I'm Leaving my Heart in Oregon...

Here it is everyone, my very last email as a missionary! In exactly one week, I will be flying home, back to Tucson, Arizona! This journey here in Oregon as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for the past 18 months has been amazing. There are no words to explain how much my mission means to me! It was the best decision I have ever made, and also the hardest thing I have ever done. Nothing has brought me more purpose, though, in my life and I wouldn't trade these experiences (no matter how hard they were) for the world!

This past week has been crazy, I went on three exchanges with three wonderful sisters, and this week we have two exchanges, so it's going to fly!

Because this is my last weekly, I wanted to specifically dedicate it to talking about a few of the many highlights from my mission:

1. Ashley coming out proselyting with Sister Christenson and I in Forest Grove. She is the cutest thing ever and was so bold in telling people in the streets about the Book of Mormon!

2. Going to the temple with Sarah, Sister Christenson and Sister Child, and while we were there, seeing President Wilde and his family there coincidentally!

 3. Having the studies of hope that was introduced to us by Sister Wilde, the mission president's wife. It was truly inspired, especially where I was at when she gave us the challenge to study about the topic of hope. It saved me!

4. Feeling the love from the Wildes when they visited me after I was notified of a family thing at home, and they brought me a pie!

5. Last year attending the one and only FULL mission-wide tour where Sister Boss and I, along with over 150 other missionaries, were able to hear from and shake Elder Cook's hand! He is of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles and it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

6. The lesson with Sister Teters where we taught our friend Robert (a foreign exchange student from Taiwan) where our mission president and wife also came because they speak Mandarin! It was a very powerful lesson where the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ was felt so deep in my heart!

7. My trainee becoming my best friend! Sister Leifson has made such a big impact in my life and I couldn't thank her enough!

8. My amazing trainer, Sister Schmoekel, becoming my soon-to-be-roomate! I learned so much from her and I'm so excited to see her again!

9. My MTC companion, Sister Christenson, becoming my companion during our year mark! I love her so much!

10. My roommate of 6 months, Sister Child, becoming one of my greatest and closest friends! She saw me during some of my lowest and she has inspired me so much!

11. My half-companion becoming the older sister I never had! Sister Anderson is amazing and I miss her famous, healing hugs!

12. Battling bedbugs in Forest Grove (as stressful and annoying as it definitely was, it was also a bonding experience for sure)

13. spending my first three months of the field on bikes (sure got me into shape fast!)

14. seeing how many times a verse in the Book of Mormon that they needed to hear touch someone's heart

15. seeing the look on people's faces when I introduce myself as an Arizonian in rainy Oregon

16. being able to go on exchanges with many Sisters and learning SO MUCH from them!

17. having so many amazing companions that I needed exactly when I needed them

18. for every trial (whether it was mission-related or personal) that I faced that allowed me to become stronger, better and able to emphasize with others

19. every lesson that had kids involved and coming to find out that I love teaching kids!

20. the trio's I got to be apart of (they're a party!)

21. coming to see how a missionary's favorite holiday is General Conference

22. seeing how much better everything is when I put my will into His hands and trust that everything will work out as it should

23. having some of the most spiritual experiences on the side of the street

24. being converted to family history

25. Doing tie dye shirts with the sisters in Forest Grove, the mission president's wife and their daughter

26. Sharing Mosiah 24:14 with Laura on her porch and seeing the light in her eyes sparkle just a little bit more, as she considered the hope that she may be able to feel from the gospel

27. learning what it means to be "fair dinkum" (all in) in missionary work!

28. seeing the changes in myself throughout these past 18 months and realizing more of my potential as a daughter of God

29. Going on exchanges with Sister Leifson after a few transfers of not being companions with her!

30. experiencing Dutch Bros.

This really is only a few of the many highlights of the past 18 months of my life. It is so surreal to think that my time is almost up, but I am immensely grateful for the opportunity I had to dedicate this time to serving my Savior. He has given me so much, more than I could even begin to comprehend, and I am thankful for everything that He has given me!

Out of all the things I have learned on my mission, out of all the experiences and changes of heart, out of...everything, the thing I am most grateful for is the personal conversion I have been able to have to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, especially through reading the Book of Mormon!

