Letter_Week 09_Yakima_Sister Karony

Dear All!

Thank you everyone for your birthday well-wishes! It's been an awesome-sauce day so far! My companion and I went to McD's for Breakfast with the help of Sister Ridd, one of our ward missionaries. She was so sweet to give us a ride! I'm so grateful for members! We're going to get lunch after emailing and then on to shopping!

Another one of our investigators is getting baptized this Saturday! She's 18 and so golden! I've had the privilege of being there for all of her lessons from the start of her investigating the church. That was in the beginning of March. Sister Hunt will even be visiting to be here for the baptism, so it'll be nice to see how she's doing. 

Our Stake President just came by and said for us to let you know the members say "Hi!" His name's President Button, awesome man! Makes me miss President Hall (whom I miss anyways. Tell him and Bishop Higbee I say "Hi!")

All of our investigators who are on date for baptism are doing well, and we're striving to keep them that way; doing as much as we can do to make a difference. Heavenly Father is blessing our efforts and actions of faith.

-I felt triumphant when we had an investigator that hasn't been to church in over a year come back yesterday to Sacrament meeting. We sat with him and it was a privilege to see the effect the Spirit was having on him. He's bringing his grand-kids next week to. He's an investigator we introduced to family history work and the Spirit of Elijah has touched and changed him to get him to this point once more. In addition to that we'd had a lesson with him this past Saturday night with a Sister from our Ward, and it went amazingly. She shared the conversion experience of her mother, which related to his worries about continuing to look into being baptized. That lesson marked his progress to being ready to return to church again and to start changing his thoughts on baptism. Miracles abound! Also, our investigator we met with on Saturday said he was sick, but that he'd come to church if he got well enough. We asked him to call us to let us know he wouldn't be making it. We asked him to start doing that from now on, so we wouldn't be afraid for him like we were  when he had his health emergency and didn't make his baptism. Well, he called to let us know he wasn't going to be there on Sunday, and even called his Home Teacher to tell him too.  I love my investigators and involved Ward Members who are their home teachers.

-I felt humbled when our investigator said in our most recent lesson that there was something very amazing about our message that had her interested and wanting to find out what it was. She said she'd felt God speak through me, and that she'd never seen anything like that at all before. I was surprised and amazed that she said this about me. I'm humbled that she thinks it's got anything to do with me, but the truth is that I am what God's made me to be. If I'm anything it's because He's my everything and I strive everyday to live so that it's true. I quote Ammon in Alma 26:11-16. I love my Father in Heaven and my Savior!

-I felt content and peaceful this morning as I ate my egg and cheese biscuit with my companion for breakfast. My Heavenly Father answered my silly little prayer about my desire for breakfast at McD's with a sweet companion and a loving Sister from our ward. He shows us His love for us not only in the big things, but in the little things too.

-My testimony grew on how God answers our prayers. I pray every day to become humble, meek, and teachable. My Savior is making me open to the Spirit and I have learned to rely more and more on His Atonement and the grace, or enabling power, that comes from it to become more than I am. I learn by experience and repent, or change, when I fall short. He lifts me higher than my faults and weaknesses, comforts me, and encourages me to keep turning to Him. My prayers are definitely being answered. I can feel the change in me each day. It's small, but by small and simple things, great things are brought to pass.

-My favorite Scripture this week is Ether 12:27

I love you all!

Love,

Sister Karony

​Birthday Breakfast! Beats milk and toast!​

Letter_Week 07_Yakima_Sister Karony

I am very happy and my hair is WAY less frizzy. We had a crazy week of Sister Hunt saying good byes and meetings in Kennewick and a baptism in Pasco. So excited about the new Easter video the Church has come out with! We got a sneak peek this past Thursday from President Ware during our meetings. 

-As you're about to read, I have felt discouraged, but ES GEHT WEITER!!! The work must go on! And I will NEVER give up, NEVER SURRENDER!

-This is when I was discouraged, but turned it into a triumph (Sister Karony vs. Man):

~We had just learned about forgiveness and that we need to forgive because it frees us from burdens that canker your soul when Sister Dickson and I OYM'd a lady getting out of her car while tracting.  

