30 Dec 2013 - Wrapping up 2013

Hey!! Happy...day before new year's eve! Haha I hope all is well in Virginia!!! I am so jealous that y'all are there, although I don't want to leave Nicaragua quite yet so I guess it's all good! It was so fun to see and talk to you all! Everyone looks great! And wow...Mark is married now. That is pretty crazy! I feel like the puzzle pieces are slowly filling in the blanks in our family...we now have the sisters in law...next come the brothers in law...and nieces and nephews...yaaaay. Pretty awesome. Thanks for sending some of the pics from the wedding! Jill looks beautiful...and I guess Mark looks pretty good too. Congrats you too! Welcome to the family, Jill!  

Well, this week was great. It was interesting celebrating Christmas here, that's for sure. Basically, hardly anyone was home or in the streets for half the week...apparently here in Nicaragua, they celebrate by going to the beach...which makes sense. That's what I would do if I lived close to a beach. Well, I guess I do right now, but that doesn't count. One day...haha. We ended up visiting a ton of members. 

Well, the best news of the week is that T was baptized on Saturday! It was great. We had to go to Jinotepe, since our chapel is under construction, so only a few people were there. But it went really well. She is excited to progress and doesn't care that her family isn't very supportive. She's awesome. She keeps talking about how she wants to serve a mission. Asi es!!! 

The Mulizona on Friday was super fun. We were with zonas Managua, Universitaria, Juigalpa, and Los Pueblos. The only bummer was that Hna V had cambios and isn't in Managua anymore. But it was really fun seeing what's left of my old zone...and Hna E. We had to wake up super early to arrive in Managua before 8 am...but it was worth it. First, Pres and Sis Russell shared messages, and we watched a slideshow that Hna Russell put together of pics of baptisms that we've been sending her. It was so awesome! I'm so proud of the people I've helped come closer to Christ! I love missionary work! But anyway, for the rest of the day, we ate gourmet food and played games and had a gift exchange. At the end, we watched a different slideshow of pics of all the families of the missionaries in the mission. It was awesome to see our family pic on the big screen! haha. Sooo yeah, all in all, it was a great day.  

So on Saturday, I taught my first district class! Ahh I was so nervous! But it went really well. I started with a dynamic that required 2 volunteers to eat a doughnut without their hands...so that was pretty funny. I thought that I would be super nervous teaching the whole time, but it was actually kind of fun! Yesterday, we worked with LB, the returned missionary who was in Brother L's mission. He gave us a referral that came from one of his converts in Chile...what a small world! We couldn't find the reference, so we ended up walking a tonnnnn...I felt bad for him, although he was a good sport! 

I forgot to tell you last week, but we had a pretty interesting little miracle happen last week. One day, we were about 45 min away from our house in Rosario walking on a bumpy dirt path when the sole came off of Hna R's brand new shoes! She was super upset and we had to sit down on a rock for a minute to inspect her shoe...when a man walked by us, but stopped and turned around to talk to us! He asked what happened to Hna R's shoe then asked if he could see it. We were kind of worried, because there was a beer can in his pocket, but he started taking things out of his backpack and sewed those shoes back together! It turns out that he's a shoemaker and was on his way to work when he saw us! He was our angel. We talked about the church a little bit, and though he doesn't want us to visit him, maybe one day he'll change his mind...and for now, he served as proof that the Lord is always mindful of us! 

Well, I hope that your trip in VA is going well! Tell everyone hi for me! I expect lots of details and pictures next week! When does school start up again? The kids here are on their summer vacations right now...it's pretty funny how everything is in reverse here. I can't believe that we're heading into 2014!! I come home in 2014...weird! But for 11 months of the new year, I'll be here working hard to share the true message of the restored gospel. I know it's true and I have a lot of work to do and people to meet! Who knows what 2014 has in store for me, but I plan on working hard and focusing on serving the Lord. It's pretty great.  

I love you all...and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Love, Hna MacKay

 

(Posted by her Mom)

23 Dec 2013 - Feliz Navidad!!!

Hola! Wow I can't believe Christmas is this week! Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat! Please put a penny in the old man's hat! That was always one of my Christmas favorites when I was little. I don't really know why...maybe because it talks about a goose. Haha Anywayyyyyyyyyyy. 

This week was full of crazy events. Well, at least this weekend. But we'll start from the beginning. The beginning of the week was pretty normal. Our ward mission leader is finally working with us again, so that's good! But he's a total flirt, which makes things awkward every once in a while. But he is a good teacher, so that's all I can ask for. But he helped us out this week. He was the one who gave us the reference to teach Jorge. We're starting to have a little more success with finding new investigators, so that's always nice! 

