You can view Kyle's latest pictures at Oct to Dec 2010
Enjoy!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
E-mail received 12/28/2010 - Best Christmas Experience Ever!
Woa, Jason Hensley's getting married! That's super fast. I feel like I recognize the name but I definitely don't know who that is. (Kyle's friend who just got home from his mission this past summer and just announced his engagement.)
That's way crazy that all us fat boys are coming home slim. It'll be really cool to see the transformation!
Jaron sent me an email! It was so funny because I was way more excited for that email than any other email or letter I've gotten on my mission (save yours of course), including those from girls! It was pretty funny to think about.
(When Kyle called on Christmas he told me this had been the best Christmas he'd ever experienced and then shared with me their experience. I asked that he write it down so I could share it with everyone else. The following is that story.)
Alright so there's not much time so I'll get right to the story and then another one. We've been teaching this really great family from Haiti and they really work hard. We had recently just met with the mother and found out that her mother had died and she had to make an emergency trip back to Haiti for the funeral that would be the three days leading up to Christmas. We went over on the 23rd so that we could help the kids organize the house so that it would be all nice and spotlessly clean before their mother got home. While we were helping them clean the house they were telling us how their mom wouldn't return until Christmas day and that they really had no hope of a Christmas. Because we were helping them completely clean their house, we were definitely sure that they had no food, no presents, and no cheer for Christmas. As we were driving home from helping them out our hearts ached for them and we wondered if there might be anything that we or the ward might be able to do for them. Next morning we talked with the bishop and the relief society president and the members responded miraculously! Within a few hours we had calls from over 10 families donating food, toys, clothes, stuffed animals and money so that this family could have a Christmas. We spent all of Christmas Eve running around the Hudson Front to get everything for them and our excitement just continued to increase the fuller and fuller our car became. The moment finally arrived and we delivered it to them. They were blown away! They'd never seen such a feast before them! We walked in the house and they were all in separate rooms in quite a brood and within minutes of the arrival they were all in the same room playing, laughing, and sharing with each other! It was truly a Christmas miracle and a blessing to see. Nothing compared to giving Christmas and a blessing to receive such a vision.
-Elder Guinto
That's way crazy that all us fat boys are coming home slim. It'll be really cool to see the transformation!
Jaron sent me an email! It was so funny because I was way more excited for that email than any other email or letter I've gotten on my mission (save yours of course), including those from girls! It was pretty funny to think about.
(When Kyle called on Christmas he told me this had been the best Christmas he'd ever experienced and then shared with me their experience. I asked that he write it down so I could share it with everyone else. The following is that story.)
Alright so there's not much time so I'll get right to the story and then another one. We've been teaching this really great family from Haiti and they really work hard. We had recently just met with the mother and found out that her mother had died and she had to make an emergency trip back to Haiti for the funeral that would be the three days leading up to Christmas. We went over on the 23rd so that we could help the kids organize the house so that it would be all nice and spotlessly clean before their mother got home. While we were helping them clean the house they were telling us how their mom wouldn't return until Christmas day and that they really had no hope of a Christmas. Because we were helping them completely clean their house, we were definitely sure that they had no food, no presents, and no cheer for Christmas. As we were driving home from helping them out our hearts ached for them and we wondered if there might be anything that we or the ward might be able to do for them. Next morning we talked with the bishop and the relief society president and the members responded miraculously! Within a few hours we had calls from over 10 families donating food, toys, clothes, stuffed animals and money so that this family could have a Christmas. We spent all of Christmas Eve running around the Hudson Front to get everything for them and our excitement just continued to increase the fuller and fuller our car became. The moment finally arrived and we delivered it to them. They were blown away! They'd never seen such a feast before them! We walked in the house and they were all in separate rooms in quite a brood and within minutes of the arrival they were all in the same room playing, laughing, and sharing with each other! It was truly a Christmas miracle and a blessing to see. Nothing compared to giving Christmas and a blessing to receive such a vision.
