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
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