So on Thursday, things started to get a little crazy. This weekend turned into battle of the religions, seriously! We went back to visit the contact that lives in the quinta, Idaho. He is super evangelical, but listens to everyone and is really nice. So we were talking to him outside his house when his wife came out in a rage. She started talking to us and said that ''I know your religion! I've know about it for 50 years! You can't fool me! You believe in polygamy, you worship saints like the Catholics...'' among other things that were absolutely FALSE. She even scratched Hna R's nametag with her crazy long fingernails. My comp wasn't too happy about that. It's sad how blind can be. I understand if people don't want to accept us (although it still makes me sad), but when they decide to trust the lies that people spread, it's just sad. Then, after a different cita, we contacting a cute elderly couple...although the way they spoke to us was not so cute. It was irritating, but hey, I put my message out there...what more can I do? Since everyone has their free agency, there's nothing else I can do. But yeah, it was pretty funny after the fact. People get riled up about religion, that's for sure. We also ran into a pair of Jehovah's Witness missionaries. They tried to pick a fight with us. Arg. I respect people from other religions, but I wish they would respect us as well! Oh well..humility and patience are virtues that are very important to develop. It's a process! 

So on Friday, we had Zone Conference, but this time instead of going to Jinotepe, we went to Rivas, which is about an hour and a half away. We were crammed into a little van and had to leave super early. I wasn't too excited about that part though. Zone conference was good...although oh man! I'm a little worried about the future. President Russell upped the numbers for all of our daily goals (lessons taught, new investigators, contacts, etc). We are going to have to work really hard, but it's really good for us. The scary part is that the ZLs said that right now, we're living ''the law of tithing'' and that next comes the ''law of consagration''...which means soon we'll be working even harder. I know whatever happens will be good for us, but still...oh dear. But the crazy part of Zone conf. is that Hermana R got reaaaaally sick. Apparently a scab on her leg scraped off and she started bleeding...but when she starts to bleed even a little, her body reacts and she gets really weak. So basically, everyone was freaked out. But we made it back to our area...just couldnt leave that day. But we made up for it on Saturday! We worked doubletime. It was pretty awesome.  

We had our ward Christmas activity on Saturday. It was more of a devotional...honestly it wasn't very exciting, but they handed out tacos at the end, so that was a perk! And they played ''Feliz Navidad'' by Michael Buble about 5 times because it was the only song they had, so that was funny. Here, Christmas isn't as big of a deal. Christmas carols are an English tradition. We sang Christmas hymns in church but that was about it. Here, dancing is a bigger tradition.  

J is doing awesome!!! He came to church on his own on Sunday. Ever since the first time he came to church, he has been different. He's more animated and participates more in the lessons. And that, my friend, is why church attendance is so important. It's a really different experience for people who haven't gone to church before. The Spirit is strong and learning with a big group of people helps too! He was talking to his friend (a recent convert) about how he is going to be baptized on the 4th! I was surprised he remembered since we hadn't really talked about it for a while. Basically, he's awesome! And T is doing well! We talked to her grandma for an hour when we went to ask her for her written consent for T to be baptized. Basically, it was a war. But in the end, she signed the permission form...but still doesn't really support T. Her whole family makes fun of her. It's so sad! So I'm not sure if she'll be able to be baptized this week, but if not, I know it'll happen soon. She is trying so hard! 

Well, I ran out of things to say, but I guess if I think of something, I can tell you on WEDNESDAY! Woohoo! That'll be fun! I hope you all have an awesome time with all the extended family! Enjoy the snow for me! It's...less hot...right now, but nothing like Utah!  

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. He loves us so much, and because of that, he accepted his role to come to this earth and suffer for our sins. I am so grateful for his life and sacrifice. I've been studying in the New Testament lately and wow! 1. He was an awesome teacher and 2. He really is the Son of God. He came to this Earth on his Father's business. And now I'm here one the Lord's errand to help other people understand the importance of our Savior Jesus Christ.  

I love you! Talk to you soooon! 

Love, Hermana MacKay

 

(Posted by her Mom)

16 Dec 2013 - Another Cambio bites the dust

Hey! How's it going? I'm doing great! This week has been pretty good...we gave this week all the energy we had! And because of that, I am exhausted. But it's a good type of tired...it's satisfying...if that even makes sense.  

