Baptism, exchanges, transfer calls...oh my!

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope everyone had a great week, because ours was crazy from the time we went to the temple to yesterday!

We've been teaching a lot of lessons to those we are working with, and it's been amazing to see how much Heavenly Father has blessed us with.

Ashley was baptized on Saturday and it was so good! The Spirit was so strong during the whole program and there were a couple times where I could see tears in her eyes.

Due to some complications with the font, the stopper on the drain didn't work right. It ended up draining as it was filling, so by the time Ashley stepped into the font to be baptized, it only went to her knees!

She was such a pro, though! She had to be laid practically fully horizontal in the font to be immersed completely, and then had to be awkwardly lifted by the Brother who was the same size as her. It wasn't the most ideal situation, but it all worked out and Ashley came out of the water just GLOWING!

The next day, she was confirmed a member of the Church and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. She had a different aura about her after the confirmation and she was radiating with love and happiness.

Ever since we have taught her about the temple, she has been fascinated why what is done there and the steps she needs to take to get there. She asks many questions and has such a strong, sincere desire to go inside and be in the temple. She asked us if we could go with her for her first time and we ecstatically said, "we would love to!"

Our next lesson with her will probably be focused all on the temple and setting a date for her to go to the temple with us next month!

This past week I also went on exchanges again! This time I was with Sister Child, who lives with Sister Leifson and I and is companions with my STL companion. It was kinda funny, since we basically just switched companions for a day, but were still in the same apartment together. It was super fun though!

We had a lot of lessons that day, one of which was with Joaquin, a 9 year old boy preparing to be baptized in a couple of weeks. We taught him about temples, and there was this one part of the lesson that he learned that both Sister Child and I didn't know how to snap our fingers. He was so confused by that, apparently everyone he knows can snap their fingers. He looked at us with the most serious expression and said, "I don't mean to be rude, but did they have snapping back when you were kids?"

Sister Child and I just looked at each other and died laughing! Joaquin was confused by our reaction, but it was hilarious!

Through the tears of laughter, I said, "Yes! And we had TV too!"

Man, it was probably the funniest moment of the week.

Another big piece of news: Transfer Calls!

Sister Leifson will be staying here with me in Council Creek and I am STOKED! she's so amazing and has helped me so much, so I'm glad that I'll have another transfer to pay back to her all that she has done for me.

We really have become best friends and it's a huge blessing to have her in my life. She knows me so well, it's kinda scary! But we have tons of fun together, so it's pretty great. Now she has to put up with me for at least another 6 weeks!

I am so thankful to be a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This truly is the best place that I could be at this time in my life. I have learned so much and I am excited to continue learning and growing.

Something that I have thought a lot about this past transfer are how relationships truly are eternal, and not just family relationships! I believe that God loves us enough that He would want us to be with all those we love, and that extends far beyond our family. I have met some amazing people since being on my mission, and they truly have become my family. Relationships that last for eternity have so much more meaning.

I am so thankful for the Plan of Salvation and the promise it gives that we can live with those that we love more than just our live here, as we are obedient and faithful. I love the gospel and the hope and comfort it brings in promising eternal relationships. I am so thankful for the restored truths that Heavenly Father blesses us with and the opportunity and privilege I have every day to share it. I know that I have been called of God to be on a mission in this specific area, and every day I strive to work as hard as I can. I love this work and I love my Savior Jesus Christ.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

All my love,

Sister McCown

Preaching the gospel in the state of beauty...nothing better!

Hello everyone! 

Guess what- today's not Monday!

So today, Sister Leifson and I, as well as the other sisters we live with, had the opportunity to go to the temple today. So- I'm emailing today!

The temple was amazing! It was officially the longest time since I've been to the temple (6 months!!) so the trip was much needed! I felt so at peace in being at the temple of the Lord, quite literally the closest place to heaven on earth.

Tender mercy: I got to see some of the sisters that I went to the MTC with! I saw Sister Gould and Sister Jentzsch there, and I flipped out when I saw them- it's been months since I've last seen them! I love them both a ton and it was a tender mercy from God to see them again.

This past week has been crazy...as every week is!

I went on exchanges with Hermana Smalley this past week. We came out on our missions together, but this was the first opportunity I had to really get to know her. She's an awesome missionary and she was a great example of boldness! I find myself still hesitant or awkward to talk to people sometimes (10 months out and I still cant completely get over it!), but man- she is so courageous! She was more than willing to talk to anyone in sight and she never hesitated a second to be bold in what she teaches and testifies of.

