Baptism on Deck!

Hey friends and family!

     I hope your week is going well and that you are working hard and that hard work is paying off!

     We had a great miracle this week. We found someone who is going to be baptized on the 26 of March. His name is brother Rainwater. We met him about a month and a half ago and had given him a Book of Mormon and commit him to read it. Since that time of reading it, we hadn't been able to get it contact with him because of -- a recent divorce, his son being murdered and surgeries!?! But while he was in the hospital he found the peace and comfort that came from what he read in the Book of Mormon! He finished it! And he started yesterday again to study out of it so he can get more out of it! He didn't come to church yesterday because of timing.... We were saddened but he has three more weeks to go for! Yay!

     We did our best this week and worked hard as well as we could. I am still surprised about each time that we talk to someone and just by sharing what we know they get upset. Yesterday we knocked on a mans door to tell him that his hazard lights were still on in his car. He came out and after looking at it, offering to help we started to share the gospel with him. This old man got right in my face and raised his voice at me and probably was ready to push me..... He said we needed to leave and that was that. I walked away with sister Ferrell ready to yell in the air and probably gnash my teeth and probably throw a fit.

     But I took a deep breath and opened the Book of Mormon which told me to watch my thoughts, words and deeds.... Haha you think I could handle rude comments, rejections and things like that better but I know that Heavenly Father's spirit calmed me down we were able to find someone interested in having us come back. Then this morning I read about Aaron and how the people were hardened and wouldn't listen and I definitely felt comfort in knowing I'm not the one seeing this. The world is getting uglier but that makes the gospel a whole lot brighter!

     I'm doing well, this area is doing well, we are continually
progressing and working hard. We are excited again for zone meeting!

     It will be a great opportunity to set new goals, tune old ones and
strengthen others!

     Not much to report on this week! I hope ya'll find miracles this week and feel Heavenly Father's spirit with you always!

Goal Setting & Miracles

[Note to Reader:  The email servers for the church have been out of whack.  Leaving a majority of us mother's without an email from our DD's.  Hence the no blog update last week.  All we received was this amazing photo of Katelyn showing her finished painting.  I'll take it!]

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Dear Friends and Family,

Well the mission has been crazy with goal setting and I believe it is inspiration from our Heavenly Father!

We have seen so many miracles that I know either effect our area or other missionary's as we have talked to everyone. We had a goal of 95 people for this last week and we talked to 101! :D your right,

president, the effect of talking to everyone and having control over it has given such great motivation to keep working hard and it has

completely impacted our teaching pool. One thing that happened yesterday while we had about six more people to talk to. There was a man he was walking along the side of a church and we were quickly approaching where he was at but I knew that because he was on another church property we couldn't speak with him. As we stopped (we were

about to cross the street) I promised Heavenly Father I would talk to him if he would get away from that other church's property (haha).

Just as I was waiting there (I'm sure Sister Ferrell thought I was nuts for sitting at a cross walk and not crossing) he stopped and literally turned around and walked back the way he was coming from and I wanted to scream with joy! We talked to him and he quickly said I am willing to talk just as long as it's before seven pm. He gave us his address and phone number and we set a return appointment, so COOL!

That woman I told you about that we served, we set a baptismal date with her! Yay! She is super nervous about everything but our biggest goal for her is getting her to church. She wants to read the Book of

Mormon and really find out if it is true!

This week we made the effort to continue to talk to everyone and amongst God's children we found the ones that may seem like outcasts but are amazing in their own special way! One we walked up and this

black man was using his very beautifully decorative truck to move things. We asked if we could help then I begged them to please let take a picture with it! He has probably dug through the truck one day and

decided to super glue EVERYTHING! And I mean everything, the was a one dollar bill that was ripped apart and glued to the dash board! So funny! Then we shared the gospel with them and they were referrals for the elders! Yay! I love that it isn't like we are passing them off to another church! After that we were walking home for dinner and these three guys were helping a mans video game into a trailer and we started talking to them. One of them his stage name is Frack, is a circus performer! Haha he had the hair and split tongue prove it! Freaky! But it made laugh

so hard! Then he said he wanted a picture with US to put on his Facebook page! Heck yeah! 5,000 contacts please! ;)

We got to see finally one of the less active members that we have tried for weeks to get a hold of. She attended church last week and we stopped by Saturday morning to see her and she started crying! Yay! She was humbled enough to realize that she needed to come back to church and especially that God loved her! Amazing! Heavenly Father is

watching over his dear children. 

So we ended up celebrating at five guys with good ole' Saint Anthony potato fries! ;)

Also this last week we met a less active member who is from RIGBY! I know right!?! Of all places! His name is Bruce laval Jensen! If anyone knows him, let me know so I can mention you! It was so cool to find him and talk about familiar things! Yay! Blessings!

We are doing very well, we are trying to work hard each day and accomplish our goals and come home tired each night. It is probably the most fulfilled I have ever felt on my entire mission. I feel like

I am making my Heavenly Father proud and I feel more in tune with the spirit and that I hear Him more clearly each day. I hope to continue to be this way after I am home ( six more weeks) but I know it works the same way as on a mission, by keeping myself and life worthy of the spirit and seeking Gods kingdom in everything.

Led By the Spirit :)

Hello one and all!

This week was a great week of heat! 