-Elder Guinto
Monday, December 20, 2010
E-mail received 12/20/2010
Alrighty so lot's of business items this week. Finance first. Woa, was not expecting that money. I don't intend to spend it. I was fully resigned to the fact that I would have 30$ for the rest of the mission. I used the 79$ to buy a good warm coat for the winter and a really warm hat. I just remembered suffering through last winter and I just took a look at what I had and decided it was worth it. It's a really nice coat that I got at tj max and it's super warm so it should be a better winter than the last one. The only other potential expenditure that I can foresee would be the last package of ropas home which I'll probably do before the end of January.
Second, here's my plan for Christmas. Just so I make sure I don't miss Katelyn, I'm going to call at 9:00 AM Pacific Time, when you guys should be opening up presents and talk with you guys just for 10-15 minutes. Then I'm going to call again at 4:30 PM Pacific Time, hopefully some of the family will be there at that time so I'll be able to talk to them too!
I'm so excited you got the job!! I won't lie, I was praying really hard for it this week. While it sounds like it's going to take some time away from home, it's eventually going to make everything a little more relaxed. Things will be a little more taken care of and there will be less worries. Remember though, and this may be mostly for Dad and the girls, with great endowment comes great responsibilities. Be careful about raising the standard of living because of a plentiful increase. Great kingdoms rise and are felled in one great swoop as they yield to worldly impulses to splurge in times of plenty and not prepare for times of famine. One thing that I know has really blessed Elder Calderoni and I is being careful with our money so that we have things set aside for an emergency. (Like a super unexpected ticket!...we paid one of those this week.) Be careful and wise with how you use what the Lord has blessed you with.
That's awesome that so many people are getting their Eagle award. I kind of regret how much I wasted my teenage years but it does not do well to dwell on the past. I wonder how Cameron is doing with Kylee being engaged. But I bet that's all way in the past. I can't wait to see where he goes on his mission!
It's good that Dad's exercising and developing his singing talent. When people ask me where I learned to sing I just tell them that my dad's an excellent singer. Hopefully now Dad will learn songs in their entirety now instead of just two lines of the chorus.
We had a really great week this week. We've really been working hard to get this one investigator ready to be baptized on the 26th; the day after Christmas! He's now our 200$ investigator! He's really fighting through a lot of opposition with his father being a pastor though. He's really going to make it though, we're so excited for him. This week he made it to church on his own and he surprised us by coming in a really nice suit! Usually he comes in regular clothes but this time he polished up and he was mistaken for just a regular member. It's really cool to see people transform as a result of the Gospel touching their lives.
We really saw success as we were taking out members with us this week. God really put the resources in our path this week to make great things happen. We were walking on Thursday and we happened to bump into one of the members, who we haven't been able to get a hold of for a team-up in a long time. We asked if she'd like to come with us because we were on our way to an appointment. She came with us and we had a great lesson with a less-active, recent convert family. After the lesson we walked the person home and she agreed to come out with us to two other appointments later that day. As we were leaving her house we were approaching the appointed finding time between the hours of 5-7PM and Elder Calderoni felt inspired to ask her where she thought we could go to find a new investigator. She gave us a referral but told us that we should wait for her to talk to them and then visit next week but gave us a street that she felt prompted that we should go to. We straightway went and knocked a few doors on the street till we met a guy who'd met with the missionaries in South Africa and wanted to learn more about the Book of Mormon! What a member miracle! The lessons with the member later that night went exceptionally well in that we did very little of the talking and the testimony of that member really sank deeply into the heart of those investigators, who both committed themselves to baptism that night. Members are amazing!
I'm so excited for this wonderful Christmas week! There's going to be lots of miracles and we're planning on doing some Christmas Caroling with the zone. Should be fun! Have a great week!
-Elder Guinto
Second, here's my plan for Christmas. Just so I make sure I don't miss Katelyn, I'm going to call at 9:00 AM Pacific Time, when you guys should be opening up presents and talk with you guys just for 10-15 minutes. Then I'm going to call again at 4:30 PM Pacific Time, hopefully some of the family will be there at that time so I'll be able to talk to them too!
