Kimber Mail 8-31-15: "I've got the greenie fire in me!!!"

Well everyone I made it to Pennsylvania!!! WAHOO!! This week has been crazy busy but super awesome! I love it over here!!! There are SO MANY TREES. Boise really has been beat on the city of trees thing. Also fireflies are the bomb!! Okay and to all my Ten Mile ward family - you think the ward is small? No.  Don't even complain!! My area now is a branch and are lucky to get 70 people there on a good day! So count your blessings all hahaha. But its great! I'm serving in the College Ward (Y.S.A.) here at Penn State. Um so so so many people! Its kind of overwhelming but it's awesome!! :)   Okay, now I will try to summarize this week by day because way to many things happened to pick just one thing.  So if you make it to the end of this email you are a trooper and get brownie points if not well then i guess "e" for effort! Haha but here we go:)

Sunday (23rd): for my last Sunday in the M.T.C. I played the piano for all the hymns in sacrament. "Why is this important Sis. McDonald," you may ask??  Well if you know me, you know that playing in front of or for people to sing along with is not my thing, but, gotta share those talents and it was GREAT!!

Mon (24th): after longggggg plane rides and sleep I made it to PA and got to talk to my family! Starting off the week great:)   I met my mission pres. Pres Johnson and his wife.  They are the SWEETEST and made me feel right at home.  I got to have an interview with Pres.

Johnson and he told me I am going to make a great missionary because of my constant smile and strong testimony of Christ. *hair flip* hahaha but just kidding.  Really though it was just what I needed to hear.

Tues (25th): we had transfers meeting with the billions of missionaries. Seriously missionaries galore!! I got put with my companion Sis. Hansen (from Utah). She is super quiet but really nice and kind.  I think we are going to get along just dandy. And she is super healthy even more than me....surprising i know huh? Haha but its golden.

Wed(26th): got to meet people from the branch. Like I said earlier its tiny!  But, its cool because the branch presidency is SO helpful with the member missionary work. It really does make a difference. I'm really seeing that.

Thurs (27th): I got the lovely pleasure of buying quarters for the bus and laundry. #itsthelittlethings. We also go to go to St. Andrew's church and help them prepare their huge community dinner they do every week. There are some sweet people there and it was a blast. I loved being in the kitchen and helping cook food. -- So cool experiences coming up alert!!!  Sisters Hansen, Smith, Busath and I were riding the bus and these Sisters are great but they are super quiet and don't talk to a lot of people. I'm like come on Sisters we gotta go out of our comfort zone! We're here to talk to people!! But I decided that while I'm here I'm going to talk to as many people as possible and smile A LOT.  So, I saw this man waiting to get on the bus and the spirit was basically like "Okay Sister McDonald this one's all you!"  And I felt trying to deny it... "Ehh...its fine someone else can talk to him." But the feeling kept coming. So finally, I said "FINE. If you let him sit across from me then I will!" And guess what....the man got on, he smiled and sat right across from me! Well no going back now.  He had headphones in but I knew I had to talk to him.  I smiled and said hello and to my astonishment he responded and took his headphones out.  I had a great conversation with him getting to know him.  I learned he was from Egypt and he was very open to talking.  I gave him a pass along card and talked about the church with him. It WAS AWESOMEEEEE.  So lesson - listen to the spirit ALWAYS.

Fri (28th):  We went to forrums. Which basically is just proselyting on campus. A very little specific spot of campus but its great. I took 4 Books of Mormon and about 70 pass along cards - the Because He Lives video link on the card. And I passed out about 60 of the cards and all of my Books of Mormon.  There are so many people ready to hear the gospel and it's awesome!  We have a lesson with a girl I met on this Friday- YAYYYY!!:)  we also got to go to Olive Garden with a sweet old couple in our stake and it was DELISHHH.

Sat (29): I got to see my first baptism in the field and it was awesome! The spirit was so strong!! Also with tracting we met some awesome people and I learned to have hope and not give up!!

Sun(30): I gave a short talk in church and met a lot of great members. I also got to teach my first investigator Sun. ("Soon"). He is so nice and his heart is ready to hear our message. He's our next baptism I know it!!

But to end with a quote from John E. Lewis "If not us, then who? If not now, then when?" I want to invite each of you to look for opportunities to serve and smile and meet someone new this week. There are so many great people out there. We just have to look around and be willing to do what the spirit prompts!!!   Love you all  :)

~ Sister McDonald

 

Kimber Mail 8-23-15

Hi Everyone,

Sorry this letter will be short this week we just have a tiny bit of time to write because we leave Monday for Pittsburgh!!  So much has happened. It feels like it has been weeks but at the same time it's humbled me being here so much. The spirit being here is the coolest thing ever. One of my favorite things is being able to sing with hundreds of missionaries "Called to Serve" and feel that spirit and peace that we are all here doing what we need to be doing. I love this work so much and this gospel! This last week especially I've learned that each and every one of us can benefit from the gospel and there is a scripture with an answer for whatever you may be going through specifically right now. I want to encourage you all to spend some time thinking of a question you have to ask God, something you need help with or guidance on right now and open up those scriptures. Sit and really pay attention to what you are reading and ask "how does this apply to me?" I have found countless answers in the Bible and Book of Mormon this week and I know you can find those answers too! So pray and crack open those scriptures all! 

