Querida Familia y Amigos,
Hola from Federal Way. Things are definitely different here, but it is still a joy to serve here. Like I said last week, we are serving in the Redondo Ward which has a Spanish group but is not yet it's own branch. Our area covers the whole Federal Way Stake which includes parts of Kent, Auburn and Tacoma. We live with the Jarvis family, members of our ward, in their basement.
I love my new companion, Hermana Melton. We're tocayas (we have the same first name). She has so much faith and is an excellent missionary. Next week she will have one year as a missionary. When she was a little girl, she lived with her grandmothers in Mexico so she speaks Spanish fluently and we speak Spanish most of the time. She helps me so much. She also has a great love for the people and the gospel. She is an example to me of being completely focused on the work. I love being her companion.
This week I was reading Alma 26:27-30. It was already highlighted in my scriptures and I remember when we talked about it in the MTC. At that time I had not experienced all the things that it talks about there: we have been amongst them, we have traveled house in house, we have entered their homes, we have taught them, we have instructed them in their streets and on their hills, they have thrown us out, we have been the objects of their jokes, they have smited us on the cheeks (haha). But now, months later, I have experienced them and the promise that if we are patient in all of our afflictions we will be given success in bringing souls unto Christ has new meaning to me. The work here in Federal Way has been pretty slow for quite a while. It is requiring all of our faith to go forward knowing that "the field, already to harvest." It is requiring all of our effort to qualify for and recognize the whisperings of the Spirit so we can be lead to those who are prepared right now to accept the gospel. The scriptures have a new meaning to us as missionaries. Before I read them from the point of view of the multitudes. But now as a missionary, we have a similar calling as the prophets and I empathize with their circumstances. I love the scriptures.
I was also reading Alma 27:6-10 this week and I love the true repentance of the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi. These people had been murderers in their past life but they had been changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were grateful (Alma 24:7-10) for all of the blessings they had received and they could not even bare the idea of turning back to their old ways. In Alma 27:6-10 we learn that when faced by an army of Lamanites they saw two options: die or go to the land of the Nephites to be their slaves. It is interesting to me that although they had previously been great warriors, no where do they even mention the possibility of taking up arms against the Lamanites. They had truly repented and because of this, they did not fear death nor slavery (Alma 27:28; Alma 28:11-12). I love their story and I think that it can be applied to whatever weakness we have, whether it is pride, laziness, poor language, poor entertainment choices, whatever. I know The Book of Mormon is the word of God it testifies of Jesus Christ.
Con amor,
Hermana Kinghorn
Monday, June 28, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Me voy para Federal Way
Querida Familia y Amigos,
It's transfers today and I'm being moved to Federal Way. It's sad to leave Kent, but things are going so well here and I am happy to let the new sister, Hermana Galarza, enjoy it. Federal Way has a Spanish group that is part of an English ward instead of a Spanish branch like we have here in Kent. My new companion will be Hermana (Andrea) Melton. She's been out for a year now and is from northern Mexico although she has mostly grown up in the US. She goes to BYU and did a lot of things with Multicultural Student Services there so we know a lot of the same people. She is a great missionary.
We had a new investigator this week who didn't read. Again it was so disappointing and we changed our lesson plans to focus on reading The Book of Mormon. We were really able to focus on his needs and why he specifically needed to read. We stopped by on Sunday to check up on him and he had read! Not only did he read Alma 32, he also decided that he wanted to know who Alma was so he went to the Guia para el Estudio de las Escrituras (GEE) which is like a Bible Dictionary-Topical Guide combination and studied about Alma. Then he went to the front of the book to read the Introduction. It was great to see the light in his eyes as he told us all about what he had read. I know there is a special spirit in The Book of Mormon.
I said goodbye to one of the families we are teaching last night and it was sad, but I know that I will see them again. I told them I will be there when they are sealed in the temple. That will be a happy day!
