Kimber mail 1-30-2017: "You tell me👌"

Has this week been a good week or has it been a good week?! You tell me! Haha let's see....

   You know it's a good week when...

   -You have a broken blender and you don't get your long anticipated smoothie.. and your downstairs neighbors go through the effort of pulling out their fancy juicer to 'juice' your stuff for a smoothie.  All because they have no idea what a blender is.  I love food. And old people. 

   -The circuit for the outlet to the microwave and fridge stops working...adios more beloved food  L 

   -You get food poisoning and throw up at Family History night and make your companion pull over on the way home so you can say “goodbye” to more food on the side of the road #TeamUpchuckForTheWin

   -A less active member sits by you in church and tries to fall asleep on your shoulder #NotTodayBuddy.  Shout out to my homie Elder Heywood for literally pulling him back and saving the day ha, ha, ha!  Awko taco....

   Okay all sarcasm and jokes aside it was a really awesome week, pretty crazy but lots of miracles:

   🐳 So at our district meeting on Wednesday, we got to watch the Worldwide Missionary Broadcast. It was awesome!  They talked a lot about applying the Gospel of Jesus Christ to ourselves so we can better teach it to others.  They also talked about taking more leaps of faith and how fear is inaction, it holds us back.  Also they reminded us to be focusing on our purpose more fully.  It was really awesome! Here are a few gems I liked:

   "All things (The doctrine of Christ) are gathered together in Christ.  When they are tied together there is power, not when they are separated." And "We have so many conscientious missionaries who will say, ‘I’m not good enough.’   None of us are! You just have to be as good as you can be. God will magnify you and make you more than you will ever become. We do our best, we repent and the Holy Ghost will operate through us in spite of our limitations." - Elder Bednar

   "Missionaries need to experience repentance daily.” – Sister Oscarson

   "You hallow the doorway of every door you knock. You represent Him (Christ)" - I forgot who said this but it was probably my favorite thing. 

   So we also had some big changes to our normal schedules! They gave us more time to get ready and moved around our studies and planning and such but it's awesome! They also gave us 2 more hours on P-Day! Wooooo!  I'm so happy :D it's the best. Inspired revelation - I think yes!! 

   🐳 We had an awesome experience with this lady we are teaching, Antoinette.  She is amazing!  I really feel like she was one of the people I was sent here to help in the short time I got! So little bit of a back story with her- she's from Cali and met with missionaries there and moved here and met with them a while ago and had a hard time giving up those Word of Wisdom vices.  So things kinda halted.  Well Sister Jackson and I really felt like we both need to help her.  So we've been having some good visits with her reading from the Book of Mormon and starting back at square one.  She comes to church every week and invites everyone she sees to meet with us!  Ha, ha, see- she's the best!  Anyway, so this last week we go see her and she tells us how she was offended by something one of the members said to her, not knowing her past... and all these people keep deterring her from the church.  I have seen this happen way to many times and it's at those times that people call it quits - so I was just waiting to hear her say she doesn't want to meet anymore.  But the Spirit rebuked me and I had the thought "Where's your faith Sister McDonald?!  Just listen!"  So I did.   ‘Cuz the Spirit is always right ;)   As I listened, I remembered a story I read during personal studies time - in my Book of Mormon.  It was cool because Sis Jackson remembered it at the same time and we read with Antoinette about how Ammon tells about how his trials brought him to the miracles.  It was just what she needed and she took a leap of faith by coming to church yesterday.  The talks were just what she needed I guess, because after Sacrament, she told us "Sisters, I know I need to stop being stubborn and move forward. I want to be baptized and I am going to quit smoking now!"  LIKE… WHAT?!?! The Lord works miracles folks!!! 

   🐳 Speaking of baptisms... we've been teaching the Chabalie family.  Jim and Rebecca are the best!!  I love them so much! J  They are set to be baptized this upcoming Saturday.  The week before is always the hardest - so please, please pray for them to have comfort and strength to keep enduring!  I love being able to see people make huge leaps of faith like this! It's the best. 

   I am so blessed to be able to wake up every day and be able to have a front-row seat to the conversion of not only those I teach, but that of myself as well.  I know that when we sacrifice to change our lives, to come closer to Christ, we are always filled with the joy and peace that comes from walking with our Savior.  I love him with all my heart.  I know He lives and is there to help.  We just have to get on our knees and ask! 

