The work is hastening!

Hello people :)

It has been quite a week! Tuesday morning was transfer meeting, so we had to get up reeeeeeally early to get to the mission office. All of the missionaries going home bear their testimonies, and then they show a slideshow telling us where all of the missionaries are serving and who their companions are. There were SO MANY missionaries leaving! And I knew most of them, so it was really sad.

My companion Sister Duprey is a Sister Training Leader now, which is like a Zone Leader except for Sisters only. There is another Sister Training Leader (STL) in our zone, and the two of them have to work together a lot which means that the other STL's companion and I end up together a lot. This week we start doing Exchanges, and I'll be staying in my area with the other STLs companion. My companion is going to a different area with another Sister for 24 hours. We will have one or two exchanges a week this transfer, soooo I'll be doing this a lot haha.

On Wednesday Sister Duprey and I were able to see L, one of our investigators. She is 12, and she is amazing. We have been doing personal progress with her, but we decided that we were going to start teaching her the actual lessons to prepare her for baptism. We taught the Restoration and then put her on date for September 20th!!!!! She wants to be baptized so badly, and if everything goes ok with her family she will be this month! We are so excited. She is such a smart cookie - seriously, she knows more about the gospel than most members her age. Or even a lot of members my age!

We also saw S, our investigator from China. Sadly this was the last time we could have our Chinese interpreter there because he went back to school the next day. But the lesson went SO WELL!!! We taught about the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. She said that she has just decided that she is going to believe in God, even though she hasn't felt it yet. But she wants to believe so badly! She also told us that she and her 7 year old son have started praying together before meals and they take turns. We didn't even teach her to do that, she just started to on her own!!!! AND she said that she is having trouble focusing at work because she is always thinking about God and the Book of Mormon and everything! Which is probably not good that she can't focus, but I just think it's the most adorable and fantastic thing ever. :)

Yesterday at church, Sister Duprey and I were sitting in our combined Relief Society/Priesthood meeting for 5th Sunday. Our ward has RS/Priesthood first, then Sunday School, and then sacrament meeting. It's backwards, I know. I was kind of zoning out, to be honest, when someone pulled up a chair next to me. I glanced over and then had to do a double-take, because S WAS SITTING NEXT TO ME!!!!!!!!! She has never been to the first two hours of church before, just sacrament meeting, and we didn't expect her to come. I was so happy! We found out later that she came but didn't know where to go, and she and her son were wandering the halls. They were about to give up and go home when a member snagged them and brought her son to Primary and S to our class. Yay! And they stayed all three hours and they really liked it :)

I asked the Primary President after church how L did and she said "Oh he was great! You know how it is with new kids though, they can be really quiet and shy. He didn't say much." And I said "Yeah, it doesn't help that he doesn't know English!" haha it was funny. She had no idea :P

This past week we tracted a LOT. Like 2 or 3 hours a day. It was great. Most missionaries really do not like tracting, but I love it! I think it helps me knowing that my parents are tracting converts, so I have a lot of faith in tracting. We are just doing our best to find those people that are prepared, and to bring them back to the fold! I love this work and I love this area, and I love the gospel so much. There is nothing I would rather be doing with my time than serving my God.

One of my current favorite scriptures is D&C 84:88 "And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

I love you all! Find opportunities to share the gospel with all those you come in contact with. It's the best work you can do :)

Love,
Sister Koenig