Hey'all-
How is it going? The weather definitely has improved for the better and I am enjoying it. It is still hot but slowly cooling down. I don't sweat as much which is a bonus! I am proud that I survived my first South Carolina summer. I baked snickerdoodle cookies on pday, It was refreshing to be cooking again! I hope they enjoyed them because I don't know when I will ever have the time again. I may send you some more pictures today. We really didn't get to hear much about the 9/11 commemorations, but I did reflect on it myself and what I remember about that day. I was only 14 years old which seems like such a long time ago. We did sing hymn number 338 America the Beautiful and we all stood up and sang. It was pretty powerful. We had 6 investigators at church yesterday which was pretty cool. We are working with a lot of investigators. We have one named Diego that I told you about last week. We were able to have a few wonderful lessons with him this week. He wanted to take us out to lunch so we went to Subway. We had a lesson on prophets and the Word of Wisdom so it was pretty cool. We set him on date for baptism on October 1 so we are excited. We attended a stake activity on Saturday. It was a carnival that they do every year and it was a lot of fun. Diego was able to make it and stayed with us the whole time. Karen Lanz brought some of her family and they had a fun time dancing. You know me and how much I love dancing, so it was really hard for me not to get out there and dance. Karen is dating this guy whose name is Ahmed. He is from Iraq and is Muslim. He seems like a nice guy and has been to church a few times. We will have to see if anything comes from it. I know Karen won't settle for anything short of the temple. The weeks have been flying by way too fast lately. I hit my 5 month mark yesterday of being a missionary in South Carolina. I can't believe I have been gone that long. I am still in a threesome until the end of the transfer which is on the 28th of this month. One sister will be going home and 2 will be coming in so we will be back to an even number of sister missionaries. That means that 1 of us will be leaving and it most likely will be me. I will be sad to leave this area but excited to start some place new. Sister Johnson is a really hard worker and a wonderful teacher. She came from the Georgia, Macon mission before and has learned some different things. We are still working on meshing what we learned from our old mission presidents and applying them to our companionship now. Being a missionary is very stressful at times but I won't change it for the world. I am becoming a new person and people can see that. There are still some things to be working on and I know I will never be perfect. I am glad you had fun kayaking! Maybe I will have to go when I get back. How is work going? How are the little kids? Any misbehaviors? I wish I could hear Jane and Annie singing; they are so cute. I am sure you guys really enjoyed that. Those girls are just adorable. Thank you so, so, so, so much for the card that you sent me!!!!! I had a mail drought for almost two weeks and then I received your letter and it just made my day!! I can't tell you how much that meant to me. I feel so lucky to have such a loving and supportive family. So, my companion from Ughanda, Sister Namutebi's birthday is on the 25th of this month. I wanted to get her a little something and I can't really do it here without her noticing. The other night I was wearing my BYU shirt and she mentioned how much she would like one. I was thinking maybe you guys could pick one out for her and send it here. I can pay you back whatever it costs. I imagine a large would be a good size. She also really enjoys popcorn and those sugar free drink mixes that you sent to me. Let me know what you can do for me. Anything would be appreciated. Thanks again for all of the love and support you give to me. Have a great week! I love you all so much! Love, Katelyn
P.S Can I get Derek and Ryan's addresses I would like to write to them sometime? Thanks
Monday, September 12, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Kate is excited for fall!