Well, Surprise (not really)! I'm still in El Rosario with Hermana R! We'll be here together at least until the next cambio on February 5th. More time to work hard and learn from one another! Our companionship has improved a ton over the past almost 3 months. It's pretty weird not having a church chapel though! They have taken out the outdoor basketball court and are working with the land right now, but soon they'll start demolishing parts of the building. For baptisms, we'll have to go to the stake center in Jinotepe. But P has bragging rights...she was the last baptism in the church before reconstruction! 

I am so glad that I am in El Rosario for the summer (well, Nicaraguan summer) because even though it's supposed to be dry and warm, Rosario is super windy and cool. Cool is a relative term...the Nicaraguans say they're freezing and wear sweaters, but for me, it's comfortable...haha. Supposedly it was supposed to stop raining when November started, but it has been raining on and off this month. Proof that humans are not very good at predicting the weather...haha 

Something else that happens in December is that everyone and their dog paints their house. Seriously, every day, the houses change colors. And of course, the house colors aren't plain. They're all vibrant and fun. I think that Aunt Jennie would go crazy taking pictures here! I have to admit, El Rosario is way more picturesque than Managua. I love both my areas...but they are very different! 

Well, this week has been pretty uneventful. The work continues on! T is doing well! All the neighborhood kids are already calling her ''la mormona'' to make fun of her, but she doesn't listen to them. She resists peer pressure really well. J came to church on Sunday! A lot of the young men from the ward already knew him from school, so he has a nice group of friends, which will help a lot. When we were contacting the other day, we met a man who is half gringo and half Nica. It was really interesting to talk to him. He was very...animated. He reminded me of Steve Martin...haha. But he told us that his house has a name--Idaho! Apparently there's another Quinta in Jinotepe called Pennsylvania! Pretty funny! So Idaho is part of my area! 

My district changed a little because of cambios. All the hermanas are the same, but we have a new ZL from Sandy, UT and the comp of the DL changed too. The district has a different dynamic now, but I'm sure it'll be great once we get to know each other...I actually have to teach district class for the first time in 2 weeks (it was going to be this Fri, but I was saved by zone conference...haha) So that'll be interesting... 

This week, we decided to really focus on the people when we taught. We always try to, but it's really easy to fall into a routine. But because every person is different, every lesson will be a little different. And as we concentrated on the people we taught this week, I could feel the Spirit more and also felt my testimony grow. It's amazing how sharing your testimony can help others, but also yourself. When I share my testimony, I feel like I'm sharing a part of me with the people I teach. I love it!  

I hope that all the Christmas preparations are going well! It's coming up so soon! In Central America, they actually celebrate Christmas on the 24th...I don't really know why. But basically the entire month of December is a party here, so I guess the exact date doesn't really matter. But I did get a package this week! All accounted for! A Christmas miracle! Even though I'm missing the corny Christmas movies and music, I am glad that I am here. It'll be a Christmas to remember, that's for sure! 

I hope all is going well! Love you! 

Love, Hermana MacKay

 

(Posted by her Mom)

9 Dec 2013 - Week 2 of Christmas preparations

Hey! Happy...December! 

Well, this week was great...went by super fast as always! I'm pretty sure i'm living life in fast forward...just a theory...haha. But cambios are this week! So crazy! It's a 4 wk cambio so that the missionaries going home can go home before Christmas. The next cambio will be 8 wks long. I don't think anything will change. I don't want to leave Rosario, so I'm fine with that. My guess is that Hna R will have cambios next time...in Feb.  

This week was a bit of a struggle. A mix of trunkiness, sickness (Hna R once again), and who knows what else. But we still were able to see the blessings that came. T is still doing really well. She feels ready to be baptized in 2 wks, so it's just up to whether her grandma will give her permission. T even fasted with us on Sunday...she's pretty pilas. We started teaching a new investigator, J, who is another 16 yr old! He's really receptive...but likes to sleep in on Sundays. So we'll work on that...haha. 

P was confirmed on Sunday! She's officially a member! She didn't tell many people about her baptism to keep the news from reaching her anti-mormon sister, so when she was confirmed in church, there were lots of surprised looks. It was pretty funny. 

So Rosario has progressed a lot over the years. The ward started out about 25ish years ago in the home of a member. Then they moved into a little house...then finally they built a chapel. And now, we barely fit, so they're going to enlarge the chapel! The construction is going to take 8 months...which means we'll be meeting in a house once again. But at least this time the house is bigger. It's still a bit squishy, but at least we don't have to go all the way to Jinotepe each Sunday. That would've been difficult.  