It went like this:

Lady: "Now, I'm christian and I have my beliefs, and I don't want to argue with you. I'm not interested."

Us: "..... ok. But will you like a card then for a video about the Easter season and what our Savior has done for us? It also has our number on the back in case you have questions or ever need service done."

Lady: "No." very rudely

Us: ".............. ok...... do you know of anyone around here that will benefit from us bringing them an uplifting message about Jesus Christ?"

Lady: looks us up and down "Actually no. I don't know anyone that would benefit from any kind of message that you'd give them."

Us: Spirit left her so fast we got whiplash, "....... ok..... have a nice day...." 

It totally threw me how the Spirit just fled from her and His absence compared to only moments before distressed me. I decided to say a quick prayer to get over it and then we went to another door and a man answered it. Sister Dickson put her hand out to shake his, but just as she finished introducing herself he was all "We have our own church", and slammed the door. I was feeling really sad and confused and upset with how we were being treated. We had to go though to get to a lesson. As we walked back towards the Lady who started all this, I thought about how the Savior would act and about what I'd just learned in church about forgiveness. As we went by I mustered all the charity I could and with the biggest smile ever I called out to her "Hope you have a fantastic day!" The relief was immediate and I felt the Holy Ghost witness to me that forgiving others truly is a blessing. I'm so grateful for forgiveness! I'm so grateful for my Savior who provided me with the perfect example to follow. I try everyday to be more like Him, and that day I'd succeeded.

-I felt so content and peaceful after I chose to forgive that Lady for her rudeness and that man for his meanness. The other time was when we went down to Pasco this past Saturday so that Sister Dickson could attend the baptism of some of her investigators from there. As we watched them get baptized and I saw the joy on her face, I knew it was all the right thing to do. There are very few things more special than watching a child of God enter the gate of baptism and start that path to eternal life.

-My favorite Scripture this week is Ether 3:1-4 His faith-filled actions in the 1st verse supported his faith-filled prayer in verses 2-5, which opened his eyes to what he had first seen with an eye of faith. I'm striving to do the same thing.

I found out yesterday that Sister Dickson can also speak German! It's awesome! We speak it a little bit together. We're learning how to teach together and by the Spirit and Heavenly Father is helping us accomplish it. It's great having companions whose same goal is to preach the gospel before anything else. We're not here to make friends, we are here to bring souls unto Christ. Making friends is a side effect, but never the focus.

I love you all and I'm so excited for General Conference! 

Love,

Sister Karony

Sister Dickson and I at meetings by the Temple!

We Rock! Companions at first sight! (Sister Jackson photo bomb!!!!)

The Temporary Trio! Sister Pugh, Sister Hunt, and I.

​Parting with Sister Hunt.​ Off to new adventures!

Letter_Week 06_Yakima_Sister Karony

This week has been a week of patience and long-suffering and walking by faith and the direction of the Spirit. I hardly know where to start my letter.

-So many things have happened. I'm combining triumph and disappointment; because I won't be discouraged. The word "discouraged" to me has the connotation of losing faith and not trusting God, or wanting to give up. As long as everyone's clear that I am NEVER giving up, I'll be okay with using that word. (Excuse my rambling, it's been a long week.)  One of our investigators missed his scheduled baptism date.  He had taken ill and was unable to make it to the Chapel on his special day. After much prayer and legwork, we got a hold of him and were able to see that he was ok, recovering, and able to reset his baptism date.  One of our other investigators buoyed me up during this time--I so love my mission and the people I am able to serve and learn from.  I know the Lord is teaching me patience and long-suffering and to trust in Him.  I love our investigators and would walk a marathon for any and all of them.

~Fun fact is that one of our investigators is related to King Richard the Lionheart, and very proud of it. It's funny though because I'm descendant of Prince John! I told him that and he brightened right up. I call him "Cuz"(cousin) now and he just shakes his head. I come back with we're all children of God. We invited him to stake conference. He came to the session that evening, AND the one on Sunday. He was the only investigator we ended having come to that. He has been an enormous blessing. We have other investigators who are having people come out of the woodwork, unsurprisingly, giving them anti-mormon rhetoric, so they didn't come to stake conference like we'd hoped. This week we've encountered a lot of opposition. But we've persevered and not given up. 