Con amor,
Hermana Kinghorn
It's transfers today and I'm being moved to Federal Way. It's sad to leave Kent, but things are going so well here and I am happy to let the new sister, Hermana Galarza, enjoy it. Federal Way has a Spanish group that is part of an English ward instead of a Spanish branch like we have here in Kent. My new companion will be Hermana (Andrea) Melton. She's been out for a year now and is from northern Mexico although she has mostly grown up in the US. She goes to BYU and did a lot of things with Multicultural Student Services there so we know a lot of the same people. She is a great missionary.
We had a new investigator this week who didn't read. Again it was so disappointing and we changed our lesson plans to focus on reading The Book of Mormon. We were really able to focus on his needs and why he specifically needed to read. We stopped by on Sunday to check up on him and he had read! Not only did he read Alma 32, he also decided that he wanted to know who Alma was so he went to the Guia para el Estudio de las Escrituras (GEE) which is like a Bible Dictionary-Topical Guide combination and studied about Alma. Then he went to the front of the book to read the Introduction. It was great to see the light in his eyes as he told us all about what he had read. I know there is a special spirit in The Book of Mormon.
I said goodbye to one of the families we are teaching last night and it was sad, but I know that I will see them again. I told them I will be there when they are sealed in the temple. That will be a happy day!
Con amor,
Hermana Kinghorn
Monday, June 14, 2010
Más bautismos
Querida Familia y Amigos,
M. was baptized on Saturday! It was such a happy day. There was so much support from the ward she was being baptized into and the ward that her son was a member of before he went on his mission. The mother of her son's best friend who introduced him to the church was there playing the piano. The stake president gave the welcome because the bishopric couldn't be there. He speaks Spanish and knew her son from before his mission. The love for her was tangible. I feel blessed to have been a part of the process.
We were also able to go to C,s' baptism earlier in the day on Saturday. It was another happy event.
I never knew it before, but Alma 9-10 is actually about the importance of members in missionary work. In Alma 9:2, 31-32 the people doubt Alma and his calling as a servant of the Lord. He was a stranger to them and was preaching pretty extreme things from their point of view. Then in Alma 10 Amulek begins to speak. In verse 4 it explains who he was, a man with a reputation who had many friends and relatives among the people. In verse 6 he relates to the people by saying how he used to feel like them. Then in verses 10-11 he gives a second witness to Alma's testimony. In verse 12 we see how the people were amazed because there was more than one testimony and the spirit of prophecy was present. I know this is true. How great it is to bear testimony of the gospel as a member!
I heard the World Cup is going on. You can't miss it when everyone's TV is fútbol all day long. Yay soccer!
I love you all.
Con amor,
Hermana Kinghorn
Photos
Top left: The Zone and Sister Moffat
Top right:Hermana Kinghorn with Sister Moffat
Bottom left: Last preparation day we had a zone activity in the home of one of the ward mission leaders in the stake who lives on a lake. This is the whole zone afterward.
Bottom right: Food! This is all the food from our preparation day fun!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Verdadero Amor
Querida Familia y Amigos,
C. is the investigator that we passed off to the elders in the singles ward a few weeks ago. Last Sunday he wasn't at church and Hermana Fillmore and I were a little concerned because he is supposed to be baptized this Saturday. We were asking the singles ward's mission leader about C. in the hallway and he told us he didn't know. Later the ward mission leader told us that C. had met a girl in another singles ward at a dance and was going to church with her. Yes! Hermana Fillmore and I were so happy.
I have been thinking a lot about the restoration lately and what it means for us. The restoration of the gospel is a beautiful story and it is true. But what is the practical application of the message of the restoration in our lives? How does it change the way we live every day? The way we think? The things we do? I learn a little bit every day but I am basically spiritually hungering to learn and know more. I feel like if as missionaries we can really understand this and apply it in the lives of investigators we can help people to be converted to the gospel. Do you have any ideas? What does it mean for you? Please let me know!
We were receiving training from the Zone Leaders last week and something stood out to me about Alma 32:21 and missionary work. The scripture says that "faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen which are true." I think this scripture can really be applied to member missionary work. I think that I had a lot of opportunities to share the gospel with others as a member before my mission, but because I couldn't see them I didn't work very hard to find them. But if I really had faith that there were friends all around me who were prepared to hear the gospel, I know that my actions (the evidence of my faith) would have been different. We can hope and believe that we will find those in our circle who are prepared for the gospel even if we cannot see it with our physical eyes. Let's go forward hoping (or expecting or waiting) for missionary opportunities.