This weekend was...interesting. Part of Nicaraguan Catholic culture during the holiday season happens on December 7th...La Purisima! Which is basically Halloween, but the kids go around singing to altars with statues of the Virgin Mary. They sing songs about Maria and receive candy like trick-or-treating. It was pretty weird. There were also lots of fireworks involved...until very late at night. Teaching was really difficult because no one was in their house. We actually had to return to our house early because things got a little too crazy. Apparently it was even worse in Managua. But the members told me it gets even worse in January, when they celebrate the patron saint of el Rosario...basically it'll be like alpine days, but with lots of alcohol and crazier people. Yikes.

Did you watch the Christmas devotional? We watched it in the Bishop's house. It was so awesome! It made me feel a bit trunky, especially when the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang, but I loved the messages! Especially the one from President Monson. I've heard messages similar over the years, but this time, when he talked about how we need to give ourselves to the Savior, it really struck home. I'm trying my best to do just that. We all need to focus ourselves on dedicating ourselves to the Lord and serving His children. It is so important! I love this Christmas season because of the unity that people feel, but most importantly because it's a time to refocus on what's most important. I know that Christ is our Savior. He came to this earth to teach us and give us the perfect example. He died so that we can live with Him and Heavenly Father one day. I am so grateful for His life and example! 

It sounds like all is going well at home! I hope Karen recovers quickly! I can't wait to see what the house is like! I should be calling on the 25th...still not sure if it'll be skype or just a phone call. Pres. Russell has been going crazy changing all sorts of rules in the mission. But either way, it'll be awesome! Have an awesome week!  

Love, 

Hermana MacKay

 

(Posted by her Mom)

 

 

2 Dec 2013 - Happy December!

Hey there! I can't believe December has already reached us! Where did November go off to? My week went by super fast! 

So P wasn't baptized on Wednesday...when Bishop told us that, we were super sad, until he told us that she would be baptized the day before! Yay! Everything went really well on Tuesday. P has a sister that literally hates Mormons and has a heart condition, so P was worried that is the sister found out, she'd have a heart attack...so her baptism was a secret. Just a few of her family members who are members of the church. She was so happy when she was baptized! I can't even imagine how her daughter will react when she finds out! She'll be so happy! I have come to love P so much! She is such a sweet lady.  

The rest of the week went by like a blur. Partially because I was sick. I've had a nasty cold since last Monday, but it got worse (and turned into a flu) over the week. But no worries, I'm almost better now. Just normal cold symptoms once again. Hna R and I are so united that when one person gets sick, so does the other. Although in this case, she sprained her ankle. So that makes walking difficult now, although it's starting to get a little better.  

Thanksgiving was...good...haha. Our zone had plans to pay someone to make a real Thanksgiving meal for us, but it fell through. So instead, we went to Terry's Diner...an American food restaurant that sells hamburgers and sandwiches. The sad part is that I was the sickest on Thursday. But I didn't want to miss out...and would've felt bad if I made Hna R stay with me in the house. So we went! I was feeling a little better, so I at half a turkey sandwich...but then I didn't feel so great. Afterwards, I went home and slept almost all day. But at least I can say I ate turkey! Haha. Thursday was the only day that I didn't leave the house to work. I am VERY thankful that I normally have good health.  

On Fri., we had zone conference. It went well. One of our ZLs is going home next week (Cambios are Dec 11th...this is only a 4 wk cambio), so that was kind of sad. We now hve to wear our nametags on the right side. They told us to do it in the CCM, but when I got here, no one else was wearing it on the right, but now it's official. It feels really weird...but I do what they tell me! 

They've been decorating the park in front of my house this week...every night more lights appear. It seriously looks like Las Vegas! It's crazy. But it's very...festive. I maintain my opinion that white lights are better. The Catholic church in front of my house has been going crazy with the bombs and blasting music. The members here tell me it doesn't stop until January. I don't think I'll get much sleep this month...haha. 

This week, I've had a lot of good experiences while teaching. On Saturday, we were on a roll as far as teaching with the Spirit goes. We taught a less active family and felt the spirit so strong, and then the rest of the day, we were able to keep that feeling with us. It was awesome! We really have to focus on finding new investigators...I know that with time and hard work, the Spirit will help us out there as well.  

