The Sunshine After the Storm

Well, this week has definitely been one for the books! I can't begin to explain how much of a roller coaster my life has been over the past two months, and it just keeps going! In all honesty though, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Let's just look at this really quickly. In the last two months I have left home for 18 months for places completely foreign to me, met basically my long lost soul sister (that's you Sister Aston!), learned how to communicate in PORTUGUESE, made some amazing friends through my MTC experience, found two of the greatest spiritual giants in the world (or so I'm convinced), left all of those amazing people to come to the other side of the country, and explored what is definitely the middle of nowhere (but I love it!). How many people can say they've done all that in 2 months?! Well, whoever they are, I can now say I'm apart of that elite group. Just thought I'd brag a little bit. Well, brag is the wrong word, marvel I think is a better word.

Anyhow, on to the weekly update!

Monday:

We went over to a family's home for dinner and FHE. I love them so much and am so grateful that they're so willing to be involved in missionary work! Love love love!

Tuesday:

We had two appointments that took most of the day, so not a ton happened, but our lessons did go really well!

I've had a problem for most of my mission of not teaching by the Spirit. I tend to plan a lesson and want to stick to it exactly, but that's not the way teaching is supposed to go. I decided I was going to try really hard today to teach people, not lessons, and it's amazing how the experience changes! Teaching by the Spirit brings a whole new feeling to me as a missionary and to the person we're visiting. Sometimes it's not about what Is said, but how the person feels after what you said. I'm trying really hard to rely on the Spirit when I teach because that's what missionary work is all about! We are not the real teachers, the Spirit is. We are just the mouthpieces.

Wednesday:

First exchange! I went on exchange with one of the Sister Training Leaders, Sister Frame, and she's wonderful! We got along super well, right off the bat, and our 24 hours as companions was grand! I love her! I mean, I love all the people out here, but she's a pretty great one!

We also had two super great lessons! I have so much love for those we teach and I just really want to see them progress and feel that same joy that I get from the Gospel of Jesus Christ! 

Thursday:

Service at the soup kitchen is always so much fun! I love it there and being able to help people who need it is so rewarding. 

I had to give Sister Frame back to her actual companion, which was sad, but it's so nice to have Sister Davis back. I love her! 

Friday:

I HAD BREAKFAST FOR DINNER! I didn't really plan it that way, but I didn't know what to make, so I decided that french toast is quick and easy. Thus, french toast was made and Sister McEldowney was uma muito feliz campista! 

Other than that, my weekly Friday accomplishment is surviving weekly planning, so that continued this week.

Saturday:

Did you know that singing and whistling for people to share a message about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is not all that effective? Well, we didn't either and it was a flop. A very fun flop, but a flop nonetheless! It was a different way to approach tracting though, and that was the purpose. On the bright side, we were still pretty successful in talking to people and invited 24 people to learn about the gospel throughout the day. MIRACLE!

I finally met a less-active we've been trying to contact since I got here, too! I was so happy! Technically he's the non-member in a part member family, but those are just details. Either way, I finally met someone that we've been trying to see. 'Twas grand!

Sunday:

Miracle after miracle after miracle! I love love love Sundays!

So, Aaron, our investigator, is now a recent convert! Aaron got baptized! Happy day! The Spirit was so strong during his baptism! I couldn't believe how it all came together. We've been stressing about the details for weeks and it came together for a beautiful baptismal service. My heart was filled with happiness as I saw the look of pure joy on his face after being baptized. It was incredible!

It was pretty special, too, because he asked me to sing. I sang "I Need Thee Every Hour" for the service. It was acapella and in two languages, so I was pretty proud of myself. I sang the first and last verses in English and the middle two in Portuguese. It was really neat and it helped to invite the Spirit back into the meeting after the excitement of Aaron coming back into the chapel.

We also found two new investigators! The stories are pretty great, too! One of them is a man that we see everywhere and we finally found a chance to talk to him! I mean, we had to pull over to the side of the road and run to him with a Book of Mormon, but it was so worth it.

Our second investigator is a woman, and possibly her daughter, who we met solely because of listening to the Spirit. So, we drove to one of the towns in our area that's further away because we had a media referral (someone who requests a meeting with the missionaries via media, internet, t.v. commercial, etc.) there. We got to the address and there was absolutely no way of getting in contact with him. As we left with this sister missionary being very discouraged, Sister Davis said that she felt like we needed to go knock doors on the street where we had parked. The first person we came up to was super willing to listen and we taught her the Restoration! I left with some seriously high spirits and a huge smile on my face! 

Experiences like the ones I had Sunday remind me why I'm a missionary. The pure joy that can, and does, come to people with the knowledge of the gospel is incredible!

I love this gospel so much! I know that this church is true. I know how much joy it can bring because it brings me joy each and every day. Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ. God is our Heavenly Father who loves us with every fiber of His being. If He didn't love us, He would not have sent His son to earth to be our Savior. I know that Christ lives and that He is my Redeemer. I love this gospel with all my heart and don't know where I'd be without it.

