1 YEAR!!

Elder Keller is doing great. He has been in Denton Texas for quite some time and really became a part of the community there. He has been transfered to Weatherford texas a small old college town west of Fort Worth.

Yes, it has been one year. I can hardly believe it and other times I think it's about time! It's also been about a year since Kaden has driven the area he is in now he gets to drive. This  area also doesn't have a spanish branch so the members come to church and the Elders  translate. The sunday school teacher just had a baby so often the Elders teach there as wel, so Sundays are busy.

Excerpt from letter:

Met some awesome members today. They made me eat a habanero chili pepper plain to "pass the test" did it without crying boo-ya!  met a cool family wife and husband invited us back for another lesson tomorrow. Father offered to give a closing prayer kneeling! cool!


Elder Keller's companion is Elder Allen they have a tough area with the translating but I know they will be guided to the families that are looking for something more. They work really hard.

Elder Keller and Elder Allen

Jeanna

 

Elder Keller and Elder Aguirre

Where's the gun show?

It's been one HOT! Summer!

Disclosure: this Blog is written by Elder Keller's mom from her point of view!

Elder Keller has been in Denton Texas for 12 weeks now. This is the longest he has been in any one place since the MTC. He loves Denton his last letter he said he lives by a prison a salvation army and the hood, and he loves it. Denton is just above FOrt WOrth  it is a smaller town but still big in comparison to home.

Excerpt from Elder Keller's last letter home:
Thursday, today started off the day saving a guys life and car! He ran out of gas and tried to pull off the road, but his car didn't make it up the little hill to get into the parking lot and he was outside trying to push it. It was pushing him unto the street and there was a bunch of traffic. SO I'm on the other side of the road and I see this and so I go across the grass and jump the curb into the street and weave past cars my companion was still on the side of the guy because he didnt' cross at the light so he got there just a teeny bit before me. They had it stopped but it was starting to go backwards again. I got there and pushed and we got ot over the hill and to the gas station.

Kaden is doing great, doesn't every missionary mom say that?  I think every missionary says that.

There are a lot of great young men out and going out in the area and each time I go to a farewell I am comforted to know that they are in the Lord's hands and through him they can and will accomplish great things and make a huge impact on this earth.

Finally an update! haha!

Kaden is currently serving in Denton Texas. This is his 3rd area and he is with a brand new elder, Elder Aguirre. I had Kaden write a little something to update ya'all so this is from him. I was hopin ghe'd email so Ididnt have to type but that isn't the case so please forgive my typing errors and know that from now on the updates will be me summarizing what he has going on.

The spanish has been a blessing I still make mistakes here and there but for the most part I can speak and understand everything. I'm on a bkie all day everyday and I love it. It is ridiculously hot and I'm almost always sweaty, but I'm slowly starting to get used to it, so hopefully when I get back to Utah I will like never sweat. THe people here are amazing I don't get to see much classic Texas stuff cowboys, cows and stuff but I know a whole lot about Mexico. I eat spicy food non stop like non other now. I don't even have to test salsa or chilis before I eat them I just down it.

The scriptures really do have all the answers to whatever it is you are going through especially the Book of Mormon.  I learn new scriptures daily that apply to me and what I am going through as well as the investigators. At the beginning of my mission there were a lot of things holding me back, mainly myself. I was afraid of reaching my full potential as a missionary because I didn't want to become weird or boring in other words I was being selfish.  If the mission has changed one thing about me it is that I care about other people more than I care about myself and that I find happiness when others are happy.
Elder Keller

Elder Keller truly is growing and magnifying his calling. So often we hold back for fear that we will offend others. When the only person we are short changing is ourselves. How can we uplift others when we are holding back. Lift the bushel and let your light so shine. That is one of the greatest lessons I have learned from Elder Keller.

Jeanna Keller

Elder Keller has arrived in Texas!!

Jan 3rd Elder Keller left the mtc for places unknown and for a new language! He has began to settle in Temple Texas. 

He has all ready had some amazing experiences. THe following is an excerpt from his letter:

  So Juan Garcia is a member and he had 2 strokes and went into the hospital and was bleeding out because all the arteries in his throat were clogged and so they did surgery on it and after he started to lose blood pressure like crazy! We got there and he was in shock and shaking like crazy and so we gave him a blessing and after he started to breathe normal and wasnt shaking and yesterday at church we heard that he is doing just fine!! (: it was one of the coolest experiences of my life. So we have taught a bunch of lessons and iv even extended a baptismal invitation!! Being a missionary is awesome!

