Letter_Week 29_Moses Lake_Sister Karony

Dear Family,

So... the news that we are not moving to Vienna, Austria brought me to tears, and I'm letting myself feel this. I trust the Lord and my Father in Heaven.

I learned this week in Gospel Doctrine class that Peace is a Gift of the Spirit.  You receive it by personal revelation and you especially get it in the temple. John 14:27 and John 16:33. The lesson this past Sunday was about the Temple and how it was the promise of the blessings members receive there that was the staying power of the early saints who immigrated from all over the world to the United States. It was the best lesson. I made a comment about the power of the temple, and the teacher came up to me and sat down next to me after class. He said only a few words, but they were powerful in their own way and an answer to my prayers. To quote the young man from President Monson's talk on temples,“I had faith Heavenly Father would bless me, but I never could have imagined that He would send someone to help me... I know now that all will be well."

The reason this lesson was so significant to me is because I have been praying to feel peace. I've also been studying the scriptures and the words of the modern prophets to know HOW to rely more upon Jesus Christ. He said roughly "The Savior says "My Peace I give unto you". That peace is a gift. You get it especially in the Temple. Keep up your reading." WHOA! The confirmation of the Spirit hit me like a shot directly through the heart. Even now that statement is giving me hope and it was totally how God helped to prepare me for the difficult news of not going home to Vienna.

Go to the temple. I can't go until November, and it will most likely be the last time I get to go while on my mission. I wish I could go more often.

My faith is strengthened and not shaken.

I love you all! We will all be better in the end. The Lord consecrates all our performance for our good as we keep our covenants and rely upon him.

We found 4 new investigators and one of them is on date for baptism! Miracles are happening all the time. The harvest is now, there is not planting seeds, EVER. We are only making contact with the Light of Christ.

Favorite scripture is John 14:27!

Sister Karony-ism for the week is that I taught Sister Crofts how to catch chickens, as we caught the escapee chickens of our neighbors this week for service. Got gouged by chicken wire though. Cleaned it, but it was all red and warm and weird colored and my arm was slightly tender and swollen. I've had my shots, so I knew it wasn't tetanus and it didn't look like it either. We couldn't go to the doctor, so, after disinfecting everything, I cut open my arm a little bit and dug out a piece of chicken wire that had broken off in my arm, it was tiny thankfully. It hurt though! Now my arm's all better and healing normally!!! Stupid, I know, but it was fun in a weird way. There was some element of being-a-missionary-in-a-third-world-country about it that felt familiar to me. I'm telling you this so you can laugh, so please do. If I had left it alone, then it would've gotten way worse. 

Transfers are on the 9th of September, just FYI. 

I love you all!

Love,

Sister Karony

​Another dust storm​! Can barely see the neighbors!

Post operation. SORRY! we only had tiny band aids and these large gauze pads, so it looks a lot more dramatic than it actually is. 

Letter_Week 28_Moses Lake_Sister Karony

Most of my mission is LITERALLY on fire!!! Not the figurative fire we were hoping for, like "baptisms, yeah!" kind of fire. Half of the state is already burned or burning. It's getting worse every day and so is the smoke. Over 700 firefighters are up north and now Canada is involved and firefighters are being sent in from New Zealand and Australia. The fires aren't close by us though, so no worries. We get updates on this from the members. 

Tell Sam I say "Hi" and happy 21st birthday!

-The smoke is aweful! My throat is getting scratchy, but i can still sing for the most part, I just don't want to strain myself doing it. Bad air quality! I feel so sad for those who are closer to the fires, because the smoke's already bad enough over here.

-It's been tough finding new investigators and people to listen to us, but we've kept going and have been visiting all the families in one of our wards and committing them to think of 3 nonmembers that they can help invite to come unto Christ and eventually to meet with the missionaries. We've gotten a lot of contacts from that, but mostly ones that we have to give away to the other missionaries. But, we all work for the same team, so booyah anyway!

-I found out during our recent Zone Conference that I could've been reassigned to another mission when I came back out! The member of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles over the mission assignments had to assign me again that time too, and when the mission split they went through all of us and chose me to come to the new mission. I have been assigned by an Apostle 3 times! I truly am meant to be here, exactly where I am today! That's an awesome reassurance to have received.

