Week 20: Jan. 2, 2023 - The New Year Is Here!

 Hello Friends and Family!

2023 is here! I hope you all had a wonderful New Year's holiday. On New Year's Eve we had to be home a little early which was alright. We heard quite a few large explosions from our neighbors, so we knew that they were having fun haha. 

Weather this last week has been quite a bit different than last week. In fact, it was 70 degrees last Tuesday! This afternoon we got a tornado alert for a storm that will be coming in this evening. The storm is projected to stay about 30 minutes south of the city that we live in. This is my first experience with a tornado storm. The humidity, clouds, thunder, and temperature are all going crazy. 

This week we were doing service for a branch member and had planned to have a lesson with one of our friends at the member's home afterwards. Our friend told us that he had got his van stuck in mud that was in his driveway and wouldn't be able to make it to our lesson. His friend tried pulling the van out with his Honda Civic but in the process, he rolled over a 60 lb rock and was stuck. Elder Sites and I drove down to see what we could do. With some help from our Tacoma, we were eventually able to rescue both vehicles! 

1. 3. I would be my brother’s keeper;

   I would learn the healer’s art.

   To the wounded and the weary

   I would show a gentle heart.

   I would be my brother’s keeper—

   Lord, I would follow thee.

2. Hymn 220: Lord, I would Follow Thee

Thank you for all the support!

Elder Kovacs

Pictures:

- Feeding longhorns

- Pulling the van out of mud

- Elder Sites and I prepping carne 

- A cool train we found Amsterdam, KS

Week 19: 12/26/2022 - Many Are Called But Few Are Frozen

 Merry Belated Christmas!! 

The title of this email is a spin off of the saying "Many are called but few are chosen":)

This week the weather was quite chilly! Early last week was highs in the 50's and lows in the 30's, which is normal. There were reports of a cold spell that would be coming in on Wednesday. Mission leadership had to move the Zone Conference(a big meeting for missionaries from a lot of different areas) up one day so we wouldn't be traveling in dangerous conditions. I am glad they did this because Wednesday night, it snowed and temperatures shot down into the single digit negatives but were even colder with wind chill. The next day we weren't allowed to drive all day, that was pretty rough because our house is two miles outside of town so we couldn't walk anywhere. It ended up being a good day because we were able to contact a lot of people over the phone and through Facebook. 

On Christmas Eve we had a normal day of work, but in the evening we got to meet with our zone! We played games, made gingerbread houses and did a white elephant gift exchange. It was a lot of fun!

Christmas Day we had a wonderful Sacrament Meeting. Elder Sites and I sang twice! The first song was "O Little Town of Bethlehem", there were seven of us in total. The second song was a duet with Elder Sites and I! We sang "Stars Were Gleaming". I wouldn't consider myself very vocally talented but Elder Sites is, so together we sounded great!:)  A few of the Branch members gave us little Christmas goodies, we were surprised and very grateful for their kindness.

1. 3. Come to Bethlehem and see

   Him whose birth the angels sing;

   Come, adore on bended knee

   Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

2. Hymn 203: Angels We HaveHeard on High

3. Thank you so much for all the support! I hope you have a happy New Year!
4. Elder Kovacs

Pictures:

- Zone Conference group pic

- Weather from last Friday

- Three day old baby calf

- Frozen over lake that we live near

-Christmas Eve with the Zone

Week 18: 12/18/2022 - New Companion!

 Hello Everyone!

Three words to describe this week are busy, bittersweet, and fun. On Thursday I said adios to my trainer, Elder Watson. He taught me so much about missionary work. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to be his companion! We visited many people to say goodbye. People from the branch as well as others from the community were sad to see him go. It is cool to see the kind of influence we as missionaries can have on an area. 

My new companion is Elder Sites! He has lots of enthusiasm for missionary work! He is from Orem, Utah which is cool because we lived very close to each other this last year while I was at UVU. I am very excited and optimistic for this transfer with a new companion. I am grateful for every opportunity to learn and grow as a missionary and also as a person! 

This week while getting haircuts in town, one of the ladies that works there asked if we were the gentlemen that helped make peanut brittle at the grange. We confirmed that it was us. The woman began to tell us how she had heard about two hard working young men who had helped make peanut brittle the week prior. She told us how thoughtful and kind it was for us to do that. We explained that it was our pleasure and we love to serve the community. In small towns like these, word really does travel fast. We were even more willing to help make peanut brittle this week:).

1. 1. It came upon the midnight clear,

   That glorious song of old,

   From angels bending near the earth

   To touch their harps of gold:

   “Peace on the earth, good will to men

   From heav’n’s all-gracious King.”

