6/20/2016 Happy PDay

Hey everyone! I hope you have all been having a really good week :) This week for Sister Erickson and I was pretty good :) A lot of our appointments unfortunately cancelled on us this week but because we had put in a lot of time to prepare for those lessons the Lord provided and we were still able to get some lessons in this week. It truly is amazing to me how involved the Lord is in my life now that I am serving. I have been thinking about that and I have come to the conclusion that he has always been that involved I just wasn't paying attention! This work is the Lords work after all so without his help and guidance how would we be able to do his work his way? I am so beyond grateful for the guidance and direction I have been given in all aspects of missionary work! 

On Tuesday we were able to meet with our investigator Kirk and we read Ether 10-12 with him and we discussed a lot of things as we read but one main topic we focused on was faith. Faith in Jesus Christ will help us through our lives but its more than just having faith its being full of faith. Faithful in the Lord our Savior Jesus Christ no matter what. This world is not going to get any better and in the end all we are going to have is each other as families and our faith in our Savior and in his gospel. It really hit me hard thinking and pondering about that and asking myself if I am doing everything I need to be doing. There is always room for improvement ;)

In our district meeting this week we went around the room and each had the opportunity to share our testimonies of the atonement. I went last and while all the other Elders and Sisters were talking I was trying to think of when I first gained a real testimony of it. I realized that I have known about the atonement and what it was but up until my mission I didn't truly have a strong testimony of it. Not until my cousin Andrew passed away. That was when I really had to fall to my knees and pray with my whole soul to my Heavenly Father. That was the day I gained my strong, undeniable testimony of the atonement. 

I love this gospel so much and I am so grateful for it in my life. I don't know where I would be without the gospel in my life, I know I wouldn't be here on my mission! 

Kirk and Colleen are getting married in 5 days!! We are all so excited for them to make these big steps in their lives :) So happy for them!! Sorry this email is kind of scatter brained I didn't have a lot of time before now to gather my thoughts haha I love you all and hope that you can each take the opportunity to gain or strengthen your testimony of the atonement this week :) Also happy Fathers Day to all you fathers out there and especially to my goofy dad :) Thanks for always teaching me to be independent and supporting me in all that I do. I love you old man :) 

Have a great week and say your prayers!! LOVE YOU!

love,

Sister Munk 

June 13, 2016

Hello everyone!! So I am really sorry this email is going to be lame but I am in a hurry!! Here is just a quick update! 

We are super excited for Kirk :) He is solid and is going to be interviewed this week! He is still on date for July 2nd. We had dinner with him and Colleen yesterday and after we helped them make gifts for the guests at their wedding. So fun! I love weddings!! 

We also were able to do quite a bit of service this week. We cleaned out a lady's attic and cleaned her windows with most of the zone. It was really dirty and super gross but we had fun with it! 

We also were able to meet with a less active member of our Ward name Sister Kelley. She is the best!! I seriously Love her. It has been a few years since she has been to church and so we were really happy to sit with her during sacrament :) 

The Ashton Park Ward is doing pretty well and I am happy to be serving here :) 

Love you Lots
Sister Munk

June 6, 2016

Happy June everyone! I seriously can not believe it's already
summertime :) it definitely feels like it over here...it's so hot! And
it's only gonna get hotter....
Anyways this week was pretty great :) On Tuesday we had a great lesson
with our investigator Kirk :) He is definitely getting married on the
25th of this month and baptized on the 2nd of July. We are really
excited for him. He bore his testimony on Sunday and it was so simple
and powerful! He is an awesome guy and so is Colleen his fiancé :) I
haven't known them for a long time but I already love them! One thing
I have learned since I have been on my mission is that as I have
diligently prayed for charity towards those I meet I have been able to
better see everyone as a son or a daughter of God. You really don't
need to know someone for a long time to love them :)
On Thursday we did some service for a lady in the area. We helped her
organize some of her family history and it was so fun to hear about
all of her fun experiences growing up :) To be honest before my
mission I didn't understand or really have a testimony of family
history but we get an awesome opportunity to take an hour of our day
once a week to do our own personal family history. I'm not very good
at it but I love seeing all the pictures and reading all the fun
stories :) Family History is awesome! Go do it :)
We are also teaching a sweet lady named Tequila and so far we have not
really been able to have a sit down lesson with her but we are hoping
that soon we will :) She has 5 little kids and they are all super
cute! They kept asking us all these questions about being missionaries
and they were horrified when we said we couldn't go swimming haha

Probably the best part of this week was Saturday. I was lucky enough to go back to Rancho Cordova for the baptism of Spencer :) I was so excited to see everyone again and of course for the excellent choice Spencer made to be baptized. It was an awesome baptism! I said the opening prayer and lead the music. Sister Cundick and Sister Hyde did an awesome job doing the missionary moment and the spirit was so strong! I don't have pictures yet but I'll send them as soon as I do! :) I love you all and hope you have a fabulous week! Don't forget to read your scriptures and say your prayers :) 

Love,

Sister Munk

 It was hot so we decided to stop for a snack

The sisters (sister beck, sister sessions, and sister erickson) we were

going to do service for a little lady in our area but then she cancelled on

us so we took pictures instead ;)) 

The Cutting Family, I got to see them at the baptism.

