Happy Easter!

Hey Family,

Wow sounds like your week was great! Thanks for the heads up on everything. Congratulations Kingston and Kai on your great games, and Jacosa for that opportunity you had to go to the studio of George Lucas.... Wow....how was it?? and hey Katrina should be having her baby soon right??? Let me know how everything is going with that...also dad sorry to here about what happened to your student, very sad... but like mom said how great it is to know the plan God has in store for us and that we all are going to have the chance to go back and live with our loved ones.... it's just sad that some people have to wait for death to find this out rather than know it here on earth and receive comfort from it.
Well here in Saltillo everything is going very good.... it is alot different than Monterrey and Acuña. It is very calm here. It would probably be like the Idaho of Mexico....lol it's hard at times staying busy here in this area due to nobody wanting to hear us but I know that's exactly what the adversary wants me to feel so I'm going to "put my shoulder to the wheel and push along"...haha (that just came in my mind) but we do have some new investigators that are pretty cool. When we went to bring them to church yesterday they weren't there...=( So we are going to go by today and check out what happened. Their names are Veronica and Juanita. If you guys could add them to your prayers that would be great.
I'm gonna have to keep this letter short because we have alot of things to do and such little time. Just know that I love you all and I'm so grateful for each and every one of you and the influence you all have had on me.
Thanks for everything.
LOVE,
ELDER KINGSTON
OH AND HAVE A HAPPY EASTER. I'LL BE THINKING OF YOU GUYS!

oh and umm I have no clue if it would be cheaper in the US or here in Mexico to buy a camera...... I would think it would be cheaper here. Also, mom don't worry about the pictures, I put them all on a usb memory card before my camera was stolen.

Saltillo (Capital City of Couhuila)

According to the ranking of the Inversionista magazine of 2006, Saltillo is the best Mexican city to live in, chosen from more than 53 Mexican cities. It's nickname is the "Athens" of Mexico.  Population is around 680,000.

HEY FAMILY,
THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT UPDATES.  SOUNDS LIKE YOU GUYS HAD A GREAT AND BUSY WEEK.   CONGRATULATIONS COSA ON DOING  A FABULOUS JOB IN THE CONCERT.  I HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL AND TALENTED FAMILY.
WELL I GOT TRANSFERRED HERE IN SALTILLO, MEXICO.  ABOUT AN HOUR FROM MONTERREY BUT IT IS A DIFFERENT STATE.... IT IS ACTUALLY THE CAPITAL CITY OF COUHUILA.   I really like it here.  Everyone is way nice.  It was hard to leave Monterrey especially just as Dad said,  I had to leave all my converts and progressing investigators.   We had 4 that were going to get baptized this last Sunday,  all of whom are family members of my converts that I would have never thought they'd be baptized.  But as you can see there is a time for everyone.  I got bumped up to mayor with my companion being Elder Hernandez Ortiz from Puebla, Mexico.  He has 7 months on the mission.
This area hasn't seen a baptism for 7 months.  Yesterday we were about to have the baptism of Santiago and Guadalupe.  They were all ready and had their clothes with them but then our bishop told us we couldn't baptize until night time since we share the building with 2 other wards. We went to get them at night and they weren't there. =(   it was pretty sad and frustrating, but I know everything happens for a reason.
I had a pretty good experience having to do with a priesthood blessing.   2 weeks ago my companion and I were coming back home from church to change out of our suits when we saw Brother Flores' car out front.  He and his family didn't go to church and that's very rare for them.  ( the Flores family is the family that we lived above, very sweet.   I look to them as being my family here in Mexico) Well,  we knocked on their door and Carlos opened the door looking very disanimated.   We asked what was wrong.  He told us that Saturday he got a call from the Zetas who are basically an organized crime family here in the northern part of Mexico.   They demanded money or they would kill him and his family.   He said they talked very rough with him and the only thing he could do was give them money.   I don't remember how much money he sent them but it was alot.   This family, I would say,  are like our family,  very joyful and happy all the time so  seeing them afraid and scared,  not knowing what to do really made me sad.  My companion and I then sang to them the hymn "OH ESTA TODO BIEN".  The spirit lifted in the room and I could sense a state of peace.  I then gave Brother Flores a priesthood blessing, wow what a powerful and great experience that was! After that he gave his wife one of the most beautiful blessings I have heard.   I know these blessings come directly from Heaven and they are the words of God Himself.   I  know that if we are righteous priesthood holders we are able to bless others by the power of God.  In this case it was a blessing of comfort.  After seeing the change from sadness and  fear to happiness and hope it brought joy to my soul.  I am so grateful for these wonderful experiences the Lord is giving me.  I truly will cherish them forever.
Well I'd better get going.  My time is up!  Just remember I love all of you and the Lord.  I hope you all have a great week.... LOVE ELDER KINGSTON

