11-18-13 e-mail

Hi Mom!
This week was super good. We saw a lot of really cool people.

Mamie and Jeff are amazing. Jeff is 9 and loves oragami and s really good at it. He speaks Creole pretty well which is unusual for a kid who has lived in America his whio life. Most haitian kids who grew up in the US only speak english even though their parents don;t speak english. It's kinda weird. He goes to school in miami at a private school. They don;t have really anything. But Mamie wants Jeff to have a good education, so they drive an hour to and from Miami everyday in a car that can't take to freeway because it has so many problems. Jefff is super smart. He's quiet, but he's really funny. Mamie reminds me of you sometimes, just becasue she cries whenever she feels the spirit. Not a bad thing, the gift of weeping is a Spiritual gift. THey were found by some sisters when they were harvesting and they passed them to us becasue we;re Creole.

We've taught all the people we've baptized, but the sisters find some for us. If the sisters find someone to baptize and teach them and they have to have a preisthood holder baptize them, but it still counts as their baptism.

WE do creole for the who zone which is a large area, but a small part of that we teach english as well. We rotate Creole and english everyday. So today is a creole day, but tomorrow is english and so on. It fluctuates which language we teach in more. Sometimes more Creole, sometimes more english. It depends on how well we're finding [people in both areas.

Creole is coming. It takes time and soetimes it's really hard. Especailly becasue I still have a hard time understanding them.

I got the music. Thank you soooo much! It was so nice to have the Messiah here. I kind cryed a little when I saw it becasue I love it so much and I miss it. Thank you so mcuh!

Harvesting was so great this week,. WE had been looking for a new place to harvest and we found these apartments that looked really good. We came back the next day and gave blessing after blessing. It was awesome. WE even found a less active member that really needed the blessing. It was awesome. However, none of them came to church and we were so sad! We had worked incredibly hard this week. But, come to find out, a Haitian member had brought her neighbors and they're preparing to be baptized next week. They're an amazing family and such a blessing. God compensates hard work even if we don't always expect it in the ways it happens. The Father, Jean, played volleyball for the Haitian Olympic Volleyball team. He's super cool. Biggest Haitian I've ever met. Most Haitians are pretty small people. 

WE don;t know for sure what our part on the temple dedication will be. WE're so excited though!!

I love you! Have a good week!!!! 

11/11/13-email

 well, not a whole lot happened this week. It was a really good week with a lot of people who were awesome. We had a bpatism yesteday. Mamie and her son Jeff were baptized. They're awesome!! Mamie just cryed and cryed through the whole service becasue she was so happy. AFter she came up out of the water she just stood in the font crying. The Spririt was so strong through tthe whole meeting. It was amazing!  I left the camera, so I'll send pictures next week.
I'll send the SD card home soon, I just haven;t taken a lot of pictures of the area or anything like that recently, so I've been meaning to do that. I'll proabably send it home next week.
Transfers went well this week, they didn;t really affect us though. There is a new Elder in our appartment. There are 4 of us in the appartment and one was transfered. The old one's name is Elder Harral, and the new one is Elder Brakey. Elder Brakey is awesome. Elder Woodard is his companion. We have a really awesome district. It's the biggest in the mission. THere are 5 companionships. 2 are spanish, we're creole and east (english), and 2 elnglish. It's really fun.
I've never told you about our bishop here! He's a fireball! He's a really short balck guy and he's a convert of like 20 years. Up until he was a bishop, he had 5 earings. Hahaha. He always tells us when we laugh at somehting he says:" ya know what elders? It is what it is." It's really hard to discribe him, but he's hilarious. His wife is like the exact opposite of him which is super funny too. They're both amazing though.
WE got to drive passed the Ft. Lauderdale temple a couple times this last week. It's BEAUTIFUL!  They just announced that it will be dedicated inbetween the middle of april and the middle of may. We're so excited!!! I'll send some pictures next week.
I love you all! I miss you! I hope everything is going well!
Spencer,
Break a leg this week! I'm soooooooo excited for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I know you'll do great and don't get stressed. Something I alwyas did right before I went on stage was pray. I found a spot by myself backstage and said a quick prayer and that always helped. Just have fun with it. :D Wish I was there for it. Love you!
-Elder Felkins

(I ask him about less active family that are preparing to go to the temple, and some the new converts)

Felkins Family  wrote:

Do they have a date set?  Is the family that where non members interested?

