I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY

 Hi everyone!!

I don't have too much time so I'll just give a few highlights super quick:)

- We got an extra companion for the week! One of our sisters in the mission had to get surgery and so Sister Hess joined us! It has been such an adventure! She is an office sister so we got to do a little bit of everything!

- We went to do inspections to some of the sweetest sisters apartments!

- We spent a day in Ocala filming advertisements!

- We had Mission Leadership Conference (MLC) and it was amazing! It was all about the basics and it really was exactly what I needed. President Hollingsworth talked about the Book of Mormon and how important it is. There is something so special about reading the Book of Mormon for yourself and getting an answer that you KNOW it's true. 

- Today at Walmart we met an extremely nice lady from Puerto Rico named Beatriz(SHE SPOKE SPANISH)! We talked for awhile and she said she had only been to church 5 times in the last 18 years! She was catholic but she's gone to a different Christian church last year with her sister. We gave her the address to our church house and invited her to come with us and she said she really loved talking with us! She just smiled and was really happy we took the time to talk with her! It was nice to practice spanish again 🤪 

Okay. For my quick thought, I wanted to share this: OPPORTUNITIES are everywhere. We are all God's children and He wants us to serve our neighbor. Opportunities are chances to serve. They are chances to make other people feel better. We are LOVED.

This week I want to invite each of you to do an act of service EVERYDAY this week. It won't only make the people you serve feel better but you as well :) 

LOVE YOU ALL

Hermana King:) 

BEST WEEK

 How can it be the END of January?! What the heck! Time is flying way too fast! My prayers have started to become a lot of asking for time to slow down but I guess that's not what God has in mind! Ha! This week was a GREAT one:) 

I am extending my challenge first thing today! I want to invite you all to write down services that people do for you throughout your day. Or one a day for a week! (Ex. I walked into the store and this kind man opened the door!) I promise you will be happier every single day. :)

Here are some highlights!

- we had 3 back to back to back Stake Coordination Meetings with Stake Presidencies and communication directors! We are reevaluating all of our social media efforts and plans as a mission with each stake! So we got to see our mission president a lot this week which was THE BEST! He is the best and my best friend!!!

-  we got to go film an advertisement this week with some of the greatest missionaries! We drove quite a lot this week which was so fun to get out of our office and drive throughout parts of the mission! Our mission has a little bit of everything! From beaches to open fields and HORSES haha! It's the best:)

- this week we went to the Lakeland zone twice and when we pulled in to the church parking lot last Thursday I had a feeling like we weren't supposed to be there. We thought we needed to go to Wendys. It was like 7 at night but we looked at each other and felt we needed to. Long story short, we walked in and the cashier was who we needed to meet. Her name is Ke'Ara and she noticed we were missionaries and started asking a bunch of questions about our journeys and what we do! All of her coworkers came over and started listening and talking! Ke'Ara looked at us and said she was needing us. She is deciding to get back on the right path back to Jesus and she called us her miracle! She is 23 and so we scheduled a lesson with the YSA Sisters! She is ELECT and so happy about learning more. She told us she believes we have something important to teach her! 

- we had so many district trainings this week! We have been doing social media exchanges with each district! It has been great to see all of the missionaries(over Zoom haha) 

- I got to see Hermana Breshears AND Hermana Marler this week and I MISS THEM so much

- we also had INTERVIEWS IN PERSON this week with President AND Sister Hollingsworth! This interview was the best interview I have ever had since being on my mission! He sat down with me and told me everything I needed to hear, he asked all the right questions and listened to me with SO MUCH LOVE AND PATIENCE. I know one of the reasons I have been called to the Florida Tampa Mission is because of President Hollingsworth. 100%! I feel so grateful and so blessed. 

Today we had a very eye opening experience. We were at Walmart and in the parking lot we saw this lady screaming and swearing at this guy. I felt so embarrassed for her. The guy walked away after saying sorry and we went over to him to ask if he was okay. He had been having a hard day and accidentally got in this lady's way. It just reminds me that we are ALL GODS CHILDREN. No one is the exception! 

A quote that popped into my head when thinking about this is one from President Nelson. “Whom wouldst Thou have me help today?”

Everyday brings opportunities to serve. Not just to serve but to find not only God's children but our brothers and sisters to help. We all have bad days, we all have trials, but we also all have the Spirit that can help us during those times. Every interaction we have with people should reflect our divine calling to represent Jesus Christ as lifelong disciples of Him:) 

You are all AMAZING examples to me and I love you SO MUCH!

Make this week the best:)

All my love!!!!

Hermana King :) 

- my favorite people

- sister moli made her famous teriyaki chicken

- us doing what we do everyday hahaha

- CUTE SISTER HOLLINGSWORTH 

- cutest sisters that we got to visit

- funnest time filming the ad!

- LAKELAND SISTERS

- we're officially part of the USF crew

- MY FAVORITE PEOPLE EVER

IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME!

