Email Letter - February 25, 2015

Hey everyone,

So this last week was really great, the other elders in the ward had a great baptism on Saturday, they baptized a family similar to Andres and Bielka. But then the next day in church the bishop interviewed Andres and the father of this other family and the both received the Aaronic priesthood. I was really excited. Also Andres and Bielka are getting started on their family history work so that they can go to the temple and do baptisms for their own family in March. So I was just really excited for that. 

The other really big thing that happened this week is that I got transferred to a different area, I am now in Licey and my new comp is Elder Shultz, he's a super cool kid from Arizona and he’s pretty new in the mission as well, I’m only his second comp. But I’m really excited to be able to work with him and find and help some new people here in Licey. It should be a lot of fun.

But that’s really it for this week and I hope that all of you have a great week and I’ll write you again next week.

-Elder King

Email Letter & Pics, February 18, 2015

Hey everyone, everything is going great and I’m having a ton of fun right now. We were able to baptize Andres and Bielka last week and it was super great, probably one of the best baptismal services I’ve ever been to. The other elders in the district and I sang a special musical number “Love at Home”, because its Bielka's favorite, and it went really well. It has been a great blessing being able to find and teach them.

Elder Henze and I are starting to have a lot of success, the other family we were teaching, Jeremias and Leidy, kinda fell off the map and few weeks ago because we weren’t able to find them. The moved and neglected to tell us their new address, but the other day we got a text from Jeremias saying that he really wanted us to come over, and gave us his address, so now we´re working with them again. It really made me happy to find them again and that they still want to learn. And another great thing about that is now they live right by the chapel and it’s going to be a lot easier for them to come to church. A 2 min walk is much better then a 45 min walk ha-ha. Don’t ya think?

But everything is going great with me and I hope everything is great with you guys, have a great week.

-Elder King

Pics from the Baptism:

 

Pictures, Pictures & More Pictures - January 28, 2015

General Conference

Baptism of Yrody

Me and Elder Pace

Me with Elder Rodriguez

Me with Hermano Jiminez (My Mini-Missionary)

Me and Elder Henze with Santa - aka the Assistants

Me, Elder Henze and Yordy

Christmas Dinner

Our real Christmas Dinner

Me and Henze with Andres and Bielka and their family

Me and Henze with Andres and his friends and family

The Lion King

Sport activity at the church

Email Letter - January 21, 2015

Hey everyone,

So this week was pretty great. So we’ve been teaching a couple for a really long time, I believe I’ve mentioned them before, their names are Andres and Bielka, and we’ve been trying really hard to get them to accept a baptismal date because they are super ready and they have been for a few weeks now. So what we did is we decided that it would be a good idea to let them put their own baptismal and wedding date. So they told us they would do it and that they would also fast for inspiration. Well the next time we went over they filled us in on what happened and it was crazy. So the day they were fasting Andres was moving a karaoke machine that he has and he heard something moving around inside and decided to open it up and see what is was. So he started taking out the screws and low and behold inside the karaoke machine was a wedding ring, that’s right, a straight up wedding ring. So they decided they want to get married this weekend, as fast as possible and get baptized on Valentines Day. So for right now that’s the plan. I honestly don’t know who put the wedding ring in the karaoke machine and I don’t care to know ether. All I know is that The Lord answered their prayers and I’m pretty happy just knowing that, ha-ha.

Everything else is going great, we are having a lot of success in out area right now and everything is going just great. 

I love you all and hope you have a great week.

-Elder King

Email Letter - January 14, 2015

Hey everyone,

What up hommies!! Everything is going really great here in Cristo Rey, elder Henze and I are working really hard and we are starting to have more success. We found a new family this week and they are super cool. The wife, Leidy, is a less active and her husband Jeramies is our new investigator. It was really interesting how we got him to start listing, one day we were visiting Leidy’s parents and they were there and Jeramies was telling us that he would probably never join our church because he was raised as a Jehovah's Witness and that’s what he believes. But I looked at him and told him that was awesome but that if he wanted to learn more about gods plan to give us a call. And what do you know that next day the phone rang and it was him asking when we could go teach him, ha-ha. So now we are teaching them.

Other then that there’s not a lot that is new, just that I’m doing great out here and I’m extremely happy.

