October 28, 2013

I'm just going to answer all the questions you asked me in the letters so sorry that it's going to be so confusing. We taught 30 lessons this week. They aren't all full PMG lessons, most of them are just thought/scriptures.  My companion teaches a little more than I do, but this week for training, I had to take the lead in the lessons. We can do fun things on P-days but we haven't had any time to do anything fun yet. Next week we'll probably go to one of the islands around here, I hear that they're pretty fun. We are in Brunswick first ward and there are two other elders and two spanish elders all in the same ward. Most people in the mission are in cars because the areas are pretty spread out. The clothes I have are good but I wish I had more dresses and skirts. Can you please send me a church CD, my gray leggings, and some exercises from all the magazines you get? It is getting really dark in the morning so we can't run outside anymore and we need more ideas of what to do. I like my companion. She is really nice and reminds me a lot of Kennedy. She is like my big sister. We pray a lot, so one day I decided to count how many times we prayed, and it was 32!! It's crazy, but really good. We are trying to make our lessons more interactive and do more object lessons, so do you or Kennedy have any ideas of anything we could do? Unfortunately missionaries can't use pinterest, so I'm a little lost. The humidity is nice, but my hair doesn't stay curled so I put it in a bun almost every day. 

We have a multi zone conference this week and Sister Lawrence and I have been asked to give a 7 minute training on a PMG principle. I'm really nervous because there are going to be TONS of people there and I don't feel ready to teach other missionaries. Also, for the zone conference I'm in a quartet. It's a version of Come thou fount and it's really pretty. I even have a solo! I have been singing a lot actually. Sister Lawrence and I sound really good together so we sing at almost all of our appointments. Everyone really likes it and it invites the spirit. 

So here is my story for the week from my letter to president craig: One day, we went to visit a less-active member. He wasn't there, but his fiance and her daughter were there. They seemed interested and we were able to set up a time to teach them. We went back a few days later and I had the opportunity to take the lead in teaching them the restoration. It went really well and the spirit was really strong throughout the lesson. We asked the mom, Melanie to give the closing prayer. She was hesitant, but finally agreed. During the prayer, she broke down and started crying and saying that she was so thankful for Sister Lawrence and I, and that we were the answer to her prayers. This was such a great experience for me. I have never had the opportunity to be an answer to someone's prayer. I know that if I keep being obedient and following the spirit that the Lord will continue to use me to answer more prayers. This experience helped me to realize how important missionaries are and that the Lord does his work through us.

 

Love y'all! Write me! I love getting emails and letters from everyone!

XOXO

Sister Koenig

P.S: Hamsilton.. I want a letter from you!

Also, in all of our appointments we invite people to do things. So, to whoever reads this, I invite you to read Alma 34:38 and to write down three things each day that you are thankful for. Good luck! Love y'all!

 

October 21, 2013

Here is a letter I wrote to my branch pres at the MTC.

"This week at the MTC I had an experience that will help me to become a better missionary.  We had to teach TRCs this week and our first lesson went absolutely terrible. The investigator wasn't listening to anything we were saying and she was asking a lot of questions that I didn't know the answer to.  Once we left the teaching appointment, I felt terrible.  I felt like the worst missionary and that I wasn't good enough to teach anyone.  Later that night, President Eliason spoke to us and shared a scripture with us.  The scripture was D&C 45:3-5 and in it it said, "listen to him who is the advocate with the father, who is pleading your cause before him."  I really needed to hear that the Lord is pleading for me. President Eliason went on to say that sometimes we do feel inadequate but because of the atonement, we can get through that.  He told us that we just have to do our best and that God will make up the difference.  Just hearing these words helped me to feel God's love.  There are no coincidences and I know that President Eliason said what he did because the Lord knows and loves me, and He knew that that was exactly what I needed to hear.  This experience also helped me to learn to rely on the Lord.  I will not be able to serve a mission and to teach people without His help.  I know that through the Lord, I can do all things and He will make up the difference when I fall short of the perfect missionary."

