Driving....

Howdy y'all!

To say this week was crazy busy would be an understatement. Holy smokes! This week just flew by because we were going none stop the entire time!! 

On Tuesday we drove out to Medicine Hat-- which is like a maybe an hour and a half away and we gave our trainings. We got to talk all about how and why we love the people that we serve and we transitioned that into talking about the area book. That's one little thing that we can do that shows Heavenly Father that we love His children and we're trying our best to take care of them.  It is so important!! That way we make sure that everybody has their chance to hear about the restored gospel. President and Sister Miles came to that training meeting and it was awesome to see them again! I just love them to death!

On Wednesday we had interviews with President. So got to talk to him and Sister Miles some more. They made this new rule for missions-- we now have zone conference and interviews every single transfer. So they have to do a lot more driving now-- but we get to see them more often, so win for us :) On Wednesday we also drove out to Lethbridge for their zone training meeting. That was fun too-- I love seeing all ma friends!

The other day the moon was ginormous!! And the sky looked so cool!
Sunsets in Taber are the best thing since sliced bread

Just me and my cute comp Sister Sims

Changes to the missionary schedule

Thursday we had our zone training meeting back out in Lethbridge. That was exciting. One thing that we have been trying to focus on is just staying motivated. So we did this really fun thing at the end of the meeting. We all came with our favorite motivational speech and we did like this "motivational gauntlet" where we all said our quote and then we ran down this tunnel of high fives-- it was awesome!

On Friday we had a couple of really good lessons. A family we are teaching got back from Mexico, so we went and had an awesome lesson with them.  The dad, hasn't really ever been too engaged but at this lessons he stayed... and he participated! It was a complete miracle! He even invited us to come back! Slowly but surely his heart is being softened! We also had a lesson out with an investigator in Hays. We read the Book of Mormon with her and talked all about "tender mercies". That was really cool because then she kept naming all these things in her life that were tender mercies. It was great! 

After out lessons we drove out to Brooks to start our exchange with them. Ha we got there and they said that they accidentally washed their phone... so they didn't really have any plans for the upcoming week. So we ended up just bringing them both to our area and doing some last minute planning for having two sets of missionaries in our area. It actually turned out really well-- they were able to call some of their peeps and get some lessons going on. They're just the cutest and we got to pretty much have a slumber party, so that was chill.

Yesterday was our ward conference, and it was so good! The whole meeting was about the Sacrament and the Living Christ. President Baldry actually spoke on the sacrament before it was administered, so that was something new. And for mutual on Tuesday the YW made some fresh loaves of bread for it, it was really cool to just try to remember what the sacrament is really about. Pres. Baldry said something that I really liked, he said "The Sabbath should be the center of our week, the sacrament should be the center of our Sabbath, and the Savior should be the center of our sacrament." Kind of puts that into perspective. 

Ha other than all the driving that we did it was actually a super solid week! We had quite a few lessons and we are seeing miracles that's for sure.

Oh miracle of the week! So our Bishop told us to go stop by this less active that just moved in, and he gave us these really weird directions. So we were completely lost... all we could remember was that she lived in a fourplex and it was number 4. So we went to the first one we could see and knocked on number 4. A guy answered the door and said we could come in. We asked if the girl we were looking for  lived here and he said no... we went on to tell him that we are missionaries, ha gave him the whole schpeel. We asked if we could share a message, and he said that they were just having supper but to come back because his wife had actually talked to missionaries before. HA WHAT ARE THE ODDS?!? It was awesome!

Anyway, super stellar week full of driving but also lots of super bomb lessons :) Things are happening here in Taber Town!

Quote of the week: "The best antidote I know for worry is work. The best medicine for despair is service. The best cure for weariness is the challenge of helping someone who is even more tired." -Pres. Hinckley

Scripture of the week: Therefore, the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy and holiness shall be upon their heads; and they shall obtain gladness and joy; sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

Love you all and hope that you have a fantastic week!

Sister King

Happy Cana dad's day!

Hello!! First of all, dad-- HAPPY DAD'S DAY!! I love you so much!