💕Sister McDonald 

Ponderize: "Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ"~ 2 Timothy 2:3 

Commitment: "Acknowledge the Lord and let him guide our spiritual development and learning" ~ Elder Bassett 

Kimber mail 1-23-2017: "Sprinting to the End!"

   What's up everyone?! Hope it was a good week for ya!  Oh man, this week was definitely a good week in the good ol' Mon-Valley!  Despite the depressing news of leaving Sister Roper, starting My Plan and my last transfer, it's been a great start to my sprint to the end of this adventure! 

   Let me update you on the new area, new comp and all that jazz- 

   New comp- Okay, okay!!  My new comp is Sister Jackson from Bountiful, Utah!  She is the 3rd of 8 kids and is a convert to the church!  Okay this girl is a stud.  She is the only member of the church in her family, has been out 6 weeks and the poor girl has had to move around so much with a couple different comps but I'm blessed to be her momma and learn with her.  The greenie fire is so real!!  I'm so glad too because I need that to help me get some fire for the last leg of the journey!  We immediately bonded over our love for Oregon so you know it's gonna be a good 6 weeks J

   New area- So I'm now in Monongahela or the mon-valley!  And I love it!  It's a part of the same stake as Pitt 3rd (one of my old areas💕) so that's legit.  I love being on the west side of PA again!  I've missed all my black homies!!  Oh man and there are SO many prepared people out here.  Like it's awesome!  We are teaching a ton and going to baptize the Mon-valley before I depart!  So keep those prayers rollin’ in for us - they are working miracles fo’ sho’!  Another fun fact is that there are SO many McDonald connections in this ward - it's so funny.  The McDonald's even started the Monongahela branch back in the day. 💁🏾  This ward has been so welcoming and it's been great to jump right in and keep moving forward.  I'm pumped to see what other miracles happen because there were tons this week!  I don't think I can pick just a few highlights so I'll try to break it down day-by-day so you get an idea for the "CK" status of this area J 

   The miracles be flowin’ in, I'll just pick favorite highlights of the day even though there was a ton more that went down-

   Monday: (throw back to New Bloom) I finished packing and we had dinner with one of my favorite families from New Bloomfield, the Blazinas!  The dad hasn't been active and we've really had some good progress with him since we've been there.  He was so disappointed I was leaving but I'm excited to hear how that family continues to progress. I just love being able to be a part of that journey back it's the best!

   Tuesday: Shout out to transfers for reuniting me with most of my daughters and what homies I have left in the mission.  It was a long day of driving but as soon as I met up with Sister Jackson we got right to work:

   - Sam: one of our investigators thanked us at the end of a powerful lesson for being true Disciples of Christ and taking time to come and visit him.  He said we empowered him to want to change.

   -Rebecca and Jim (the GEMS💎): they are set to be baptized real soon and are super pumped about learning more about the gospel. We taught them at the Hyita family's house (okay fun fact- Bro Hyita told me that he's my homie -Elder Nelson's second cousin!  Small world HA!)  But- We talked about temples and they were beaming and so happy as we made plans with them to get sealed a year from their baptism!  Woot woot🎉 

   Wednesday: We had an awesome District Meeting #InspiredAsAlways!  We also taught some awesome lessons:

   - Yvette: Okay this lady is so humble and open to the gospel.  We taught her about the restoration a bit and about the power of the Book of Mormon and she was smiling the whole time and excitedly accepted our invite to read and pray.  She even said an amazing prayer at the end!  I love humble people!! 

   - We tried a lady who had been taught a long time ago and she was so open. Her heart has softened a lot!  I guess she used to be pretty firm and not quite bash-y but anyways now she just sat and listened to us.  THANKS SPIRIT!