I love and appreciate all of you so much! I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Amo sempre, 

Sister McEldowney

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From the keeper of this blog -

RE: Monday

"We went over to a family's home for dinner and FHE."

I know you know what dinner is, but what is this FHE thing? It's an acronym for Family Home Evening. The church STRONGLY encourages families to hold Family Home Evening once a week, preferably Monday night. I've included a link below that explains well what FHE is all about.

Why We Hold Family Home Evening

RE: Tuesday

"I've had a problem for most of my mission of not teaching by the Spirit."

"...teaching by the Spirit?" Again, a Mormonism that perhaps only Mormons understand. Here's some information to help explain where we come by it - 

First one must understand who the Spirit is.

The Holy Ghost

So then what does it mean to teach by the Spirit? I found a great explanation given by Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. This really rings true if you consider Kayla's age and experience as you read.

The Lord described the importance of teaching by the Spirit when he said, “If ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach” (D&C 42:14). One easy-to-understand illustration of the importance of that direction is to remind ourselves of this fact: When we go out into the world to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, many of the people we teach have much more formal education than we do. Every minister we encounter has more education in theology than we do. We have no professional clergy. We have no school of theology. Some of us have never even heard of some of the subjects in which professional ministers have spent many years of professional preparation.

A few years ago I encountered an example of this. I was talking with a Protestant minister who taught in a seminary. When I asked what subject he taught, he said, “Hermeneutics.” I had never heard that word, so I said, “What is that?” My minister friend explained that hermeneutics is the art of interpreting and expounding the scriptures. I smiled and said, “Well, yes, I guess I understand a little bit about that, but I’ve never heard it called that.”

Our missionaries meet people who have studied philosophy and metaphysics, world history and languages, science and the arts. They meet people who are better educated than they are. In view of that, if they don’t have the Spirit of the Lord and if they don’t teach under the direction of the Spirit, how can they expect to accomplish their mission?

We cannot compete with the world on its terms. If we are to fulfill our calling, we must teach the Lord’s way.

If we have the Spirit of the Lord to guide us, we can teach any person, no matter how well educated, any place in the world. The Lord knows more than any of us, and if we are his servants, acting under his Spirit, he can deliver his message of salvation to each and every soul.

RE: Sunday

"...we taught her the Restoration!"

The doctrine of the need for a restoration of Christ's church and the necessity of letting the world know and inviting all to learn of its truths for themselves is the sole purpose behind The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints missionary program. I've found a couple of links that explain it better than I ever could.

Christ's Church

The Restoration

Two Months Old! What the What?!

I'm officially two months old...as of today! How did that even happen?! I only have 16 months left of my mission! Wow! Talk about crazy! Time flies!

This week has been one for the books! Granted, most weeks as a missionary are, just with miracles alone, but this week has been pretty crazy. Well, parts of it at least. Just read, you'll realize what I mean haha!

Monday:

We taught one of our investigators after P-Day was over. It went really well! We love him!

Tuesday:

After a million and one years, I finally finished the book of Alma in the Book of Mormon! That sucker is long and has awesome stories! I love love love it! I mean, I love the entire Book of Mormon, but Alma holds a special place in my heart. Even more so considering my missionary scripture is in there! Alma 29:9. One of the best in my opinion!

Our investigator, Aaron, had his baptismal interview today and it went so well! He's so prepared and we are beyond stoked! 

Wednesday:

We had bomb ice cream and that was pretty much the highlight of the day. 

We also talked to quite a few people and that always makes my day.

Thursday:

We did so much service today! It was insane! We went to the thrift shop to try to get more service, we did service at the soup kitchen, and we did service at a member's home. Craziness! We basically didn't talk to anyone or teach any lessons because of all the service, but it was so fun!

We ate lunch at the park which was super nice. It was pretty hot, but we managed to enjoy our time outside regardless of the weather. 'Twas grand!

Friday:

Normally Fridays are pretty uneventful because we do weekly planning in the morning, but this week was pretty different. It has to be when you find ticks in your apartment! I cried, well, almost.

So yeah, we found three ticks in our apartment and were panicking all day because of it! Ticks are scary! They're ugly little buggers too! They won't die, so we decided to trap them under jars and wait until we knew what to do with them.

We had to leave them there, too, because we had service at the animal shelter that day. Guess what! One of the dogs had ticks when we got there! We can't escape them!

We dreaded going home and were absolutely terrified. Ticks will do that to you. They make a sane person go crazy. Welcome to my life.

My lovely companion and I basically cried ourselves to sleep that night. UPDATE: We're still alive and kicking!

Saturday:

We had some appointments. I met some more people. You know, the usual thing.

Oh! I did sing in Portuguese for Aaron, so that was awesome! Have I mentioned lately how much I love and miss Portuguese?

