Week 7

Hey everyone! so heres my weekly update!
1-11-2011
I just got back from the temple and oh boy was it amazing!!! I love going to the temple I wish we could go like everyday! today was like the first p-day that at the end of the day I didnt feel like I spent most of my time writing letters. Jeffery R Holland came to the devotional and talked to us about how to become better missionarys and how we should live after our missions, it was so amazing that about one out of every three guys were crying afterwards just because the spirit was so strong! today was a great day full of inspiration.
1-12-2011
Today was the best TRC day ever! (by the way the trc is where we go to teach investigators) we played some simon say in ukrainian, it took us 30 min just to get out side which the door was only 30 min away. We had the TRC tonight and I taught in 100% ukrainian and I wasnt nervous at all... well I was for the first half then I calmed down and it went really well, we coud even feel the spirit :) I know the Lord helped me today. oh yeah I forgot my Companion Elder Flint traded a B.o.M for a tie haha it was so funny!
1-13-2011
well its thursday which means it was a really chill day, I think we need to push ourselves more on thursday. cause I dont feel like I really ever do anything, oh but I did get a letter from JESS!
1-14-2011
Today was a lot like yesterday except I spoke a whole lot more ukrainian today which was really good, I am starting to make some more new friends which is good, I've noticed a lot of the people I'm becoming friends with are the "popular" people I didnt care much for in high school, whats up with that?
1-15-2011
well I had class like every other day but today was fun because I got to play b-ball and review ukrainian, I love when we have activitys in class, I also learned that I'm not very good at teaching a 10 min lesson when I only have 2 min to prepare.
1-16-2011
today was kind of a crazy day, it was a really emotional day but good. I did the usual, studied a lot of ukrainian, wrote my 5 min ukrainian talk, thankgoodness I didnt have to give the talk though cause it would have been bad. I talked to the bishop today cause I've been getting a little home sick so he told me I just need to look for the positive things in life and that I need to relax, he said I am to uptight.
1-17-2011
Today was a hard day too, but I had my first good dream! and by that I mean I dont have many dreams and most of the time my dreams are about me having fun before my mission and then I wake up and realize I'm really on a mission and cant do that for the next 2 years. oh but I read some cool stuff in Alma 22 today! I love the things you can learn from the scriptures (read alma 18 and then 22) I found out that Aaron copies exactly what Alma did in the way they teach it was so cool to see how that worked.
This week was a hard week, but it was a good week,
I sent out my mail already so you should be getting it in the next day or two, but I didnt get much mail so I didnt really know what to write about.
anyways I love you all I hope your doing well
Elder Kevin Carlisle

Dear Family

Dear family,

How's it going? What have you guys been up to? Anyone in any plays or dances, or choirs, or sports? How's that going for you?

Not a whole lot happened this week, I feel like every week is the same here but let me think... in TRC we had to "buy" some clothing and teach the store owner about the Book of Mormon so guess what my companion and I did, we traded a B.O.M for a tie haha our teacher was laughing so hard afterwards what else did I do... oh it was Elder Flint's birthday yesterday so we had a party wahoo! which really just means we ate a lot of junk food.

I don't know what else to write it's 10am right now and I've only gotten like 3 letters this week so I don't have a lot to write about but I will give you a spiritual thought that also apply's to everyday life. So read Alma 18. See how Aaron teaches the exact same way as Alma? Now what I want you to take from this is that you should learn from others see what works for them and copy it, you will be way more successful in life if you do this

Love you all

Elder Kevin Carlisle

P.S. did Isaac take all the ties? If he left any and no one wants them I want them. 1st cause I need more and 2nd I can trade my ugly ties with other elders here cause everyone wants ugly ties but I want nice ties... so send me some ties!

P.S.S Anyone that didn't get a letter its cause I don't think you've written me yet so get writing!

Week 6

1-4-2011

its p-day! i got to go to the temple with the older district for the last time this week cause they all leave by wednesday :( its so hard to feel good about a p-day i always feel like I've wasted it even though i write like a million letters and I do everything that i really need to do. i cant wait to meet all the new elders next week though!

1-5-2011

Well the older district left this morning at like 5 am, it made me really sad to see them go i wish that i could have gone with them because they were all really cool, but i guess i'll just have to see them in two years :D oh I got to be a new missionary host today! it was way fun showing new elders to the rooms and classes it was way cool being able to see their excitment and worries haha there was this one kid who was pretty chill with everything and the only question he asked me was "hey when is lunch? did I miss it?" it was fun meeting new strangers! I also had the TRC tonight lets just say my head was ready to explode. we had to teach in 100% ukrainian and i have the vocab of a 5 year old.... but i made it out alive and the teachers seemed really impressed so thats good and to finish off the great day I got a package from Jessica! dang i love that girl :D

1-6-2011

today was pretty laid back, I feel like they really push us the first half of the week and the second half is all just review, which is pretty nice I guess. its also service day which was way fun, elder Flint and i took some sweet pictures! I think he and i make a really good companionship

1-7-2011

Today was another uneventful day. i went to class and my head, like every other day, really hurts.... not a whole lot happened sorry guys

1-8-2011

got up....went to gym...kicked butt... had a hard time with the door approach in all ukrainian....watched a movie... wrote a talk (100% ukrainian).....dinner...MDT... and now here i am...

i did have to teach a principle today from PMG and my teacher said I use to much logic, that I answer every question with a scripture and that I need to rely more on the spirit and what i feel not what i know. that's gonna be really hard for me cause i learn thing based on if its logical or not and so i need like a million scriptures to know something is true.

