December 17, 2013

 Hey,

    This week was very eventful. .. it is crazy to think Christmas is almost approaching us. . This past week was full of Zone Conference, Exchanges, and The Rouston's Christmas Parade. The Monroe Missionary's which consists of 3 sets of elders and 2 sets of Sisters as well as my companion and I were able to be apart of the festivities! . . It is really a different world down here. I have never heard of a Christmas Parade back home. . I am soaking it all up.
   Thursday night, over 10,000 people came and there are all different kinds of floats and big fire trucks, Christmas music is playing all celebrating not only Santa Claus but the birth of the Savior. Thousands of pounds of candy was thrown out to the people and we were able to get a good 3 mile walk in the process handing out Joy to the world dvds and pictures of Jesus!  I may or may not have ended up leaving with a pocket full of goodies. .as well. .  SH. .. :)   hahah
 We had our own float, very simple. We had one of the Elders dress up as Joesph and a sister dress up as mary and we had a manger in front of them.  It was a great finish to the day.! 
 Life is going well. Today marks the first transfer day and I am happy to report that my companion and I are staying in West Monroe!! We are becoming really great friends and more and more I'm realizing she is the sister that I never had!
  Hope all is well with y'all back home!!

  Miss y'all more than ever! --  Hope y'all have a blessed Day as they'd say it down in the south. ..  And a wonderful Christmas Season!

Love y'all!

 Sister White

Gold Mop Award!!

Kate won the Golden Mop Award for having a really clean Apartment.  She
and Sister Stevens really get along well.  Sister White is happy, healthy and
loving the work!!!

Pictures for Christmas breakfast

Copperview 1st Ward's Christmas Party was Saturday, December 14th.  The theme was Hands Across the World.  All the tables were decorated by families of missionaries from our ward.  There were country flags, pictures, memorbilia from those areas, missionary name tags, etc.

I was asked to collect pictures of the missionaries to do a slide show during the breakfast.  These are the pictures of Kate that we used.

In Mississippi!!

November 5, 2013

    Well, I am finally here in Good ole Mississippi!! Yesterday was for sure the longest day of my life. We left the MTC before 4 AM flew from Salt Lake to Atlanta, burned a couple hours and was back on a plane from Atlanta, to Jackson, MS. Where we were greeted by some missionaries and our mish President. We went straight to dinner where i enjoyed a nice cooked meal!! I was in heaven, no more cafeteria food for this one! It made think of how great of a cook my momma is!! :) We had a little testimony meeting and a get to know you interview with the Mission President. I can not tell you how full my heart is, I am beyond grateful to be here and what a wonderful opportunity it is to serve the humble people of the south!

  Today we woke up and had another cooked breakfast, I really am soaking up all the great food, cuz I know it will shortly be leaving and I will be all on my own!!

    I can't even to begin to tell you how GORGEOUS it is here. . . sooooooo green everywhere you look. You know how pretty Yellowstone is. . . times that by 100. :) i love it. 

  My first area will be West Monroe Lousianna!! I know what you are thinking. . yes Duck Dynasty is there! I am so excited to meet them!! :)

  Life is going well, I still feel like I am in a dream. But more and more I am realizing this is actually happening!!

  My new companion is Sister Stevens. Everyone is telling me she is way cool, and that we are a perfect fit. ( she loves to go running :)))) She played rugby and is chill. And she is shorter than I am!!!! I am hoping that they are being honest. :) I am super excited. I just want to get there already and see what life is going to be like.
I also found out that the members feed us 8 times a week!!!! That is 8 times!!! of luscious southern cooking per week!  I am going to gain so much weight!!!! I CAN'T, I am only 5 foot 2!!!!!  I guess I will be a one meal a day missionary!!!  Might save me some money! haha:))

 

 

 

October 22 and 23, 2013

October 22, 2013

      My mom became my first companion after Pres. Chugg set me apart to be a full time missionary.  It was a really emotional night and Pres. Chugg gave me a great blessing.  I have so many feelings going through my head and heart, it is hard to sort them all out.  I was glad that Grandma Townsend and Adrienne were at the setting apart as well as Eric and my mom and dad. 
      After the setting apart the fam headed to Chili's for our "Last Supper" together.  I couldn't eat much, but it was fun to be with the family.
    

October 23, 2013

     We got up early (for us) :P my companion and I had an important appointment at Hawaii Nails!!!! Pedi's for the two of us.  She made me wear a dress. . .  REALLY???  It was fun!! I got pink toes to start my new adventure.  They looked pretty good! They even waxed my feet, not sure why, but it was kinda cool!!!
    Then, we went shopping for some last minute things like underwear!!! and earrings. 
    We were off to the MTC and Dad suggested shakes at A.C. (Arctic Circle).  I will never turn down ice cream!!!!  It was delicious!  We stopped up at the temple for some last minute photos.  It was both exciting and scary to know I was 1/2 block away from my mission.  We met a family that were also dropping off a missionary.  The dad had served in Mississippi, and the Elder was going to Argentina, where Eric went, it was fun to talk to them.  But, he gained 40 pounds eating great Southern food.  I CAN NOT do that!!! 
     Our good byes were teary, everyone was crying.  As I got out of the car I recognized the welcoming Elder from EFY last summer in Santa Barbara.  That was kind of crazy!!!  A sister came to be my escort and away I went.

    

Missionary Farewell - Copperview 1st Ward - October 13, 2013

On Sunday, October 13th, Katelyn spoke at her farewell.  Another missionary, Jared Barton,  spoke during the same meeting, so the chapel was packed!!  It was like Stake Conference.  Jared is going to the Mexico City West Mission.

Katelyn talked about her decision to go on a mission.  The last time she spoke in Sacrament Meeting, Brother Beals harassed her about not having a softball in her hand.  This time she brought both a softball and her scriptures.  She talked about how she got from playing softball and planning to play college softball to her decision to serve a mission.

Kaelyn said as she started her junior year of school and looked at playing softball and hoping the college recruiting would begin, but she was not all that convinced she would play college softball.  In October while listening to General Conference and President Monson announced the age change for missionaries, she knew that is where she needed to be. 

The Beginning of a great, new adventure

Katelyn White received her mission call to Mississippi, Jackson Mission.  She leaves in October 2013.

I was Kate's Laurel Advisor in Young Women's and offered to do a blog of her missionary experiences while she is gone.  My plans are to post her letters, pictures and stories so her family and friends can keep up to do with her experiences.

Please feel free to send things to me to post, so other's can see and share.  Please share the address for this blog to other's who may be interested.  We will keep the blog public as long as we do not have any issues or problems with people reading and sharing the blog.

My contact information is:

Judy Hamaker-Mann
sargejudy@aol.com

www.SisterKatelynWhite.blogspot.com