-Sister Karony-ism's: We had a cow butchering at our house this last week! We got souvenir horns too! That steer hit my companion the week before I came to Moses Lake and it finally got its just desserts! It brought back memories of the time the Masai's killed that goat in front of my 3rd grade class in Kenya. Hahaha! Life out in the country. We also prevented a pig break out this week when we stopped by to see the animals and noticed that 2 of the 3 pigs had dug their way into the adjoining pen, which had been left unlocked. We locked it and prevented a jailbreak. The grandkids of our ward mission leader forgot to lock it after they went to the fair in the morning to show their other pigs. The Moses Lake fair went on all week and they hardly were at home. It's a good thing we went around to lock things up. It was funny though!

Also last week we nearly got attacked by a turkey while out with one of our relief society presidents. We made it out, but I nearly got left behind because I was going to knock for a third time when my comrades decided the turkey was getting too close. I didn't want to get left alone, so I booked it after them and we all got chased to the car. Luckily we'd left it unlocked in case we'd need a quick escape; which we did!

-Favorite scripture this week is the Lord's vision for our area: John 4:35-38! I was led to this during personal study last week. The scriptures are so awesome!!! The harvest is NOW! We're not planting seeds, we're making contact with the Light of Christ, reminding others of things that are already in them, but they're just not aware of it yet. The Lord prepares the people to feast on His word. Again, we are not "planting seeds," but rather harvesting.

I love you all!

Love,

Sister Karony  

This is the day we came home smelling like a camp fire... it's 8:30pm this past friday in this picture... The smoke was the worst it's been so far. It was this dark by ​7:30.

Local wild cat we've named "Fuzzy"​ who found us and recognized us as we were walking around Moses Lake yesterday evening. He followed us for miles, so we drove him back to his usual hang out so he wouldn't get hit by a car. This cat is hilarious! He chases little kids and refuses to let you walk in front of him, he has to lead the group. Hahaha!

Snickers the barn yard dog. The stinker! He is still a puppy and does the herding nipping.

Letter_Week 27_Moses Lake_Sister Karony

President and Sister Lewis really are the coolest people ever!

I'm not sure if I ever gave the official count of how many companions I had last transfer, so sorry if I'm repeating myself! 

But there were 37 Relief Society Sisters who came out with me as my companion. I thank my Father in Heaven for all of them and all that they made possible to be accomplished by being there to assist and support me in His work. These sisters varied in age and stages of life, whether they had grown kids, no kids, little kids, jobs, no job, they all took time to be there. I love and miss them all!

-I'm not feeling discouraged at all, maybe frustrated, but I'm striving to humble myself. I am feeling pretty exhausted a lot, but it's getting better as I just go out and do. I am striving to let go and forget myself in the work. I'm living the Doctrine of Christ and giving the Lord a little improvement each day.

-I'm NEVER giving up, in, or out!!!!!!!!!! The Lord is my light and I will never forsake!!!!!!!!!!!! *queue battle cry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

-Triumphs of this week:

~We did 9 1/2 hours of service!  Most of which was unplanned. We got to surprise a less active sister by showing up with our service clothes and not taking "no" for an answer. It was super funny! She's an awesome lady and I'm glad we got a chance to help her out.

~We met a lot of members and we had them all think of three nonmembers that they can help come unto Christ and then come up with a plan to invite those people to take actions that would lead to that. We are going to follow up with them in a few days and are excited! 

~Yesterday in PEC (priesthood executive committee) we got a bunch of referrals and another from some other members after church! We contacted as many as we could, but will finish doing that today!

~We found a bunch of new potentials this week, but we were not able to any set return appointments... this week we'll find more! And all of this week's and last week's will become new investigators! I can feel it! We are doing better everyday with getting out of our comfort zone and talking with everyone, even when it's awkward. We have already seen miracles of talking with some awesome people who will soon be officially investigators!