On Saturday, a little girl got baptized and Ashley came with us and loved it! She was crying during the program, and she said multiple times that she was excited for her own baptism and was just really happy.

The next day, she came to church and it was her first official time to our ward. She got to meet many people and she loved them all! After church she said, "I've been to many churches, but I have no doubt in my mind that it is the Spirit is the strongest here."

Ashley is so amazing and so prepared to soak up the gospel in her preparations for baptism!

Easter was also this past week and it was super fun! We had three people that we are teaching come to church and they all had really good experiences.

We had a short time to walk outside that day, but in the few people we did have a chance to talk to, one conversation has stuck in my mind!

We were walking home and we decided to turn down a road that we usually don't go on. As soon as we turned down the road, there was a guy walking toward us. He was actually a little hard to talk to because he had headphones in, but Sister Leifson stepped right in and got his attention.

We had a good conversation with him about the gospel, but sadly, he ultimately wasn't interested. But before he left, he said, "But I appreciate what you guys do, and it really helped me today."

It's stuck in my mind how much the gospel can really help us, no matter who we are or what stage of life we may be in. Even though the guy didn't accept the gospel at this time in his life, he had a positive experience with missionaries and he knows our message can help him.

The gospel is for everyone. It doesn't just apply to one specific group of people, or just people who have a specific background. It is for EVERYONE! We can all be blessed by the restored teachings of Jesus Christ. As we learn more about Jesus Christ, our faith and trust in Him grows.

I love this gospel and I love being a missionary! There is seriously no other place that I would rather be at this time in my life. I've learned so much since being on a mission and I'm learning more each and every day. I know that this life is all about progression and the gospel encourages and praises it! I love all that I have experienced and I'm excited to see what else the Lord has in store for me!

With spring coming in full swing, the streets are bursting with color and life! There are so many times that I get distracted by all the beautiful flowers on the edges of the sidewalk- I don't think I'll ever be able to get over the beauty of Oregon!

Sincerely

Sister  McCown

No time to walk is the best problem to have!

Good morning and happy Monday! 

My gracious...it has been such a crazy busy week- I don't even know where to begin! 

I guess the layout of the week was busy, but on top of that with all the lessons we had...it was just INSANE!

So at the beginning of last week, we had exchanges. I went to Amity to be with Sister Robinson for a day. She is a good missionary and it was fun, but a little weird, to be in my old area! We visited a lot of people and since she was new to the area, I was able to help a little bit with the members in the ward since I knew the majority of the people. 

We also had zone conference on Friday and it was great! It was focused on how we can help people to make a keep commitments to progress towards baptism. I love meeting with all the missionaries and learning from President and Sister Tateoka! They truly are inspired and I am thankful for their counsel. It amazes me how the things we talk about are things that, at that time, I really want to improve on! I know that is NO coincidence!

We had zone conference in McMinnville, which is about a 45 minute drive from our apartment in Forest Grove. It is a beautiful drive with rolling green hills and acres of grassy farmland. It's in those moments that I have enough time to just breathe and truly appreciate the ability I have to not only be serving a mission, but also in one of the prettiest in the country!

With those two events, it was a busy week...but nope- it doesn't end there! Sister Leifson and I have been blessed to be really busy with lots of lessons! It's so much true that we calculated less than 5 total hours of walking time this entire week! It was so weird to not have any lessons on Sunday and just walk outside, but it was quite refreshing!

It's important for us to walk outside and talk to people, so that we can continue to find more people to teach. It's been our struggle this past week because of all the lessons we've had, but it is seriously the BEST problem to have! We have been blessed so much to see this area blossom and many people progressing. God is so good! 

One of our most progressing at this time is Ashley. I've talked a little bit about her in past emails and she is still doing awesome. She actually finished the Book of Mormon this past week! We counted the days from when we first met her...she read the whole Book of Mormon in 20 DAYS! WHAT?!?!

I've never known someone who has read it that fast. 

We taught her twice again this past week and she is still progressing to be baptized at the end of this month. We are so excited for her! Yesterday, she wasn't going to be in town, but she was so brave and actually went to the ward in Beaverton all by herself! We actually contacted the missionaries in that ward and told them to keep an eye out for her and help her feel welcomed, so it was a tender mercy that she had a good experience going to church for the first time but not with us. 

She has such a pure heart and a sincere desire to learn. She wants so badly to just make God proud and it's been a huge blessings to be able to teach her. 

I'm just loving it here! I love this area and I love my companion! Sister Leifson is so great and I am learning so much from her. I wish she knew how much she has helped me! 