May 30, 2016

Hello family and friends!
This week was kind of a crazy week with transfers but it has been good :)
Someone very wise once told me to "take it one day at a time" and that
has been my motto for the week. Sister Erickson and I have been
getting to know each other better this week and she is pretty cool!
She is a recent convert, she was baptized when she was 21 and she is
now 29. She has been out for 14 months and she is really quirky and
fun to be around. :)
So the Ashton Park Ward is so different from my previous wards....the
Mather and Anatolia wards were young families with lots of kids and
the Ashton Park Ward is a much older Ward. Most of the Ward is 60+
years old :) It's great! I love visiting and meeting with the members
because they all have awesome life stories and they are all super
sweet. So most of what we did this week was less active work :) We
visited some less actives and challenged all of them to say their
prayers morning and night. We left them with the promise that as they
focus on the basic principles of the gospel like prayer, scripture
study, and attending church their lives would change for the better.
The nice thing about older people is that you can be blunt and
straight up and they don't get offended haha which is good for me
because well you know me....
One of the active members we visited are the Davidsons and they are
super missionary oriented and they are always talking to their friends
and neighbors about the gospel :) We were actually able to meet with
some of their friends and talk with them about the gospel. So
hopefully that pans out because their friends are a sweet young
family!!
We also have an investigator named Kirk who has been meeting with
missionaries for about 2 years... Haha mainly he just needs to get
married to his less active fiancé:) Along with some other things....
They are scheduled to be married June 25th and hopefully soon after
that he will be baptized :) Yippee another wedding hahaha
This week I have been reading in the book of Alma for personal study
and something that I read the other day that stuck out to me was in
Alma chapter 29 verses 9 and 14
V9 "I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I
do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath
commanded me; yea and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an
instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and
this is my joy".....v14 "But I do not joy in my own success alone..."
I don't know about you but I want so much to be an effective
instrument in the Lords hands! It's also a good reminder to be humble
and give the glory to God and be thankful for what we have. I am so
grateful for the scriptures! I have learned so much from them in the
past 6 months it's awesome :)
Also happy Memorial Day! I am so thankful to all those who defend our
rights and sacrifice their lives for our freedom. I come from some
amazing people who have made a big impact on my life and I are m so
grateful for what they did for the future generations.
Well that's all folks! Have a great week and say your prayers :)
Love,
Sister Munk 😘

Goodbye Rancho :(

Ok so I don't have a lot of time because it has been a crazy day!

Transfers happened and I got moved to East Sac in the Ashton Park

Ward. My new companion is Sister Erickson from Sandy,UT. We not only

got transferred but we also had to move apartments. We moved into an

elders apartment and so we spent most of the day cleaning. It was

disgusting (to be expected) hahaha elders are gross! The sink and

dishwasher was full of dirty dishes, the garbage was overflowing and

the fridge was full of expired and moldy food. Good times! Anyways so

I am doing great! I am so so sad to be leaving my Mather and Anatolia

family and my cute little trainee Sister Cundick but I am excited for

new experiences and people. :) I get to go back on the 4th for

Spencer's baptism! Yahoo :)  Oh ya and I hit 6 months!! What?!? That's

so crazy. Thanks for the fun package mom! sorry this is short but I

have tons of pictures! Love you all and have a fantastic week!!!

