Miami in July

Hello Everyone,

This week was a busy week full of biking and OYMing but unfortunately, nobody came to church. We are teaching a member referral and they are wonderful people from Venezuela. They are very interested in the temple so we are planning to take them on a temple tour tomorrow night.

Saturday we got to go back to Fountainebleau South to see Liarys' baptism! She is so kind and it was a great reunion. It was such a tender mercy that I got to go back there with my companions. Her baptism was incredible; the spirit was so strong. It was like a tribute to missionary work. So many people were there. The RS Pres welcomed her and the whole bishopric got up together and welcomed her; that was powerful.

MIRACLE of the week: we were biking and Sister Bradley was in the front and was headed for a sidewalk that was ending but did not realize it so we talked with this girl at the bus stop. We offered her a card and she said, "Are you Mormon? I am too!" We got to talking and she was baptized a year or two ago and has wanted to come back. Even better, she is YSA! Those sisters in Miami Beach YSA are on fire and deserve all the referrals in the world. 

3 Nephi 26: 18 And many of them saw and heard unspeakable things, which are not lawful to be written.

This is a really simple scripture, but this week during my studies I have learned a lot about spiritual experiences and sharing them. I read in a talk that Elder Romney once said: We'd have more spiritual experiences if we did not talk so much about them." Additionally, it is so important to write down the things that the spirit teaches us. As we do, it shows the Lord that we treasure our personal revelation and are ready to receive more. 

Also another cool talk to read: "Becoming a Disciple" by Elder Neal A. Maxwell. It has changed my testimony and the way I look at trials and the gospel and I can't read it enough!

This area is kind of hilarious. We cover this city called Opa-Locka and it actually has a sign with 2 black guys saggin' and says "Welcome to Opa-Locka. No ifs, ands, or BUTTS." and has a municipal code underneath it, explaining that littering is unlawful. There are signs around here that say: "Stop the violence. This is your hood too." Wish I could say I was kidding.

Also we got to do a service activity on Key Biscayne and it looked like Burn Notice and was super cool to go and see the beach and pick up garbage (but we had to stay off the sand and just clean the park). I was drippin’ sweaty!!! This humidity is something else.

I am losing track of time I SWEAR it is still May. Having a hard time that it is already almost half way through July. Would you all kill me if I extended? KIDDING m and d I would not do that to you.

I love this work. I love what I learn each week, as I work and get exhausted, and as I am tried and tested because God always brings me closer during the hard moments. I am grateful for each trial and hard day I have had on my mission. I would not change anything. My mission is my most prized possession.

During sacrament meeting next week, write down your testimony of the Savior. Picture the sacrament being administered to you as Christ outstretching His hands to you. I wrote it down and it came out way differently than it was in my head and I know that I will treasure that page with my testimony as a missionary forever.

I love you all so much! Heavenly Father really blessed me with the most fun, loving, and hard working parents and siblings. 

Hermana McCormick

Best Summer Fruit

Twins

Betsy is the BEST!!

Twins again

July in Miami

Long week of biking, sweating, and MANGOOOOOOO everything. God is good and I love Florida and my mission and summer.

I am the most mango-obsessed person you will ever meet. I spent 2 hours on the Fourth of July (since we had to be in at 7:30pm before all the crazy people in Miami got too crazy) cutting up like 10 mangoes. Okay so like our Tupperware full of 4 mangoes is gone. I have a problem. 

This week started off really well as we found many investigators, but none showed up at Sacrament Meeting. We are working towards doing a chapel tour each week, a temple tour twice, and baptizing two people this month in Miami Lakes.

Our trio is doing really well. We work well together. Sister Madsen is so incredible and does everything to the best of her ability. You really know that she is here to be dedicated and work hard. Sister Bradley is still teaching me about being chill and no stress.... but all things in balance because we get everything done, too! I love being determined and intense. Missionary work is the one place where people can't judge me for it. YAY. We all have a great time and are working on making each day "the best day of our missions." It is all about our attitude.

Two investigators from my previous area are getting baptized on the 11th! I get to go!!! And my two companions also both served in Fountainebleau South so they are excited to go back. I guess that area struggled for a while so when Sister Madsen heard we were going back for 2 baptisms, she cried. So tender.

We have a couple from Cuba who we love teaching. We dropped by to meet them and they dropped everything so we could share the restoration. Even better... they understood it ALL. They did not come to church, but we will continue to work with them because they are definitely worth it. They gladly accepted a return appt. and offered to feed us Ropa Vieja.....my favorite Cuban dish! They will be a great support to one another as they progress in the gospel. 