Hey'all,
It sure sounds like you have all had a productive week. I also had a very productive week. First of all the Hurricane did not even hit South Carolina like it had originally planned to. We did hear some news about it, just bits and pieces from ward members. It sounds like it didn't do as much damage as they thought it would but it still did some. I would really like it if we could check the weather so we know what kinds of things to bring with us. Instead we just go out every day regardless of the weather. People think we are crazy sometimes for going out in the really hot weather but that is okay. I am getting a little tired of the heat and I hear we still have one more month of it. I really can't wait until October when it will be nice and cool outside. We are working with some really great little families far out in our area. It takes a lot of our miles to get out there so sometimes we have a member come out with us. There is this family of 7 children plus the mother and the grandmother. They all live in one small house and don't have access to a car. The 16 year old son was living with relatives in another city this summer and had been meeting with the elders out there. He was supposed to be baptized but then he moved back home so now we are trying to get him baptized as soon as possible. It may be really hard to find rides for 9 people, so we are praying for them to get a car or something. There are a few more other families out there that actually do have access to a car, now we just need to get them to church. I really enjoy being able to meet so many diverse people. The city of Batesburg-Leesville which is in our area is the only ghetto place so it is fun. My area is very diverse. We can go to rich people up by the lake to the ghetto of Batesburg-Leesville and everything in between. I really love this area a lot and will be hard to leave all of it behind when I leave. This area will be the first area I come back to visit after my mission. Karen Lanz one of our recent converts went out of town this weekend to Atlana but she said she was planning on going to church down there and planned to also visit the temple. She is such a wonderful lady and is doing so well in the gospel. I am glad things are finally getting settled with everyone moving off and starting school. Good luck to those who are starting new jobs and/or a new semester at school. At times I kind of miss school but am grateful I am on a mission. We get to see all of the elders in our district every Monday when we are emailing as we all use the same library. We haven't ever done any sort of sporting actvity yet but maybe I will suggest something. They are all very nice young men as far as I can tell. I know they work hard and serve the Lord which is the most important thing to be doing. We also have district development every Tuesday and those are always really good. Our zone leaders are really great and we occasionaly see them when they come to one of our district development meetings. Otherwise we don't see them much execpt for any trainings or zone conference. Driving is going well. I really enjoy it. I am being the best driver that I can be. If anything bad happens while I am driving I would not be able to drive for the remainder of my mission. I don't want that to happen so I am careful. It is helpful that I pretty much know where I am going since I have been here since mid April. I can just picture everyone fighting over the washer and dryer. Who won? I bet I would have won if I had been there. I am sure it is quite lonely there at the house just you, dad and Bauer. I am glad you guys finally get some time to yourselves to do whaterver you want. I am sure you will always have visitors! I hope everything continues to go well with Grandpa's recovery. Tell them hello from me! Anything new with Brad, Mandy and the girls? Matt,Stacy and Graham? (look Matt you got mentioned in the email). I hope all continues to go well there at home. I am so grateful for your continued love and support, it brings me strength. I love you all so much! Love, Katelyn
It sure sounds like you have all had a productive week. I also had a very productive week. First of all the Hurricane did not even hit South Carolina like it had originally planned to. We did hear some news about it, just bits and pieces from ward members. It sounds like it didn't do as much damage as they thought it would but it still did some. I would really like it if we could check the weather so we know what kinds of things to bring with us. Instead we just go out every day regardless of the weather. People think we are crazy sometimes for going out in the really hot weather but that is okay. I am getting a little tired of the heat and I hear we still have one more month of it. I really can't wait until October when it will be nice and cool outside. We are working with some really great little families far out in our area. It takes a lot of our miles to get out there so sometimes we have a member come out with us. There is this family of 7 children plus the mother and the grandmother. They all live in one small house and don't have access to a car. The 16 year old son was living with relatives in another city this summer and had been meeting with the elders out there. He was supposed to be baptized but then he moved back home so now we are trying to get him baptized as soon as possible. It may be really hard to find rides for 9 people, so we are praying for them to get a car or something. There are a few more other families out there that actually do have access to a car, now we just need to get them to church. I really enjoy being able to meet so many diverse people. The city of Batesburg-Leesville which is in our area is the only ghetto place so it is fun. My area is very diverse. We can go to rich people up by the lake to the ghetto of Batesburg-Leesville and everything in between. I really love this area a lot and will be hard to leave all of it behind when I leave. This area will be the first area I come back to visit after my mission. Karen Lanz one of our recent converts went out of town this weekend to Atlana but she said she was planning on going to church down there and planned to also visit the temple. She is such a wonderful lady and is doing so well in the gospel. I am glad things are finally getting settled with everyone moving off and starting school. Good luck to those who are starting new jobs and/or a new semester at school. At times I kind of miss school but am grateful I am on a mission. We get to see all of the elders in our district every Monday when we are emailing as we all use the same library. We haven't ever done any sort of sporting actvity yet but maybe I will suggest something. They are all very nice young men as far as I can tell. I know they work hard and serve the Lord which is the most important thing to be doing. We also have district development every Tuesday and those are always really good. Our zone leaders are really great and we occasionaly see them when they come to one of our district development meetings. Otherwise we don't see them much execpt for any trainings or zone conference. Driving is going well. I really enjoy it. I am being the best driver that I can be. If anything bad happens while I am driving I would not be able to drive for the remainder of my mission. I don't want that to happen so I am careful. It is helpful that I pretty much know where I am going since I have been here since mid April. I can just picture everyone fighting over the washer and dryer. Who won? I bet I would have won if I had been there. I am sure it is quite lonely there at the house just you, dad and Bauer. I am glad you guys finally get some time to yourselves to do whaterver you want. I am sure you will always have visitors! I hope everything continues to go well with Grandpa's recovery. Tell them hello from me! Anything new with Brad, Mandy and the girls? Matt,Stacy and Graham? (look Matt you got mentioned in the email). I hope all continues to go well there at home. I am so grateful for your continued love and support, it brings me strength. I love you all so much! Love, Katelyn