I'm so excited you got the job!! I won't lie, I was praying really hard for it this week. While it sounds like it's going to take some time away from home, it's eventually going to make everything a little more relaxed. Things will be a little more taken care of and there will be less worries. Remember though, and this may be mostly for Dad and the girls, with great endowment comes great responsibilities. Be careful about raising the standard of living because of a plentiful increase. Great kingdoms rise and are felled in one great swoop as they yield to worldly impulses to splurge in times of plenty and not prepare for times of famine. One thing that I know has really blessed Elder Calderoni and I is being careful with our money so that we have things set aside for an emergency. (Like a super unexpected ticket!...we paid one of those this week.) Be careful and wise with how you use what the Lord has blessed you with.
That's awesome that so many people are getting their Eagle award. I kind of regret how much I wasted my teenage years but it does not do well to dwell on the past. I wonder how Cameron is doing with Kylee being engaged. But I bet that's all way in the past. I can't wait to see where he goes on his mission!
It's good that Dad's exercising and developing his singing talent. When people ask me where I learned to sing I just tell them that my dad's an excellent singer. Hopefully now Dad will learn songs in their entirety now instead of just two lines of the chorus.
We had a really great week this week. We've really been working hard to get this one investigator ready to be baptized on the 26th; the day after Christmas! He's now our 200$ investigator! He's really fighting through a lot of opposition with his father being a pastor though. He's really going to make it though, we're so excited for him. This week he made it to church on his own and he surprised us by coming in a really nice suit! Usually he comes in regular clothes but this time he polished up and he was mistaken for just a regular member. It's really cool to see people transform as a result of the Gospel touching their lives.
We really saw success as we were taking out members with us this week. God really put the resources in our path this week to make great things happen. We were walking on Thursday and we happened to bump into one of the members, who we haven't been able to get a hold of for a team-up in a long time. We asked if she'd like to come with us because we were on our way to an appointment. She came with us and we had a great lesson with a less-active, recent convert family. After the lesson we walked the person home and she agreed to come out with us to two other appointments later that day. As we were leaving her house we were approaching the appointed finding time between the hours of 5-7PM and Elder Calderoni felt inspired to ask her where she thought we could go to find a new investigator. She gave us a referral but told us that we should wait for her to talk to them and then visit next week but gave us a street that she felt prompted that we should go to. We straightway went and knocked a few doors on the street till we met a guy who'd met with the missionaries in South Africa and wanted to learn more about the Book of Mormon! What a member miracle! The lessons with the member later that night went exceptionally well in that we did very little of the talking and the testimony of that member really sank deeply into the heart of those investigators, who both committed themselves to baptism that night. Members are amazing!
I'm so excited for this wonderful Christmas week! There's going to be lots of miracles and we're planning on doing some Christmas Caroling with the zone. Should be fun! Have a great week!
-Elder Guinto
Monday, December 13, 2010
E-mail received 12/13/2010
That's alright I like long letters. WOA! Brittany's married now! That's super weird! I knew stuff like this would happen but when it actually happens it's a little strange realizing that it'll be a quite different home I'll be returning to.
It's really kind of sad going to mission activities now and realizing that it's my last on my mission. Time flies way too fast!
I'll definitely be praying for you and your job opportunities. I know that finances are pretty tough right now. One of life's greatest struggles is embodied in the most simplest of phrases in the scriptures: "Endure to the End." When we read it it sounds so easy, so rudimentary. But when we experience it, we realize it's much more difficult than we ever anticipated. The comfort comes in knowing that we do not have to do it alone. We can, but why would we? Isaiah told us to lean not unto our own understanding, in all our ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct our paths. Then enduring not only becomes easy, but enjoyable because we're in it together with our families.
One item you might like to know, and I probably should've told you this earlier but here it is, you should probably get that package off ASAP because we're getting mail on Wednesday and after that we're not getting mail till probably January...just a little note.
I'm probably going to be sending you a package with the rest of my clothes and some other things that I don't really use much. I'm "de-junking." I also have a lot of things that are pretty distracting so I'll probably send those too. I should hopefully get those off today. Now that we're in a two-man again we have a little more time on P-day's to do things.