Coolest miracle knocking of my mission: so Sister Mahterian and I were on exchanges. She said we would find a YSA family, I said there would be a guy (not YSA) and she said there would be 3 sisters (all YSA). We were trying so incredibly hard to follow the promptings of the spirit as we knocked... avoiding the streets where we heard the gunshots, of course (I love Liberty City! I'll go wherever the Lord needs me but that area would be pretty sweet too :) ) We heard a few gunshots to the left, so we turned to the right. We saw 2 girls walking down the street and struck up a conversation with them. They took us to their house, what do you know? 3 sisters and 1 guy.... all YSA. Sister Mahterian said they went back and had a powerful lesson on the restoration with them. Solid for baptism. I KNOW the Lord placed us in their path. They will always have a place in my heart. 

Here’s my scripture for the week:

3 Nephi 13

 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal;

 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.

 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 24 No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.

It really is impossible to have one foot in the mission and the other back home. We have to make the conscious decision to "make each day the best day of our missions", grow to know our Savior more, and be happy and focused each and every day.

I am realizing that I will not be doing this missionary work forever. I have such profound gratitude and respect for my calling. It is really hitting me, what it means when we say "we are representatives of our Savior, Jesus Christ." He is my hero, my example, my friend, my redeemer. Aside from when I serve a senior couples mission, this is a precious year and a half to bear my Savior's name. I don't think I can adequately put it into words, but this phase in my life is so perfect. I am able to labor with Christ in His work. This is what He was doing when he was on the earth, I am sure it is what He is doing now. I am better able to recognize and overcome my weaknesses. The more I learn, the more my eyes are opened to how little I really do know. I am relieved and grateful that we have an eternity to become like our Father in Heaven and pattern my life after the Savior. 

Thank you for your support and love.

Con amor,

Hermana McCormick

Life in Fontainebleau

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

Just before and after transfers

Best mangos in the world!

New companion Sis. Rogers

She made this for Shannon!

Transfer Week

HALLO FROM HIALEAH (Miami is the overarching city, Sweetwater is the actual tiny city we live in). I am back in a Spanish area and in the ghetto. Totally happy about that. Our southern borders actually touch the northern borders of my FIRST area. Holla holla. I miss Killian.

What a week. We are still trying to figure out the ward and boundaries here but we are being blessed beyond belief. We are working with two investigators who are getting to know each other through church as they are investigating at the same time and are both planning on being baptized on June 27th.

One…she loves hearing everything we teach. It just clicks, no need for going over it multiple times with her. She is bubbly, loving, fabulous CUBANA and a ray of sunshine.

Another….he has read everything on mormon.org and even has a PMG that he reads. He was not sure if baptism in this church was right for him, so we fasted with him and what do ya know... he accepted a date!

One less active was a guy who had been taught by the missionaries and went to church a lot growing up, but now does not attend. Pretty cool (not really the ending, because we are not teaching him) that the Lord put us in his path. And another woman opened a door as we were looking for another investigator, and she is like the only non-member in her huge LDS family back in her country. I just love how we truly are placed exactly where God needs us. People need positive experiences before accepting the gospel and that is okay!

Book of Mormon studies: Alma 37:32-37

Quite possibly some of my favorite verses in the Book of Mormon.

32 And now, my son, remember the words which I have spoken unto you; trust not those secret plans unto this people, but teach them an everlasting ahatred against sin and iniquity.

 33 Preach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ; teach them to humble themselves and to be bmeek and lowly in heart; teach them to withstand every dtemptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.

 34 Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls.

 35 O, remember, my son, and learn bwisdom in thy cyouth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God.

 36 Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

 37 Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the cmorning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

These verses contain varying doctrine and principles, but all equally helpful for missionary work... and life in general. I thought that I had never been so tired last transfer…and then this week hit and verse 34 was exactly what I needed. I may not even have a minute to breath before darting in the shower at 10:25pm... but I am promised rest to my soul and I needed to read that scripture this week. I know that as we read in the "diligence section" of Preach My Gospel that we must do all we can do, even when we are tired. Perhaps especially when we are tired. Miracles lie within the extra mile. Just not completely sure that I will be able to walk myself off that plane come October, but nothing replaces the feeling of spiritual confidence I have before our Savior as I account to Him in nightly prayers. 

+My comp: Sister Rogers. Convert of two years. Super cool story. Was introduced to the gospel by a friend at school. We are off to a great start together!

People here do not speak English. Not at the gas station, not at the pharmacy, nowhere. It is an experience. No American food. Only American store is TARGET and I am stoked about that. 

Funny story. Second door of Sister R.'s mission and a Cuban does not accept a prayer, nor a card, but forcefully grabs both of our heads, hugs us, and kisses our foreheads. Aggressive (in Bryce's voice of course).

LOVE YOU ALL. Read the scriptures, feed the missionaries (but let them out on time to get back to work) and love each other.

xoxoxo

Hermana McCormick