Kate tells about investigators
Hey y'all-
I am here bright and early as usual! We have permission to use member's computers as the library was going to be closed for the holiday today. We wanted to get to it as early as we could. I am always pretty excited to read your emails each week. Before I forget can you send me my next journal I think I have one more. My week has been great, nothing too exciting happened to us. We have been working with a member's boyfriend and progressing him towards baptism. He is going to be baptized on the 17th so we are pretty excited. He technically lives out of our area but soon after he is baptized they plan to move both of their records to the single's ward. He is a great guy and I know he will be a great member of the church and a worthy priesthood holder. We are also working with this guy and his name is Diego Saurez and he is originally from the country of Columbia. He has lived and worked here for the past 3 years. I met him while I was with Sister Wright and we technically had dropped him as an investigator but we picked him up again. We taught him a 1st lesson and it went very well and we invited him to come to church and he said he would try. He ended up coming to church and he seemed to like it a lot. He usually has a lot of questions and doesn't want us to leave. Yesterday he offered to buy us dinner at Taco Bell so we had to have a lesson on the Sabbath day and he seemed to understand that. It was so nice of him to offer and we assured him that any other day we could. He is progressing slowly in the gospel but I know someday soon he will join the church. We are also working with this nice lady named Cheryl Bieir whom we met awhile ago. She has had a kind of rough past and has worked hard to overcome that. We taught her a 1st and a 2nd lesson this last week. She wants to continue to learn about Jesus so we know she is in the right place. There is this other lady named Franny Peters that I think have mentioned before that we are kind of working with. She has had a rough couple of years and is trying to overcome what has happened. She has been having a lot of health and financial problems that she has been worrying about. We taught her about the priesthood and how she could receive a blessing and she said she would like that. We took the bishop and his dad over and they gave her a wonderful blessing. We talked with her yesterday and she said she has already seen a difference in her life. On Saturday night we knocked on the Harbor's door to talk to them . They were watching the South Carolina game and had previously watched the BYU game. They told me the score and I was happy to hear that it was a victory. Keep me updated on the games I enjoy hearing about them. We have been doing member dinners again because they asked us to. If I had it my way I would just skip those all together but I can't. We have enjoyed them and the member's are wonderful to feed us. I am glad all is going well with everyone in work and school. Thank you for the pictures of Graham they were so cute I can't believe how big he is now! Also thanks for the Jane and Annie pictures, they are also so cute. Thank you for all that you do for me. Thank you for your continued love and support. I really have the best family ever. Have a great week! Love, Katelyn
I am here bright and early as usual! We have permission to use member's computers as the library was going to be closed for the holiday today. We wanted to get to it as early as we could. I am always pretty excited to read your emails each week. Before I forget can you send me my next journal I think I have one more. My week has been great, nothing too exciting happened to us. We have been working with a member's boyfriend and progressing him towards baptism. He is going to be baptized on the 17th so we are pretty excited. He technically lives out of our area but soon after he is baptized they plan to move both of their records to the single's ward. He is a great guy and I know he will be a great member of the church and a worthy priesthood holder. We are also working with this guy and his name is Diego Saurez and he is originally from the country of Columbia. He has lived and worked here for the past 3 years. I met him while I was with Sister Wright and we technically had dropped him as an investigator but we picked him up again. We taught him a 1st lesson and it went very well and we invited him to come to church and he said he would try. He ended up coming to church and he seemed to like it a lot. He usually has a lot of questions and doesn't want us to leave. Yesterday he offered to buy us dinner at Taco Bell so we had to have a lesson on the Sabbath day and he seemed to understand that. It was so nice of him to offer and we assured him that any other day we could. He is progressing slowly in the gospel but I know someday soon he will join the church. We are also working with this nice lady named Cheryl Bieir whom we met awhile ago. She has had a kind of rough past and has worked hard to overcome that. We taught her a 1st and a 2nd lesson this last week. She wants to continue to learn about Jesus so we know she is in the right place. There is this other lady named Franny Peters that I think have mentioned before that we are kind of working with. She has had a rough couple of years and is trying to overcome what has happened. She has been having a lot of health and financial problems that she has been worrying about. We taught her about the priesthood and how she could receive a blessing and she said she would like that. We took the bishop and his dad over and they gave her a wonderful blessing. We talked with her yesterday and she said she has already seen a difference in her life. On Saturday night we knocked on the Harbor's door to talk to them . They were watching the South Carolina game and had previously watched the BYU game. They told me the score and I was happy to hear that it was a victory. Keep me updated on the games I enjoy hearing about them. We have been doing member dinners again because they asked us to. If I had it my way I would just skip those all together but I can't. We have enjoyed them and the member's are wonderful to feed us. I am glad all is going well with everyone in work and school. Thank you for the pictures of Graham they were so cute I can't believe how big he is now! Also thanks for the Jane and Annie pictures, they are also so cute. Thank you for all that you do for me. Thank you for your continued love and support. I really have the best family ever. Have a great week! Love, Katelyn
Monday, August 22, 2011
Kate gets a new companion....and then another. Three's a crowd!
