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Hey y'all!

I got to escort sister Rebecca Jones (my convert from the Colony)
through the temple!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Debbie and Ben also got to go
through in the same session!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have had such a great week! We watched conference in four different
home each with a LA or an INV!

Kaitlyn has a new baptismal date! So does Gary Burns! And Patrick
Zhang is doing so well!!!

Allen is amazing! We have so many investigators that we are teaching
in member homes that were referred by members! The ideal situation!

We blast our number of lessons out the roof! Best numbers Allen has seen!

Sister Bramall, my trainee from Nac, is coming to backup train sister
Johnson!!!!!!!! My trainees will be together!

Sorry I don't have much time!
I love all of y'all,

Gaminos

Courtney

The Warrens

Temple Trip with Sister Terry, and Recent Converts Rebecca Jones, Debbie, Ben

Rebecca Jones at Temple

Debbie & Ben at Temple

Dallas Temple Trip

Melina got to go to the temple with Debbie & Ben, Sis. Terry, and her convert Sister Rebecca Jones from The Colony

Ripped up floors!

Hey y'all!

We went on exchanges with sister Terry and Chischillie! It was my last
exchange for training purposes, this week we will exchange again so
sister Terry and I can go through the temple with Debbie, Ben, and
Sister Rebecca Jones from The Colony! I also had my last zone
specialized training. Allen, McKinney, Frisco, Shawnee Trails, Plano,
and Carrolton all came. I got to train on the Easter initiative and
how it will help our mission achieve our 1-1-1 goal (1 referral, 1
lesson with the right member present, and 1 baptismal invitation per
day) each day. It reminded me of when sister Ricks and I trained about
the Christmas initiative in East Texas a few months ago! Sister
Johnson and I sang a special musical number, consider the lilies! I
love that beautiful song! I had to say goodbye to so many missionaries
there, since we no longer have transfer meetings! It was so hard!
Sister Cooper and I hugged for literally an entire minute! I've been
her STL for almost half my mission!

On Friday sister Zimmer (LA) asked us to come and bring some elders to
help her rip out all of her 85 year old mother's floors. We were there
for five hours! We ripped out all the hardwood and carpet and then
pounded and pounded at the tile for hours to break it all up! We had
three sets of elders there to help! One of them was hit by a flying
piece of tile and had to get 7 stitches in his leg! Poor Elder Cope!

On Friday night I got a priesthood blessing for my swollen Achilles'
tendon. It has been hurting and swollen for about five weeks now. It
was amazing in the blessing how elder Fifita doesn't even know me very
well, but the Lord directed him to say exactly what I needed! And some
things he said seemed really random, but those were the things I
needed the most. The Priesthood is so real!

We got to watch the women's broadcast with Courtney and her LA
mother-in-law and her LA grandmother in-law! It's amazing how much
more welcome we are in the Larsen home now!

We met with Patrick Zhang yesterday! Tina was too tired to come, but
he loved the plan of salvation! He said it makes him happy that God
has a plan for him! It's so cool to teach someone who isn't already
Christian because they appreciate the message even more! He is still
preparing for baptism!

We will meet with Kaitlyn this week!

The Warrens are still in a rough patch, but we are meeting with them
again later this week!

Love,
Sister Jones

Exchanges

My DNA is worshipping

Hey y'all!

Courtney came to the Ward Easter party with her sweet little family
and is doing great!
Kaitlyn asked her parents if she can keep meeting with us and one of
them said yes!
We keep visiting the family from Kenya, lately we've only been able to
catch Samantha, she is doing well and finally getting up the courage
to read the Book of Mormon!

Yesterday we taught Tina and Patrick Zhang in the Santos home. They
are awesome missionaries and invited their neighbors, the Zhangs, to
meet with us! Sister Johnson boldly invited them to be baptized and
immediately they both responded with "yes!" It's really different to
teach them than anyone else because they do not have a Christian
background! I think this might be the first time I've taught someone
who isn't already Christian! Their date is for April 23rd!

We went on exchanges with Prosper 1 and Celina sisters, sister McBride
and Sister Stokes. I was with sister McBride on the first day...it did
not go as planned! We needed another set of bikes, so we borrowed
Sister Terry and Chischillie's bikes since they never use them.
Something was slightly wrong with one of the seats so I volunteered to
take that bike. Sister McBride and I rode to Samantha's and on the way
there the seat flopped all around and down and some metal piece fell
onto the ground, so I switched off standing while I was riding and
sitting really really low looking like a total dork! I looked
ridiculous! We got back to the house and Travis, the Pickups son,
walked up while we were trying to fix the bike in the garage. He tried
to fix the seat, but couldn't. We casually asked Travis how long he
was going to be around and he said a few hours so we awkwardly walked
off to go tract without a car because the pickups were not home and we
can't go inside with just Travis there. We had plans to eat dinner on
our own there so we didn't know what to do, we couldn't eat at home
with Travis there! It was raining so we just walked inside a house
that is under construction being built, went up the stairs, and sat in
there while we made some phone calls. We called Sister Linsley to see
if we could join her for dinner and she took us to Subway and used her
coupon to buy each of us entire foot long! She spent her last penny
(not literally) to do that, so we felt obligated to eat the entire
thing! I usually don't even eat a whole 6 inch! It was so much
sandwich! I ate a foot long!!!!!!!!!