   Thursday: We get to help out at this Senior Center every week and boy oh boy do I love old people, I was laughing so hard!  I love service!!!  More bomb lessons:

   - We visited this less-active girl who's just a few years older than we are - Sister Sellers.  She told us her story about how she moved from Utah and hasn't been active and was being all smug and proud about it.  And I straight up said- "Why?!  You're missing out!  When are you going to come back?"  And it kind of caught her off-guard but she's like “wow..um, I guess I should.”  Ha, ha! Anyway she said we could teach her the lessons again and help her get more involved so I'm excited!  J

   -We went with the elders to visit this older guy in the ward. He didn't want to sit outside and talk so while the elders talked to him inside, we worked outside.  We saw this kind of sketchier dude and the Spirit was like "Go talk to him!" Sister Hansen would be so proud ‘cuz he had headphones in and I just marched on up and talked to him! (I've had a lot of bad experiences with the headphones but NOT TODAY!) Anyway we taught him the restoration and gave him a Book of Mormon and it seemed like his mood just lightened when we walked away.

   - OH OH OH! Also on Thursday nights we go to this less actives knitting shop and knit and teach her. Basically I'm going to be the pro-of-pro knitters when I'm done here 🙌

   Friday: We did service and weekly planned....my favorite. But we also had an awesome lesson in Monessen (aka- the legit ghetto.) This lady realized after not meeting with missionaries for a long time that something was missing.  So we brought the Spirit back into her home and she was so ready and excited to soak it all up!

   Saturday: We met up with a couple recent converts and taught them the restoration again. Man I love bearing testimony of the restoration!  How cool is it that because Joseph Smith was courageous enough to ask in faith we all can experience the JOY of the restored gospel!  It's SO GREAT!!  I love hearing new member's testimonies of it too. It's the best.

   - We met with one of our other investigators- Antoinette and man, she's the best. Ha, ha, I love her!  She makes up these songs about what we teach her and she loves learning!  She gave us a referral for her neighbors so we went to see them too!  Carl and Maggie were the referrals and it was awesome!  Carl recently had a spinal cord injury that paralyzed him and he was telling us how frustrated he was that God would do that to him.  I had the mountains to climb video come to mind as Sister Jackson was talking.  We shared it with him and he cried.  He's pumped to learn more and we are pumped to teach him!  I absolutely love helping people realize the blessings of the gospel and finding answers to their questions. 

   Sunday: Oh hey lovely Sabbath Day!  It truly was such an amazing day.  We got 5 of our investigators and a few less actives out to church.  The fellowship was on point, the lessons filled with the Spirit and my heart was full of gratitude.  It's the little moments like looking around and realizing that when we do our part the Lord blesses us.  We may have to wait weeks or months or years but those blessings always come.  I was reminded how blessed I am to just have a glimpse of the glorious work of bringing souls to Christ.  I love being a missionary and serving my Father in Heaven every day! It's been the most humbling and rewarding thing.  I was really reminded this week that there are more blessing around us than meets the eye we just have to stop and look and reflect.

   I LOVE THIS GOSPEL! I love my Savior. I love helping my brothers and sisters in the Mon-valley on their path back home. Here's to another great week J 

Love Yinz!

💕Sister McDonald 

Ponderize: "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God" D&C 18:10

Commitment: "Abide in His love" ~ Christofferson 

Month 17 Done!! #missionnotes

Month #17 is done!   On to month 18#   

Kimber Mail 01-16-2017: "A full heart💗"

   This week has been a roller coaster for sure!   I have no idea how to even put into words how I feel, my heart is full of emotion but I will attempt:

   Early on in the week some highlights include:

   One of our investigators starts throwing down about how she doesn't think Joseph Smith is a prophet....  Well, I throw down as well with testimony!  Not today Satan!!!   Seriously though, it's always the coolest when you just listen and the Spirit gives you the words to say.  I know that Joseph Smith really was a prophet and am so grateful he had courage to ask and keep asking and to hold to the truth he knew and to not give up but to endure in faith! 

   Monumental Moment in history!  Are you ready?!?! I  got to pull out my chef's hat 👩🍳  this week and learned how to make my favorite food from PA:  PEROGIES!!  So yinz better get excited when I bring back the skills to make some for ya!  Oh man it was so good. 

