First off: I'm in a
trio now!
Transfer calls two
Saturdays ago told Sister Men and I that not only would we both be staying in
Amity another transfer, but that ANOTHER sister would be joining us! It was a
pretty big shock, not to mention all the things that came to my mind of how it
will be different with 3 sisters instead of 2 (first of which was how we will
change the layout of the apartment for another desk and bed). It's not common
for trios to be put together for a whole transfer, but hey- we were excited for
it!
Sister Johnson got
here on Tuesday morning and we love her! She is from the Marshall Islands (the
islands in between Hawaii and Australia) and this is actually her LAST
transfer! She is a great singer and keeps me laughing all the time!
Members in the ward
have now called us the missionary "trifecta" because being in trios
isn't common. I love the name just as much as my companions!
We've been doing a
lot of contacting and talking to people in the streets this week and we've seen
a lot of miracles! We talked to quite a few people that said we could come back
and teach them, more than the usual week!
It's been a pretty
big adjustment though, talking to people about the gospel with 2 other
companions instead of
1. It's harder to decipher who should speak next and
there have definitely been some awkward moments of silence. But all is well!
We're getting the hang of it and I'm excited to see how we will continue to
build that unity.
Another piece of
crazy news: IT SNOWED IN OREGON...AND A LOT! Okay, so it really wasn't a ton of
snow, but for an Arizona girl and all the Oregonians I'm surrounded by, it was
quite a bit of snow...so much that church got cancelled yesterday!
The thing is that
there aren't enough snow ploughs around McMinnville to keep the roads drivable,
not to mention that after it snows it rains, and the temperature causes it to
freeze the roads. It was SO weird not to
go to church yesterday...it felt like a normal Saturday. We were slipping and
sliding all morning as we walked and tried to talk to people we met. By midday
the roads were safe to drive on, luckily, but it was so cold my bones hurt! The
humidity of Oregon causes it to feel a lot colder than it actually is, and
yesterday's wind made it even worse. It was a miracle that we got to talk to so
many people yesterday!
Not going to church
yesterday helped me to learn that I really need to make my sabbath a delight,
and that I need to make it different from the rest of the week. I love going to
church and refocusing on Jesus Christ and His sacrifice, and allowing that time
to help me start my week of right. Sundays should be a consecrated day in which
we can feel closer to our Father in Heaven.
As I've been reading
my journal from this past week of things that have happened, I realized that
more often than not, my journal entries talk about the Book of Mormon. I've
been doing a lot of studying about the Book of Mormon, as well as studying IN
the Book of Mormon...and my love for the Book of Mormon just continues to grow!
I watched a
broadcast about the Book of Mormon this past week and how we can use it more
effectively in our work as missionaries. Many times they said that the Book of
Mormon is NECESSARY in the process of conversion. It blew my mind to make the
connection that if we do not study the Book of Mormon consistently, we will not
be converted to the gospel. If we want to bring converts to the Church and help
them continue to grow their faith and love in Jesus Christ, they need to be
reading the Book of Mormon!
But the same thing
goes for me, as well as every member of the Church. If I don't continue to
diligently study Gods teachings, my conversion to the gospel will weaken.
It reminded me of a
scripture in Alma 32 where it compares faith and conversion to a seed.
Verse 38- "If
ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will
not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because
it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out."
I'm so thankful for
the Book of Mormon! It truly waters the seed of our faith and keeps it not only
alive, but also thriving!
Cool experience of
the week:
The "check
engine" light on our car came on this past week...and because I literally
know NOTHING about cars, we went to a member to check it out for us. He said we
didn't need an oil change but that we should take it to the shop if it doesn't
go away in a few days.
Well, we eventually
take it to the dealership to get it "diagnosed" and what was supposed
to be a 20-minute wait turned into almost 2 hours...NOT fun as a missionary!
We did some things
to keep us busy during that time, but we also had the unique opportunity to
talk to an older gentleman that was in the waiting room with us! We talked
pretty deeply about the medical problems of his wife, as well as the importance
of prayer and having a relationship with God.
I'm grateful for the
time that we were able to talk and testify to him of the message we know to be
true. It was easy to talk about it to him, even though we had no idea who he
was previously. The conversation felt natural and I'm glad we talked to him; it
could've been so easy not to! The person I was before my mission definitely
wouldn't have. It was a cool experience for me as I realized how much I have
changed since being on my mission, and still yet how much I want to improve.
I'm so thankful for
the opportunity I have to be a missionary- I absolutely love it! I know that
even though it may not be the "best 18 months" of my life, it will be
the best 18 months FOR my life. There is no other place I would rather want to
be, or any other place that could prepare me better for the rest of my life.
I love my Savior and
I love the gospel. I love the Book of Mormon and all the peace and assurance it
has brought into my life.
Have a wonderful
week, everyone! I am so thankful for all your love and support!
God be with you till
we meet again,
Sister McCown
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