☆ ONE YEAR ☆

 ¡Hola Familia y Amigos!

Woooohoooo! This last week I hit my YEAR mark! So crazy to think a year ago I was just starting my MTC experience. It feels like yesterday. If you would have told me a year ago that I would end up finishing my mission in SLC, Utah due to a worldwide pandemic which, would also send me (and everyone else) home for 2 months...lol. I'm grateful God knows more than I do and I know He has a plan, an individual plan, for each one of His children. 

So this week:

Transfers!!! This week was my last week with Hermana Goold and Skinner. We made this super cute, super homemade, video for our area Facebook page to remind people about General Conference and it was so fun. My actress dreams came true for about 59 seconds. Check it out on my FB page :)

But yes, TRANSFERS! I am leaving! :'( I'm getting transfered to West Valley to be an STL (Sister Training Leader). I'm hyped for the opportunity to serve and hope that the Lord will be able to use me as an instrument in His hands! Cheers to lotttttsssss and lots of meetings haha. 

But anyways, this week. This week was actually a series of unfortunate events so transfers sort of topped it off haha (jk but also not really. Love my comps). I shattered the mirror from our apartment in the church building so that was fun to clean up with a 200 year old vacuum on 100 year old carpet. Then on Friday after district council I realized I had lost the keys to get into our apartment which included the fob to get into our church building. Luckily the other hermanas we live with had keys to get into the apartment so we dropped them off and ran back to where we had district counsel to look for the keys I lost. No luck. We emptied my backpack, dug through the apartment complex dumpster, retraced lots and lots of steps. Nothing. We had said a prayer earlier asking that we would be able to find them but I kept praying in my head. It was sort of one of those prayers that sounded like, "Heavenly Father I lost the keys and that's super bad. Please help us find the keys because we need them. But if you don't want us to find them then I will try and understand that. But please just help us find them instead because I don't want to not find the keys. But if YOU don't want me to have the keys, then ok...But please don't. Amen." Probably not the best prayer but it went through! We found the keys! Some nice person dropped them off at the apartment complex office. 

I'm feeling really grateful this week. For so many different reasons. General Conference was amazing, as usual. It was a very different experience for me this time, but a good one. I heard what I needed to. I loved Lisa S. Harknesses' message. She shared one of my FAVORITE stories of Christ from the New Testament, when He calms the storm. Christ asks an important question to his apostles, "Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?" (Mark 4:40). I love this story, for a million reasons, but something hit me different as I listened to Sister Harkness. COVID is the WORST!...we all agree on that right?? In all honesty, I have complained to the Lord soooo much these last few days about COVID. I have felt so discouraged. But I think the Lord would ask me the same question He asked His apostles, "Where is your faith?! What have you been building a testimony of the last 20 years of your life? What have you been preaching these last 12 months? Have you not read the scriptures? Have you not listened to the prophets? Etc." It would be an an extremely humbling conversation hahaha so I'm grateful the Spirit reminded me of ways I can improve and strengthen my faith before the Savior comes again. If there is anything I was reminded of this last General Conference it's that God IS aware of ALL of His children and that we need to prepare.

The mission is CRAZY but it's so good. Thanks for all the emails and pics. Miss and love you ALL!

Love love lovvveeeeee,

Hermana McKinlay

1. I love the moon. This week it was STUNNING! 

2. Beto! Our fav guy from Chick Fila

3. Happs Birth Hna Carter! <3