December 15, 2014

Sounds like you had fun in Utah! I love the lights there. I can't wait
to go back next year. That's good that you get to see Owen so much.
We can't figure out Jennifer. Things will be going really well and
we'll teach her an awesome lesson, and then she falls off the face of
the earth and we don't hear from her for a while. It's super weird.
But she has a lot going on. She works and is trying to find a second
job so she can pay her electricity bill because she's been without
since October. Sad.
Sandra is doing well, still reading.
Sister Stockett was sick when she first got here, so we couldn't do
anything Wednesday night. It was really weird to just be in the
apartment.
We have been working with a couple that just moved into the ward. He
is less active and he served a mission, and she isn't a member.
They're so nice. And they came to the Christmas party AND church!! So
hopefully we can start teaching her soon.
But things are really good here. The weather has been so nice lately!
We found a lot of people knocking this week, so hopefully we get to
see them again.
Sorry this is short, busy day!
Love you! And thanks so much for all the presents!!
Xoxo
Sister Koenig

December 9, 2014

I HAVE THE MEANEST FAMILY IN THE WORLD! How could you go to the happiest place on earth without meeee?! Boo. When do you leave?
Sounds like you've had a fun week. Send pictures!
This week was reallyyyyy busy. We helped a lot of people decorate for Christmas. We cleaned baseboards at a less active's. We did a Christmas program with some of our zone at an old folks home, I sang and played the violin. Jennifer is doing pretty good. Her work schedule is crazy, so she couldn't come to church, but she came to the relief society activity! I'm still a facebook missionary, I've even posted a lot recently... I don't know why you haven't seen them. This week on Facebook I posted the Christmas video on all the different Christian Facebook pages I could find and then, when someone liked my post, I would add them as a friend and message them. Of all the people I messaged, only one responded. Her name is Sandra and I started talking to her about the Book of Mormon. She said that she read part of it once when she found it in the nightstand at a hotel she was staying at, but she would like to read the whole thing. So I told her she could request a free one at mormon.org. She did and is excited to begin reading it. I got to teach her about what it was and had her start reading it on lds.org. So that was really cool. She lives in Texas, but hopefully I can have a Skype lesson with her!! 

Sister Stitt gets transferred tomorrow. I did not see that one coming! So I'm kind of nervous because I wasn't preparing to take over the area. I don't even know very many people still! 

And with the Puerto Rican family...Sometimes missions are so sad. Like we meet so many people that are super interested and super nice...but then nothing ever happens with them. So many dead ends. I just wish everyone would get baptized! At least we planted a seed. Maybe they'll be ready one day. 

I made a Christmas tree and some snowflakes to make our apartment Christmassy. I can't believe that it's almost Christmas already!! 

I got the next package. Thank youuuuu! 

Have a good week. Love you

Xoxo

Sister Koenig

December 1, 2014

This week was really good! We still haven't seen Jean and Chante...
Our appointment with the Escobars isn't until Wednesday, but we
stopped by last week to bring them cookies and a spanish Book of
Mormon. They were excited to see us and the daughter has started to
read the Book of Mormon! So that's exciting! Jennifer has been really
sick, so we haven't seen her. But we're going tonight! Singing went
well. We had a recent convert sing it with us, so that was good.
I liked the Thanksgiving picture. Looks like you had fun! Our
thanksgiving was really good. We went to a campground with a couple of
families from the ward. It was really cold, but it was fun. I had deep
fried turkey. And we had a bonfire and they had a turkey call contest,
that was funny.
We've been using the new video "He is the Gift" when we knock doors
and its been working really well! We just knock on their door and ask
if we can show them a two minute video about Christmas and it works
almost every time. So we taught a ton of other lessons and a lot of
people said we could come back, so hopefully they listen to us! And we
exceeded all of our goals this week! Probably the most productive week
of my whole mission... Now if only we could get some people to get
baptized!
Traffic is so bad here. It's really annoying. The other day we were on
one road for 45 minutes!! Crazy. Definitely something I'm not used to.
I got the package!! Thanks! That was a really good idea, the pillow
case is really cute. I can't believe It's already December!
Have a good week!
Love you!
Xoxo
Sister Koenig