Hey'all-
I am doing great this week! What a crazy week it has been. We have been working hard and learning so much. This week was transfers and Karen drove us there and she loved seeing a lot of elders and sisters gather together. I am still in a threesome which is okay. I am not a big fan of being in a threesome but I am obedient and I do what the Lord and my mission president says. I know it will be a great learning experience for me. Sister Johnson is my new companion and she had been serving in Sumter before. She is a convert of 2 years and is from Wyoming. She wasn't there at transfers as her companion was in the hospital. So for like a day and a half it was Sister Namutebi and me and we had a great time. Sister Johnson is the senior comapnion so she is technically the driver but since I know the area so well we got permission from the assistants for me to be the driver. I have definitely missed driving and I am enjoying being able to do it. I think it is helping with my confidence so it is great. I have to say teaching in a threesome can be difficult at times but we are making it work. Yesterday we went out to a city in our area called Batesburg-Leesville which is the ghetto of our area. We went to go see some leads that Sister Wright and I had found awhile ago and we actually had some success with that. We talked with this wonderful lady and her husand and shared a first lesson with them. The spirit was there and they enjoyed our message and accepted a baptismial date for September 17. They have three kids that are baptismal age so we look forward to meeting with them also. We also had another great lesson with a mom and her 2 daughters and set them on date for September 17. It was amazing that our lesson just flowed so nicely and no one had to worry about when to say something. I think when I was with Sister Wright she talked a lot sometimes and I struggled joining in. I am making it work in a threesome. I do have to be more assertive and step up to the plate more but I think that is something the Lord wanted me to learn. I am so glad you had a wonderful time in Las Vegas and California. I am a little jealous. I love southern California. I want to go there when I come home. I am proud of you for being brave and doing something that scared you. I have to admidt I don't know if I would have had the courage to do something like that but who knows maybe this mission will change me. Ths mission has been requiring me to do so many hard things that I would have never had to do. I am so grateful that I made the choice to come on a mission and I know the Lord is blessing me for it. The bike situation is all figured out. I talked to the people that I bought the bike from and I explained the situation to them. He said that he would take it back and sell it for me and then mail me a check. He comes to all of the transfers to deliever the new bikes to the incoming missionaries. I was going to take mine to last transfers but Karen did not have a place in her car for it so I will wait until next transfers. I am sad that I didn't get to ride my bike. I really like it and I think it is very cute. Maybe if I had gone someplace first that didn't have dirt roads I would have ridden it more. I am glad you enjoyed talking to her I know she really enjoyed it as well. She is a wonderful lady and is always doing nice things for us. I just wanted to let you know how much I love you and I appreciate everthing that you do for me. Thank you for believing in me and that I could serve a mission. I wouldn't change this experience for anything in the world. Being a missioanry is hard and I know you have prepared me well to endure each day. I am grateful for the missionaries that brought Dad into this church. I know that through his decison to join, we as the Serafine family have been able to change the lives of so many people. Again I love you all so much and thank you for your continued love and support. I know that this church is true and that Joseph Smith did see that miraclous vision. Through him the church was restored though the gift and power of God. Love, Katelyn
I am doing great this week! What a crazy week it has been. We have been working hard and learning so much. This week was transfers and Karen drove us there and she loved seeing a lot of elders and sisters gather together. I am still in a threesome which is okay. I am not a big fan of being in a threesome but I am obedient and I do what the Lord and my mission president says. I know it will be a great learning experience for me. Sister Johnson is my new companion and she had been serving in Sumter before. She is a convert of 2 years and is from Wyoming. She wasn't there at transfers as her companion was in the hospital. So for like a day and a half it was Sister Namutebi and me and we had a great time. Sister Johnson is the senior comapnion so she is technically the driver but since I know the area so well we got permission from the assistants for me to be the driver. I have definitely missed driving and I am enjoying being able to do it. I think it is helping with my confidence so it is great. I have to say teaching in a threesome can be difficult at times but we are making it work. Yesterday we went out to a city in our area called Batesburg-Leesville which is the ghetto of our area. We went to go see some leads that Sister Wright and I had found awhile ago and we actually had some success with that. We talked with this wonderful lady and her husand and shared a first lesson with them. The spirit was there and they enjoyed our message and accepted a baptismial date for September 17. They have three kids that are baptismal age so we look forward to meeting with them also. We also had another great lesson with a mom and her 2 daughters and set them on date for September 17. It was amazing that our lesson just flowed so nicely and no one had to worry about when to say something. I think when I was with