-Elder King

Email Letter - December 17, 2014

Hey everyone sorry it’s been so long, but I want you all to know that I am still alive and that I am doing great out here in the DR.

I am still in Santiago and things are going really good. I am training a kid from Idaho and he is a really good kid and we are doing a lot of really good work together. We’ve got this family that is amazing that we have been teaching and they are amazing. Andres, the husband, was raised in Miami and is super cool, he has had a lot of hard times in life and decided to come to the DR to get away from everything and then met Bielka, his wife, and now they have 2 kids and are really happy together. But we found him one super rainy day huddled under a little tin roof on the side of the road ha-ha. God truly knows how to help the rain become a blessing here, ha-ha. But they really are an amazing family and the other day Andres’s parents were in town and they are totally against us and I got to see the two of them defend their beliefs, and now his parents are participating in our lessons and we were able to answer their questions and explain about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, I know that the Spirit was able to testify to them and that their hearts are slowly being opened to the restored gospel.

I am so happy for the opportunity I have to be here changing the lives of other people. But I love you all and I will write you again soon and I mean it this time ha-ha.

- Elder King

Email Letter & Pics - October 8, 2014

(Dad's note: Quin flew to the DR one year ago today!)

Hey everyone so this week was awesome. And very crazy. So really the craziest thing was conference, and this is why. So Saturday morning we had to go fill up the baptismal font because we had a baptism in between the afternoon and priesthood sessions. So we did that and then we got everything ready so that we could watch everything in English but once its time to start it doesn’t work... so we go running out and take a taxi to a members house so we can watch it there and that was all good for the first 2 sessions on Saturday. We went back and had the best baptism ever and the boy, Jordi, bears his testimony afterwards and everyone is just crying because he talked about how is mom was killed and then he was able to find the church because of that and how he knows he’ll see her again someday. Just amazing. Then we go back to the member’s house to watch the priesthood session and it went well until the first presidency is about to talk and the Wi-Fi cuts out. And then the same thing happens for the Sunday morning session. But whatever, cause we got permission to watch it in the mission office on Monday but it was really frustrating at the moment. But it was so great being able to hear the prophet speak at last on Monday. My favorite talks were Sister Esplin and Elder Callister, and then President Eyring from the priesthood session. 

But I love you all and hope your week is a great one.

- Elder King

Email Letter - October 1, 2014

Hey everyone,

So this week has been really good. Elder Rodriguez and I have been working hard to find new people and hadn’t been having much success, but last week the church offices in Salt Lake sent us a list of references. Now this is not weird but usually missionaries, in the DR at least, just ignore them and keep doing their own thing, but this time I was looking at the list and felt a really strong impression that at least one of these people needed me, so almost immediately I began calling the numbers listed and this one guy named Roldof answered and told us to come over the next day. Well it took us almost an hour to find his house but we eventually found it. And oh boy is he awesome and he also has a girlfriend that is super cool too. It just seemed like they both have been pretty prepared. I’m really excited to see how things go with them. We´re still trying to get a hold of the other people on the list but a lot of them have moved and we just haven’t gotten ahold of the others, but I’m not giving up yet ha-ha.

Another really cool thing that happened was that last Saturday I was able to go back and visit Navarrete, because 3 girls that I had taught were baptized and one of them wanted me to baptize her. So that was great getting to go back for a day and visit people and participate in such a special baptismal program.

But that’s it for this week and I just want you all to know that I love you and you’re all in my prayers.

-Elder King

Email Letter - September 24, 2014

Hey ya´ll

So things are going really good, my comp Elder Rodriguez has been pretty sick recently but now he’s starting to get better. We started leaving in the nights last Saturday and tomorrow we are going to start leaving full days again tomorrow. So the work is staring to progress again, a lot of the people we were teaching we haven’t been able to find, but that’s what happens when you spend a week not working. So a lot of what we´ve been doing is trying to find people. I’m really trying to focus on this thing the mission is starting to do called mini contacting. Basically you just walk up to someone testify of Christ and invite them to church. And of course when they say no you walk away ha-ha, but its all about showing the Lord that you’re willing to do anything to help his kids and we were given the promise of Elder Cornish of the seventy last week that if we do it the people that are ready for us will come out of the woodworks. So of course now that means, in my head, if we don’t do it we aren’t going to find any new people, so I'm going to be mini contacting the world from now on ha-ha.

