Livin the city life this week, take me back to Nac!

Hey y'all!

This week has been pretty crazy! On Wednesday we were able make the
trek to Dallas and be in the temple with our recent convert Phillip as
he did proxy baptisms for the first time. Phillip was baptized right
before I came into Nac. So sister Rick's previous companion who taught
him came from Frisco to be with him. She is companions with my MTC
companion, sister Skouson! So we got to catch up for a bit!

On Thursday we had the sisters specialized training at the mission
home. The STL companion ships gave trainings on faith, repentance, and
baptism. Our training was about baptism, so we each showed pictures
from our baptism and talked about the covenants we all have made and
can live up to. We also used the symbolism of the rainbow and the
flood from the Noah story. The spirit was so strong during the
trainings! The sisters training was split into two days, half the
sisters on one and half on the other, so we trained on baptism again
on Friday. It was my first time giving the same training two days in a
row, but it was a cool experience because the spirit directed the
discussion a completely different way on the second day! After the
sisters training on Friday we went on exchanges. I drove sister Cooper
back to Nac and we were together through Saturday.

President Taylor talked about our identity and purpose and something
he said really stood out to me: "we need to know whose we are to know
who we are"
I love this! I know that I am a daughter of God with divine nature and
eternal potential! This knowledge inspires my desire to serve the Lord
to the best of my ability. 👑

I also loved the sisters training on repentance, especially Isaiah
61:1-3 "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them
beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise
for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of
righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified."
Why would we ever resist repentance when we can have beauty for
ashes!? When we repent we are trading something small for something so
much bigger and better! Repentance is such a blessing and joyful
thing!

So this week was super fun! Hope y'all have a great week!!!!!

Love,
Sister Jones

We were sure to match for the sisters training on both days!

Dumpster Diving Divas! =P

Hey y'all!

This was a crazy busy week! On Monday and Tuesday I was in Longview on exchanges with Sister Bushman again. It was super fun to watch her take over her area for the first time! From exchanges Sister Ricks and I left for MLC in Dallas for 2 days! Then we had a long trip back and I finally slept in my own bed Friday night! We had all of our lessons packed into Friday and Saturday! We are also scrambling to prepare our training for the Sisters Specialized training next week, that we will go to Dallas for again! Lots of road trips this transfer =)

Because this has been a crazy week I am just going to share some funny stories:

A less active member we were doing service for left us a voice mail: "SO girls, I am in the dumpster, I need you to come and bring me a bag" 

The funny part is that we just said oh ok and deleted it. It was not even surprising or weird for us to receive that voice mail!!!!!!!! 

The same Less active was asking us to wipe out her shelves so she gave us some rags, 

"Girls come on, hurry up!" -her

"uh these aren't rags, these are dirty socks and underwear" -us

"those will work!" -her

Sister Ricks and I talking in the car

"She got problems" -Me

"Do you realize what you just said?" -Sister Ricks

"NOOOOOO!!!!!!!! what has Nac done to me!" -me

Oh I also found out that the Bradford boys that I taught a lot in Dallas 6 were baptized!!! All three of them! =) Also Heather in The Colony was baptized! =) 

Love,

Sister Jones

So at MLC we played Chubby Bunny, a game contest on how many marshmellows you can fit in your mouth and still be able to say chubby bunny

I was the STL representative going against some ZLs, I fit 8 marshmellows in my mouth! 

Texas Roadkill!

Hey y'all!

We are about to get busy! This week we have exchanges today and
tomorrow and then Thursday and Friday we have a huge training in the
city for mission leadership council, road trip! And then we have
exchanges once every week after this week and we also have a sisters
conference on the 24th with half the sisters and again on the 25th
with the other half and we are giving a training in both! We are so
excited, the rest of this transfer is going to fly by!

This morning I was reading in Alma and thinking about my weaknesses
and the correction that Heavenly Father gives me when I read Alma
24:14: "And the great God has had mercy on us, and made these things
known unto us that we might not perish; yea, and he has made these
things known unto us beforehand, because he loveth our souls as well
as he loveth our children; therefore, in his mercy he doth visit us by
his angels." God corrects us and humbles us out of love! That gave me
a lot of comfort! :)

Michelle: already considers herself Mormon. She texted us this morning
requesting to be baptized specifically at 10am on the 26th :) she
wants to come out and teach with us!

Anderson family: Jessica found us a new investigator, taught her about
and invited her to church, and went on to invite her to be baptized
WITH her on October 24th!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our investigators are doing our
work for us! :)

So this week we saw a pack of wild hogs, buzzards, armadillos,
possums, and lizards! Also we were heart attacking Michelle (leaving
hearts on her door) and then we got in the car made some phone calls
and then sister Ricks started to drive away when we felt a bump....we
looked back and saw Michelle's cat lying there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Luckily she forgave us!

Hope y'all have a great week!
Love,
Sister Jones

Cow fur purse from Michelle

Griffindors Shout to the Lord!

Hey y'all!

Sister Ricks and I have been setting goals for this new transfer! :)
Our theme is to lift with spiritual gifts =) we came up with some fun
ideas to uplift each sister out east to help her feel as though she
has great worth and potential using a crayon analogy. Each sister is
her own color, representing her spiritual gifts. We are all different,
and becoming closer to the Holy Ghost makes our colors more vibrant.
We shouldn't compare because each color adds its own beauty. We are so
excited! We are also excited to hear more about the sister specialized
training for this transfer that we will be giving to the out east
sisters. :)

We are reading the Boom of Mormon in 40 days again,
I loved the verses from the Book of Mormon reading today in Mosiah
18:21, 29, "21 And he commanded them that there should be no
contention one with another, but that they should look forward with
one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit
together in unity and in love one towards another. 29 And this he said
unto them, having been commanded of God; and they did walk uprightly
before God, imparting to one another both temporally and spiritually
according to their needs and their wants." I want to be like that! In
my companionship, in exchanges, with investigators, with less actives,
with the district, with members, and with the Lord!

Michelle: she was soon to go into surgery, it was not sounding good
for her. She went into the doctor for a test right before her surgery.
We had been praying for her and with her. She got the test results and
she no longer has any trace of cancer!!!!!!!!!!!! She gives all of the
credit to the Lord =) she still really wants to be baptized too!
The other night we were visiting her and she had a gospel song she
really wanted to play for us. She played it and we all stood up and
danced to her gospel song, "shout to the Lord," and sang it with her!
It was so funny! We love Michelle so much! And we absolutely love all
of the unique people down here in Nacogdoches!

Jessica Anderson: she has a new baptismal date! She is working toward
October 24th!

We got to see Charity again this week, she is preparing for the
temple. She gave us the potter more quiz and sister Ricks got
Slytherin and I got Griffindor! A Slytherin and a Griffindor in one
companionship! =)

Hope y'all have a great week!
Love,
Sister Jones

The Phillips Family

Bre and Luv

Phillip!

Ashely and Carson