LOOK OUTWARD (Katelyn's Letter)

Hey y'all!

Holy guacamole I've literally learned so much at in person missionary training! The Spirit is so strong here and we all can definitely feel all of your prayers!!

Seeds of faith

Where do I even begin?! There have been countless experiences that have brought me closer to my perfectly loving Heavenly Father and understand deeper the complete empathy and light of Jesus Christ! I have felt God speak directly to me at times when my doubts and struggles were stronger than my trust in Him. His love has repeatedly manifested itself to me through scriptures, the Spirit, and the many wonderful people/angels around me! One experience happened during the closing song on Sunday before we went and did an important study focused on feeling God's love for us. We were going to listen to the video of the tabernacle choir singing "I Am a Child of God" but the video's sound wasn't working! Suddenly a brave Sister started singing the song and the whole auditorium filled with voices singing those simple yet powerful words! Never before had the lyrics hit me so hard that I AM A CHILD OF GOD AND SO ARE YOU! Here's some of the lyrics<3:

I am a child of God
And so my needs are great;
Help me to understand His words
Before it grows too late.

Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,
Help me find the way.
Teach me all that I must do
To live with Him someday.

I am a child of God.
Rich blessings are in store;
If I but learn to do His will
I’ll live with Him once more.

Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,
Help me find the way.
Teach me all that I must do
To live with Him someday.

**Please Read** Sometimes it's hard to do His will but I promise if you strive to align your will with His that you will 100 percent be happier and the people around you will be too! Look outward not inward-- that is all that Christ did! When He was being arrested at the garden of Gethsemane, with that same power He could have used to fight and escape the guards, He used it to heal one of them. How flippin' selfless is that?! He healed a person that was going to whip Him, spit at Him, and crucify Him! I invite you to pray for your enemies right now and let me know what happens!

Funny Things

-Sooo I pretended to be from England for a new Elder that joined the district yesterday and he actually BELIEVED my awful accent! I felt so badly when I told him I was a lame American haha but it was fun! (Drove my companion and district nuts tho hahaha!)

-Got attacked by a bee while another district was having their prayer so that was loud and pretty embarrassing.

-I am officially in charge of the district quote book... What an honor!  There's some good ones in there that make me giggle every time!

Gratitude

-My superior district and the strength of their testimonies.

-The priesthood! (Got a pretty amazing blessing this week that was just what I needed.)

-NATURE (The elders got some pretty amazing pictures this week!)

Southern Vocabulary

Swamp Cat: another word for alligator because they are either really lazy or really moody.
Ex. "My cat attacked those swamp cats!!!"

Pictures!
1. GORGEOUS NATURE (photo cred: Elder Allred)
2. Elder Allred surfing Moses's massive wave/Red Sea painting
3. THE Elder Holmes: This picture should be on the cover of the Ensign magazine or something
4. RAINBOW (photo cred: Elder Reynolds)
5. AMAZING SUNSET (also Elder Reynolds)
6. Had a fun/violent piñata night with these crazy Sister training leaders!
7. Sister Myers and I are PUMPED for South Carolina!!!
8. We found a lil caterpillar on a rainy day named Owen:)
9. Elder Reynolds gave us all rubber ducks!!! D.U.C.K: Don't Underestimate Christ's Kindness
10. WE LOVE THE TEMPLE:))

Rough Plumbing...

They started the rough plumbing today...lots of deep trenches dug and progress taking place! This is GOOD to see!!!

A Sweet Surprise!

Thank you Addison for sending us this picture today!! It seriously MADE my day!!

 

A Hard Happy and a Joyful Misery! See You in 18, Sister Freeman!