We are working really well together and every day the comp unity only getting stronger (knowing what the other is going to say before they say it, etc. etc.). She's a great example to me and she has only been a blessing in my life! She is the greatest human being, I love her tons! 

Sister Leifson actually has witch powers. I haven't been sleeping well recently (a lot of things on my mind at night just cause me to take forever to fall asleep), so for the past couple nights to help me calm down, Sister Leifson has been describing scenery to me. Things like the beach, the forest or even the temple grounds...and MAN, has it worked like a charm! She describes it in such great detail and in such a soothing tone, there has been times where I will fall asleep as she is describing it to me. It's kinda creepy, but it works! 

I love this work so much and God is so good! He is always ready to bless us and help us in all of our righteous endeavors. I've seen that the more specific our prayers are, the more specific answers and blessings we receive. Prayer is how we communicate with Him, and how can we expect to have a relationship with Him without that source of communication? It is a huge blessing to have that ability in our lives. 

Something that I've been trying to work on is always having a prayer in my heart. Even though as missionaries we literally pray for everything (a couple dozen vocal prayers a day at least), but there are so many moments in between! It's made all the difference to have that constant prayer in my heart and I have felt more of the spirit in my life. 

Thank you for all your love and support! It means more than the world to me! Have a great week!

Heads up: we may be going to the temple next week, so if I don't email on Monday- don't freak out!

All my love,

Sister McCown 

The comp unity is too strong

Hello world! I hope you all had a great week, especially with the opportunity we had to watch General Conference this weekend! 

I loved all the talks that were given, and I don't think I've watched a general conference where I felt like many of the talks were as if they were speaking directly to me! 

I am so thankful for the prophets and apostles. They truly are called of God and are SO inspired! 

Let's see...other things that happened this week...

Earlier this week I still wasn't feeling great at all (the medication I took actually backfired on me and actually caused me to feel pretty loopy) which made us need to stay inside more during the day. 

But tender mercies are always there!

A huge impact in my day was receiving the sweetest package from my family- my Aunt Karen and the kids! 

The time that I actually got the package was my sickest day! Getting that little pick-me-up turned my whole day around- so thank you SO much! 

Due to me being sick, Sister Leifson took charge and did so well at taking care of me and the area- I don't know what I would have done without her! She was always making sure I was doing the things I needed to do to help me feel better, and for someone who hasn't been on their mission for super long, she did AMAZING in the lessons that we taught while I was sick. It was a miracle that I was able to teach at all, and I was so thankful for her support during those very long days. 

To explain the subject, Sister Leifson and I are crazy unified...its actually insane. We say so many of the same things at the same time, it's a little scary. The craziest moment was last night when we were watching Johnny Lingo (as missionaries, the number of movies we can actually watch are pretty limited) and there was this one part where Johnny said, "Don't cry Mahana". At that second, we both turn to each other and say, "don't cry mahana" to each other. Seriously, out of ALL of the phrases to say, it just happened to be the same exact one, said at the same exact time. That is only one of many instances, so stay tuned for more in weeks to come. :) 

Sister Leifson and I have had a ton more teaching appointments this past week, which has been a huge miracle. We're working with three super solid people, two of which are on date, and it has been so exciting to see them progress.

We taught Ashley twice this past week- one about the Plan of Salvation and the other about the commandments. It was so cool to see how she just soaked it all up like a sponge. We met her only two weeks ago, and she is already almost done with the Book of Mormon! We seriously can't even keep up with her during lessons because she asks such good questions. She has a hunger for the gospel that I have never seen before, and it has been amazing to see the light in her eyes as we teach her about the gospel. 

When teaching her the Plan of Salvation, her mind was absolutely blown when we taught her about what happens after this life on earth. With the religious background that she has, it was hard for her to comprehend the things that we taught her about how we can live with God again. She asked so many questions, with a strong desire to understand everything. I don't think I have ever taught that lesson so in-depth before with all the questions we were trying to answer!

She was so grateful though, for what we had taught her. She said it gave her so much peace and strength to know that her choices really do matter. She has the strongest desire to live with God again and follow Him. 

This past week I also got to go to a meeting with Sister Anderson and the other missionary leaders in our mission. It was super fun being with them and receiving so much counsel about how we can help the other missionaries. I know that these meetings are not only to help us to know how to help others, but they are also there to help us know how we can better ourselves. I want to be more obedient and a better example, so I'm thankful for the things that I learned there to know what I need to work on. The gospel is all about step-by-step progression (which can be overwhelming!) but it's amazing to see, as I reflect over the last 9 months I've been on my mission, how much I have changed and how much I have learned. 

