Mission life updates - added pics & vids



Kimber Mail 3-28-2016: "Woman Up!"

   Wow this week has been probably one of the most emotional weeks of my mission! I'm so sad this transfer is coming to a close. It has probably been one of my favorite transfers so far! I've learned, struggled, laughed and "woman-ed up" so much these last 7 weeks- if I do say so myself! Weekly highlights for the win: 

   As a missionary, you're told not to focus on thinking about what you are going to say but rather, just listen to who is speaking. This is because the spirit should always be the ultimate teacher, we are just his sidekicks. On Tuesday, we had a lesson with a lady we've been working with to get back to church. Folks, let me tell you, it was a POWERHOUSE lesson. Sister Roberts and I sat and listened as she whipped out a paper of questions and angrily vented about her life struggles and how she feels like she will not have a place in heaven. I felt at that moment that Christ was sitting there with tears in his eyes wanting her to know how much she is loved and that she DOES have a place. With tears in my own eyes I turned to Sister Roberts who was tearing up as well, she nodded as if to say we HAVE to tell her what we are feeling. And the words came. We testified to her that no one, herself included, is a lost cause. The atonement is real and can heal any wound, help overcome any temptation and make all right once more. I know this to be true. I especially know that Christ knows us all personally and loves us more than we can comprehend. I love reminding people of that! I tell you, his love is AMAZING. I feel so much love for the people here and know that's just a fraction of what he really feels. So if your feeling down or need reminded- Jesus Christ loves YOU!!  

   This week Elder Redd (in the other companionship of missionaries in our ward and my District Leader)  got some tough news this week. He hurt his back pretty bad a while ago and hurt it again recently making missionary work pretty tough. He has decided that going home a transfer early and getting surgery will be best. Coming out here I never thought I would make so many great life long friends. It's hard to watch friends go through trials but it just reminded me that the Lord really does know what he is doing. If you are going through a trial, look for the tender mercies and keep climbing-the end is in sight! 

   We got to do some great service this week! First on exchanges we got to help the Compton's move. Talk about lots of stuff cramped into a cute old farm house, building muscles and coming out with a unique smell. After exchanging back sister Roberts goes "you smell like cat". I know Sister Roberts... I know. Gotta love it. Haha! We also got to decorate Easter cookies with Chris! I love the Ritzes they are seriously like family. It's always a party with them. We had so much fun decorating a whole table full of cookies - I got pretty creative mixing colors with my fingers and staining my hands different colors! 

   Yesterday we had a great lesson with Mary Lou and Grant. They are the cutest old couple and crack me up. We had an awesome talk about values and how the prophet keeps us anchored to God's will. I am so grateful to know that God loves us just as much as he loved the people in biblical and Book of Mormon times to give us a prophet to keep us fixed in this crazy changing world. I know Thomas S Monson carries the mantle of "Prophet" and that he speaks for the Lord. I want to invite you all to take the time to watch general conference this upcoming weekend. Come with a question and listen for the answer. I promise you will get an answer! Test it out  :) 

   Sister Roberts got the news that she will be transferred out to wheeling (taking momma Hansen's spot- but Hansen's an STL now so I will still get to see her at the leadership meetings!!)  I am SO sad and kinda freaking out to lead the area but it'll be alright I know the Lord thinks I can so he will help me through it. I hear my new companion is funny and awesome so lets hope so! I am grateful that I got to be with Sister Roberts for 7 weeks. She is such a great friend and I love her dearly for the things she taught me and who she helped me to become. She will be missed! 

   I love you all and am so grateful for the support and love I get from you guys it carries me day-to-day - and that's a fact jack! 

Love,

~Sister McDonald 

Quote: "As we make Christ the center of our lives, our fears will be replaced by the courage of our convictions." ~ President Monson 

Ponderize: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" ~ Psalms 27:1 

 

Kimber Mail 3-21-2016: "Service, Symbolism, Smiles.

   Tues(15): I had an exchange with Sis. Morrison! She came out here the same time I did. So it was fun to see how much of an even more amazing missionary she's become! We stopped by a less actives house - Sister Boyer- and had a sweet experience! She was fixing her car this last week and the hood fell on her face. It was as bad as you can imagine... But she told us that she has received groceries and meals from church members and estranged family that haven't talked to her in years. She testified that it was all because she's started to come to church again and has been reading her scriptures and praying more. So people, putting God first is the way to go! 

   Wed (16): While waiting for the elders to show up for dinner at the Z's we decided to climb their back yard hill to the stream at the bottom. Okay you have to understand this place is called "Penn Hills" for a reason...they are crazy steep!!! So we are all climbing down and their 12 year old John is zipping down, bouncing from tree to tree like a pro. Meanwhile, Sister Roberts and I are on our bums stuck on tree roots complaining about how hard it was. John shouts to us "if you would just stop complaining you could get up the hill!" While his mom is dying laughing. But my take away applies to every day life. No matter where we may be on the 'hill' of life if we focus on the positives rather than all the wrong we can make it up any hill! 