Sister Hunt is being transferred to Kennewick, and I'm staying in Yakima! I'm so excited! I'll miss her, but we both know this is the Lord's work and we're needed wherever He sends us. My new companion is going to be amazed at the amount of work we have here, we have 3 people on date for baptism, and that'll be 4 once we put our other investigator back on date again. Talk about an area being on fire! 

All the events of this week have strengthened my testimony that this is the Lord's work, He takes care of all His children, and that faith will see us through ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING!!! I feel at peace with the efforts I'm putting forth and my progress. I feel the spirit confirm that my Heavenly Father is pleased with what I'm doing; and that's all that matters to me. I'm so grateful for the Gift of the Holy Ghost! Throughout this week I have learned A LOT and felt A LOT of emotions, but I know that God has a plan and we can trust in Him.

My favorite Scripture this week is Ether 4:10-19.

Remember to feast on the scriptures so that you can invite angels to surround you and your loved ones. 

The Church is true, the book is blue, and Moroni's on the ball!

Love,

Sister Karony

​

THANK YOU FOR THE MENTOS!!!

Last day of service at Northwest Harvest all together with Sister Toomer, who is going home, and Sister Hunt, who's transferring to Kennewick! You're awesome!

​

Letter_Week 05_Yakima_Sister Karony

Hey Ya'll's!

Guess what?

*Blaring trumpets and drum roll* 

This week I'm having a baptism!!! One of our investigators is following the example of Jesus Christ this Saturday and being baptized! WOOHOO!!! He's awesome! Lots has happened this week!

-Can't recall any discouragement at the moment...

-I've never felt like giving up! I'm a Karony! We don't give up! We go big or go home! We fail with flair and fireworks! We endure to the end!

-Boy! There's been a lot this week to feel triumphant about!: 

~We had exchanges with our Sister Training Leaders (STLs) Sister Toomer and Sister Pugh. Sister Toomer came to be with me in my area. I got us a bit lost walking around in Union Gap (another city right by Yakima that we cover part of), but after 20 mins and lots of OYMs (open your mouth/talking to people) later I found where we were trying to go, and I can finally say that I know how to get around there!!! Wahoo! I am horrible with directions, but the Lord is blessing me and helping me improve and acquire (very slowly) this skill. In addition to that I had absolutely no real idea of how I was going to do taking charge of all our lessons that day and planning it all out, but it turned out awesomely! I am SO GRATEFUL for the Holy Ghost and that we are never alone in this work, or life in general. I would've sunk with style without that help! Sister Karony vs. uncertainty, Sister Karony KO's uncertainty!!! 

~We have a baptism this Saturday for our investigator and he is so excited. He doesn't care who baptizes him, as long as they have the priesthood and can make sure he can get back out of the"tank". We love teaching him. He bore us his simple and beautiful testimony of how important it is to have the Gospel in our lives. The Spirit was so strong. I almost cried. It's so beautiful to watch how a person changes under the influence of the Holy Ghost. Sister Hunt and I have been talking about how in so many ways it feels  our investigators are just growing up so fast! Our other 2 ODs (on dates) are also super solid and will have their baptisms in April. What a wonderful blessing and opportunity it's been to be here to take part in this process with them!

-I felt content and peaceful this past Sacrament meeting as I wrote in my journal and felt a little closer to my mom who's on the other side of the country.

-My experiences over the course of my exchange with Sister Toomer were insightful. It was reinforced to me once again that I really can do excellent under pressure and that without the Spirit I would've royally failed. It just goes to show that "the Church is true, the Book is blue, and Moroni's on the ball"! Thank heavens for Heaven. I planned our day well and took the lead in the lessons with the investigators and taught by the Spirit. I didn't have Sister Hunt there, so I had to make the decisions and really listen to the Spirit and his promptings. I messed up and got us a bit lost, but figured it out eventually. This experience strengthened my testimony in the power of the Holy Ghost. All you have to do is open your mouth and God does the rest.

-My favorite scripture this week is Moroni 10:5 "And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."