We had stake conference on Sunday. Pres. and Sis. Russell came and spoke. It was fun to see them. They both gave great talks about how the gospel is light and we need to share it. I felt kind of bad for my investigators that came with us, because they were pretty bored, since it was 2 hrs of just sitting down, but I think overall they had good experiences.  

I love this Gospel so much. I really do. It has brought so much light into my life. And I'm working hard so that I can be a source of light for other people. I know I can do it with the help of the Holy Ghost. I have one more year to be a floodlight for all the people around me. I've just gotta fuel it up with scripture study, faith, prayer, and hard work.  

I love you all and hope you have an awesome week! 

Love,

Hermana MacKay

 

(Posted by her Mom)

25 Nov 2013 - Thanksgiving Miracles... a little early

Buenas tardes!  

I hope you had a wonderful week! I know I sure did! It was full of little miracles! Starting with Tuesday...when we had divisions within our district...and I finally left Rosario and worked with Hermana C in Jinotepe! So that was a nice little miracle...haha. It was awesome to work with Hna C. She has 10 months in the mission and is from Solola, which is where I went when we went to Guatemala with my seminary class! She's right by Lake Atitlan and when she showed my pics, I recognized it all. It was awesome. And of course, she's an awesome missionary. We has some interesting experiences explaining that polygamy is not legal and the church does not support it...that was a strange lesson. 

Another miracle is that we passed the crazy turkey that always chases us...and I remained unscathed. Success! but the animals are still out to get me. Every night at about 3 am, a ton of roosters get into an argument and crow their little hearts out...and the the dogs join in. And I can't forget the bats. They're talkative little creatures too. Actually, I think the bats are especially out to get me. 2 nights in a row, there were murders in our house. I have learned how to kill bats, though I don't think I'll ever have the courage to do it. But both times, the bat flew straight towards me. It's my gringa charm...sometimes I forget to tone it down...haha. But the miracle is that I don't have rabies, so that's good. Any tips on how to get rid of bats? 

Another (early Chrismas) miracle...I recieved 2 packages! Way faster than before...I don't know whymy bday one took so long. So thank you! Our little Christmas tree looks so cute now. It sounds like your Christmas plans are coming along! There will be quite the crowd in Utah this Dec.! Oh! So although my upcoming Nicaragua Christmas doesn't look anything like Utah, there are these really cool Poinsetta trees! They're so pretty! Just a random fact about Nica foliage...moving on. 

So my clothes are holding up pretty well. My shoes are starting to die though...my Keens have a hole in the mesh that is expanding, but I'm trynig to figure out where to go to get it fixed. But to soles of my skechers are running thin...and I think my Crocs are starting to go downhill as well. But for the time being, I'm not worried. I still have plenty of contact solution, as I barely wear contacts here in Rosario. I also haven't used KT tape yet! That's pretty surprising, I know. My little knees are still going strong! 

T is doing great! Before, she had hesitations about being baptized but now she wants to be baptized! She shared her testimony of the Book of Mormon with us yesterday. She is so awesome!! She reads everyday and always tells us what she learned. The not-so-awesome part is that her abuela is going to make things difficult. We met her last night and she said she supports T, but first she has to see a definite change in her granddaughter...which would be fine, but her requirements are that she practically becomes a nun...so we'll work with both of them...haha. 

But the GREATEST miracle of the week occurred yesterday. I seriously almost cried, which coming from me is saying a lot! I don't think I've ever mentioned one of our investigators, P. She's a 40-something year old single mom of 4 grown up kids. Her daughter joined the church about 4 yrs ago, but no one else in their family ever wanted anything to do with the church. Right now, her daughter is serving a mission in Rosario, Argentina (isn't there someone from our ward in that mission right now?). Hna R actually reported to the CCM the same day as me! And I've been teaching P ever since I arrived here in Rosario. She has received missionaries in her home in the past, but never progressed. But when M left for Argentina, P started going to church! But never accepted an invitation to be baptized. Actually, in my first lesson with her in October, I invited her to be baptized and she just laughed at me and said that she had already explained to all the other missionaries that she had already been baptized in a different church and had faith in her pastor. But little by little she has been progressing. And yesterday, she told us she was ready to be baptized! When we asked her when, she just told us, ''oh, you'll find out.'' I got a little scared because I thought she was playing some weird game with us and she expected us to guess...but when we ate dinner at the Bishop's house, he told us that P wants to be baptized this Wednesday! We totally freaked out and are soooo happy! I love P so much and am so excited that she has finally made this great step in her life.  

