Back from the dead and a new look

Ok, so I actually was far from dead these past 18 months, but to many of you it may have seemed that way. I have been home from my mission now for about 3 1/2 months and have yet to revive my habit of blogging...but we are working on that. This is just the first step: letting you all get to hear my own voice again (through type, of course) and know that I, Carianne King, am still alive and fighting more than ever. I thank my wonderful sister, Michal, for taking over the blog updates while I was away.

On February 24, 2011 I returned from serving 18 months in the Honduras Tegucigalpa mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I absolutely loved my time and experience there and wouldn't take it back for the world! There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about it and miss it and the people I came to know, serve, and love. But I know that "to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven." (Eccl. 3:1) I know that my time to serve a full-time mission has ended for now, and that now is my time to take what I have learned from it, go forward and put it to good use blessing my own life and the lives of others.

Thank you all for any letters, emails, or packages you sent me, or even your thoughts and prayers...I sure felt the support and it was greatly appreciated in any form!

My wonderful parents were able to come down to Honduras and spend a week and a half with me at the end of my mission and travel around, seeing the country and having fun, visiting the areas in which I had served, and getting to know a good portion of the people I love with so much of my heart! It was sweet to have my parents meet these Hondurans whom I love so much, put faces and personalities with names that had read so much about in letters, and understand me when I got home and was missing my Catrachos (Hondurans). If you would like to see pictures of this trip, I have an album on my facebook.

I came home to Colorado to spend a wonderfully exciting week with all my family (19 of us including Grandma Ihli!) and have a Christmas in February all together! My family decided to wait and save their Christmas vacation time to come out when I got home and have Christmas together then - I love my family! We also got to take a new family picture!


Don't I have the most beautiful family ever?!

I also came home to another surprise...realizing I do not have my perfect 20/20 vision anymore! I started noticing I cannot see clearly things that are far away (such as road signs when driving). Went in for an eye exam and...long story short, I now have these:


I don't have to wear them all the time, but am starting to like the option of wearing them now and then. I mean, since we were little, Michal and I have always wished we could wear glasses. :) But now that both of our blind brothers, Nathan and Jameson, have gotten lasik surgery, I am the only one! :)

Okay, so I have been neglectful of my sista's blog. Having a baby, moving, husband getting a new job, husband being called as seminary teacher and I being called as primary president has really been keeping us busy.

But his blog isn't about me...

Thanksgiving when the elders cooked lunch for the zone...

As for my companion....I am training again! But this time, its a Gringa! :) Her name is Hna Hanvey from American Fork, Utah. She`s tall (like most northamericans ha ha), with beautiful red hair and glasses.
Let`s see, today we actually had a fun P-day. The whole zone went bowling....it felt a little wierd bcause I haven`t bowled in so long, but guess what? Out of 2 games, I won both games!!! ha ha The elders were dying of shame....ha ha! then we played some ping pong and went to eat pizza. It was nice to do something different.
what we found today on the street...

As y'all (this is a real word here in NC) can see, Hermana Carianne King is healthy and still beautiful, as always. She is still stealing the hearts of all those who come in contact with her. She's a magnet, I know. Don't forget how much she loves Christmas, send her a package!

We get to see her in person the end of February, I can't wait!!!

Sorry for the delay, just had a baby so I am behind. Read her letter below- we all knew she was destined for great things. Her new "calling" is just one example of how much the Lord puts so much trust in her!

"So I have lots to tell...this week was full of big changes and things happening!

#1) I surprisingly had changes, not my companion. Sad to only have one change in San Luis...it was a good area with a lot of potential. I still didn´t get to see that couple married and baptized, but they are on the right path. We also had just found a few awesome families with a lot of potential!! It was hard to leave them all so suddenly and I don´t have any pictures with any of them!!!! Its sad....so needless to say, I did not sing in church, nor play the piano... I had changes for the city, I´m back in Teguc. It´s an area called La Joya and it used to be elders. They just switched it to hnas 2 changes ago and the members are LOVING having hnas! They work really well with the missionary work even though they are still growing! They are very well organized and it seems like an awesome ward! We live in a pretty nice house (for honduras and for the mission)...and it´s cool, because we live on a hill almost at the top of the hill, so looking out our window we have an awesome view of Tegucigalpa and its really pretty! I am with Hna Chen, from Guatemala and she is AMAZING!!! She came the same change as Hna Salgado (my daughter) so only has 3 changes in the mission, but is wonderful!! She is sweet and loving, fun and talkative, very easy to live with. She loves the work, and teaches with the spirit! I already love being with her! It will be a good change! She has a powerful testimony and is obedient. I already love her a lot! We have an awesome ward mission leader who has really great ideas and is very helpful!

