Succoring Those Around Us

A drenching bike ride home due to another Tornado Siren Warning

(Mom:  All I see is smiles)

     This week was a weird and crazy one. It seems as though all we have been doing is walking and talking to people because our investigators for EKU are leaving for the summer on may 15th so our teaching pool will fall if we don't find more people soon. But we had some interesting conversations!

      We talked to a guy named Kevin this week and he was walking around with a cast on his arm and we asked him how he was and he said "Not too good". We asked why and why also what happened to his arm. He said that he hurt it at work and now he cant work and doesn't have a place to live, he just bounces around from friends house to friends house. We asked him if he was familiar with building a house and what had to be put down first. He said the foundation. So we read Helaman 5:12 with him and said that his life may be crazy now but when he puts Christ as his main foundation in his life that it will improve by quality. We then asked him if he has put Christ as a foundation, he said "No I don't think that I have." we were about to say something and then he said "But I know that it will all get better, I am faithful that it will." He said it will such a big and hopeful smile that it made our day a whole lot brighter! Imagine that! No house, out of work and a broken arm and yet he doesn't have a broken spirit. That is the difference between people out here. They either have all that that the world has to offer and everything is perfect but they have a spirit that is broken or they have nothing and the world is cruel to them yet they know they are okay as long as they know who Jesus Christ is and that by following him that they are happy.

      Another occasion this week we walked a different route home and came to a man who was fixing a car in his back yard. We went and talked to him and asked if we could pray with him. He said sure but my wife would like one more than me. He had us go to the front of the house where his wife. Judy, was rocking in a chair. We told her who we were and asked to pray with her. She happily obliged and we ended up speaking with her for 30 or 40 minutes. She told us that she had chronic depression and we shared with her Alma 26:27 and encouraged her to keep going. Then we prayed and went on home. I have just learned so much what it means to be a disciple of Christ and also the covenants that we make at baptism.

      

(Mom:  for some reason this reminds me of 'American Gothic")

      One experience I particularly would like to share: I now have a huge testimony of what it means to "Succor" those around you, as is stated in Alma 7:11-13 and in our baptismal covenant. Yesterday I had a particularly difficult day, where Satan knew where to press buttons and as we sat in Relief Society I tried to pushed those feelings away the best that I could. so in the middle of class I bowed my head , thought a silent prayer and went on until the end of class. A woman who I am quite fond of, that reminds me of my mom, came up and asked how I was doing and that I didn't seem like myself. I told her I was fine, she kept asking and asking and then dropped the asking and just gave me a warm and long hug. I was so grateful that she had done that because just in my prayer I prayed for strength to get to Monday, so as I could write my mom about how I was feeling. This woman gave me the motherly comfort that I needed and because she reminded me of my mom it was as though both her and Heavenly Father heard my prayer and answered it. 

      Later in the day my companion reminded me of our baptismal covenant and how we have to be there for others as well. As we were running late for our next appointment that was across town we were biking and all of the sudden the crank bearings on sister Hannah's bike came really loose and her pedals wouldn't allow her chain to move. So after looking at it we decided to chain up our bikes, have a member pick them up for us and walk to the appointment. No sooner had we been walking a woman sat on a stone wall depressed. My companion yelled out "Hello How are you?" she looked at us and frowned and said "Not good, I am so hungry" We whipped out a power bar that we carried around and gave it to her. We ended up spending about 40 minutes talking to her. Unfortunately she didn't want to listen, but we told her that it was no coincidence that we walked across her path and said that God loved her and that was it. 

      After walking away, I felt the surge of what the Savior might have felt as when He loved those people around him that called out for help. I know that Heavenly Father sees my needs and has me experience them so that I can feel compassion for those crying for help. Jesus Christ made the ultimate sacrifice so He would understand our pains and sufferings. It's just one eternal round of Love and Compassion! I am so grateful!