   We also had a really tough tragedy.  In the middle of the week, there was a tragic death of one of the recent converts in our ward, Dawn Booth.  We had spent a good amount of time with her and her family and it shook us up pretty good, not going to lie.  It was tough because as soon as we found out, all the rest of our plans for the week literally fell through.  🙈  We prayed hard and prayed lots and felt like we just needed to serve this ward and love this family to the best of our ability.  So we did!  We did so many heart attacks and one day just went around in our service clothes to those we felt needed extra love and help.  Every single time it was cool how the moms that answered the door with tear stained cheeks and tired eyes told us what good timing we had. Obviously the one that touched me the most and meant the very most to me was going to the Booths.  Joann (Dawn's mom) flung open the door saying "Girls I needed you just now, it's been a tough day!"  To be able to serve the broken hearted and lift as the Savior would is one of the greatest blessing and burdens of missionary work.  It's not easy to be strong but this week I was reminded of the power of the Atonement.  It really does enable us to do what lies in front of us.  As I was reading in Preach My Gospel this week about it a couple sentences stood out to me that I want to share with you:

   "While we are in mortality, we have experiences that bring us happiness. We also have experiences that bring us pain and sorrow... We are helpless without the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  As we rely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, He can help us endure our trials, sicknesses, and pain.  All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ." (P. 51-52 in PMG).  I know more than ever the power of the Atonement is real. We just have to get on our knees and plead to have that enabling aspect of it to be activated in our lives.  And guess what? Heavenly Father listens!  Always.  While I don't fully understand why things have to happen the way they do, I know that God knows.  It's all part of the big plan and that as President Monson once said "We may cry for the night, the joy will come in the morning."  The darkness and pain and sorrow won't last.  You know, sometimes, I think as we leave areas we think "alright. what did I do, who did I touch/help?"  This week I realized that if anything, I was sent here to be taught by Dawn, to learn from the Booth family what true strength is, to be reminded of actually doing my baptismal covenants- to "mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort" (Mosiah 18:10). This week has changed my perspective greatly and is something I will always look back on to see just how much I learned.

   Okay but speaking of transfers....... J 

   So. Saturday morning the phone starts ringing while Sis. Roper is in the shower and I see it's President.  I thought "early calls are for leadership!  WOO SISTER ROPER! There's no way I could be in a leadership position my last 6 weeks.  I'll just joke with PJ till she gets out of the bathroom."  President and I chatted about the week and how the Booths are doing.  He said "I bet you didn't expect a call from me Sister McDonald."  Me- "umm...well no. You know I have 6 weeks left right?"  He's like "Sadly, yes. But I have one question for you- have you ever trained in 6 weeks?!"  Me: WHAT?! NO! YOU KNOW I HAVEN'T DONE THAT PJ!"  Ha, ha well he laughed for a straight minute and then when he got himself together he said "It wasn’t  rhetorical!  So really I need you to train a Sister in 6 weeks." Oh my-lanta! Ha, ha, training for life should be my motto – and I'm super pumped.  I'm going back to the West Side of the mish to: MONONGAHELA! I  got to go there a couple times when I was an STL in Pitt and it is a gem of all gems.  Basically- did I tell you I'm pumped?!  I'm sad to leave New Bloom...wow I never thought I'd say that. And even more sad to leave Ropedaddy, but she's going to be training a new missionary and is going to kill it here. When we were doing our call-ins (reporting on our week) to our District Leader last night he's like "Sister McDonald your posterity (mission kids) is crazy awesome!  All of your daughters are leaders in the mission right now!" Ha, ha it was a really great compliment and honestly I know it's all the Lord.  I'm just beyond grateful that I was trained by the best- the one and only Alyssa Hansen everyone.  Also that I got the best daughters in the PPM!  Shout out to Sister Thorson, Jacobson, Roper and now Jackson!  If you would've told me the majority of my mission would be spent training I would've said no thanks! But I have been so humbled and grateful because the Lord has taught me that I can do hard things. So here's to a new adventure!  Mon-Valley here I come!

💕Sister McDonald 

New address is:

16 Eggers Ave 

Belle Vernon, PA 15012 

Kimber mail 1-9-2017: "The True Garbage 🗑"

   Sometimes there are some funny quotes from the rambles in testimony meeting. One of those such quotes came from one of the young men yesterday and went a little like this:

"Sometimes Satan makes me feel like garbage!  But he's the true garbage!  I ain't garbage!" Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha - true that!  Oh man, Sister Roper and I were dying - but it is so true.  We can all relate to that.  Some days Satan just works hard to make you feel like garbage.  I think he especially works hard on missionaries to make us feel less than a million bucks all the time.  This week was one of those weeks BUT we had some sweet miracles and were reminded that we are not garbage. 👊 

   Mostly I just want to tell yinz all about Thursday and Yesterday. 