Throughout the time I have been a missionary, I have been able to read the Book of Mormon cover to cover five times, and each time I learn more and more and MORE! My goodness, I can see why we are commanded to feast upon the word continually, because there can never be a time where we will be able to say that we have learned all that we can from the Book of Mormon!

There is nothing that has brought me more peace in my life than the precious moments I have been able to read these unchangeable words that seem to have changing impacts in my life, as it pertains exactly to the things I am going through at that time.

I love the Book of Mormon. It is my anchor. Even just hugging it gives me more peace and makes me feel better. I am thankful for the testimony of it that I have been able to gain, as well as all the years ahead that I have to continue to read and learn from it! If I could get on the rooftops and scream about how much I love it and how much it has changed my life, I would...except that probably wouldn't leave the best impression! That's okay, though, because the greatest changes of heart happens when you read it for yourself, and feel the quiet whisperings of the Holy Ghost- often a warm feeling in your heart- that testifies to you of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon! I know that I have experienced that numerous times and I am thankful for every answer I have received and every scripture that I have been able to share with others!

I love this gospel and I love my Savior. I have loved being and missionary and I am thankful for this last week that I have to wear a black name tag with the name of my family, the name of my Church and the name of my Savior Jesus Christ on it.

I love you all and I am thankful for all your love and support these past many months! Thank you everyone, and I hope to see you all soon!

All my love

Sister McCown

Keep the "Christ" in "Christmas"

Only 4 days later and here I am sending another "weekly"! I won't have as much to report on, considering I can only really talk about my weekend, but here it goes!

Well, first off, ONLY 23 DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS! Whoop Whoop!! I love the Christmas season, and all that it entails! Today for part of our preparation day, we went to Walmart and got decorations and started Christmas shopping for our families, and boy- is it fun! I love seeing all the Christmasy stuff and hearing the music and seeing all the joy that comes from it.

One thing that I really want to focus on though, is keeping the "Christ" in "Christmas"! It is so easy to get caught up in all the necessities and "to-do's" before the big day, and so that is what makes it that much more necessary to remember Him at this time of year especially. I'm so thankful for this time that we have to celebrate His birth, because it is only through Him that everything is possible!

Something that I have loved doing is watching a new video that the Church published: "The Christ Child". We have been using that in our lessons with members and they have loved it! It truly brings the Christmas spirit as we watch this new rendition of the nativity scene, and specifically about the more accurate timeline of the wise men and their role in the nativity! It brought me to tears the first time I watched it!

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We spent our day with several members, and guess what...I GOT TO PLAY SOCCER!!

For those of you who know me, I used to play soccer for years when I was younger, but I haven't played in almost 3 years! So when we got together with members and missionaries in the area to play, I was so beyond excited! We had enough people to have 2 full teams and we played the full field for almost an hour and a half...MAN, am I out of shape!! It was crazy because my brain naturally wanted to go all out and do everything that I wanted to do, but my body was screaming at me not to. So...I just did it, and even a couple days afterward, my body punished me for it. Needless to say, I was very sore...but no regrets!

On Friday, Sister Morgan and I were given an assignment and had to leave our area for a little bit, because of the craziness of transfers...and I got to see my Sister Leifson again coincidentally! Boy oh boy was that fun! I love her so much!

On Saturday, we had our zone service project and it was so fun!! We met with the whole zone (7 companionships of elders and 4 companionships of sisters) got together and spent pretty much all of Saturday setting up Albany's annual Christmas Storybook Land!

So basically what we did was we unloaded huge trailers full of stuff, separated them to the sets they needed to go, and then set up each of them! There were Disney sets, children's book sets, even a Bear Country, etc. etc. etc.! It took a long time and it was insanely cold, but so fun! I really enjoyed it and we were wiped by the time we left!

Spiritual message of the week..another excerpt from my journal!

"This morning we had Thanksgiving breakfast with some members in another ward. At the end, they shared a spiritual thought with us that brought me to tears! I've been struggling recently as I approach the end of my mission; I'm not mentally ready, but I'm also super tired! It's a daily struggle, really.

They showed us an excerpt from "Facing the Giants" where one football player had to bear-crawl as far as he could with a person on his back, and also blindfolded. The farther he went, the harder it got and the more his coach encouraged him, even to the point of shouting. Not only did the player exceed the expectation, but he made it all the way to the endzone.