(Sister Hannah's Version of some events this week):

-We had the most solid Friday! I love Fridays, most of the time! We planned and then had back to back SOLID appointments! They all went so well and were spirit led! Those are seriously the coolest lessons because words just fall out of my mouth... it is not me speaking, but I am just an instrument in Heavenly Fathers hands! It ended with Blake at the Marchant's house for diner.  It was so powerful.  They are so kind as to allow us in their home and participate in a lesson! The lesson was on eternal families and temples.  THE TEMPLE IS KEY!! If we get our investigators focused on the temple, the true end goal, they will be more converted! Blake is SO excited to go to the temple! He can't wait for his baptism on May 16th and he is running with the gospel! He is truly so prepared and humble! Please pray for Blake! :)

-We had another tornado warning this week! YAY for Kentucky tornadoes!!! Sister Jones and I were not nearly as terrified this time around.  We can home, planned and went to bed as normal.... hahaha we are becoming as Kentucky is.  We got to bike home in the pouring rain though... that was fun and COLD!! It passed and the next day was gorgeous! 

-ALL WEEK, I kid you not, we ran into so many hesitant people... and I always had this odd prompting to tell them that we are not Jehovah's Witnesses.... so bizarre right? Well I think what happened was the JW's tracted everywhere where we were going and so all of these people thought we were the JW's.  Every single time, without fail, as soon as the words came out of my mouth "We are NOT Jehovah's witnesses!!!" the people immediately opened up and allowed us in their homes.  WHATEVER GETS US IN THE DOOR!! :) I just thought it was hilarious that the JW's get us in the door! 

-This Sunday.  What a day.  Sister Jones and I were put on the spot in Gospel Principles because no teacher showed up.  The Elders backed out of teaching the lesson and so we took charge.  Spirit led lesson, for sure.  It went well though!!

(Back to Sister Jones):

Something fun but not really too problematic happened this week. There was tornado weather again and we started to bike home in really cold weather and just as we rode up to a Less-active member's home she got home right at that time. We sang a hymn to her and prayed and then our district leader told us to get home because of the sirens that were going off. So it was fun to ride in dark weather, in rain, without jackets, like the speed of light!!! we were somewhat drenched! It was the most fun I had ever had! Who knew! :)

     Blake is progressing in a huge way! We found out that a member invited him to Institute this last week, and we didn't even know he went. They ended up watching the entire full movie of Joseph Smith and the Restoration! Then Blake came to church yesterday and as Sister Hannah and I got fooled by the Elders to teach Gospel Principles again, we asked Blake to read and summarize a certain paragraph out of the manual. He did but he took a few minutes to type out a summery on his phone and then read an even longer and exact explanation of what we asked him to! It was so cool! Then one of the recent converts that came to a lesson with us to teach Blake came up with lit eyes and said "He's gonna get baptized" and we looked at him with kind a bewildered look because he had been telling him this since we set the bap. date. We laughed and said yes he is one of a kind but he is so amazing! Later that day we texted him asking whom he wanted to baptize him. He said that he wasn't sure but as soon as he asked that Bishop Sorenson popped into his head. We said that that was perfect and that Bishop would be honored to do that. He said he would call and ask him himself and now the Bishop is gonna baptize Blake!!! :D 

     Blake has been an extreme example to us of what being truly converted looks like! He will never stray away from the church because of the light that was revealed to him! He is so awesome! Can't wait for May 16th!!! :)

Anyway that is all for now! Hearken to It and Then Do it!

~Sister Jones

Service: Feeding Calves & Painting Fences

**Questions for our Missionary**

What scripture story is your favorite this week? 

I love Mathew 14 where it talks about Peter walking on the sea to reach the Savior. One thing I have learned on my mission is how much Peter was chastened in the preparation to being the next prophet after the Savior died and was resurrected! I love peter! he is a very interesting prophet and apostle of the Lord! But I especially love this story because the Savior, in a sense, teases Peter for his 'little faith'. "O Thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" I love this! Jesus Christ knew that Peter would ask to come to Him and ask to walk on water and his faith was perfect except in the moment when the wind was crazy and the waves were huge, that his human mind kicks in with doubts and he started to sink! I think we all have this sometimes! When our faith is weak we start to sink, but we are not afar off or in too deep of waters because Jesus Christ is always there to catch hold of us. The whole ship of disciples testify of Him after that by saying, "Of a truth thou are the Son Of God" !!! So cool.

