Baptism, Christmas and Tracting

Kylie's biggest news this week is Larry got baptized. Larry had been an investigator for a long time and had gone through several sets of sister missionaries before finally deciding to get baptized. His wife is already a member of the church.

Here is Larry and his wife Louise. Here is the standard picture with the missionaries. However, this isn't your standard picture. All the sister missionaries that are still in the mission got to attend the baptism.

(L - R) S. Rothe, S. Davis, E. Murdock, E. Guymon, Larry, S. Wall, Kylie and S. Dyer

Merry Christmas from Kylie and Sister Wall

While they were tracting one day they found this Book of Mormon pass along card in the window of a house. The person that lives here is not a member of the church. Interesting...

Christmas Phone Call!!

Obviously everyone knows that yesterday was Christmas and we got to talk to Kylie!! She sounded very happy and it was good to hear her laugh at my jokes. Talking to Kylie was different than any of the calls to me or my brothers. We all had spouses that wanted to talk too so there were a lot of people. Kylie kept saying I can't understand when everyone talks at once. Enjoy the pictures I took with my awesome new phone of everyone talking to her.

Still in Maumelle!!

Transfer time came and went and Kylie is still in Maumelle, Arkansas. She is very excited because one of her investigators was supposed to be baptised on Saturday the 20th and she didn't want to miss it. We'll find out tomorrow if everything went smoothly with the baptism.

Kylie experienced her first ice storm this week. She said it is really cool and pretty. They opted not to drive and spent the day walking and sliding all over. Lucky nobody fell. Here is Kylie braving the frozen tundra. The Elders that Kylie and her companions share a ward with had a baptism last week. Her is Kylie with her companions, Sister Okoren and Sister Wall with Gail.

Here is Kylie and her companions with Larry and Lousie. Larry was supposed to be baptised on Saturday.

Here is Kylie and her companions with their latest convert Ashley on an outing. (They look cold.)

Kylie's little bit of sad news is that Sister Okoren finally got her VISA and headed off to Slovenia. Kylie said the first day without her was a little strange for both her and Sister Wall but they are quickly getting used to being alone together and are still having fun.

Comparing Gratitude and Raking Leaves

Kylie had a great Thanksgiving filled great food and fun activities. The biggest highlight of her week was when one of her investigators committed to be baptised, and soon. She is very excited. It will be the second baptism she's witnessed in just 3 months.

Kylie and her companions decided to make a gratitude turkey for a lady they are teaching. Here it is in a side by side comparison with the one my mom made and sent to her. Pretty good work Sisters!!

They also decided it was time for a little service. They raked leaves for the investigator that has decided to get baptised. Kylie said they filled 28+ bags of leaves. Here is just one pile of leaves that they raked together.

And then what do you do with a big pile of leaves... JUMP IN IT!!

Getting all the leaves in the bag takes a little effort. Here's Bag Stuffing 101.

And lets not forget

Kylie sent one more picture home today. It's a drawing Sister Wall did for President Drewes for Christmas. As we get into this hectic season lets not forget the real reason we are celebrating.

Gratitude, Reflections, Christmas and Hydrant...

I know it sounds like we're playing a game of One-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-others but we aren't. Kylie had a great week. They are still making progress with some of their investigators and they are finding ways to connect with new people.

With Thanksgiving tomorrow it is only fitting that the first picture Kylie sent home this week was of her Gratitude Turkey. The Gratitude Turkey has been a long standing tradition in our family and it looks like this year he decided to visit Kylie in Arkansas.

The point of the Gratitude Turkey is to write down on a feather every day one thing you are thankful for. Then you place it on the turkey. By the time his tail is full you realise how much you have to be thankful for. (I'm thankful for Kylie!!)

I'm not sure where they are or the situation but these reflections pictures turned out pretty cool.
Sister Wall and Sister Okoren

Kylie Jo


A little decoration to help feel the holiday spirit.

A Christmas Wreath

I'm not sure why Kylie is squatting down next to a fire hydrant painted like a dog, but she sure is.

Just teasing!! I think it's really cute too.

Fun Things, Water Walking and Cocoa

Kylie had another great week. They found a new investigator and have had success with a current one. But that doesn't mean she and her companions didn't find some time to have a little fun.