But really I’m just happy and content to be able to be here helping in the work of the lord. I know he is getting people ready to hear what I have to say everyday, so I’m gladly going to open my mouth ha-ha.

Ha-ha love you all. Have a great week.

-Elder King

Pics - September 17, 2014

Email Letter - September 10, 2014

Hey everyone,

So I left Navarrete today and now I’m in the heart of Santiago in a place called Cristo Rey. The mission office is in my area so I guess that’s pretty cool. My new comp is named Elder Rodriguez and he is from Puerto Rico. But my last week in Navarrete went really well. We had the baptism of Yadira on Saturday and that was great, Elder Mercedez was the one to baptize her, he is the Elder who did her interview, I don’t know why she picked him but it went really well and it was probably the most spiritual service I’ve ever had here. Then on Sunday Yadira asked me to do her confirmation, so that was pretty nerve wracking ha-ha. I’m glad I was holding onto the bishop’s shoulder or I probably would’ve fallen over ha-ha. But it was very special and I’m glad I was able to do that for her.

Saying goodbye to everyone there was really sad especially to Elder Neeley, we really became the best of friends over the last 2 transfers, but a few members said that they were going to start a welga (strike or riot) if I left ha-ha. Navarrete really was like home for me and I’m sad to leave but I’m excited for the opportunity I have to make Cristo Rey my new home. I'll probably be here for a long time so ill need to ha-ha.

But that’s it for this week everyone. Love you all, have a great week.

-Elder King

Email and Pics - September 3, 2014

Hey everyone so I’m going great and I still love the mission. So I don’t know if I’ve told you guys but its been raining a lot recently and really all that means for us is muddy pants and shoes and awesome pics of the sunset ha-ha. The DR wins for its sunsets. But Elder Neeley and I are working really hard and having a lot of success.

We are going to be having a baptism this weekend of this girl that was just golden. She has been going to church even since she was little but was never baptized cause her parents never went but she came to us and asked us to teach her cause she wanted to be baptized. She is now living with her Aunt and Uncle who are super strong members. It was just a really good situation, it was really just a matter of her getting all of the lessons to be baptized so its been a great blessing for us to help her. But we're helping and teaching a lot of other people and it is just so great to be apart of the Lord’s work.

So we also had this awesome service project this week that was soooo gross, like the nastiest thing I have ever done in my entire life, but it was also one of the funnest. We went to a water canal type thing that had a tone of trash in it and weeds and other plant and animal life and we cleaned it out. The water in some parts was black and I’m pretty sure that people had been dumping oil in there or something. But the best part was getting into to water and cutting things out with a machete, lots of fun ha-ha.

But that’s it everyone, I’ll write you next week.

-Elder King

Email Letter & Pics - August 27, 2014

Hey everyone,

So I’m doing great here and I loving the work. We have had a couple of set backs but we're still working really hard and having fun as we do it. The couple I talked about a little while ago, Joselo and Altagracia, weren’t able to be baptized this last weekend because of money problems for their marriage but we're still working really hard to help them. We’ve been having a lot of trouble finding Joselo at home and because of that he’s kind of been starting to lose interest, but this last week was stake conference here in Navarrete and he was able to attend the Sunday session. Elder Dominguez of the Seventy was there and he said some things that really helped Joselo and a few other of our investigators that were there. He talked a lot about families and I guess he just said things that they needed to hear cause now we're having a lot more success in our work. Funny how the Lord talks to people sometimes. 

Really life is just good right now, I hope you’re all having as good a time as I am. Oh and I wanted to thank you all for the birthday wishes, I had a great day. 

-Elder King

Email Letter - August 6, 2014

Hey everyone,

I’m doing super great here and having the time of my life. Elder Neeley and I are doing super well together and getting a ton done, we have a lot of investigators and a lot of them are getting close to baptism and its so special to see them making the necessary changes.

