Miracles, Lara's Baptism, and Accidents Happen

Hip hip hurray! :) Larsa is now a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!

Yay Larsa's was baptized! She is the cutest thing ever! The sisters have been teaching her for quite a few weeks and now she is a member! She had to be dunked twice and the baptism was a very amazing experience as sister reed spoke and the Hermana’s that we live with did a great musical number! Yay! And then yesterday were waiting for Larsa to get confirmed but her and her friend who was going to confirm her! We called and called and called and finally they showed up! She received the Holy Ghost and oh she started crying and was just so happy! I just know that the only true and LIVING GOSPEL is here and helps everyone to receiving the sweet tastes of salvation! I know this Gospel is true!
:)

At the bus transit center! I love taking the bus!

We had a cool experience on the bus! President Brough gave another training on how to use the Book of Mormon and how to also introduce it. So we decided that since we were taking the bus that day to the church we would use it. So we walked on the bus and literally every seat was filled. Right then a young black man looks at us and is like here would y'all like to sit down and gives us his seat! Then Sister Reed is an even bigger gentleman (and likes to beat me to it) and says "Okay sit down Sister Jones!" We argue about it for a second and then I finally sit down. Then the woman to my right says here you also take my seat. So she gets up puts her child on her lap and sits down somewhere else! I looked at sister reed and just grinned big. Then the woman that moved says to Sister Reed "I saw your name tags and knew who you were so I moved" and bam a long conversation about the Gospel starts! So cool! So I got jealous that she was talking to someone and really wanted to share it with someone else as well so, I mustered up the courage and turned to the woman to my right! She was so sweet! I used presidents training and literally it brought in the spirit soo strong! She left us with her name and phone number and we did the same! She said she would attend church this next Sunday!

So, funny story but first I have to start at the beginning!

So on Tuesday it was a weird day especially set aside for miracles! We were trying people all day and nothing seemed to work out. We went and visited a recent convert and got onto the bus. As we rode with all the other passengers there was a blonde girl that got on. She stuck out to me and I got the distinct impression to share the gospel with her. Unfortunately I was in a different seat so I prayed in my head that if Heavenly Father wanted me to share it with this girl that I would talk to at least ten more people if He would provide a way to share it with her. We planned to get off at stop farther down the road but this girl proceeded to get off right then. So what does the spirit tell me to do? Run. So we get off, grab our bikes and chase after her... I'm sure we looked creepy doing but our intentions were right. We caught up to her and told her that she was a beautiful daughter of God and that He wanted her to know about His restored gospel! She was so kind and said we could come and visit with her and took a Book of Mormon a and started to share with us how she had been going through some health challenges and finally she had been able to find relief and then find God. It was so cool! So spiritual!

We biked on and we only went so far before some kid was walking toward us and we stopped and talked to him. We only introduced ourselves before we were interrupted by a massive moving truck that didn't hit his breaks early enough had slammed right into a SUV and the glass shatter. The truck ended up push the SUV into two cars in front of them. Then a mom got our crying and screaming and ran to the back car seat. We all dropped our conversation and quickly skipped right on over to see if people were okay. They were all alright but some had really bad whiplash. A man had it so bad that when we knocked his window he asked if we were Jehovah’s Witnesses and if we could say a prayer with him. We did and told him we were Mormon. Then cops and fire trucks came and everything went really alright. We gave all of the people cards with our number and provided prayers! So cool! We provided our witness of the accident and biked away.

We looked back later and realized that if we had not felt impressed to talk to the kid and stop biking the glass from the SUV and other material would have directly hit us if we had kept biking! It was a sure testimony that Heavenly Father was looking out for us and also of following the promptings from God! :,)

That same night as the accident Sister Reed and I were biking from a missed appointment and this is where I didn't follow the promptings of the spirit. We rode through a small pile of leaves that were in the sidewalk and I didn't think much of it until a wire that was hidden in there got caught in my front wheel. I thought to try and get it out but another thought came "What if you fall off the bike and hurt yourself?" I thought no way, so I used the front of my boot and tried to kick the wire out. Well... I wasn't looking and my boot caught in between the front wheel and the bar and pinched my foot and I went flying over the handle bars and slammed my chin right on the pavement! I literally face-planted-it on the ground..... I didn't want to get up so I just kind of laid there. Sister Reed came running my way (good companion:) and asked if I was bleeding. I wasn't but then another woman's voice. A woman saw the whole thing and was walking with two labs who came up and licked the tears off my face haha and then she walked away....awkward. So now I have a massive bruised chin-I keep telling Sister Reed it's my newly found Kentucky chin hair :) haha I have to laugh about it or it's no fun!

