June 22, 2015

Hello Familia!!

Getting way more comfortable with Spanish because THERE ARE NO ENGLISH SPEAKERS HERE. Soy yo. Party of 2. Me and Sis. R. This place is nuts and I love it. People think I am from Cuba, no joke. They ask me where I am from and then debate me when I say California. They say, okay but what part of Cuba are you originally from? Uhmmm... Havana. Okay I am from Havana.

I am grateful to be in Fountainbleau because we are teaching an investigator who is heaven sent. She makes time for appointments, church, commitments... she does it all. You never have to ask her twice. I love teaching elect people. I feel like the longer I serve, the less I teach but the more I knock

We are also teaching a family who investigated the church a transfer or two ago. They are a family of 3. A father and his two teenage sons. The father and the younger teenager, know that it is true. They won't be baptized without the other teen. He likes the Pentacostal church but never goes. It is exciting searching for the people/reasons why we are in a specific area... and I feel good about this family.

A miracle we saw this week was this Cuban family who let us teach them at the door. At first, the man was closing the door so quickly all I could do was whip out a DVD that I put in my bag. He took it and then asked how much. He was impressed that it was free and that got the conversation started. He had heard about LDS in Cuba somehow and came here and said he has been interested but did not want a return appt. That is okay because the things we shared on his doorstep touched his heart. We left there and he was changed. He no longer had a bad taste in his mouth about Mormons. I am coming to see that we will not be teaching and baptizing all day long. God needs for some of His children to be baptized, others loved, and for others to see Him reaching out through His servants. I am finding more joy in the work as I look at each hour of the day and find each person God needs us to meet. Regardless of the outcome, we focus on positive interactions.

During my studies of the Book of Mormon this week (I have been in the latter chapters of Alma... war chapters... usually harder for me) I was touched as I read about the Stripling warriors. Probably one of my favorite Book of Mormon stories because like those young men, I owe all that I am to my parents. Being on a mission is one of life’s richest blessings. While I was in high school and being silly, they never showed me anything but love. Never judged me for not being as into the church as I should have been. Their examples brought me around and I am so incredibly grateful that they supported me in my decision to serve a mission.

Alma 53

20 And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.

 21 Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him.

I pray to be "exceedingly valiant for courage" and "true at all times" in keeping the commandments and living the gospel. I am so ridiculously grateful for the things the spirit has taught me on my mission about happiness, charity, service, and love.

So when you enter the mission you have to do 12 week (training program) and not all greenies love it. I love it and we get to really get into Preach My Gospel. Yesterday while riding my bike I had the realization that I will spend HALF of my mission doing 12 weekers. Dang. It's good I like it!

  

I love you all and hope you are all doing well!

Hermana McCormick