The next day I was with Sister Stokes and we went to go help plant
trees. I got to know Sister Stokes a lot better, she loves to use her
imagination and act out scenes by herself in her room and listen to
Celtic music! Sometimes she'll engage herself in a sword fight, or a
dramatic scene. We listened to some Celtic music in the background of
our companionship study! She is so unique, and so funny! I love
her!!!!!!!

Mrs. Warmadoll

Hey y'all!

We went on a two day exchange with sister Clayton and sister McKnight
as part of new missionary follow up training! It's hard to double book
our area for two days but somehow we managed to do pretty well at it
after a whole lot of planning!
My sisters are all so amazing, they are going through so many hard
things! I just pray my heart out, I wish I could just take away their
pains and sufferings so badly. I just want to take it away from them,
but I know that there is someone who can. I am so thankful for my
Savior's atonement! I know that he loves them so much and he has a
plan for my sweet sisters!

We had dinner with the Spangler family (they actually used to live in
Port Orchard). Ryan Spangler had the same kindergarten teacher as me!
But they lived there after we moved away. The Spangler's 15 year old
son invited his friend Kaitlyn to dinner. We taught her the
restoration and she has already read over half the Book of Mormon! She
feels it is true, she loves how clear the Book of Mormon makes God's
plan for us! She wants to be baptized, but she isn't sure how her
parents will take it. They are pretty strong in their own churches! We
got toward the end of the lesson and I looked over at sister Johnson
and mouthed "April 2nd," she looked terrified and shook her head no! I
nodded and smiled at her and then sister Johnson opened her mouth and
invited Kaitlyn to be baptized on April 2nd! Sister Johnson's first
baptismal invitation!!! I was so proud of her! Kaitlyn isn't sure that
date will work with her parents, but she will be baptized, it's just a
matter of when!

Courtney gave us a ride to church again this week! Her cute little
family is so sweet! She is so ready for baptism!! She doesn't just
know that she knows.

Yesterday was crazy! We had the entire day booked out with
appointments! We were so excited!!! We taught both gospel principles
classes, and after church spent two hours listening to how concerned
brother Avila (one of our investigators) is for us and the anti that
he has researched and believes to be true. After that, we had two more
appointments that both cancelled on us, then we went to see a less
active family and then our evening appointment cancelled on us! Then
we got home to some bad news for one of my sisters who serves in
Frisco! It's not a big deal, appointments fall through all the time,
we always have backups and we are used to it! It teaches us to rely on
the atonement. Christ was rejected and put off and slammed with anti
everyday of his ministry I'm sure. I love my mission and I love being
a missionary! I can't imagine any other life! Hard things happen, but
the atonement has happened too! The joys, lessons learned, and the
rewards are far greater than any hard day, hard week, or hard transfer
a missionary could ever have! I am grateful for the hard times to help
me understand the Savior. I am grateful that I can serve a mission to
bless my future family.

Love,
Sister Jones

Next stop...the sealing room!

Hey y'all!!

Hannah Reinen and Taylor Partlow (my convert from Nac) are
engaged!!!!!!! I am SO happy for them!!! And he now has the gospel to
raise his future family!!!! They are so adorable!!!! 

I got to skype I to Jessica's baptism on Saturday!!!! It was
amazing!!! She finally got there after working for it since last
July!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was SO good to see her and see back inside
the good ole Nac building that we used to practically live in for
wifi! I got to talk to bishop Nicholas again and sister Bramall, and
sister Joseph and some other precious people from Nacogdoches! I just
love Jessica and Aujayla and Jaymari and Nac-a-no-where!!!!

 Charity Cano from Nac also got engaged!!!!!! I'm SO happy for her!
We worked with her through a lot of trials! She flew out to Utah to
visit her RM boyfriend and came back engaged!!!! She is getting
married in the salt lake temple on September 3rd, and I can probably
go!!!!!!! I hope sister Ricks will go with me!

I had my last mission leadership council on Wednesday! President
Taylor asked me to give a training on the mission goals right on the
spot! He also had me bear my last testimony at MLC, it seemed so
unreal! It hasn't hit me yet!

This was a crazy week! We had three days worth of exchanges! With
sister Cooper, sister Bushman, sister Lindgren, and sister Nichols! It
was exhausting! But I am so glad to be exhausted! It feels good even
though it may be hard, I love it!

We saw the family from Kenya again! This time it was just the sister
of Lillian, Samantha. She is so sweet! She is 18, we taught her the
restoration!

We finally met with Jake and Jodie in their home!!! Jodie said she
wants to be baptized! The absolute only thing holding her back is
marriage to Jake!!!!! He is a returning less active. The lesson was
great! They also have been coming to church!