     The next day we got a call from the man driving the moving truck, he apologized for his mistake and asked us if we could pray for him right on the phone, so we did. He was so grateful!

    Sister Reed got a health problem this week so we haven't been able to go outside very much but we went on splits with the Hermana’s so she could stay inside. Hermana Bennett and I went out and tracked and we knocked on quite a few doors and one of them a man opened the door and came right out and said 'I'm Methodist but you should try that family across the street. They are agnostic!' He pointed to a house of a family that was nicer but it was a little roughed up because they had five kids. We knocked on the door and a tired dad came to it and opened up. We said can we share a quick message with families and he said that we were welcome to come back! This was an answer to our prayers and we have an appointment to visit them this next week! So exciting! :D please pray that Sister Reed and I can find more investigators! We know they are out there we just have to stay righteous in order to find them!

Where are you spending Thanksgiving?**

At a couple’s home for lunch- brother and sister hale! Hey are awesome they are like the Thaxtons! I love them so much! And for dinner we are going to the church. A member is providing thanksgiving dinner for members of the ward without family nearby and they are doing a great meal! :D

Did you get my package - and is it keeping your legs warm?**

Yes! Thank you so much! They fit perfectly too!

How was your Sunday, did you get a nap?**

Haha nope, naps don't happen on Sunday's on a mission. Unless you want to use your lunch or dinner hour but there is too much work to be done!

I am really sad that Sister Butikofer passed away. I am grateful I'm am out here though. I mean, if I were home I would have been super distraught. But I know the plan of salvation and said long as bro. Butikofer and Jacobie(their grandson) and Ashley and her family are being well taken care of I know then that all will be alright. I know God has everything in his hands. 

And yeah I can't believe its five months. That's four transfer but now we are almost done with my fourth and going on three left. We live with very "trunky" Hermana’s and they talk about home way too much and wow they drive sister Reed nuts and she is so worried that I will getting trunky but no I mean I don't feel like wanting to come home. However it makes me sick to think that at some point all of this will be over! I love my mission so much! I am so grateful that I came out here! I have changed so much! And I just know that I will not be the same person that I was when I first came out on my mission! :) I just am so happy, I'm not disturbed by anything, I stand up for myself, I am able to clearly know who I am and why I'm here, I am so much more confident and I just don't care about the stupid stuff I would normally cry about and get anxious over! I'm just happy :)

Well sorry mom that was a long explanation of my thoughts but it's true and Syd will experience the same idea on her mission! Literally the mission changes hearts and helps us know who we are and why we are living and especially who Christ is. 

Uh! I am just so proud of Syd. She is incredible! I love her so much! And yes Jaden is about to become a spoiled squirt! Crazy!

Well this week was uh weird. Haha but I have never laughed so hard in my entire life because Sister Reed and I get along so well and we have been laughing about the Grinch and Spongebob jokes all week as we walk to our destinations! So great! :D 

I love you all and hope your week is safe and happy and that you are finding gratitude for every little thing you can find! I am so grateful for my sister! She leaves for her mission in 9 days! Yay! Congrats Syd! I know that England will be the right place for you and that the lord will strengthen and consecrate you! 

I love you!

-Love , Sister Jones

Change is Good

Dear Family and Friends,

So this is week has been awesome! 

Back to Biking Basics

It is so refreshing to be in a bike area again!

So since it is a huge bike area we have been biking way too much but on the times that we can't bike anymore, we ride the bus! And oh man is that a crazy story itself! We had an appointment with our baptismal date Lara's and she just moved out of our area but we had permission to go if we were able to get over there. So we took the bus! It was so fun but we were pretty much out of our area and then we went taught our lesson and then when we were done we realized that we had ten minutes to get to the bus stop to get home. We got over there and we were literally two minutes late! We were stranded! Luckily we called the Winchester sisters to get the pioneer sisters number and called asking for a ride! We felt so bad! However, good ole' Sister Hinton, Sister Lloyd and Sister Rammel came to our rescue! It was so weird to see Sister Hinton again but such a wonderful blessing! I love her :)

Brother Hale gave us and the elders a ride home. And he himself wanted an icee and so we stopped at a gas station and got some! Sister Reed and I were having too much fun :) I adore here :)

