Katelyn being Katelyn!

These were funny pictures taken by Dad tonight.  We often catch Katelyn doing funny stuff.  Here she is licking her dripping hot chocolate with her funny headband placed to curl her hair overnight.  We thought this was funny, so here it is!

 

She didn't realize we were watching...

...until now!!!

Megan's Letter On 11/28/16 - Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hey everybody!! This week was fantastic! The Visitors' Center is ready and we are excited for The Festival of Lights!! Oh yeah, during the month of December my P day will be on Tuesday instead of Monday because of Festival! 

I think I will start out with our little miracle we had this week. So we were checking up on potential investigators and we decided to go to Darlene Shaw's house. So we got there and her husband answered the door and he said that they weren't really interested but he did accept our offer to come back and rake their leaves on Saturday. So Saturday came and we knocked on his door with our rakes! He was shocked we actually came, haha! So we raked his whole front yard with him. We were praying the whole time that his heart would be softened. Sure enough, he asked us tons of questions and he really appreciated us coming to help him. We were able to teach him all about the restoration just from the questions he was asking. He was intrigued by the Book of Mormon and accepted a copy and said he was really going to read it. They had us come in for dinner after and we got to know them a lot more! They really opened up to us and told us some concerns they were having with their church. We testified to them of the things we know to be true and it went right along with what they believed. They accepted a return appointment and to come to The Festival of Lights. They are honest seekers of truth and it was really neat to be able to teach them. It was a huge miracle and I have such a strong testimony that service softens hearts, not only for missionary work, but for everything!

So a little bit ago, we found out that our ward has 49 part member families and so Sister Haertling and I decided to make that our focus this transfer. So far it has been a success. We visited a part member family and later found out that the dad who is not a member is the son in law to a senior couple in the ward! It was fun to get to know him and he said we were more than welcome to come back anytime! So we are super excited about that!! Some other part member families are having us over for dinner this week! We are so excited! I will tell you all about it next week! 

So Thanksgiving was AMAZING!! We had a no proselyting day so we got to spend the day with lots of members from the ward! It was cool because a lot of the people we went to had non members there so we were able to teach them still! It was really neat and we loved being around so many amazing families! 

Something cool: So at the Visitors' Center we have a teaching center where we call missionaries all around the world and send them referrals we get online from people who request Bibles or copies of the Book of Mormon and so there was a referral I sent to the local missionaries in the Little Rock Arkansas mission and GUESS WHO THE MISSIONARIES WERE?! SISTER SAGE INMAN! It was so amazing and it was fun to get to talk with her for a little bit and to give them that referral! Haha small world!

On Sunday Sister Haertling and I got to teach the cute Young Women in our ward! It was so fun! I LOVE the Young Women! The lesson went super well! It was about the value Knowledge!! We talked about the importance of not only gaining educational knowledge but also spiritual knowledge as well! And to gain a strong testimony because that is everything we KNOW!

Oh yeah, so I don't know if you have watched the new Christmas video for the year but it is really good!! Here is the link to watch it! https://www.mormon.org/  I love the video and how we are challenged to "light the world". I love how we all have the ability to follow the example of Jesus Christ. Even in the small things! We can ALL serve and help others! A member in the ward told us this wise council, "When we expect things from other people, our joy is in their hands, but when we choose to serve others, our joy is in our hands!" Keep that in mind this Christmas season! I love you all! 

Sister Freeman

 Our district activity today! We played ping pong!

My mom sent us some pre Christmas things! :) 

 

 We decorated for Christmas! A member in the ward gave us a Charlie Brown Christmas tree! :D 

 

THANKSGIVING!

(Sister Larson)

 

 All the VC sisters got together at the VC in the house exhibit and watched Gods Plan for Families!! 

 

We all wore stripes!

 THE LIGHTS ARE UP!

We went over to a members house to help her organize...

and her cat jumped on top of everything... haha! 

This Little Gem Popped Up On My App Today!!

This is how fast time is going right now!  I  couldn't believe it when I looked this up on my phone!  And this is if she comes home in mid-May!!  (If she decides to come home in April, it will be even sooner!)  Wow!  I love my missionary!

 

Thanksgiving Pictures Sent From April!! Thank You Thank You!!!

I received 2 pictures and 2 videos from April, a member in Bethesda, who had Megan and her companion over a couple of times this week-- once on Thanksgiving and the other on today!  So fun to get these pictures!!!

 Megan and her companion helped April with her Thanksgiving dinner today! (11/24/16)

Here's what April said: "Had the help of these two sweet sisters today!  They've been such blessings! They miss you and love you! Send pictures back :)" 

I did send some back but they had already left her house by the time I saw the text message...

 

Here's a picture from today-- 11/26/16. Here's what April said: "Got a nice little visit from these two tonight. They've spent the day serving non-members. Love them!"

Thanksgiving 2016! So Much To Be Thankful For!!!