We are so happy to just know where he is. An interesting fact I found out about Temple Texas is that a school there is the Wildcats. Funny Weber is wildcats and that is where Kaden is planning on going to school. Just a quirky fact. 

Some of the Elders at the MTC!

Letter

So I feel like I am a lot older or more mature or grown up or something.  At the same time I don't think I'll get too weird or change that much or anything because I'm still a spaz. I just have to hold it back a lot here which is pretty easy because I am soo tired all the time except at night. Hmmm!Big surprise huh! I hear it keeps getting easier and easier the longer you are here until the last week or so when you are just ready to get out of leave and clock out. I am afraid it might happen to me by week 4! HaHA ( me too)

I miss my friends a lot. The guys are great here, but they aren't my boys back home. I definitely miss scoot seeshes and random trips. Don't even get me started on how I miss girls it is a whole new world and way of life not being able to talk to all the girls everyday from back home.( I wish his friends would write letters) I got a letter from Sumer today and that was really nice.

It's super funny here how everyone is from a huge typical mormon family. HAHA ! everyone has at least 4 siblings. I love you all soo much! you are the best family anyone could ask for.

Kaden, Kyra, Grandpa Fred(95) Jeanna. Stopped by to see my grandpa before we took Elder Keller to the MTC

One last family pic. It truely was an amazing experience

Matt C, Elder Keller (that is so weird to type) and Daniel L

The best 2 kids I could ever hope for!

Elder Keller & Elder Keller Ha Ha Ha! Klint's nephew left the same day .

I thought I would finally update with some pictures. What a great experience preparing a young man for a mission is. Kaden has been out for 2 weeks. I know these boys must love the Lord, because until you have a missionary of your own out you don't really seem to understand the sacrifice they make willingly and lovingly.

So ill just give a quick little shpeal on what iv been up to since i emailed on saturday. Sunday was fast sunday which was hard 26 hours is a long time when your not to used to it but all went well and then monday we went and had gym and service i like gym here i dont do nearly enough cuz their gym is random machines laying around in the corners on the track upstairs haha. but monday we taught our investigator and did very well we taught her 5 times and so we are done now and she is our teacher but she said that me and my companion teach the best because we have the spirit really strong from right when we walk in until we leave! that was awesome to hear she compared us to a lava lamp where it stayed the whole time and just moved around instead of leaving. So i have also been doing really good with the language still i learn more and more everyday! Yesterday in gym i might have broken my nose and/or been slightly concussed by im not supposed to say those things to my mom huh... whoops but i am ok i get a shoulder to the nose and started bleeding all over but then i just stuck some things up it and kept playing. Today we got to go to the temple for the first time we go at the 7:20 session every thursday... (D-lem/critch) hahaha. It was very spiritual and good we got to eat the food there and its way better than the food at the mtc not that the food here is bad its good but it tears your insides up pretty bad. So thats the only things that have happened really that are interesting at all. But encourage people to write me or those dear elder things or something!!!! haha especially dylan lamb, j com, and zack i got lots to tell the boys about what to prepare for and what not. Tell bonzo i miss him too and if he wants to tell me he misses me he can write hahaha. But all kidding aside the mtc is the best being a missionary is the best everything is so spiritual all the time the only time you even notice the spirit is when its not there. thanks for getting me the immunization records it wasnt a big deal or anything but we only put the end dates but we needed the others too. So im really glad to hear dads shots and everything are going good and that he is feeling better i hope it keeps getting better. Kyra i miss talking to you and hearing about your nights even though when you would tell me sometimes i wouldnt seem to interested haha. So im making tons of friends here the people here are the best!!! everyone is super nice and funny its pretty funny to see how crazy being in the mtc can make you everyone acts really wierd but i think its cuz we are all going kinda crazy in here. So i know when missionarys write their letters are supposed to be super full of scriptures and all that jazz but i dont think ill do that for a while i'll probably start to find some soon but my mind lately is just so busy i cant even remember anything i want to say. I just want to say that jesus died for us and that to truly be happy we have to live like him and repent and use the wonderful gift of the atonement . I love the book of mormon i find so many great things in there that i use everyday its funny because i think i have more scripture references memorized in the week iv been here than the 4 years of seminary.... whoops but i love you all so much! I am glad to hear you are all doing so good it really makes my day to hear from you all!!!! (: days go like weeks and weeks go liek days is pretty much the motto for missionaries haha it might not make sense but it is so true. I love you and pray for you all every day and night and usually like 3 other times during the day between the 25 prayers they have us say a day. ill hopefully write a better letter next week because i wont have as much going on but i love it here and am super excited to be here and become a better missionary and person. Love You!!!!