-You know when Pilate asks Jesus "What is truth?" and the scriptures don't record an answer? Well that bugged me a bit, but then I was reading the scriptures this week when I read (I don't have my notes and can't remember where it was,) that Christ is truth! Just like how light, Spirit, intelligence, and truth are interchangeable in the scriptures, Christ is truth! That's what those who are of the truth heareth His voice! I was so excited to figure that out and I had a total scriptorian nerd-out!

-My favorite scriptures this week is 2 Nephi 32:3-6. The word of Christ will TELL, the Holy Ghost will SHOW, and Christ in the flesh shall SAY what you are to do! How cool! I've been searching to know how I can turn more to Christ and rely upon Him, and this is the beginning answer of my search.

-All the answers I've been receiving and experiencing, like what I've written above, have strengthened my testimony that Jesus Christ is my Savior, that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, that the Priesthood has been restored, and that the Book of Mormon is true and the word of God! This is my simple, but fervent testimony! In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

I love ya'll's! I really look forward to hearing from you all! Thanks for all your letters!

Love,

Sister Karony

​Driving during a dust storm! I be sketchy looking!

​We had a severe dust storm warning on Friday that said to avoid traveling... this is a view through our room's window of our "backyard​" farmyard... gives you a small taste of life in the days of the giant dust-bowl storms! there was even a 40 car pile-up between Ritzville and the Tri-cities where 2 semi's caught fire! Luckily Friday is our planning day, so we didn't drive until after it got a little better in the evening. I'm getting LOTS of diverse driving experience!

Smoke from the fires burning up in Chelan and Wenatchee are blocking out the sun! It's been killer on my allergies. This picture was taken yesterday around 7:30pm.

Sign made by members' daughter a couple weeks ago when we came for dinner. Cute!

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Letter_Week 26_Moses Lake_Sister Karony

So, we totally live on a farm! It's great! We have calfs, a steer, horses, a pony, a bunch of barnyard cats, a rough border collie dog, pigs, and chickens. It's fun to walk around there for exercise in the morning! Also, yesterday I calculated that we spend up to 9 hours in church on Sundays with all our meetings and services. Sunday is the busiest day of the week for missionaries!

-This week as we weekly planned we dropped almost everybody in both our areas and are starting from scratch. The way things were going wasn't working and so viola! Clean slate! We had awesome church meetings yesterday as all our members in both wards talked about being more involved with missionary work and sharing it with their friends. Yesterday I also had the opportunity of singing in Sacrament meeting in our ward that covers the rural areas. I had it all planned out! I was going to sing "How firm a foundation" and that was going to get the members moving on missionary work and giving us referrals and all that jazz. But, even though my intentions and plans were good ones, the Lord has His plan. His plan was to leave that niggling feeling that the song still wasn't quite right and when I practiced it, it never sounded right. So, by the beginning of sacrament I was well aware and searching for a different hymn, when I came across "I Know That My Redeemer Lives". The feelings I had as I read the words of that hymn brought tears to my eyes and peace to my nerves. I always want to sing the message God wants me to and have the Spirit there as I perform. My talents are from God, and I want to use them in His service. I can bear my testimony far better through song than I can by my words. 

I definitely felt the Spirit as I sung testifying that I know that My Redeemer Lives. That was the message God had for us to share that day. It was exactly what the members needed, and most of all, what I had needed. My testimony was strengthened in my Savior and His Atonement and that God will work only good things among the children of me/us. 

I am nothing, but in God I can and will do all things that are expedient in Him.

The above is how my testimony was strengthened and what I felt triumphant in.

-My favorite scripture this week is 2 Ne 26:33. He invites ALL of us to come unto Him! I also like verse 26 in that same chapter, because it says that God says to go to church! There is so much joy we get from the companionship of other members.

-Sister Karony-ism this week is that I made a new best friend in the orange cat I've named "Purrdence" because she purrs like crazy and very loudly.

I'm proud of you all for taking time to go through all the church historical sites!

Love,

Sister Karony

​Purrdence and me chilling! It was sunny!

Steer that hit my companion two weeks ago. He's gonna be hamburger and steak soon! YUM!

I'm way to excited to be petting a horse! Also having a bad hair day! Also, it was HOT!