Monday, September 8, 2014

BULA!!!

I LOVE IT HERE!!!!!!!!! It's amazing. I was so scared on my way here, and I was heartbroken about leaving my Greenie area. But I truly love it so much and I am so happy that I am here!

Sister Keavali is my new companion, and she is fantastic. She's from Fiji, and she is teaching me Fijian. I'm pretty bad at it haha. I think I accidentally swore a few times....but she's patient.

My first full day, Wednesday, we had soooo many set appointments, with members who came to every single one! I've never had that many set appointments before! It blew my mind. We are working SO HARD and I love it. I almost didn't want a p-day today, because there is just so much to do, but then I was like 'nahhhh, that's crazy talk.' Hence why I'm on the computer right now :)

Driving to GJ with Sister Murdock was awesome too. I love that woman!!!! I feel like it was a 5 hour personalized training with her, and she just helped me realize so many ways that I can improve and be a better missionary! I needed it, too...struggles haha. And she has the Spirit so strongly and I think it rubbed off a little bit on me :P  I feel like I have been so much bolder since coming here. Probably in the last week I asked about 10 people why they weren't Mormon haha. Because it really is just the cool thing to be, ya know?! Ok well maybe it's not always cool, but it is RIGHT, and the gospel is completely true. Who doesn't want the truth? There is so much confusion in the world today, and the gospel is just so simple and it brings so much peace when you truly understand it and apply it to your life. AND IT IS TRUE!!!!!!!!! Am I the only one that cares about having the truth?!?!?

We are teaching quite a few part-member families, where one spouse isn't a member but is totally involved in the church and comes every week. And all of the nonmember spouses in those families who I have talked to totally have testimonies, but something is holding them back. But like it says in Alma 34:33 - "Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end!!!!!" I read that to one of the part-member families last night (I told you I'm getting bolder haha) and the dad who isn't a member just looked at me, totally defeated. He had nothing to say to that, because literally that is all he is doing - procrastinating! Yes, it's hard, but it is so worth it!!!!!! Then he asked us why we cared if he was baptized. Especially me, because I had just met him. Well, we care because it is the most important thing!!! We want his family to be together forever, and that just cannot happen without the sealing powers of the Priesthood. It just can't. Whether you want it to or not. Even Heavenly Father is bound by laws, so why wouldn't we be? And, if we are doing the things that Heavenly Father has commanded us to do, we can have a little piece of heaven on earth with our families. And that is a gift. And I care because he is my brother, and I believe that I knew him before coming to this earth, and that I will know him again. And I want to see him in the Celestial Kingdom, with the rest of my brothers and sisters! And that's all of you!

Speaking of gifts, I told this man that Heavenly Father has given an amazing gift to all of us. It's wrapped in blue leather, with a little bit of gold. Any guesses? Yup, it's the Book of Mormon haha. And just like any gift, it's USELESS until we open it! It is THE BEST GIFT that I could give to anyone, but it won't benefit them at all if they never open it and use it!! But I have seen what happens when people put forth that effort, and have opened it and read it and applied it, and I can promise that it can change anyone's life if they let it. People are so stubborn though, I swear.

We have a couple people on date, which is awesome. The work here is progressing, and it's all because of the amazing members! They are fantastic. So many people are willing to come out to lessons with us, and it's as if they're begging to go! Some people have actually literally begged! It's hilarious and so different and I kind of don't understand it but I am soooo not complaining. It's fantastic.

Yesterday was my first day in the Ward and everyone was really confused because Sister Keavali had a different companion the week before...but I just smiled and said "Yup! I'm new!" and the dimples got em every time. ;D I sang really loud in sacrament meeting, because that's what I do, and I find it funny, and I had about 8 people come up to me later and tell me that they could hear my "lovely soprano voice" haha. They've already asked me to do a musical number. I said I'd get back to them.

On Thursday night our Zone did a Zone Tracting for 2 hours. All of the missionaries in the Zone had to set aside that time just for tracting, and then we were supposed to text everybody when we got a new investigator or when we had a miracle. Sister Keavali and I were late leaving our dinner, and we had to run home really fast to grab something before we started. As we were driving down our street, we saw a teenage girl sitting on the corner. Sister Keavali said "Let's stop and talk to her!" I kinda thought Sis Keavali was crazy, because we normally don't pull over to talk to people on the streets, buuuut we did it anyway! Cuz we're cool! And we ended up having an AWESOME lesson with her, and she said we could teach her more tomorrow. Yay! She's searching, and she loved everything that we said to her. She had been sitting on the sidewalk, so when we came up and talked to her, Sister Keavali sat on the sidewalk next to her and then I just sat on the street in front of her. In a skirt. It was awesome. At the end of our chat I got up and asked if there was dirt all over me and she said "Nah, you're fine. When you sat down on the street I was like 'DANG! This girl is legit!'" So yeah, I'm legit guys. Don't forget it ;) And pray for her please!

We are teaching this woman named T and she is a kick. She always says she'll read the "Mormon Bible" (Book of Mormon) but then she never does. Or she'll read a page and then come up with some excuse to not read more. She LOVES the church though! We asked her on Sunday what she wants, and she said "I want the Mormon church without Joseph Smith!" Welllllll that's not gonna happen.... So we're working on her haha. But she just called and said that she found out how to listen to the Book of Mormon on LDS.org and she listened to 9 chapters and really enjoyed it! And she said that she's excited to read more! I'm telling you, the Book of Mormon is key to conversion. For everyone! Investigators and members alike!

Today has been a super awesome p-day, except I might have broken my toe. Awkward. We had our zone p-day and played broom hockey and then ultimate frisbee! And we had a BBQ. It was a blast. All the missionaries in my zone are amazing and I love them dearly. And everyone is so nice! People are just better on this side of the mountain haha. It's a magical place.

I love you all! Sorry if this email was crazy, but I'm a little crazy sooo it happens! I hope all of you are well and I would love to hear from you! Tomorrow I hit my 5 month mark. Craziness.

Oh by the way, have I mentioned that missionaries get FREE SONIC here???? Yeah. Remember what I said about this being a "magical place??" I was being serious.

Have a great week! Read the Book of Mormon!
Au lomani iko!
Sister Koenig

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