November 24, 2014

Michelle dropped us on
Tuesday. It was really sad. She needs the gospel so much, and I feel
like she didn't even give it a chance. Maybe one day...
Ya, sister Stitt sang with me at the funeral. During the eulogy that
one of the elders gave, it started POURING rain and it got super
windy. It was like a hurricane. So we all got really wet. That was
exciting.
Things with sister Stitt are pretty good.
We saw the granddaughter, Chante, again. But her grandma wasn't home,
so we'll try again another time. Everyone is getting really busy with
the holidays. Favorite thing this week... last night we were knocking
doors and this lady answers the door and we ask the usual questions:
are you religious? What church do you go to? Have you heard of our
church? Blah blah blah... And she seemed super uninterested. But then
she called her daughter to come to the door and the first thing she
does is tell us we're pretty, so obviously that's a GREAT start to a
conversation. Well it turns out the mom is from Puerto Rico and
doesn't really speak English, so that's why she wasn't really talking
but the daughter was sooo interested and is really excited for us to
come back! We asked if they would be interested in learning more about
the Book of Mormon and she was like, actually Ya! Which never happens,
usually people just tell us that we can come back so that we'll leave.
But they are so elect! Pray that they get baptized!! I'm super excited
for them!
This week I learned that Heavenly Father answers our prayers, well
obviously I already knew that. But even with little things. We were
bringing our investigator Jennifer subway (thanks to the gift card I
got from Eric and Rissa) because she doesn't have food or money and
she wasn't answering the door. We knocked like 7 times and didn't know
what to do... So we prayed that she would answer. We knocked one more
time, and there she was, right at the door! And with the family last
night, before we started knocking doors we prayed we would find
someone who was prepared, and we did!
We knocked a lot of doors this week. Even in the freezing cold. But
yesterday was hot. Florida is dumb. Last night this black guy told us
he wasn't interested so as we were leaving I told him happy
thanksgiving and he was like, "happy Jesus!" It was super funny. And
we did a lot of service, yard work, cleaned a porch, frosted cupcakes.
Saw lots of less actives, and one came to church with her two little
boys. She was baptized over ten years ago in Idaho and had never been
to church here. But she came!! And her boys loved it! We saw another
less active lady who gave us lemons, so we're going to make lemonade
today. And another who fed us papaya that she grew, which is really
gross btw, and these GIANT grapefruits that she grows.
I gave a training in district meeting on companion study and it went
so well! My best yet! And they only told me the day before!
We got asked to sing in church on Sunday... I'm not super excited
because they picked the song. It's just the plain ol hymn book version
of I am a child of God but the lady wants us to sing "they are
children of God" and replace all the pronouns to third person... Kinda
weird. And sister Stitt sings really loud and has a much different
voice than mine... Oh well.
Our mission is going to start using family history pamphlets more so
we have to fill out one of our own to show people. So can you please
send pics that I can use and glue to it of you and dad, grandparents,
and great grandparents? Thanks.
Happy thanksgiving! Love you!
Xoxo
Sister Koenig

November 17, 2014

I don't have a ton of time to write today because we have to sing at a
funeral... Exciting. We don't sound very good, but oh well I guess.
This week was good. The weather here is so annoying. One day will be
freezing and the next will be hot! It's crazy.
We got fed a lot and one place they made us this sale (salad?) that she put
stuff in to look like a butterfly haha. It was really gross. It was
shredded lettuce with pineapple, cranberry sauce, cream cheese,
cheese, and what we think was mayonnaise. Yuck. And all these people
are such food pushers!!
I can't remember if I told you about Michelle last week, but she's
doing pretty well. We saw her three times. She is really sincere and
always has a list of questions for us to answer. On Friday the lesson
was really weird, I thought she was going to drop us and was really
doubting the Book of Mormon. We got her the Book of Mormon CDs to
listen to and before we could answer her questions she had someone
show up at her house so we had to leave. Then yesterday we thought we
should stop by so we brought her cookies and sang for her. She was so
happy to see us and said she could feel he spirit when we come over.
And she told us that she had started listening to the Book of Mormon!
So that was really good. We see her again tomorrow.
We rode our bikes some this week and did more yard work. We knocked a
lot of doors and met a lady from South Africa. She said we could come
back, but when we did she wasn't home but we met her granddaughter who
said we could come back sometime this week and teach all of them! So
I'm excited for that. I think that's pretty much all. After the
funeral today we have zone pday and are playing laser tag and mini
golf.
Love you!
Xoxo
Sister Koenig
P.s: I'll be home in five months from today!!

 

November 10, 2014

This week was really good. The elders somehow stole Alec from us... So
now they're teaching him. But he came to church again. There is a set
of elders in the ward and spanish elders that go to our ward and
another. We have a meal appointment every night this week except
tonight!! Crazy!
Skye told me that Micah and Alex came home. That makes me so sad! I
mean, missions are definitely hard, but it's so worth it.
 There is a really good talk by Elder
Holland called "We Are All Enlisted." You can read it for FHE. It
talks about how it's better to always be worthy than to have to repent
before you serve a mission. There's a mormon message for the youth
that goes along with it too called "stay within the lines."
What did you do for gma's birthday party? Any fun plans this week?
We had zone conference this week. It was really good. Sister Craig
gave a really good training and said "faith has a short shelf life"
and talked about how we have to constantly strengthen our testimony
and do the small and simple things every day.
We contacted a referral that we got from a random lady and after we
knocked on her door, she let us in!! That NEVER happens. We introduced
our message and she said we could come back and teach her and her son.
She was so sweet. So we went back on Saturday and taught her and her
son the restoration. It was really good and they were both open. The
only problem is that she has really bad cataracts, so she can't see to
read the Book of Mormon..We'll find a way!
We did a lot of service this week. We planted flowers, pulled weeds
and put mulch down, cleaned a house, and raked some leaves. Also we
made pumpkin cookies and heart attacked some people.
Yesterday in church, we were sitting in Sunday school when the relief
society president came up to us and asked us to teach the relief
society lesson. So that was exciting. It's weird that I wasn't even
nervous, the spirit is real! I never could've done that a year ago!
Have a good week!
Love you!
Xoxo
Sister K