Love

Sister Munk

Every member a Missionary

Hello friends and family :) Nothing too exciting happened this week
but it was still a great week here in Rancho Cordova. We have been
finding and tracting like crazy people. We haven't been having too
much success in the finding department but Spencer is on date for June
4th and he is really excited about it. :) Teaching Spencer with the
help of the Cuttings (a family in the Anatolia Ward) has made such a
difference! Member missionary work really is the best way to do it.
President Hinckley says it best:
“So many of us look upon missionary work as simply tracting. Everyone
who is familiar with this work knows there is a better way. That way
is through the members of the Church. Whenever there is a member who
introduces an investigator, there is an immediate support system. The
member bears testimony of the truth of the work. He is anxious for the
happiness of his investigator friend. He becomes excited as that
friend makes progress in learning the gospel. The full-time
missionaries may do the actual teaching, but the member, wherever
possible, will back up that teaching with the offering of his home to
carry on this missionary service. He will bear sincere testimony of
the divinity of the work. He will be there to answer questions when
the missionaries are not around. He will be a friend to the convert
who is making a big and often difficult change. … The process of
bringing new people into the Church is not the responsibility alone of
the missionaries. They succeed best when members become the source
from which new investigators are found”
Before my mission I was probably the worst at member missionary work!
I have such a testimony of it now that I am on my mission. Ok anyways
sorry for the long rant...
On Saturday a cute 8 year old little girl got baptized! Her dad has
been a member for about a year and her mom is not a member. So in
order for her to be baptized her parents decided she should take the
lessons and then decide for herself. So back in December when I was
with Sister Wright we would go over and teach her. She is such a cute
little thing! Her name is Bella and she was so excited to get baptized
finally!
We met a girl named Brianda who is living with some less active
members of the Mather Ward and she says she is interested in learning
more :) So hopefully we will be able to teach her!
We also had a specialized training for the whole mission from
President Jardine and the APs on How to begin teaching. It was really
inspiring and made me think about my teaching skills. There is always
something to improve on :)
On Saturday from 5:30-8:30 ok more like 9:30..... The Hermanas, Sister
Starnes and Davis, the zone leaders, Sister Cundick and I got to help
out and do service at the international festival. I guess they have
been doing it every year for a while now and it was so much fun!! We
made bead bracelets with little kids :) I wish I would have taken
pics! They had a sage set up and people from all different parts of
the world performed dances. It was so cool to watch :) Fun Stuff!
Here is an update on our recent converts:
Jeff is still doing great! He comes to church every Sunday and
participates in the sacrament :) His wife isn't progressing very much
unfortunately but we keep praying that eventually she will figure it
out.
Kevin and Sheri are struggling financially but they paid their tithing
and are being faithful to the covenants they made at baptism. Keep
them in your prayers! Sheri went visiting teaching for the first time
Sunday after church :) And Kevin helped with the sacrament again. They
are awesome!
Sylvia moved and we haven't heard from her so we hope she is doing well....
Well that is pretty much all that happened this week :) Sorry this is
so long and boring haha
Oh ya transfers are coming up this weekend... I have been in the same
area for about 6 months now so we all think I am going to leave but
hey who knows! I can't believe I'll be a third of the way done on the
18th..... Crazy! Well I love you all and hope you have a great week!
Love,
Sister Munk

Mother's Day

Dear friends and family,
Happy Mother's Day!!! I hope everyone had a great day full of
gratitude for all that our moms do for us :) It was the best Mother's
Day ever for my mom because she got to skype her favorite child ;)
(me) What a blessing it was to see my sweet families faces and
actually hear their voices! Speaking of voices Hayden is a man
now....so that's weird. I truly am so blessed with an incredible mom
who has so much patience and love for each of us kids. I am also
blessed with amazing grandmas and aunts who have made a huge impact on
my life. In one of our wards there was a talk given and the topic that
the bishop have him was "Motherhood is Awesome" as I listened and
pondered his thoughts on motherhood I was overwhelmed with such
humility knowing that my Father in Heaven knew me so perfectly that he
sent me to the right mother at the right time. Not only that but he
has also placed other mother figures in my life at the right moments.
Our Father in Heaven really does know us so individually! In that same
talk he mentioned how our Heavenly Father has entrusted us as women to
care for and nurture his spirit children while here on earth. What a
noble and sacred calling! I can't wait to be a mom! (But I will for at
least 2 years haha)
Jeff and Kevin blessed the sacrament again on Sunday :) Happy Day!
Every time Kevin blesses the sacrament Sheri gets teary eyed and feels
the spirit so strong. In the Mather Ward during relief society all the
men took over nursery and primary so that all the women could be
there. We met in the cultural hall and had Mothering Day :) There are
pictures attached but basically the relief society president is
amazing at decorating and always goes over and beyond but it's
awesome! We had a little brunch and there were some talks on
mothering. It was focused on all women whether they were mothers yet
or not. It was really touching :) Then they read us funny things that
moms say and at first it was all funny but then they got really
spiritual and loving and I cried hahaha thanks for all you do mommy :)
The rest of this week was pretty good :) We only had like 3 lessons
set up and all of them flaked on us. So that was a bummer but we were
able to teach Jobe and Jesse the plan of salvation. Since they are
just waiting on their uncles permission to be baptized they have been
taught everything but we still meet with them :) Anyways this time we
used sidewalk chalk and taught them to plan of salvation while they
helped us draw it. It was so fun!! Then we asked if we could take a
picture and they ran and stood in the celestial kingdom hahaha they
are the cutest!
Oh ya I have to tell you this crazy story! So on Saturday we were
doing service and we were really hungry and for some reason I was
craving a donut. So I told sister Cundick that all I wanted right then
was a super yummy donut and I'm not kidding like 30 seconds later a
guy came up to us with a box of DONUTS! He asked us if we wanted the
box. It was the coolest thing in the universe hahahaha sister Cundick
and I were dying! We kept joking that they were Holy Donuts haha Even
though it was a silly little thing it just strengthened my testimony
that God knows us and he cares about the little things :)
Well I hope that you all have a really fun week :) Send me fun
pictures of your lives! Oh ya and Happy Birthday to Easton and Uncle
Matt! I love you all lots and lots :)
Love
Sister Munk