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
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