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:

Canadian Visitors!

Sunday, we got some visitors from Lethbridge, Alberta and they brought us a package from our missionary!!  Thanks McLeod sisters!!

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

pewwwwwtine

Hey hey hey familia!

Okay this week went by crazy fast! Like x80 faster than last week!

First things first... on Tuesday we went to the best place in town to try poutine, the Piggyback Poutinerie.   Literally the grossest thing I have ever had. I would be all right if I never had to eat that ever again. Ha but the rest of Tuesday went really well. 

Poutine before and....

Poutine after  :(

President and Sister Miles were in Lethbridge, so Sister Miles asked us if she could tag along to a few lessons with us. We were pretty nervous but things ended up going really well. We taught Liz and Brad-- and both those lessons the spirit was so strong.  Sister Miles definitely brought a special spirit, it was great!

We had another weird day because MLC was on Wednesday and the STLs in Calgary are on a 3 leg and one of them isn't an STL so we got to have Sister Smartt with us for the day. That was really fun, she's adorable!   We also had the chance to go with Brad to ARP-- that's the addiction recovery program that the church offers. That was very eye-opening. That's one thing that I have loved so far is that I am having my eyes opened to things that I don't think I would have known if I hadn't come out on a mission. Addictions are so real and people struggle with them every day-- Brad is trying his best to not relapse so we are hoping and praying that he can stick with it.

showing Sister Smartt the Lethbridge high level bridge

When all your plans bail so you have nothing... that's just missionary work I guess. But somehow the Lord provides and we find things that we can do. Thursday was really fun because we were able to play basketball with Alex and Shane.  So there are like so many nonmembers and less actives that come and play basketball, perfect for us missionaries. And of course we get to play ball so what could be better?!? That is one of the perks of being a YSA missionary I guess. Made the game winning 3-pointer #nbd so that was pretty fun.

bball with the guys

Friday was a party! We met with this crazy less active that makes for fun stories, Oh and this week nobody knows why but we have just been blasted with anti's and atheist RMs... Seriously we stumbled upon at least 8 of them this week. At the beginning it was really hard but the more they come at us the more confident we are and now we're pretty much just used to it.  It's just so sad how many RMs come home and then just go completely inactive and even stop believing that there is a God. I know that I have a Heavenly Father that loves me and all His children. And that's pretty much all you can say to these people, but hey we got to bear our testimony a lot :) 

Oh, we also had this huge dodgeball tourney with like all the YSA wards in Lethbridge. That was a hoot! We weren't planning on playing but our team was lacking a little bit so we ended up playing. Ha and our ward isn't really known for being the most athletic... but hey we ended up winning the whole thing-- they say it was because us missionaries brought the extra spiritual power.

Dodgeball champs

Ha funny moment of the week was when me and Sister Blake were jamming out in the car (well as much as you can jam out to EFY music) and we were just having so much fun then we look over and this guy had been watching us for like 30 seconds... awkward! but that was really funny! We also had a fabulous lesson with Alex. We finalized all the plans for his baptism that is happening THIS SATURDAY!! We are so stoked! They announced it in church yesterday and we should have a pretty good turn out. Ha it's really cool how the Holy Ghost can change people because honestly me and Sister Blake are not very good teachers... but we just have to make sure that we bring the Spirit and the Spirit does the teaching. So ya, Alex is pumped for his baptism and his best friend  gets to baptize him the week before he leaves for his mission. isn't that so cute?? Also, to all my homies in Utah look out for an Elder Burdett. He is super awesome and he's coming to the Provo, Utah mission.

us with Bangoth (our ward missionary who literally does everything for us!)

We visited this guy in the old folks home and apparently he used to be like the world Champion Martial Arts Champion. His name is Blair Orr and he was friends with Elvis and Arnold Schwarzenegger and a bunch of cool people. He's a big deal.

The cutest little kids... jk jk this lady in our ward has an unusual hobby. She makes so many lifelike dolls. 
Like you walk into her living room and there are a bajillion children. 

Biking through the streets of Lethbridge

ps -the wind has been crazy lately and I would like to formally apologize to everyone in the city because pretty sure everyone has seen the G's....

Anyway, this week was great! I love being a missionary even though sometimes the days seem really long I know that I am doing what I'm supposed to be doing and learning the things that I am supposed to learn. 

Love you all!!

Sister King