It was amazing to me how much that scenario related to being on a mission. We are literally blind-folded because the prospect of home never seems like a reality, no matter how close you actually get.

What I loved most though, was how the player struggled more and more the farther he went along, at some points doubting his ability to press forward, even though the weight on his back stayed the same. I've really seen that recently. I'm here right now, doing the same work that I've been doing for almost 18 months now...but it only gets increasingly harder! Thankfully, and hopefully, I get stronger too, but it is still painful!

I also loved how involved the coach was, by the end on his hands and knees, imploring the player to go just a little bit father. My coach is my Father in Heaven. He is always at the sidelines, giving us encouragement and counsel. He will never forsake us!"

As much as I know that this video related to me and impacted my life, I know that it can relate to each and every one of us and the things we are going through in our individual lives. Heavenly Father is always there, cheering us on the sidelines, imploring us to take one more step in faith! We are blind in this world, to His Plan and His will and timing. But we can take that step of faith despite not knowing, and we can see blessings from it!

I love this work and I love my Savior! I'm so thankful for the strength He gives to me when I don't think I have any left. I am thankful for the constant companionship of the Spirit and the opportunity I have every day to spread the joy of the everlasting gospel to those who don't know about it!

I love you all!

Sister McCown

Happy Friendsgiving!

Happy happy Thanksgiving everyone! Isn't this just a perfect season to be grateful for all that is around you?

Want to know one of the many things I'm grateful for, especially today??

A SUNNY DAY!

I love sunny days in Oregon and I'll take every single one I can get, especially as the winter clouds begin to roll in!

Despite not being with my family for this holiday, I'm thankful to be in Oregon and being with all my friends here! I love them all and it has been a comfort to me! I'm especially grateful for the technology that allowed me to talk to them today!

So much has happened in the past 10 days since I last wrote, I honestly have no idea where to begin!

Let me just sum up the week in a few stories:

We met with a woman named Ruth these past couple of weeks that we are helping to be baptized in the near future. She has been taught my missionaries a lot in the past, but the questions she has about the Church have kept her from progressing.

One evening we had a lesson with her and she shot several questions at us, all about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith, and how she can truly know truth for herself.

As missionaries we teach a lot of people about the Restoration, all based upon their needs, but I haven't had a lesson as Spirit-filled as that one in a long time! As we began from the basic knowledge of God as our loving Heavenly Father, I could feel the Spirit literally take control of the words that I said and the scriptures that we shared. Ruth listened so intently, and by the end of the lesson when she said she understood more and some of her questions had been answered, I felt like I was on Cloud 9!

The message of the Restoration is my favorite lesson to teach, because it is the very foundation of everything that we believe! It is all centered around the love that God has for us, and the potential He sees in us as His children. In order to reach that potential, He sent His Son Jesus Christ, as well as prophets both before and after Him. Through this cycle of prophets we have access to this priceless truth, and we can know it ourselves through Study and prayer. And how grateful I am for the Book of Mormon! It is the physical evidence that Christ's Church is on the earth today, and that God is continually reaching out to His children.

A "first" on the mission: going on splits!

Last week one evening we found ourselves in a pickle. We had 2 lessons planned at the exact same time, and they were both very important and not changeable. So what do we do? Sister Morgan and I divide and conquer!

Sister Morgan went to a lesson focused on family history and for that time, her companion was the family history consultant we brought. Then I went with a member in the ward to go see our friend Robert before he left to go back home to Taiwan! 

Robert is the foreign exchange student that we began teaching when I got here. We helped him to learn about who Jesus Christ is and what He did for us, and it was such a cool experience for me to teach someone who has never learned about Jesus Christ before!

During that lesson I focused on how the gospel can be learned step by step. It was so weird teaching without my normal companion!

At the end, Robert prayed, thanking Heavenly Father for bringing missionaries into his life. It touched my heart when he said "especially Sister McCown" because I had been here the entire time he met with missionaries! I'll miss him a lot, but I'm so excited for him to continue to meet with missionaries in the future.

We also got transfer calls...

And I'll be staying here in Albany! I guessed that because I actually don't have too much longer, but I'm also so excited to just put everything I have into the work and really see this area grow! I love this work!

