Another 6 in Rockledge

 I have often had the thought that after the mission, every job I have will seem easy in comparison. I thought that because with a job I will clock out, have time off, and the demands won't be nearly so high. As I have thought more about it though, especially after finishing a particularly great lesson or after feeling the Spirit strongly, I really feel as though no future job will be as rewarding. Serving a mission may not be easy, but it is simple! Trust me there is a difference, haha.

My companion and myself got the vaccine recently and it didn't seem to affect me much at all, but I was just recovering from feeling pretty sick so perhaps I just didn't notice. We actually had an amazing ward member help us get signed up since we are unable to on our own phones. I am always so grateful for the ward members and all they do to help us. I like to think they do stuff for us so that we can devote all that time and energy they saved us to doing missionary work. In which sense the member is indirectly doing missionary work by directly helping us! 

Remember, everyone can be a missionary!

Elder Killian

PS- email didn't send last night for some reason, hope it works this morning 

Pic #1 -me after a four mile bike ride to a lesson we had the day we for the vaccine, we lent the car to some other elders who really needed it that day

Pic #2 - elder Moses and myself heading down to the beach early in the morning for P-day

Pic #3 - bowling with the district again, still haven't hit triple digits but I'm getting there

Change is in the Air!!!

 Having had two companions in the last five weeks, I didn't realize how fast time was flying by. The next transfer (when missionaries can be moved to new areas) is approaching next week. While I have only ever been in Rockledge my whole mission and am due to be moved around, I also have a companion who hasn't been here long and therefore hasn't met all the members. For these reasons I really don't know if I will be moved this coming week and I don't mind all that much. I would miss Rockledge greatly because of all the wonderful people we are teaching and the members who are helping us to do so, but the opportunity to make new friends and connections is pretty cool as well. (Also, all the members here know my object lessons so if go to a new area I can finally use them again, haha). I also need practice packing my bags should I go to England eventually!

One real cool thing I had the opportunity to gain experience about was priesthood blessings. There have been a few opportunities to give them so far, but I was asked to give one not long ago where I truly realized that they work based on the faith of the person receiving them. I felt pretty nervous at first when I was asked to give one on the spot (one reason it is important to ALWAYS be worthy). As I gave the blessing though, I felt the Spirit incredibly strongly. I haven't cried on the mission yet, but I must be getting soft because there have been a dozen instances where it was close and this was one of them!

Staying busy,

Elder Killian

Pic #1 - jar of honey, harvested last Saturday, we got a spoonful with comb and all, it was way good

Pic #2 - pday soccer, getting my tan ready for crossing the pond eventually

Pic #3 - getting ready to respond to Facebook responses

Pic #4 - extra Pic because I forgot to attach them the last time

Note from Aunt Wendi....I can take it all and we have 2 of those things up where we live...but the top one is a NO GO!!!

Starting Today

 So a few weeks back I was called to be a member of someone called the "Facebook Response Team". It is exactly what it sounds like, I was added as a moderator on all four of the English Facebook pages our mission runs and for one hour each day I respond to all the messages that come in through it. I actually have the first hour of the day which is arguably the best since I have all the messages from the night before to respond to. It is super nice! Anyhow, as we are messaging people, we ALWAYS testify. 

Every message needs to have some form of a gospel doctrine in it. At first I thought that would be difficult and we would be making outlandish references and connections to make that happen, but I learned pretty quick just how easily everything ties back to Jesus Christ. Speaking of which, we also have been sending out "Starting Today" video link alot, I watch it every morning so when I describe it I can do so sincerely, I highly recommend!!

We had a quite a few lessons these past few days and more on the way. About half cancel the day of, so we pack our schedule full just to be safe so when they cancel we still have other lessons to count on, it is kind of disappointing but, when we do have zero appointments cancel in a day, we will really earn the pillow that night! One such lesson went magnificently, the friend we are teaching has made all the necessary commitments to be baptized, has had all your questions answered, and is even in Mosiah as she is reading the Book of Mormon, we are going to teach her this week on the sailboat she lives on! It has to stay docked for our mission rules but I am still real excited!! It is kind of sad we have to pass her off to the more local elders, but still a pleasure to meet her and help her on her covenant path!!

I appreciate you! Your messages rock!!

-Elder Killian

Pic #1 - smash golf with the district, basically golf but with bouncey balls and tennis rackets

Pic #2 - missionary potluck after district council, I supplied the fried rice on the end

Pic #3 - the table we used to play ping pong on for our dinner hour one night 

What we believe.....

