It's Memorial Day! We're Proud to be Americans!!

We had a little flag ceremony to start our Memorial Day before everybody left and went their separate ways-- Brooke to Life Guard and Katelyn to swim practice and Jr. Guard.  (It was the first day for both Brooke and Katelyn with their pool activities.)  We went around and talked briefly (some more briefly than others) about what freedoms we are most grateful for.  I myself am so grateful for all of our freedoms that came at such a high price.  I'm grateful to all the men and women who serve our country, and have served, to protect those freedoms.  I'm so thankful for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice to protect these freedoms, and think about and honor them this day.  Later, we had a BBQ with Grandma Smith and Shelby.  Small numbers this year as the Hudgins went to California to spend the holiday with Robin.  (And, of course, we are missing Megan-- both missing her as in sad that she is gone, and just missing her in numbers!!)  I am a very patriotic person!  I love my country and always feel so much pride in the way of life that we enjoy here.  I love the spirit of this great land and feel tears come as I sing all of the patriotic hymns!

Bill hoisting our flag!

I just remembered that Brooke wasn't present at the devotional...she was

sleeping in to prepare for her long day of life guarding.  Here are all the people that were awake!

(Minus me...I'm the photgrapher!)

It was a beautiful day!

I love what this beautiful flag represents...when I go outside of our country to travel,

I'm always so happy to see this flag waving when I come back to the good ol' USA!!

Megan's Letter on 5/30/16 - Exciting Week! :)

Hello everyone!

This week was excellent! The members in our ward are so incredible! They make us feel right at home. They always give us groceries and so much food! We haven't even needed to go grocery shopping in like two weeks! It is so awesome. I love them so much! I am convinced that we are in the best area!:)

We had Zone Conference this week! It was so powerful! President and Sister Cooke are phenomenal people! I am going to miss them so much when they go home next month!:( Everything President and Sister Cooke spoke to us about just hit my heart so powerfully.

Sister Ete is really good at Polynesian dancing, so we went and taught the young women in our ward a Polynesian dance! The girls loved it!! It was so fun to interact with them and talk with all of them! They are incredible girls! Sister Ete is so amazing. I have learned so much from her. She is also a Visitors Center sister on her outbound. President told me at interviews that he has never done that before because normally he puts the VC sister with a full proselyting sister on her outbound but he said he really felt that we should be together! And I can totally see why! She is so incredible.

Haha guess what!! I have a third grandma!!! Haha there is this sweet lady who we are teaching (her daughter is a member in our ward) and she tells us to call her 'grandma'! It is so sweet! We brought her flowers the other day and went on a walk with her. She was so happy! She is teaching us Spanish little by little!  She is so great!

So last week I talked about Rachel a little bit but she is doing so well! Last week we got a referral to see her brother, Ansu, and Rachel joined in on our lesson. We went over to their house this week and Ansu wasn't there, so we just taught Rachel. She is amazing. The first thing she tells us is that she needs the address to the church building so she can come to church on Sunday haha! The second thing she tells us is that "Ansu hogs the Book of Mormon you gave him, so I downloaded the gospel library app on my phone and have been reading the Book of Mormon every day." CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT!!! She is so golden! We have loved getting to teach her! She brought her two little kids with her to church on Sunday and loved it! Her kids ran up to Sister Ete and I after church and showed us their pictures they colored of Jesus Christ and told us very proudly that "they got to read from the bible.... out loud!!!" Haha it was so cute! They looked so happy and Rachel was just so full of light! It is something I will always remember!

Lots of the people in the Gaithersburg YSA branch are referring their friends to meet with us like crazy! It is so awesome! They are so missionary minded! I hope to be just like them when I get off my mission! We had a lesson with Michael who was referred to us by Josh in the YSA branch and it went so well! He asked us if he could be baptized... That never happens haha it was so great!:)

Margaret is doing all right. She kind of forgot everything we taught her.... So we are starting all over again with the lessons. She was progressing so much but now is kind of falling backwards, but she will get there! She has a strong desire and testimony that this is true. She has had a problem keeping commitments lately so we really just broke down why it was so important and how it will help her.

We met Lily at church last week. She just came all on her own. We were talking with her after last week and she said, "I finally found the church I have been looking for my whole life!" This week she came again and told us how happy she was to be here! She said "This church is where I can come for true happiness." She told us how she wants this in her life! She is from Iran and has so much faith! We have to get special permission to teach her because of her religious background being dangerous! But she is so amazing and I already love her so much!