Tell us about Lexington and your new companion

Sister Reed is an awesome missionary! She is black!!! Haha I love her! She is my height... Actually a bit taller and is so cool and down to earth! She is hypoglycemic and lactose intolerant, so we eat pretty healthy around here! Plus the biking is adding to that :) she has been out around 8 months and she was companions with Sister Emended my MTC companion. The area we are working in right now is fairly dead and the ward is a young family ward that skunk the missionaries but we have goals to change that! We actually just set a baptismal date with a woman named Carla and we have a baptism this week! I am so excited! :D We are so excited because Laura is getting baptized and the sisters have been working with her for a while and she is so prepared and wants to do all that she can to follow Christ ! We love her!

This is area has so many blessings! I love it!

We share our apartment with a companionship of Hermanas and our apartment is SUPER NICE! We have wifi in our apartment so I can receive emails but can't obviously email until Monday.

Lexington is a college town, just like Richmond and there are a lot of people here. We ride the bus and we can only teach the people that are not college students -_- so we have to look a little bit harder. But! That means we can teach families! :D

Praying about goals and miracles

I know that I say that about each of my companions but I just am so proud of her humility and hard work ethics! She is doing well for taking over an area. She has goals, and her and I matched up our goals, and they are practically the same. We plan to baptize two people in December as a goal and we actually just set a baptismal date with a woman named Carla for December 31 and we are currently searching for the second one. It was so cool because we both prayed for a number of a goal to baptize and she and I came up with same number and that has happened every  time we pray about a number or goal or something that we need to do. We have seen so many miracles from doing so.

Well there was so much that happened but I think I am already getting tired of writing emails.....

Happy birthday to my cousin Tristan!  You’re an old fart yesterday! I hope it was a great birthday!

I love you all and pray your week has plenty of miracles and happiness that last

*Question from Mom:  Are you close to your BFF, Sister Hannah now that you’re in Lexington?*

Yes Sister Hannah and I are in the same stake! I just saw her last night because our zone/stake had a fireside and I saw her there and a lot of other missionaries that I adore! :D our stake conference is in two week so sister Hannah and I will be making sure to hang out then!

Oh man I love it here :) and Sister Reed and I get along so well and we work hard and laugh and oh man she is so incredible!

Also I saw a lot of members from the Richmond ward that were at our church building yesterday because they have stake callings! Oh I love it! And riding the bus is crazy I have a fun story about that! I love it!

Don't worry mom! You’re getting us all back! We are not gone forever! It's freaking me out even more how close to home I am getting, obviously still have a six months but being in a young family ward is surreal and freaking me out......

My address is: 2075 regency road #72 Lexington, Kentucky 40503

-I love you and yes, please send those tights -- it will be a blessing    !

Sister Jones

Goodbye Louisville, Hello Lexington!

***QUESTIONS FOR OUR MISSIONARY**

What are some things you will miss about Louisville?

I am going to miss the huge progression of the work. I have seen so many miracles because this area is so huge and has so many wonderful people that are prepared! I know other areas will as well but they won't compare to this one! I will miss the hustle and bustle and being close to the mission office and home! I love going across the bridge every Wednesday to our district meeting and being a part of the leadership at MLC. But I do know that like you said I need a change. I just need a new focus and I am excited to leave for that but sad because this is my new family. I love everyone here and this is probably my favorite ward that I have serve in!

What is the strangest service project you have done so far on your mission?

The strangest service project I have ever served.... Hm.... Was probably cleaning a discussing house. That seems like what happens a lot in our mission is we clean people's really gross houses and then the way they look in the end is so priceless!

Have you met Sister Reed before (she's going to be your new companion, right?)

Yep Sister Reed was in my zone last transfer but then got transferred to Lexington! She is awesome!

What did you get out of Stake Conference that was so important to know and remember?

This was the basis of topic for the stake conference on Saturday and Sunday. I learned so much from the explanations that were given! I understood the parallel between our decision making throughout the week and our duty and also privilege of partaking of the bread and water at church. I believe with all of my heart that if we are desiring to progress we must show Heavenly Father that we are wanting and going to do so. We are commanded to continually repent and as the savior said "if thine eye offends thee, pluck it out!" So true! I know that we cannot complete the repentance process unless we quickly repent BEFORE SUNDAY STARTS! Not at the door nor in the service, but in the moment we commit our sin, we must use the atonement and seek forgiveness and change! Then we must partake of the sacrament and show Heavenly Father that we are willing "to take upon us the name of Christ", willing to change, willing to follow Him. I know that God expects us ALL to live a higher law as He has given.