I love being able to help people make these life-changing decisions. I've been able to see that what seems like a simple action of being baptized changes a person's outlook on life. Of course there weill always be challenges, but that's why the Gift of the Holy ghost is so important! If we always do our best to endure to the end, we will be happy not only for the time being, but FOREVER!  

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! There is a good chance that I will be there with you next year! So hard to believe! I'm almost a third of the way through my mission. Wow. Have an awesome week!  

Love, Hermana MacKay

 

(Posted by her Mom)

18 Nov 2013 - Another Week Bites the Dust

Hey! How's it going? Life is great, though I don't have a specific reason as to why it is so wonderful.

This week flew by. I'm not even sure what to tell you. I read through my journal to see what happened, but as I forgot to write in my journal...hmm. But first of all, I'm still here in Rosario! With Hermana R! But the other hnas in Rosario changed. Hermana G is now training Hna V from Guatemala. It's weird being the only gringa in Rosario now that Hermana E is in Managua. that means the drunks only have one gringa to fall in love with. How sad for them. Anyway...haha. My district changed a little. A ton of missionaries went home this cambio, and only 20 of the 30 who were supposed to come came. So Pres. had to close a lot of areas because of lack of missionaries. So Hna Peña and Hna Bliss both left and their area is closed, which is really sad. And the Zone Leaders are training...so they're in a trio! I don't really understand how that works, but apparently President has been making a ton of changes in the mission.  

So on Wednesday, we went to the other hermanas' house to plan a ward missionary activity that is going on this Saturday. When we were leaving, I randomly burst into James Bond spy mode and started crouching around and doing other dorky spy type things...singing the James Bond theme song under my breath of course. Everyone was laughing at me...especially when I reached the gate...because the dueña's dog thought I was a thief and almost attacked me. It was pretty hilarious,,,after the fact. Proof that dogs now hate me. Especially when I sneak around life a spy. Who'd have thought? Just thought I'd share that experience to let you know I still do dumb things and make people laugh at me...haha. 

After district meeting on Friday, the Sister Training Leaders called us and said that we should meet them in the park in Jinotepe (where we have district meetings). We were freaking out because we thought that 1. something happened in one of our families or 2. Hna R was going to be called as a second mission nurse (she studied medicine) or 3. we did something wrong. But when they found us, Hna F was holding a travel bag and said, ''ready to go''? It turns out that we had divisions with the STLs...they sent us a text to tell us, but as our phone doesnt receive text messages....haha. And once again, I stayed in my area. But it was an awesome day! Hna F actually served in Rosario for 7 months, so she was really helpful. The funniest thing that happened was that we started teaching an investigator, but a ton of people entered the house carrying a statue of virgin Mary...the investigator said, ''oh! they want to do a Rosary with me...you can join us if you want...'' haha. Sometimes people invite us to be Catholic.  

T is doing great! She still says she needs to receive an answer, so we're helping her learn how to listen to the Spirit. But she told us she wishes we could teach her every day! So that's a good sign! We also invited an investigator to be baptized. We've been working with him for a while, but he's an alcoholic, so it's difficult. We're helping him to set goals to change and he has been doing really well...the only bummer is that we received a list of members yesterday...and his name was on it. We asked his parents, who are less actives and they say he hasn't been baptized...but we asked him and he said yes. But we'll still work with him, but it'll be a little different now. Little surprises everyday...haha. 

Well the house looks awesome! I don't think I'll recognize it when I get home! It sounds like the holiday plans will be full of family! That's awesome! So Scott and Stacy will be home for Christmas? Pretty hard to believe that it's only a little over a month away! The post office closed early last week, but I have a little package to send...who knows when it'll get there though! Maybe it'll be more of a happy Valentine's day box...haha. My zone is going to have some sort of Thanksgiving lunch...who knows how it'll turn out, but hey, maybe we'll eat Tom the Turkey that chased me last week. That's awesome that Courtney is home! And she met Mitch? Wow small world. 

Well, I know that the Church is true. I don't have any dramatically spiritual experiences to share, but I do know that through constant scripture study and prayer, we receive strength. The Lord is on our side and He will always be there to help us. I'm so grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have seen how it can affect the lives of everyone. It makes me sad when people reject it! But I'm here to help them understand why it's so important.  

I love you all and hope you have an awesome week! Next week will be a month until Christmas, when I talk to you on Skype! Yay! 

Love, Hermana MacKay

 

(Posted by her Mom)