   The world in solemn stillness lay

   To hear the angels sing.

2. Hymn 207: It Came upon a the Midnight Clear

Thank you for all the support! Merry Christmas!

--Elder Kovacs

Pictures:

- Cool clouds

- Selfiewith an old building in Beagle, Kansas 

- Elder Sites and I at transfers in Independence

- Hand-made stop sign

Week 17: Christmas Miracles & Peanut Brittle!

 Hope you all had a great week! I sure did!

At the end of last week, my Mission President has recently put a lot of emphasis on working hard  and focusing on our goals. He promised us that as we continue to work diligently, we will see miracles. Well, we did see miracles!! On Wednesday we were tracting in the town of Beagle, Kansas. I was expecting to have knocked every door in town in about an hour because of how few houses there are. We began talking to a woman who was actually very interested and we were able to teach her the entire first lesson right there on her doorstep! This was my very first time having someone listen to an entire lesson on first contact. We walked away feeling so happy and blessed to have the opportunity to teach her and continue to minister to her and her family!

This is the last week of the transfer which I am almost through with training/ getting trained. We received news that I will be staying in Mound City but Elder Watson is getting transferred. I have learned so much from Elder Watson. It won't be the same without him! 

One of our friends in the community invited us to volunteer at the Richland Grange and help them make peanut brittle! I didn't know what a grange was, but it is basically like 4H for adults. When I say adults, I mean the youngest person in the room other than us was 62 years old. Making peanut brittle was fun, but wow it was work. The whole crew was 15 people and we were cranking out peanut brittle like it was gold. I guess it kind of is like gold because they sell it as a fundraiser for the grange. The woman who invited us called us later that evening and was so grateful and impressed with our work and invited us to come back next week! She wasn't too happy when we told her that Elder Watson won't be there since he is getting transferred. 

1. 2. Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!

   Hail the Son of Righteousness!

   Light and life to all he brings,

   Ris’n with healing in his wings.

   Mild he lays his glory by,

   Born that man no more may die;

   Born to raise the sons of earth,

   Born to give them second birth.

2. Hymn 209: Hark! The Herald Angel's Sing

Thank you so much for all the support! 

Elder Kovacs

                                                    Elder Watson and I in our element.

                                                                Making peanut brittle.

Week 16 12/5/22: Hello December!

 Hello Friends and Family!

Exciting news! We invited our friend Rocke (pronounced Rockie) to be baptized and she accepted! She is 13, and is friends with the kids of a family who was baptized this summer. We are so excited for her, it is so amazing to help contribute to the growth of the branch (what we call a starter congregation). She lives with her Dad but spends most of her time at the Browns. She is preparing for a December baptism!

This week was very slow as far as finding new people to teach. There has been a lot of sickness going around. We heard that schools in the area even had to close for a short amount of time because so many students and teachers were sick. Elder Watson and I have been protected from being sick which we count as a huge blessing!

While visiting people this week we got chased by dogs three times. I'm never too worried because I'm faster than my companion... haha just kidding! The dogs lose interest and never get very close to us. Quite exhilarating though!

I am very blessed to be in a great district! Since we're in a rural area there's only three companionships which is small  compared to the average district. Every week we have a meeting with our district called District Council. Each week, our district leader asks three people to give a 10-15 minute lesson or training. I was a little apprehensive about giving training to other missionaries since I'm a pretty new missionary but through these opportunities I have learned and grown more confident in my group speaking and teaching skills. I look forward to District Council every week because of the opportunity to be edified by the spirit through other missionaries.

On Wednesday we spent some time finding people to teach in a lake community called Lake Chaparral. It is one of the more fringe places in our area, which is saying something. We met a guy named Bobby. Glock in front pocket and cigarette tucked in his ear he kindly explained that he wasn't interested in learning about the gospel. We walked down the street to find a pile of still smoking debris from a camper. We later were informed that they burned a brush pile but the wind caught their house on fire and burned to the ground.

So happy it's Christmas season!

1. 1. Far, far away on Judea’s plains,

   Shepherds of old heard the joyous strains:

2. 2. Sweet are these strains of redeeming love,

   Message of mercy from heav’n above

3. Hymn 212: Far, Far Away on Judea's Plains

Thank you for all the support!

Elder Kovacs

Missouri Independence Mission

517 W Walnut St

Independence, MO 64050 

                                                            Chicken liver sliders!

                                                    Going to Topgolf with the district on pday

Week 15: 11/28/2022 - Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Hello friends and family!! 

I hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving! I apologize for not emailing recently, preparation days are always so busy! 