 What are you in need of, my Kizzer?  Are you ready for another Kentucky winter?

And I just got my winter clothes back just in time for transfers. I have a great coat (3 actually) and a few hats and a member just gave me some really good gloves and I still have my new boots from the beginning of this year. I believe I am all set but if there is a possible chance you could send like an electric blanket? I think that would be very helpful, especially if my new area is a bike area and I will coming in super cold each night. Also my pillow is wearing out and only if you are able a new pillow would help. But I can definitely go on without a brand new one! Sending hot chocolate for me would be awesome! :) And that should be it, I really am doing well and I can't tell too much until I get in my new area because here're might be other things and then again there might now be. 

Yes, we were able to text and talk to her AND see a picture of her, during Sacrament yesterday.

Thanks to Jen for being the best member missionary momma to all of Louisville, we may not get to see her anymore in Lexington.

I love you so much mom and yes my heart is racing with how much closer it is getting to flying home, I have four transfers left and it sickens me. I want to come home don't get me wrong! I just know that this last year has been one of the greatest journeys I have ever been given. I hope you all will notice the change in me that has occurred as I have been out when I return home. I know Syd will be able to have the same change. I know she will baptize like crazy and see so many miracles!

Have a great week and please keep me updated throughout the week, I can read emails but I can't reply.

~Love,

Sister Jones

Dear Family & Friends,

This week has been crazy! I can't even explain how great of a week it has been! Sister Elliott passed away this last Monday. She has been sick this last few transfers and no one knows why, they thought it was pneumonia and that is what she was diagnosed with. She went into the hospital and didn't last but four days. They realized she had cancer! She was misdiagnosed!  Lame.....Sister Jensen and I started crying, I will miss her so much, she was someone that I wanted the best for and now she is back in the arms our her Heavenly Father, doing the work He has asked He spirit world.

Doodling Artwork by Kizzer

We were able to make our goals this week and we got members to some awesome lessons! One for example was so cool! So a couple of weeks back Sister Jensen and I contacted this young girl and shared a portion of the Book of Mormon with her. It was one of the most awkward contacts I have ever had (and I have had a lot of those!) and she was like "I think my sister would want to hear this". So she gave us her phone number and address and walked away. We went by last weekend and introduce ourselves to her sister and read out of the Book of Mormon with her. She loved it! Asked for a copy and we returned on Monday with the restoration lesson prepared!  So get this! Earlier that day I was texting her asking if she had read and prayed and she said she did and that she had read probably a third of the Book of Mormon already!

We got there and asked her the same question and she showed us her Book of Mormon and she read all the way to the book of Jacob in three days! What?! We were shocked!  This girl is only 14 years old and she read that much! We asked her to be baptized and she accepted whole heartedly! Oh my goodness our heart was so full and even the member that came with us was astonished and excited!

 I found mini bananas :)

Then we had MLC this week and it was so fun! There were a few elder companionships that were late and hadn't shown up yet and so all of us started getting an idea that we should hide until they come! So we did and oh man our mission president is so cool! We waited until we heard them and they opened the door and we screamed real loud and jumped at them! It was sooooooo fun! Loved it! The meeting was great as well! I learned a lot about making baptisms happen and our priority to stop waiting around waiting for them and start really making them happen! We will baptize 63 in November I know it!

Then we had zone meeting and that was a lot of wonderful things shared with us as well. Elder Langford gave a great training on helping our investigators understand the sacrament and had us role play! He gave a step by step on what to do! It was an answer to our prayers because our investigator Angelee has been struggling with even getting to church! We applied the training and the spirit was so strong when we taught her! We felt so excited! But upon the agency she now possesses she did not attend stake conference. :( We know that every training will always work as you faithfully apply them and if it doesn't work out it is because the person did not use their agency correctly or simply it is not the right timing... I know that this training was inspired and I also know that sacrament is the greatest blessing that we can be given for our own spiritual and eternal progression!

And transfers are in.... I am heading out to old wild rolling hills of Kentucky in Lexington! I am so excited to be going there! I know that God has so much more in store for me to do and someone He has prepared for me to find. I also know that this area is a bike area! Haha being cold never was so exciting as it will be on bikes! Haha well I hope to stay warm!