Sister Wright she talked a lot sometimes and I struggled joining in. I am making it work in a threesome. I do have to be more assertive and step up to the plate more but I think that is something the Lord wanted me to learn. I am so glad you had a wonderful time in Las Vegas and California. I am a little jealous. I love southern California. I want to go there when I come home. I am proud of you for being brave and doing something that scared you. I have to admidt I don't know if I would have had the courage to do something like that but who knows maybe this mission will change me. Ths mission has been requiring me to do so many hard things that I would have never had to do. I am so grateful that I made the choice to come on a mission and I know the Lord is blessing me for it. The bike situation is all figured out. I talked to the people that I bought the bike from and I explained the situation to them. He said that he would take it back and sell it for me and then mail me a check. He comes to all of the transfers to deliever the new bikes to the incoming missionaries. I was going to take mine to last transfers but Karen did not have a place in her car for it so I will wait until next transfers. I am sad that I didn't get to ride my bike. I really like it and I think it is very cute. Maybe if I had gone someplace first that didn't have dirt roads I would have ridden it more. I am glad you enjoyed talking to her I know she really enjoyed it as well. She is a wonderful lady and is always doing nice things for us. I just wanted to let you know how much I love you and I appreciate everthing that you do for me. Thank you for believing in me and that I could serve a mission. I wouldn't change this experience for anything in the world. Being a missioanry is hard and I know you have prepared me well to endure each day. I am grateful for the missionaries that brought Dad into this church. I know that through his decison to join, we as the Serafine family have been able to change the lives of so many people. Again I love you all so much and thank you for your continued love and support. I know that this church is true and that Joseph Smith did see that miraclous vision. Through him the church was restored though the gift and power of God. Love, Katelyn
Baptism and a Chocolate Fountain!
H'yall-
Sorry, I had to go so I wasn't able to type to you back and forth. That would have been though! All is well here in South Carolina! The zoo was a lot of fun and we stayed there for a few hours. I love the zoo and I especially love the giraffes. It was pretty hot but we couldn't leave any earlier than 10 am so we had to do our best. It is still very hot and humid here and will be until the end of September. The other day we got back into the car and it said it was 116 degrees which was really hot. Yesterday was realivly cool and we took advantage of that. At one point it was 72 degrees. We love it when it stays under 90 degrees but it being the middle of August that is impossible. I am kind of getting sick of sweating. Before I forget can I get Derek and Ryan's addresses I would love to write them but I have no way of doing so. So, transfers are this week and we are looking froward to that. Sister Wright is being transferred and Sister Namutebi and I are staying in the area. I am excited for the opportunity I get to work more in this area. This area is so great and has a lot of potential for us to find new people. This also means that I will probably get to drive the car and I will be honest with you I am a little nervous. I haven't driven a car since March but I am confident that all will go well. Our baptism went over well and we had a lot of support from the young women and some young men! I gave a talk on baptism. Apparently I am good at those so they keep asking me and being the obedient person that I am I accept. I rather talk than have to sing so I do my part. Afterwards there was a chocolate fountain with everything to dip in it. I am sure you all would have enjoyed it. The young women leaders were so nice to put that all together. She was confirmed yesterday so now she is officially a member of the church. We met with Trey who is the member's boyfriend after church yesterday. He came on his own to church and set up the appointment all by himself. This shows us that he is doing this for him and not just for her. He never has any questions and just accepts everything we say. He should be baptized this month. How was the wedding? How was Southern California and the angels game? I am sure you all had a fun time! I love those last little trips before school starts again. I am glad Bauer is finally learning how to behave. I am sure when he sees children accross the street he runs. When does Riley move into his dorm? Matt and Stacy- Thank you for the birthday card you sent me it was great. I especially enjoyed the picture of Graham he is so cute! I compared his picture to the last one I had of him and he has changed so much. I showed his picture to my companions and they loved it. I can't tell you all how much I enjoy being an aunt. Well, I have got to be going. Thank you for all of your continued love and support. I appreciate everything that you do for me. Have a great week. Love, Katelyn