WEll one of our recent converts is going to do baptisms for the dead in a couple weeks, but the fmaily that is nonmembers doesn't. We haven;t been able to work with them much lately.   

They're doing very well. Ronald is going to the temple that same day and Vivialdi is too young, but his older Brothers and sisters should be. All of our recent converts are AMAZING! I love them! They're progressing so much. 

(ask which temple they go to)
They go to the Orlando Temple. It's a 3 hour drive. 

 

11-5-13 email

(I ask him if he do's facebook)
 We don't do any social media here. We have so many people that we can find the old fashioned way that need the gospel that it wouldn't be as effective. 
(I ask about his companion)
He's a great companion. I love our district too. They're so amazing. I'm sad to see some of them be transfered, but there are sooo many great missionaries here I'm excited to get to know.
  (He ask what christmas sheet music to send,they are supposed to put together a christmaas fireside or their investigators)
 Send me any and all the Christmas music you want. I don't need to sing strictly motab. I have a copy of Gesu Bambino in the white binder I left at home that I could use and then I would DESPERATELY love a Handel's messiah book. I'm going to miss it soooo bad and I was asked to sing something from it possibly. Other than that, just send whatever. I just love Christmas music. :)

This week was good. Halloween is boring here. Haha. But we had two dinner appointments that day. That was great. I went on 2 exchanges this week. I go on a lot becasue Elder McMullin is the District leader. It's good to be with him and learn about leadership with him. Exchanges can be crazy sometimes. I was in the other Elders distrcit for a day and the other exchange was with a Zone Leader and we took over our area. That was a crazy day, becasue we chased less actives all day. We drove a lot, but got to go by the beachat night which was awesome. The city of Ft. LAuderdale is beautiful. We stay in the Ghetto most the time, but occasionaly we'll have a less active or something to visit in the rich part of town and it's a coool city.   

 WE also do comp studies with the Sisters in the District becasue he can't exchange with them. I love comp studies. The sisters are awesome! WE have a great district.

YEsterday was crazy! We ran into a guy who asked it if we were mormons. We said yes. Then he proceeded to say somehting like this: "SO I heard this thing about mormons. I have  a question about it. I heard that you beleive after you're like.,...or you were had spirits, but....then after you were spirits you like turn into dragons..or something?" It was so funny. I wanted to ask him if we could come over later and show him what we looked like when we turn into dragons, but I figured that's not a very funny joke. Haha.
WE gave a blessing to an 18 year old that is bipolar or autistic. He's been in and out of the hospital a lot. THat was a great experience. I was glad I did that research paper last year on autism and music therapy becasue it helped me understand him a little better.

I love harvesting. We meet wo many wonderful people!

The picture attached is of Norzilia, our recent convert that was super pregnant when we baptized her. She called and asked if we woul dcome visit her in the hospital. WE stop by everyday becasue she gets super bored. haha. Her Babay, Olivia is soooooooo cute!!!!!

I love you MOm and Family! I'm doing so well. I love FLorida! This time of year is great. It's not too hot ALL the time. Haha. The natives freeze, but I love it. haha

Love you!!
-Elder Felkins
 

10-28-13 E-mail

He didn't say a whole lot this week in his email, but here are parts of what he emailed me. 

On 10/28/13, 8:39 AM, "Kyle Felkins" < wrote

 I was thinking today I really wish I could have my Viola. I never did ask president, but I don't think He's let anyone else. Christmas will eb wierd without it.

On 10/28/13, 9:13 AM, "Kyle Felkins" wrote:

THought you might want to see a picture of the bike. It's super nice! I love it and want to ride it. 

I've got to go. I love you and I should be sending a letter this week. I love you!!!!!!!!!
On 10/28/13, 9:02 AM, "Kyle Felkins"  > wrote:

i forgot to tell you that the only music we're allowed to listen to in our mission is the Mormon tab choir.

On 10/28/13, 8:51 AM, "Kyle Felkins" wrote: (answer to how he is)

Good! Really good! Last night we had a brizilian bbq. Best steak I've ever had! So I'm doing really well! haha

Oh I forgot to tell you! Next week pday is on Tuesday becasue it's transfer week. I'll still be in the smae area though becasue I'm in training. Same companion too.