I love this gospel! 

Funny moment of the week (even though there were actually many during the times I was sick and medicated):

One night the other three sisters and I were sitting in our living room, hanging out and writing in our journals. At that point, I was ready for bed and I was talking about how my vision had gotten worse since I had been on my mission. I look around the room, trying to read different words on the walls or white boards and not being able to. I then see a picture of Jesus Christ on one wall and say, "I can't even see Jesus!" (It was insanely blurry and if I hadn't of seen it with my contacts in, I wouldn't have known it was a picture of Jesus Christ). 

Without the slightest hesitation and with the most casual tone, Sister Child then says, "That's okay that you can't see Jesus, that's where faith comes in. You may not be able to see Him, but He is always there!" 

We all died laughing for how subtly deep her comment was. But as I thought about it, it is SO true!

We may not be able to see Him in every second of our lives, we can't expect that- but He is always there. 

I learned a lot about the Atonement of Jesus Christ during General Conference, and especially what His sacrifice means to me. I know that He suffered and died for me. I know that because of Him, I can have faith in comfort in knowing that there is someone who knows me, and exactly what I am going through. He truly does know how to help me in all my situations!

I know that He loves each and every one of you as well. He wants to help you and as we reach out to Him in faith, He can build us up into the people He needs us to be. He can heal us and give us strength in our darkest hours. 

I love this gospel and I love sharing it with the people in Oregon. I love each and every one of you and I hope you have a wonderful week! 

All my love,

Sister McCown 

Sickness will not hinder the work!

Happy Monday, everyone! 

How has everyone's weeks been? 

This past week has been pretty good and pretty busy! 

Sister Leifson and I have been in and out of lessons all week and it's been super fun!

So I feel like last week I didn't say enough about my new companion! 

I'm now companions with Sister Leifson and she is awesome! She is from southern Utah and she has only been out on her mission for about two months, and she is such a good missionary already! 

She is great at teaching and has such a raw passion for the gospel. We are always laughing and joking with each other, so it's been really fun!

We are also in a car-share and live in the same apartment with another companionship of sisters, Sister Anderson and Sister Child, which has been so much fun! We see them all the time and I love being with them. I've been on a couple exchanges with Sister Anderson in the past, so I've loved getting to know her more.

So this past week!

It's been pretty crazy because over the weekend I got sick. Of course that didn't stop the work, but it did cause me to not function near as well...so this weekend was a fog pretty much. 

But all is well! We saw some pretty cool miracles!

One of those is Aurora!

She is amazing and we are SO excited for her and the progress she is making! We had a lesson over text with her this past week, which was a huge sign of faith because she was willing to chat with us even though she was on vacation for spring break this whole past week. 

We were able to talk to her about the Plan of Salvation and it was cool to see how accepting she was of everything. She didn't know a lot about it, but she had a ton of super good questions! By the end of the lesson, she had a greater desire to read the Book of Mormon and learn more about the gospel! 

She also came to church yesterday and she loved it! She is actually neighbors and good friends with a family in our ward, so it was awesome to see how welcomed she was. 

There are so many good things to come and so many miracles that Sister Leifson and I have yet to experience together. We have seen this area progress a lot as we are meeting more people who are being prepared to learn more about and live the gospel. 

God is so good! 

As General Conference has been getting closer, Sister Leifson and I have been talking a lot about how we are going to help the people we are teaching to watch, as well as the members we want to watch it with. 

I can't even believe that it's already been 6 MONTHS since the last general conference! I felt like it was just last week that I was in Lebanon with Sister Schmoekel hearing about 2 hour church during general conference. It's crazy to think about how much has changed since then...how much I have changed as a person, the experiences 

I've had, etc. etc. etc. 

I'm also just super excited to watch General Conference overall. I love the spirit that is felt during the sessions- the talks and the music. And to be able to hear from our Prophet and the other Apostles...what a BLESSING! I know that everything that is said is inspired of God and is relative specifically for our day. I know that President Nelson is a prophet of God, called in this day to lead and guide the Church of Jesus Christ under the direction of Heavenly Father. I'm so excited to hear the direction we will receive from the leaders of the church- I would definitely encourage everyone to watch it! 

Has anyone heard any rumors of changes that will be happening at General Conference? As missionaries we aren't ever caught up on the news- we always get the brunt of it haha. 

I hope that everyone has a great week! I would love to hear from anyone and how they are doing. You all inspire me to be better and to work harder. 

All my love,

Sister McCown