Have you gotten new carpet in your apartment yet?

Haha no. We have been kneeling on our chairs for morning study haha :)

Have you had anymore tornadoes or sirens going off?

No. That was just the one time but this time of year they said is prevalent for them, they don't ever touch ground though. We were okay, we knew what to do in case, and Heavenly Father has His protective arm around us! :)

Is the ward your going to in Richmond bigger than Olney ward?

Richmond is a Ward. Olney was a Branch. A branch will always be smaller before it turns into a ward. If it were a ward I still think that Richmond would be bigger because it covers a bigger space of land and that there are more less-active members here.

I saw on FB that the Thaxton's were heading back home, have you talked to them or caught up with them at all?

Yeah they are probably headed out this next week! :( I will miss this so much! I love those two crazy old people! :)

 

(I absolutely love this pic)

Dear Family and friends,

Well this week went by all too fast! We had so many great lesson that we taught this week, but I will only mention a few!

This week we had the opportunity to teach Blake a couple of times this week and we felt impressed to speak to him about missionary work. We  went down to the computer lab and showed him the video of President Monson announcing the missionary age change, told him what missionary work is and how it works. Than Sister Hannah explained why she decided to serve a mission and then I started to tear up because I was reminded on why I wanted to serve a mission. We told him that he had the same opportunity to serve and asked him if he has thought about it since we have talked to him-he said that he has. He explained though when we started to get excited that he doesn't want to miss out on finishing up school-we talk with the idea that I haven't even started college yet and that he would be okay. I then bore my testimony of my mission and why I served. I explained that if Sister Hannah and I had not both made this decision that we would not have found him skateboarding on the side walk and in turn he probably would not have found the truth or gotten out of the state of darkness that has ached him. He looked away and then said "It's true". We challenged him to pray about it and ask God what he should do. Then we told him about the schedule of our day and how it all works. He was kind of excited and then we left him with that! On Sunday Sister Hannah and Tabitha Ellis (An RM this last week) were asked to speak! The whole day was literally planned out by lesson about missionary work! We were hoping that that was an answer to his prayers. We don't know yet though! Fingers Crossed!

Building a fence for a nonmember in the wilds of Kentucky.

Also this week we had the opportunity to serve a nonmember farm owner whose farm last year went up in flames and everything except her home (thank goodness) was torched.

All she wanted us to do was have one group build fences and the other group paint the fences! So obviously the male members and missionaries and Blake go off and build the fences while all the women and the little kids painted them! It was so much fun! 

 We managed to get quite a bit done and before we left we got to feed baby calves bottles of milk!!! So cute!

 Then we had appointments all day long and got home late that night and we were not only drenched in sweat but we were 
exhausted!

in honor of Duke #1 Champs, Ward member Sarah Brenner wears her UKC pride.

It was just so awesome to serve this woman and how she felt that our church were so willing to serve her. 

Serving others truly brings the spirit in!

courtesy of Sis. Hannah:  she found this a strange place to crash, but if you know Katelyn at all, she can sleep in any place/position - even the landing of the stairs.

Someone we are teaching recently, his name is Johnny, has been a really cool investigator to teach! He is the EKU quarterback and we met him while contacting people in the EKU dining hall. 

He said at the time that he has read the Koran and been studying many other religions because he has been seriously searching for something. We met with him a couple of times and the first lesson we had with him was quite interesting. We decided to bring members of the ward that are professors of EKU and have them fellowship. 