Last spiritual message till Monday:

Party of my journal entry from Nov. 22nd: "I'm truly thankful to be a missionary, especially in the Oregon Salem mission.  It truly us the best mission in the world for me and the experiences I've had here have shaped me for the better.

I am a better person in deciding to serve a mission. At this point in my life, its the best decision I've ever made. I wouldn't trade these experiences I've had or the relationships I've created for every star in the galaxy.

For that reason alone, I would want everyone to serve a mission. There are just things I have learned here that I wouldn't have been able to experience anywhere else, at least, not as quickly.

I truly love my mission. I've never done anything so hard, but nothing has brought me greater purpose, joy or love for my Savior. I could never fully put until words all the blessings I have received in serving a mission as a representative of the Church of Jesus Christ."

All my love

Sister McCown

The Field is White and the Sky is Grey!

Hello hello, everyone! Here is yet another weekly from just another missionary here in the Oregon Salem Mission...and how wonderful the work is here! Albany truly is a field and ready to harvest and I am loving it!

This week I actually didn't spend as much time in Albany as previous weeks, because we had 2 exchanges and I left for both of them! Nonetheless, we saw many miracles and I am thankful to be back and ready to kill it every day!

For the first exchange I was with the legendary Sister Tischner in Salem! I have never been to Salem before...and I love it! It is a cool area with a lot of super nice people and it was seriously such an amazing opportunity to be with Sister Tischner! She is one transfer older than me and is actually preparing to go home, but her fire for the gospel and sharing it with all those that she meets has never died...and I could assume that it never will! She goes through so much in her personal life, but she does not allow it to even waver her focus! It is truly amazing, but she is also so unconditionally loving to all those around her. Man, I try every day to be more like her!

Something that she often said while we were talking to people in the streets and in lessons was when she was talking about the gospel, she would say, "It has changed my life".

I could hear it in the tone of her voice that she knew that what she was saying was true, and I couldn't agree with her more! Jesus Christ and His gospel...has changed my life. I am a better person because of it and every day my relationship with Him grows stronger.

My second exchange was with Sister Hawkes and I spent the day with her in Brownsville! It is a cute little town in the woods on the way south end of the mission. It reminds me a lot of Amity, especially at night walking in the dark on the unlit roads and uneven pavement. Felt like I was at home!

I love Sister Hawkes though! She is a younger missionary, but despite that is so powerful and knows what she is doing! I really loved her ability to talk to people easily and the confidence she has in herself and the Lord. Man, I was not that confident when I was that young of a missionary!

A cool little miracle on that exchange: We went to visit a less-active family, the Zollingers, and we had to walk up their long, muddy driveway to their house. When we got inside though, we were quickly welcomed in, and I got to hold 3 of their cute little kittens! Then they showed us their big fish tank full of baby sharks! And then they told us about their 36,000 gallon swimming pool full of goldfish...I love this family! After reading a talk in the Friend magazine about prayer, they flipped to another page with a simplified version of "Search, Ponder and Pray". Sister Zollinger turned to Sister Hawkes and I and said, "Do either of you play the piano??" When I said that I did, they rushed over to their 100-year-old piano that hasn't been tuned since it was first made and as I played the song, they sang along to it! It was the most fun I've ever had during a member lesson!

One last message before I close for the week:

This past week I've had a few inner concerns that I didn't know I had until I read about the answer in my personal study one morning. Since I've been in this area (9 weeks), I haven't seen very much growth of individuals, at least in the aspect of working towards baptism. The list of people that we are teaching has changed A TON, but none of the people we've worked with specifically in this area hasn't made any steps towards baptism. It made me sad, and even though it brought me peace to know that I am working the very hardest I can, it helped me to pray and ask for the ability to see even the little growth in those we work with.

One morning while I was reading in Helaman 16, the story is told of a prophet Samuel who stood upon a wall to proclaim the coming of Christ and the necessity to repent! Many people didn't listen to him and actually attempted to kill him, but those that did listen went to find another prophet Nephi to learn more and be baptized. Because of Samuel's faithfulness, he was protected by the threats of those who tried to kill him and he was able to escape safely to another country. As I read that chapter, I realized that Samuel was never able to see the "fruits of his labors"! Those that listened to Samuel and believed him didn't go to HIM to be baptized, they went to Nephi! But Samuel knew that he had tried his hardest and he had so much faith in God that His children would all be given the opportunity to accept the gospel and make the steps toward baptism. Samuel knew he had done his part!