1-9-2011

lets just say it was the most stressful sunday ever! I had to cunduct music, say a prayer(in ukrainian), teach a lesson, and give a 5 min talk in 100% ukrainian....MY HEAD HURTS. I've been a little homesick these past couple of days but its getting better :) I learned a lot about repentace today i'll have to send you my notes sometime.

1-10-2011

So I had to teach a lesson today and I had no idea what to say my mind was completly blank, but as soon as i started to speak the words just came to me and I and my teacher knew exactly what I was saying, it was so cool. oh and I have to speak only ukrainian durning lunch and I did it! I spoke to the russians in 100% ukrainian and any of the other words I didnt know I had to make guestures but it was so cool cause we understood each other! \\

This week was really hard for me but I really started to grow and to see what it means to work, and to be a missionary. I love you all!

oh by the way tell jessica she doesnt have to send me a package this week, I'll live with out, but if she really needs to send me something, just send me ravioli or something i dont know I dont really need that much here, or she could steal my ugly ties from you guys and send me those

i love you all

Elder Kevin Carlisle

Week 4

12-21-2010
Today was a good day, i got up at 6:30 today and got ready for the
day. The temple was closed which was really sad but guess what?!?! i
got to clean the temple today! it was great. wanna know how i cleaned
it? with toothpicks and q-tips! yep i deep deep cleaned today! so mom
and grant, when you guys use those lockers just know your son cleaned
them for you!
I got my hair cut for the first time and it was pretty cool, I've
decided that i'm good enough to work there.
i washed my clothes today but when i went to dry them they just
wouldnt dry so i had to hang dry them. stupid dryers!
i got presents from Jess and Jamba today i cant wait till christmas

12-22-2010
today the TRC wasnt half bad, i could really tell that i dont know any
ukrainian but i do know that I can teach a great lesson in english!
i think something is wrong with me because i cant eat very much sugar
now before i start to feel sick, i cant even eat a whole bowl of ice
cream anymore :(
i checked mail after dinner today and guess what!? i got my presents
from my family! Ya! i love getting packages and letters! they make me
soooo happy and loved.
i cant wait till christmas

12-23-2010
today was like any other day, woke up, did service (the cleaning guy I
work with likes to tell us random princples from the gospel everyweek
and I'm pretty sure he has no idea what hes talking about) Ukrainian
is hard i hope I can pick it up. 2 days till christmas!!!!

12-24-2010
today was a good day. i had class all morning long but then had MDT
(missionary directed time) for the rest of the day, I goofed of a lot
more then i should have but i did learn some really good stuff on how
to teach about Chastity, which i think could be a hard principle to
teach, and hey its christmas eve I've got to have some time to goof
off :)
We had a good devotional where the MTC presidency taught us the
importaince of the gifts god has given us and how we can share them
with others. when the devotional was over we got to watch Mr. Krugers
Christmas! it was really fun they even gave us popcorn! i really
thinked it helped me get into the christmas spirit.

12-25-2010
8;15 am
i got up today at 5:30 and opened my presents with all the other
elders! it was so much fun! it made me think of all the great
christmas traditions we have and how much I was gonna miss cinimon
rolls this year :( i think i got as many presents as the whole zone
got combined, I love everyone thanks so much everyone! i then went to
a talent show! one of the elders could some how turn $1 into $20 it
was crazy! there was a lot more cool stuff and i recorded it all so
you guys already can watch the cool stuff that happened
4:45 pm
I just got done with a devotional where Elder Russel m. Nelson gave a
talk, it was so good! it was all about Jesus christ and what he did
for us, I have the notes in my study journal so I'll have to send them
to you guys next week.
Christmas dinner was good it was just turkey, potatoes, stuffing,
rolls ect. loved it all!
elder snow got an ipod with some music on it, it was really cool to be
able to hear music again but later we were told no more music in the
MTC, I'm not really sure why we cant have church music in the MTC but
i guess i cant question it.
10:22 pm
we had another fireside tonight it was really cool cause it was a
reading play of "the christmas story" the actors were really good, i
really wish i could have recorded it.

12-26-2010
I am in so much trouble, I need to teach my "investigators" tomorrow
and I didnt study im gonna die! sunday is such a good day for relaxing
though i hate studying


Well im out of time cause i cant type on this broken keyboard but I
love you all please pass this on to everyone alan, jess, brig, family,
ect
I cant wait to hear from you guys i love you all so much and i miss
you more then you know

Love elder Kevin Carlisle