We got through most of the lesson and were able to teach most of it. I stated this this church was to only true church on earth (Ha-ha I am not scared to say it anymore!) and he just nodded and just wanted to look submissive without a response  to that. Then I asked him what do you think of this statement that I just said? I know it is a huge claim, what are your thoughts? He then said well I believe that the Jewish religion and the Quran are the most true of anything on earth, and I think you are wrong. HE said it politely and then I smile and part of me felt ready to stand up and say no your wrong and instead Heavenly Father softened my heart and I said "I believe that all religions have something true that rings about them, and more so the Karen and the Jewish religions are so close to the truth but the Book Of Mormon holds every bit of truth. You cannot take our claim for it because we are only humans. But you have to take it to God because if this Book is true that everything we have to share and offer is true. We want you to partake of the truth." 

He then said that he would read it and we thought after that, that it was so funny how the couple that were with us reacted. They kind of twinged when Johnny said that we were wrong. WE laughed at this because people tell us this all the time that we are wrong-what is different by each of their claims? Theirs is not back up by the knowledge and testimonies that we have of the Gospel. It is also not backed up by the authority of The Everlasting God. Prophets have prophesied that he as members would be persecuted by our beliefs in the last days. However, as the apostles and prophets have also testified is that if we are courageous and stand up for what we know and believe than nothing will harm us-whether it is words or physical trial.    This statement to Johnny must have done some good because the spirit testified to his heart more truth and he came to church yesterday! He was picked up by the couple and then all the day long he asked questions and was fellow shipped by the ward! however, most of the fellow shippers were men because they heard he was the quarterback and they all talked football with him. Ha-ha, oh well but Johnny's statement right before he left was, "Next week I am bringing one of my friends!" :D  It was so cool!

(Sister Hannah) Thursday was by far the best day of the week.  We had every single appointment go through, district meeting and ward coordination.  The appointments were all so awesome and spirit led.  Sometimes I feel like all I do is bear my testimony, but sometimes, that is all the investigator needs because the spirit is there.  My favorite thing to tell everyone is "don't take my word for it, pray about it for YOURSELF." That is the most liberating thing ever.  People don't understand how strong the power of prayer really is! That night we had Mexican Lasagna! so delicious! Thank you Sister Bennett! We then had a super cool experience with a previous investigator, Wendall.  He suffers from schizophrenia and was reading in the Bible about Jesus casting out devils.  He called us and asked if he could receive a blessing! I was shocked because he dropped us! I was also just thrilled because he recognized that we have the priesthood power in our church, JUST AS JESUS CHRIST DID!! YES! It is true!

courtesy of Sis. Hannah:  Kentucky river

Lastly, I know we talk about our progressing investigators way too much but Blake was in a lesson with us this last week and at the end of the lesson before he prayed he said "Oh my friend said to mention his name. He wants to meet with you both" We jumped at that and went with him after that lesson to meet with his friend! As we were meeting with him we asked him why he wanted to meet and he said "I saw a change in Blake--he is just happier and I want to know what he has and what you guys are teaching him." We handed Blake's friend a Book Of Mormon and set up to return again the next day. Well he didn't show up but looking back we were just amazed that Blake has changed so much that his friend even noticed! And that is huge!

I have had a huge testimony this week of heavenly father speaking through others. We were at a fireside last night and this man bore his testimony and the one phrase that he said that I clearly remembered was "Remember the substance of the Gospel" . What is the substance of the Gospel? It is that basic joyful and profound feeling of the Gospel that testifies of truth. I know that through this feeling we can be continually converted!

(Sister Hannah) Sunday.  Oh how I love Sunday's.  Spiritual revival.  Yesterday I spoke in sacrament, Sister J and I taught Gospel Principles and sat in on Primary.  I loved it! I was most definitely spiritually fed! I believe that talks are meant for the person giving them because boy did I learn a lot! I spoke on what my mission has taught me about Jesus Christ and boy has it taught me a ton! The one thing I have truly learned about on my mission is the atonement of Jesus Christ.  It is real.  It is POWERFUL.  It is THERE for every single person to use.  USE IT! We also attended a fireside for recent converts and investigators and the testimonies born were so powerful! The most powerful statement that was said was "remember the substance of the gospel. It is not the missionaries, they will get transferred.  It is not the members, they will not always be as cool as your home ward.  The substance of the gospel is that it teaches the truth of the plan of happiness with the proper authority."  Oh man, how awesome is that? I just love it.  It is SO TRUE!!