Also, I forgot to tell you this.. But at the MTC Vocal Point came and did a devotional. It was really good. Oh, and I got called up randomly during sacrament meeting at the MTC to give a 5 minute talk on Faith in Jesus Christ. Everyone had one prepared but I was one of the few lucky enough to actually have to give it. I think I did a pretty good job. 

The first night I arrived in Florida, President and Sister Craig fed us a typical southern meal and talked to us a little bit. They are so nice and I really like them. Sister Craig reminds me a lot of Rissa. That night I stayed with a temporary companion at the mission home. The mission home was super nice and in a gated community, they told us that would be the nicest place we would stay in on our missions... they weren't joking. 

The next day we went to training and then met our new companions. My companion is Sister Lawrence. She is from Utah and is really nice. She plays the piano and was excited to hear that I sing so that we can do musical numbers in church together. So we are here in Brunswick, GA. It is really green and pretty and the weather is really nice. We live in a ghetto little cottage outside some random perons house and we have little tiny lizards in our house. They aren't too bad, I just hope that they don't get in my bed. My legs are covered in bug bites even though I use bug spray. 

This letter is going to be really confusing because I've just been writing down random things that I want to tell you.. so bear with me.  

There are 10 missionaries in the two wards in Brunswick. In our whole mission, there are about 250 missionaries. No one here can say Koenig... I'm not really sure why.. So most people just call me Sister K.

I thought that I was going stateside, but after being in Brunswick for a few days I feel like I'm in a foreign country! There are a lot of black people here and a lot of white trash... I don't think I was supposed to say that, but they are all wonderful children of God :) We spend most of our time in  trailer parks or with more of the black community in apartment complexes. 

At ward council on Sunday we were joking with the Bishop about how we should get a bus to bring all of our investigators to church, and someone else said that instead we should just teach more people with cars, and the Bishop added "and houses!' It was really funny. And true. It's pretty poor here and some people we are teaching, Henry and Tina, just got kicked out of there trailer. So they are currently homeless but we still teach them at the church. Tina doesn't have any teeth. Like seriously not one. They also have a smoking problem, which seems to be really common here. 

I'm running out of time, but I have one cool story to share. We were teaching this lady named Angie and her two kids. We are trying to help her quit smoking and were talking about how she can do it. I felt prompted to share a scripture so I read Ether 12:27 to her. After I read it she started crying.  The spirit was so strong and I learned how important it is to listen to promptings and to teach by the spirit. 

Love y'all 

Sister Koenig

 

Oh also something funny.. There are a lot of black members here and at church yesterday, this old black lady was liking talking/humming/praising Jesus during the prayer. It was so funny and so weird. She like had her hands in the air and was like mmmhmmm hallelujah after everything they said. I couldn't stop laughing. 

Everyone has cats and dogs in their houses and everyone smokes so my poor lungs are dying. I take my inhaler and bought some claritin that I've been taking. Everyone here loves to hug and talk. Two things that I hate. So I am really going to have to work on that. Also it's really weird here because no one has driveways, so we just drive on their lawns. I have taught 19 lessons already! I have only gone to one dinner app. and they made shrimp creole. It was really good and I have another dinner app. tonight. 

Yesterday in church they called me up to bear my testimony. It was kind of scary. 

Okay... i think that's all. 

I love you

 

Email from the Presidents wife:

Dear Brother and Sister Koenig,

We had the great opportunity to greet your daughter on Tuesday afternoon as she arrived in the Florida Jacksonville mission. We spent Tuesday evening and Wednesday with her and the other new missionaries.  It was wonderful to visit with her. She will be a great addition to the missionary force while here in the Florida Jacksonville mission. Thank you for sharing her with us for the next 18 months.  If you have any concerns feel free to email us.  We have a blog at Floridajacksonvillemissionnews.blogspot.com that you will be able to see more pictures of your daughter and keep up on what is happening in the mission!  Her companion is Sister Lawrence and they will be serving in the Brunswick GA area.

Thank you for your support of her during this time!