It made me see my work as a missionary differently. Ultimately I can't obsess over the success or hardships of the mission- all I can do is try my very hardest to help others to have the opportunity! I can only extend the invitation and do my best to help others feel the Spirit! That is what success is!

And what a miracle we saw this weekend: Our friend, Barb, accepted the invitation to be baptized in February! I am so excited for her and love her with all my heart. She has so much faith and I know she will go so far in the gospel!

I love you all so much! Have a wonderful week! Just to forewarn you, because of Thanksgiving next week, I won't be emailing until then (so don't expect a weekly next Monday!). I would love to hear from you all!

Here is a video I want you all to watch. Take this season as an even greater opportunity to serve others and help them to feel of your love and His love!: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media-library/video/2017-11-0020-think-to-thank?lang=eng&_r=1

Love

Sister McCown

The First of "the Lasts"

Hello from Albany, Oregon...and only 6 days since you heard from me last! Man, it seems like forever ago since I've had a preparation day, though, because last "pday" we went to the temple and so we were flying literally all day...and the rest of the week was pretty similar!

We did a good amount of traveling this week, and it was pretty fun! Last week we drove over an hour to Portland to go to the temple, then the next day we drove an hour to Newberg for a mission-wide leadership meeting. Then on Friday we went to Salem for Zone Conference!

The subject line is a reference to Zone Conference, because it was officially my last. As I face this last transfer of my mission, I am going to start facing some "lasts"...which is absolutely INSANE! Holy goodness, I remember all the "lasts" before entering the MTC (last time going to church with my family, last time going to Chick Fil A, last time watching a movie, etc. etc. etc.)

It is so surreal, it is not even funny! But I love it too because I've really seen this past week my love for the work and desire to try my hardest each day grow...even though I always have, of course!

During the meeting on Wednesday, President Wilde informed all the sisters there that during our zone conferences, we would be teaching 3 50-minute classes on how to train missionaries in "talking with everyone", specifically how to do it with charity to find people prepared to receive the gospel. And lucky for our specific area...we were the first zone conference- so Sister Morgan and I had less than 2 days to prepare!

It worked out, though, and it was super fun! We emphasized a lot the need to see others as children of God, and for the divine potential they have. We also discussed how we can fulfill our purpose as missionaries more effectively, and when we actively keep that purpose at the forefronts of our minds, we can be diligent and bold!

At the end of the zone conference, President Wilde led a discussion focused on "Fair Dinkum" which in English means "all in". We talked about how important it is to be "all in" as we do missionary work. There are so many distractions that can cause us to lose our focus, especially as we live our day to day; but when we keep our true focus in mind, whatever it may be at whatever stage of life we may be in, that focus affects our daily decisions. One goal I have as I live the rest of my life is to always be worthy to enter the temple, and I know that as I keep that focus, I will be able to make good decisions (reading my scriptures daily, serving others, going to the temple regularly, etc.) that will keep my goal a reality!

I love zone conference so much and look forward to it every transfer! It is such a sacred experience where I get to give my input, receive counsel from others and just feel uplifted and ready to work even harder. I also just love any time that I get to gather with other missionaries; it is a good reminder that my companion and I aren't doing the Lord's work alone (even though it does feel like that sometimes), but that we are literally as the army of Helaman!

But that day was even more special, because I got to see my Sister Leifson! She is the greatest person ever and I was so excited to see her! I love being in her zone and I love her to death!

Miracles through the Book of Mormon!!

We are currently working with a guy named Travis (I've probably mentioned him in previous weeks), but he has been having a really rough time with facing so many unfortunate events in his life that have seemed to crash down upon him at one time. We feel so bad for all that he has to face, but as we've been working with him, we've really noticed how open his heart is to the gospel. Even though it is hard for him to ask, his desire is so strong and so pure!

We invited him to the Book of Mormon class on Saturday, and we had a ride organized and everything, but then right before he texted us and said he wasn't doing okay mentally and didn't want to come. Well...we wouldn't take that!