I love you all and hope and pray that your week is full of miracles!

~Hearken To It, then Do It,

Sister Jones 

P.S. I have been craving dad's salsa and some of your homemade bread! If you were able to send those things that would be so cool! 

Anyway sorry this is short! I hope to hear from you all this week? Write me a hard copy letter? Please? I will keep writing you all letters until I receive one ;)

~Your Daughter, Sister Jones

Black Mold, A Tornado & a "Yes" to Baptism

This week has been one of miracles but I will be only sharing a few of them this week since I have little time.

Great and amazing things are happening here in Richmond! One of them is in this investigator that is getting baptized on May 16th! His name is Blake Dean  and he is a 19 year old kid here on the EKU campus and he has been the most humbled and most genuine investigators I have gotten the opportunity to teach! One of the things he said to us this last week, while we were teaching him the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is "At this point I will do anything to get baptized." !!!! He said that he would quit smoking and that since we have taught him that he is significantly happier. I know that the Gospel is the literal happiness that is brought to a darkened heart! Also yesterday our ward was absolutely enthusiastic about what we told them about Blake and when Blake showed up to church 40 minutes early (In a white shirt and tie, no less) and we hadn't arrived yet, our ward went directly to him and talked to him and took care of him until we got there. In the meantime we got a few text messages from people telling us that he had already arrived. He told us himself later that day that he loved coming to church because he felt excepted and that the members were nice. My testimony has grown so much in the last few weeks of how big of an impact it is when missionaries and members coordinate to help less-active members and investigators! It is so cool!

 This week stared out awesome because finally spring break passed away and and the EKU students of our teaching pool are finally back! We got to teach Blake a few times this week and we got to teach him the third lesson-which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and also show him the restoration video. He got emotional and teared up with a lot of what we told him. Also our second lesson that we taught was the Word of Wisdom and Sister Hannah and I went in thinking -he doesn't have any issues with it, he's probably a dry Mormon.... NOPE! He smokes and we had no idea that he did and while we talked to him about the importance of it all he was very sincere and then we committed to it and he said that he would follow that commandment because at this point he knows everything we have said to be true.!!!! :D

~~Sorry friends and family if you can't tell Sister Hannah and I are so proud of Blake. He is gonna get baptized!

(Sister Hannah fills us in on the Tornado they experienced):

Highlights from this week though, it was an eventful one!

WELCOME to Richmond in April.  One day Sister Jones and I walked outside and it literally hit us.  The trees POPPED, EVERYTHING is turning GREEN and everything is blooming now.  The tulips... don't even get me started.  THEY ARE INCREDIBLE.  Everyone has tulips in their yard too.  By far my favorite flower! :) They are just gorgeous!! 

-Last Monday we came home to NO CARPET.  All of it had been ripped out! GONE. See ya later! Remember that black mold? Yeah... the carpet had to go! BUT bow we are left wit ha cement floor. We have resorted to kneeling prayers on our chairs because the ground is just not good for our knees! Thankfully we still have carpet upstairs.  The leak is still not fixed so when the tornado came in this week our house did flood again... but no more black mold! HAHA.  LIFE :)