We all woke up around 5:30am this morning... Todd and Megan even spent the night with us because we'd put Luke down here last night to play cards together. We stayed up later than we should've because nobody wanted the night to end, so when it really came time to go to bed, Megan and Todd decided to just stay so that they didn't have to move Luke. Dad made smoothies for everyone and we all piled into the Suburban! (Yes, we can still do that with all 8 of us!) Everyone was in a somber mood, but we managed to keep things light on the way to the airport. Check in went so smoothly-- we just walked right up to the desk! The lady there happened to be a member of the church and was so friendly and sweet as she asked where Katelyn was going. She was super excited when we told her because a good friend of hers just got called to the same mission! (A Sister Wright.) This was a sweet little experience and helped us to feel more at ease... Bill dropped us off, parked and met up with us at Security so we could check in just in case there were lines-- which there weren't. We lingered at Security for a long time! And took a lot of pictures! (There were more of us to take them with this time around!) We all got emotional as we said our goodbyes and finally got the courage to let her go. There was another family doing the same thing as they said their goodbyes to their elder. We watched as Katelyn walked off and noticed a sweet, older couple stop and talk to her as she joined the line. We watched as Katelyn started to smile and talk with them the whole way through security! I don't know, but they must've been members of the church-- pretty good chance on a flight to Salt Lake City!! She waved goodbye to us and just like that, she was gone and we turned around and walked the other direction... this is always THE HARDEST thing for me to do!! I know I will see her as we video chat each week, but it's just the finality of not being able to be WITH her!! I know she will be watched over today. I've been praying that she will feel the peace that passeth all understanding! (Me too!) and that she will feel comforted in this new beginning that always causes so many emotions! I know she is really going to do some amazing things-- even if it's only to strengthen her foundation and broaden her testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ-- but I know it will be so much more than this. She will touch so many lives! What important business she gets to do for the next 18 months-- and it will fly by! This has been harder for me this time, but each time I get teary, I feel a peaceful feeling come over me and I know that it's going to be ok despite my reservations and sadness. Katelyn, we all love you so much and know that this is going to be such an amazing experience for you! On the way home, Brooke was influential in talking everyone into going to Krispy Kreme donuts... none for me though... too much sugar for my mood! When we got home, Todd and Megan went home, McKenzie hurried off to work, Brooke stuck around for a couple of hours before she had to go to work, and Bill headed out as well-- leaving me alone in a very quiet home. I am trying to keep busy! I am just grateful for the faith that Katelyn has exercised in going on her mission. I know it was a hard thing for her to do, even though she has wanted to go since she was a little girl. I admire her courage and strength in doing hard things and turning to the Lord for help.

Update: We got the below text via Messenger that Katelyn arrived safely!! Yay!! She's a missionary of few words (to her family at least) today!!

Stem Walls Stripped and Curing!

On Monday we PASSED inspection (whew!) so they were able to pour the stem walls yesterday! (Tuesday) Today (Wednesday) they stripped the stem walls (took all the wood forms off) and everything is now curing. Because of the long holiday weekend coming up, they will start the rough plumbing next Tuesday! (5/31) We now have an outline of our home!! It's kinda cool to look at, although it's still hard to visualize where everything will be. Once they do the plumbing and electrical, they will be able to pour the foundation and then start FRAMING!! That's what I'm most looking forward to at this point!!! It is starting to really move along, but at the same time progress seems slow when you have to wait a week for the next step! This is an exercise in PATIENCE!!

Stem Walls Poured!!

They poured the cement for the stem walls today! Yay!!!

Light and Love! (Katelyn's Letter)

Hey y'all!

One week down and online MTC (missionary training) has been a surprisingly busy and awesome experience! I'm so excited to love and teach in South Carolina! I'll try to keep these short but if you skip to the pictures every week I guess I won't be bitter;)

Seeds of Faith

So my companion (Sister Myers) and I have been doing practice lessons with people called "helping others". We did a couple lessons with a girl named Aubrey and the first lesson kinda blew. She grew up atheist so didn't know anything about God and is studying microbiology at BYU so she had a pretty scientific perspective regarding religion. Next lesson we decided to focus on teaching about God and LISTEN to her and get to know her interests more. We wound up using science to explain God and we could feel the Spirit so strong that entire lesson and knew we had changed Aubrey's views of religion as well! Here's a couple points that I I learned and that grew my testimony during that lesson:

1. God is literally the master scientist and His light is physically and symbolically the foundation of life as ALL LIFE NEEDS LIGHT TO FUNCTION.

2. All people have so much to contribute to this church and we are not here to erase the truths they've already discovered. A quote from president Hinckley reads: "Let me say that we appreciate the truth in all churches and the good which they do. We say to the people, in effect, you bring with you all the good that you have, and then let us see if we can add to it. That is the spirit of this work." LOVE THAT!

Funny Coincidences:

-A missionary asked if his tractor license would be needed in the mission. Unfortunately our teacher said no but if you see an elder driving a tractor to appointments that's THE Elder Wallentine haha!

-Sister Myers and I are THE SAME PERSON and here's proof: We both went wake surfing as our last hurrah the Saturday before starting MTC, we both love sports, we both talk a lot (I think my district can attest to that), we literally think the same and she always says what I was gonna say before me in discussions (spiritual telepathy??), and we both are the coolest sister missionaries you'll ever see:) Ok that last one may be a stretch-- all the sisters are awesome!

Gratitude:

-music (fav song rn is "Flying" by Cody Fry. Go check it out!)

-Gods love: I promise YOU it's there for you ALWAYS!

-my epic family!

-a loving couple that I had never met before came and talked to me for a while at Target after a stressful day and made me so happy! (Shoutout to the Culps!) Go uplift a stranger today. I promise you'll make their day and your love for others will grow!

Southern Vocabulary:

"Bless their/your heart": A phrase many use when you've done something wrong and/or they nicely gossip about you.

Ex. "Bless her heart but Sister Freeman completely burned the fried chicken!"

Pictures!
1. My first day picture! (Taken, like all the others, by my fantastic mom.)
2. My district!
3. My comp and I!
4. Charged with breaking and entering your heart (God was the driver.)
5. <333