 I AM OFFICIALLY AN UNCLE! I have been showing pictures of my new niece Paisley Ann to everyone I meet! I really look forward to coming off that plane in just under two years and seeing her but until then the pictures my family sends will do! It really makes you grateful for family when you have such an amazing one supporting you, so when I do share my testimony on the importance of family I hope that I can convey just how much I love my own and how grateful I am for the gospel which makes it possible for us to stay together! For the people we teach, family makes an incredibly massive difference in how receptive others are to the coming closer to Christ. We know it to be the most important social construct on earth and I have felt that more and more as I have seen families in varying stages of growth in Rockledge!

We have stayed very busy with lessons and service, sometimes changing out of our nice clothes, into service clothes, and then straight back into nice clothes for different activities we scheduled. One such activity was a lesson we were able to teach to an incredible lady who owns a sailboat that is currently having work done on it! We got to teach on the boat! Other teaching opportunities have been over the phone but those are far more difficult so we do our best to meet in person when we can, or zoom when we can't.

One big thing I have noticed this week is how many people want to learn more about the gospel, or just talk about it, but they are just waiting for someone to bring it up. I have seen so many blessings from just being bold and upfront about who we are and what we believe. It seems like in many cases it is almost as though they were hoping I mention I am a missionary for the "Mormon" church because they are genuinely curious about it! We have nothing to hide but eternal salvation to share so I don't mind!

I hope you enjoyed conference!

Elder Killian

Pic #1 - first gator of about a dozen we saw on a walk in a place called the Viera wetlands, it is strange seeing them with no railing or enclosure

Pic #2 - the boat we taught a lesson on

Pic #3 - we played smash golf as a district, it is a combo of golf and tennis

Easter Pictures and Meeting his Niece as he becomes an Uncle!!!

 It is always so fun when Desmond sends some of his great pictures!!!  The upside is that I get a chance to add what I think the pictures are all about!!!

Desmond meeting his new niece Paisley Ann Killian.  I think he is pretty excited to be an uncle to such a cutie!!!

                Arrival of Easter packages from family and I am guessing some relaxing as well.

Desmond is requesting a video...and then I believe is companion coming down behind him.

The Easter Bunny still found Desmond in Florida.....nothing beats some chocolate.

                                                                                             Yeah!!!!!

In the last letter Desmond said they would be giving a lesson on a sailboat....I am guessing this maybe the boat.....

I'm Averaging One Comp Per Transfer....

 Every now and again as missionaries we are told to "sharpen our axes" so that when we go to work we can be even more effective with our time. The main thing we have done to prepare this week is completely go through and clean our Area Book, which helps us keep track of our lessons and people. That took all week, but it really paid off because we taught more lessons this week than I have ever before. I have been in Rockledge my entire mission so far and the people here are really amazing and there are many more that we have been teaching the gospel and inviting to come to church!

With this being my first area I was trained here and now I am leading the area. It has its perks, I get to drive now (I didn't realize I would miss it so much), and I have really gotten to know the place and the people well. I am not sure how long I will he here but there is a very good possibility it will be until I go to England, either way though I don't mind! There is always work to be done no matter where you serve.

I also got a new comp this week named Elder Petersen. My last one, Elder Christensen was really awesome but sadly is on his way home. I really enjoying mixing things up because there is definitely much to learn from each different person I teach alongside and no two have been even remotely similar. It is the same in life though, no two experiences will ever be the same so we just need to do our best to seek the good!

I'm grateful for all your support!!

Elder Killian

Pic #1 - my last pic with elder christensen

Pic #2 - first time behind the wheel in months, it was a good day

Pic #3 - bowling with the district on P-day, I have to practice for college

You win some, You lose some.....

 We had some troubles this week but they were far outweighed by miracles! Though some plans fell through and people stopped responding when we really needed them too, my companion and I have had numerous other doors open and blessings present themselves! It is amazing how when we work hard to find people we do find them...just not through the avenue in which we were looking. For example, we have this super amazing member (one of many), who an investigator saw while watching church on zoom and asked about. The member and the investigator have since been in touch and have become real close friends and now we have the chance to finally meet this investigator. We had been trying for three months with no luck until now!

Members have a massive impact on how the work progresses! Missionaries pray about them, for them, and with them continually. In all honesty, we also brag about them alot too! Especially here in Rockledge!

In other news, my companion Elder Shepard just started his eighth month here and is finally be transferred out tomorrow so I have a new companion! I'll keep you posted! I am really excited to meet him, but also sorry to see Elder Shepard go!

Pic #1 - my comp and I on a video call with the sister-training-leaders

Pic #2 - service project we did! we worked fast

Pic #3 - my comp and I during our comp study, we just chill on a couch by the pool, we definitely dont swim (check out the lizard too)