November 3, 2014

I found out that Orange Park is its own city, right next to Jacksonville, kinda like Reno and Sparks. We live in a nice apartment, it's like a town house. Definitely the nicest yet. The kitchen, living room and desks and a 1/2 bath downstairs and a bathroom with two vanities, our bedroom, a spare room and washer and dryer upstairs. Super nice.
Sounds like your trip was fun! Can't wait to see pictures and to get a package! :) 

My companion is Sister Stitt. She's nice,  She reminds me of lily from Princess Diaries. She's from Oregon,

At transfers I saw the sisters that are serving in Brunswick and they said that they've heard all about me and that everyone misses me in Brunswick. I'm glad, that means I actually made a difference! Haha 

We had to ride our bikes for two days because we ran out of miles and we run every morning, so my legs were super sore. It's scary riding bikes in a city. I'm scared I'm going to crash and get hit by a car! 

We get fed a ton here. The members are really nice and are super normal, not even southern at all. Except we did get fed Chicken hearts... Weird. 

On Thursdays we volunteer at the clothes closet which is like a thrift store but everything is free, so we sorted through clothes. Then we helped a lady plant mums in her yard. That was fun. 

Halloween was really good too. We can't be out on the streets so we were at a members house all night. Their son just got back from a mission to Armenia so he made us Armenian food. Then we carved pumpkins and handed out candy and got to teach their daughters friend, Alec, about the Book of Mormon. He's really interested and even came to church yesterday! We wrote a Halloween poem, I don't feel like typing the whole thing, so I'll send a picture of it. It was really cute. 

The past few days have been freezing! Which is crazy because the day before was super hot. Florida weather... 

We don't teach as many lessons as I thought we would. I thought that since its a more urban are that we would have a lot more lessons than Macclenny, but we don't. Since its November now we started visiting members and less actives and showing them the thanksgiving mormon message and doing a gratitude journal with three things your thankful for each day until thanksgiving.  So you should do it too! 

Love you!

Xoxo 

Sister K

P.s: I'm past 13 months!

audio's

This Song was written by a sister in MacClenny. It was inspired by the story of the candy bomber in "Meet the Mormons." Sung her, her daughter, and Sister K

Thi

October 28, 2014

This week was good! We made lots more pumpkin cookies and heart
attached lots of people. The Grays were at church! And we had a really
good family home evening with them last night. We made caramel apples
and one caramel onion and had an eating contest. It was super funny.
So we taught them about how satan deceives us and make bad things look
good. They loved it. I'm going to miss them so much!
Also, Sam, a recent convert has been coming out with us a lot lately.
She is such a great missionary! She always brings friends to
volleyball and she brought her younger brother to church and he wants
to take the discussions.
We saw Mary Willis this week and she's doing really well. She's read
all of the assignments that we've given her and has been praying to
know if it's all true. I'm kind of sad because I feel like things are
finally taking off and now I have to leave. Oh well, at least I got to
help start it.
I found out that Takiyah from Brunswick finally got baptized! So
that's exciting since me and sister merchant were the ones to start
teaching her.
We sang in church this week. It was a song that Robin wrote inspired
by the talk by elder utchdorf at the general women's meeting and the
candy bomber from meet the Mormons. It's really pretty, I'll send it
to you.
Today we're carving pumpkins with Sam. I'm excited.
Have fun on vacation!
Love you!
Xoxo
Sister Koenig

October 20, 2014

I think you must've forgotten about me...
This week was pretty good. We made more cookies and heart attacked
people's doors. They're starting to really like us, and we've gotten
famous for our pumpkin cookies.
Not too much happened this week. Sooooo many appointments canceled.
Mary Willis rescheduled three times, hopefully this next one doesn't
fall through.
We did some service and cleaned someone's house and helped with
alpacas. Oh, and the parents of the lady that owns our house came over
when we weren't there and then called us and got mad at us for being
messy. Obviously it's not going to be the cleanest when you come over
Saturday morning because we hadn't cleaned since Monday and we just
rushed out of the house to an appointment. They're crazy!!! And they
said we can't use the other bathroom anymore... Even though no one
else is there to use it. And we keep it really clean! So annoying. Oh
well, I'm probably moving soon. Living with members is a nightmare!!!
But other than that things are going pretty well. We even have some
meal appointments this week!
Write me back soon!
Love,
Sister Koenig
P.s: will my debit card be here soon? I need to get some things.
How was your week?

