Monday, May 27, 2013
Two of My Favorite Things: Squishyyyyyyy and Baby Magic!
Still in Yakkktown.
Hello Familia y Amigos!
Okay so transfer calls came in and it was the most stressful 2 days waiting for the phone to ring. It felt like a mission call all over again haha. Anyway, I am staying here with Hermana Jones in Yakkkktown. But sadly Momma Pierce is leaving us. I feel like a chunk of my heart is being taken from me. She is heading to Pasco. So we are a little depressed lately but don't worry we are going to get pedicures for our Pday activity hahaha. We also went shopping last week and it was great. I love target so much.
As far as the work is going, uhhh...we are kinda getting dropped left and right. Its tough because we are about to start a transfer but we are trying to hold on to the people who really do seem ready. But this week when one of our investigators dropped us, we talked to some of the members in our branch and they talked about their conversion story. It was a testimony to me that people have to be ready. As missionaries we aren't here to convince people. If they arent accepting it, then there is nothing we can do but love them and serve them. It is the same with life. We can't depend our fate on others agency. Hard concept but it is very true.
Sometimes I don't feel adequete to be a missionary. Before my mission, I wasn't a scriptorian nor was I Molly Mormon. What I have come to realize is that I don't have to be. I am able to share my testimony in the best way that I can and try to become a better disciple of Christ everyday.
So...There is this joke at the church lately that everyone thinks I look sad all the time. But in reality I am just trying really hard to figure out what they are saying hahaha. I am now the Co-piano player with Hermana Jones for the primary haha. They like to sing really fast and my hands feel like they are going to fall off. But i loveeeee it!
Spiritual Thought: We got to speak at a baptism for The Gomez family this week (the elders taught her). Elvia is a single mom of 7 kids in a little house. Her kids are so freaking cute. She is the definiton of GOLDEN. Anyway, it was amazing to see this family take those steps into being together forever. I am greatful for the family that I have and for raising me in this church. I could see her face light up when she was baptized. Truly amazing.
Funny Thought: While we are tracting we sometimes like to make up songs and I have a good one that I want to share:
(Sung with 3 little birds by Bob Marley)
Rise up this morning
Smile with the rising sun
3 Hermanas
were on my door step
Saying sweet things
a message that was pure and true
they said, "This message can bless youuuu"
Singin don't worry about a thing
Cuz Jesus Christ will make everything alright
Singin don't worry about a thing
Cuz Jesus Christ will make everything alright
Hehehe :-)
Alrighty welpp, I am gonna head out. Love you all so so much. I pray for you all every day!! Have a great week.
XOXO!!
-Hermana McBride
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Taking in the Culture....plus, Mother's Day!
It's About Him
Holaa. again. So so so good to see all of you yesterday. It seems like a distant dream but it was so good to see you. It didn't make me homesick because I can tell that everything is same old. I am glad you are all doing well and happy. I am sad I didn't get to see Parker but LOVE YOU PUNK!! I told my companions that I feel closer to you than ever because we are experiencing similar things and even though we don't communicate often, I can feel your prayers as I pray for you. Love you Park.
I have pretty much given you all the low down on what is going on here in the 509 but I will write it anyway haha. The weather is SCORCHING hot. 25 degrees above normal. There are also wild peacocks on the loose and we hear them all the time when we tract. scary.
We had zone conference this week and I learned so much. The theme was "Its about him". The main point is that everything we go through, regardless of the trial or difficulty or happiness or sorrow...ITS ABOUT HIM. Jesus Christ died for us and we owe him our lives. I read a talk this week by Jeffery R. Holland that says "It's not going to be easy, it wasn't easy for him, why should it be for us." There were so many times when Heavenly Father had to watch his son go through so much pain and sorrow but he didn't step in because he knew what his son was capable of. Its the same for us. Life sucks sometimes lets be real. But the answer to all of what we go through is the atonement of Jesus Christ. I remember when I was younger in the living room of our house in Sandy and I saw that picture of Jesus Christ kneeling and I never understood why he looked so sad. It has taken me to go on a mission and really use the atonement to have about 1% of what he suffered. Incredible. Mind blown.
Anyway, we are teaching a lot of cool potentials but for some reason they aren't coming to church. It is really frustrating but we are trying to keep our heads up and push on.
Me and the companions are having so much fun together but we are starting to suffer from seperation anxiety because the transfers are next week. SCARY. Wahhhhhh. So sad. I am excited to see what happens though with only 4 available trainers and 6 incoming hermanas.
Funny Moment: When at one of our investigators house she says.."Your my angels...my grandaughter calls you the angelitos (pointing to hermana pierce and jones), but she calls YOU (pointing to me) the ANGELOTE. Remember that those 2 are about 5 inches shorter than me so I hope she wasn't calling me something else...hahaha! We died laughing.