It was a beautiful, relaxing Fall day today!  We got to all sleep in (something we all do together very rarely-- me NEVER!)  Got up and went for a walk with Bill and the dog and then came home and started the Yam and Apple Casserole!  It was my assignment for the big dinner again this year and I was happy to make it as it is TRADITION!!  (I also purchased a banana cream pie from Kneaders to bring to the party, as well.)  Refords (Tracy, Stuart and Harrison), Robin and Brent and Shelby, Allison and Joshua and later a surprise entrance from Jordan-- who flew in from Virginia, were all here for the weekend/dinner.  We also invited Sister Beverly Seigel from the ward to eat with us too!  She is a cute lady!!  It was a really nice Thanksgiving dinner and day.  After we stuffed ourselves, we walked from Mom's house back home and all the younger kids played "Horse" in our front yard.  It was fun!  Brooke won!  That's my girl!!!  What a great day it was!

TRADITION!!

 We had some fun taking some family pictures today for our Christmas card! 

Missing Megan A LOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 I love McKenzie's smile in this picture!

Megan's Letter On 11/21/16 - 13 Months and Arlington!!!!

Hey everyone! Sorry today's email is going to be super short! We don't have too much time left to email today! All the departing missionaries within the next 6 months got to go on a trip to the Arlington Cemetery with President and Sister Johnson!! It was such an amazing experience! We also got to see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier! It was really neat. It was really cool how EXACT and PRISTINE the guards have to be. I loved getting to watch it! I will write more next week but here are some pictures!!

Miss you all!!

Here is a quote really quick that I absolutely love! "We are commanded by God to take this gospel to all the world. That is the cause that must unite us today. Only the gospel will save the world from the calamity of its own self-destruction. Only the gospel will unite men of all races and nationalities in peace. Only the gospel will bring joy, happiness, and salvation to the human family”(Ezra Taft Benson). I love this especially with all the craziness happening in today's world!! Have a wonderful week!

Sister Megan Freeman

 

The whole group going home within the next 6 months at Arlington National Cemetary  

 



 The group going home with me. 

 

 President and Sister Johnson! (Some of my most favorite people ever!)

Robert E. Lee Mansion

 



Tomb of the Unknown Solider

 



Arlington in the Fall!

 

Me!

My trainees!!!! <3 <3 (Sister Escobar, far right, is representing Sister Greenhalgh;)

(Sister Haertling and Sister Shin each beside me.)

 





 

Swim and Dive Awards Banquet for Brooke and Cross Country Awards Ceremony for Katelyn!

It was a busy night as both awards ceremonies were on the same night!  We went to the Swim Banquet and had a yummy dinner, then Katelyn and I left for her awards ceremony up at GP and then I hurried back to the Swim banquet just in time to see Brooke get most of her awards.  I missed her getting her Mighty Mustang Award, but got to see everything else.  Katelyn was awarded the prestigious Griffin Award for Cross Country!  This is an award the coach gives to the athlete who shows the schools' ideals on and off the court, the athlete who excels academically and who shows the traits of goodness, truth and beauty and demonstrates good character and sportsmanship on and off the field.  I was so proud of Katelyn!  She is such a great example of all of these things to me!  She worked very hard this season and performed well in all that she did, not just in Cross Country.  Brooke also did really well in her swim season, ending the year at State.  She is also one that demonstrated high character and sportsmanship and who is just an all around good team player.  I loved the season and will miss watching these girls swim and run all over the place!!

 This was cool!  Everyone on the team donated money and gave it to Coach Dilworth as a surprise tonight.  The money was so that she can go to Thailand to see her son and daughter in law who are serving there as missionaries for their church right now.  The team all came up on the stage to give her a huge group hug.  I missed this part, but Bill got these pictures.  Coach was overwhelmed with gratitude-- she couldn't believe the generosity of the team and thanked everyone profusely for making it possible for she and her husband Jim to go to Thailand to see her son.  It was pretty neat!!

 Here she is thanking everyone for the gift...

 

 Here's Katelyn at her Cross Country awards ceremony...

 

 When Coach Rosen was announcing the Griffin award, everyone knew who it was because he said that it was their fastest runner.  So here she is with a smile on her face as he introduces her and explains why she was nominated for the award.  One of those awesome moments as a parent!

 

 Receiving the award from Coach Rosen with the other coaches in the background...

 

 Back to the high school for the rest of the awards.  Here is the 2016 State Team-- all 16 of them.

 

Callie Gregory, Brooke, Hannah Young, Lindsey Thomas, Ellice Richman,

Gabby Tellez, Nicole Matheson and Connor Herrin-- of the girls...

 Don't they look thrilled?

(Callie Gregory, Brooke, Hannah Young, Lindsey Thomas and Ellice Richman)

 

 Coach talking about Brooke and presenting her with her Varsity Certificate and bar.

 

Bill received this thank you card from the team...

 Here's all of Brooke's loot!  Her certificate and bar and her Mighty Mustang trophy. 

The Seniors also gave all the team members a hat or a visor.  Brooke chose the hat.

 

 The Mighty Mustang Award is given to the athletes that never miss a practice or a meet. 

Brooke was there everyday, on time and ready to swim-- 100% attendance the whole season!

 Here's Katelyn's Cross Country certificate of participation, and below is her Griffin Award.  I am proud of both my girls for the level of participation and effort they both put in this season!