Hey, hey everyone! Happy Monday :) This
last week was crazy busy and I am so tired! As I was talking to my District
Leader last night for call-ins to report our week, I told him how tired we were
and he said "Well hey! That means that you're doing it right,
right?!" Ha, ha, so true. Missionary work is the life! This last week was
filled with so many gems, I honestly couldn't narrow it down to just a few so
I'll share highlights from each day with yinz:
Monday: The other elders in our district
(the Wintersville Elders: Elders Mills & Rawle) came out to have a mega
P-day with us at Lawsons (family in our ward.) It was super fun! They have a TON of land and
it is beautiful!! Brother Lawson made
fried PB&J's and man they were delish! At first I was a little skeptical
but they were pure heaven I tell you what!! Then we made s'mores and went fishing and
guess what?! I CAUGHT MY FIRST FISH! I was legit screaming and all the Elders come
running from the opposite end of the lake ha, ha it was pretty exciting! Plus Elder Mills and Noyes
showed us how to be 'professional rock skippers' and their tricks actually
worked! It was so fun.
Tues: We had an awesome day finding a few
less-active members who had never been contacted or had only been contacted
once. One sister in particular let us
right in and told us that she had been struggling and needed some help and
someone to listen to her and then we show up!
It always makes me smile to hear things like this and know that the Lord
is SO aware of all of his children. Well
after we visited with that sister we got a call from the move Elders and they
told us that they were bringing us a.... NEW CAR! What-What!! Surprise of all surprises. Ha, ha, ha but it's super nice and a little
tender mercy!
Wed: Who loves service - yes we doooo! Today
was legit a day of service. The Elders
had contacted a less-active lady that no one new about and turns out she was in
the middle of this huge backyard project laying pavers and digging up clay. So we went and helped in the morning and got
super dirty but it was fun! Afterward we got to go to this nursing home and do
people's nails. Oh man guys, old people crack me up! It was so fun to hear
their life stories and see the joy that something so little as painting nails,
listening and laughing brought to them. I
love service!!
Thurs: This was probably my favorite day of
the week. We had a huge conference with
the whole west side of the mission in Cranberry, PA. (WOO BACK TO PA!) It was a
super special conference because both Elder Perkins and Meurs from the 70 came
and taught us. I learned so much! I
really felt like I was learning from like Alma and Amulek!! HA, HA! But here's some things that I learned
from them:
🔹Elder Perkins: ~ Taught us to
making meetings a "revelatory experience" ~ Ask Questions and do all
you can to find your answers! ~ We need to submit to the will of God in all
things ~ He also shared his experience in sitting in with one of the 12 as they
assigned mission calls. They take 20
seconds per call and it is all pure revelation. He said "We are not calling them to a mission,
We are calling them to a Mission President and his wife who will change their
lives." I am so grateful I get to
serve with President and Sister Johnson they have truly changed my life and had
a bigger impact than I think they will ever know.
🔹Elder Meurs: ~ Every day we get
to choose if we will be a full time or part time servant of the Lord ~ The lord will trust us as we give our all ~ Continue even through rejection! The most
sacred/beautiful things happen at the end of the road. ~ There are people right now that are waiting
for you to OYM (Open Your Mouth)
🔹 As always it was so fun to see old friends. That reunion is always the
greatest! It was awesome to learn from the missionaries I serve around too. I
LOVE THE PPM!!!
🔹Okay now for the epic awkward moment of the day - because you all know
I'm full of those! HA! Okay so every conference we have we are all told to
prepare a 3-4 minute talk and then like 4 random missionaries are chosen to get
up and share those. So Elder Perkins
chooses the missionaries and they read off "Sister McDonald" and I
remembered 'Oh cool! There's another Sister McDonald now. It's going to be her
turn because I just spoke at the last one.' Well Elder Perkins didn't
realize there were 2 of us I guess so he tells the Elder conducting to start
the talks and we will figure it out. Well after the first speaker Elder Perkins
calls out that "the one speaking will be the one in Wheeling, West Virginia."
Guys I forgot I was in Wheeling. So I'm just sitting there. Then everyone
starts looking at me. Then I realize 'oh! That's Me! They want me up on the stand.'
So in an effort to make it less awkward (because I figured I'd be the last to
speak...) I walk up, almost biffed it and make it up to the stand. I almost sit
on the bench behind the Perkins but then realize they want me to speak right
then. Getting up to the podium I'm like 'well on that awkward note...' HA! But
it was awesome because it was all on the faith to find. I've really gained a testimony of these last
few weeks being brand new in this area. I guess I didn't do too bad because Elder and
Sister Perkins came and sat at our table at lunch and told me good job! It was
so cool to sit and talk with them over lunch. They are amazing!
🔹Also the music was just SO powerful. Elder Meurs taught us to sing Hope
of Israel a certain way emphasizing certain words and it was so powerful! As we sang the ‘As Sisters In Zion/Army Of
Helaman’ medley the spirit was so strong!
I love singing with all the missionaries.
IT WAS THE GREATEST DAY.
Friday: We went in the morning and pulled
this couple the Sikole's weeds in their huge garden. It reminded me of all the
corn in Second Hand Lions! So it was awesome :) plus they are the sweetest they always feed us
lunch every Friday/Saturday and it's all homemade: YUM! We also had a great
lesson with Gay. Once again member fellowshipping works miracles! She really wants to be baptized and is one
step closer to a baptismal date. J
Sat: We got up early and went and helped
Sister Wylie in the ward with a 5K. Thankfully
we didn't have to run!😂👌 But it was
awesome to get to talk to so many people.
We went back and visited this guy, Frank, we met last week in the rain,
to see if he was wanting to learn more. So we sat and taught him
and it was a powerhouse lesson. The spirit was so strong and when we shared Moroni's
promise with him he said "that just makes sense! We have to put in our
effort to get Gods will". Music to
my ears.
Sun: Well it was a crazy but awesome
spiritual day. Sister Jacobson and I
gave the talks in sacrament. I talked
about the Book of Mormon and tried not to ramble but it was great! Then we had
FHE (Family Home Evening) at Sister Folmers- this cute older lady and had lunch
too.
Then the Bishops son- Isaac-
had his baptism after dinner. Okay the members out in the East are amazing. It
really does feel like a huge family. We
all support one another like a huge family, just like it should be! Practically
the whole stinking ward came to his baptism!! There were investigators, less
active members, active members and the whole chapel was filled to the brim! It
was awesome to feel the support and love. Also Isaac is my little buddy and
asked me to play the piano. Couldn't turn him down! It turned out to be really
good!
Well that's all for now
folks! Have a great week J
💕Sister McDonald
Ponderize: 2 ne 16:10
"...and understand with their heart and be converted and be healed"
Committment: "Choose
the harder right rather than the easier wrong" ~ Pres. Monson