This week has been awesome! Sister Burnside is just the best! She was doing a lot better this week. Throughout the day I've been trying so hard to just keep her busy so she can't think about home... so that's really good. But night time and the mornings are pretty hard. But she is so strong and has so much faith so that is good. She is definitely helping my testimony grow. 

Nothing super crazy happened this week. Just an awesome week of being a missionary. We had some great lessons with some less actives in our family ward. This one girl, Des, she has such a strong testimony but her health isn't all there and she is a heavy smoker. We had a lesson with her this week and I don't know what it is but the spirit was so strong! She was just bawling the whole time and at the end of the lesson I felt like I should ask her if she wanted a priesthood blessing-- I had asked her that maybe 3 times before and she always just flat out said no... but this time it was different. She sat there for like 2 minutes in silence and just weeping. Then she said "yes I think it's time." BOOM-- spirit was hecka strong! So crazy! So we are really excited about that.

We also had a super solid lesson with the Thompsons. They are this cute old couple that have lots and lots of health challenges but the are just so adorable! We taught them the plan of salvation and they just ate it up. They told us that they would be at church on Sunday (ha we told them we were teaching Gospel Principles just to give them a little more incentive... but hey it worked!) Ken was able to make it to church however Linda was sick so she couldn't make it. bummer. We're going to meet with them this upcoming week and that should be really good. 

We also had a fabulous lesson with Justin and Judith. We taught them the gospel of Jesus Christ and it went so well. They are reading the Book of Mormon and loving it. They are hard core Catholics so I feel like the Book of Mormon is going to be the main thing that will help in their conversion. But they are just so awesome! 

We also were able to meet with this lady named Frankie. I don't know if I have said anything about her but she has such a cool story! She is 89 years old and living in Magrath. Her baptism was scheduled for May 12 but for some reason she felt like she should move it 2 weeks earlier-- the spirit is real. She got baptized and then the day after she had a stroke and is now in St. Michael's, this old folks home, so we get to teach her the recent convert lessons. She is adorable and I'll try to take a picture with her the next time we have a lesson with her. But how cool is that? Baptized 2 weeks earlier then having a stroke... amazing!

We also did exchanges at the end of this week. I stayed in Lethbridge with Sister Trimble and Sister Burnside went out to Taber with Sister Brown. Ha not gonna lie totally had separation anxiety from my little baby. Missed her a lot. Sister Trimble is the cutest though! We had a really good time while she was here! 

Yesterday I thought that I was going to be super homesick but prayers are answered and we were so busy that I really didn't have time to think about home. Also, Alex received the priesthood yesterday! Ha when we were in sacrament meeting and Bishop asked for "those in favor of this ordination" ... or whatever he said my hand went straight up. It was so fun! Our little teddy bear is growing up and getting the priesthood and stuff. So proud! He also is going to get his temple recommend sometime soon so that will b e super exciting-- we might be able to go with him to the temple! 

But don't worry Papa King-- last night we took a couple minutes before bed and just talked about our fathers. I really lucked out that's for sure!

Anyway, this week was great! I love all the people here in Lethbridge and I'm so happy that I get to stay here for another 3 months with Sister Burnside. Things are looking up and the work is great! 

Thought of the week: "you were given this life because you were strong enough to live it." -Neal A. Maxwell

Love you all, 

Sister King

 Everything is turning green! So so pretty. The fields go on for days!

This is Juno... a family in our ward let us take a family picture with her... the second sweetest dog in the world (behind Sadie obvi)

Washing the car for car inspections-- we passed, don't even worry!

So our apartment is a freakin meat locker! So so cold! Just doing our 12 week but all bundled up!

Where would we be in life without gross selfies?

When you get a 10 on housing inspections #crushedit

One Ginger Just Wasn't Enough!

Family!!! Hello! Can I just say that this week has been the craziest week of my entire life?!? First of all, Waterton was absolutely beautiful! I loved it! It was so good to hike and be in the mountains. I miss my Utah mountains so I felt right at home! But also-- got crazy sunburned... This week I will be investing in some strong sun screen and aloe vera.