Sunday:

Finally had a normal Sunday! That wasn't even the most exciting part though!

I GOT TO SKYPE HOME! Let me tell all of you, I have never appreciated Skype more than on my mission. Seeing my favorite people was the greatest thing ever! I didn't want it to end, but exact obedience is the key to miracles. I love my family and friends so much! Truly, I wouldn't be where I am without them and seeing their faces yesterday was a gentle reminder of that.

As for all of your I didn't get to see, I appreciate you as well! The various ways you've supported me over the years gave not gone unnoticed. You all mean so much to me and I treasure whatever kind of relationship it is we have.

I'd like to challenge everyone to think about their moms and other mom figures in their life and write down some of the numerous positive qualities they have. Look at that list and really think about how amazing they are. These women sacrifice so much for us and they only get one day a year!

The qualities you find are ones I'd invite you to strive to have. I know that there are so many qualities I have picked out and will always be striving to obtain.

Also, read Proverbs 3:15. I'm pretty sure it's indirectly talking about moms!

So anyway, happy mother's day to all those amazing moms!

Have a great week!

Amo sempre!

Sister McEldowney

PS. Ticks are UGLY! This one is named Lyme ;)

From the keeper of this blog -

RE: Tuesday

"Alma holds a special place in my heart. Even more so considering my missionary scripture is in there! Alma 29:9."

Before a missionary leaves on their mission, their Bishop asks them to identify a scripture that they feel defines their mission. That scripture, typically along with a picture of the missionary, is put on a plaque and hung in the church building during the term of that missionaries' service.  Kayla chose Alma 29:9 to be hers. It reads -

I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

Also regarding Tuesday -

"Our investigator, Aaron, had his baptismal interview today..."

When someone has been meeting with the missionaries and desires to be baptized they are required to complete a baptismal interview to ensure that they have been taught and understand the doctrine that they are embracing as well as the requirements of the baptismal covenants. I have included a link to the book Preach My Gospel which missionaries use to direct their missionary work. It describes in detail the reasons for the baptismal interview.

Preach My Gospel: How Do I Prepare People for Baptism and Confirmation?

RE: Sunday

"I GOT TO SKYPE HOME! "

Missionaries have very strict requirements regarding their contact with family and friends. Once a week, on p-day, they are allowed and are expected to write home. Twice a year, on Mother's Day and Christmas Day, they are allowed to Skype/call home for 30 minutes. To some this strict limitation may seem brutal, but speaking from a missionary point of view it is necessary to help you keep your focus. It is so nice to see/hear your family, but it takes awhile to recover from the after effects of those calls when you go back to a stark, empty apartment while your family are all together at home. For the moms and dads, however, there is great comfort in seeing/hearing your child and getting actual confirmation that they are well. Now I understand both perspectives I see more clearly the inspired nature of the missionary program's structure.

Living and Loving the Maine Life

Hey all, so, Maine is beautiful and I love it!

Being a missionary is great and I can't believe I'm a week off from hitting my two-month mark! Exciting stuff! So, here's my weekly break down.

Monday:

We had a district P-Day and basically played card games and had a failed attempt at Are You Smarter than A 5th Grader. Email time was fantastic too! SISTER ASTON WAS ONLINE! Talk about a tender mercy of the Lord! I needed that so badly and getting to chat with her was the best! We were, are, and always will be the #dynamicduo. Other than that, P-Day was just getting stuff done.

After P-Day we went to a member's home for dinner and FHE. The Peck family is awesome and I love them! They're so sweet and truly hilarious! The ward out here is awesome!

Tuesday:

Very rarely do I get my full hour of language study, but today I did! Feliz dia! We also had an amazing lesson with one of our investigators! I'm stoked! He's the bomb and his baptism is set for a couple of weeks from now! Sister McEldowney is uma feliz campista (one happy camper)!

Wednesday:

We had district meeting which was cool. We also traveled to Manchester for the New Missionary/Trainer Meeting. Unfortunately, not a lot of work got done.

The ride to Manchester was great though! I got to see the people in my travel group from the MTC and we all had a nice reunion...after a week haha!

Thursday:

New Missionary/Trainer Meeting was so grand! It was way spiritual and I can't even believe how much I learned in one day! Alma 26 is now one of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon. It talks all about the Sons of Mosiah and their mission! As a missionary, I can relate. As a third party, it puts a new perspective on how missionaries feel. I highly recommend that everyone read it. After you read it, ponder its message and pray about it. I know the Book of Mormon is true and I know, without a doubt, that if you have a sincere desire to know of its truthfulness and message, you will receive the same confirmation I did just over 7 years ago.

Friday:

All I have to say is that I ate deer heart...from a deer that someone hit with their car. That's right, I ate roadkill. Welcome to central Maine!

Saturday:

We heart-attacked our investigator! We love him and it was so fun! Missionary work is the best!

