Mission Conference with Elder Christensen

Hello Family!

Another week come and gone.  I can hardly believe it. 

So for starters- we found out about transfers this Wednesday.  Sister Weaver and I are going to be staying here together another transfer in Wausau!  YAY!  That is what we thought was probably going to happen.  But you can never be sure.  So it is nice to know!  :)  But there was a sister training leader area that did close down so we are going to be picking up a couple of new sets of sisters that we go on exchanges with and stuff so that should be interesting.  Gonna get to travel around the state a little more so that should be fun!  Exhausting, but fun. :)  The next transfer I believe is going to be on May 6.

This week was pretty cool.

Tuesday we got to meet with True.  Do you remember her?  She is the one that I talked about last week that we pulled over to help her with her car.  Well, we set a baptismal date with her this week!  We went over and taught her the Restoration and she loved it!  There is still a lot that we have to teach her and a long way to go, but she has a day that she is working toward.  She is a cute little Hmong lady and she is so kind to us!  So hope that all goes well with her as we continue to teach her this week.

Wednesday we met a new investigator named Andrea.  The Elders in our ward had been teaching her Dad, but he wasn't that interested.  We decided to try stopping by his daughter's (Andrea's) house to see if we might have more luck with her.  She let us right in and we were able to teach her the Restoration.  Her boyfriend has decided to sit in on the lessons too!  They loved the Restoration so much, that they wanted us to come back the very next day on Thursday to teach them the next lesson!  So we set a baptismal date with her has well.  Her boyfriend, Andres, is a little more hard-hearted and not as willing to work toward baptism.  But we know that the Spirit will soften his heart.  :) 

It was cool though because our zone (like I talked about last week) set the goal for every area in our zone to set a new baptismal date before L. Tom Perry was going to come.  OUR ZONE WAS ON FIRE THIS WEEK!  We doubled our goal for baptismal dates.  It was absolutely incredible.  We were all working so hard to prepare to hear from an apostle.  And then on Thursday, the day before we were going to be leaving for the conference, we got a call from our zone leaders to tell us that Elder Perry wasn't going to be coming anymore...  Yeah... needless to say I was pretty disappointed.  Still am a little bit... haha.  But holy cow look at all the miracles that came from just the thought of an apostle coming to our mission!  The conference still ended up being such a cool experience.

Some pictures from our mission conference

Got to see Sister Osmond!

Celebrating Gabby's year mark!

It was about a 4 hour drive down to Milwaukee because we had to pick up another set of sisters in Gresham on the way.  We didn't get to stay with anyone from West Allis.  :(  But we did get to stay with a family from Sister Weaver's old area in Waukesha!  So that was pretty cool.  We stayed the night there and then headed to the Milwaukee South Stake center in the morning.  This is the church building where the West Allis ward meets!  So many memories flooded through my mind as we walked into the building.  Such a tender mercy to be able to be in Milwaukee again.  I sure do miss that place.  And I got to see so many of my missionary friends there.  Biggest highlight though- seeing Sister Kelley!  Made my whole life.  Sure do miss that girl.  She told me all about what has been going on back in Madison too so that was pretty cool.  Praying that she gets transferred up here to Wausau next transfer... :) 

So Elder Perry didn't end up coming....  Yeah that was a bummer.  But Craig C. Christensen of the seventy still came.  And he is pretty awesome!  This is kind of sad though- he told us that the reason that Elder Perry wasn't able to come at the last minute is because President Monson and President Packer are both not doing well.  Their health just been declining so much.  And he needed to stay last minute to do some things to get ready for general conference coming up because he is the next in seniority. 

Even though Elder Perry wasn't able to be there, it was still a very special meeting!  Elder Christensen is also a very inspired man.  He talked to us a lot about the Atonement and how we can learn about it has we read from the Book of Mormon.  I thought that was interesting because that is something that President Cutler has been talking to us about that a lot lately.  So I guess they both received the same revelation that that is what we needed to hear!  Elder Christensen also talked a lot about humility.  I thought that was interesting because the question that I took to this meeting was, "How can I be more humble."  I thought this was interesting- he said, "Humility is knowing who you are and at the same time knowing who God is."  Kind of makes you think doesn't it.  I think sometimes we think that if we are humble that we need to think very low of ourselves.  That isn't true!  Humility should make us confident!  But we just need to make sure that we are equally confident in the Lord as we are in ourselves.  It is really hard to find that balance.  But then I think about how we have a perfect example to look to- The Savior.  Boy was he humble.  He did exactly what the Father asked him to do, but he was also confident in his testimony and in the things that he knew.