Oh yeah, there was a TORNADO! Let me just start with the west coast is the best coast.  I can handle an earthquake, a forest fire, a lightning storm, but a TORNADO!?!?!  yeah, these two west coast girls did NOT know what to do.  The sirens started to go off... the campus (Eastern Kentucky University) told people to seek shelter NOW and Sister Jones and I are worried.   We were on BIKES only a couple minutes from our house, but on bikes nonetheless.  It was an interesting night.  This was right around 6pm. We get home and it is STORMING like a BANSHEE. DOWNPOUR.  At this point, I am legitimately terrified for my life.  The wind is blowing so hard, the power is flickering and our district leader is calling us to make sure we are safe... I am terrified.  OK.  So we get our bikes out of our bike closet, sweep up all the dirt, throw a sheet down, throw a case of water in there, make some food, grabbed our scriptures, pillows and blankets and then hid in there for an hour... I seriously thought we would be sleeping in this bike room. Our next door neighbor and Kentucky native, Crystal comes over to ask us if we want to stand outside and watch the storm with her... HECK NO CRYSTAL!! She then told us to not sleep in the bike closet and move our couch into the corner of our exercise room and build a fort.  HAHA.  I love Crystal.  We ended up moving our couch because our carpet got ripped out and we found out it was a pull out couch!!! YES!!! We were both terrified to sleep upstairs because the storm hadn't cleared and we were scared the roof was going to be ripped off... clearly we are from the west coast.  CLEARLY.  We ended up both sleeping on the pull out couch and it was AWFUL.  I slept horrible.  (Sorry we made you sleep on the pull out couch on all of family vacations Jeff.  I now know why you complained so much about them!)  SO that was my tornado experience.  Turns out there were indeed two tornadoes but category 0....  It was exciting and terrifying! Hopefully the one and only tornado of my mission. 

Pulling back the carpet and revealing the mold,

too much rain and flooding.

Bike closet became our shelter from the storm

No carpet, cement floor since finding black mold.

back to warm & sunny days

(back to Sister Jones):

So here is a fun yet irritating story! Sister Hannah and I get a call from our District leader about one their investigators that came to a session of general conference wants us to come teaching him since he is moving into our area. 

We called this guy and tell him we will meet him on campus. We arrange a time to meet him after his bible study group. Mind you its already 8:30 at night and he tells us that they will be ten more minutes so we wait. In the meantime this investigator texts us asking what a certain verse from the scripture they are studying means-we tell him its about the restoration of the church. ten more minutes pass by and we are about to leave because of curfew and they are finally done. 

We stay just to talk with them for a minute or so and they ask us what we do and we tell them. Than they are pouncing at us with literal interrogating questions about what we believe. 

We tell them okay we will answers those and open our Book of Mormons and the one "leader" of this bible study says: "Can you find it in the Bible? Without using the Book of Mormon?" 

I kinda became hesitant for a moment because I wasn't expecting the question. Then Sister Hannah (being a daughter of attorneys) pipes up and says "Well we could but this is the proof of what we say!" and I then say "Yep" , like a great little side-kick. We continue to testify as they break in with more and more questions and then finally I stop them and say "we could answer all your questions but...."*Sister Hannah steps in and says "We don't believe in the spirit of contention because it is of the devil." My eyes widen because at this point arguing doesn't even know how to escape out of my lips and the "leader" says "Well here is what I think. I think that the Jesus you worship is the wrong Jesus Christ and I hope and pray that you both will one day wake up and come to see who He really is." He says this with the most genuine and straight face as though we sold our soul to the adversary and that he wants to save us from it. 

I say "There is only one Jesus Christ, what do you mean?" 

Then he goes on and tells us that we are not true. 

Then at this moment I remember what my dad said before my mission when he said 

"Some people want to bible bash and at this point all you can do is bear your testimony and walk away." 

So I did.  And we asked to say a prayer and walked away. But I just remember coming from that situation and just being in awe. Now I had a clear understanding of what Joseph Smith had to go through, especially since he didn't have the truth.  He could have believed anything he wanted, but because it didn't sit right with his soul he asked of God. Because he was faithful and asked of God, God showed himself to Joseph and called him to be his latter-day prophet. How incredible is this in our history?! I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are two separate and physical beings and that they organized their church once again on the earth.

Time for some service!

Richmond, KY - Fun group of mish's.