 This will be the shortest email I have sent! We had someone run their car into our house. The car didn't make it all the way through the wall but everyone is okay and safe! We were all home when it happened which was a blessing but it definitely has made today a crazy one!

Well CHRISTMAS is this week! SO CRAZY! I'm so excited! Because we don't have an area, one of the senior couples is putting on a Christmas for us:) SO BLESSED!

Okay super quick highlights!

-we went to the ZOO today with some of the sweetest sisters ever!

-we have had so many meetings with President Hollingsworth, a few other missions in the states and we just got Personal Proselytizing from Personal accounts approved for a zone to try out which is AWESOME news!! It is so crazy to me how the Lord has been needing us as missionaries to really hasten the work. 

Like I said, this'll be pretty quick but I did want to share a simple testimony. 

Yesterday I finished the Book of Mormon and as I said a prayer I just sat there and didn't say anything. I have never had a more powerful, overwhelming feeling from the Spirit ever before in my life. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that it really does testify of our Savior, Jesus Christ. This week and everyday we get to celebrate His life and His birth. I know that Christ was born for each of us, I know He lived for each of us, I know that he died for each of us and I know that he LIVES for each of us. I invite each of you to find a story of Christ and read it and ponder it. I know that you will be able to feel the love that he truly has for each and every one of us:) in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

I love you all so so much. Have the BEST Christmas ever!!!!!

Love,

Hermana King :) 

SO GREAT, ALL SMILES

 Helloooo everybody!!!!! I hope it's been a good week for you all!!! 

It's been an eventful one here in Largo! I'm excited to share some highlights!! 

-we got to have a lesson with our new friend, Carolina!! She was one of the miracles I talked about last week! She is so great and so ready for the gospel! We had the best lesson with her and we're excited to keep teaching her!!

-Monday night we had a feeling to go visit this lady we had run into a few weeks earlier. Her name is Maria and she is veryyyyy Catholic but we had the feeling to go, so of course we went!! She came outside when we knocked on her door and she was SO HAPPY to see us! What!! We talked to her for a long time and she is just the sweetest lady! 

-on Tuesday we got a call from Magaly, Mia's mom saying she wanted to take us out for dinner so we got to eat with the WHOLE family. Mia's dad isn't a member and we've been trying for weeks to get in contact with the whole family to do something! We got to talk to him at dinner and he said he'd want to start talking more!! Miracle, no??

-we had ZONE CONFERENCE this past week and oh my it was amazing to say the least. It was the first all day zone conference that we've had since the beginning of Corona! We even got to have it with another zone too!! Every training that was given just solidified every reason I need to be here. I feel so grateful to be in this mission with the other missionaries that are here! Especially President and Sister Hollingsworth! THEY ARE THE CUTEST! We really have so many opportunities to make missionary work bigger and better than ever!!!! Don't be surprised if I talk about zone conference for WEEKS to come Haha!! 

-alrightyyyyy we had another miracle happen with Patricia!! But first, I'll start from the beginning with Victor. Victor got the assignment from our branch President to help administer the sacrament every Sunday to PATRICIA with another member. Okay WHAT! We had the best lesson with Victor and Hermano James (his buddy he gets to administer the sacrament with) and man,  HE IS SO GREAT. He was so excited! Now bringing it back to Patricia! She called us on Saturday and told us that she had told her parents about her baptism! She didn't tell them because she was nervous about how they would react and she had so much confidence that they would see the change in her and then ask. She got the call from Hermano James to figure out the sacrament and BOOM she decided then and there was the perfect chance to finally tell her parents...THEY WERE HAPPY FOR HER! Patricia was so surprised and started freaking out talking to us about it! Her sweet mom even asked to take the sacrament and see how our church does it. WOW RIGHT?? So yesterday, Victor and Hermano James administered the sacrament to Patricia! It was so fun to see 2 of our recent converts get to know each other!!! From what Hermano James told us, Victor did amazing blessing the sacrament for the first time! So so SO HAPPY FOR THEM!!!

-we met some new friends this week!! We are now teaching the CUTEST couple, Maximo and Rosalida and wow are they sweet. We taught them outside under their carport and they had read a little in the Book of Mormon and were SO EXCITED about Jesus coming to the Americas. We spent the majority of that lesson in 3rd Nephi and they LOVED IT! We read 2 or 3 verses with them and we started talking about them and Rosalida had gotten a bit quiet but about 30 seconds later, Rosalida interrupted our conversation with saying "OH! It gets better! Maximo keep reading the next few verses!!" Haha! We are so excited about them and feel VERY BLESSED to be able to teach them:) they made Ceviche and so we got to eat some GOOD FOOD with some of the sweetest people on the planet!!!!

-last but not least, we got a call this morning from President Hollingsworth and he asked both of us if we would be willing to TRAIN STARTING THIS WEEK!!! There is a surprise mid transfer transfer and he said he knew this sister that is coming in is supposed to be with us!!! She is from the online MTC and is orginally assigned out of the states! We get her on Thursday and we COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED!!!!!!!