Courtney is doing great too! She actually gave us a ride to church
because the pickups are out of town! She is so sweet! Her son
Christian the fourth, C4, stood with us at the door to greet people,
he is so cute! He shook everyone's hands too! And he caught on to our
example and even started complimenting the ladies clothing and sweetly
saying hello to everyone with us! He is five years old. We love him!
Courtney's less active husband is so kind too! He has been coming to
church with them!

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

Crazy women!

Hey y'all!!

Jessica is getting baptized in Nac this Saturday at
1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will be skyping in for it!!!!!!!!!!!

This has been a great week! Probably the calmest week this transfer
will have seeing as we will start exchanges next week! I got to train
in our Zone meeting with the Zone Leaders about the mission goals,
that was fun! I love that our mission is so goal oriented!

On Saturday morning we met with our investigators, Seth and Lillian
and Lillian's sister, Samantha! They are all from Kenya! They are so
sweet and have such real intent! They really want to know if our
message is true. Seth is going to Kenya for a month for a funeral so I
probably won't see him again! But Lillian and Samantha still want to
meet and Seth wants to meet missionaries in Kenya until he gets back!

Courtney came to church again with her husband Christian! She is
making friends with a lot of the members and is progressing well!!!

We had 10 people from our focus 20 list at church yesterday!!! And in
addition to that 2 members brought friends to church that they
introduced to us and want us to teach!!! In the 6th Ward our gospel
principles class was so full of investigators, less actives, and their
fellow-shippers so we had to find a bigger room!!! It was a miracle!
The best problem to have! We are getting member referrals left and
right! Members are texting us with their friends that they want us to
meet! It's truly amazing! Allen has never had so many referrals!

We visited sister Lively this week again and she pulled out her boxes
of pictures, she was so excited to show us a picture of baptism! We
kept looking at it and something seemed wrong. Maybe it was the robes
they were wearing or even just the fact that there was a picture taken
of an ordinance. We kept questioning it and found out it was her
baptist baptism from a few years before her LDS baptism! She is so
cute and funny! Her memory is going a little! But she came to church
this week! And she wants to prepare for the temple!

On Tuesday it was raining hard! We really wanted to see a less active
that we had never been able to contact and finally a member was able
to invite her over for lunch and she invited us to come meet her! We
really wanted to get there, but it was really raining and sister
Johnson got a flat tire, but we kept going. We eventually got there
soaked and looking like crazy women! Who goes out on a bike in a dress
and in the downpour of rain?! That would be us! :) it was totally
worth it! We had a great lesson with Sister Snyder!

We are about to get crazy busy! We have exchanges with 10 sisters and
I get to spend time with each one. One of the exchanges needs to be
two days because one of them is a new missionary and I am supposed to
do new missionary follow up with her as well as my trainee. On
exchanges we are also having to double plan our area because we have
been instructed to double work the leaders area as our area is
supposed to be an example. I am so excited to have this chance to
sprint to the end! It will feel so good to finish up working hard! I
love getting to know all of these sisters and seeing their examples!

I am still ponderizing my patriarchal blessing for this week and for
the rest of the transfer probably! I am excited as it helps me to
understand what goals I need to set and helps to form the vision I
need for the rest of my mission and beyond.

Love,
Sister Jones

Crazy women (or maybe just dorky!)

Sliced Bread

Hey y'all!

My new companion is Sister Johnson! She is brand new from the Provo
MTC! She is such a sweetheart! She has the cutest sweetest
personality, she reminds me of the general primary/YW/RS presidents of
the church, with her cute Utah accent and sweet innocence! She is from
Kaysville Utah. She enjoys reading and singing and being kind! I love
her! The sweet sister has been working and biking hard! She has been
falling asleep at the randomest times, the poor girl!

I am still an STL. President released a lot of the leaders in the
mission because he enlarged the zones. Each city zone was combined
with another to double the size. There are only three city STLs.
Sister Taylor and Stringfellow are companions and then there is me, a
loner. I am over Allen, McKinney, and Frisco. I have nine sisters,
including sister Cooper, Terry, and Bushman! I love seeing all of
these sisters from East Texas now back in the city! I still really
miss Nac!

Speaking of Nac, Jessica is getting baptized on March
6th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As for Allen:
Jake and Jodie came to church! Jacob Black is LA (not a werewolf) and
Jodie is his fiancé and an investigator. We were able to teach them in
gospel principles class! They had just gone to the super cross the
night before, they would get along well with my family!

We also taught Christy Dixon's neighbor on his doorstep and invited
him to be baptized. He said he would if he finds it to be true! His
name is Blake and he is around 17 years old.

We keep meeting with Courtney Larsen, she is doing well! Still trying
to find if she wants to make the gospel her way of life, before she
commits to a date.

We had dinner with an elderly couple who just about read my mind when he said:
"Missions are the greatest thing since sliced bread" -Brother Troxell

Love,
Sister Jones

Allen Zone VISIT WITH Elder Zwick

Hess family welcomed us for dinner!

Sister Cowper saying goodbye to the Spangler family