Transfer 4 Week 4

Week 4? Really? Wow. So much has happened this past week it’s ridiculous!! And of course I forgot my planner that had details I wanted to write in this email. Typical. BUT I can remember things to tell you, I’m sure.
Today for PDay we went to the park and played softball and football with another Zone. Why, do you ask, did we go play out in the hot sun and almost die? Because it’s Vegas, baby!! And while we were playing football I really felt that for whatever reason I had suddenly become really, really fast. Like, fast enough to two-hand touch Elder Hill (who is REALLY fast) when he had the ball. I was running “so fast” that my shoe laces came undone, and when Elder Hill was 10 feet away I totally beefed it on the Astroturf. It was incredibly lame and embarrassing. I just stayed on the ground, on my back, laughing at myself. My knees are now bloody messes and really gross. Inconvenient when it comes to kneeling in prayer at lessons, but that’s life I guess. I will never, ever again over estimate my speed abilities and run so fast that my shoelaces can’t keep up. Embarrassing…
Sunday we went over to the Stones’ for a BBQ lunch before going to Dinner with 2 RC’s and jazz. The Stones’ are so amazing and SURROUNDED by Mormon support that Adam will no doubt feel the spirit and jazz when we teach him. We finally arranged a time for us to teach them a legit lesson on Friday and we are stoked for that. Adam has absolutely no religious background and I remember telling President Jensen in my interview with him before my mission that I really desired to teach someone with no foundation or base as to whom God was, and here’s my chance. I’m thinking that I only have this transfer left in this area, considering I’ll have been here for 6 months by the end of it, but either way I’m working my tail off to teach Adam as much as I can prior to me possibly leaving. Adam and Julieanne are just SO GREAT ugh I can’t get over it.
Saturday…uhh…SATURDAY!! Saturday night was quite possibly the worst night ever. We got home, having a handy dandy time, when I noticed that BAM one of my two companions (yes, Sis J and I have recently received a 3rd companion) spilled blush on the floor. Of course it wasn’t me, I don’t wear blush, or much make-up for that matter. So I run to the bathroom and grab Sis J. We concluded that it was neither of us and we needed to vacuum it up ASAP. So I run downstairs, grab the vacuum (the lady we live with was on a date and not home) and bring the vacuum up in our room. It was a very high-tech mechanism and I couldn’t quite figure out how to use it. Finally Sis J found the button to turn it on—we heard the “vrrrrooom” for 2 seconds and then BAM the lights go out in our room. Now, I want you to know that our windows were open, but there was NO breeze. NONE AT ALL. And the AC is kept at 85 now. And it was 10:15pm. So there wasn’t really anyone we could call to find out how to restart the circuit or whatever. We frantically searched the house, pushing every reset button in every plug that we could find. I even searched the laundry room for the circuit breaker box or whatever since that’s where ours is back home, to no avail. Finally it was 10:45 and there was nowhere else for us to look. We even said a prayer!! But Heavenly Father wanted to humble us perhaps, so He didn’t tell us where to look. So the three of us prayed, then went to bed in our 95 degree room. I was dying, tossing and turning, spraying that foot cooling spray mom sent me all over my body, and then regretting it shortly after because I inhaled it and probably became slightly intoxicated with its watermelon scent (joking). I got up around 11:45 to get a face cloth to soak in water and leave on my face and went back to bed, realizing how foolish that idea was, leaving me wet and hot instead of dry and hot. At midnight MELISSA CAME HOME from her date and I was overjoyed I wanted to scream (except one of my comps was ZONKED out)….until her date came inside too. I was so sad, until I heard her running up the stairs to go to the bathroom and I didn’t know what to do. I heard Sis J move and discovered she had been awake the whole time. It was decided that when Melissa walked back down the hall I would get her attention and ask her to fix our problem. FINALLY she walked down the hall and I called out to her—psssssssssst. That’s what I did. She jumped and laughed and came in our room, quietly, and asked why we were still awake. We told her our predicament and she told us we should have called her because clearly that was an emergency, on a date or not. She told us that the breaker was outside on the side of the house (where I had LOOKED—but I wasn’t smart enough to follow the Spirit exactly—and it was dark and scary and there could very well have been bugs or scorpions that would have attacked me). So at 12:05 Sis J and I were so relieved and finally able to sleep. I fell asleep literally within a minute after that. I also ate Cod, a type of fish. I was proud.
Friday we went around and discovered some service we could do. We also visited with some non-members we ukulele-tracked into and it was nice to visit with them. We arranged for us to return this next week and help with yard work.
Something that I just remembered that I couldn’t NOT mention is my new cleanliness issues. I cannot stand being in a cluttered, dirty room. It’s disgusting. Our car is also spotless because it drives me up the wall to see something that could be thrown away immediately. My companion has also commented on this new found desire to keep things extremely tidy. I find it quite nice. My bed is always perfectly made, my shoes perfectly arranged under it, clothes all hung up or in the laundry basket, makeup away, ukulele away, etc etc. Very nice and it makes my brain funtion better.
Thursday was a big day. We got a third Sister. Now, our mission only has 12 sisters, and this past transfer we were supposed to get another, which was weird because our cap is 12, and we can’t have more than that. So I knew, and told my comp, that someone had to go or something. Well, the Sister went to the MTC and then got really sick and was sent home. And then we find out that we’re getting another Sister in October, so again, I knew something had to be happening in order for us to get her. Wednesday we get a call from our Zone Leaders asking us if we had room for a third bed. Well, we did (kinda..not really), so we told them yes, and found out that one of our Sisters would be receiving a medical release and would be going home and we would be getting her companion—my trainer, Sister Cockrell. It was so weird because we just happen to be getting another Sister in October. But there’s a scripture in Isaiah 65:24 that says “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” Heavenly Father and Christ know what we will need before we do, and He will prepare a way to answer our prayers or meet our needs before we even know what our needs are. How rockin’ awesome is that? I am so thankful to have that knowledge that our God and our Savior know EXACTLY with PERFECTION what our needs and feelings are. Who else knows that? No one!! It’s amazing. Thursday I also had a President’s interview of sorts and it was amazing. I love my mission president and know that He has been called of God to lead the mission in this area. It’s a comfort to know that the man that is looking after us is one that is righteous and has an amazing relationship with our Savior. Him and his wife are a blessing to everyone here.
Another scripture I want to share real quick is in Mormon 9:19, “And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.” That scripture ROCKS and just solidifies my testimony that we have a latter-day prophet on this earth who leads and guides us in these days. He, Thomas S. Monson, is called of God. He is preparing us for the second-coming of Christ. Because “if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear,” and God wants what’s best for us. I got an email from Ryan Greenburg a while ago that said that miracles haven’t ceased to happen—and it’s true. I’ve witnessed them in my own life and in the lives of those I come in contact with. The healing power of the Atonement is amazing. Embrace it and utilize it. Christ is there waiting for us. He asks us to “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He is well aware of our sufferings—he’s been there with us. I am so thankful for his sacrifice and for the Atonement. I cannot even begin to express my thanks—none of us can. But we can try by taking advantage of the Atonement and sharing the blessing that it is in our lives with folks in our life who don’t know about it. The worth of EVERY soul is great in the eyes of God—and EVERY soul needs this message. It’s up to them whether or not they will accept it or reject it.
I love you all and am so thankful for the support and love that I feel from you.


love love LOVE you,
Sister Mack