I am so grateful to be serving a mission right now and for the relationships I have been able to make with so many amazing people.  I have loved getting to see other people's lives. It truly is preparing me for life ahead. Something to remember this week: God never ever EVER afflicts us, He only tests us! :) This life is the time to be tested and to prepare to meet God! Let's give it our best! Love you all! Have a great week!

Love, Sister Freeman :)

Our new Mission President and Mission Mom coming when the Cookes leave!

President and Sister Johnson

Our apartment!!

GRANDMA ROMERO <3 :) We had dinner at their house the other night and helped make it!:) 

It was so yummy!

WALTER! He is the cutest old man I have ever met in my life! He is one of our investigators!:)

Mom's New Lashes...

I told Megan I'd gotten artificial lashes in my email to her today.  These are the pictures I took to show her.  They aren't very good pictures of them... but here they are...

Let The Fun Begin!! School Is Out For The Summer!!!

After Brooke's last final exam and early release, we headed to Kneaders to celebrate school being OUT!  It's out for everyone that is, except for McKenzie.  Mac has already started her summer term courses and she's taking a full load... but at least it's online.  (No commute out to Egypt, or rather, East Mesa-- she won't do that commute until Fall Semester, and then she has it every day! Ugh!!) But for now, it's cause for celebration!  Both Brooke and Katelyn had a great year as a Sophomore in HS and as a 7th grader, respectively.  Looking forward to a different pace for summer.  We will still be busy, but just a different busy!

Can you feel the excitement?  Some very happy people!!!

Brooke enjoying a well-deserved candy apple.  They each got to choose a dessert...

Official First Day of Summer (for Kateyln...)

Katelyn has been doing a lot of braids lately with all her free time with no school, or anything going on (yet).  Her first day of summer is today and she's enjoying just relaxing.  I think she did a great job on this braid!  Brooke even has her doing her hair!!

Megan's Letter on 5/23/16 - 7 Months!!

Dear Family and Friends,

You all are so great! I hope you all enjoyed this past week! Time sure is flying by so fast! This week was so crazy and I don't want to make this email too long so I will just talk about one day this week that was a special day to me. It was Thursday! We first met with Ansu. Ansu referred himself to the missionaries! He and his family are from Sierra Leon. His sister, Rachel listened in on the discussion and she wants to learn more as well. We are so excited to work with them. 

We then met with Leonard. Leonard has been addicted to smoking since he was SEVEN!! So we are working with him on helping him stop smoking! His house always smells like smoke so badly!! My eyes were watering during the whole lesson because of the smell of smoke, but we love Leonard and his genuine desire to want to improve. Next week we are going to suggest teaching the lesson outside haha. 

Right after Leonard, we were walking and this girl named Amber walked up to us.

She said, "Hey I saw your name badges, and that they have Jesus Christ on them, can you help me?" She told us how she is having such a hard time finding hope right now. She said her husband is abusive. She told us she has had some addictions, but she has overcome them and is looking for hope and a good environment to raise her two kids. She has had such a rough background. We were able to testify to her that this gospel of Jesus Christ will bring the hope she is looking for into her life. We told her that through and because of Jesus Christ, she can have a fresh start. She started crying and thanked  us so sincerely it made me start to cry! It was such a tender moment and a tender mercy from God. I am so excited to see the Atonement work in Amber. I know it was no coincidence that we met her. 

Then we met with Walter!! Walter is the cutest old man I have ever met in my life! Every time we go over to visit, he waits for us outside his door and welcomes us with the biggest smile ever! He said he really wants to join this church and he enjoys coming to church! 

Then, to conclude our night, we brought Margaret (one of our investigators who is struggling with depression) to a dinner appointment with one of the members who signed up to feed us! It was so incredible! Margret laughed and smiled! That was the first time I have ever seen her laugh! It was so awesome! We had a lesson at the members house with her after dinner and it went so well! The spirit was so strong. We are loving the two areas that we have! Staying busy and working hard is what makes missions the best!:)

We went to the farm on Wednesday to do some service and we had a really neat experience. So a ton of autistic adults came and they got to help us plant pumpkin seeds. It was such a great experience to be around them and to see the light of Christ shine through their eyes. At the farm, Sister Ete and I also got to drive this REALLY old truck. It was so much fun! We made some pretty great memories!