Transfers went pretty smoothly this week. Elder Calderoni and I are still together but the whole zone changed drastically. Almost every companionship changed and almost everyone who got switched out were switched with Elders who I've worked closely with before and who were zone leaders the transfer before. We got stacked! Our zone has most of the best missionaries in the mission! We're going to really rock the Hudson Front this transfer and we're all super pumped to work together!
One of the things that I think sets apart the missionaries that came in with any other missionary is the keen ability to set good goals. I think goal setting was definitely something that I lacked before I came out on a mission. I really appreciate how much easier everything is when you have a clear and bright direction to guide your feet. You also feel the glorious light of purpose which really helps you to achieve worthy accomplishments and improve internally so that those triumphant moments last. We've set some really good goals with the missionaries to really get their purpose and obedience in their hearts so that they can really reap in the white field before them.
Elder Calderoni and I were a little disrupted by the bulk of meetings this week. We enjoyed a great meal at the mission home with our zone where we shared good company, good food, and good conversion stories that we've all experienced in our time here in New Jersey. We also had a great fireside in Union City, in Spanish. Great talks, and inspiring music helped us to remember the real meaning of Christmas and the wonderful blessings the Savior's birth brought to all who live on this earth. I hope, as you exchange presents and gifts this year, you remember the gift the Savior has given you and just how much it really cost. Show gratitude to your Father in Heaven, who's given you everything by giving Him what you can render. Service to others, a loving hand to lift up, a kind smile, a letter of encouragement, your heart, your all. Though some may feel they have little to give, what little means so much to those who have none. The Savior said, "These deeds shall thy memorial be, fear not, thou didst them unto me." ("A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief) I challenge each of you to really capture that magical spirit of Christmas this year in giving, and grateful receiving.
We're excited to work hard this Christmas season, knowing that we are bringing the greatest gift that anyone on this earth can receive: the matchless love of God's divine son. It's truly a pleasure, a joy beyond measure, a blessing of duty and love.
-Elder Guinto
It's really kind of sad going to mission activities now and realizing that it's my last on my mission. Time flies way too fast!
I'll definitely be praying for you and your job opportunities. I know that finances are pretty tough right now. One of life's greatest struggles is embodied in the most simplest of phrases in the scriptures: "Endure to the End." When we read it it sounds so easy, so rudimentary. But when we experience it, we realize it's much more difficult than we ever anticipated. The comfort comes in knowing that we do not have to do it alone. We can, but why would we? Isaiah told us to lean not unto our own understanding, in all our ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct our paths. Then enduring not only becomes easy, but enjoyable because we're in it together with our families.
One item you might like to know, and I probably should've told you this earlier but here it is, you should probably get that package off ASAP because we're getting mail on Wednesday and after that we're not getting mail till probably January...just a little note.
I'm probably going to be sending you a package with the rest of my clothes and some other things that I don't really use much. I'm "de-junking." I also have a lot of things that are pretty distracting so I'll probably send those too. I should hopefully get those off today. Now that we're in a two-man again we have a little more time on P-day's to do things.
Transfers went pretty smoothly this week. Elder Calderoni and I are still together but the whole zone changed drastically. Almost every companionship changed and almost everyone who got switched out were switched with Elders who I've worked closely with before and who were zone leaders the transfer before. We got stacked! Our zone has most of the best missionaries in the mission! We're going to really rock the Hudson Front this transfer and we're all super pumped to work together!
One of the things that I think sets apart the missionaries that came in with any other missionary is the keen ability to set good goals. I think goal setting was definitely something that I lacked before I came out on a mission. I really appreciate how much easier everything is when you have a clear and bright direction to guide your feet. You also feel the glorious light of purpose which really helps you to achieve worthy accomplishments and improve internally so that those triumphant moments last. We've set some really good goals with the missionaries to really get their purpose and obedience in their hearts so that they can really reap in the white field before them.