     We actually had some spring temperatures and then we are grateful to say that the groundhog did not see his shadow and we will get an early spring! 
Kind of funny this week, we went to Panda Express and I had been waiting all week to go there be a use I was just craving it so much! We sat down at our table and there is an older gentleman who looks over at us and yells "Oh thanks to my god I get to be near to beautiful women!" Awkward! 
     We politely, yet awkwardly smile and we start to say our prayer over the fattening Chinese food and then start eating. This man continues to talk with us and yes it's a rare thing to see young people praying over food and how much of a blessing we were! We introduce ourselves and he gets excited about how we are from the LDS church and that we are Mormon. He was just completely, entirely happy :) we ended up reading a scripture with him and he acted as though we had given him a breath of life! So cool! Gave him a Book of Mormon and our phone number! We looked at each other afterwards grateful for the opportunity :)

I've painted our Savior Jesus Christ and the Louisville Temple

     We must have biked at least 17 or more miles this week. My knees have started to ache, not new for my family ;) but it has shown me that the faster we bike the greater our desire to share the gospel.We had the opportunity to serve a potential investigator.     We have been trying to get a hold of this man for a lesson for over a month now! Finally we had the time and opportunity to meet outside with him. This poor man has stage four cancer. We taught him and then he started to get cold so he went inside. Not before going inside had we offered to help him rake his leaves. We set a time to come back and raked them. This mans name is Kyle Dickey and is super nice! After serving him he offered for us to come inside to teach him, we quickly declined since we needed another female to be with us. It was probably no longer than five minutes his wife came home and we were able to go inside and teach them both! Yay! His wife actually lived in Utah and doesn't like Mormons but listened to us anything. We answered questions and brother dickey told us he read about Joseph smith and the Book of Mormon in the pamphlet we gave him and a few weeks back read the first chapter in the Book of Mormon! What?! We were so excited!

We are teaching him the restoration, yay!
At church yesterday we were pulled aside by brother hale telling us that he had a missionary experience and then walked away! I yelled at him, telling him that that wasn't fair so we sat down during sacrament, waiting for his testimony. we have been working with them to share the gospel with their neighbors whom they greatly desire should receive the gospel. President Gordon B. Hinckley states that members are the best way to declare the gospel. Brother hale bore his testimony stating that since they have been praying and fasting their prayers were answered. Their neighbors had asked to bring left overs to them and suddenly started to ask about their granddaughter who is going to be married in the temple in a few months. They explained families being together forever and not just this life. They bore pure testimony. WOW. It was amazing, dad! We plan to go back and prepare the Hale's to bare testimony again and continue to share the gospel in many ways! The gospel is true!

     Yesterday we were outside our area , in the eldersarea. We were heading to visit a member whose father passed away yesterday. I saw a man, probably around your age, he was carrying in his few groceries and he dropped his banana under his car and was bending over to grab them, so I biked right on over. We started talking to him and he was not interested in talking because he was having a terrible day. I looked at him and asked what happened, I almost felt like I was Heavenly Father looking at him, like a tender parent and I felt compassion for him. He looked at us confused and unsure but told us his whole world had fallen apart. He used to be the Vice President of CVS and made triple figures and has a great family and drove a work vehicle and everything you could imagine. But it all had gone down hill because he is an alcoholic. He said he was losing his wife soon and had already lost his son. I started to tear up and also smile because I knew what portion he might have felt and had experienced similar events. I explained to him that God was aware, that He has a plan for his life and to trust Him in everything. I told him that if he did that God would strengthen him in his trials and the blessings would rain upon him as I have seen it rain upon me and my family. He told us he was grateful have friends like us and that he loved us. I know we were led across his path.

      I know my companion and I are being exactly obedient and since by so doing we have seen those little miracles that will impact not only work in this area but in generations to come. I hope and pray ya'll's week is full of preparing for the blessings God has in store  for you.

I know this gospel is true and that we are the elect of his children!

Stay strong and press forward!Love, sister Jones

No Winding Down

This last week was almost too fast! 

I have had a lot of physical weariness. 

I think it's because my body has just ran its course through the mission. I had a 24 hour cold that I think I got from one of the members, but I just have the gunk in my nose and throat now  then on Saturday we walked three or four miles and I got home and my feet were absolutely shredded so I passed out after studies haha. 

Sister Ferrell and I are doing well. We just are working hard and doing the best we can. I think when her and I leave in nine weeks this area should be whitewashed.... Or at least changed in someway. 

At least we are NOT getting transferred this week!

We are doing our best and maybe we aren't working smart enough or something but the work needs to work faster in some way. But I promise you I know we are doing all we can to strengthen this area 

As for coming home I'm so nervous and excited and ready and also not ready. I'm mixed obviously. I am probably gonna get home and sleep for two days or so haha. I love my mission so much and can't believe that it's almost over! 

I literally realized that earlier in my mission I had the impression I would go home early and then other impressions over time that never made a lick of sense until now! It seems as though lately I have recognized thoughts of getting married and everything relating to it just coming out of the blue. "Prepare to go to the temple" has repeated in my heart and mind and then our ward and stake continues to get messages and talks on temple attendance. I believe that that is the first thing I want to do when I get off the plane. I don't think I'm going to get to go the temple before I come home, just because of time issues, who knows. 

[Note to the Reader:  Katelyn is officially coming home April 9th, a Saturday at 4 PM.  Yes, I already have the travel plans.   She has decided to come home three weeks early so she can start Spring Semester at BYU-I.  Which means she will have exactly one week to come home, get back to reality, shop for school -- a whole new wardrobe -- and have a Homecoming with family and friends.  We will keep you updated!]

I'm excited for everything and I know that blessings will be coming all of our way. Just continue to work hard and be my incredible mom. 

I love you so much and hope you know how much I cherish and love you!
Love, Kizzer