Hey hey what's up yinz?! We are going to
spend our PDay in Pitt with my girl Anne from P3 today- so let's jump right in!
I feel like anytime I talk to anyone now a
days they ask how trunky I am...😵👊 Like, I have no time to be trunky people!!!! Ha, ha, ha,
the work is working and I LOVE IT! #CantStopWontStop
Okay first
highlight is our investigator Janice!! I'll have to give you more of her story
next week but for now just know that she is what we like to call "beyond
golden!" The Lord has prepared this woman for years. She is going to be
baptized this Saturday so prayers for her would be real appreciated! But this
lady! I love her. It was pretty cool the first time I met her when I got here I
felt like I knew her from somewhere. Pretty sure it was from the pre-earth when
I called dibs on teaching her ;) Ha! It's always so fun to teach her cuz she
asks great questions and testifies along with us. Well this week we committed
her to invite friends and family to her baptism. She was super nervous about it
but did it! She tells us that night that her daughter said she'd come but her
daughter's boyfriend went off on her about how we are a cult yada, yada, yada,
anti joys. But how she responded was the best. In her own words ladies and
gents "I explained that being a member of the Church to me is a deeper
walk with God. I wanted to say it is the one true church but felt like it was
not the time to argue. I simply said it's ok if you disagree." Janice Gessel the next member missionary
everyone! 👏
So if you've been reading along as I write
these every week you could probably guess that my all time favorite weeks are
the weeks when we get to have interviews with President Johnson. This last week
PJ and SJ came and I got to have my last interview! It was the most bitter
sweet thing. PJ starts off by asking why I'm leaving him and I'm like 'I don't
know President you tell me! Give me an extension!' We had a good laugh and lots
of good talks about my life and how I've grown over my mission. I got to share
with him one of my favorite scriptures - D&C 101:16 "let your hearts
be comforted...all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am
God." A simple one but one that sums up how I've been able to get over my
worries and trust God. Something that has changed my life. He also gave me my
new temple recommend! I'm SO PUMPED TO GO TO THE TEMPLE AGAIN😆🎉
But really I love President Johnson he has been my dad away from dad and his
sass and love are so real. There was one point in my interview where he
straight up just laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed some more as I had
a mini freak out about life after the mish and struggles. Telling him to stop
laughing only made him laugh harder. 🙈 But President and
Sister Johnson have changed my life. One day I hope to be like Sister Johnson a
friend and light to all- a walking testimony and I hope to be as patient and
strong and sassy as PJ one day. I know for a fact a part of the reason I was
called to the PPM was to meet and learn from the Johnsons. 💕
My last stake conference yesterday and
Saturday was the best. I love the Pittsburgh stake and it was so good to be
'home' and see so many familiar faces. I
had a couple major highlights:
- President
Peterson (the stake president) asked the missionaries to sing our EFY medley of
As Sisters in Zion/Army of Helaman. I've come to really love this song- there
have been some powerful experiences with it. Before we get up to sing it I say
a little prayer that I'll be able to have another powerful experience and be
able to share my testimony through this song. Guys the spirit was so strong!!
Afterwards Sister Peterson (pres. Petersons wife) comes up to me with tears in
her eyes, points to her son that just got home from his mission and said
"I want my son to marry someone like you!"... I'm like umm what?!
Ha, ha....okay lady. But she goes on because I'm sure my face showed my
confusion, "no, no, not weird like that just that when you were singing you
can tell that you know who you are, you love being a missionary and you love
the Lord. Your smile said it all!" That one little comment reminded me the
Lord does listen and he helped me share my testimony in a different way that
day. :)
- My other highlight was when Sister Johnson
had all the full time missionaries stand up. It was cool to look around and see
these other Elders and Sisters that have become like family over the years. She
also had all the new members within the last year stand up and Rebecca and Jim
who were sitting by us popped up. Then Sister Johnson asked for the current
investigators to stand and Janice practically flew in the air. Ha, ha, :) Then she
had everyone that had been baptized stand. I looked around with gratitude to
realize how grateful I am to be a missionary, to help family come home. That's
really all it boils down too.
I want you all to know that I love this
gospel with all my heart. I know the atonement works and is so real! It gives
us the power to change, the power to endure and the power to find joy in the
journey. Don't give up remember all the good you've felt from the gospel!! I
love a little poem President Monson shared in one of his talks "God gave
us memories that we might have June roses in the Decembers of our lives".
I will be forever grateful for the memories and lessons I've learned out here
in the PPM and for who they've helped me become.
Till next
week-
💕Sister
McDonald
Ps - I
didn't think I was scared of bugs....until we were doing service with the
elders at a members and there were gross stink bugs galore. The next thing I
know I'm getting a whole box of stink bugs dumped on me. -_- I almost
died....and so did Elder Heywood once I got them all off of me. Wow good times.
No comments:
Post a Comment