Sorry, I had to go so I wasn't able to type to you back and forth. That would have been though! All is well here in South Carolina! The zoo was a lot of fun and we stayed there for a few hours. I love the zoo and I especially love the giraffes. It was pretty hot but we couldn't leave any earlier than 10 am so we had to do our best. It is still very hot and humid here and will be until the end of September. The other day we got back into the car and it said it was 116 degrees which was really hot. Yesterday was realivly cool and we took advantage of that. At one point it was 72 degrees. We love it when it stays under 90 degrees but it being the middle of August that is impossible. I am kind of getting sick of sweating. Before I forget can I get Derek and Ryan's addresses I would love to write them but I have no way of doing so. So, transfers are this week and we are looking froward to that. Sister Wright is being transferred and Sister Namutebi and I are staying in the area. I am excited for the opportunity I get to work more in this area. This area is so great and has a lot of potential for us to find new people. This also means that I will probably get to drive the car and I will be honest with you I am a little nervous. I haven't driven a car since March but I am confident that all will go well. Our baptism went over well and we had a lot of support from the young women and some young men! I gave a talk on baptism. Apparently I am good at those so they keep asking me and being the obedient person that I am I accept. I rather talk than have to sing so I do my part. Afterwards there was a chocolate fountain with everything to dip in it. I am sure you all would have enjoyed it. The young women leaders were so nice to put that all together. She was confirmed yesterday so now she is officially a member of the church. We met with Trey who is the member's boyfriend after church yesterday. He came on his own to church and set up the appointment all by himself. This shows us that he is doing this for him and not just for her. He never has any questions and just accepts everything we say. He should be baptized this month. How was the wedding? How was Southern California and the angels game? I am sure you all had a fun time! I love those last little trips before school starts again. I am glad Bauer is finally learning how to behave. I am sure when he sees children accross the street he runs. When does Riley move into his dorm? Matt and Stacy- Thank you for the birthday card you sent me it was great. I especially enjoyed the picture of Graham he is so cute! I compared his picture to the last one I had of him and he has changed so much. I showed his picture to my companions and they loved it. I can't tell you all how much I enjoy being an aunt. Well, I have got to be going. Thank you for all of your continued love and support. I appreciate everything that you do for me. Have a great week. Love, Katelyn
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Humid weather and the local zoo!
Hey'all-
How are you all doing in the wonderful dry state of Utah? You won't believe how hot and humid it has been here. When I first got to the area they warned us about August and how hot and humid it was and boy were they right. We take plenty of water with us to make sure we don't die. Sometimes nice people give us bottles of water because they can see how hot and sweaty we are. I definitely sweat way too much. The humidity loves me! I am so glad you enjoyed the pictures and videos from the party. She really is the most generous person in the world. Although she doesn't have much money she serves us in other ways. I am also glad you enjoyed the pictures that I sent to you. That is Sister Riley in that picture with me. She alsways takes us out to lunch on p-days. I love the shirt you sent me it fits perfectly. I wore it to church the next day. I love, love, love the watch you sent me. It is the most beautiful watch ever. I took my companions out to lunch last p-day and we went to this place called Panera which is a soup, sandwich and salad place. It was like going out for a girls night except during the day. Thanks for the money. Karen's daughter Deanna is getting baptized on Saturday!! She is already like a member as she has been coming to church for weeks. She bore her testimony yesterday and it was such a wonderful thing. I feel so grateful to be a part of these people's lives. I wouldn't change this experience for anything in the world. We met this lady named Franny this week who is like a member waiting to happen. She has been through so much in her life already this year. Her husband was killed in January and her mother died a month ago. We read her a scripture in the Book of Mormon and she asked if that scripture was only in that book and we said yes. She then said "I need one of those" we gave her one right away. We look forward to teaching her more. Today we were able to do something fun for p-day. The Harbors gave us Zoo passes for our birthdays so we went to the Zoo. We went with Karen and Deanna as we had a couple extra tickets. We had so much fun at the Zoo!! We are very easily recognized and had several members from other wards come up and talk with us. I guess when you are wearing a skirt at the Zoo along with a nametag you are bound to be recognized. We got to feed the giraffes which was so cool. I actually did it, you would all be so proud of me. We go out tracting all day every day! The other day we walked so much our feet were aching and our bodies were exhausted. It was a lot of fun though! I will never get to do anything like this ever again in my life. I am just taking in the experience as it comes. We have this member who has a nonmember boyfriend who has been coming to church and reading the Book of Mormon. We met with him yesterday and it was such a wonderful experience, as he was so ready and didn't really have any questions for us. We set him on date for August 27th and we are sure he will be baptized on that date. Missionary work is the best! Tomorrow is Sister Wright's birthday so I am trying to come up with something special to do. There are no secrets when you have a companion all the time. Anyways I am sure I will some up with something. Thanks for all that you do for me. Thanks for the continued love and support you give to me! I love you all so much! Enjoy these last few weeks of summer! Love, Katelyn
