I may or may not be an icicle, but I am alive!

Got to meet Elder Shaum!  I remember Grandma saying that we are related or something!  :)

Sister Weaver and me.  With a classy fire hydrant in the background.

So since I am in a car area now it is my responsibility to stand behind Sister Weaver and back her up.  (It's a rule in the white handbook.)  But usually I just make faces at her in the rear view camera instead.

Hey Family!

Yes I am still alive!  I may or may not be an icicle, but I am alive!  This week was pretty crazy cold, but we managed to survive.   Wausau has been treating me pretty nicely so far.  I definitely feel a little more settled in.  Still trying to adjust- it is completely different from the other 2 areas I have served in.  But I love it her!  There is so much potential in this area and I think our success will depend on what we choose to do with it.  Sister Weaver and I are pretty excited!

Tuesday we spent some time finding and planning our training for zone conference later in the week.  We also had a lesson with our investigator family.  Their names are Kathy, Spencer, and Stephanie.  We taught them the Law of Chastity.  (We ended up teaching the LOC a ton this week... haha)  Stephanie actually had studied to be a sex therapist so that was by far the most interesting Law of Chastity lesson I have ever taught on my mission and my life as well.  But they are progressing.  Slowly, but progression nonetheless.  They have been investigating since last summer so hopefully we will be able to get a move on things with them.

Wednesday we had a pretty neat experience.  We had a few different appointments that morning that all had fallen through.  It was the worst...  We went to our investigators Jimmy and Vicki's house for an appointment with them and, you guessed it!  They weren't there.  But their roommate Nate answered the door.  He invited us in to wait for Jimmy and Vicki to get home.  As we were waiting, we started talking to him and getting to know him a little bit.  He told us that he has 3 beautiful children, but had been having some marriage problems which is why he had been crashing with Jimmy and Vicki for the last little while.  Sister Weaver and I started bearing our testimonies of the Atonement and I pulled out a Book of Mormon and told him how I learned more about the Savior and the Atonement as I read from it.  He took it in his hands, looked at it for a moment, and looked up at me and said, "This book is going to help my family.  Isn't it?"  Why yes, Nate.  Yes it is!  The Spirit was so powerful in that moment.  I remember thinking as we were leaving that house how incredible our Heavenly Father is.  To me, it appeared to just be yet another appointment that had fallen through.  But the Lord used us as instruments in His hands to help Nate and his family to draw closer to each other and closer to Jesus Christ.  It also made me stop and think about how having our family founded on Jesus Christ really is what has been the biggest strength to us.  And I am so grateful for that!

Thursday was Zone Conference!!  My first zone meeting in Wausau so that was pretty fun.  Sister Weaver and I gave a training on the importance of working with the members.  We talked about some examples in the Book of Mormon of member missionary work.  There is Abish who invited everyone to come and see King Lamoni and listen to Ammon.  There are the members that fasted and prayed in behalf of Alma the Younger to help him to see the light again.  And there is my personal favorite, Amulek, who testified with Alma to the people of Ammonihah.  We got a pretty good discussion going and I don't think it was too bad for my very first training.  But we can only improve from here I guess!  :)  President Cutler trained us on the doctrine of the Plan of Salvation and how the Atonement of Jesus Christ is what makes the plan possible.  I love 2 Nephi 2:6-8 that talks about that.  One of my new favorite scriptures!

 Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.

 7 Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.

 8 Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.

Also, President Cutler gave us this packet of deep doctrine questions concerning the P.O.S. and the answers that he has found to them in the scriptures.  Pretty much the coolest thing ever.  President Cutler should be the next prophet.  He also told us that if our investigators ask us questions about the plan that we don't know, to read Alma 37:11 with them.

11 Now these mysteries are not yet fully made known unto me; therefore I shall forbear.

Haha needless to say he used that verse for a couple of the deep doctrine questions that we asked him as well.

And when we got back to our area, we got to go play volleyball with all of the hmong members!  Volleyball is to these hmong members as soccer was to the Spanish members in Madison.  haha

Friday we met with our investigator Kelly.  She REALLY wants to get baptized but is having a hard time giving up smoking.  We had a powerful lesson on the power of the priesthood and then brought a member with us to give her a blessing.  So we are praying that all will go well with that so that she can get baptized in the coming weeks!

Running out of time, but I sure do love you guys!  We are seeing miracles everyday.  I am so grateful for you guys and all that you do for me!  Till next week!

Sister King