Hermana Fillmore and I had a fun preparation day last week. It was raining (as usual) so we decided against playing sports outside with the elders and went to all of the international food stores here in Kent: Taste of Europe (Russian and Ukranian), La Huerta (Mexican), Hong Kong Market (all things Asian), and KK's Market (Indian). We bought one thing from every store just to try and had a fun time just looking around. At the Indian market I was able to try galub jamun, ladoo and rasgula for the first time. We have pictures that I will send next week. Kent is a very international place. In the apartments where we live there are many Ukranians, Russians, Burmese, Iraqi, and Nepali people.
I love you all very very much!
Con amor,
Hermana Kinghorn
C. is the investigator that we passed off to the elders in the singles ward a few weeks ago. Last Sunday he wasn't at church and Hermana Fillmore and I were a little concerned because he is supposed to be baptized this Saturday. We were asking the singles ward's mission leader about C. in the hallway and he told us he didn't know. Later the ward mission leader told us that C. had met a girl in another singles ward at a dance and was going to church with her. Yes! Hermana Fillmore and I were so happy.
I have been thinking a lot about the restoration lately and what it means for us. The restoration of the gospel is a beautiful story and it is true. But what is the practical application of the message of the restoration in our lives? How does it change the way we live every day? The way we think? The things we do? I learn a little bit every day but I am basically spiritually hungering to learn and know more. I feel like if as missionaries we can really understand this and apply it in the lives of investigators we can help people to be converted to the gospel. Do you have any ideas? What does it mean for you? Please let me know!
We were receiving training from the Zone Leaders last week and something stood out to me about Alma 32:21 and missionary work. The scripture says that "faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen which are true." I think this scripture can really be applied to member missionary work. I think that I had a lot of opportunities to share the gospel with others as a member before my mission, but because I couldn't see them I didn't work very hard to find them. But if I really had faith that there were friends all around me who were prepared to hear the gospel, I know that my actions (the evidence of my faith) would have been different. We can hope and believe that we will find those in our circle who are prepared for the gospel even if we cannot see it with our physical eyes. Let's go forward hoping (or expecting or waiting) for missionary opportunities.
Hermana Fillmore and I had a fun preparation day last week. It was raining (as usual) so we decided against playing sports outside with the elders and went to all of the international food stores here in Kent: Taste of Europe (Russian and Ukranian), La Huerta (Mexican), Hong Kong Market (all things Asian), and KK's Market (Indian). We bought one thing from every store just to try and had a fun time just looking around. At the Indian market I was able to try galub jamun, ladoo and rasgula for the first time. We have pictures that I will send next week. Kent is a very international place. In the apartments where we live there are many Ukranians, Russians, Burmese, Iraqi, and Nepali people.
I love you all very very much!
Con amor,
Hermana Kinghorn
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Otra semana
Querida Familia y Amigos,
A few weeks ago we had an interesting experience that I forgot to share in my last letter. Hermana Fillmore and I were tracting and when we knocked on one door a man opened the door and immediately said, "Pasen." Which means come in. We were surprised because unfortunately that doesn't usually happen to us. We went in and sat down and looked around. It was a group of adults who were part of a religious study group. To be honest, my first reaction was a little bit of panic. After a little bit of talking (and a lot of silent prayer) we were able to teach a lesson all about prophets. I surprised myself when I started using passages and examples from the Bible (in Spanish) that I knew I wasn't very familiar with. They certainly weren't marked in my scriptures, but somehow I knew where they were and I knew details of obscure Old Testament stories (I guess I did get something out of 5:45 a.m. seminary). It was a really great lesson about prophets and by the end we committed them all to read the Restoration pamphlet and to pray to know if there is a prophet on the earth today. Since then we have seen a few of the people from that night in the store or in random parking lots and they have all told us that they read the pamphlet. They told us we need to come back and teach them again. I've always felt that my knowledge of the Bible (especially the Old Testament) was a weakness. I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who in that moment made one of my weaknesses a strength for me. I know that none of the blessings we received from that lesson were from our own abilities.