I also found an elder at the Saturday evening session of Stake Conference that speaks Portuguese! He was a visa waiter, but rejected his visa and stayed here. Either way, we spoke in Portuguese e meu coracao era mutio feliz!

A miracle in itself was going to that session! Finding a member-ride was nearly impossible, but our ward is awesome and we got to go!

Sunday:

Stake conference round two was awesome! I love those spiritual meetings where you just write everything, but it still isn't enough! Love love love! Elder Golder and Elder Titera, of the Seventy, were the main speakers and their messages were all about families and how to ensure that your family is staying on the path that Christ set for us. I've been thinking a lot about families and it was really cool to have another conference focused on that. It's actually been a really popular topic lately and I love it!

Well, that pretty much covers it!

I just want to end with my testimony. I know that Heavenly Father lives. I know that He loves us so He sent His only Begotten son, Jesus Christ, down to earth to atone for our sins. Jesus Christ is the only way we can get back to live with our Heavenly Father. The Atonement is the ultimate sacrifice and I am so grateful for it. The gospel of Jesus Christ is amazing! The Book of Mormon is true and I know that it contains the fullness of the gospel.

I love you all so much!

Amo Sempre, 

Sister McEldowney

__________

From the keeper of this blog - 

RE: Monday - P-day

P-day is preparation day. Full-time missionaries work 6 days a week typically from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. One day a week is assigned for them to do their grocery shopping and laundry, clean their apartments, write to their families, participate in recreational activities, etc. Typically (there are exceptions depending on customs and issues where you serve) P-day starts at 6:30 and ends at dinnertime, usually 6:00 p.m., when missionaries are expected to "get back to work."

RE: Saturday - Heart Attack

Heart-attacking has nothing to do with eating a road-kill deer's heart! :) Simply put it's when you write messages on paper hearts and stick them to their house/door/in their yard. I actually found a blog that describes how to do this. 

How to give a friend a heart attack...

RE: Saturday/Sunday: Stake Conference

On a typical Sunday, members of the church meet together in their ward or branch (a group too small to meet ward qualifications) congregations. Every 6 months all the wards/branches that comprise a stake meet as one body for Stake Conference where they are addressed by local leadership and, sometimes, members of the Seventy or Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 

RE: Sunday - testimony

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints refer often to their testimony. Like in a court room testimony, a member's testimony is what we know based on our experience. I found a link that provides a great synopsis of what a testimony is to us.

What is a testimony?

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My amazing Mission Prep companion!
(Mission Preparation is a pre-mission class that Kayla attended at BYU-Idaho)

Three favorite Elders. Last week at MTC!

We LOVE Kit-Kats! Meet Sister Davis everyone!

I love it here! How beautiful is that sunset?

Heart-attack for the win!

I finally found The Tonight Dough!

Welcome to New England!

Hey there lovely people! So, the past week has been insane! I can't even begin to explain how much I miss the simplicity of home life, but I know that I'm needed here right now and that serving a mission is the best thing for me to be doing right now.

Well, on to the "exciting" part.

Sunday, April 19:

Well, I got released as STL (Sister Training Leader) and was a "normal" missionary for the rest of the day. Exciting stuff I guess.

Wow, alright, running out of time really quickly here.

I had to say goodbye to everyone and was a hot mess! Lots of tears. Surprising? Shouldn't be haha!

Monday, April 20:

Reported to the Travel Office at 3:30AM. Torture. We got on the bus and they said our flight was delayed and we wouldn't have to report until 8:30AM.

I definitely surprised a good number of people. Very awkward to say hello when I had just said goodbye. Life of a missionary though, right?

Reported back to the travel office. Took a bus and two trains to the airport. 2 hour trip. Told us we weren't flying out until the next morning. Two more trains and another bus back to the MTC. Awkward hello again. Such a blessing to be able to spend my last day with Sister Aston though! She's the greatest!

Tuesday, April 21:

Said a real goodbye to Sister Aston. Super sad morning. 

Finally got to the airport and, you guessed it, more complications. After who knows how long, I was finally set and ended up flying solo to New Hampshire! Off I went!

I arrived in Manchester, New Hampshire at about 9:30PM and went to the mission home. The rest of the group didn't get there until 11:30PM. Yay for mix-ups I suppose!

Wednesday, April 22:

Transfer meeting. First day in the field!

Companion: Sister Davis from Utah. Very nice! We're serving in Skowhegan, Maine! That's right, I'm serving in Maine! Unfortunately, there are no Portuguese speakers...anywhere. I mean, anywhere. No visa waiter, no natives. Nothing. Let's hope that next transfer there's someone here...

Thursday, April 23:

We did service at a soup kitchen. That was pretty cool. Other than that, not much really happened. It was a slow day for missionary work.

Friday, April 24:

Happy Birthday Dad!

I survived weekly planning. That alone was enough of a miracle to write pages home about haha!

