Katelyn in Kentucky: Happy Valentine's Day & Week!

Get Ready For TONS of Pictures (Yay!)

Well this week was a crazy one! We had Zone conference first of all and had to drive down to Evansville! Happy valentines day!! I got to see my sister missionary mother! it was so good to see sister Clark before he leaves! Sister Hinton got to see many old friends and an old companion.

Then the best of all moment we got to stay in the mission home with president and sister Brough this last Friday and woke up early the next morning on valentines day for the D. Todd Christofferson conference! We made it there and sat quietly in our chairs and were told to study our scriptures until he came in and then to stand when he does. They conducted us to stand and as we did d. Todd Christofferson walked in and I could hear a pin drop and Holy Moly the spirit was so strong! there wasn't a doubt in my mind that he was an apostle of the Lord. President Brough said that we would go row by row and he would let us say 'Hello' and Shake his hand! We were in the back so we talked a little while before we had our chance and then we did and he was proably a half an inch shorter than me and I thought it was weird because he seems like a fairly tall person on t.v. but nope he wasn't haha! But Elder Christofferson had us all ask questions (As we were supposed to come with some prepared for revelation) and each question was so perfect that everything that he said -I needed to hear. One of the Elder's asked a question that was so cool, he said "What is the significance of 'the laying on of hands' " and of course Elder Christofferson had some great humor and whipped right around and turned to President Brough behind him to ask him what he feels inspired to say about that. We all laughed as President Brough made a wonderful effort to teach us and then it was Elder Christofferson's turn to give his insights, he said : "It is the physical evidence of God's power. During a blessing the Lord is reaching down and touching you." I loved this because of how significant it is that God is literally blessing us through his holy servants and priesthood holders, just to give us strength when we need it the most

One of my questions I had that he answered was How do I more effectively forget myself and go to work and a sister stood up and asked that. Elder Christofferson said that that was a wonderful question she asked and as we all sat there with our notebooks in hand we listened intently to The Lord's advice through this apostle:

1. Receive a testimony of your calling

2. Watch what we do, think and say

3. Go and DO, no matter what

4. Identify distractions--> than stay away

5.Continue to act

# Itssosimple! I felt so enlightened and it is amazing how the Lord is willing to prepare us for spiritual information not matter how long it takes and according to our comfort and stretching level-I have heard a lot of these things this last week and kinda took it to heart but it became even more clear that an apostle of the Lord was inspired say repeat and say more of the things God has been telling me all week, I now know I need to listen!

Than I got to shake his hand a second time as he walked out the door! I wasn't even planning on it and I turned as I walked out to - he was coming up behind me and I turned and shook his hand! :)

A wonderful miracle happened this last week! So we have recently been teaching Chris but to make it short he has been sick and hard to catch but when Sister Clark and I first met him we gave him and his nephew, Caiden, a Book of Mormon; we moved on with Chris not really thinking about Caiden. Well since sister Hinton has been here we had a few reading lessons with him and on his own Caiden has read all the way to Alma 30!!! We were so excited that we couldn't hold back our leaps of joy! We asked him to be baptized and he picked out a baptism date and chose March 7th! which is super close! I am just praying I get a chance to be here to see it happen because transfers are coming up and I don't even know if I will leave this area or stay!

But we had the Thaxton's come with us to a teach one of the many lessons that we quickly have to get through before baptism and taught the restoration! We walked in and Caiden (10 years old) had cleaned his entire house and was wearing a button down blue shirt with his tie that we wore to church yesterday and angled the chairs and tables in the living room so that we could talk. The spirit was so strong because Chris and Misty (Caiden's aunt and uncle) joined in on the lesson and had so many questions and Chris was crying and Caiden asked when he could be a missionary too. Also! since Caiden was at church yesterday he saw one of the primary girls get baptized and confirmed! There were literally 10 priesthood holders that surrounded her for her confirmation and as we flipped through the pamphlet he was the picture of Joseph Smith receiving the priesthood and connected that to the little girl getting confirmed! We asked him if so far he believes that the Book of Mormon is true and he said yes and looked at our scriptures and said he wanted a 'Quad' just like ours!