So this week was a pretty special one!  I think that Sister Cutler said she was going to be posting a picture of the whole mission that we took together on the mission blog soon.  (There should also be some pictures there from the last zone conference here in Wausau and from my first MLC!)

So grateful for the experiences that I have been having out here.  I miss you all everyday.  But I cherish every moment that I get to spend here. 

Love you all so much!  Have an awesome week! 

Love,

Sister King

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

Miracles in West Allis

Miracles are happening here in West Allis!  It is amazing!  I am just going to dive right into the week.

Monday-  Best P-day yet!  We got to go to the Milwaukee County Zoo. The Dominguez family invited us to go with them.  They are an awesome family in our ward and they take such good care of us.  I love them so much!  They are also AMAZING member missionaries!  I want to be like them when I get home!  Anyways, so we got to hang out with them all day at the zoo and it was the funnest thing ever.  Milwaukee has a pretty cool zoo!

Preaching the gospel to every creature!

Milwaukee County Zoo

 I thought of you Mom the ENTIRE time I was in the aviary.  Seriously.  And thought of Dad when we saw the moose.  I thought of all of my sisters when I saw the turtles... Do you remember last time we went to the zoo???  Haha anyways it was super fun.  We had dinner with them at their house that night too and they had Sarah over.  Sarah is AMAZING.  I don't remember what I already told you about her, but I am just going to have to tell you again if I already did.  Sarah has so much faith.  Her story is amazing.  It all started because Sister Dominguez was prompted to leave a Book of Mormon in Sarah's mailbox.  They barely knew each other!  So Sarah started coming to church with Sister Dominguez.  We'd been meeting with her a little bit and on Monday night at dinner we set a baptism date with her!!!! April 12!!!!  THIS IS SUCH A BIG DEAL. 

 I will have to ask her to write down her story so that I can send it to you or something because you won't even believe how amazing she is and all the spiritual experiences she is having.  I love Sarah so much and she is totally one of my best friends now too.  Helping her to strengthen her faith is helping to strenghten my faith.  I feel like that is what missionary work is all about. 

Tuesday-  Sister Tanner woke up sick so that was a bummer.  We were able to stop by Lake Michigan with our district.  It was absolutely breath-taking.  It is still really cold so a lot of it was frozen.  The pictures simply don't do it justice.  Looking at all of the different animals and then at the beautiful lake was such a testimony to me that there has to be a higher power. 

Lake Michigan!

My District at Lake Michigan

The Earth that Jesus Christ created is absolutely beautiful.  And amazing.  We visited some less-actives and then had dinner with another amazing family in our ward.  When we got home there were sisters from Stephen's point there waiting for us...  It was the night before transfers and we are the sisters that live closest to the stake center so they came to stay with us because they live 3 hours away.  But no one told us... so that was weird.  Haha anyways Tuesday was great!

#boredatthebusstop

Wednesday- TRANSFERS!!!  But it didn't really affect us at all since we are staying together in West Allis.  We tried to make it over the the stake center to see everyone and so that I could see Sister Osmond.  But it didn't end up working out... :(  I was so sad.  We called some people that were at the Stake Center so I got to talk to her for a little while so that was fun.  I was super sad that I wasn't going to be able to see her.  Anyways, we headed to the mission office because I needed to go pick up the package from Mom,  which I LOVED by the way!!   Thanks so much Mom!  It was so crazy that you were so close to me yet so far away!  Haha I loved the package and I love you!!!  So we headed to the mission office to grab the package and some other supplies and you will never guess who I saw when I walked in the doors... SISTER SOPHIA OSMOND!  What a tender mercy!  It was seriously the coolest thing.  So good to get to talk to her.  She is just as beautiful and kind as ever.  She is going to be a stellar missionary.

Got to see the one and only Sister Sophia Osmond!!!