#2) So our mission nurse, Hna Adams, was an older lady. She and her husband were here on a mission and she was full-time in the office. but her mission just ended this change and went home. And guess who is the new mission nurse? ....yep, your very own, HNA KING! Oh my gosh...what a surprise! I haven´t forgotten practically EVERYTHING (and I´m not exaggerating when I say that, for all of you who have gone on missions, remember how you forgot names of your favorite songs, names of some of your friends, imagine how much nursing knowledge I have already forgotten!) And I didn´t even get to talk to or get training from Hna Adams before she left. It is a big step up but I know that if the Lord is asking it of me, he will help me. I have some books and stuff, and also I can call the Doctor for central American missions (hes a north American who is in Guatemala) anytime to ask him questions. he helps a lot and is very kind! I am learning a lot already. I get my own cell phone with international calls...woot woot! So I can call you guys whenever i want now...ha ha if only! But I get calls from missionaries all morning, all during lunch hour, and all evening when we´re in the house. I feel a little overwhelmed but I think with time, I will get used to it and who knows....I feel a little bad for my companion, but we are working with how to make it more efficient, because I am still working full-time as a proselyting missionary too. I have to find a good balance and I hope the missionaries can recognize that too and not call me for things that aren´t really that big of a deal. Its all a learning and growing experience right?

#3) I have been hearing about the bishop in this ward in La Joya for some time, that he is amazing and works super well with the missionaries. He loves them greatly and loves the mission work. Hna Chen says that no one loved them like the bishop did and that he is the best bishop she´s ever seen (better than her´s at home)....but sadly I never got to meet him. We went to his house my first night here, but no one was home. She told me he had been sick and later we found out they had gone to the hospital. Changes were on Thursday (long story) and on Friday we found out he had Dengue hemorrhagic, and on Saturday morning we got a call early that he had passed away....super sad. He was only 27 and left a wife who is pregnant and 2 little girls. All day Saturday they had his body in the chapel and a service in the evening. Then yesterday for sacrament mtg. we had his funeral service (just one hour of church) and another short one at noon (Elder Falabella form the area presidency came) and then we took him to the cemetery. The saddest part is the family he left behind, they are very delicate, but we know they will be taken care of. Its kind of a sad way to come into a new area, but the members are wonderful and I know we will be able to work together to move forward. Just wish I could´ve known him....I am studying and learning more about personal conversion and how to make it happen in our own lives and then how to help others to find that conversion too. I love my study (which is shortening with this whole new nurse thing- they are always calling me!)...but I know that Heavenly Father will help me and make up the difference. I am excited for the changes, Heavenly Father knew I was needed a push to give him more, so he just pulled it out of me. :) I hope I can give all that he needs from me. Pray for the family of Bishop Archaga and his wife, Mabel and her children. We have some good investigators right now, and are finding some new families...pray for us that they can progress! Right now the investigators that I just tell names for you to pray for are Tania, Katia, and Benigno."

"Wow, so I am so excited to tell you all about the Luau! It was AWESOME!!! Best activity Honduras has EVER SEEN!!! Ok, so when we had our district conference, we had about 245 people....yeah, this activity, we had 335!!!! AND, the surprising thing is, it was pouring all afternoon, like the hardest I have seen it rain in Honduras so far. All the missionaries were at our church decorating, setting up chairs, etc. And about 2 pm it started coming down. The activity was supposed to be outside so we were all setting up outside (on the basketball courts) and when it started raining we all started dancing one of the group dances in the rain, it was so fun! We got soaked! And at one point during the dance it was coming down so hard, I couldn´t hardly see!!! So we left to go home and shower and get some last minute things ready...and walking in the streets it was a complete river! When we got to the boulevard it was like a lake up to our knees!!! It was sooo fun! And of course all the Hondurans think those mormons are nuts for being outside when its raining...ha ha So we went home and prayed really hard that there would be some way we could still have the activity, and come 5:30 its just sprinkling, so we go around all the chairs and tip the swimming pools off of them, and when everyone arrives, its not raining at all. It was such a blessing!! God loves us!!! Of course there were some crazy things but overall it was awesome!!! Hermana Fuka and I danced one together (Hawaiian) that she taught me the night before! I love it! I can´t wait for you to see videos of it! then the girls in our ward did their number (hawaii) that we´ve been teaching them. THen I did a SOLO!!! (Samoa) that the Samoan elder in our ward taught me. It was 6 min long, but I love it! He told me he was so proud of me afterwards, and thank you for learning it. Fuka did a Tonga solo, and one with poi balls (new zealand), then we had a group one with all the youth from all the branches! It was awesome!!! Everyone loved it!!! Pres and Hna Chaverri and the APs came and said it was amazing! Oh I´m sure I´ll have more stories for you, but I´ll be talking to you in a week! woo hoo! "

The rain before the show...
We got to talk to Hermana King on Mother's Day- oh how sweat to hear her voice! You all know she has a good one too! She said that the Elder who taught her this dance practiced with her the whole time, and she did not realize until late in the game that is was actually a solo. But of course, like everything she does, it was wonderful and people are still talking about it even a few weeks later.