I am going to miss my wonderful companion. She has become a rock and a best friend to me. I am completely proud of her diligence in keeping the commandments of God and willingness to humble herself when God requires it. She has been someone I could trust in and also be trusted by. She may not believe it but she is loved by me! We got to contact a man Last who we bore testimony to for 45 minutes to an hour and when the fictitious words of this "wise man" gave me unsure feelings of how to answer, I was grateful to my companion that she plainly stated her purpose and our purpose and this man’s purpose. She boldly proclaimed that simply this man should humble himself before the lord and find happiness in reading the Book of Mormon and keeping His commandments! She is incredible! I will be sad to leave her!

Lastly the announcement from D. Todd Christofferson were clear and precise! I know that the revelations for the handbook are true. I know that when God commands we must abide. I know that families are forever. I know they can be as we listen to Gods counsel and follow the commandments (all of them, not just one or two!).

Goodbye Louisville, Hello Lexington!

I love my savior and know He lives and is there every step of the way. I love you all and hope you week is full of miracles!

~ Sister Jones

All Hallow's Eve and Great Exchanges!

Dear Family & Friends,

We had another busy week is week and we had the opportunity to exchange with both Glasgow and Shephardsville!

I was with Sister Webb for the exchange and it went really well! It was a rainy day but we did our best to apply all of our training. We worked on goals of being more intensified and more simplified. It went well!

Rebuke This

There was a woman that rebuked us. Ha ha, so we went to one of our appointments and we were standing at the doorway talking to the young man that was trying to get out of our appointment. His grandmother was sitting behind him in the living room. She pipes up asking who we were. He opens the door wide and we explain our purpose. She replies "Ya’ll are just plain fools! I have found Jesus Christ and I am saved!" We looked at each other saying that it was great that she found Christ and now He asked of her to read the Book of Mormon and be baptized by his authority. She said that she had read it already, and then began to argue with us that we were dumb girls and that we just needed to pack up and go home. We looked at each other and said "We are not returning home until we have finished our work here in Kentucky at the end of our missions"

We said it with a skip in our step and I do believe it made her even more frustrated as she began to explain that we were in a particularly bad neighborhood and that our work is foolishness.

We knew that it was bad there, but our work was not foolishness; so Sister Webb bore pure testimony and asked if we could come back. She denied the offer and told us, forcefully, to go home. We politely said good bye and walked to the car! We laughed though, knowing that we had to keep doing the lord's work and that nothing will get in the way of that goal! Sister Webb has this attribute of always staying true to her values and righteous attributes even though times get hard. I definitely learned that from her!

 Shephardsville Exchanges

Then I was with Sister Bunker in Shephardsville. She is the coolest sister ever! I learned so much about service and love from her!

We spent most of our exchange cleaning a member's rental property. It was nasty! We just scrubbed and scrubbed until our little arms almost gave out! Then Sister White (the Shephardsville member) asked us what we wanted to eat so she bought potato chips, a fruit platter and chicken wings and white chocolate! It was kind of a mesh of foods we were craving! It was awesome! Totally had a lot of fun serving her!

Ward Part and Early Curfew on Halloween

At the Halloween party it was a chili dinner and all of the members were asked to bring different chilli's for a contest! It was so yummy and then all of the children dressed up and went around the church building playing games and yes Sister Jensen and I face painted, it was awesome! A little boy came up and asked me to write T-Rex on his forehead and then also paint a T-Rex on his cheek, so I did and it turned out great haha.  I thought it was kind of funny, but kids just have a wild imagination! 

The ward mission leader and ward itself is getting so much better! They brought people (NONMEMBERS) to our ward Halloween party! Yeah are incredible! So proud of the change that is being made!

(I'm betting she was in 7th Heaven getting to play with a paintbrush)

Sister Scire came and made a chili dinner and also brought her grandkids and daughter there too! I tell you their family also will get baptized! I know it! Also Sister Scire went in to see the bishop yesterday to get her temple recommend! Yay! So proud of her!

Since we had to go in at six on Halloween we decided to spend our dinner hour at our favorite Chinese place "Hong Kong!" :) then we did facials at home and painted our nails. It was fun!

We went to give a Book of Mormon to one of our potential investigators and he gave us Jones soda! So we took a picture!

This is our district! Love each and every one of those silly missionaries! Transfer calls are this week! Hopefully not too many people change out!

This week was great! We had a lot to do and enjoyed all of it! :)

~Love, 

Sister Jones :)