Elder Calderoni and I were a little disrupted by the bulk of meetings this week. We enjoyed a great meal at the mission home with our zone where we shared good company, good food, and good conversion stories that we've all experienced in our time here in New Jersey. We also had a great fireside in Union City, in Spanish. Great talks, and inspiring music helped us to remember the real meaning of Christmas and the wonderful blessings the Savior's birth brought to all who live on this earth. I hope, as you exchange presents and gifts this year, you remember the gift the Savior has given you and just how much it really cost. Show gratitude to your Father in Heaven, who's given you everything by giving Him what you can render. Service to others, a loving hand to lift up, a kind smile, a letter of encouragement, your heart, your all. Though some may feel they have little to give, what little means so much to those who have none. The Savior said, "These deeds shall thy memorial be, fear not, thou didst them unto me." ("A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief) I challenge each of you to really capture that magical spirit of Christmas this year in giving, and grateful receiving.
We're excited to work hard this Christmas season, knowing that we are bringing the greatest gift that anyone on this earth can receive: the matchless love of God's divine son. It's truly a pleasure, a joy beyond measure, a blessing of duty and love.
-Elder Guinto
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
E-mail received 12/6/2010 - December Already!
I sent the pictures they should be getting to you soon. I didn't email on saturday because we didn't have the temple trip. The assistants texted us and told us that all temple trips were to be postponed until after transfer conference so that they would get people going and then going again because their new companion hadn't gone already. We will hopefully be going either this saturday or the next but we're not sure yet.
Sounds like a lot of job opportunities are opening up and the Lord is preparing you to do some great work. Just keep praying and I know that the Lord will direct your paths. Lean not unto thine own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.
As far as the tow incident. Don't worry about sending any more money. I don't spend anything so it shouldn't be a problem. I already bought a very inexpensive pair of shoes so my needs are taken care of. I know that my companion doesn't have a lot of funds to his name so I volunteered to pay the whole amount. I don't expect him to pay any of it but he's already decided that he wants to make it up in installments so what I get from him I'm going to put into an emergency reserve fund just in case something else comes up.
It's kind of weird. Most of the names that you've said are ones that I don't recognize like the Mortensens & the Shepards. Maybe I just didn't know them very well but I'm excited to meet them when I come home.
That's cool that you're getting the tree! We set up ours last Thursday. It's fake, and it's white but it does the job. I miss Washington where everyone has a real tree and I told everyone how it's a travesty that we're having a fake one but in most places in New Jersey it's illegal to have a real tree because it's a "fire hazard."
Transfers are this week! Neither Elder Calderoni or myself are getting transferred so we'll have the blessing of serving together for at least six more weeks. After this transfer we will have served for a fourth of our mission together! Crazy! Two companionships are being doubled out and the zones getting a major face-lift again. Should be pretty exciting.
What a wonderful time to be doing missionary work. The first snows of the season are falling today and field is, literally, white and already to harvest. Elder Calderoni and I have really been looking towards the following transfer and the miracles that we're expecting to occur.
We had a great week this week as we were really able to contemplate on the things that we want to improve in so that we can fit ourselves for the work to which we are appointed. We met with the zone leaders and with our district leaders to talk about how we can move the mission in a monumental way towards bringing more of God's children unto Christ. We surmised that the best way is unity. We've seen examples from the Godhead, the first presidency, and the quorum of the twelve apostles about how unity is an inspiring and absolutely vital part of a working appendage of the church of Christ. We've been examining ourselves to see what we can change to have an eye single to His glory and our hearts knit together in unity and it love. we may need glasses and a lot of string to do that but no doubt it will be worth it.
As we met with the district leaders about what goals we would help the members of the zone set we realized that the work plays so much into our own desires. Really what we focus on, we will get. Whether that focus be on relaxation and pleasure or on the salvation and exaltation for ourselves and for others, it is our choice to choose the results we attain in this life. We determined to focus on matters of the heart for this transfer. Really helping missionaries focus on their own faith and perfection so they can minister that renewed testimony of divine truth to bless the lives of those they serve.
Elder Calderoni and I have really seen how setting goals yields powerful fruits. Our last zone goal was to put every missionary out on the line in testifying to everyone of the truth and divinity of the book, prophet, and Gospel we are called to proclaim. We've had the opportunity of seeing three choice souls begin from one critical moment where we were pushed by a goal to contact a person that we'd never met before and share with them the talent we've been given. Those three people now have baptismal dates for the day after Christmas and are progressing like wildfire! We truly gained a testimony that there are prepared individuals all around us. We don't know who they are but the Lord does and, as we seek for it, the Spirit will guide us to them and we must open our mouths.