   Thursday: Our area is hugeeeee!  We cover two counties and with our limited miles we don't get to the far out county a lot unless some gems take us and we spend like a whole day out there. So here's where the Ellis' come in.  They are my favorite!  They are practically the only active members in the far county and travel almost an hour to come to church, picking up people to bring every Sunday.  Anyway, they excitedly told us they wanted to come work with us Thursday!  They had prayed about people to visit and with our list of people we had prayed about to visit we were unstoppable!  We had tons of lessons and were on fire - thanks Spirit!  We were able to meet 3 less-active member ladies we've been trying to meet since we got here but have never been able to have success there.  One was so touched we remembered her and kept saying thanks for coming.  The next lady, Sister Lyons, told us how she wants her family to come to church and was able to open up about personal struggles keeping her from coming out but I'm super pumped to work with that family.  They have the cutest girls!  The last lady, was working at her nail salon and had customers but as soon as she saw us she stopped what she was doing, pulled up chairs, brought out snacks and said 'Sisters teach me about God!'  HA!   It was so good.

   We also were able to take the sacrament to a handful of people that have been sick or can't make it out to church.  I think this was one of my favorite parts of the day.  It was awesome to see the joy come to these wonderful sisters and brothers of mine as Brother Ellis blessed and carefully carried the single piece of bread and cup of water to them.  It was in these tiny houses that the spirit entered full force and reminded me the true importance of the sacrament.  Sometimes it's easy to take it for granted.  But it's for me, for you, the savior will come and help us partake of the blessings of the Atonement one by one.

   We were also able to go contact some others- one cool experience was a Bible referral we had received.  Earlier Sister Roper was saying how frustrating it was that we get these referrals but they just want their free book and won't listen to us.  I remember saying something to the extent of "well it's one step closer to finding the elect referral!"  So we went and met Amy.  She listened and seemed super humble - she took her Bible and Book of Mormon, thanked us and quickly shut the door.  Later that night after our dinner we got one of the greatest texts.  It was from Amy!  She told us that she appreciated us stopping by and had some questions for us and would like us to come back.  Booh ya!!!  We were so happy. So keep Amy in your prayers- we go back to visit her this week! 

   Sunday:  So basically this week was rough. Yesterday was just the last drop in the bucket so to speak.  I barely made it through church, had a few break downs but hey everyone's gotta cry now and then 😜  BUT the turning point was all thanks to the priesthood.  I LOVE THE THOMPSONS!  They are the Senior Couple we serve with.  They are like grandparents to us it's the best.  Well they noticed we were having a hard day and so Elder Thompson asked us if we'd like blessings.  After church he gave us some of the greatest comforting blessings.  He reminded me in my blessing that Heavenly Father has a deep love for me and is proud of the work I've done not only here in New Bloomfield but throughout my whole mission. He also reminded me that Christ loves me too and would've preformed the atonement if it was just me here on the earth.  These were both simple little statements but it was a much needed reminder.

   I know more than ever that the Savior and our Father in Heaven are aware of us. They know how to help us if we just ask.  I am so grateful for the priesthood power and know that it truly has been restored to the earth.  I know that we are never alone! 

   Here's to a great last week of training😎  Stay tuned for transfer info next week J

💗Sister McDonald 

Ponder: "..it is the love of God...it is the most desirable above all things" 1Ne 11:22

Commitment: "strengthen testimony of the Book of Mormon"~ Elder Stevenson

Kimber mail 1-2-2017: "Good Luck For 2017 - YES PLEASE! 🍀"

   So here in PA there's a tradition to have pork and sauerkraut to bring luck for the new year. I have never had so much sauerkraut in my life! Hahaha it was okay...my tummy isn't the happiest of campers since but maybe it's just getting used to feeling lucky or something like that?? HA! 