Kylie and her companions found these little sculpture things and decided to have a little fun. Here Sister Okoren (upper left) and Sister Wall (lower right) are posing.
Then we have Kylie with Sister Okoren.

Next all 3 get together on a different sculpture.

(L) Sister Wall, Kylie and Sister Okoren (R)

Kylie likes her new companions so much she thinks they walk on water.

This is Sister Okoren enjoying her hot cocoa.

Sister Okoren is from Denver, CO and is really going to Slovania. She arrived in AR the week after Kylie got there.

Here Sister Wall is being silly with her hot cocoa.

Sister Wall is from Lindon, UT and has been out one year as of Friday last week.

Door Knocking

Kylie has two new companions! Sister Wall and Sister Okoren. She is already feeling very comfortable with both of them. She said they are both way funny and they all laugh alot. (Who couldn't laugh when Kylie is around?) They spent some time knocking on doors this week and had taught a lot of lessons. They also challenged a man they have been teaching for a long time to pray about a specific date for his baptism. Kylie was a little nervous about the super direct approach that the new Sisters use but it has proven beneficial so far.

Baptism, Bingo, and Bye-bye

This week Kylie and her companion were able to see one of their investigators get baptized. They met Ashley through her boyfriend Loren who is already a member. Loren and Ashley
The Baptism Group

Sister (Kylie) Jensen, Ashley, and Sister Dyer

Every week the Sisters in Kylie's area host a bingo game at a senior citizen center.

The Bingo Group

Kylie's sad news of the week is that Sister Dyer got transferred. She really likes Sister Dyer and she feels like she is losing a best friend by sending her away. Her new companionS are coming together from an area they were just serving together in. She is a little nervous about being the odd person out. But we all know how fun Kylie is, those Sisters will be in love with her in no time.

Bye-bye Sister Dyer

One of the Elders in Kylie's ward (Elder Delory) "died" this week. (That means he went home in missionary language.)

Elder Delory being killed by some midevil fighters. (Again I'm not sure what the story is with this picture.)

Fishing, Suds, and Guns

Kylie's Zone Leader decided that they should start contacting people on the street (or at a lake as Kylie and her companion decided to do) as a way of getting new investigators. Kylie and her companion have found it to be quite difficult for anything to come from stopping someone at the lake. They decided they would buy fishing poles and try attracting people to them in stead. That seems to be working so far. People have been coming up to talk to them and before they realized they are missionaries are already involved in a conversation. They don't use bait, so they don't expect to catch anything. But Kylie got a little more than she bargained for. Here is Kylie's big catch. A tree branch that was about 5 feet long.
Sister Dyer thought that she would try putting a little dish soap in the dishwasher. Luckily the suds didn't get too out of control and she was able to clean it up relatively quickly.

Here Elder Delory and Elder Guymon are showing off their guns for the gun show.

Show 'em how it's done Sisters!!

Fishing, Little Rascals Style

I hope everyone who reads this blog knows how much my family, and especially Kylie loves the movie Little Rascals. We can pretty much quote the entire movie from start to finish. Any simple little phrase can set us off. And if two or more of us are together then the hilarity really ensues. I'm sure the following pictures were taken to add to the humor that we enjoy from the movie. Enjoy!! (If you haven't seen this movie you need to rent it.) Not a bite, Buckwheat.
I got one, I got one!
Me too, a big fat one!

This week in pictures

These are the most recent pictures from Kylie. I guess I should be saying Sister Jensen but she doesn't like it when I call her that and I like calling her Kylie so that is what I'm going to stick with. I hope the doesn't bother anyone. This is Kylie and Sister Dyer at the air show. Notice their little pink ribbons.
A tribute to Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
At the air show.
Kylie and Sister Dyer after a crazy 10 mile bike ride to Wal-mart to buy their supplies for the week. Oh and in case you were wondering what is sticking up from their bags, they are fishing poles. They think going fishing will be fun. I'll let you know if I hear more about that.

ARKANSAS!!

This is the first group of pictures that Kylie sent home from Arkansas. The first one is of Kylie and her companion at the Little Rock Zoo. This is a picture of a bald eagle.
According to Kylie this is Bruce. I'm not really sure what the story is here.