Spiritual Moment: We realized this week that every single day of our missions we are forced to jump out of our comfort zones. Some of the stuff I do here, I would never do before my mission. I thought about that concept for a while and I realized that we can't grow unless we stretch. Only Heavenly Father knows our real potential and thats why we have trials. He knows what we can become. So next time you have a trial, remember that its just a growing pain in this crazy life. Read Henry B. Eyrings talk "Mountains to Climb". Good stuff.
Sorry this email was so short. Love you all so much. XOXO!!!!
-Hermana McBride
Friday, May 3, 2013
Violators will be shot?? What about cute sister missionaries?!?
violators will be shot??
There is Sunshine In My Soul Today....Well, Sort Of.
Hello Familia! So good to read all of your emails! So much going on! LOVE IT.
First things first...
Skype for mothers day! WHOOO!!! I got permission to talk to each of you for 45 minutes each! Yay! Please send me your skype names in the next email. I can't wait to see all of you. Also, write down questions or things you want to talk to me about so we don't waste those precious minutes haha.
Mom: I will be calling in at 9:00 Washington time
Dad: I will be calling at 2:30 Washinton time.
Okay now lets get dizowwn.
Miracle Monday seems to be a trend nowadays and I love it. So last monday after Pday, another miracle happened.
First let me give some background info: On the 18th while tracting we ran innto these little kids and talked to them and knocked on the door but the parents didn't answer. So later we tried again and there was a 12 year old girl who was there so we talked to her about our purpose as missionaries and she set an appointment. Not very promising right? Okay so monday rolls around and we were joking all day about how we had this appointment with a 12 year old and her family who we have never met. We drove over to Union gap and as we were pulling up to the house they were out in there yard just starring us down. Like I was scared. We pulled around the block and knocked on some other doors and drove back and they were still outside (we are babies i know). But they really did look so mad. So finally they went inside and we decided to knock. The lady came out and had this HUGE grin on her face. She said "Hello!! I am Ana. My daughter told me you were coming but I didn't think you were ever going to show up. We want to listen but we have to go to the store right now. I am open to learn more and I need a religion for my family." Then she proceeded to say the best words a missionary could ever hear..."AND IF WE LIKE WHAT YOU SAY WE WILL STAY".
LIKE WHAT????!!!!
So we have a lesson with there family tonight and I am so stoked. They are GOLDEN. What I learned is that we need to be bold and set aside our fears sometimes for miracles to happen.
Okay then I went on exchanges this week. So funny. I was talking in "the voice" all week about how my "moms(trainers)" were sending me away. I went with an english sister who I call "Aunty Clegg". It was pretty chill. I learned how greatful I am to be a spanish speaker. I learned how lucky I am to drive a car. I also realized how much I have learned from my trainers because I didn't get to rely on them. It was perrrrty cool.
We have made really good friends with this family from the English ward named the Stillwaughs. The grandma who lives with them is about 89 and she is so funny. She isn't a member but loves the missionaries so we always go have bathroom breaks there. She reminds me of what Grandma Olive probably was like, so spunky.
Funny Moment: So remember how I told you about how I was gonna play piano for relief society? Ya that happened. So I saw the song in spanish and went to play it with the simplified book. I was feeling all confident.
IT SOUNDED LIKE A DYING COW. I was playing the wrong song. So the woman were all so confused and so was I because I just thought they were singing it wrong. Finally I just stopped playing. Note to self: Make the pathway bright, and There is Sunshine in My Soul Today are NOT EVEN CLOSE to being the same song. There was no longer sunshine in anyones soul, thanks to me. I looked over at Sister Pierce and Sister Jones and they were in tears laughing so hard.
Spiritual Moment: So one day this week I had a breakdown. Happens to the best of us. I was just having a hard time because thats what a mission is. Hard times and Good times that make up for those times. I was totally fine like 10 minutes later. But my companion shared this story with me that really reminded me of an experience I have had in my own life.
Remember my sophomore year of cheerleading? When I came home everryday in the summer just crying and so mad that I was on the team. I hated it. But Andrea, Mom, and Dad all told me to get through the year and if I still didn't like it then I could quit. But quiting was NEVER the option. I ended up finding my best friends and best experiences through cheerleading in which I would never have had if I would've quit. The same goes for this mission. I have too many good times to outweigh the bad for me to quit. I am so greatful for a family who has taught me to NEVER GIVE UP! I miss you all so much but I remember the things you taught me and I get through the hard times.
One more thing to share. We were eating dinner with this family who has recently moved to Yakima and they were way funny. I was telling them about Tuscon being the "armpit" of Arizona and they all thought it was funny because they are from there. Then, one of the sons from the family said..
"Dad, what is the 'armpit' of Washington?"
The dad says: "Look around son".
HAHAHA I WAS DYING!!! I love it here though. Some of the weirdest things go on but I laugh and love it.
Love you all so so much. Have an amazing week!!
XOXO!
-Madison McBride
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