Letter Home - Week 35

Dear Family,

This week was great. MLC is tomorrow and I read one of the talks assigned for MLC about the Savior and it really stuck out to me the Savior's great capacity to love. His Atonement was the greatest act of love performed by anyone. I am grateful for his love in my life. I will continue to study about the Savior and his precious gift to me and try to follow his example. Elder Moli and I went on a couple trade offs this week. We went with Elder Alldredge and Elder Sandbakken and we also went with Elder Nixon and Elder Topou. I enjoyed the opportunities to work with Elder Sandbakken and Elder Nixon. Both are great missionaries. We were able to have a good time while doing some good work. Both days were productive and a learning experience I hope for both of them as it was for myself. We had one experience this week with an investigator where we were trying to have a lesson with a lady named Candice and go through what she had read in the book of Mormon. She is great and trying her best to take in all that she can to help her change her life. All around us though, as we sat in her humble home, was loud and distracting. There was loud music playing, her children were being noisy and distracting, and a nearby neighbor was sawing metal and beating on it (making metal drums I believe). All I can say is that it was not a good environment to have a lesson. As much as we wanted to have the lesson and as much as she wanted to receive the lesson it just wasn't going to happen because of everything going on around us. We decided to leave it until another time. But before we left we invited her to call her kids in so we could leave sing a hymn and leave on a good note. We sang "Be Still My Soul". We sang all three versus. As we sung the noise around continued but a feeling of peace came into the room. The kids sat quiet and even tried to sing along. By the end, in the middle of the third verse, the noise outside subsided and the spirit was really strong. We were able to close with prayer in peace and all be uplifted. It was such cool experience to me. I love the hymns and the spirit they bring.

Kevin: He has been progressing well. He has a date for April 9 which is in two weeks. That date for him is pretty solid. If all goes well he will be baptized! We are going through the commandments with him. He has committed to living the word of wisdom and law of chastity.

Villia: She still has a strong desire to be baptized. We taught her about the word of wisdom this week. She has an occasional drink and has coffee every morning but is willing to give it up and live the commandment. We might start teaching her son Dillan. Villia has been talking with him about baptism for herself and he might want to as well. We contacted her at her home. We just stopped and talked to her.

Kim: It's hard to visit her. When we can visit her she can't visit with us and when she can visit with us we can't visit with her. She still wants to visit with us. We are going to try and visit her this week.

Stephanie and Shana: They are sisters. We met both on the road and just stopped them and talked with them. We have mainly been teaching Stephanie. Shana usually isn't around. She is a single mom taking care of two little kids. She will be going back to work soon after being on leave because she recently had her baby. She likes learning about the atonement.

Joan: We contacted the mom at their home. We met Joan on the road out side her home. Haven't visited this week. We are going to try and visit tonight.

Candice: Contacted her at her home as well. We knocked on the door and called in (You call in here by saying, "Hello inside" or "Hello good morning, good afternoon, or good night") She is doing well. She is Joan's niece.

Shenelle: We met her at Villia's while having a lesson. She moved into the sister's area so they will now be teaching her.

Cleopha: Contacted into her at her home. She lives near Kevin. We went while waiting for Kevin to get ready to check Kerry who wasn't there and then decided to go down the road a little further and contact a couple homes. She was one we contacted.

Tyson: Contacted him while he was sitting outside his home. Haven't met for a long time. We are going to try and meet with him tonight. From what we know we believe he is still interested.

Ron: Still teaching every once in a while. It's really hard to visit with him. He has been reading the book of Mormon and we believe he has prepared by the Lord. Hopefully we can start teaching more often.

Michael: He is stellar. He was contacted recently at his home by Elder Moli and Elder Lameta on trade off. Accepted baptism. Had a couple lessons with him like Plan of Salvation. He has a lot of good questions and understands. He is very accepting to what we teach.

Conroy: Recently started to teach him. He is the husband of a member, Sister Angie. He has addictions he is trying to overcome. He has been taught before but now what's to be taught again. Hopefully we can help him. We were having an FHE with Sister Angie and he was there and that's when it was brought up to start teaching him again.

Janelle: New investigator. Elder Lameta and Elder Moli contacted her. We've has some great lessons with her. She is reading the book of Mormon. She recognizes the wrong choices she has made and feels guilt. Hopefully she will utilize the Savior's redeeming power of the atonement through faith and repentance. We gave her Alma 36 to read and taught and testified of the peace and joy that comes through repentance.

Alma: She got really busy with work so we weren't able to find a time to visit her. We met her a couple times on the road but not been able to teach. Maybe later in time she will find time for the missionaries.

Shatal and David: She lives in another area so we referred her over to them. She still wants to be taught. Hard to get in contact though.

Kerry: Referred her over to another companionship because she lives in another area. We met her at her boyfriends home. They too are having a hard time to contact her.

Shatal and Joseph: Dropped them. They weren't really keeping commitments and they lived really far away from where we proselyte so we decided it wasn't worth going up. Hopefully in the future they will continue to be taught and act on the message shared.

We stopped visiting others like Maverick, Glenda, Theresa, Patrick, Clinton, Josh, Heather, Terry/Victoria, Louise, Alfred and others for a variety of different reasons.

We also have picked up new investigators as we contact them and they are willing to visit with us.

Ariana, the one we baptized is doing really well. She is very active over there in Columbia. She is going to Church, Seminary, and other youth activities. She is really busy but having fun.

We are also trying to work with some recent converts/less actives in our area like Odellia and Yuandia. We also work with other members and try to help them by having FHE with them and their families. We take the Sacrament to Sister Alene each Sunday and Brother and Sister Joe every other Sunday. We enjoy performing that service for them.

I'm doing well. Loving life. Trying to be the best missionary I can be. Love you all! Have a great week! Happy Easter! Oh they do celebrate Easter here. It was a quiet Sunday and most people went to Church on either Saturday and Sunday. They also do other fun activities. They fly kites in remembrance of the cross... I'm so excited for General Conference! I hope it's a great weekend filled with amazing spiritual experiences for you all! I'll send a ton of good pictures next week! You will enjoy them I promise :)

 

Love,

Elder King