How are you all doing in the wonderful dry state of Utah? You won't believe how hot and humid it has been here. When I first got to the area they warned us about August and how hot and humid it was and boy were they right. We take plenty of water with us to make sure we don't die. Sometimes nice people give us bottles of water because they can see how hot and sweaty we are. I definitely sweat way too much. The humidity loves me! I am so glad you enjoyed the pictures and videos from the party. She really is the most generous person in the world. Although she doesn't have much money she serves us in other ways. I am also glad you enjoyed the pictures that I sent to you. That is Sister Riley in that picture with me. She alsways takes us out to lunch on p-days. I love the shirt you sent me it fits perfectly. I wore it to church the next day. I love, love, love the watch you sent me. It is the most beautiful watch ever. I took my companions out to lunch last p-day and we went to this place called Panera which is a soup, sandwich and salad place. It was like going out for a girls night except during the day. Thanks for the money. Karen's daughter Deanna is getting baptized on Saturday!! She is already like a member as she has been coming to church for weeks. She bore her testimony yesterday and it was such a wonderful thing. I feel so grateful to be a part of these people's lives. I wouldn't change this experience for anything in the world. We met this lady named Franny this week who is like a member waiting to happen. She has been through so much in her life already this year. Her husband was killed in January and her mother died a month ago. We read her a scripture in the Book of Mormon and she asked if that scripture was only in that book and we said yes. She then said "I need one of those" we gave her one right away. We look forward to teaching her more. Today we were able to do something fun for p-day. The Harbors gave us Zoo passes for our birthdays so we went to the Zoo. We went with Karen and Deanna as we had a couple extra tickets. We had so much fun at the Zoo!! We are very easily recognized and had several members from other wards come up and talk with us. I guess when you are wearing a skirt at the Zoo along with a nametag you are bound to be recognized. We got to feed the giraffes which was so cool. I actually did it, you would all be so proud of me. We go out tracting all day every day! The other day we walked so much our feet were aching and our bodies were exhausted. It was a lot of fun though! I will never get to do anything like this ever again in my life. I am just taking in the experience as it comes. We have this member who has a nonmember boyfriend who has been coming to church and reading the Book of Mormon. We met with him yesterday and it was such a wonderful experience, as he was so ready and didn't really have any questions for us. We set him on date for August 27th and we are sure he will be baptized on that date. Missionary work is the best! Tomorrow is Sister Wright's birthday so I am trying to come up with something special to do. There are no secrets when you have a companion all the time. Anyways I am sure I will some up with something. Thanks for all that you do for me. Thanks for the continued love and support you give to me! I love you all so much! Enjoy these last few weeks of summer! Love, Katelyn
Monday, August 1, 2011
Kate celebrate her first Birthday on the mission!
Hey'all-
How are y'all all doing this week? I sure missed celebrating my birthday with the fam but I did have a birthday I will never forget. I will give you a summary and you can all read about it in more detail in my journal later. First of all I got the package the Tuesday before and I wasn't sure if I should open it or not so I saved it until my birthday. It took a lot of patience to wait that long but I did. It was like any other day, we got up and we exercised, and then as I was getting ready for the day Sister Wright came running down the hallway and knocked on the door and wished me a happy birthday. For breakfast Sister Wright made German pancakes which were just delicious. She loves birthdays! We got out and then we went to work like we do every day. They surprised me and took me out to lunch at El Paso which is a Mexican restaurant. It is also the only restaurant close by in our area. We had been wanting to go there for months so we finally went. Sister Wright told them that it was my birthday and they came out and sang to me. They made me put on a huge sombreo and then they gave me fried ice cream. You would have been so proud of me! After that we had an appointment with a lead that we had, so we headed there. This lady is the most spiritual lady I have ever met. Her home is so full of the spirit and she pays attention to its promptings. We mentioned to her that it was my birthday and she said yesterday that she felt prompted to make a cake and she wasn't sure why. She shared it with me which was cool. She also had some other great things to say. We gave her and her husband a Book of Mormon and asked them to read and pray about it. I know they will and they will receive the answer they are looking for. We also went to go visit a less active in an asssisted living place and were able to give her a new Book of Mormon and a Bible as she had lost hers. She hadn't been to church in awhile and has been wanting to come back. Then we headed over to the party that Karen had planned. She decided to just celebrate Sister Wright's and my birthday on the same day. People kept thinking it was both of our birthdays. So, I had to share my party with her which was okay. Karen went all out and decorated the house and even made party favors. I am sure you got the vidieo and pictures she sent you. A lot of ward members came and brought gifts which was nice. She even made separate cakes for us and we got to blow out the candles. We opened the gifts in front of everyone and we got some great stuff. This is best ward ever, I love them so much. After that we headed home and I opened the package you had sent. I loved the You are Special plates and what was cool is