We ended up driving over early to talk to him about it. He seemed really sad and heartbroken about something that had happened, and it gave us an opportunity to help him see how much peace and comfort he could feel as he took this chance to meet with other people and read in the Book of Mormon. It took some time to convince him...but he eventually got his shoes on and his Book of Mormon! It was such a good experience for him and we are so glad we followed the prompting to push back a little bit. To really help him feel the love God has for him and the blessings He has ready to give him as he acts in faith. After the class, Travis said he felt more at peace about things and we promised him that he would be able to figure the things out in his life that were going crazy. I know that Heavenly Father is aware of us and will take care of us!

Rollercoasters of emotions have already begun and I know it won't change much in the coming weeks, especially as the "inevitable" (as my mission President calls it haha) of going home soon approaches. The only word that could fully describe it is "unreal".

But something that I know to be a constant in my life is Jesus Christ- both His love for me and His willingness to help me as long as I remain faithful. I could never fully describe how much He has helped me throughout my life, and I have never seen so consistently His hand in my life than on my mission.

This past week in my studies I've gained a lot of peace when coming to know that everything we experience and every lesson we learn and every attribute we acquire is preparatory for the next phases of our life. Just like how our life before mortality prepared us for today, our time now on this earth is preparing us for what comes after this life. Isn't that the coolest thing?!

I know that every experience I have had on my mission and will continue to have in the coming weeks are preparing me and strengthening me for what I will prepare in the future. Heavenly Father blesses us "line upon line, precept upon precept" and I am thankful for a Heavenly Father who loves us enough to give us hard things, because He sees the eternal perspective and He wants us to be strong!

I love my Savior and His gospel. I love being a missionary- I'm living the dream! I am thankful for this time I have to dedicate and give to Him, and to make the best out of every situation. I am grateful for this opportunity I have to truly give each day He has given me, back to Him!

I love you all and am thankful for all your love and support!

Sister McCown

Twirling on Temple Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday everyone! Yep, not the normal day I email, but that's because I went to the temple today! I was literally twirling and dancing on the inside as we pulled up to the beautiful, marble temple! I love that place! 

The temple the amazing and I received so much peace from going! I know that it is the closest place to heaven on earth and I am so thankful for the opportunity I had to go! It was a good reminder to me that I not only need to help others make the steps towards baptism, but also help them to ultimately keep their eyes on the temple!

This week has been busy busy and it has been the best!

We went on 2 exchanges this past week and both of the sisters I went with are in training as missionaries. It was so fun to be with younger missionaries and see the "greenie fire" in them.

I went to Sweet Home for one of the exchanges and it is the cutest little town! I was with Sister Noble for that exchange, and she had only been out for 2 weeks at that point! She is such a great missionary and so courageous! It was so fun to get to know her and she was such a good example to me of showing love to others and putting our fears aside to fully serve God and others.

The second exchange was with Hermana Staker who serves in the spanish congregation in Albany, and I love her so much! I already have known her for a while because I see her and her companion a few times a week and we hang out all the time on pdays, but it was fun to be more one-on-one with her. We talked a lot, especially as we made cookies at the end of the night, and she is SO GOOD at giving compliments! Oh my goodness, I was called to repentance a little bit as a realized how much better I need to be about giving compliments and vocalizing the strengths I see in others.

It's amazing how all the exchanges I go on throughout the transfer, I always learn more from them than they probably do from me!! And there is so much more I need to learn!

This past week we also celebrated Halloween! On wednesday we had our ward halloween party and it was so fun! There were more nonmembers and less-active members than active members! It was so fun to walk around, mingle and get to know others!

On Halloween night, we had to be in our apartment by 6pm (great way to celebrate, right?) Because it's not safe for missionaries to be outside on that night. Instead of being outside proselyting, we did our planning for the week and tried to contact a lot of people!

One of the biggest miracles of this past week has been working with a guy named Travis. We met him a couple weeks ago trying to actually visit a relative of his that met with missionaries previously, but met him instead!

When we first met him, he expressed to us some of his struggles. We know that his trials have really softened his heart and he is SO PREPARED in accepting the gospel.

We had everything set up for him to come to church this past week...and then on Saturday night he texted us and said that a close family member (also his best friend) had passed away.

We went over last night to visit him and despite how broken he was, the faith he had astounded us. He said he knows that she is Home and no longer in pain, and that we are supposed to go through hard things to help us learn and grow stronger. The Spirit was so strong on his porch as we talked about the comfort that Heavenly Father's plan brings us and I am so thankful for the opportunity we had to share it with him. I am so excited for him and the steps he has already taken and will take as he relies on Christ!