Her solo dance...

Her and her companion, Hermanda Fuka, and Elder Falesui, (the Polynesians)

"I had transfers...I am now in the south of Honduras, in a city called Choluteca. And guess what? IT IS SUPER HOTT!!! Wow, hotter than hotter than hot! I am telling you....I am just wet and sweaty and tired all the time. I wipe my face every 5 seconds and its just dripping. And dripping down my back...ooo yummy. :) We buy water to drink in between every cita practically. I am really tired all the time (as in sleepy), boy this sun sure takes everything out of you, but I hope that I will get used to the weather here. I am excited though, because I have a good companion, Hna Bala, from Guatemala. She only has 2 transfers in the mission but she is excited to work, and work hard! I think it will be a good change. We are working with a couple right now to get them married, and then they will be baptized to join their 3 kids that are already members (and 4 more little ones that aren´t old enough)"

"We have lots of little friends in our house...like geckos, TONS of mosquitos who have already taken plenty of bites out of me, huge flying cockroaches, lots of other little bugs everywhere that I don´t know the names of, and I keep hearing about tarantulas, but luckily haven´t seen one yet...ooo!"

Sorry for the long hiatus! Hermana King's email address has changed to: carianne.king@myldsmail.net

She was very excited to have a baptism this week:
"So guess what?! We had a baptism this week! Of Milagro! Finally!! I didn´t say anything last week, because I didn´t want to have to tell you that it didn´t go through like the week before. But it was great and we have great hope for her as she is getting well-involved with the young women. We did our baptism with the elders from another branch (because we are the only ones with a chapel so all from the zone come to our chapel for their baptisms). And this area that had a baptism is brand brand new and this was their very first baptism! It was exciting! But also....so of course they didn´t bring any members to the baptism (because they don´t have any), but they brought some investigators, and one of them i recognized. After the baptism, I saw her and said, are you Lydia? And she said yes, and said, YOU are the one that first invited me to church! (when we did the contacting activity in Yuscaran)...I remember meeting her in the street with 2 of her sons and we gave her a pamphlet, talked to her a little about the church and invited her. So at the baptism I asked her how she liked the baptism and she A LOT! I said, so when are YOU going to get baptized? And she said soon, soon. (after talking to the elder, he said, they just have to get married and then she will get baptized)....Oh what joy!!! It made me feel so wonderful!! I told the elder to be sure to tell me when she gets baptized because we are coming to her baptism! :) I LOVE this work and how the Lord has His hand in every aspect of it!"

She has been working very hard in her ward and sharing all her musical talents. She is teaching a piano class and is the sole piano player for the ward.

"We are helping several youth prepare their mission papers and all to leave on the mission. It is very exciting because here in the branch, there are 0 return missionaries, so they are trying to get this generation of youth to go as soon as they can (some already have the age, just need to get it all rolling) so that they can come back and strengthen the branch! One girl just put in her papers, and we are about to help another girl and boy fill out their papers...it is very exciting!"

She also got a new companion:
"SURPRISE!! We had changes! We totally didn't think we were going to have changes at all...but came the call, and Hna Salgado got transferred out to Choluteca (in the south, where its really HOT)....it was a big surprise, that I am staying here in the Villa....but oh so happy, because I did NOT want to leave. I feel content that we were good and all before she left...but I am also excited to be with my new companion....and here is another funny thing!!! My new companion is TONGAN!!! My 3rd Polynesian companion, out of 5! Her name is Hna Fuka and she is a cousin (2nd cousins I think) of Hna Naa....but Hna Fuka has lived most of her life in Utah. She has one transfer less than me in the mission. We are both excited to be together and I think we are going to be able to be really powerful together in this area. She struggles quite a bit with the language still but she has a desire to work hard and shares a strong testimony, so I think we are going to be just fine!"

We love her and know she is doing a great work!

On Sunday, we got to church and the branch president asked me to play the piano (normally we don{t have anything, but this week they brought a keyboard) and everyone loved it...they loved having music to go along with their singing finally. And I will now be teaching a class on Saturdays to the members who want to learn how to play the piano. There are several that are SO excited to learn! It makes me excited for them, because then when I leave, hopefully one of them can take over and they won´t be without music again.