With love,

President and Sister Craig

 

 

All the new missionaries who arrived with Sister K

Sister Lawrence her trainer



President and Sister Craig

Florida bound

This is written by Terra
This morning I got a 5 am wakeup call from Sister K.  She was at the airport waiting for her flight to Jacksonville, Florida.  She sounded so happy, especially for that early in the morning.  She said she is excited to get there, be warm and teach people.  She said she feels ready to teach, but a little scared about being confronted about the Bible.  She wishes she knew it better.  Thirty- six missionaries were flying to her mission today.  They will arrive in two different groups.  Her companion, Sister Call, was on an earlier flight.  She hopes to serve in Georgia and the ghetto of Jacksonville.  I assume she will have the opportunity to do both.  She said on Sunday all the sisters meet together for relief society and hear a speaker,  Sister Oscarson - the general young women's president spoke.  She said it was so good.  She told them she knows how they feel because she and her husband where called to be mission presidents when they had four little children.  She told them she knows about the feelings and fears of the unknown. 
It was great to hear her voice, and hear the excitement and happiness in her.  She would prefer letters, either in the mail or through dearelder.com.  She doesn't get a lot of time to email, so she would prefer letters so she can respond in her free time, and not have to spend her email time reading letters instead of writing.  I will post her new address as soon as I get it.  I don't know when her pday will be, but will put anything up that I get.

October 10, 2013

 

I have been here a week and haven't had a p-day until now. It was time. Haha This place is crazy.  I learn so much every day! I'll send you a picture (along with lots of others) when I get to Florida, but we have a schedule that has every 15 minutes planned out.  We just go and go and go. By 10:30 I am SOOO tired. I've never gone this long without taking a nap!

I really do love it here though. I am learning so much and feel like I'm becoming such a better person.  At the MTC, you probably pray about 25 times a day. I'm not exaggerating. But just by praying so much, I can feel the difference that it makes in my life. I feel so much closer to God and can feel that he truly loves me and wants me to be happy.

 I LOVED watching conference here. I've never gotten so much out of conference. It makes me wonder why I've never actually watched it and taken notes before because I got so much out of it.  My favorite talks were from Saturday and I really liked President Utchdorfs and Elder Hollands talks they were really good. Also, on Sunday night, we watched a talk that Elder Bednar gave at the MTC a while ago called "recognizing the spirit" you should try to find it and watch it. I loved it and learned so much from it.

I have my travel plans and I leave to Florida on Tuesday morning at 4:30, so expect a phone call sometime Tuesday morning. I can't wait to get to Florida!! It's going to be so warm, which I can't wait for, because I'm freezing here!!

Yesterday, I got to be a host for the new missionaries, which was cool because they usually don't let people host until they've been her for four weeks.  It was cool to see all of the new missionaries, but it was the saddest thing ever to see the families drive away, bawling their eyes out. It was nice to get out of class for a few hours and talk to people, but my arms are super sore from carrying everyone's luggage up the stairs.

Emailing is so stressful! I have so many people to write and so much to say, but not enough time!! Let people know that I would rather get letters than emails and that it's easier for me to respond that way.

I'm so tired all the time, but it's getting a lot better. I'm so excited to sleep on the plane! haha That's how tired I am. 

Today Sister Call and I went to a yoga class at six, they do different work out classes every morning for the sisters but today was the first time we could actually wake up in time. Tomorrow is kickboxing and I'm excited to go. It's nice to actually be able to workout, because I feel like all I ever do is go to class and eat meals... Which is basically all I really do ever do. We get to go to the temple today and I'm really excited. During general conference, between sessions we got to go to the temple grounds and just walk around. It was so nice to be able to see the outside world! The mountains are so pretty right now and all the leaves are changing.  

