Sister Allie King: September 26, 2016

OKAY, I've been transferred to the Stockdale Ward, Bakersfield Stake, I've already seen some members from the Snow Ward when I served there for 6 weeks last winter. My new address is:

1100 Mondavi Ave.

Apt B2

Bakersfield, CA 93312

Four Generations!

My new companion is Sister Sophie Elizabeth Hayes from Alpine, Utah, she’s Asian born in Kazakhstan, under Russia, and was adopted when she was 4! I trained her trainer’s trainer, so she’s my great granddaughter! She is way different from me, she’s majoring in fashion design in Seattle. I’m excited to work with her!! Love the area, love the ward. Also, I’m in the West Zone again, ha ha, it’s so weird. This seems like an AMAZING place to end my mission, I’m so pumped!!

Okay, this week was INSANE!! The new missionaries’ flight got cancelled and since flights to Bakersfield are so limited they had to push back transfers an extra day! Tender blessings from the Lord though, I got an extra day in College Heights!

So with this new system of transfers, I didn’t find out where I was going until transfer meeting when I got my new companion and was shipped off! Turns out I didn’t need to be shipped too far, I’m now in the STOCKDALE WARD! I’m in my old zone, old stake, and I’m with my great granddaughter through my first-born and the MTC companion of my last born here in the mission! I also made a full circle, going from the Bakersfield Stake to the south to the East and back to Bakes. Currently I’m writing this email about 5 minutes from my old area, but I’m not allowed to go back and visit... Sometimes missions are cruel.. But hey, ‘tis life!! I’ve gone from the poorest to the richest part of Bakersfield, so it’s quite a change.

We had a lesson with K., the friend of a member, who invited her to church to watch him give a talk in sacrament meeting and he gave her a Book of Mormon and the rest is history! She’s already almost halfway through reading it and she has the coolest testimony. She said how her relationship with Heavenly Father has already increased since she started reading and praying! I love how simple it is to grow faith, God likes things plain and to the point!

This ward has tons of active members, so it was a bit overwhelming trying to get to know all of them, but I’m hanging in there! They’re super awesome and are so willing to help us out. One of the people we got to meet is a 9 year old girl who just got baptized, she’s adorable, and we were visiting with her and her grandparents, she showed me her dance tricks (she’s amazing, I’m still in awe) and we shared a lesson and faith and went on our way! As soon as we got out of the house though, Sister Hayes started almost shouting she was so excited. Apparently the grandpa we were with is atheist and his wife isn’t really into religion and he leaves every single time the missionaries are over. Gradually he's started staying longer and longer, but still never stayed for the lesson or prayer. But not only did he STAY, but he participated and helped explain what a foundation was! (Helaman 5:12) WOW, it’s cool to see God softening the hearts of His children!

Something we've been thinking about a lot this week is the importance of keeping the commandments. Sister Hayes showed me an adorable video called a "shower of heavenly blessings," I’ll stick it here: https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2015-03-009-a-shower-of-heavenly-blessings?lang=eng

But it reminded us of a scripture in Mosiah 2:41, which says, "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."

Heavenly Father gave us commandments, gave us guidelines to help us be happy! It also helps us to become more converted to God and His gospel, as we ACT on our testimony, it grows stronger, and as we live the way God wants us to, we can have His spirit more fully in our lives!! The Lord has a lot of miracles in store for this coming week, can’t wait to tell you all about it, I love you!!