October 13, 2014

He's SOOO cute!  (Owen) Keep sending me lots of pictures!! I want to hold him already!
 We had another good week. We've started having FHE with the grays
every Monday. Last week we did "faith rockets" the thing that the
missionaries did with the Joyners where you light the tea bag on fire.
They loved it! Then we played this game called fibber and you have to
wear these glasses. I love that family! Tonight we're doing an object
lesson with an orange and the armor of God. We started teaching a few
new people, and we even had a lesson with mary!! She messaged on
facebook and said she was feeling better and we could come over. So we
had a really good lesson with her and read alma 32. She said that she
knows that good things take time and effort and that she's going to
have to read and pray and come to church so she can find out if it's
all true. Dorothy is still doing well. She's just waiting for a big
answer and we're trying to help her see that she's already gotten an
answer, she's just looking for something bigger. We're seeing Amber,
the media referral again on Tuesday.
We met with a part member family and they had 40 snakes!!!! So of
course we had to take pics. And today the swamp was super super cool.
We only saw 2 alligators, but it was super pretty. And we got to go on
a boat ride through the swamp.
Send lots of pictures!!!
Love you!
Xoxo
Sister Koenig

October 6, 2014

Conference was really good. I liked Saturday a lot better than Sunday. I think my favorite talk was  the "which way do you face" one. 

A miracle happened this week! Last week we met with one of our investigators, Dorothy who has been taking discussions for a couple of years, and taught her the word of wisdom. We invited her to live it and she didn't give us a very solid answer, like usual. But then we saw her again last night and she told us that she threw out all of her tea!! She is making progress! We gave her some conference talks to watch and are hoping that they will help her make the next step towards baptism. 

We didn't get to meet with the media referral again. And we got our investigator tommy to Sunday morning. And Dorothy watched the priesthood session. Lisa watched Saturday afternoon at her house. The grays didn't end up watching it :( but we're having FHE with them tonight and they're feeding us. Oh and i taught them the cup song the other day haha. 

Also, we got a referral from the relief society president! 

We helped Paint a house again a lot this week. That was fun. AND at our zone meeting we got to watch Meet the Mormons! It was SO good!! I cried haha. In the movie, a lady shared her conversion story. She was 16 and pregnant and living in a trailer park when the missionaries first met her but after a few years she finally joined the church. Now she is married in the temple and her son is on a mission. It just goes to show that the gospel really does change people. And as a missionary I shouldn't judge people but I should think of everyone as the golden investigator and try to see them as the future relief society president or bishop. Everyone go see the movie!!
Fun fact: I found out that Macclenny is the moonshine capital of the world! Doesn't surprise me at all. Haha

Today we are in Jax beach at a recording studio. Haha we are
singing all the songs we've done in church and making a cd. The bishops
wife is paying for it and wants to give it out to the ward for Christmas.
Pretty cool. It's stressful though! We've been here for like four hours
already. It's going to take all day. But I'm probably never going to a
recording studio again, so it's a cool opportunity.

I think that's about everything. Send lots of pictures of Owen if he ever comes!! 

I love you! 

Xoxo

Sister K

That's Myra and jiselle gray. They did our hair haha

 

Oh, and look at this! Toya went to conference and did baptisms. AND she met elder bednar! That's my convert!

 

September 29, 2014

We're going to Jacksonville today with a member and eating Sushi! I'm excited.
This week was good. I have a terrible memory and can't really remember
what happened though.   We got a media referral, so we contacted it
and it was a young mother of three. We gave her a Book of Mormon and
she said we could come back and talk about it. Hopefully she's really
interested!
Good news: We have the house to ourselves! And Lisa, the one from
England, came to church AND the general women's meeting!
I played the violin in the primary program yesterday. We did a lot of
service this week, we helped with the alpacas, cleaned, and painted.
The general women's meeting was really good. I liked president
utchdorfs talk the best. I can't remember the exact quote, but I liked
how he said God loves us for who we are and for who we can become.
We made more pumpkin cookies this week to give to the ward members and
they are staring to really like us! Hopefully they'll like us enough
to start giving us referrals!
Sorry this is short, I just can't think of anything else that
happened. I'm super excited for general conference this weekend!
Love you!
Xoxo
Sister Koenig
P.s: this week marks my YEAR mark!
Jenny took us to a meeting this week in lake butler. And this is today
at sushi. And I ate an edible flower.

 Jenny