We have already taught two investigators.  They are just people acting but it feels so real! All of our lessons with Laura have gone really well and she has even picked a day to be baptized.  When I teach Laura, it goes really well and we are able to teach by the spirit to know what to say.  With our other investigator, Belinda things aren't so easy. Luckily we only have to teach her one more time, but teaching her is so hard.  She is an asian lady and she is really rude to sister call and I.  We try so hard to teach Belinda what she needs to hear, but she always interrupts us and can't accept the fact that she needs God in her life.  It's so sad to me because I know that we all need to let God into our lives.  She thinks that she's fine without him, but I know that if she just let him in that her life would be so much better and she would be a much happier, nicer person. We teach her again tonight and I'm nervous. it doesn't feel good to be rejected, and it's even worse knowing that not only is she rejecting us, but she's rejecting the gospel... something that everyone desperately needs in their lives.

Here are some other random things about my time so far at the MTC: The food is okay, but it is not my favorite.  Two of my roommates have terrible B.O, so I almost barf every time I walk into our room, haha.  It's really cool to have Challis here. She lives just like five doors away from me so I see her all the time. It's nice to have someone to talk to and she even let me borrow a coat of hers, which I was super grateful for. Almost every time I see her I call her Challis. It's funny because with everyone else it's easy for me to call them sister, because that's all that I know them by, but with her I've known her my whole life as Challis, so it's hard to make the switch. My district/zone is made up of the oddest people I've ever met. Like typical cliche glasses wearing-comic book reading- talk in nasally voice-world of warcraft playing nerds. But I guess it's pretty entertaining to listen to them talk to each other, I laugh a lot, and we are all God's children :) 

I know that lot's of other things have happened, but I can't think of what else to say. If you have any questions, just ask. I don't remember if I already said this, but I like getting mail. You should tell people to write me using dear elder and then I can get it on the day that they write it. Thanks. I hope everything is going well back home. Thank you for being such great parents. I love you all.

Love,

Sister Koenig

P.S- I think that I forgot my camera cord to upload pictures at home, so please send that. I think it might be in my camera box some where in my room. But until then, I can't give you any pictures.  And can you send me the letter that Alonzo wrote me? thanks. love you

October 2, 2013

Mom & Dad...& Davis,
      I've made it through my first day as a missionary!! It wasn't as bad as I was expecting.  Right when I got there they gave me my name tag and a bunch of book, keys, cards, locks, etc.  Then I dropped my stuff off at my dorm and went straight to class.  This class was just my district.  There are 8 of us, 4 sisters going to Jacksonville (the 2 are my other roomies and 4 elders going to CALI.  After we all met we went to a meeting with all of the new missionaries.  (Oh and I met my companion, Sister Call, she is from Utah and nice and pretty laid back)  At the meeting we met the MTC   presidency and they talked to us for an hour.   Here are some things they said:

"Your day will go the way the corners of your mouth are turned"
There is a difference between going on a mission and being a true missionary"

President Nally also told us to write our  parents tonight...which is why you're getting this letter.  Then we ended the meeting singing "We are as the Armies of Helaman," but at the end we say "We are now the Lords missionaries" instead of we will be.  The spirit was so strong and it really hit me that I'm a missionary!
 
I only have 15 minutes to write you and journal before I go to bed, so sorry this might not make sense and is messy...

A few other things that happened.
-They put an orange sticker on your tag so people know your new and I got told "Welcome to the MTC" about 700 times
-I saw Tyler Young and Challis at dinner.  The food was okay, except we ate at 4:00 and I'm starving now
-There is a tree here that smells like crème soda so on the tour everyone was smelling it and it was pretty funny
-We taught 3 investigators as a group.  It was really cool, but I was too scared to say anything.

I think that's about everything.  Hope you're having fun in Vegas. I love you guys.

XOXO
Sister Koenig

p.s. please send me Skye's address. Thanks

Sister Baylee

Welcome to The real life adventures of Sister K.    She said her goodbyes to her family and friends, and entered the MTC (missionary training center) in Provo, Utah on October 2, 2013.  I (terra) will be posting portions of her letters that she would like to share with you, her readers.  Please enjoy her letters and watch her testimony grow as she shares the message of the gospel to those in her mission.

She received her call from President Thomas S. Monson on June 14, 2013 to the Florida Jacksonville Mission. 

 

Her cousin Sister C entered the MTC the same day.  She will be serving in the Columbus Ohio Mission.  Best of luck to both these beautiful girls.