Tanning in Oregon...never thought those words would be in the same sentence!

Okay, so I've only been here about a week and a half, and I already have tan lines! It's seriously the weirdest. We bike every day- usually about 10 miles a day- and we're out in the sun for hours at a time. This week it has been in the 90s, so I feel like I'm still at home in Arizona! So far I've started getting a pretty sweet watch tan line, something I will be proud of forever. 

So this week...has been CRAZY busy! Tons of contacting less actives, talking to strangers on the streets, and setting up lessons with people we're teaching and investigators! We don't have anyone consistently solid to teach- but we are continually searching for the prepared!

We do have a person on date to be baptized though! It's a funny situation. The elders in the neighboring area began teaching a guy that was in our area...so we have to teach him haha. We did a pass-off lesson where both companionships of missionaries came and Sister Schmoekel and I taught the last part of the lesson. His name is Lance and he is getting baptized next month! He is super prepared and I can't wait to continue to teach him so that he will be ready next month! He is super receptive to the gospel and has a strong faith in Jesus Christ. 

I'm getting tons more comfortable talking in general to people we meet, and Sister Schmoekel has been so good to me in pushing me to be better without pushing me to hard. It is AMAZING how much someone can grow in just a week. Sister Schmoekel and I have been getting to know one another and our companionship has grown so much in the past week- as well as our friendship!  It reflects so well in our teaching and we've been able to teach so many people, it's amazing! 

So God's tender mercy of the week!

We were given a list of less actives to contact, mostly to get information so that we can move their records into our ward. One on our list was named Linda, who lived on 12th st. She and a couple others we were going to visit lived pretty close to our apartment, so Sister Schmoekel and I decided to walk and talk to people along the way. 

We were on 11th st. when we ran into a woman washing her car. We started talking to her and we find out she is actually a less active. She was so sweet to us! Throughout the conversation, we come to find out that it is Linda! It was so shocking!  We were given the wrong address, so it was a huge tender mercy to just coincidentally run into her while she was outside washing her car! it was a miracle that we needed! We set up a return appointment to come back and read the Book of Mormon with her. 

Miracles are real! 

I am so thankful to be here in Lebanon with my companion. We are working hard as a team and we love to go out every day and work as hard as we can until the clock says 9 pm. We literally fall into our beds from being so physically (thanks to the bikes) and mentally tired. But it is truly amazing. It gives me great comfort to know that I am working as hard as I can. 

The Lord truly does magnify our efforts when we work hard and be obedient to His commandments. I have SO much to learn, but many things come with time, and I know that as I continue to study and pray, that I will learn to become a powerful instrument in His hands. 

I love you all! You have no idea how much all your love and support means to me!

God be with you till we meet again, 

Sister McCown