Change is good, but hard

Hello Family!

 

Well this has been a crazy week with a lot of changes! Change is hard, but it is also good.  I have learned so much from all of the changes that a mission brings, so I am grateful for that.

 

Tuesday was Sister Newton's last day of her whole mission!  WEIRD!  I was so excited that I got to be a part of it though.  I love Sister Newton so much!  It was a really interesting experience to be with a missionary who is going home.  But I absolutely loved it.  It was kind of hard because it made me feel like I was going home too, even though I have got quite a ways to go.  But at the same time, it was the most amazing blessing.  I learned so much working with Sister Newton.  Because Sister Newton was such an amazing missionary, I saw first hand what kind of missionary I can become by the end of my mission if I work hard while I am out here.  It also really made me step back and contemplate what exactly it is that I want to accomplish while I am out here and where I want to be by the time it is time for me to be heading home.  And I am not there yet!  Good thing I've got 14 more months to work on it... haha

Last picture with Sis. Newton :(

For her last day we were able to have an amazing lesson with our investigator Tubree.  We brought Sarah to the lesson which was absolutely amazing because she was able to bear really powerful testimony that this gospel really can change lives because it changed hers.  I absolutely love Sarah to death.  I hope you all can meet her someday!  We spent a good chunk of the day packing up all of Sister Newton's stuff and reminiscing about her mission.  She really has had some amazing experiences.  And then the Lenhard's took us out to dinner for Sister Newton's "last supper."  Haha it was a great day! 

 

On Wednesday I killed my Grandma.  Haha that's mission language for "I was companions with my trainer's trainer when she ended her mission."  It was fun because I got to hang out at transfer point again all day with all the other missionaries.  I got to see Sister Osmond!  It was kind of a neat thing because both of our companions were headed home that day so we got to chit chat about what that was like.  Such a tender mercy to have a little piece of home out here with me.  I love Sister Osmond. :)  I also saw Ashley Green at transfer point.  She was in my ward at BYU and lived right across the hall from me and was in my FHE group and stuff.  She just came out this transfer!  So it was fun to see her too.  Oh, and I got to see Sis. Tanner.  She is still one of my favorites.  :)  Before I knew it, they were whisking Sister Newton away from me and Sister Silva arrived here from her previous area in Appleton.  So my new companion is Sister Tammy Silva and she is from Eureka, California and is 22 years old.  She has been out 10 1/2 months and is a really good missionary.  She is an absolute sweetheart!!!  She is a lot different than the past companions that I have had, but I love her to death and I think that we work really well together.  It is going to be a good transfer! 

Check out who I saw at transfer point- Sister Sophia Osmond!

Thursday was a miracle day!  I was super nervous about having another new companion here in West Allis, but we were able to find 4 new investigators within a couple of hours that day!  SO COOL!  We were also able to have a lesson with our investigator, Matt.  He is the one that is super staunch Lutheran, but likes learning about our church.  He always asks super deep doctrine questions and knows the Bible like the back of his hand.  So I was super nervous for this lesson, but it actually ended up going pretty well.  We told him that it doesn't matter what we tell him, he can pray to know for himself that this church is true.  I have so much faith that if he sincerely prays to know the truth that Heavenly Father will answer his prayer. 

 

Friday we received 2 Headquarter referrals which was a huge miracle.  Those are always fun to try to contact.  Here in Milwaukee, the HQ referrals are either super legit or they are crazy, old, schizophrenic people.  So that should be interesting.  We got to read some more in the Book of Mormon with Fred.  He is progressing and his testimony is slowly being strengthened, so that is good.  Then, spent the rest of the day weekly planning.

 

Saturday we were able to contact one of the HQ and teach her the Restoration and she became a new investigator!  So that's cool.  It was Sister Silva and my first time teaching the restoration together, and it went very smoothly!  That is a big deal because the restoration is the most important lesson to teach and also the one that we teach the most often, so it is good that Sister Silva and I are able to teach well together.  Also- this referral lived in the boonies and we had to take some busses that I had never taken before.  And they ended up changing the routes because of all of the construction, but I was still able to get us there which was a huge tender mercy.  On Saturday we also met this really cool lady named Denise.  We were just walking down the street which was absolutely DEAD because there was a Brewer's game, and stopped to talk to the only lady in site.  She was this sassy black lady that was wearing cheetah printed EVERYTHING.  haha.  I know this is really bad, but in my head I had already decided that I would just tell her a little bit about the church and then we would be on our way.  But when we started talking to her, before I knew it I had whipped out a Book of Mormon and was bearing testimony to her about how I know that this book can bring people closer to our Savior Jesus Christ than any other book.  It was seriously the weirdest thing.  I can't even explain it.  The words were just coming out of my mouth.  The reason that I didn't really want to tell her is because we talk to ladies like her all the time that just aren't interesting and can be kind of bold about it sometimes... haha.  So that is what I was expecting her reaction to be like.  But it was the COMPLETE opposite!  In fact, she told us that she works at a behavior center at the hospital, and invited us to come teach all of her patients about the Book of Mormon!  It was amazing and the Spirit was so strong!  Unfortunately, the hospital that she works at is outside of our area so we had to pass her off to some other sisters.  But it was still to coolest things ever.  And that was an experience where I KNOW without a doubt that the Spirit was working through me to teach Denise about the Book of Mormon.  So cool!

Hanging out with some Elders at sports on p-day

The Lenhard's!  They are the senior couple that lives in our apartment complex and they are seriously such a blessing.  They are like my grandparents away from home.

Sister Peterson- my sister training leader that I went on exchanges with last week in Kenosha

My new companion, Sister Silva!

Sunday was good.  Tubree came to church!  Yay!  We spent the rest of the day contacting less-actives and such.  Nothing too special.

 

 

Overall, this week was amazing!  I am excited for the weeks to come here in West Allis with Sister Silva!  I am sad because I feel like I will probably be getting transferred out of here next transfer.  So I want to make sure that I am doing everything that I possibly can be doing to make sure that I am accomplishing the work that the Lord wants me to do in West Allis.

 

Please keep me in your prayers!  And keep writing me too!  They both make a huge difference!  Bigger than you think!

 

Love you!

 

Sister Courtney King