Honestly, we were inside most of the day for planning, so not much happened Friday either.

Saturday, April 25:

Finally met our progressing investigator! The lesson went so well and it was a testament to me of how the Holy Ghost really is the true teacher! I can share all the scriptures I want and tell as many personal experiences as I want, but unless the Spirit is there, nothing will happen. It was an amazing experience!

We also went tracting that evening and I GAVE MY FIRST COPY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON! Happy day! We knocked on a woman's door and she actually had a lot of questions so I gave her a Book of Mormon, my companion gave her pamphlets to look over and yeah! It was awesome!

Sunday, April 26:

We had a Regional Broadcast, so that was awesome! It was a broadcast from Salt Lake and the General Authorities talked a lot about families. I know I'm on a mission, but I've been thinking a lot about families lately and it was neat that families were the focus.

We also had lunch with the bishop and that was fun. Their kids remind me so much of my siblings; I loved it!

Another thing, we tracted into a less-active member by accident and it was awesome! She said she'd definitely be open to having us come back, so we're going to this week!

Today, and this week in general, has been so crazy and I'm so glad that I've made it through a week in the field. I miss my friends from the MTC, I miss my friends back home, and I miss my family so much, but the Lord needs me in Maine right now, and eventually in Brazil. I'm so excited to see what's in store for me over the next 16 months!

I love you all so much! I promise my email next week won't be as jumbled!

Amo Sempre,

Sister McEldowney

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From the keeper of this blog - 

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are known to have a language all their own when it comes to life in the gospel. I've clarified a couple below and included links to the references. 

RE: Saturday, April 25

You might wonder, "What is tracting?" Having served a mission where tracting was the primary means of finding people to teach I would call it the worst form of torture known to man. I did, however, find you a better definition -

"Door-to-door contacting is commonly called "tracting" because missionaries in the past often left printed tracts with people as they called on them. As the number and influence of Church members have grown, missionaries have come increasingly to rely on referrals from members to find people to teach. In the latter half of the twentieth century, missionaries have had the benefit of standardized lessons, usually referred to as missionary discussions, to assist them in teaching the gospel."

Missions

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RE: Sunday, April 26

Again you might wonder, "What is a less-active?" The Savior shared a parable of the lost sheep, the one who had wandered from the ninety and nine. Of that sheep the scriptures record in Luke 15:4-7 -

"4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance."

Members of the church, latter-day saints, take this mandate very seriously. People no longer participate fully in the church for a myriad of reasons, but they are not forgotten even if they want to be. For the sake of identifying and therefore finding them, they become known as the less-active. We as members and particularly as full-time missionaries are taught and organized to find them, love them, and pray that they will find happiness in church activity once again; being brought back to the fold. It is a beautiful experience to be a part of that process, thus, Kayla's excitement at meeting a less-active member while tracting.

The church produced a video about this very principle that is very good. The link is below - 

The Lost Sheep

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Just a thought -

It occurred to me with Kayla's, hopefully temporary, change in assignment that you might wonder how missionaries are assigned. At our last General Conference (about 2 weeks ago) they reported that there are currently 85,147 full-time missionaries serving in 406 missions worldwide. That number includes young men and women Kayla's age as well as senior couples or singles who are retired and desire to serve. In that same conference, Elder M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, offered insight into the assignment process. I thought I'd include it here just in case you're interested - 

In the early days of the Church, missionaries were interviewed by a General Authority before they went on their missions. These days you are interviewed to serve as missionaries by your bishops and stake presidents, and most of you will go through your entire lives without being interviewed by a General Authority. That is simply a reflection of the reality in a worldwide church of more than 15 million members. I know I speak for my brethren when I tell you that we wish it were possible for us to know all of you personally and to be able to tell you that we love you and that we support you.

Fortunately the Lord has provided ways for us to reach out to you. For example, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve assigns every missionary to his or her mission. Although this is done without a traditional face-to-face interview, technology and revelation combine to provide an experience that is remarkably intimate and personal. Let me tell you how this happens.

Your photograph comes up on a computer screen, together with key information provided by your bishop and stake president. When your picture appears, we look into your eyes and review your answers to the missionary recommendation questions. For that brief moment, it seems as if you are present and responding to us directly. As we look at your photograph, we trust that you have cleared in every way the “raised bar” required today to be a faithful, successful missionary. Then, by the power of the Spirit of the Lord and under the direction of President Thomas S. Monson, we assign you to one of the Church’s 406 worldwide missions.

The Greatest Generation of Young Adults

Saying Goodbye Again

Well, I leave the MTC on Monday and this week has been absolutely insane!

Guess it's time for my weekly update...3 days early.

Tuesday:

#lasttempletuesday

Talk about a bittersweet day! Last time doing a temple session for who knows how long! Also my last time going to the temple with my lovely zone. I have seriously gotten to close to these people over the past 5 weeks or so and saying goodbye has been devastating! I know that we're all doing what the Lord needs us to do though!