I love you my crazy family! Stay awesome! Toodles!

Love,

Sister Karony

Sister Karony

Sister Karony and Sister Toomer on exchanges!!! We rocked it!

Creepy sign manikin.... the girl in the red tank is not the manikin.

RAINBOW!!! It's official! Yakima is where you'll find the pot of Golden Investigators this St. Patrick's day!!!

A long haired rat--I mean guinea pig....

Bonnie and Clyde!!!!! Only in Yakima!

Letter_Week 04_Yakima_Sister Karony

Tomorrow I'll have been out for 1 whole month!!! Time flies! I love it here, all the people, the members, the missionaries. I'm going to share this week's email from President Ware to show you how crazy this mission is:

We love you Elders and Sisters, 

This week was another wonderful week of heaven’s blessings and miracles pouring down upon your investigators and upon you as the Lord’s missionaries. Your faith in Him, your willingness to be obedient and sacrifice your will for His, and give your best, and sleep well is very pleasing to our Savior. 

This past week 12 of our brothers and sisters entered the waters of baptism in a covenant with Christ that changes their life and eternity, and 20 more of our brothers and sisters are preparing this week. Our prayerful goal is to invite and help 50 of our brothers and sister come unto Christ in baptism in March. 

Last week 191 on date, 275 new investigators, 165 at church, and 497 member present lessons.

This week let’s get the members involve to help 200 attend church and strive to have 600 member present lessons this week. Planning in advance is the key for many more members to be involved in finding, teaching and friend-shipping. 

We are so proud of your focus to bring the Spirit to meals with member families. When a gospel conversation is part of the meal their faith increases and you will receive additional people to teach.

Be ON FIRE in the SPIRIT. Remember the convincing power by the Spirit is the Book of Mormon to know that Jesus Christ has restored His Church again on the earth and that His atoning sacrifice redeems, enables, and heals to wholeness all who will believe on His name and follow Him. (1 Nephi 13:38-40) 

May your heart be filled with Joy and Happiness as you teach and testify that He Lives!

Live His Doctrine of daily improvement and fulfill your purpose to the fullest! 

Faith is the Power, Obedience is the Price, Love is the Motive, The Spirit is the Key, and Jesus Christ is the True Reason. 

We love and sustain you! President and Sister Ware

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Now for my part of the email!!!!

-I felt triumphant many times this past week: 

~I had to teach the lesson in Gospel Principles this past Sunday on Ch 9: Scriptures. I had a mini anxiety attack because I was afraid I'd do terribly. I wasn't going to be teaching it with Sister Hunt, and I've never been very good at teaching on my own in the past. What a doofus I was! God took care of me, and I did awesome! I even caught myself throughout the lesson when I was talking too much or too fast and so I would stop and ask a question. The class was very interactive. I made bookmarks to hand out to everyone to help them with their studying of the Book of Mormon. It was even awesome though, because 2 of our investigators had stayed for second hour and were there. It gave me the courage to get up and teach. The spirit was definitely there. If it hadn't been for the Holy Ghost though, I would've flopped. Thank heavens for Heaven! 

~This Sunday was even crazier than normal. We had 3 investigators at church, 2 of whom are on date for baptism, and we had a new family (a mom and her 4 girls) a member had invited to church who came as well. SO GRATEFUL FOR MEMBERS!!! We wouldn't have been able to juggle to the 7 people we had without the members' help. All the little kids got to primary, the teens to Sunday school and Young Woman's, and their mom to Gospel Principles and Relief Society. Our 2 male investigators only stayed for the 1st 2 hours. IT WAS INSANE!!!!! Having too many investigators at church is a FANTASTIC problem to have. Needless to say though, we were exhausted and slept like rocks. We succeeded! 

~In general I'm teaching tons more simply and by the Spirit, and we found another 3 new investigators this past week. We have members giving us people to teach faster than we can contact them all before we have even more to visit! I love this place!

-After we taught one of our investigators the Word of Wisdom, he committed to live it and come to church the next day, I felt absolute joy and peace. He's making the choices he needs to in this life so he can live with our Heavenly Father in the next. I am so blessed to be in an area, no, a mission, where the work is exploding! I am more than content, I'm ecstatic!

