Sister Pearson left me this morning to head off to Denver. I am going to miss her so much! We had such a great transfer together and I learned so much from her, but it is time for her to go home! Unfortunately, I found out on Saturday night that I am getting transferred and they are taking Sisters out of GJ 7th Ward. I have never felt so heartbroken and sad on my mission :( I wasn't expecting it at all, and when the Assistants to the Mission President called and told me that, I cried for like half an hour straight! Pathetic. But I just loved this ward and this area soooo so so much that it feels like I'm leaving home again.
I have learned so much here in Grand Junction 7th. My testimony has been strengthened beyond what I could have ever imagined. My love for the Savior and the Gospel has grown exponentially. I feel like this has been my true conversion area - I have gone through some of the hardest things, but also witnessed some of the most incredible miracles, and I am coming out of it so much better than how I was when I went in.
This week Sister Pearson and I went tracting a lot, but didn't find anyone new to teach lol. It was still fun though. One time, we were walking up to a house when we noticed a cat following us. It wouldn't go away, and we were afraid to knock on the door because we thought the cat would run inside right when they opened it. So we started walking to the next house, and the cat followed us everywhere we went! I named him Mr. Pickles. He was SO CUTE. And fluffy. I loved him. He kept following us and then I started to pet him and he clearly wanted to be picked up so I picked him up. He IMMEDIATELY started purring his little head off and rubbing his head on me and it was the cutest thing EVER. I wanted to take him home with me. Sister Pearson told me I couldn't. She's an animal hater. Anyway, I got some great pictures with Mr. Pickles. Look how cute we are -
I held him for like 20 minutes and we walked around and I sang to him and rocked him and then did the Lion King thing and raised him above my head like Rafiki did with baby Simba on Pride Rock. He didn't care at all. He just wanted love. I probably could have thrown him up in the air and caught him and he wouldn't even bat an eye. Eventually Sister Pearson made me put him down and we walked back to the car and he followed us all the way and then we drove away and I was sad. I miss him.
Yesterday was a great day too, other than the fact that I had to say goodbye to everybody :( An Elder serving in 7th Ward sang a duet with me at church for Stake Conference, which went really well. And so many of our investigators and less-active members came to church, which just filled my little heart with joy! And Brother G passed the sacrament again!!! So many happy things :D M and R came to church, and we also got to see them after church to teach a final lesson and take some pictures. And then the rest of the night was pretty much just us running around to different houses to say bye. I hate saying goodbye, because it just doesn't seem right. I feel like we are not meant to say goodbye, because things are not meant to end!
I think President Uchtdorf put it best when he said,
"In light of what we know about our eternal destiny, is it any wonder that whenever we face the bitter endings of life, they seem unacceptable to us? There seems to be something inside of us that resists endings.
Why is this? Because we are made of the stuff of eternity. We are eternal beings, children of the Almighty God, whose name is Endless and who promises eternal blessings without number. Endings are not our destiny.
The more we learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ, the more we realize that endings here in mortality are not endings at all. They are merely interruptions—temporary pauses that one day will seem small compared to the eternal joy awaiting the faithful.
How grateful I am to my Heavenly Father that in His plan there are no true endings, only everlasting beginnings."
I am "made of the stuff of eternity," and as such I hate endings and goodbyes! But I am so thankful to know the eternal nature of all things, especially relationships, and knowing that I can see all these people I love again someday.
I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father. He sent us here to this earth to learn and to gain experiences and to prove ourselves so that we can return to live with Him. Jesus Christ truly is our Savior and He loves us more than we can ever imagine. He knows EVERYTHING about us, and still loves us unconditionally. Isn't that incredible??
Because they love us so much, they've given us the gospel, and the Priesthood power on the earth so that we can do the things necessary to be clean to enter into their presence again someday and to feel comfortable there. They've given us families, and Prophets, and other resources to help us learn. I know that Joseph Smith really saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ when he was 14 years old, and he spent the rest of his life being an instrument in their hands to restore the Gospel and the Priesthood on the earth. He was called to be a Prophet, just as Thomas S. Monson has been called as a Prophet today. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's Restored Church on the earth, and the Book of Mormon is truly the word of God written by His prophets. And through the gospel and the Priesthood, families can be together forever and we can find greater happiness than by any other means.
I know that all these things are true. I hope that if you don't know those things for yourself, that you will do what is necessary to find out. There are eternal truths that are unchanging, whether we accept them or not. My prayer is that all of you will come to the knowledge of these truths for yourselves, and always be doing things to strengthen that knowledge. There is no limit to what we can learn, and there are SOOOO many resources to help us in this great search for truth. If you don't know where to start, try the Church's official website. There you can find Holy Scriptures (the Bible and Book of Mormon, etc), talks from modern-day prophets and apostles, and many many other resources to strengthen home and family.
I love you all and I am so grateful for the knowledge I have that you are all my brothers and sisters. Each of you has divine worth as sons and daughters of God, and there is no limit to your potential. Never forget how important you are, and never forget how much you are loved.
Love,
Sister Koenig
P.S. If you want my new address, you can message me or Alannah on Facebook. :)
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