Transfer 6 Week 1

TRANSFER 6 SAY WHAT—what?! Man. By the end of this transfer I’ll have
hit 9 months!! THAT’S HALF OF MY MISSION!!! Holy smokes. I can’t even
begin to imagine it. This week I only have 11 months left. Where has
the time gone?! I have much work yet to do.

This week has been entertaining. Last Monday, after emailing we went
to a lesson with a less-active lady whose kids we are teaching (Sister
Harrison). She wanted us to meet with her prior to her kids getting
home and we’re glad we did!! She proceeded to tell us that the lesson
we gave on Friday was meant for HER!!! Which was hilarious. She said
that the minute we walked in she knew that what we would be teaching
was for her. We were just going to teach a lesson about the importance
of reading the scriptures, but it turned out to be how to find answers
in the scriptures and how to actually study them and jazz. She said
that in her 36 years of living (she’s been inactive for 18 I think)
she’s never known how to find answers in the scriptures. At all. I
knew that I was being fed my words to say, but I thought it was for
her (step)daughter, Jessica. So I was focusing on her big time!! So
crazy how the Lord works, and how imperfect we are as His servants,
but how he still manages to use us in our imperfections to teach His
other children. LOVE this work so much. It was such a spiritual lesson
with Nichole (Harrison) and again, I felt the Lord working through me
as I gave her scriptures to read. Personal study is amazing. I am so
thankful for that hour I have every morning to study the word of God.
Because EVERY TIME I’m in a lesson, something will come up. I am SO
thankful for Heavenly Father and the inspiration He’s freely given me
through the Holy Ghost.

Tuesday for a Zone Meeting we hiked up “C-Hill.” Little did I know
that really it should really be called “C-Mount Everest.” I thought I
was going to die on several occasions 1) Because I ran out of water 2)
because I didn’t have an inhaler 3) because that blasted wind and 4)
because we were hiking up a MOUNTAIN after biking 10 miles the
previous day. But the sight we saw once we got up there was worth all
the burning muscles and jazz. Worth it completely. We saw a view of
all the people who are God’s children, who He loves infinitely. They
ALL need the gospel so badly, but they don’t even know it. They don’t
know what it’s like yet to really breathe, because they don’t know
about the plan of Salvation and happiness that God has laid out for
us. It’s so incredible. Who wouldn’t want to serve a mission and share
this message? It’s our duty as members to do so. One of the blessings
that comes with being from a tribe of Israel is sharing the gospel.
Some people feel that it’s uncomfortable, or stressful, but it is not.
Allow me to speak with a degree of boldness when I say that everyone
must open their mouth. We must put our faith in God that He will help
us when we do so. It is a Priesthood responsibility to serve a mission
as President Monson said. Do it. Put your faith in God. Jump off the
swing and let Him catch you—because he’s there waiting for you to
jump.

Anyway, now that I’m off that soap box, Wednesday I was in Reno on
splits with darling Sister Cloward. She is such an amazing Sister. So
SO so knowledgeable and HUMBLE!! I never once felt inadequate in her
presence by my fumbling over references in my mind. She was great. We
got a new investigator for them—only because we told him we could
teach him according to Harry Potter… and compared the gospel to
Hogwarts and Dumbledore’s Army. Don’t worry folks, I’m still a nerd
and will always be a nerd.
Thursday we hounded Jeremiah. We had a lesson and we decided to commit
him to baptism this week. Though he’s not being baptized this
Thursday, we’re thinking Thanksgiving will be the time. It may be
later at night, but we’re going to do this thing. We left the lesson
with him silent. I felt like Nephi when Zoram was trying to run away
after discovering he wasn’t Laban—being filled with the power and
strength of the Lord, I did not allow him to change the subject from
baptism, which he attempted on many occasions. We left and he wouldn’t
speak, and wouldn’t even shake my hand for a moment. I was worried
that I pushed him too far, but Saturday he went to the temple with his
wife and Sunday he met with the bishop and said, “I don’t see why I
should put off baptism any longer.” And for Jeremiah the intellectual
minded, that is AMAZING to hear. It took him ~2 years to tell his wife
that he loved her. So when he said that I wanted to scream in joy.

Yikes, I have like no time left to write in the email, but the work is
good. I’ll be spending Thanksgiving and Christmas in Gardnerville with
Sister Kartchner. I’m excited because we’re also going to be taking a
District trip to Lake Tahoe in a couple weeks. WOOP WOOP!!!

I love this work so much. It is the most amazing thing to ever be a
part of. I am learning what is taught in Doctrine and Covenants 97:8
“Verily I say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are
honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to
observe their covenants by sacrifice—yea, every sacrifice which I, the
Lord, shall command—they are accepted of me.” I know that I, along
with 50,000 other missionaries, have sacrificed a lot to be where we
are. I know my family has also sacrificed plenty. And I’m learning
that I just have to come to the Lord with all those characteristics—an
honest heart that is broken, my spirit contrite, and a willingness to
obey EVERY commandment, no matter the sacrifice, and He will accept my
work.

I love you all very much and hope you have a FABULOUS week!!! :o)

love love love,
sister mack


ps--Uncle Gary, happy belated birthday!!! And Gramma/Gary, I found out
how Gardnerville was named adn that I'm probably related to the folks
we live with. I'll write y'all a letter about it.