On Tuesday we stopped by the home of someone who had called in the telephone number from a commercial and wanted a copy of The Restoration DVD. After having a little lesson with us she told us that 10 years ago her three-year-old daughter was run over by a bus and killed. She said that she was still very sad and depressed about it but she felt like that was the way it was supposed to be. We tried to share with her a little bit about the Plan of Salvation and set up another appointment with her, but she said her husband was so against her learning about the church that she was going to have to hide the DVD in her cupboard where he wouldn't look or he would throw it away. It was so sad to see her sad and to know that we had the most joyful message that could bring her hope but she was not going to receive it.
I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. I know that this work is the work of God and that we are members of the Church of Jesus Christ. I know we have a prophet today and I am so grateful for all of this. I love sharing this message on the door, in the parking lot, on phone, over the pulpit, in people's living rooms, everywhere! Missionary work is the best!
Con amor,
Hermana Kinghorn
A few weeks ago we had an interesting experience that I forgot to share in my last letter. Hermana Fillmore and I were tracting and when we knocked on one door a man opened the door and immediately said, "Pasen." Which means come in. We were surprised because unfortunately that doesn't usually happen to us. We went in and sat down and looked around. It was a group of adults who were part of a religious study group. To be honest, my first reaction was a little bit of panic. After a little bit of talking (and a lot of silent prayer) we were able to teach a lesson all about prophets. I surprised myself when I started using passages and examples from the Bible (in Spanish) that I knew I wasn't very familiar with. They certainly weren't marked in my scriptures, but somehow I knew where they were and I knew details of obscure Old Testament stories (I guess I did get something out of 5:45 a.m. seminary). It was a really great lesson about prophets and by the end we committed them all to read the Restoration pamphlet and to pray to know if there is a prophet on the earth today. Since then we have seen a few of the people from that night in the store or in random parking lots and they have all told us that they read the pamphlet. They told us we need to come back and teach them again. I've always felt that my knowledge of the Bible (especially the Old Testament) was a weakness. I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who in that moment made one of my weaknesses a strength for me. I know that none of the blessings we received from that lesson were from our own abilities.
On Tuesday we stopped by the home of someone who had called in the telephone number from a commercial and wanted a copy of The Restoration DVD. After having a little lesson with us she told us that 10 years ago her three-year-old daughter was run over by a bus and killed. She said that she was still very sad and depressed about it but she felt like that was the way it was supposed to be. We tried to share with her a little bit about the Plan of Salvation and set up another appointment with her, but she said her husband was so against her learning about the church that she was going to have to hide the DVD in her cupboard where he wouldn't look or he would throw it away. It was so sad to see her sad and to know that we had the most joyful message that could bring her hope but she was not going to receive it.
I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. I know that this work is the work of God and that we are members of the Church of Jesus Christ. I know we have a prophet today and I am so grateful for all of this. I love sharing this message on the door, in the parking lot, on phone, over the pulpit, in people's living rooms, everywhere! Missionary work is the best!
Con amor,
Hermana Kinghorn
Monday, May 24, 2010
Exito!