On a recent preparation day, we had the opportunity to go to a member's house who has a quite large wood/metal shop. The project was to refurbish the wood on our smoker. Brother Gorrell loved having us over. He told us several times how we are fast learners. Although we didn't operate any of the machinery, it was an amazing opportunity to get to know a member in the branch and see how to take raw wood and give it a new purpose. It reminds me of my purpose as a missionary:). 

This week we went on splits with the zone leaders! They are in the city and it is a Spanish speaking area. We knocked on a door looking for a member who they hadn't had contact with for a while. Apparently, he did not live there anymore but the woman who did live there only spoke Spanish! This was pretty big because I haven't had someone speak in Spanish to me since I was in Mexico. I was worried that I wouldn't understand anything that was going on, but as a matter of fact, I DID! The woman was speaking fairly slowly and the conversation was basic, but I am so grateful for el don de lenguas (the gift of tongues), I would never have been able to understand what was happening in that moment without it!

We visited a woman who we met through Facebook, she had some service that needed to be done around the property. After we were done helping her she said she had something to give us. She then opened the tailgate of her truck to reveal SIX boxes of food from a food pantry she works at. Our fridge and pantry is currently overflowing with fresh vegetables, bread (not the cheap kind), frozen meat, and more. There are eight bags of cranberries. Elder Watson figured out how to make cranberry sauce so now we will actually be able to use them.  When we were driving home with the boxes of food, a scripture popped into my mind from Malachi chapter three in the Book of Mormon, " ...open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it". This is exactly how I was feeling since it was so much food that I don't honestly think we'll be able to use it all! Luckily, we have been able to give many items away to others. 

Elder Watson and I have been busy in our efforts to find and teach. Recently we haven't been able to find very many new people to teach. It is a little discouraging and it kind of had me feeling down. At church this week, Sister Franklin, one of the new members in the branch, stopped and said, "It's always so nice to see your smiling face young man." Hearing this completely changed my mood! It may have been a small and simple compliment, but it was a big morale booster. 

1. "There’s surely somewhere a lowly place

   In earth’s harvest fields so wide

   Where I may labor through life’s short day

   For Jesus, the Crucified.

   So trusting my all to thy tender care,

   And knowing thou lovest me,

   I’ll do thy will with a heart sincere:

   I'll be what you want me to be."

2. 
   

3. 
   

4. 
   

5. 
   

6. 
   

7. Hymn 270: I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go (verse 3)

-- Elder Kovacs

                                                                

                                                                 Thanksgiving dinner with the Olathe Zone!

                                                                

                                                                   One of Longhorn cattle at at members house 

                                                                

                                                                                                A horse friend. 

                                                                            Wood transformation 

                                                    Finished product of the smoker with Brother Gorrell

                                                        

                                                                The average Kansas lawn mower

                                                Elders Pack, Downs, Watson and I trying on felt hats

Week 12: Nov; 7. 2022 Is Week 5 'in the field!!'

 Hola!

This week has been so good, but also so stressful. We were able to find four people who are interested in learning more about the gospel! 

On Tuesday I had the chance to go on splits with Elder Thomas who is also in training. It was both of our first times being on splits. Since we were in my area, I was leading out which meant I had extra responsibility for remembering appointments and confirmation for lessons later in the day. Overall it was great! We found a woman who was interested in the Book of Mormon, as we were teaching her about the Restoration, a massive front loader drove over and began trying to move a steel plate that was on the road directly in front of the house. It was super loud and made it very difficult for her to hear us. We were still able to teach her even through raised voices. We saw it as the adversary hard at work. It was no match :)

This week there was a conference called Mid-Trainers, it is for all missionaries who are either being trained or are training. It was a great opportunity to hear from our Mission President and leaders. President Ames, my Mission President, spoke about Helaman 10:4-5. He taught about how because Nephi always declared the Lord's word with "unwearingness", The Lord blessed him with the sealing power(omnipotence). President Ames taught that if we are like Nephi in striving to preach the word of the Lord with unwearingness, we can receive that same blessing in our lives. 

We went out to visit a member in the branch that we hadn't gotten the chance to talk to much. He showed us all around his shop including a WWII era ceiling fan motor which he was restoring into a metal blade sharpener. He also has a fuselage for a 1933 Peitenpol Sky Scout, which is a ooold open cockpit aircraft. It was super cool!

3. "We’ll call in our solemn assemblies in spirit,

To spread forth the kingdom of heaven abroad,

That we through our faith may begin to inherit

The visions and blessings and glories of God". 

Hymn 2: The Spirit of God

Thank you all for your support! 

Elder Kovacs

Harvested Soybean and corn field

Samantha the smoker hard at work

Another P-day another fish