This week was definitely one to remember. Something I want to share with you all today is this: 

"The Savior provided the perfect example of how to live in an imperfect and unfair world. “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). His love for us is immeasurable. He is our truest friend. He sweat “as it were great drops of blood” for you and also for me (Luke 22:44). He forgave the seemingly unforgivable. He loved the unlovable. He did what no mortal could do: He provided an Atonement to overcome the transgressions, pains, and sicknesses of all mankind."

How powerful is this!!!!! Wow. I read this during one of my personal studies and it really hit me. How many times do we feel like the unlovable, the unforgivable, the helpless. The Atonement covers ALL of that. We are divine children of a loving Heavenly Father and we have a Savior who gave everything so you and I could have everything. I know without a doubt that Christ loves each and every one of us. I am so grateful for my Savior and His patience. I am not perfect and sometimes I feel like I'm not worth it but oh wow am I wrong. None of us are worthless. We ARE the lovable, we ARE the forgivable, and we are not helpless!! 

I hope you all have the best week and I hope you know that I love each of you so much and SO DOES YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN! 

Love you all:)

Love,

Hermana King :)

Pics:)

-us haha

-dropping off some of our famous brownie deliveries 

-yummiest ceviche!! (Yes Dad, I ate shrimp) 

-we went to lunch with Haydee!!

-the sisters at zone conference

-out with Mia and her cute family! 

-us:)

-us and sister Hollingsworth! She is the cutest!! 

Largo can't get rid of us that quick!!

 Wow!! Okay I say this every week but this week was SO GREAT. I hope you all had an amazing week too!! Thank you for your prayers this week!! I really have felt them!!! 

CONFERENCE IS THIS WEEK. I AM SO GIDDY!!!

Here are some of the highlights from this week!!

-well we had interviews with President which are ALWAYS a highlight! For half of my interview President Hollingsworth had me teach him some spanish! We laughed a LOT and had a great time haha! He is SO GREAT. 

-we had some of the BEST lessons with Victor this week! He was announced and presented to the whole branch as the newest member of the branch at church yesterday!! Victor didn't realize I wore glasses occasionally and so I put them on during one of the lessons and when it was his turn to read the next verse in the Book of Mormon, he wasn't saying anything and so we looked up and he was LAUGHING AT ME. Hahaha! He is a HOOT and is such an example to me. He really wants to be the best father to his two little kiddos and it's so inspiring to see people change their lives because of the truth and HAPPINESS they find within the gospel of Christ :) 

-Patricia gets baptized TOMORROW and she is so excited! She is someone that we have seen from the very beginning just GRASP on to the gospel and apply it. Her family is ALL Catholic and she said she really wants them to SEE a change in her not with words but with actions. She really wants to be an example for her cute family!! Pray for her the next little bit to have confidence in her decision!! Sometimes the best decisions really are the hardest, but oh boy is it worth it!! She is AMAZING! We went through the baptism program we had planned for her and she had the BIGGEST SMILE on her face :) 

-Haydee is SO GREAT. Two hours before her baptism yesterday she called us in tears. She had a family emergency come up and wasn't going to make it to the church in time. She thought she was going to have to wait another week to get baptized but when we explained that she could get baptized during the week any day she wanted, she was so excited. She will be getting baptized in the next few days! She is such an EXAMPLE to me. We are so grateful and excited for her!!!

-ANOTHER FUN EXCITING HIGHLIGHT is that Hermana Marler and I are STAYING IN LARGO TOGETHER!!! We are SO pumped and excited and GRATEFUL to have another 6 weeks here in this AMAZING place TOGETHER!!!

-we had our last district council and it was so sad!! Our district is changing quite a bit but we went to the aquarium as a district for the last preparation day of the transfer!! SO FUN!!

-President called me a few days ago and asked me to be a Sister Training Leader so I will start doing that this next week! 

Coming on my mission I thought I would be the one teaching new things to people like Patricia, Mia, Haydee, Victor and other to help them become better disciples of Jesus Christ but BOY was I wrong. I have learned so much from the people God has put in my path. I have become a better disciple of Christ from being here on my mission, not because I study the scriptures everyday (that helps haha), but because of the special people I've been able to meet. My mission and the people I've met because of my mission really have helped me change into the person and disciple I know I need to become! 

I wanted to share a quote with you all today from John Bytheway!

"Do your best to be happy now, in whatever circumstance you find yourself, a challenge Moroni must gave grappled with while wandering alone for more than two decades"

Something I love from this quote is the beginning when it says DO YOUR BEST. We don't need to be perfect right now, that's why we have the Atonement of Jesus Christ, right? This week I challenge each of you to be kinder to yourselves! Something I've noticed is that it is a whole lot easier to do better when we're nicer to ourselves. This week is General Conference and what a PERFECT opportunity this is to come to the sessions with a question. Realize that each of you are doing BETTER than you think you are!!

I love you all!!!!!! So so much!!!!!!

Love,

Hermana King :)