   But- Happy New Year!!! Okay wow, I just can't believe it's 2017! I seriously was laying in bed new years eve telling sister roper that I don't want 2017 to be here yet because that means I'm really near the end. :( Oh man. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!! Don't get me wrong I've had my fair share of rough days and this last year has probably been the toughest year of my life thus far. BUT It's also been the greatest year. A whole year to be a full time missionary! To be able to help as many people as I could to feel of Christ's love, to change, to really come to know Him. I don't think I can ever fully put into words just how much I've learned and changed this year and how grateful I am for that. There have been several times this year when I wanted to just crumple to the ground, cry and give up; after the 100th 'no' or seeing someone use their agency to walk away from the truth they know in their heart. But every time without fail I have literally felt like I'm being lifted up, given a hug or given the strength to take one more step. I know there were so many unseen angels, prayers and most of all, I know Christ was there every step of the way. I was watching the 'Christ Appears on the Road to Emmaus' Bible video this week and I had a great realization:   In this video, Christ is walking with two men along their journey, he teaches them, he cries with them, he listens to them and they don't even realize who he is! One of them is his own uncle!! Glancing back I was able to see the big picture. I know that Christ has been there through the tough rejections and through the moments that make it all worth it. I truly have come to know Him. I know that he lives! He has become my greatest friend and has been by my side every step of the way. He listens and loves me even when I mess up and a, a knucklehead. He cries with me and fills my heart with his pure love when I need it most. I am forever grateful for this opportunity I have to be a fully time servant of the Lord and to walk with Christ daily. This week I just want to share how I was actually able to accomplish my goals for once and share my new goals with ya too! 

   This past year's goals- 

   So a couple goals I set for myself were to keep a testimony journal and to read through my scriptures more intently to get deeper understanding. Check and check!  

- My testimony journal: so I decided to keep a journal and at the end of every month write down my testimony of one principle or doctrine that i felt like I was able to strengthen or come to know more truth about that month.  It was awesome! Being able to look back and reflect on what I've learned and see that my testimony has grown a TON is something I hope to look back on and keep up for the years to come. 

- More on point scripture study: This year I learned so much from the scriptures! I didn't finish the old and new testament but I read through the majority of them and will be finishing them up soon. Wow there's some good gems in there! I feel like there were so many parables I forgot about and learning straight from the prophets of old was cool. Thank goodness for the institute manual!😜 I also just finished the Book of Mormon for the 2nd time. I learned so much there too! I think overall my testimony of prophets truly being called of God and my testimony of Christ has been strengthened more than ever. I know that the prophets in the scriptures were chosen to be witnesses to write what the Lord needs us to know today! There have been countless times I have seen people and myself find answers through the scriptures. They truly are the word of God. I know we have a living prophet today and that President Monson really is the Lord's mouth piece. I know that all of these records bring us closer to Christ as we learn of his Character and who he is. Yesterday in church one of the sisters that was speaking asked the question "is my scripture study a ritual or a relationship?" I loved that! This year I have truly worked to make my scripture study a time of learning and coming to know Jesus Christ. It has made all the difference. 

   New goals-

   This year I am pumped to be able to be home and see friends and family again but I am sad to not be a full time servant. I set some goals to help me finish strong and to continue to keep learning and growing with my transition out of the field:

-"Stay on the steep end of learning curve": PJ gave this awesome training months ago about how the Lord intends for us to keep learning and keep on the steep end of that curve. It's good to stretch and grow!! I know my studies won't be the same but I hope to keep up a good habit of studying daily:)

-Keep focused on temple: IM SO PUMPED TO HAVE A TEMPLE CLOSE AGAIN! I have really come to appreciate and realize the importance of the temple. I think before my mission I took it for granted as it was so close. But I really want to make it a habit to go to the temple often like at least once a week. I also can't wait to see my meridian temple. It's kinda cool that just as I was leaving it was starting to go up and now it's almost dedicated!! I CANT WAIT!! 

   Okay basically I need to cut myself off there or I could go on and on all day haha. But I am excited to see what the Lord has in store for me this year! Here's to a happy and blessed 2017!:) Also wish ropedaddy luck it's week 11😂👌🏾

Love Always, 

Sista McD 

Ponderize: "Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us" - Luke 24:32

Commitment: "be valiant in testimony!" ~ Elder Cook