Hey guys!                                                                                                                        May 19, 2014
So I figure if I write where I am down in the other paragraph you'll all just go down to see if first, so I'll let you know right now. A big hi family from Tehuacán!! That's right I'm where I've always wanted to be on my mission. It's awesome down here. It's a little over 2 hours from Puebla and it's the farthest I've been from Puebla on my mission haha. It's a really big place with a population of around 400,000 people...yeah pretty big. Well we've been around a bit already and it's pretty awesome here. They really keep this place a lot cleaner than any other place that I've been here in Mexico. It's awesome. There is one stake here and I'm serving in the Tehuacán ward. It's cool, we have a part that touches downtown and then goes all the way up out of Tehuacán and to a pueblo called Miohuatlan. My companion is Elder Conrad from Draper, UT!! Yeah!! It's my 3rd comp from UT, 5th American. I've had, counting the MTC, 6 American and 6 Mexican comps. Elder Conrad is way cool and we like a lot of the same things. He's a great guy. I'll let you know more about my week here in the other paragraph.

Mom that's cool that you guys went to Trever's homecoming and that you saw a lot of my buds there. Yeah it's kinda funny that I'm the last one out huh? Well you guys did yard work this week. Sounds like a lot a fun ;) haha. That's good that you're planting a garden though. Good work. Maybe you can plant some habanero peppers so that something can be spicy to me when I get home. Dad that's awesome that Jami is going to graduate on the 30th!! Mom's birthday! Awesome.  Kaylee is headed for the big senior year huh? That's mind-blowing. It does seem like time is going by really fast.

So this week was awesome! Something weird...the transfer meeting got postponed because of a storm that blew through here, and kept the Americans from getting here on Tuesday. We had the transfer meeting on Wednesday instead. We got here on Wednesday night. From Thursday to Sunday we were able to put a baptismal date with an investigator that they already had here, and we found two different ones and in the same week put two more dates with them!! It was a miracle. This place is full of great people. Elder Conrad and I are really excited to be here and work together. It's going to be really fun. I feel like it's the perfect opportunity to apply everything that I've learned thus far on my mission. It's going to be great. Well like I'm sure you've already all guessed, this will probably be my last area. I'm going to make it the best. We've got a lot of work to do.

Thanks for always thinking of me and keeping me in your prayers. I love each and every one of you. You are all amazing examples of faith to me. I hope you all have a great week in everything that you'll do. Remember that you're always in my prayers. Let me know if there's anything I can do for you guys. Ask me as many questions as you'd like. Until next week.

Elder Ryan Kitchen

Hey guys!                                                                                                                        May 12, 2014

Well it's been a while huh? ;) it was so fun "Skype"ing with everyone again!! Like you said mom, it was especially fun to see Paulette, Uncle coach, Brooks, and grandma and grandpa. It's pretty awesome that we could do the 3 way Skype for a while even though it didn't work out perfectly. Mom I'm glad a made  your day...you made mine as well thanks! I hope you had a wonderful Mother's day and that you received all the many thanks that you deserve. You're the best mama in the world. Well kinda like you said there isn't a whole lot to talk about because we just talked yesterday. Oh and yeah sorry mom I hope you don't feel bad that I talked for a while with Tyler and Jami. It's cause you guys told me to call him again, and you know how it goes as brothers, we just talked about a lot of stuff. Also you know Tyler, he talks a lot too :) I loved the call thought it was awesome!

Well.....guess what? I'm getting transferred! Wow! I feel like I just got here and now I'm already leaving. It's nuts, I've been here now for two transfers. Like you know, I don't know where I'm going yet or who with until tomorrow at the transfer meeting. I'm really excited to see where I'll be going. It's almost for sure that the next area that I'm getting is going to be my last area and that I'll end my mission there. It's going to be interesting. You'll have to wait until next Monday to find out. Well mom you asked about the people that we were teaching from the reorganized church. Yeah they're doing alright. I think we've seen them one other time since the last time I wrote about them. This has been probably the hardest area that I've serving in on my mission. We have working really hard and just visited tons of people, but we weren't able to see much people progress. I was able to find a bunch of new investigators as well, but they aren't chosen I guess. It's okay thought I know that I've planted some seeds and that German will be baptized someday and that the area will progress in the future. We've got those missionary activities going good in both wards. It was a lot of work to plan out and everything, but now every other week they're doing it and it's successful. I feel like that can really help. I was only able to do about 5 of them, but my comp will continue doing them. Well this morning I just about packed everything. After this we are going to do some other things and then say goodbye to some people I'm sure. I've learned and grown in this town. It's impressive how many members there are and how well the Gospel has been accepted here. It really is a blessed place...but I'm glad that I'm not ending my mission here haha. Well I'll let you know what happens in a week!

