May 7, 2012

Dear Family,

I am exhausted right now because I had insomnia last night and we "woke up" at 4:30 and did a 5-hour hike up this mountain called Flat Iron in the Superstition Mountains.  I am so beat I can't even remember what you guys wrote about in your emails even though I just read them two minutes ago.  I got some really cool pictures but I lost the cord to connect the camera to my computer and nobody else here has one.

Before I forget, Happy Birthday Dad!!!!!!!  I hope you guys did something fun, like go and see the Avengers or something.  How are the St. Louis Blues doing?  If they get rocked by the Kings I really hope the Coyotes win the Stanley Cup.  Everyone is going pretty crazy in the Phoenix area because its like the first time they've ever even gone to the playoffs.

This week has been pretty busy and we are going to have another busy one coming up.  We have a baptism tomorrow with a kid named Osman whom we set a baptismal date with during my second night here in Mesa.  He is a little odd and his fellowshipper is this really cute member who is in his grade (which probably has a lot to do with why he is investigating).  He has progressed really well and has kept all of his commitments.  When we went to his house to get his parents' permission for him to be baptized, they didn't even know he had been going to church and meeting with the missionaries like three times a week for four weeks, but they were fine with him getting baptized.  We actually set up an appointment with his parents for next Sunday, so hopefully they can come to church and eventually get baptized too!!!

A family the missionaries were working with for a long time in this area just passed their interview and are going to get baptized in the next two weeks.  If all goes according to plan we should have four baptisms this month.  It is really difficult to find new investigators in our area still.  I think we talked to two Hispanics in the street this past week.

Anyway, I can't wait to talk to you on Mother's Day and I hope that everything goes as planned for Mom's surgery.  Also Happy Birthday again to Dad.  He would have really enjoyed the hike we did this morning.  Saw a lot of cool wildlife: 10-inch centipede, coyote, lizards, birds (turkey vultures), and massive hornet, but the centipede was the coolest.

Love,

Elder Kinney