Also it is the coolest thing being able to get to know people especially the two investigators (Sydney and Catherine). Sydney reminds me so much of my grandmas - she is the cutest little old lady that loves history and the scriptures. I loved getting to know her and learn from her and connect with her (especially loved learning more about my McDonald clan in Scotland!) and Catherine is the sweetest girl ever. She is my age and is at B.Y.U. It was so cool to just talk to her like a long lost friend. Saying goodbye to them. It just makes me so excited to get out there and meet and connect and have those relationships with the people of Pittsburgh! What a difference a simple hello and a smile can make. 

I just want to end with my testimony that I know this Church is Christ's true church. I know that Joseph Smith obeyed all that God asked of him and that if we just obey we can be blessed beyond imagine. I know the Book of Mormon is true and contains truths that can relate to each of us no matter what we are going through. I know that no matter where we are at in our lives, God wants to hear from us and loves when we pray to him with all of our heart. I am so grateful for this gospel and all it has done to bless me. 

Love you all! Keep doing good things :) 

~Sister McDonald

Kimber Mail 8-17-15

Heyooo Everyone! 

This week has been madness! I haven't worked this hard in well....forever! When people say the spirit is so strong on the mission that is no understatement. It has been the coolest thing having the spirit to guide me 24/7. I feel so happy and somehow have so much energy to keep going goin going even though I am SO tired (yes dad, just like the Elder in those videos we watched). It's so cool to be surrounded by so many people that have the same goals as you. I have been blessed with such a great District. Funny story for uncle scott - You know your neighbor Jessica Simpson?! She is in my district and actually one of my roommates. I love her so much! Her companion is Sister Yates and she is just a ball of sunshine! Also love her. And last but not least is my wonderful companion Sister Campbell from West Jordan Utah! She is one of the sweetest happiest people. I definitely got blessed to have her as my first companion. I'm loving the little blessings here like coke, endless icecream, doughnuts, cookies and salad (yes I have eaten a "regular" a couple times but most the time its my normal croutons and ranch hehe). But I am also eating good healthy meals and taking my vitamins so don't worry yay for being healthy. 

Just real quick summary of the important things i've learned this week:

Wednesday - This first day was super hard but as soon as I walked through the doors to the MTC I knew things were going to be okay. I felt such overwhelming peace and happiness. Sister Campbell and I bonded right away when she asked if naps count as exercise. HAHA. SAME SISTER! But surprisingly we haven't taken a nap, well even had time to think about taking one. 

Thursday - I learned real fast that the MTC is what you make of it. So all day I put on a huge smile, found the best in everyone I came across and put one foot in front of the other. My teachers Brother Littlefield and brother Schaap (like scott with a P) are THE BEST! I seriously can't even begin to describe how much they teach us and love us and ahhh they are just amazing. 

Friday - I made the most of today and said hello and gave as many compliments as humanly possible to every elder and sister I saw. Sis campbell and I taught our first "investigator" (who was really our teacher brother littlefield role playing as "clay"). This was THE COOLEST experience ever. We planned but were super nervous. We said a prayer before we went in and the spirit put words in our minds and in  our mouths and we bounced off each other perfectly. I don't know how to describe it other than the spirit truly does the teaching and we are just there to open our mouths. Also today our other teacher Bro Schaap invited us to take 30 seconds after we pray to just sit and listen and be quiet and pay attention to how we feel. Too often we are trying to rush in all we do and think we don't have those extra 30 seconds but seriously take the time to do it I can tell you right now it will bring about some pretty amazing experiences and feelings. 

Saturday - I got a letter from grandma and grandpa stoddart and it made my day so send me letters please and thank you! Today we also practiced our purpose and summarizing the restoration of the gospel in 3 minutes and 1 minute. It was so hard but also so powerful. 

Sunday - probably my favorite day other than today of course because I get to write all of you lovely people ;) But it was AMAZING!!!! We got to do a temple walk and also got to hear the Nashville Tribute Band sing. My favorite song was called the Hardest thing I've Ever Loved to do. Seriously all of you need to look it up and look them up. They are amazing at getting the spirit to teach as well as have some great songs! :P Also we got to hear a pre-recorded talk from elder bednar only for MTC use so it was pretty legit. He talked about the characteristics of christ and how we need to not just learn about him but learn OF him. He said that the greatest convert on our mission should be ourselves. I would like to invite you all to truly become converted, not just have a testimony but act on it. Be converted and turn to the lord. Even when things get tough don't focus on yourself but on others and the lord! 

Monday - today we got to go to the provo temple and I just kept thinking about great grandpa Fetzer and all the work he put into that design. As I entered the celestial room i felt such overwhelming peace in the knowledge that our families can be together forever. I can't wait to get out and share it with the people of Pennsylvania. 

I love you all so much and pray for you all night and day. Rely on the lord because I can testify that he will help us through anything and everything. He loves us all so much. Take that extra 30 seconds to listen after we pray and remember he is always there to answer whatever our hearts desire! LOVE YOU ALL! 

- Sister Kimber McDonald

MTC comps

MTC Provo - hugs and kisses!

To bring the world His truth...

We dropped off our Kimbee at the Provo MTC this week.  We will miss her tons, but know she is doing a great work!
We'll be posting her pictures and emails here for you to follow along with her great experience!  If you want to write to her and need her email address, let us know, we'll be glad to send it to you!