Transfers came, my companion completed her mission and went home, and now I am in Hollywood, FL.!

 

OKAY so my companions are Sisters Weiland and Gardner. Sister W is a visa waiter, going to Brasil tomorrow! And Sister G is from Utah. She reminds me of Amanda Stephenson, so needless to say it is a good time. Love her.

 

I am in an English ward... boooo... but I am needed here and I am loving it. I LOVE it when I see a bienvenidos welcome mat. You bet I knock til they answer so I can use my Spanish. Exciting thing, my Spanish is better than I thought. I taught two Cubans the other day and understood it all. I am amazed and humbled that I have been able to communicate when I really need to. 

 

So I live with Sisters Jackson and Coates. Love those girls to death. SISTER JACKSON IS ALLY and has gotten me way homesick. She is a blonde babe from CA who swam and played polo in high school!! She walks just like Al and is super tan and cute and goofy. I love her. I am incredibly, incredibly grateful for my time with the Sister Trainer Leaders (my roommates in Miami). They taught me to be bold, exactly obedient, and happy. 

 

I MISS MY TREADMILL, but Sisters G and Jackson take turns running with me and I run like m would run with her comps. Out and back and out and back. I think for Christmas I will ask for a watch that can track my mileage and my times because these runs are only like 2.5 miles.

 

I saw Elder Swensen at transfer meeting and it was awesome! He is doing so well. You can tell that he is a great missionary.

 

DAD your letter was so nice. I got it on transfer day and it was just what I needed. Definitely helped me combat homesickness. To answer your question, I love anything from TJ, but I love steel cut oats, their gluten free oatmeal is good, too, (big blue bag) and also their dried mango and coconut cashews are good. Basically any healthy snacks because they save me. I love Think Thin bars. I love Lara bars too but they have a lot of sugar. I like bars with around 10g sugar since 30g/day is max. OH and quinoa is the best! Healthier than rice and I make some and steam veggies for lunch and an egg and it is the best.

 

This weekend we found so many amazing people! I love the people here. They are so humble and receptive. We have tons of return appointments today. We also have a Haitian family getting baptized next week. N. has 6 kids and is so spiritual and sweet. Her kids are hilarious and crazy. Teaching them is always a good time.

 

I love teaching. I love feeling my testimony. I love feeling the spirit when I speak of eternal truths. I love my calling as a missionary and being an instrument in the Lord's hands. I love growing each day and pushing myself to be better. This time on my mission really is so short and special. I am in awe that my Heavenly Father would give me this gift.

 

I hope that school and work is all going well. I cannot believe that Al is on her way back to BYU... time is flying.

 

P.S. I love photos! They really motivate me.

 

I LOVE YOU FAMILY

I LOVE THE GOSPEL

You are too good to me.

xoxo

Hermana McCormick

Wonderful People in Miami

Shan and Elder Swensen!!

Into August

This week has been so awesome and stressful and I PRd on the treadmill 6:58 mile and 3 in 22 min. But today was 3.5 in 27 but that is beside the point. I am just stoked because I am defying the mission norms and LOSING weight in the field. I have lost 10 pounds in the last 5 weeks but if it does not look like it in my pictures that's awkward don't tell me.

I got my photos off of my camera and onto the USB so I finally can take more photos yay!

M your letter was much needed and I love you so much. Crazy how a letter changes my day.

OKAY family and friends you have to try ThinkThin bars... they are the best and so low in sugar and fat it is amazing. Also PB2 it is 45 cal/13 cal fat and like no saturated fat per serving and I might just eat that straight for the rest of my life.

So the haps in Miami:

I am starting the Book of Mormon over again, and I am aiming to finish it by the middle of next transfer. I love all that I pick up and mark each time I read it. I was reading in First Nephi how our Heavenly Father loves us so much, that when we keep his commandments and endure, he promises to protect us. I love 1 Nephi 10:18-19. It talks about how God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I love reading it each day along with the Bible.

Sister Espinoza and I are having lots of success with visiting families and inviting less-actives back to church with us. We had the best Sunday yesterday as D. got baptized. The spirit was so strong at his service. I miss working at the beach and lifeguarding...a lot... but as I sat there, I realized the importance of this type of work, and here is where I am needed at this time in my life. I have felt such a connection with those that I have met. I had been told that so many times before I got out here, but this week it clicked and I believe it. Holla holla time is passing and I have felt like I have been running in place for 3.5 months, then boom, progress and I am feeling the need to use my time and efforts more diligently here.

So remember my triathlete soul sister? She is awesome and gave me snacks from Whole Foods and we talked about clean eating for like 20 minutes at church yesterday and I love her so much and she is so cool and opened up and told me about how she went to the Biggest Loser Ranch last year and was 302 and lost 120 and is shooting to get to 150 and she is such an inspiration! I am so grateful for the people that I am meeting. I sit in RS and just think how much I love my ward here. Seriously, they are so awesome and I am glad that I have a feeling that I will be in this area for a while because I love them all.

I love you all so much and am feeling the love from the 38 emails in my inbox ahhhhhh!

I hope that you all enjoy the rest of the summer because we will blink and it will be next summer, and then dad will have his 30 mile crazy race and then I will be home.

I will never get tired of saying it I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!

xoxo

Hermana McCormick