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

Email Letter - May 21, 2014

Hey everyone,

So this last week a lot has happened, but at the same time nothing has happened. Just wait, let me explain, remember last week how I said that the word here is about to explode? Well Satan found a way so hold us back for a little bit, ha-ha. So 4 out of the last 7 days we've been locked up in our house cause there have been a ton of protests and the city is going a little crazy, and I’m pretty sure there is going to be another one tomorrow. So that’s kinda put a halt to our progress for a little bit. But don’t worry cause as soon as we can we are going to get back to work harder then ever.

The really crappy part is we haven’t been in contact with any of our investigators, so hopefully they’re all ok and still interested when we can go see them. The devil is pretty clever sometimes when he’s trying to put a stop the work of the lord, but he should know by now that is only a temporary thing. Once I’m let loose I’m going to start killing the game. Ha-ha

But anyways I love you all and I’ll write you again next week and let you know how things are going here I’m Navarrete. 

- Elder King

Email Letter - May 14, 2014

Hey everyone, 

So this last week really was a lot of change for me but it was all for the good, ha-ha. The biggest change was the church, the ward I’m in is so strong and it’s going to make a ton of progress in the next few month, the spirit of the lord has touched the people of Navarrete and they are doing work. This last Sunday we had youth, elders, high priest, everyone was coming up to us and asking when they could go out and teach with us, it was really a big change from San Fran. The down side to that is that Satan is, of course, here as well and he is working very hard to stop our progress. But I have a great hope for the work here and the progress that can be made.

Also I’m now the district leader, something I forgot to mention last week, but that has been a very cool experience and also very humbling. Elder Smith and I are still trying to get used to each other, but it’s been really fun getting to know him a little better and serve with him. We've got a few really good investigators that have the potential to progress really quickly, especially with the help we´re getting from the ward. I can tell I’m going to have a lot of fun here in Navarrete, in this transfer and the transfers to come. I’m very excited.

- Elder King

Email Letter - May 7, 2014

Transfers.

So I finally got transferred, ha-ha. I had 6 months in San Francisco and I’m going to miss the people there a lot but it feels good to move on to a new area. I am now in a city called Navarrete, that’s about 20 minutes northwest of Santiago. My new comp is Elder Smith, he is from South Jordan Utah and he seems pretty cool so far. I’m his stepfather, meaning I am his second comp, so I’m really excited about that.

I’ve heard that the people in Navarrete are super nice and humble and I’m already seeing it, so I really just can’t wait to get to work. Also the ward I’m in is the best one in the mission, as far as recent converts go, so I’m really, really happy to come here and help them continue growing, I can feel like its going to be a lot of fun.

But that’s it for this week, ill talk to you all next week. Love you.

- Elder King