   Thurs(17): Happy Saint Patrick's day!! Luckily we didn't run into too many drunkards... ha, ha but rather we had an awesome lesson with our recent convert, Mary Lou about how we should value and make the most of our life, enduring forever. A question that's been constantly on my mind is - how can we make every day count? For dinner we went to a charity dinner and "proselytized". We met some hilarious and awesome Jesus lovers! God is so good!! 

   Fri(18): Everyone. RITAS IS BACKKKKK! So you know what that means?! We took part of our dinner hour got some delicious Rita's!! It was a fabulous day! After Rita's and dinner we moved the Ritz' new dishwasher in. 'Sister Power' is a real deal. I'm pretty positive I'm  going to leave Penn Hills with some serious muscles!! 

   Sat(19): Hey guess who were queens of dusting, painting, mopping, cleaning, singing to Jesus Jams at the top of our lungs?!  Sister Roberts and I!! We helped Momma Z clean up and fix the rental house they have because they are trying to sell it.  It was a party. The Z's even gave me the little Kool-aid Squeezies that you squeeze into your water because my Kool-aid ran out and they love me, and I love Kool-aid. So basically I was very happy! 

   Sun(20): Okay Sunday is always the best! Well this week especially :P  So last week our bishop got released but now he's still really trying to help us any way he can with our missionary efforts. Well he texted us about an hour before church and asked if we had anyone that needed a ride to church. That was so inspired because we totally forgot but in that moment remembered Lauren needed a ride! Okay back up - who's Lauren right?  Well Lauren is this legit awesome black preacher who is currently trying to find the truth and a new job. We tracted into him a while ago and every time we've stopped by it's never been the right time.  Well Lauren comes to church!! The members welcoming him and making it the best experience was on point. I asked how he liked church and he said that our service was different. Which is the typical answer we hear. I asked him what was different. Expecting to hear the usual "it was long" but he said that it was a good different and that he already loves Jesus Christ and the atonement but we take that to a whole 'nother level and the people are "humble and cool". It was such a cool experience! Members even invited him over to dinner this next week the same night they are feeding us so- booh ya! Hang onto your seats to see what happens next. 

   Well I hope you are all well and have a happy spring break (shout out to my fam for chillin' in Hawaii!) and getting excited for Easter! Love you lots!! 

~Sister Kimber McDonald.

Ponderize: For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  1 Corinthians 15:22

Quote: "Christ is perfectly positioned to lift us and give us the strength we need to endure our afflictions. We have only to ask." ~ Dallin H Oaks (oct 2015) 

Easter videos: FollowHim.mormon.org 

Mission Life vids - (catch up on belated posts)



Month #7 Finished! #missionnotes

Month #7 complete!  #Hallelujah  #missionnotes

Kimber Mail 3-14-2016: "A Few of my Favorite Things."

   Tracting. Rambles. Service. Laughing. As the great Julie Andrews once sang "These are a few of my favorite things"!! Life can pass us by if we blink to fast and this week sure felt like it just flew by! We need to remember to stop and smell the roses and appreciate the important things in life! So here's me, smelling the little "roses" of my week-

   Tracting- Okay here's the deal- I seriously have grown to absolutely LOVE tracting. Call me crazy if you will but every time I've gone tracting with a prayer in my heart, I see miracles whether they be big or small, miracles none the less. This week at zone conference my District Leader, Elder Redd, gave his departing testimony and told us how tracting has changed his mission and that we shouldn't be afraid to tract. *Meanwhile I'm fist pumping the air in the back YES, YES, YES,* So tract even more than normal this week? I think YESSS! Here's just a few examples: 

    On exchanges with Sister Thompson (she trained Sister Campbell my MTC comp and is the sweetest girl you'll ever meet!) We went out to McDonald, PA - Whoa! Hold up... Yes folks there indeed is a city called MCDONALD. It was legit. We tracted and had some awesome long conversations about the gospel. I love that this gospel is for everyone- single, married, happy, sad, whether you know where your going or not! One thing I love about PA is when it's warm everyone and their dogs and cats and legit EVERYONE is outside. It's so nice!! Makes finding people easier ;). 

    Sister Roberts and I decided to go tracting even though it was rainy and super humid...joyous! Ha, ha, well we knock 4 doors in a row and let me tell you the spirit works wonders. A Jesus lover, Shy Guy, Previous Investigator, and Stressed Mom all were able to feel the joy of our message and accept a Book of Mormon and want us to come back! Like what?! So. Good. 

   Rambles-  The PA ramble never ceases to amaze me. EVERY time. How does one unload their whole life on anyone and everyone who they come in contact with? How does one go from church to cats to the beach to outer space? And all in one single breath!!! Ha, ha, jokes. But what I've really learned is to listen. Several times this week I have listened and the spirit will prompt me with something to say or a scripture to reign in the ramble and to help that specific person. Man it's taken 7 months to figure out something as simple as listening but it makes a difference!

   Service- My 12 year-old self would not be happy hearing this but... I've truly come to love doing service!!  It is one of my favorite things to do! Working side-by-side with hilarious people is the best. This week we swept out a leaky sewer spill in a basement, made cookies, helped the Elders at the food pantry because they hurt their backs and organized houses to get ready for people to move. It made me so happy! 