Another awesome miracle I saw this past weekend was seeing so many members from my previous areas. One of them especially was Brother Miller; my dad on a mission! He was my ward mission leader in my first area and he helped me SO much! It was so fun to walk up to him after getting out of a stake meeting down in Lebanon, and seeing his jaw drop to the floor and phone fall out of his hand when he saw me! I love him so much and he is such a good example to me!

Another week in the books and another crazy week ahead! I'm so immensely grateful for the time I have left to serve my Savior and to truly give every day He has given me back to Him. This is my time to serve Him!

I love you all and will talk to you next week!

All my love

Sister McCown

"Impossible" is not in my vocabulary

Hello friends and family!

Another week, another week! It's flying by and it's only scaring me a little bit!👌🏻

It has been a good week, though, with a lot of awesome miracles and...

I got one of the best gifts EVER:

I got to go on exchanges with my past companion and best friend, Sister Leifson! It was an absolute DREAM COME TRUE! The entire 24 hours with her was just a blast, and honestly, it just wasn't long enough!

It was amazing to see how much she had grown in the 5 months it's been since we have been companions. As soon as we were back together it was as if nothing had changed, except we both had so many experiences that made us better and stronger! She has grown a lot in the gospel and it was amazing to see how much more confidence she has and how her testimony of the gospel truly has become who she is!

Man I just love her so much! She literally changed my whole life and the entire course of my mission. But that makes sense, because I'm pretty convinced we know each other in the premortal life, haha!

We have been very blessed in finding new people to teach. Many of them are people that have been formerly taught by missionaries and have recently shown a lot of potential in progressing in the gospel!

We had an AWESOME lesson with someone named Scott this past week! We were trying to visit a member, but Scott answered the door and said that they don't live there anymore...sooo....we talked to Scott about the gospel! We set up a lesson with him for this past week and talked a lot about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, because he had a recent death in the family.

He has a crazy work schedule (which he likes, because it also serves as a distraction from losing the family member) so we were only able to have a 20 minute lesson with him one evening. But man, it was so powerful! We showed him an amazing video about how through Christ's sacrifice, we can experience lasting peace and hope for the future, no matter what we may be going through. It is so necessary that we completely rely on Him and His will, and that immediate peace is always accessible to us through prayer and studying the scriptures.

Scott knows that there is something missing in his life and I am so excited to help him see the priceless and innumerable blessings of the gospel!

We also had interviews with President Wilde this past week and, as always, it was amazing and so revelatory! He is such a huge inspiration to me and he just radiates with love towards others and Christ!

During the interview I asked him how I could study the Book of Mormon more effectively. He excitedly told me about this amazing devotional talk "A Reservior of Living Water" by David A. Bednar that talks about how we Study the scriptures more in depth. I have started reading it and am loving it! My favorite part so far has been when he talks about understanding the gospel WITH OUR HEARTS! Knowing Christ's teachings is so different from LIVING christ's teachings and allowing it to literally become who you are. Its amazing and I'm excited to continue studying it!

Another great principle that will literally sum up my mission:

During District Council this past week, we studied together the concept of "impossible tasks" and how to overcome them. We read in the Book of Mormon examples of them, such as in 1 Nephi 17 when Nephi was commanded to build a boat. If you think about it...this is a young man, asked to build a giant boat, considering he doesn't even know what a boat is, and he doesn't have a single tool to do it. And the first thing he asked, was how he was going to obtain the tools! I think it's amazing to see how much faith Nephi has, and how he was willing to take a step in the dark and rely on God for revelation.

This principle really applies to missionary work...because literally everything we are doing is like an "impossible task". Heck, we're doing the work of the Lord, and not only are we imperfect men, but we are young adults! Sometimes I wonder why God trusts His young children to do His work, but I know that it has helped me more than anything else has! He doesn't expect us to do His work perfectly, but He does want us to rely on Him and do our best. I know part of the reason why we're on missions is to learn how to rely on God, and what better lesson could prepare me for the rest of my life!?

I love this gospel and I love my Savior. I am so thankful for every answer to my prayers and I am thankful for the people in my life that I know aren't coincidences. I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!

All my love

Sister McCown