August 3, 2015

Hello everyone!!

TRANSFER WEEK MIRACLE: We were biking from one appointment to another on Thursday and some man got out of a car in front of us and just before he was about to cross the street, we talked with him. He is from the DR, in his late 30s, coming home from painting. We taught him there on the spot and he agreed to a return appointment on Saturday. He got called into work and I figured maybe he wasn’t interested, but we called him and rounded him up for church anyway. He said he had to work Sunday, but the more we talked with him, he realized he needed to get work off and come to church. He called his boss, and then called us back and said he would be there. He took two buses and got to church and stayed all three hours! Tender mercy...   There is this family that I got to know from Lauderhill that just moved into Fontainebleau south! They welcomed him and shared their testimonies and it was awesome. He left a few minutes early to catch the bus, but the elders showed him the baptismal font on the way out and he committed to baptism! His desire is to bring his life in harmony with Christ's teachings. He says he has a ways to go, but we told him that's what we are there for. Transfer training is hard and brings growth... usually the miracles come later in the transfer, but we got one asap and are so humbled by this one.

We are teaching a great family. At our last discussion, they dropped everything and listened to our lesson. They bore their testimonies how they know this is the true church by the way they feel and the people there and they know they need to be baptized. They also asked how we came to know that the church was true and we both shared our experiences. It was tender and the spirit was so strong. We taught them out back by their pool and hammocks and I felt like I was in paradise and that will always be one of my fondest memories of teaching as a missionary. They are going to New York this week but are working towards baptism mid-August when they return. 

My new companion? Sister Edwards is rock solid. We are the same person!!! I have yet to hear her complain. She jumps in with two feet, studies diligently (especially Spanish) and is not afraid of making a mistake. She is so desirous to be exactly obedient and each little rule I tell her she writes down in the back of her white handbook. She is always happy and loves her Savior. She enjoys OYMing and biking and I truly could not ask for a better companion to finish out my mission with. I do not feel like I am training one bit. We are just two sisters doing the Lord's work and she catches on quickly. She is a strong one... would not surprise me if she was ready to train after she is trained. She is that good!

1 Nephi 11:1

 For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot.

I was studying this and have been really impressed these past few transfers at how much the spirit has taught me during personal study. I feel like this verse sums up the recipe for revelation. We must 1. desire to know things of God, then 2. believe that we will gain understanding and then 3. ponder. We prepare spiritually for studies, we ask for understanding, we use each minute to receive revelation and we write down our impressions and study them. As we do this, the spirit floods our minds with answers. I am so grateful for the quiet personal studies that have strengthened my testimony.

Life could not be better in FBS. We are working our guts out. If it be the Lord's will, we want to baptize 10 in our time together. The ward boundaries were recently changed and this ward shrunk. We are here to build the ward up and find those families searching for their Savior's love. This will be an incredible 11 weeks.

Thank you all for your examples, emails, and support. 

LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART,

Hermana McCormick

Back in Fontainebleau

July 21, 2015

Transfers already and I am going back to Fountainebleau South. I am training... so my baby will kill me, which should be fun. ALSO SISTER MORROW IS TRAINING so I will be a grandma. We are both transfer training, kinda funny. She is strong and will do amazing things.

The area is doing well and this week we put in a lot of work so that whoever takes over will have a busy week 1. We knocked multiple hours each day, used the ward's reactivation list, had solid member referrals, and did our best to use the Lord's time wisely. We have been praying the 3 weeks that I was here to find a family of 4 and then we found 2 potentials. Exciting times!

ETHER 4:12 And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world.

I have been thinking a lot about how my language/attitude have changed on my mission and how I look at miracles. I am realizing that God really is in the details of our lives and every blessing, challenge, learning opportunity comes from him. Miracles still exist. This scripture reminds me that miracles are ours; the only thing that impedes us from them is our unbelief. 

We have been knocking lots had a miracle lesson last night with the first door we knocked... that hardly ever happens! We introduced ourselves as representatives of our Savior, Jesus Christ and she let us right in. We taught the restoration on the spot and she was asking what she needed to do in order to be baptized. She also inquired about our activities outside of Sunday service, which is super refreshing because most people want a convenient church where they can get by with the bare minimum. I am anxious to hear in the coming weeks how she progresses. Crazy it is already time to have transfers. Tomorrow will be my last transfer meeting as a normal missionary... the next time I go will be when I go to fly home... Really sad and I did not think it would be this hard. Just motivates me to work extra hard. My greenie and I will be working our guts out for these next 12 weeks. 

All my love,

Hermana McCormick

Beautiful People in Miami

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