We also got to walk to the library today and everything is popping up with flowers galore! So we took pictures and especially took pictures of this random window we have that has grown so much vine over it that we call it our own personal window to the Sacred Grove! Everything here has sprouted so I hope everyone in Idaho and Utah are jealous of the wonderful green that is happening here! I love you all! have a wonderful week!

~Hearken To It, Then Do it!,  Sister Jones

Done with zone conference

Sister Emily Holt

Sister Ashlynd Baker

Sister Katelyn Jones

Sister Madeline Hannah

Happy Easter!

PLEASE WATCH GENERAL CONFERENCE ASAP! It was amazing! All they did was be straight up with the entire church, President Monson got apposing votes when the church was sustaining the prophets and it was so crazy to hear people literally in the audience shout "NO!" What?!!?!?! what is this world coming to!?! We couldn't believe it but hey the greatest of good always has to have an opposing side right? 

P.S. the apostles repeatedly rebuked us all for using our electronic devices in sacrament meeting!

Happy Conference & Easter

(Sister Jones):  Well this week has been a crazy weird one! Because most of our investigators are EKU students and spring break has KILLED our teaching pool-no fun! But hey the Lord's work isn't just done with educated youth at EKU, its done with everyone around us!

(Sister Hannah):  This week in Richmond was spring break for EKU and all of Madison County Schools.  EVERYONE it felt like was out of town! Nonetheless, the Lord still blessed Sister Jones and I! Not too much happened, but here are some cool experiences and funny stories from the week: 

IT WAS in the low 70's and BREEZY this week! :) LOVE.  It seriously felt like a California day.  I was at home, in love.  Sunshine makes missionary work that much better.  People are in happier moods and are more receptive! 

(Sister Jones):  We got an opportunity to finally find an investigator that has been out of contact for a while and we found her at this trailer park a mile or so away and we knocked on her door and walked in and sat down with her. We were there for the longest time talking with her than finally we asked her what her plans are for learning with us. She said she would like to learn more but becoming a Mormon is off her radar. We were disappointed but told her that she needs to start reading from the Book of Mormon again. She accepted and than a few days later she texts us to tell us that she doesn't want to learn anymore and doesn't want to become a Mormon. HEARTACHE! We tell her that we only came to help her to salvation and bear our testimonies and walk away. I have learned so much this week about following God's commandments and making them a priority and what God is willing to give/bless us with when we do follow his command. This investigator, like many others, was not desirous to put forth the effort and expanding her faith. It is hard for all of us to know what to do when we do not put forth the needed effort and its even harder for Heavenly Father to be bound to us for blessings when we were not obedient. And then the general authorities speak about that exact thing! Ha-ha funny how when we are going about our days that the Lord is ever mindful of what we are doing and then the general authorities know but they are filled in from the Lord! Super Funny!

(Sister Hannah):  We taught a less active member, Lindsay, who is 18. After we finished her lesson, she asked if she could just "hang out" with us for the day... We told her that we would be working hard and laboring in the service of God and she was like "Okay, I just want to get out of the house!" She ended up walking around with us for about 6 hours, teaching and testifying beautifully. She was a trooper. We walked everywhere that day and it was HOT. We went to go teach another less active girl, Destiny, who she didn't know and she bore such sweet, pure testimony! It was incredible! I love bringing less actives out to teach with us because it strengthens them so much more than us teaching them! It is the experience that allows them to grow and progress! :)

Beaming.

(Sister Jones):  One day this week we had been walking around all day long and it was on and off raining and then humid! (Monsoon season!) So we decided to take our dinner break at Subway and as we waited in line a man says "Hi, Sisters!". I ,being the Greenie to the area, obviously said hi and than didn't think anything of it. He looks at us and says "you don't know who I am, do you?" than Sister Hannah freaks out and starts thinking super, super hard. Than she pipes up and says "Oh! we met you outside the bar a couple months ago!" He gives us this bewildered and humorously surprised look and than says "No but...you might have seen me at church a couple of times" Than he smiles and says that he is in the primary. Sister Hannah's face went soooo red and she apologized profusely for the mistake she made and now we have been hearing all about it from the Elders and other members of the ward about this funny mistake!

