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