 |
| Hermana Cordova's native clothes from Ecuador. Beautiful! |
 |
| The twins that live next door. Their family owns the house and it was their birthday too. |
 |
| One of the 7 birthday cakes |
 |
| Decorated with 21 bananas |
 |
| Another cake and party. Love them. |
 |
| Esmerelda gave me a birthday present. I love her so much! |
 |
| Another birthday cake :) |
 |
| They had this set up for me at the zone meeting. Best zone and best friends. |
 |
| Farewell Hermana Gonzales. So sad! |
 |
| One of our favorite families saying goodbye to Hna G. They think I am so funny and I love making them laugh. Their daughter left the same day as me for a mission in the Dominican Republic. |
 |
| This is me this morning. We got Wendys. |
 |
| Birthday shirt. Love it. |
Family!
What a week. After dropping off hermana Gonzalez, Hna Cordova and I got back to the house with tears in our eyes and we didn`t want to dwell on it so we rearranged the beds and then went out to hit the roads hard. I will forever be grateful for all that hna Gonzalez has taught me. She changed my life. But we had such a fun week... in total I think we ate 7 birthday cakes. 4 cakes and 3 pies. It was the best :) I scored a goal in soccer today with the zone. That was the best moment ever. I am so bad at soccer but it was so fun. I had 100 cough attacks but we kept playing hard.
Everyone is doing great. All the investigators are coming along and we are just praying that they can keep reading and progressing and coming to church. Stake conference this weekend was amazing and it was exactly what I needed. So many of my prayers were answered through the different talks and hymns and prayers.
13 years ago today (September 8, 2001) I was baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Best decision I ever made. I remember a few before my birthday my parents sat me down on the couch in Virginia (by the big window on Threadneedle Street) and asked me if I wanted to be baptized. They told me to think about it and as I did, I felt the Spirit tell me that was something that I needed to do. I just felt happy and peaceful and excited. Dad was the bishop at the time and interviewed me before my baptism and I was so nervous because I had memorized all the articles of faith and had to say them in his office at church. Dad cried during my interview and gave me a big hug and a kiss on the head at the end. I felt so happy that he was my dad. Then in my baptism Grammy gave a talk about the covenants that I was going to make in my baptism and how I needed to be a representative of Jesus Christ. She gave me a little bear that had a heart around it`s neck (the one in the bottom shelf of the thing in Eric`s room) and it said ¨Bear Christ´s name. Bear one another´s burdens. Bear my testimony.¨ I remember that before I was baptism Grandma Kay talked about how the Holy Ghost was like a blanket, hugging me and holding me and keeping me warm. I remember the look in momma´s eyes when I came out of the water and she was waiting for me with a towel. I felt so happy and at peace as she hugged me even though I was soaking wet.
I remember all the things we did as a family to learn the gospel and have fun together. I remember the spirit. I am SO grateful! I love my family. My parents were the missionaries that taught and baptized me. Even though Dad converted others in Vegas and even though Mom decided to fulfill a greater mission as a wife and mother- I count myself as their greatest convert. Even though I have fallen short so many times and still have much to do better and learn and change, I love the gospel. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that my Father in Heaven loves me. And I will do all that I can to help others receive the same blessings. I now have the opportunity to be a missionary and invite others to receive all the ordinances and covenants necessary for salvation.
I love my family. I love being a missionary. I love my companion. And I love my Savior, Jesus Christ.
Hermana McGill
