preparing to do the Lord's work. I am so exhausted though. I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. I don't think being sick has helped this either. I'm almost over it, or I though. I was fine, but then I played basketball in gym and it made my cough get deeper. Oh well.

I have seen Trevor a lot. Every day but one I think. We're on the schedule so I see him all the days. On Saturday we actually got to play basketball together during gym time. We took another picture together where he isn't blinking. This one at the Provo temple--holla. I saw Johnathon Mowdy his first day and then again yesterday on the temple walk. 

During Music and the Spoken Word yesterday I tried to play "Spot the black man" in the Mormon Tabernacle choir. Apparently not everyone does that since I got a weird look from my companion. There was the most beautiful musical number of "I Stand All Amazed" in Relief Society. I love the cello and piano. It makes me continue to regret not sticking with piano.

Pops, I did get the package you sent me. I'm sorry I forgot to say something last week. There was so much craziness going on around me. Mainly the elders being big goofballs. I accidentally got $5 back in quarters, not really thinking. Not only would that have been too much for the amount of laundry I had, but the machines didn't take quarters.....So I bought my calling card in all quarters. Can't win'em all.

Saturday at dinner we were all goofing off---like usual. We were singing and then I pretended to rap. When I moved my hands like I was DJ-ing I hit my chocolate milk. I saw the milk all over the table and my first thought was "Crap I'm probably covered." I looked down and thought "Whew, only a drop on me." Then I thought to look at the poor, poor, elder who decided to sit next to me. I looked to my left and there he was, covered in chocolate milk. My bad...This other elder told me I had been acting strange the past few days. I told him "Elder Erickson, that's because this is who I really am." He told me he knew. Thanks Elder Erickson for telling me I am strange. So kind.

I'm not sure what I want for my plaque scripture. Helaman 5:12 I guess. Oh I have a really good quote that goes along with that. It goes something along the lines of you have to have your foundation embedded in faith or your power to endure will crumble.---Read "Mountains to Climb" by Henry B. Eyring--so good.

I love you all!
Kelsey

Pictures--
-My district with our Teacher Brother Martin--he's legit. 
Back row-Elder Schiess, Elder Ferreira, Bro. Martin, Elder Erickson, Elder Nunnally, Elder Moffett, and Elder Davis.
Front-Me, Sister McQuay, Sister Rasmussen, Sister Esmond, Sister Toone, and Sister Hansen.
-A better picture of Sister Esmond and I at the temple
-A better picture of Trevor and I

FINALLY A PDAY!!!!

Sorry I am just getting Kelsey's letters on her blog.  I talked with her today and she is very excited to head to Arizona.

Hey family!!
I am sorry I didn't tell you when my pday was before. I didn't know. We didn't actually have our schedules here for the first 4 days. It was really annoying. Oh well. We have them now! I actually never got that dear elder letter about papaw! My district leader just checked the mail and there wasn't anything for me. I'm not sure why I haven't gotten that yet. What happened? Please Dear Elder me again with the details of that and how he's doing. I actually only get one pday here. So I'm not sure if I get one next week. We head out next Tuesday bright and early--5 am!

Staying with the McArthurs was so much fun. They are really good people. I am grateful they let me stay with them. It was really great getting to see everyone again before I reported in. BABY DAXTON IS SO ADORABLE. I love him and can't wait to get pictures of him growing up!(Hint hint Marta & Joel.) Are y'all sending my family pictures to the mission home? I want them! So just let me know :) Thank you so much Aunt Kathy for the package! Everyone in my zone loved it. I shared the cookies because I'm already gaining weight!

The MTC is great! The Spirit is here very strongly just like everyone says. I like it here a lot--but I'm pretty sure I'd go nut crazy if I was here for more than my 2 weeks. My companion, Sister Esmond, and I get along really well. She reminds me a lot of Bekka. There are 12 people in my district. 6 elders and 6 sisters. All of us but 3 sisters are headed to Arizona Mesa! So it's really awesome that the people we've come so close to are going to the same place. The other 3 sisters are going to Colorado and we're supposed to be keeping in touch! My companion is from Oregon, around Portland I think. I am the only southerner. One elder grew up in Alabama though--which I don't care for. I eww-ed his Bama shirt when he wore it (Don't worry still supporting TN.) The closest person I've found to me was from Atlanta. Our coordinating sisters left for Charlotte on Monday--so that was cool to have someone going to where around we were are from. 

We got to go to the temple today which was really great. I've missed the temple so much. I love it. The Provo Temple isn't pretty at all from the outside, but on the inside it is gorgeous. It is a lot bigger than it looks too. We actually ate there after we did a session. It was a lot better than the MTC food. And free----holla! Thank you Elder Davis. 

I'm sick which sucks. I totally told someone, "I haven't gotten sick in forever!" Two days later gross runny nose, stuffy nose, and cough. I hear everything is funnier in the MTC, but I will tell you some stories. Elder Moffett from my district accidentally bought a mini-Spanish Preach My Gospel. Also, currently one elder is shoving another one around in a laundry basket, if that tells you anything about the elders in my district. They are hilarious.

In gym time, we have been playing knock-out. I am one of the better girls playing. Makes me feel better about myself, I can semi-keep up with the elders. 

Sister Esmond and I had a really wonderful spiritual experience yesterday. We were really struggling with patience. So we were counseled to read patience in PMG and then pray about it. So that's what we did. After we prayed she said that her old stake president told her to pray and then open to a random scripture. We did that and it was exactly what we needed. Mine told me that contention was of the devil--I was super mad and frustrated. And her's said something about being a peacemaker. We are hoping with this we will be able to make better relationships with the sisters in our district. I really feel like I am learning so much here. I learn something new every day! I got my cute little mini scriptures! I love them. They are the best. I got my name engraved on them as well.

Sorry this email is so random. I have no clue what I already told you in letters and I have no clue how long I've been on. I'm going to try to figure out how to put pictures with this. I think I got it.

Love y'all so very much! Thank you so much for being amazing and supportive.
Kelsey

P.S.
If I forgot something I guess I'll write you a letter.

The pictures include..
My companion and I!
Me sending letters.
Me with my cute scriptures.
My district on Sunday at the temple.
Elder Erickson, Elder Schiess, me, and Sister Esmond in the laundry room.
Trevor and I!--he blinked but that's the only one I have.
Baby D.J. D and I--he's adorable.
The Duludes dropping me off!