As we were out and about on Wednesday, we decided to stop at our investigator's house, Cliff and Aretha.  They had been investigating for a while and have come to church before and they seem so promising!  But we haven't been able to get ahold of them at all pretty much the whole time I have been here.  We decided that we would stop by and leave them the Restoration DVD and then we would have to drop them.  As we were walking home, we were really sad about it.  We felt prompted to just leave them the DVD and we knew that we were going to have to drop them.  And right as we were talking about dropping them, you'll never guess who texted us!!! ARETHA!!!  It was so cool.  I know that that was a tender mercy from Heavenly Father.

Thursday-  We had dinner and a lesson with Sarah.  It was so fun!  We taught the Plan of Salvation.  It was amazing because even though the plan of salvation can be a little complicated, Sarah completely understood everything and agreed with everything too.  To her, the gospel just makes sense.  She talked about how she knew that going back to live with Heavenly Father would be like returning home.  I love that.  It really made me think.  I miss my family so much, but I love what I am doing here.  It is really hard sometimes.  I feel joy and I feel sadness.  And even though I love it here, I can't wait for the day that I get to return home to Provo to be with my family again.  That is what it is going to be like when we return home to our Father in heaven.  Obviously it will be a little different, but I feel like being on a mission is giving me a little sneak peek into eternity.  I can't wait to return to my heavenly home!  And my home in Provo too for that matter.

Friday-  I woke up sick.  It was inevitable.  Oh the joys of having a companion.  I knew when Sister Tanner got sick that I was going to have to be next.  I totally remember the day that she woke up sick and saying to her, "Wow.  You look like death."  But then I woke up on Friday and thought to myself, "Wow.  I feel like death."  But being sick wasn't going to stop us from doing missionary work!  Friday morning we had interviews with President.  They went really well.  I love President Cutler.  He talked about having a broken heart and a contrite spirit.  Having those qualities is so important as a missionary.  One interesting thing that he told me as I was leaving is that I shouldn't be afraid and that the Lord will protect me. 

 I thought that was interesting because I am often scared for my life...haha.  Going from Provo, Utah to Milwaukee, Wisconsin was a pretty big change for me. We do have to go pretty deep into the ghetto sometimes.  It may sound silly but it actually is pretty scary sometimes.  So I thought it was interesting that President told me that.  On Friday night one of my absolute favorite people in the ward, Sister Lundberg, took us to dinner.  She took us to a Friday Fish Fry at the Polish Community Center in Milwaukee.  It was so awesome!!!!!  During lent Catholics don't eat meat on Friday so they have these huge parties where they eat a bunch of fish.  It was way fun and because it was at the polish community center it was all cultural and stuff too.  I loved it.  Before we left, we went to check out the polish library that they had.  They had a bunch of polish artifacts and cool things like that.  Sister Tanner and I thought that people probably come in there a lot asking about their family history.  So we decided that we would ask one of the ladies working there if we could leave some family search cards there with the churches information for her to hand out to people.  So we went up to the lady working there and asked, "Hey, do people come in here a lot asking about their family history?"  Before we could even give her cards or tell her that we were missionaries she replied,"Oh yes all the time!  But we don't usually have the answers so we just send them to that Mormon Church down on 96th and Grange.  They have a great family history library."  HAHAHAHAHAHAAH!  They already had been sending people to our family history center.  We left the cards with her anyway and left. 

The Polish Community Center in Milwaukee

Saturday-  My two month mark!!!  Can you believe I have been gone two whole months??  Crazy.  The Oak Creek ward had a baptism and we brought our investigator Lenier.  I really think he enjoyed it. The spirit there was amazing.  It was cool to see other missionaries get a baptism because it makes me want to work harder.  And it also made me so stoked for Sarah's baptism! 

Overall, things are going pretty well!  It seems like the best weeks are usually some of the hardest too.  But it's ok!  I came across this quote from President Monson.

"So much in life depends on our attitude.  The way we choose to see things and respond to others makes all the difference.  To do the best we can and then to choose to be happy about our circumstances, whatever they may be, can bring peace and contentment."

Isn't that great!  Our attitude really makes a difference.

I love this gospel! 

Love,

Sister King