On Sunday, Sister Ete and I had the wonderful opportunity to speak in Sacrament meeting about our conversion stories. We didn't have too much time to speak but it was still amazing. We also got to teach Primary as well to all the little kids about Joseph Smith. I LOVE teaching kids and just being able to teach so simply! I know Joseph Smith was a true prophet and that God worked through Joseph Smith to restore Jesus Christ's church back onto the earth. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church here upon the earth and the way to find lasting eternal happiness! I hope you all have a great week!

Sister Freeman

SARAH!! This is the cutest little girl I have ever met! She is our investigator Seth's, daughter. We were at the wards talent show! Sister Ete performed a Polynesian dance! It was so good!!

 Seth and his daughter Sarah with all the missionaries that have taught him.

Sister Ete and I with Sarah!

We saw a group of boys playing football! They taught us how to play football and then we taught them about Jesus Christ! It was great! I love kids! We made some new friends! :)

Emory Andersen's Farewell-- Going to the Baton Rouge Louisiana Mission!

Today we went to Emory Andersen's farewell-- Darcy and Tom's son.  He'll be a great missionary! Here we are at his house after the meeting...

Brooke's First Long Course Swim Meet!!! And She Swam Great!!

It was so fun to go to a swim meet!  It has been over 6 long months since we've felt the breeze in our hair and the smell of chlorine in our noses!  Brooke swam AWESOME today.  First of all, it's been 6 months since she's even competed, PLUS Sunwest doesn't have a Long Course pool to  train in, so this was literally her first experience competing at all in 6 months and in a LC pool no less!  Her times were right up there with the fastest heats.  I think she was really pleased with her results.  It was a beautiful breezy upper 80's day-- perfect for a swim meet!

Behind the blocks getting ready for her first event-- the 200 Freestyle!

She got a 2:45.71! 

Here we go!

Awesome action shot!

Sleeping between races!

Talking to Coach Chris for some last minute guidance before her 2nd race, the 50 Breaststroke.

She swam a 46.37!

Ready for the beep!

Go Brooke Go!

Brooke and Julia Richman who swims for Westside.

Ok Brooke... you're a rock star for doing this event-- the 50 Backstroke!  She doesn't really

compete much in this stroke, but did it anyway!  She got a 44.10...

Lookin' good!

Katelyn's Last Day Of School... And A Mitful of Awards To Go With It!!!

Katelyn got Academic Excellence Awards in 3 subjects-- Math, Science and Literature and Composition.  She had a great academic year and we are proud of her!!

Elders Zitting and White Came Over To Share a Message!

The missionaries came over to share a message tonight.  They taught us the story of David and Goliath from the Old Testament.  They likened it to how Missionary Work can feel like we are up against Goliath, but with the Lord's help, we, like David, can do anything.  The Lord wants us to do Missionary Work, so He will help us!  After their message, we played with a "slingshot" and "Goliath".  Elder Zitting tried to hold it up high enough to match Goliaths real height, but he's not tall enough... he'd have to hold it up 9 1/2 feet in the air!

Such concentration!

I hit him right between the eyes!  (After a few warm up shots...)

Katelyn's Official Basketball Picture...

We finally got these back!  Cutest Basketball player I've ever seen or known!!  Katelyn, you had a great season!  We are so proud of you!  Congratulations!!!!

Cutie Patootie!!

Megan's Letter on 5/16/16 - Busy Week!!:)

Hey everyone! 

This week was SO great!! We stayed so busy!:) Sorry this email is so long, we had so much happen!

So I first want to talk about the Romero family! They invited us over for dinner this week. They are a part member family, so the mom is a member and the husband is not a member. Their daughter is serving a mission in Peru right now! This family is so incredible! They made us feel right at home! The dad kept saying we were his daughters! He is so sweet! After dinner we had a lesson with Sister Romero (the mom), Brother Romero (the dad who is not a member) and Brother Romero's mom (who is also not a member). The spirit was so strong. The grandma spoke little English, but at the end she called us angels and told us that God loves us and He sent us to them! We are so excited to see what happens with this family! We both felt like we were right at home when we were at their house haha. Sister Romero told us to call her mom! They left us with a ton of food for the rest of the week!