 Anyway, the whole beginning of the week was devoted to teaching the people that we are the closest with because Sister Blake had to say her goodbyes to all of them. That was really fun! It was also really sad because literally every person that we were saying goodbye to started crying because they loved Sister Blake so much! That just goes to show you how much of an influence she was around here-- and just how loving the people here are too.


 On Wednesday we drove up to Calgary to pick up my baby. It was so crazy because on Tuesday night I had this really weird dream that I got a redheaded companion. So we walked in where all of the new missionaries were and I saw that there were 2 gingers. I just knew that one of them would be mine! And I was totally right!


 My new companion's name is Sister Burnside and she is from Sandy, Utah-- and just happens to be a fire redhead! I love it! I already love her so much and she's one of the cutest girls I have ever met. She is a hardcore Irish dancer (so thanks Mom for helping me know who Michael Flatley is because that broke the ice for sure) and she's also just so excited about the work! I am so pumped that I get to train her because honestly she came pre-trained... really I'm doing nothing! We have already gotten so many comments about our hair it's ridiculous. But it's a really good conversation starter that's for sure!

GINGER POWER!! (except next to to Sister Burnside I honestly don't look like a redhead)

 It was extremely hard to so goodbye to sister Blake at transfers-- I know that she's going to do good wherever she goes and whoever she is with. Love her so much!


 This week has been full of some of the highest and lowest points of my mission so far. ON SATURDAY WE GOT TO SHAKE HANDS WITH PRESIDENT NELSON!! Words cannot even describe how incredible that experience was. Our mission is so dang spoiled! We met Elder Christofferson, and now President Nelson, we have 2 temples in our area-- we even got to have zone conference in the temple, and we have cars-- we choose when we want to bike. really though feeling so blessed right now!


 So back to President Nelson. He has got to be the cutest, sweetest, most hilarious old guy in the entire world. That meeting was so fun and funny, but also super spiritual (if you would have been there you would have known that it was good just by looking at me-- the tears were definitely flowing!) But really, it was so good. We heard from Elder Suarez (presidency of the seventy) and his wife and also Elder Bassett (member of the seventy) and his wife, along with President and Sister Nelson. There were so many wonderful things that were spoken. It's cool to see the apostles as their true selves... like President Nelson is hilarious. Among the things that he said he said one thing that I thought was just hilarious. He wanted to know where we were all from so he named off different continents and we stood up when he called ours... he forgot about Asia. Then he said "God loves the Chinese! That's why he made so many of them!!" Maybe it was a "had to be there" moment but he was hilarious. He said that he believed in instant repentance. So funny. He talked a lot about the Atonement and the Book of Mormon. So pretty much they are real important.


 We had a women's conference later that day where Sister Nelson spoke to us, then yesterday we had another conference where Elder Bassett came and spoke to the Stake, then that night there was a YSA conference. So pretty much we are all conferenced out... but it was all super good. Being a missionary is such a blessing! I love you all so much and we really are doing so well-- life goes on even when it's hard.


 Love, Sister Ashley King

We went to Waterton last P-day!

The great Blair Orr... many of his opponents would call him Blechhh Orr-- but he IS THE GREAT BLAIR ORR

got to hold 2 week old puppies. HEAVEN IS REAL!

Apparently the Lethbridge wind hasn't taken effect on Sister Burnside yet. Give it 2 days.

Just love this girl a lot!

Sompit and Natasha-- the members we get to teach from Thailand... she is expecting a baby in a couple of weeks! :

Our investigator, Judith-- she is a hoot!

Gingers in Lethbridge

We will have to wait until Monday to hear more about the changes, but meanwhile we got this email and photo from the fleet coordinator in the mission:

Yesterday when I picked up the arriving new missionaries at the airport, I was struck by how much Sister Burnside reminded me of Sister King. who had arrived two transfers ago. I told Sister Burnside of this and told her I hoped the two of them would have a chance to meet. Well, as it turns out, not only have they met but they are now companions!. Just thought both of you parents would like to know of this huge coincidence and see for yourselves. You both have wonderful daughters and we are very pleased to have them both serving with us. Elder Evan A. Thorley, Fleet Coordinator, Canada Calgary Mission

Ashley and her new companion, Sister Burnside. 