So in the fields surrounding the Villa, there are fields of sugar cane and they are harvesting right now, so that means they have to burn the cane, to make it easier to cut down or something. Then all the ashes go up in the sky, float over the town, and fall, almost constantly. So it´s like its raining ashes...lovely. Especially when the houses have roofs that don´t keep anything out, so we come home and we have ashes all over EVERYTHING!!!! and we usually have dishes in the sink because we don´t always have water to wash them with...we just have to wait until the water comes. oh the adventures of honduras... ha ha So guess what?!?! We went hiking in the mountains today for P-day! I was sooooooo happy and have been looking forward to it all week! We went with our zone of 10 missionaries and a bunch of the youth from our ward. We hiked for about 3-4 hours and got to some waterfalls….there were 3 different ones and the youth splashed us all until we were soaked….but it felt really good. I had my Chaco´s and it was perfect! Everyone was jealous of my ability to just walk in the water and not worry about my shoes…mwa ha ha It was such a fun day!! But I know I´m going to feel it tomorrow because I haven´t done anything for like 5 months!

Oh man, so this week I was leading the music in Sacrament Mtg and there is no piano so the person leading the music just gives the tone at the beginning (sing like the first line) and then everyone together. Well I went up there and they had picked a song I didn´t know!! I was like uh oh how am I going to give the tone?!?! I just made it up as well as I could looking at the notes, but wow…. Good thing we weren´t in the states because here nobody really has tone so I´m sure they didn´t mind, but it was still funny.

Baptism and New Area

"our first one(baptism)! THere is a picture of it....Eliza, she is 9 and her whole family is members. She couldn´t get baptized when she was 8 because she had a surgery on her nose and couldn´t go under water until now. and since she is 9 she is considered a convert so we got to teach her all the lessons, etc. So not really a convert, but still it was exciting. They couldn´t do it on Saturday so we did it yesterday at 8am before church so she could be confirmed in church. She is really cute."

"So guess what?!? Ive been transferred! Hna Naa stayed in Palmira (for her last transfer) with Hna Dixon and I am out here in Villa de San Francisco, east of the city. I love it! Its a little farm town, there are just as many horses and donkeys walking around the streets as cars. We have a house and a front yard....not super nice but a lot bigger than our teeny little apt in Teguc. Its quiet and I can fall asleep to crickets and children laughing, then wake up to horse hooves on the cobblestone road. Most of the roads are just dirt, but there are a few with cobblestone. But it all makes me want to ride a horse again! We are in a valley with mountains around, its absolutely beautiful! This is the Honduras I was expecting! I do miss Hna Naa but I have a wonderful companion! Hna Lopez from Nicaragua. She only has about 2 and half months more than me but she is top quality and I know I will learn SO MUCH from her! She is a convert of 12 years and is very strong! I already like working with her! There is just a branch here, it is very small, but at least we have a church. Oh! And the cool part is, we are in a brand new zone! They just opened a new zone, called Valle Verde (Green Valley) and there are just 10 of us missionaries. We have 5 areas, and 2 of them are brand new, so we are having plenty of adventures. But I am excited, we have a bunch of awesome missionaries in our little zone. We are hoping to climb some mountains and fun stuff on P-days so it will be good! When we we came here with all my luggage, it was quite funny....we took a bus to a little town where the road for Villa de San Francisco splits off...then we took a little minibus (like a minivan stuffed full of people)....it was hilarious to try and fit all my stuff in and all the people. I was so embarrassed. Then when we got to town, we took a mototaxi (like a motorcycle thing with a bench in the back (3 wheels) and a little roof) to our house. It was a great start. I am really excited to be in this area with Hna Lopez...I think I am going to love it! I feel more content in my heart...just being out of the city."

"We didn{t do much for New Years, just had dinner at a recent converts house and went to bed, but got woken up by the music from the salon de baile thats just down the street and the fireworks at midnight."

"I am still LOVING it here in la Villa and we are working hard. I love the way Hna Lopez works, we are losing ourselves in the work and I think that is one reason I am so much happier here. This past week has brought us a cold front…which means perfect during the day, and a little chilly in the evenings, but yesterday was FREEZING! (ok, I know it’s still not as cold as it is there in Colorado and Utah, but its cold). There was a fierce wind and even with our sweaters it was soooo cold! I slept with 2 blankets and this morning, waiting for the bus at 6am was soooo cold! I have never experienced this much cold here in Honduras…in fact I never imagined it existed in Central America…ha ha.So some funny things about people here (I think its all of central America)….whenever they get sick…even just a cold (which they get sick often…I think it more a matter of the lack of cleanliness and never washing their hands), but they ALWAYS say its because of the change of weather. I don’t think they know what change in weather is really, because compared to the states, they have a very tempered climate here (its pretty much the same all year)…but they always attribute it to that. And I think its funny…but I don’t say anything…"

"I love this place! I just laugh every day when I hear donkeys….making the noise they make…I don’t know what its called….but its hilarious…its all over the place. Seeing the horses always makes me want to ride them….but sadly we’re not allowed to."