    

(courtesy of) Lacey Leanne Hensley, Olney IL

with Sister Hinton

   

      So all week we have been anticipating the General Authorities and the Prophet's words received from Heavenly Father.On Saturday Morning we got all that we could done and we had an hour to go see if our investigators wanted to join us-they didn't. However, we were walking and a woman gets out of her car and begins to walk up to her house and literally all morning I have been singing "Joseph Smith's First Prayer" and we walk up and talk to this woman and she is so sweet and kind and asks what church we belong to and we tell her and than we explain the Book Of Mormon, ask her a question and than she says she built her faith in Jesus Christ through prayer. DING! DING! DING! It finally snapped in my head and I ask her if I could read a song that talks about a specific prayer. I read it and then she says that is a nice song and we tell her that it was a real experience. 

     We didn't end up setting a return appointment but we were able to demonstrate the belief that we have and how it could bless her and it was awesome to be led by the spirit in that moment! :)  ------Anyway we keep on walking and get to the dollar store, grab snacks and walk as swiftly as we can back home so we can get picked up for General Conference. Once we get to the church building, we sit down and our snacks, plus the Elders' snacks are laid out perfectly on the chair by us. Throughout conference we continually hear this CRUNCH and shuffling in the bag right by us and the Elders are repeatedly grabbing out of our food! Too funny but we were excited and glad to hear the throw down that the General Authorities have to give all of us. And we could sense a common theme throughout conference and 3 NEW TEMPLES! WHOO! It was awesome to hear about it because last conference President Monson said that he wasn't going to announce anymore temples for a while , and lo and behold Heavenly Father changes that and gives the people of Haiti, Thailand and the Islands somewhere in the Pacific an opportunity make covenants with Him and help push the work along! SO cool!

  

     Later in the evening we watched the second session of General Conference at Sister Bryner's home and since it was her birthday, General Conference and Easter the next day-we have a Bar-B-Q with many members in the ward! So we played football with the kids and the Elders and then have hamburgers and laugh like crazy! It was one of the funnest evenings out here!

   

(courtesy of) Sarah Bryner

Sunday morning we woke up to a real bad smell in the house and went over to the corner of the house where water came through the carpet on one of the really bad rainy days. It was growing black mold! and we see that there is a surface crack on the cement and that was how the water got in! So we call the maintenance man and he calls our landlord and they got everything figured out and luckily we are now handling the situation and are in the process of getting it cleaned up and back to normal. 

(Sister Hannah):  All is well in Richmond, KY.  Sister Jones and I are having a BLAST.  Even though our shower doesn't drain and our house flooded from the rain (and we might have black mold), I KNOW that God is MINDFUL of ME. He knows me personally and all of His children personally.  He is in the details of our lives and He desires to bless us.  Look for Him, Come to Him.  Let Christ Change You!

(Sister Jones):  We head out to conference and watch the morning session at the church. Than we come home for an hour and a half and get picked up for the last session. We head over to the Russell's home and get to watch it in their downstairs theater where they have nice electronic leather chairs and a huge screen in front of us. Luckily we didn't fall asleep but we were glad to be awake the entire time frantically trying to keep up with listening and taking notes of what they all have to say. We get a text message during that time from our investigator, Blake, saying that he wont be able to make it to watch it with us because he is traveling back from eastern Kentucky. We were disappointed but hopeful because he then sent another message saying that he would watch it on the computer when he got home! It was so cool to hear that from him and that he was still determined to watch it no matter what and hear what the prophet had to say!

  All in all this week was one of those slower ones but once it got to Saturday and Sunday, it sped up! But I have learned many lessons of pray and faith and what it can do and how Heavenly Father helps us! I hope you all have a wonderful week and I hope you all take the words from the Lord's prophets and apply it more fully!

~Hearken To IT, then DO IT!

     Sister Jones