OH!  ALSO I HAVE SOME BAD NEWS . . . .  DURING CHANGES SOMONE STOLE MY CAMERA...=(  I BELEIVE IT WAS SOMEONE FROM THE BUS STATION.

3/15/2010 - Transferred

Hey family I'm just writing to tell you guys that I won't be writing you this week because I'm pretty sure I'm going to get transferred and everybody else has Mondays for pday.  Our district's pday is Friday because we have the assistants and the elders in the offices.  So since I won't have pday this Friday you guys will have to wait until next Monday.... okay love you guys!
ELDER KINGSTON
oh hey mom thankyou so much for the package you sent it was very special....=) and thanks Kingston and Kai for your beautiful pictures and letters you guys wrote.... love you guys....
oh and mom can you send me Keva's letters too??? thankyou so much

Pray!

This is Elder Kingston's mom writing here.  Please remember Elder Kingston in your prayers.
I realize the violence in Mexico is probably not as bad as it sounds on the news, but I just read the following
in the "Mormon Times":

"The State Department authorized U.S. government employees at Ciudad Juarez and five other U.S. consulates in northern Mexico to send family members out of the area because of concerns about rising drug violence. The cities are Tijuana, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo, Monterrey and Matamoros."

I have faith that he will be protected but a few extra prayers never hurt, right?
Thank you!

The Light of Christ

Hey family,
Thanks so much for all of you who wrote to me;  Dad, David and Jacosa.  And for the rest of you thank you so much for your prayers.  It really means alot!
I would like to apologize for being so late in writing you guys.  We were way busy on pday and Saturday we didn't have anytime.  Sunday we couldn't write either,  but here it is now....lol!   I know you guys were probably worried and I'll make sure it doesn't happen again.   I will be writing again this Friday!
Well it sounds like your stake conference was good.  What a privilege to be taught by a seventy. . . and from David's letter it sounds like he gave some pretty interesting talks.
These last 2 Sundays were great.  Dionisia and Elvis were baptized. It was such a great experience to see them enter into the Waters of Baptism.   Last week they were both confirmed.  Yesterday was really special. We had fast and testimony meeting.  After the testimonies Bishop Ramirez got up to close the meeting when I saw Dionisia get up out of the corner of my eye.  I noticed the Bishop's surprise by his raised eyebrow lol!  She gave the most beautiful testimony and this is only her second time going to church!  She said , "My life was filled with darkness, and I didn't know what to do, but then 2 young men knocked on my door and brought the light of Christ into my life,  Elder Kingston and Elder Montoya."  Then she went on to say she has no doubt that this church is true. As she bore her testimony my eyes were filled with tears and I thought to myself, "this is why I'm here, to help my fellow brothers and sisters find the Light of Christ."  It
was definitely a spiritual experience.   Also Elvis recieved the priesthood yesterday.  I was really surprised and happy!   He was dressed in a white shirt and tie and everything..... it was wonderful.  He and his girlfriend have plans on getting sealed in the temple on Febuary 28, 2011 a year from his baptism.  I am excited to be here for that!  Yesterday a man we found 3 weeks ago came to church again by himself.  We can never find him during the week but he's come to church 3 Sundays in a row...lol and yesterday he told me, "I don't just wanna keep coming and listening, I wanna become a member"... lol.   I told him, " Well I think we can arrange for that to happen"....haha!
Well that was my fantastic week.... I've really gotta go but I just want you all to know I love you and always have a prayer in my heart for each and every one of you.... stay close to the lord.
Love,
ELDER KINGSTON

More Mission Pics

We helped at the orphanage on Christmas Day and then played with the kids.

Mission Pics