So every week on Wednesdays, we get to go to the farm in Seneca and do service! On our way there, we got lost in the middle of no where when all the sudden this man drives up to us and directs us where to go! He was an angel! So this farm is HUGE! It is used for special needs kids to come to ride the horses! It is so nice! When we got there we had to sweep and clean out the barn! Then we got to go to the Shiloh Mansion on the farm (they rent it out for people to stay) and clean it! It was so much fun! There were so many bugs though because people haven't lived in it for a long time! Funny story: So there was this SUPER STICKY spider trap. Let me tell ya, it works so good, Sister Ete and I got stuck in it!!! It was on the ground to catch spiders and there were so many spiders in it and so Sister Ete stuck her foot in it to see how sticky it was.... Yah we look back and just laugh now haha and so when she got stuck, I came in and tried to help her and got stuck as well and then our hands got stuck because we tried to rip it off with our hands.... We literary got stuck with the spiders hah!! It was so funny! We eventually got out. We learned the lesson the hard way that's for sure. Don't ever touch spider trappers.

Now I want to talk about Margaret! She is doing SO WELL! This last lesson with her, she really opened up to us and told us how she suffers really badly with depression. She said that she can't remember the last time she was happy. Wow the spirit was so strong during this lesson, I remember thinking that this was not something that she was going to struggle with her whole life and right as I was thinking this, sister Ete says, "Margaret I know that as you rely heavily on Heavenly Father and do everything you can on your part, that this is a trial you will overcome!" It was such a beautiful promise! We then called the Zone Leaders to come over and give her a blessing. My testimony on priesthood blessings grew imensly from this. The Zone Leaders have never met Margaret. They have no idea who she is or what she is struggling with, but the blessing was so perfect and so personal to Margaret! They told her that she would have strength to overcome any trial out in her path. It was such a beautiful blessing. I know that it was from God and that they were the mouthpieces of God.

After the blessing we asked her about it. I wish I could explain the happiness in her eyes. I have never seen her happy before but after the blessing she glowed with such a special spirit. She said she felt happier and more at peace.  She is so excited for her baptism!

Last night we had the monthly 'Why I Believe' fireside at the Washington DC Temple Visitors' Center! This is such a special event where recent converts come and share their testimony about why they believe. We always have a main speaker as well! Sandra Turley came and spoke last night. She played Cosette on Broadway for Le Mis and is so talented! I spent the night at her house the first night in my mission before transfers... And had no idea she was famous haha! She gave a beautiful talk and testimony! One of our investigators, Paul came! He really enjoyed it and after the program, we walked around the temple. We were able to feel the spirit so strongly. We had a short lesson on the temple grounds and it was so powerful! We closed with a prayer offered by Paul. He said he could feel the spirit so strongly and that he really enjoys this church. He is so amazing! I have such a strong testimony that it is the spirit that teaches, not us. The spirit is what makes people have the change of heart. Aw I love you all! I hope you have a great week!

Love, Sister Freeman

 These kids are from El Salvador! They are investigating the church.

They are one of our recent converts kids! They are so sweet. We love them to pieces!

Took some companion pictures!

We found this super pretty pond and bridge!

"Why I Believe" Fireside!!!

Paul had such a great time.

Shaun Richards is BACK From Her Mission!!!!

Shaun Richards just returned from her mission to Argentina, Nequen this last Wednesday!  It was so good to see her on Sunday!  I gave her an extra tight hug vicariously for Megan!  I love recently returned missionaries and the spirit they have and the light in their eyes!  I especially LOVE sister missionaries, because of Megan being out right now!  Shaun gave a very powerful talk in Sacrament Meeting!  She bore a very moving testimony about the power of words, especially the words, "I am a child of God".  She said we often take those words for granted, but she enjoyed the joy the knowledge of those words brought to the people she taught. She also spoke of her challenges, specifically learning the language and the struggle at the beginning of her mission.  She shared this scripture which I absolutely LOVE.  It's 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.  Paul does a great job at explaining that weaknesses become our strengths through the power of the Atonement of Christ.  What a beautiful talk!  I so loved hearing all about her mission through the experiences that she shared.  After church, we went to an open house at the Spear's house and had a  very nice lunch.  It was fun to visit with Shaun some more and see Maggie again too!  Such great girls!  Megan is so lucky to have Maggie as a friend!  And what a great family!  I just love Rob and Julie!  They are such great friends!  It was a beautiful Sabbath afternoon!

 Shaun and Maggie after RS.  What beautiful girls...on the inside and out!!

Brooke and Dad after church!

Brooke and Dad at the Open House with the Eislin's baby, Claire.