We also had devotional with Elder Zwick (Member of the Quorum of Seventy)! He talked all about the Atonement and the Spirit was so strong! I couldn't look away...except to write notes haha!

The Atonement has been on my mind a lot lately and I'm so grateful that often times devotionals are about exactly what I need to hear. Talk about the Holy Ghost being the true teacher!

Wednesday:

IT SNOWED AGAIN! What the what?!?! Dumb, bi-polar weather! We even hosted in the snow again. Talk about a rough 2 hours.

Even though it was freezing, it was really fun! We really enjoyed it and were so grateful for the opportunity to help get those new missionaries where they needed to be.

So, I got temporarily reassigned! Until my visa comes, I will be serving in the New Hampshire Manchester Mission! Can you believe it?! My mission includes New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, New York and Massachusetts! Crazy! I'm actually really excited.

I'm so bummed though because my companion/other half is going to the other side of the country! I'm going to miss her so much, but I know that she will do great things in the California Riverside Mission! Good luck Sister Aston! We'll definitely be reunited in Santos before we know it!

Oh, and Sister Aston and I have officially decided that Alma 17: 13, 17, 18 (The Book of Mormon) are our scriptures.

Thursday:

We had In-Field Orientation and it was not as bad as I thought it would be! My district definitely knows how to make the best of a bad situation. Let me tell you, sitting in a room for 9 hours learning what my teachers have been teaching me for 6 weeks is not a fun situation haha! Ainda, tuda bem!

I also met Brother Christiansen! He was one of the missionaries from The District 2 and apparently he did splits in the Bostonia Ward (the ward Kayla attends in California) a few times! What the what?! So crazy!

Last thing: We practiced street contacting with the new district! We are officially old timers in terms of the MTC now. We are the senior group! Ahh!

Friday:

Last Sesta-Festa! So crazy! 

We had an amazing last TRC Skype lesson!

Tambem, we talked about miracles in class! Read Alma 13:23 and Mormon 7. God is a god of miracles! Miracles have not ceased and I am so grateful for that knowledge! 

Saturday:

We sang our farewell song for both of our teachers. Dia triste! 

Irmao Staples and our district also had a very spiritual morning. We talked a little bit about everything, but he said something that really stuck out to me. "We are all beggars. We need His mercy; we need His love." It's so true! There is no way that without His mercy and love, that we could ever return to live with our Father in Heaven. God sent His son because He loves us. He sent His son because He knew that would be the only way for us to return to His presence. God is our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ is His son.

I had to say goodbye to our teachers today. I seriously bawled. For the last 6 weeks, we have shared our lives with these people and I love them so much. I say it a lot, but I forget how easy it is to get close to someone in such a short amount of time! I'll definitely keep in touch with them though!

Anyway, I head out on Monday, so I'm not sure when I'll write again, but ate logo! 

Love you all!!

Amo Sempre, 

Sister McEldowney

From the keeper of this blog -

RE: Wednesday

These verses are about a group of missionaries who wanted to teach a group of people known as the Lamanites. The Lamanites did not believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ and at the time hated the missionaries' people -

13 And it came to pass when they had arrived in the borders of the land of the Lamanites, that they separated themselves and departed one from another, trusting in the Lord that they should meet again at the close of their harvest; for they supposed that great was the work which they had undertaken.

17 Therefore they separated themselves one from another, and went forth among them, every man alone, according to the word and power of God which was given unto him.

18 Now Ammon being the chief among them, or rather he did administer unto them, and he departed from them, after having blessed them according to their several stations, having imparted the word of God unto them, or administered unto them before his departure; and thus they took their several journeys throughout the land.

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RE: Thursday - The District 2

The District is a reality tv show on BYU-TV and is comprised of "video segments [that] show real missionaries, members, and investigators in non-scripted, unrehearsed, actual missionary situations." (https://www.lds.org/callings/missionary/the-district?lang=eng) The District 1 was filmed in the California San Diego Mission.

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RE: Friday - Read Alma 13:23 and Mormon 7

Here's the link - The Book of Mormon

I'm 1 Month Old!

Hello again people!

 

Can you believe it's already been another week? The weeks pass so quickly when you're on a mission! I'm already a month old! In mission terms, it means I've been out for a month. Eu estou uma campista feliz!

 

Anywho, on to my weekly update!

 

Tuesday:

Man, oh man, do I have a story for all of you! So, for those of you who don't know, there is a very strict missionary rule about interactions with the opposite sex, mainly it means no hugging (and kissing but that's kind of implied if you can't even hug). So, being the person I am, that's been a really difficult rule. It's even worse when you're around elders all the time and you get close and can only give them handshakes! Entao, tanto faz. Well, we were at dinner on this lovely Tuesday and my friend, who is an elder, was telling us a story about how his brother came home from his mission and his girlfriend was at the airport and he couldn't hug her because he hadn't been released as a missionary. Well, my friend was taunting his brother and giving his brother's girlfriend hugs and stuff, but he accidentally used me as an example and hugged me!!!!!! It was so weird! We laughed so hard though because we both freaked out. Missionary awkwardness has kicked in already! Guess I'm officially a missionary now!