Querida Familia y Amigos
This week, the elders passed off an Argentinian family to us because the wife doesn't speak English very well and wanted to be taught in Spanish. They are such a great family! They have two children (4 and 9 years old) and had been thinking that they wanted to start bringing them to church. The husband, D., told us that he had been thinking about his father's death a year ago and was still upset about it when the elders knocked on their door. When he saw them he felt very good about them and he remembered his uncle who is a Latter-day Saint. He said that many people had knocked on his door, but he hadn't felt good about anyone until the elders. When we were in the lesson with him he told us about his uncle's family. He said that he saw his cousins serve missions and saw that they were good people. Many members of his family used bad language but he never heard bad words in his uncle's house and he saw that one of his cousins who had disabilities was thriving in school because she had such a supportive family. He said that he could see that although his uncle was a poor man, he was rich with his family. This family is so prepared to hear the gospel and we are grateful for the example of D.'s uncle
We've had quite a few investigators that have had the same questions in different forms: "Why should I be baptized?" Or in other words, "What if I mess up after I am baptized? Is it better that I am never baptized than that I get baptized and make mistakes afterward?" As a missionary I am listening and it is so clear to me, "Be baptized! Have faith!" But this has been a very difficult question for me to answer as a missionary. As I've searched for ways to answer this question, a process which continues, I have been lead to Preach My Gospel where there is a quote from Dallin H. Oaks that says that we baptize to open the doors of the Celestial Kingdom (D&C 76:50-51). With baptism by the proper authority we have a chance, but without baptism, we can guarantee that we will not be there. When that idea became clear to me, it changed the way I think about a lot of what I do as a missionary. I am so grateful to be baptized and for the blessings that come when we make covenants with God.
Funny story for the week: Hermana Fillmore and I went tracting in some townhouses that we had never been to before. We saw an elderly man in the parking lot so we went out to talk to him. It turns out that he didn't speak any English but we think he said he spoke Russian. Anyway he started talking to us in his language and we're pretty sure he said he wasn't Christian. My companion tried to give him a pass-along card for the Finding Faith in Christ DVD. He pointed to the picture of Jesus and said in English, "Pagan man!" Then in the middle of what he was saying he turns to my companion and slaps her (not hard). We were both surprised and startled. She looked over at me and then he turned to me and slapped me. What! Then he started laughing. The "conversation" ended shortly afterward. We still laugh about it every day.
Con Amor,
Hermana Kinghorn
This week, the elders passed off an Argentinian family to us because the wife doesn't speak English very well and wanted to be taught in Spanish. They are such a great family! They have two children (4 and 9 years old) and had been thinking that they wanted to start bringing them to church. The husband, D., told us that he had been thinking about his father's death a year ago and was still upset about it when the elders knocked on their door. When he saw them he felt very good about them and he remembered his uncle who is a Latter-day Saint. He said that many people had knocked on his door, but he hadn't felt good about anyone until the elders. When we were in the lesson with him he told us about his uncle's family. He said that he saw his cousins serve missions and saw that they were good people. Many members of his family used bad language but he never heard bad words in his uncle's house and he saw that one of his cousins who had disabilities was thriving in school because she had such a supportive family. He said that he could see that although his uncle was a poor man, he was rich with his family. This family is so prepared to hear the gospel and we are grateful for the example of D.'s uncle
We've had quite a few investigators that have had the same questions in different forms: "Why should I be baptized?" Or in other words, "What if I mess up after I am baptized? Is it better that I am never baptized than that I get baptized and make mistakes afterward?" As a missionary I am listening and it is so clear to me, "Be baptized! Have faith!" But this has been a very difficult question for me to answer as a missionary. As I've searched for ways to answer this question, a process which continues, I have been lead to Preach My Gospel where there is a quote from Dallin H. Oaks that says that we baptize to open the doors of the Celestial Kingdom (D&C 76:50-51). With baptism by the proper authority we have a chance, but without baptism, we can guarantee that we will not be there. When that idea became clear to me, it changed the way I think about a lot of what I do as a missionary. I am so grateful to be baptized and for the blessings that come when we make covenants with God.
Funny story for the week: Hermana Fillmore and I went tracting in some townhouses that we had never been to before. We saw an elderly man in the parking lot so we went out to talk to him. It turns out that he didn't speak any English but we think he said he spoke Russian. Anyway he started talking to us in his language and we're pretty sure he said he wasn't Christian. My companion tried to give him a pass-along card for the Finding Faith in Christ DVD. He pointed to the picture of Jesus and said in English, "Pagan man!" Then in the middle of what he was saying he turns to my companion and slaps her (not hard). We were both surprised and startled. She looked over at me and then he turned to me and slapped me. What! Then he started laughing. The "conversation" ended shortly afterward. We still laugh about it every day.
Con Amor,
Hermana Kinghorn
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