One of those people had a really hard time coming to church this last week but made it anyway. His father is a pastor and very antagonistic towards the church. The son forgoes the family strife because he's already received a witness that these things are true and he cannot deny it. We admire him because he's really pressing through some strong opposition so that he can be baptized the day after Christmas. It's an inspiration and a blessing to see his determination.
We're excited to work and hope that you all can feel the power and love of God this Christmas season.
-Elder Guinto
Sounds like a lot of job opportunities are opening up and the Lord is preparing you to do some great work. Just keep praying and I know that the Lord will direct your paths. Lean not unto thine own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.
As far as the tow incident. Don't worry about sending any more money. I don't spend anything so it shouldn't be a problem. I already bought a very inexpensive pair of shoes so my needs are taken care of. I know that my companion doesn't have a lot of funds to his name so I volunteered to pay the whole amount. I don't expect him to pay any of it but he's already decided that he wants to make it up in installments so what I get from him I'm going to put into an emergency reserve fund just in case something else comes up.
It's kind of weird. Most of the names that you've said are ones that I don't recognize like the Mortensens & the Shepards. Maybe I just didn't know them very well but I'm excited to meet them when I come home.
That's cool that you're getting the tree! We set up ours last Thursday. It's fake, and it's white but it does the job. I miss Washington where everyone has a real tree and I told everyone how it's a travesty that we're having a fake one but in most places in New Jersey it's illegal to have a real tree because it's a "fire hazard."
Transfers are this week! Neither Elder Calderoni or myself are getting transferred so we'll have the blessing of serving together for at least six more weeks. After this transfer we will have served for a fourth of our mission together! Crazy! Two companionships are being doubled out and the zones getting a major face-lift again. Should be pretty exciting.
What a wonderful time to be doing missionary work. The first snows of the season are falling today and field is, literally, white and already to harvest. Elder Calderoni and I have really been looking towards the following transfer and the miracles that we're expecting to occur.
We had a great week this week as we were really able to contemplate on the things that we want to improve in so that we can fit ourselves for the work to which we are appointed. We met with the zone leaders and with our district leaders to talk about how we can move the mission in a monumental way towards bringing more of God's children unto Christ. We surmised that the best way is unity. We've seen examples from the Godhead, the first presidency, and the quorum of the twelve apostles about how unity is an inspiring and absolutely vital part of a working appendage of the church of Christ. We've been examining ourselves to see what we can change to have an eye single to His glory and our hearts knit together in unity and it love. we may need glasses and a lot of string to do that but no doubt it will be worth it.
As we met with the district leaders about what goals we would help the members of the zone set we realized that the work plays so much into our own desires. Really what we focus on, we will get. Whether that focus be on relaxation and pleasure or on the salvation and exaltation for ourselves and for others, it is our choice to choose the results we attain in this life. We determined to focus on matters of the heart for this transfer. Really helping missionaries focus on their own faith and perfection so they can minister that renewed testimony of divine truth to bless the lives of those they serve.
Elder Calderoni and I have really seen how setting goals yields powerful fruits. Our last zone goal was to put every missionary out on the line in testifying to everyone of the truth and divinity of the book, prophet, and Gospel we are called to proclaim. We've had the opportunity of seeing three choice souls begin from one critical moment where we were pushed by a goal to contact a person that we'd never met before and share with them the talent we've been given. Those three people now have baptismal dates for the day after Christmas and are progressing like wildfire! We truly gained a testimony that there are prepared individuals all around us. We don't know who they are but the Lord does and, as we seek for it, the Spirit will guide us to them and we must open our mouths.
One of those people had a really hard time coming to church this last week but made it anyway. His father is a pastor and very antagonistic towards the church. The son forgoes the family strife because he's already received a witness that these things are true and he cannot deny it. We admire him because he's really pressing through some strong opposition so that he can be baptized the day after Christmas. It's an inspiration and a blessing to see his determination.
We're excited to work and hope that you all can feel the power and love of God this Christmas season.
-Elder Guinto
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