 

Wednesday:

It snowed! What the what?! It was snowing pretty much all day too!

 

Guess what else though! OUR DISTRICT GOT TO HOST! Basically hosting just means we greet the new missionaries, take them away from their families and get them started on their life as a missionary. It's so fun and we get to do it again this week! Dia feliz!

 

Oh yeah, and I'm getting better at volleyball, so that's fun.

 

Thursday:

Lesson flop Thursday. Is that a thing yet? Well, it is for Sister Aston and me at least! Tuda bem! We've recovered (:

 

We, as a district, also received some awesome scriptures about overcoming weakness.

Moses 6:31-34

Moses 7:13

1Nefi 3:7

1Nefi 17:50-51

Filipenses 4:13

Mat 19:26

Mark 5:36
 

Sorry, I know I'm mixing Portuguese and English, but my brain is in that transition period!

 

Friday:

WE TAUGHT A LESSON TO SOMEONE IN BRAZIL! We got to do a lesson over Skype with someone who lives in the state of Porte Alegre and we understood him and he understood us and it was awesome! Oh my goodness! It still makes me happy just thinking about it!

 

Alright, Portuguese is officially the celestial language! PORTUGUESE DOESN'T END WITH PREPOSITIONS!! Dia feliz; tuda bem!

 

Saturday:

Never. Ending. Day. 

 

Seriously, it went on forever! My bed had never been so enticing.

 

Sunday:

We watched Joseph Smith (the movie about his life) in Portuguese and I understood about 3/4 of it! I got the gist of the entire movie and was stoked! Yay for Portuguese! 

 

In case it wasn't obvious, I'm loving Portuguese! I thank Heavenly Father every day for the opportunity I have to not only serve a mission, but learn a language that is so beautiful. I'm so blessed!

 

Monday:

Surprise! Another boring Monday hahaha!

 

I do have an invitation for all of you though. Read Mark 9: 22-23. In our zone, we have a motto: "hoje consegue." Techincally it's "hoje pode," but that's the wrong form of the verb haha. Anyway, it means "today, you can."

 

I know that there are some really rough days, sometimes even rough weeks, but you can get through them. We have all been given trials, but Heavenly Father will never give us anything that we can't handle. Everything you go through is only to help you grow and get on the path back to Him.

 

I know that we are all children of God. Heavenly Father knows each of His children, us, individually and is aware of us. 

 

Estou muito grato por a opportunidade para servir Ele for 18 mezes. I am grateful that I get to spend a portion of my life being a full-time representative of Jesus Cristo. 

 

I love you all so much and am so grateful to have people in my life who care enough about me to read about my uneventful life haha.

 

I hope each and every one of you has a wonderful week and can see the hand of God in your life!

 

Amo sempre,

Sister McEldowney

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From the keeper of this blog -

RE: Thursday

The apostle Paul taught in 2 Corinthians 13:1, "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established." He was referring to the fact that this was his third visit to the saints in Corinth. Today The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints adheres closely to this doctrine. That is why, for example, missionaries go in companionships and not alone. It also applies to our scriptures. In addition to the Bible, we also utilize the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, the Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price to support one another in testifying of Christ and His role in our lives by clearly establishing His doctrine. That being said, in Thursday's entry Kayla includes some references that you may not be familiar with. I've included them below along with the book that they are found in.

Moses 6:31-34 (The Pearl of Great Price)

31 And when Enoch had heard these words, he bowed himself to the earth, before the Lord, and spake before the Lord, saying: Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant?

 32 And the Lord said unto Enoch: Go forth and do as I have commanded thee, and no man shall pierce thee. Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance, for all flesh is in my hands, and I will do as seemeth me good.

 33 Say unto this people: Choose ye this day, to serve the Lord God who made you.

 34 Behold my Spirit is upon you, wherefore all thy words will I justify; and the mountains shall flee before you, and the rivers shall turn from their course; and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me.

Moses 7:13 (The Pearl of Great Price)

 13 And so great was the faith of Enoch that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him.

1 Nefi (Nephi) 3:7 (The Book of Mormon)

 7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

1 Nefi (Nephi) 17:50-51 (The Book of Mormon)

 50 And I said unto them: If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done.

 51 And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot instruct me, that I should build a ship?

Filipenses (Philippians) 4:13 (The New Testament)

13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
 

Mat (Matthew) 19:26 (The New Testament)

26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Mark 5:36 (The New Testament)

36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

  

FOUR weeks in the MTC, THREE, TWO days of General Conference, and ONE happy Sister Missionary

Hello outside world!