-Teaching our investigators always strengthens my testimony that God prepares His children to hear and accept His Gospel, and that many of them WILL listen and follow Christ's example. These two men are always telling Sister Hunt and I, "Just tell me what I gotta to do to live with God again, and I'll do it." Their hope and faith boosts my own every time I'm around them.

-I've felt prompted to take my missionary inspiration from Ammon. Not for the cutting-off-of-the-arms bit, though that IS awesome, but for how humble and penitent he is. My scripture this week is: Alma 26:11-16. I too will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, who is merciful and mighty to save.

Oh, btw, there's a billboard (moving one) around here that advertises "Gallifrey Massages" "Regeneration at it's best!" BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Doctor Who Nerd pun!

I love you all! You won't have to worry about me telling the same stories over and over about my mission anymore. I have too many to tell you already! 

Til next week! Bis Spaeter!

Love,

Sister Karony

Pictures_Week 03_Yakima_Sister Karony

More pictures from Week 03:

Sister Hunt is awesome!

Sister Karony is thinking...

My District Leader Elder Rasmussen and his companion Elder Winkler (red hair)!

Letter_Week 03_Yakima_Sister Karony

It's been uber busy! This past Saturday we had an appointment every hour! It was CRAZY!!! Also, Sister Hunt and I are alternating between kickboxing and yoga for exercise every morning, and my body hurts! But it's a good hurt.

-We had 5 investigators committed to coming to church this fast Sunday, but only one actually came. It was disappointing, but we realized the Lord was prompting us to focus more on this investigator who had come.

-I was talking with Sister Hunt (look up "Companionship Inventory" in Preach My Gospel), and she said my strength was never giving up.

-I felt triumphant this past Saturday when we were teaching our investigator about Jesus Christ. I taught more simply and clearly than I've ever done for all of my mission so far; and Sister Hunt and I taught in perfect unity of the Spirit. We had prayed before the lesson for the Spirit to prick his heart, but it turned out to be more like he was stabbed right through the heart, in a very good way. I felt the entire lesson like it wasn't me talking, things were coming out of my mouth that I can't remember. All I do really remember is the opening my mouth part. I've had many other lessons and interactions since then with similar experiences when I find myself saying something that makes no sense to me, but it touches the person I'm talking to.

-We taught a women on Saturday evening as we accompanied her to walk her dog, something Sisters have been doing for a few months now, but we finally had a real religious discussion and taught the Restoration. I'd thought I'd been simple and clear with my other investigator, but then I did this lesson. Sister Hunt and I were on fire with the Spirit! It was the smoothest, most spirit filled Restoration lesson I've ever done! I felt so content and peaceful afterwards as we walked home from this. The entire day had been run by the Spirit, telling us where to go when appointments fell through and what to say and do, and where to go to find those we were meant to find and teach that day. It was like we were on a cloud of happy exhaustion.

-All these experiences of finding our new investigators by the Spirit, teaching by the Spirit, are teaching me a little bit at a time how to recognize and act upon the holy ghost's promptings. It's strengthened my testimony that I can do it and will become good at it. It's also strengthened my testimony that the Lord will keep His promises to me, because Has has been letting us know specifically the when, where, and who of our new investigators to find each day. He promises that to all missionaries as we pray specifically for this, pray as if it's all up to Him, and then go out and work as if it's all up to us. Often in answer to this prayer, we have investigators dropped into our laps by members. That happened yesterday when a member family at church asked us to come teach the lessons to their son's girlfriend who had come to them asking to be taught by the missionaries. All these events have strengthened my testimony that this is the Lord's work, and He's the one in control.

-My scripture for this week is the WKM scripture theme: 3 Nephi 5:13 (Luka's birthday!!! Lol!) Reminds me of my purpose and focus as a missionary.

-Sister Hunt is going to write you a letter with a couple of Sister-Karony-isms in it for you.

My word for 2015 is: Faith. Everything thus far on my mission has been about faith. Faith keeps popping out at me whenever I read the scriptures, listen to talks, speak with President Ware, talk with people in general, and open my mouth to teach.

Love,

Sister Karony