Then Jan Francis sent us a few more:

BAPTISM!

Holy smokes! This week was just jam packed I don't even know where to start!

Okay, so lately we have been really trying to find some service opportunities and this girl told us that she needed some volunteers at this Alzheimer's awareness fundraiser. We thought to ourselves "this is perfect!" So we show up all ready to serve and she tells us that we will be in mascot costumes taking pictures will a bunch of kids... hahaha so that was pretty fun. Who knew that I would be a mascot as part of my mission, so funny! 

Service... it gets really hot and stinky in those costumes by the way.

We also got to meet with the Syrian family. Literally every time we meet with them I am just completely humbled! They have so many stories and it is so fun to be able to hear all about their culture. Also, at the end of the day on Wednesday I got a phone call from the APs. Starting on Wednesday I will be training a new missionary... literally any emotion you can think of I have felt. I am super excited but also so so nervous! Ha I'm still a little baby missionary and now I'm training. It's crazy! But I know that the Lord will help me. 

Our Syrian friends

When I got my training call I was super nervous so Sister Blake got me flowers... love her.

So on Friday I went up to Calgary with Sister Taylor for trainers. That was really fun to see everyone. Apparently there is a big group of missionaries coming out this transfer. Plus there are 7 of us training that came out with me, so that put my mind at ease a bit. The APs and President did the training and it just made me more excited and more nervous! So we'll see what happens this upcoming week. 

 Stuck in traffic on the way to Calgary with Sister Taylor

TRAINERS!

The best part of the week was definitely Saturday. The zone leaders had a baptism in the morning so we brought Alex so that he could see how it went, and he was so excited! ALEX'S BAPTISM WAS THE BEST THING OF MY ENTIRE LIFE!! First of all, there were so many people there. And about 1/4 of them were nonmembers! Shane was the first to speak and there was not a dry eye in the place that's for sure. He talked all about how life is going to be hard but that when Alex looks back at this moment all throughout his life-- when he kneels in the temple to be sealed to his wife, and when he holds his first baby and  know that he's going to raise it in the gospel he's going to look back on this moment in his life and say to himself "this is all worth it" Needless to say we were bawling. Right after that me and Sister Blake had the musical number. Ha I had to play the piano and I couldn't see the sheet music very well cause my eyes were full of water, but it went great! There was such a sweet spirit that was there the entire time! 

Shane and Alex-- best friends for forever and now Shane got to baptize his best friend

Alex was beaming he was so happy... ha and we didn't have the heart to tell him about the no hugging rule....

After the actual baptism Alex spoke. Okay the water works came again. He and Shane had gone to the temple visitor's center the day before his baptism and he talked all about how strong the spirit was and how excited he is to one day go into the temple. That was neat for us missionaries to hear because that is our ultimate goal with our investigators, not just to baptize them but to get them to the temple. Alex's whole family was there and we got to talk to them for a bit and we also talked to Alex's friends that were there and we even set up an appointment for later that day with one of his nonmember friends named Brian. This baptism was probably the strongest I have felt the spirit thus far on my mission, and it made me so excited to know that this is what my mission is all about. Bringing people to Christ and seeing the happiness that comes from that. Alex was beaming!! 

Our zone was able to go see a fireside where Larry Gelwix (Forever Strong rugby coach) spoke to us... that was a great fireside!

The confirmation was just as cool yesterday. Shane confirmed him and it is so bitter sweet because Shane is actually on his way to Utah right now-- he goes into the MTC on Wednesday. So he got to baptize his best friend and then go serve the Lord for 2 years. 

Honestly I am just so happy that I get to be a missionary and have these cool experiences and see how the gospel really can change lives. I know that it's changing mine. I love being a missionary!! :)

Love you all so much! This gospel is so true!

Sister King