 

Well, outside of the MTC at least! Let me tell you, 6 weeks in this bubble is testing my patience. I do love it here though and get so sad thinking about leaving. You never could have told me I'd love the MTC this much!

 

Ok, and before I forget, did anyone see the eerie similarity that picture I sent last week had to Andy Samberg?! It was crazy! Sister Aston and I had to do a double take! 

 

Oh, and thank you to everyone who writes me! I have so little time to email that I can't get back to everyone, but I do read them and I appreciate the thoughts (:

 

Anyway, we'll get on to the "exciting" part of this e-mail:

 

Tuesday:

#TempleTuesday

Never a disappointment! I participated in family sealings this past week and was proxy for a daughter being sealed to her family for eternity. Such a beautiful ceremony and one I am so grateful I was able to be a part of. I love the temple so much!

 

We also had a really neat devotional, but due to time restraints I have basically no time to write about it. I'll let you all in on a little secret too. I don' t have my notebook with me so I don't think I could tell you what it was about even if I wanted to hahaha

 

Wednesday:

WE GOT A NEW DISTRICT! They're seriously so great and I love them to death! I loved being able to welcome them and ease them into their MTC stay. I just love them and don't even know what else to say about them!

 

They're also the most exciting thing about Wednesday, so, sorry about that let down!

 

Thursday:

It snowed. What the what?! It's April and it snowed. It didn't stick, but goodness gracious, it was FREEZING that day! Brrr!!!

 

Nothing too eventful happened on Thursday either, sorry people!

 

Friday:

Alright, so maybe Thursday did have on relatively eventful thing. Sister Aston and I have a really difficult investigator we're teaching and on Thursday we just lost everything, or so it seemed. We were so stoked; we taught the Plan of Salvation and were so prepared. Then out of nowhere, we weren't. Neither of us felt great about the lesson, but we didn't know where to go with it, so we pushed through. Anyway, we cried it our after we got back to the residence halls, but it was still weighing on my mind all night and into the next morning. I got to class the next morning and we have additional study time from 7-7:45 and I prayed so hard that Heavenly Father would help comfort me. All of a sudden Alma 37:16 popped into my head. The only time I had ever read that scripture was when I was reading through the Book of Mormon just to read it. It was amazing how much I needed it. Talk about Heavenly Father answering prayers!

 

"But if ye keep the commandments of God, and do with these things which are sacred according to that which the Lord doth command you, (for you must appeal unto the Lord for all things whatsoever ye must do with them) behold, no power of earth or hell can take them from you, for God is powerful to the fulfilling of all his words." Alma 37:16

 

I can testify that no matter how long or short the prayer is, no matter how big or small the issue may seem, Heavenly Father hears our prayers and answers them. I am so grateful for that!

 

Saturday and Sunday:

Conference! So great! 

 

If I haven't already asked you, what was your favorite talk from General Conference?

 

Monday:

Not much happened yesterday either. 

 

Oh wait, Sister Aston and I taught an awesome lesson (that got paused and will resume on Thursday) about the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

 

I also figured out that I can't think in Spanish anymore and my brain only goes to Portuguese. Remind me to tell that story when I'm home. Or next week...whichever I guess haha!

 

Anyway, I'm out of time! I love you all so much!

 

Have a great week!

 

Amo sempre,

Sister McEldowney

 

PS. Sorry for the lack of pictures. I'll do my best to send some next week!

 

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From the keeper of this blog:

RE: #TempleTuesday

Temples sometimes prove to be a bit of a mystery for some who are not members of the church. The Mormon.org information below may help you understand what Kayla’s referring to when she says, “I participated in family sealings this past week and was proxy for a daughter being sealed to her family for eternity.” In short, civil marriage ceremonies typically bind a couple “until death do you part.” Temple marriages seal the couple for time and all eternity. For those who die without being able to be sealed together, marriage terminates at death. The Lord has provided a way for us, the living, to stand in their place (proxy) so that they may be sealed for time and all eternity too.

Mormon.org says -

“Temples are houses of the Lord, the most sacred structures on the earth….

In temples, Church members participate in ordinances designed to unite their families together forever and help them return to God.

In the temple, members:

©       Learn eternal truths.

©       Receive sacred ordinances, including [the sealing ordinance] that bind[s] husband and wife together for eternity, as well as [sealing] children and parents [for eternity] (Malachi 4:5-6).

©       Provide ordinances such as baptism for those who have died without the opportunity to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:29; 1 Peter 4:6)”

mormon.org - The Use of Temples

RE: Saturday and Sunday – Conference! So great!

Every April and October, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds General Conference. We don’t attend our regular church meetings and instead participate in a broadcast from church headquarters in which the Prophet, Twelve Apostles, and other church leadership address church members. It is comprised of 6 sessions and is filled with great council and direction. Kayla obviously loves it! If you’d like to learn more about the one we just had the link is below.

General Conference - April 2015