Love you guys to death. Like you said sometimes it's a bit tough to get off the call and get back into the work. I couldn't fall asleep last night until late because I was thinking about the call, you guys, and the transfer. I really miss all of you so much. It makes me so happy to know that you are all doing so well and that you're happy and healthy. It's so cool to see all that you are doing in your lives and the great things that you are accomplishing. I'm really excited to see you all in 3 months and to be able to do a bunch of fun stuff together, but until then I will work hard and forget about it...haha. I want to finish my mission really well and not get "trunky." Of course I'll be excited and I miss everyone, but I also know that this is a once in a life time experience and that I need to take advantage of every moment. I Lord still needs me and my testimony in the mission field until the end. I know this work is true and that God lives and loves each of us. It's inspiring to be a part of such a great cause. Seeing and hearing from you has given me motivation to be even better and to reach my goals. Thank YOU. Love you guys. 

con amor,

Elder Ryan Kitchen

Hey everyone!                                                                                                                  May 5 2014

Well it's Cinco de Mayo today, but honestly they don't even do anything at all. I didn't even remember that it was cinco de mayo until mom told me. Well I just had a random thought...9 years ago today I hit my first home run off of Scott Andros in little league with a broken arm..remember that Dad? Time goes by fast. Mom I hope you are excited for the call! It's the last one...wow. I'm also excited to see Lynn, Paulette, and grandma and grandpa. That's going to be fun. That's too bad Jami and Tyler can't be there, but it's okay they're doing important things and we'll see each other soon enough.  That's weird the think about. That's cool that I'll be home before she has it though. I hope that Grandpa Smith gets his 5th generation photo! He is super old, but way healthy that's nuts. Tell him congratulations for me and don't tell him I said he's super old...haha. Tell Aunt Easter congrats of getting her masters degree that's so cool. Make sure you all tell Samantha congrats and everything with her wedding this Wednesday! Take bunch of pictures please. 

Well this week went by faster than any week this transfer! We are now starting week 6 of the transfer which is the last week of the transfer. Who knows what will happen. Things could change up a bit. Well we had some good days this week. We taught a lot more, so things seem to be looking up. We had splits with a district leader on Tuesday, went to a district meeting on Wednesday, had the long leadership meeting on thursday, and stayed overnight with the assistants in order to go to the mission council on Friday. We received a lot of good instruction from Pres Reeves like always. We don't have much time with him. I learned a lot of good things and me and my companion feel ready for our zone meeting this Tuesday. We also have interviews with Pres. on Thursday. They are his last interviews with the mission. Not for us though. He told us that he is going to do final interviews with our generation right before he leaves hehe :P we're special. And then, like you know, we are going to Skype on Sunday. It should be a good week. We have some good appointments set for this week, and two ward activities that we are still putting on, one in Reforma and one in Tetenco. It should be good. 

On...Saturday of this week we taught a few people that are from this apostate group from the reorganized church...yeah it's pretty odd that they are gotten all the way out here too. It's super strange teaching them because they believe in almost everything we do they just are wrong in a few things. One of them said that they had been thinking a lot about he scripture in the bible that says "the truth will set you free" and he asked "I don't know what that means exactly...how can we know what the truth is and how does it set you free?" My comp looked at me and I didn't know what to say on the spot. It was kinda of nerve racking because we thought that they were the leaders of the group and that they were going to say something to us. The spirit helped us so much and we read scriptures in the Book of Mormon and D&C in order to help him. That brought up other subjects and then we were able to talk about how their church (group) is different and that they need to find the truth of all things. It was great. Pretty interesting experience teaching them. Well keep up the good work. SEE  YOU ON SUNDAY!!! WOOO :)

con amor

Elder Ryan Kitchen

Wassup family!                                                                                                    April 28, 2014

Hey thanks for all the letters. Sounds like all is well at home. It seemed like Jami had a good time at prom! Wow she was looking really pretty! That's nuts that she is about to graduate high school...I can't believe it. I'm glad you had a good time Jami. That's soo cool that Spencer and his sister had a double farewell talk on Sunday. Way cool. I'm happy that Spencer decided to go out and serve. He won't regret it. I remember that I wrote him a letter in the MTC and basically told him that he needed to serve...in a nice way of course :) Mom I'm glad you liked the "Because of Him" video it is way good huh? Dad thanks for sending some pictures and a video of Jami. Dad your crazy list of all the big things that are going on in the recent future is pretty nuts. There is a lot of new things going on. It's good though, means that everyone is moving forward and working hard. 

Well this week we didn't have any meeting or anything going on. We were excited because we had a bunch of appointments with investigators set and ready to go for the week. It was kinda sad what happened. Basically all the appointments fell through :( It was a little disappointing, but we are still keeping our heads up and being positive. We have made some goals to help the people remember the appointment and so that they are there when we have made an appointment. We'll see how it goes. It's okay thought sometimes it's the way the work goes. Nobody ever said it was going to be easy. One highlight of the week was that we had another one of our ward activities that we've been doing with our wards (the one with the presentations and Mormon Messages). It went really well! Quite a few ppl came and so that was good. We talked about forgiveness to others. 

Well this week is going to be pretty busy. After the district meeting that we'll have on Wednesday, we have a leadership meeting all day in Puebla and then the very next day we have another mission council all day in Puebla again. I think we're going to just stay in Puebla for both of the meetings. Well I hope that everyone has a great week! Keep up the good work. Hey Ty be careful out there in Texas and I hope you have success. I can't wait for the mother's day call!! It's going to be really fun. I can't believe it's my last one...well have a good week fam!

con amor

Elder Ryan Kitchen