We’re also working with a few less active families and one of them, Jonny and Liset, are getting super excited. Missionaries have worked with them for a long time and they just have never wanted to come back. But elder Neeley and I tried something different with them. We introduced then to family history work and boy do they love it. Jonny has actually always kept records of his dead family members and now they love when we come over, now we're able to work on their worthiness so we came get them to the temple and get all this work done. Sometimes that amazing spirit of Elijah is just what people need to accept the restored gospel. Its the one way the lord was able to touch that family.

Please remember that the lord has given us the amazing blessings of temples, take advantage and do the work for your family.

Love you all and I’ll write you again soon, have a great week.

-Elder King

Email Letter & Pics - July 16, 2014

So it was a pretty busy week and I loved every second of it.

A couple of girls that we've been teaching here in Navarrete got baptized this last Saturday and it was really special. Helen and Idavelca, the girls, wanted the elders that first started teaching them to come and do the baptisms so we had quite a few missionaries there and it was great fun. But really my favorite thing that happened this week was when I was teaching a couple named Joselo and Altagracia, if you all remember they're the ones that are planning to be baptized on my birthday. We were teaching their family about the atonement and we knew that the dad really had some things so work on so we were really focusing on the changing power of the atonement. A few days before this lesson we told them that in order to get baptized they would have to get married and I really saw the disappointment in this guys face and he told us that by the date we had put for his baptism he wouldn’t be ready to get married cause he needed more time to change. But in this lesson, when we were talking about the savior I could see his face lift with hope. It changed the way he thought things would have to be. At the end of the lesson he looked at us and just so simply asked us "what do we need to do to married?" If you could’ve seem this guy 2 months ago you wouldn’t even think it was the same guy. I know the savior is working with him, and I’m so happy to be a part of it. But it was a very cool way to see the power of the atonement working literally right in front of my eyes. If I hadn’t felt that same power in my own life I’m not sure I would believe some of the things I’ve seen here in the mission.
 
What a great blessing it is on our lives to have the ability to change and become someone new. The knowledge that we don’t have time to mess around with the little things in life. We need to make the most of our time and do everything we can to change and to help others change.

But I want you all to know that I love you dearly and I hope you’re all doing great.

-Elder King

Email Letter & Pics - July 2, 2014

Hey everyone,

Hey so I’m doing great here in Navarrete and Elder Neeley and I are killing the game. This last week we went and started working in a part of our area we had never been to, and I swear the people there were just waiting for us. Also we asked the members for help and references in that area as well. And boy did we get some. We had 7 references and almost 10 new investigators this last week so we're pretty happy ha-ha. We really are seeing miracles in our area.

This last week in out district meeting I had the amazing opportunity to give a training on how the atonement applies to missionary work and I had prepared something that I thought would just be amazing and really help my district, and then as my comp was giving his training on humility the entire training changed. I really don’t remember what I said but I just remember that the spirit was so strong in that room, (and yes I did cry, my last name is King after all), but I learned so much and I really think that the spirit touched everyone in that meeting. I was able to bear my testimony of the living Savior and let others know of the love I have for him. It really is a great experience when you’re able to share feelings that powerful. I hope that all of you can find the chance to bear your testimony of our Lord this next week, and let me know how it goes.

I love you all and I hope you all have a great week.

Love Elder King

Pics from a trip to the lake:

Email Letter & Pics - June 18, 2014

Hey everyone,

Sorry it’s been so long but I’m still alive doesn’t worry. Ha-ha. I’m still in Navarrete and having just a blast here I absolutely love these people. I do have a new companion though, his name is Elder Neeley and he seems like a pretty great guy. I can’t wait to get working with him, I’ll try to send a picture in a little bit. But I think we'll have a lot of success together.

We have quite a few people with dates for baptism but they're all for July and August. One family that is really special is Joselo and Altagracia, they have a date for the 23rd of August, that date might have been a little selfish on my part but who could ask for a better present. But this family is just the best ever, Joselo is always asking us to come over more often so that he can be baptized faster ha-ha. He’s not a very smart guy but he has a really strong desire, which is what most people don’t have. So I know that they'll get baptized, I just hope I’m still in Navarrete for my birthday. Keeping my fingers crossed. But I really am having just a blast here in the DR and I really wouldn’t trade it for the world. I love this work.

-Elder King

Zone at the beach

All the way to China? Oh Elder Smith...

New comp - Elder Neeley

Elder Smith