"And I Love YOU Random Citizen!"

¡Hola Familia y Amigos!

Hahahahaha I love the movie Megamind and for some reason this week I was walking around and that quote popped into my head. That's pretty much missionary work in a nutshell for ya. 

This week was another week of ups and downs. Sometimes it feels like the downs are taking over the ups but I realized this week that the things I was getting caught up on are things that a progressing missionary worries about!....so hopefully that means I'm growing. This really is the whole "refiner's fire" story. Satan worked reallllllyyyyy hard on me this week and once I realized it was Him trying to kick me down, I kicked back...hard. Hermana V. and I did a lot of good work this week. We've got some awesome investigators who are working towards baptism. This week we had a girl named Fiama (she's 14!) attend church all by herself! She was a miracle for Hermana V. and I for sure. Her story is super long but basically she worked with the missionaries in this area before Hermana V. and I came. When the missionaries got transferred, no one passed by her and her family to continue the discussions. But NOW we're going to work with her and her family! Her family has 20 people total so we'll see how that goes...🌊 ;)

I don't think any of the people here know what someone from Germany looks like because everyone and their dog thinks I'm from Germany haha. We contacted a guy this week who asked if I was from Germany and when I told him I was from the USA (red white and blue baby) he went OFF. He started talking total trash on the USA and about how we're a horrible country etc. Hermana V. later told me he was drunk. Anyways, after 15 minutes of listening to him yell I finally said, "Thank you for your thoughts. Have a nice day." and walked off. Hermana V. wasn't quite finished with her message but he was so out of it and she "chau"-ed real quick once I started walking away. Maybe I should start telling people I AM from Germany because I've lost count of how many people immediately shut us out because I'm from the United States. It's a bummer but it also puts us one step closer to finding the people that are ready and prepared NOW for the gospel. 

Quick Spiritual Thought

Started the Book of Mormon again this week (whoop WHOOP!) and came across something I love. In 1 Nephi 17, the Lord commands Nephi to build a ship. I hadn't realized this before but at this point in the scriptures, Lehi and his family have been out wandering in the wilderness for 9 years. That's a longggg time to be wandering around in the wilderness. I would not blame Nephi for being tired, frustrated with the Lord, and ready to turn around and go back to Jerusalem. In fact, we read about some people in his family that felt those emotions exactly. BUT, despite everything that had happened to Lehi and his family, I'm in awe with Nephi's response to the Lord. Verse 8 says, "And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters." And Nephi responds in verse 9 with, "And I said: Lord, whither shall I go..." There's more to the verse than that but really that's all that matters. The fact that Nephi's first response was "Ok. Where should I go?" inspires me. I want to be more like Nephi and I want to encourage all of YOU to be more like Nephi. When the Lord asks us to do something, let's respond like Nephi. 

I took no pictures this last week but will take lots this week to overcompensate haha!

Love you all! Sorry for the lousy email. I'm still feeling all your prayers and support. Thank you thank you thank you!

Love love loveeeeee,

Hermana McKinlay