   Laughing- laughter makes the world go round and makes days brighter! Is there more to say? If you know me you know I love to laugh. I've had some good laughs so far out here but my abs have been especially sore this week from all the laughter. Two great experiences come to mind-

   We went to empty nesters family home evening last Monday. It was HILARIOUS.  Elderly people are a hoot! One man decided to teach us how he thought we should be drinking barley water and water with rocks in it. Oh man I guess you just had to be there but I was laughing so hard at the response from the other empty nesters. :)

   While following up with people we met a while ago this old man comes to the door and shows us his phone which clearly displays a text on the screen. He picks it up shouting "HELLO?!" Into it. Then says "girls I'm on the phone can't talk- HELLO? - AHH LOOK WHAT YOU DID. YOU MADE ME MISS THE CALL!" He got angrier when we asked if he wanted to talk about Jesus "NO!" Hahahahaha we were dying. That was by far one of the best lies I've heard yet! 

   Basically it was a great week and I'm grateful for this time to serve the Lord and his children here in good ol' PA! I cannot wait for Easter. I am so grateful to know that the Jesus Christ did in fact rise from the dead and that one day we as well as our loved one will also live again. There is so much more that awaits us! Death is not the end. The church has made another amazing video to share with friends and those who need uplifting. I encourage you all to watch it and share it with at least one person! :) 

<3 ~Sister McDonald

Ponderize: Luke 17:19 "thy faith hath made thee whole."  

Quote:  "Get on your knees and pray and then get on your feet and work!"~ Gordon B Hinckley

Easter video: FollowHim.mormon.org 



Kimber Mail 3-07-2016: "Let the Spirit Guide, friends."

   There's this awesome scripture that we as missionaries have on our minds often and it's a gem.  It's in the Doctrine and Covenants 42:14 and says "the Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith; and if ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach." 

   Pretty straightforward and bold right? Well I've come to know for a fact this is 100% true. The Spirit is the ultimate teacher and we are more just like his side-kicks. I've had my fair share of lessons these last 7 months where the Spirit did the teaching and witnessing of truth and where the Spirit was absent and I really could not teach...there's a HUGE difference. I testify that the Spirit will never ever lead us astray. We just have to do like the scripture says by 1) praying and doing the things we need to do to keep the Spirit with us on the daily and 2) once we feel the impressions or promptings of the Spirit follow them! No matter how weird or out of our comfort zone what we are being asked to do may seem; once we recognize that thought or prompting is from the Holy Ghost, we need to listen. Here are just a few amazing examples from this week: 

   Sister George is an amazing woman and less active that has been struggling with many trials throughout her life. We felt like we should text her and have a spiritually uplifting "girls night" with her. Ha,ha! It turns out that's just what she needed. I mean who doesn't want some quality time with the best sisters in good ol' pixburg?! ;) We went to Taco Bell and to a baptism for the bishop's daughter and had a really good discussion after (all by the Spirit) about trials. Tears were shed, hugs were given and the Spirit was felt. 

   This week I got to go on exchanges with the Greensburg sisters: Sis. Penrod (came out with me) and Sis. Smith (from the State College days!) Man it was so awesome. They are spiritual power houses and miracles happened I tell you what! We felt like we should stop and talk to this one young guy that was with his dog on the road we were on. We got to share our testimonies and the Book of Mormon with him. Man I love sharing this Book with people. It is my favorite to testify that it truly has helped me come to know my Savior on a personal level and has helped me in every situation I've been in. We also were trying to follow up with people we've talked with before but no one would answer the door #StoryOfMyLife. Anywho, so I decide that we should tract around where we were at cuz 1) I felt super strongly that someone would listen in that complex and 2) I really do love tracting! Well Sister Penrod, Smith and I decide to tract the houses with cars out front. The 3rd or 4th house we knock a guy named Devin answers and we were able to teach him a little bit about the restoration of the gospel and of course- the Book of Mormon. He excitedly told us that he had already read part of it in South Carolina but hasn't been able to get one to finish it since. Well...*cue missionaries with copies of the Book of Mormons for days* ha,ha he was super kind and I'm excited to see what happens hopefully we can go back soon and his schedule will work out so he can learn more! 

   As a perk of having a leadership position (being an STL) we get to go to this awesome meeting once a month called MLC (missionary leadership council). Besides all the great food and friends I was reunited with and made, the spiritual feasting was a real deal! As I was reflecting on my notes the spirit reminded me of the simple truth that as we turn to Christ and see how he handled things then we are better able to handle the things/trials in our way and press forward! I know that whatever you may be going through at this time, as you turn to our Heavenly Father in prayer and open your "door" to let Christ in to help you you will be able to have the strength and the answers you need to keep going! You got this :)! 

Love you all! 

~Sister McDonald 

Ponderize: Acts 17:27 "That they should seek the Lord...he be not far from every one of us!

Quote: "Prayer, combined with fasting, will provide so that when we “call, … the Lord shall answer; … [and when we] cry, … he shall say, Here I am.” ~ Elder Stanfill, oct 2015