Caiden is truly an elect child chosen from Heavenly Father to learn about His Church! The Thaxton's were so honored to be apart of this process because Caiden turned to Elder Thaxton at church and asked him if he could baptize him! Elder Thaxton teared up! AWE!! :)

Lastly, this week has been so fun and crazy that I have learned so many lessons that I have grown from a tiny seed (as a missionary) to a small but larger sapling but how mighty the Lord has pushed and grown me and I cannot wait to see the ending result of my mission when I am the tree, shrub, bush or even orchard I am meant to become!

I Love you all and hope there was Christ-centered love for your valentines day! Talk to you all next week! BYee!

-- Sister Jones

P.S. I am going to the temple this Friday! The woman that I gave my Liahona necklace to invited us to see her get her endowments out and President Brough gave me permission to go! So if you send something a name fast and the scriptures and temple clothes? (probs not the temple clothes) and get them here quick I might be able to do them down in the Louisville temple! :)

-- Sister Jones loves you!

Questions for our Missionary:!!!!

Did you get the Valentine package on Valentine's Day?***

Yes I did and I was actually thinking about the necklace you sent and was gonna email today asking for you to send it out Ha Ha but I kinda pushed aside the thought and then I opened the package and got it! Thank you so much! I teared up!!!

Did you get my hug from Sister Robinson?**

Yes I did! Oh my goodness she came up to me twice saying that she met you and I thought she was fibbing but I guess not Ha Ha she is the grandma of our mission and is the cutest lady ever!!! :)

What color of scriptures do you want? (I will get them and send them to you this week)?***

Either Black, dark blue, or maroon (Preferably maroon to remind me of you! ;) ) and if there was like a baby blue set-that would be kinda cool! ;) Ha Ha just kidding there probably any!

We saw the baptism photos on FB from Monalisa, how did that go? Tell us all about that wonderful day!***

It went well! it wasn't a baptism for anyone that we taught Ha Ha but we really connected with Mona and her friends! So I probably looked like a giant compared to them! Ha Ha, but it went well we had two investigators with us this last week and their both within this next months planning to get baptized and were super inspired! :)

Yes please still send out the clothes still! It helps change out the wardrobe and I am not a hundred percent sure if I am getting transferred yet, but I am up for anything the Lord has to offer!

***Did you see that note about your 9th grade BF ending up in Grandma Renee's ward in Sacramento - and they figured out the connection? She pulled out pictures of you, Crazy Small world!***

Oh boy when you sent that package with that note about Elder Bates I just kinda felt awkward that he met Grandma Renee......(Edited....PRIVACY INTENDED: Don't post this please) :)

Ha Ha I will start sending out more pictures-you know me I am not the picture taking type!-But Sister Hinton oh boy is a Selfie fanatic! She is slightly crazy!;)

OH! I don't know if you were going to buy a scripture case and send it out for the scriptures? if not I request one haha...sorry I am being needy but I am so excited about new scriptures and you are doing well as a missionary mother! ;)

**(Told her about her friend Ashley Butikopher's farewell we went to yesterday - going to Moskow, Russia)**:

Oh wow Ashley must have done a wonderful job at her farewell talk she is amazing! Text/Call her and tell her that I love her! and that I will pray for her success! :)

Right now there is a vicious (Not too vicious, don't worry) snow storm driving through our area! Ha Ha. We have about a foot and a half of snow that started last night. Ha Ha. President Brough told us to stay in until tomorrow afternoon, so we are spending the entire day at the Thaxton's and they made us lunch and will make us dinner and we are emailing here and I'm wearing jeans!!! :) and holy crow its fun! I might go shopping with some of my tax return money tomorrow just for fun! Ha Ha! But technically tomorrow will be our PDAY.

NOTE TO THE READER------ As Sister Joneses mom, we have sent her two cameras and we have always begged for more than the one, maybe two pics each week...WELL, her new companion, Sister Hinton's mom is AWESOME to have a selfie queen of a daughter, and is tagging me & sharing all these pics. We now have a whole ton of photos to really see some of the fun parts of Olney and Katelyn in action. Thank you so much Kami Hinton! Get ready for an onslaught of pictures :)

I'm sure this was done reverently