that there were 3 plates and when you sent it you didn't know I was in a threesome. Since I opened it too late to have the breakfast and the cupcakes we had them the next day and took pictures. I appreciate all of the gifts that you sent. I absolutely love the watch thank you so much!!! We have already started listening to the cds that you sent and they are great. I wore the shirt yesterday to church and I think it is so cute. Thanks for making it a great birthday!! Since I am in the area for so long I am able to unpack all of my clothes and other things. I do keep a few things in my luggage and grab them when I need them. I don't particulary love living out of luggage but what choice do I have. I really have been working on my eye contact. It has improved more than I ever thought it could. You would be proud of me!! I feel like I am making good progress but I know it won't all come at once. I will keep pressing forward and striving for my goals. I am glad you had a good pioneer day and were able to make it to the parade. It was strange being out of state for the holiday as they really didn't celebrate that here. I am also glad the wedding went well. What is funny is that we have a bunch of wedding announcements on our fridge that we can't attend. They are reminding us of what we have to look forward to. I was wondering if you could check my checking account and find out how much money I have in it. I almost forgot thank you for the money, I am planning on taking my comps out soon. Thank you for all of your love and support. Have a wonderful week!! I love you all!! Love, Katelyn
How are y'all all doing this week? I sure missed celebrating my birthday with the fam but I did have a birthday I will never forget. I will give you a summary and you can all read about it in more detail in my journal later. First of all I got the package the Tuesday before and I wasn't sure if I should open it or not so I saved it until my birthday. It took a lot of patience to wait that long but I did. It was like any other day, we got up and we exercised, and then as I was getting ready for the day Sister Wright came running down the hallway and knocked on the door and wished me a happy birthday. For breakfast Sister Wright made German pancakes which were just delicious. She loves birthdays! We got out and then we went to work like we do every day. They surprised me and took me out to lunch at El Paso which is a Mexican restaurant. It is also the only restaurant close by in our area. We had been wanting to go there for months so we finally went. Sister Wright told them that it was my birthday and they came out and sang to me. They made me put on a huge sombreo and then they gave me fried ice cream. You would have been so proud of me! After that we had an appointment with a lead that we had, so we headed there. This lady is the most spiritual lady I have ever met. Her home is so full of the spirit and she pays attention to its promptings. We mentioned to her that it was my birthday and she said yesterday that she felt prompted to make a cake and she wasn't sure why. She shared it with me which was cool. She also had some other great things to say. We gave her and her husband a Book of Mormon and asked them to read and pray about it. I know they will and they will receive the answer they are looking for. We also went to go visit a less active in an asssisted living place and were able to give her a new Book of Mormon and a Bible as she had lost hers. She hadn't been to church in awhile and has been wanting to come back. Then we headed over to the party that Karen had planned. She decided to just celebrate Sister Wright's and my birthday on the same day. People kept thinking it was both of our birthdays. So, I had to share my party with her which was okay. Karen went all out and decorated the house and even made party favors. I am sure you got the vidieo and pictures she sent you. A lot of ward members came and brought gifts which was nice. She even made separate cakes for us and we got to blow out the candles. We opened the gifts in front of everyone and we got some great stuff. This is best ward ever, I love them so much. After that we headed home and I opened the package you had sent. I loved the You are Special plates and what was cool is that there were 3 plates and when you sent it you didn't know I was in a threesome. Since I opened it too late to have the breakfast and the cupcakes we had them the next day and took pictures. I appreciate all of the gifts that you sent. I absolutely love the watch thank you so much!!! We have already started listening to the cds that you sent and they are great. I wore the shirt yesterday to church and I think it is so cute. Thanks for making it a great birthday!! Since I am in the area for so long I am able to unpack all of my clothes and other things. I do keep a few things in my luggage and grab them when I need them. I don't particulary love living out of luggage but what choice do I have. I really have been working on my eye contact. It has improved more than I ever thought it could. You would be proud of me!! I feel like I am making good progress but I know it won't all come at once. I will keep pressing forward and striving for my goals. I am glad you had a good pioneer day and were able to make it to the parade. It was strange being out of state for the holiday as they really didn't celebrate that here. I am also glad the wedding went well. What is funny is that we have a bunch of wedding announcements on our fridge that we can't attend. They are reminding us of what we have to look forward to. I was wondering if you could check my checking account and find out how much money I have in it. I almost forgot thank you for the money, I am planning on taking my comps out soon. Thank you for all of your love and support. Have a wonderful week!! I love you all!! Love, Katelyn
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