Monday, July 17, 2017

"One Year Older and Wiser Too"

Hello everyone! Hope you all had an amazing week! I just wanted to say thank you for all of the awesome birthday wishes that I got through email, cards, and the posts on Facebook that my mom let me know about! This birthday was really different because it was strange to not be home for my birthday but I had a lot of people that made it very special here in San Fernando:) 

First, I will tell you of some things that happened on my birthday then I would love to share an awesome experience I had this week in the mission field! For my birthday, we spent a lot of time eating... haha.  We went and got Free Slurpee’s (because it was 7-11 day) with one of our awesome investigators Alondra. Then for lunch we went over to Juli Hernandez' house who is one of Hermana Starke’s converts and her daughter is in YSA! She put together a whole Disney Princess themed birthday party with Lasagna (one of my favorite foods) and cupcakes and balloons... and everything! It was so fun and I felt like I was 6 again!

Later we knocked doors for 2 hours and then we met up with Elder and Sister Dowell who are our Senior Missionaries and they took us to Pizza Riv for dinner:).  After dinner, the Elder’s surprised us and took us to go get Frozen yogurt. I was going to have to start rolling around everywhere from how much food I ate that day but it was so much fun and I am so thankful for everyone who made it such a great 20th Birthday!

This week we had an awesome Zone Conference with 2 other zones, it was a lot of fun and we had some amazing trainings. Hna Starke and I did a musical number of “I Need Thee Every Hour” that was beautiful! I played the piano and Hna Starke and another Elder sang. It was very beautiful and it really invited the Spirit! 

We had a lot of trainings on OYM which means Open Your Mouth. We have been putting that into practice and talking with everyone that we see. We have already seen so many miracles come from pushing out of our comfort zones and talking with everyone.

We have been teaching this awesome investigator named Roberto and he is so solid! He is so excited to be baptized on the 29th of July but it may have to be moved because there is a huge YSA conference happening with all of Southern California. Our whole Branch will be gone to this conference so he will probably be baptized on the 5th of August which is ok:).

We taught a lesson to Roberto this last Saturday with some of our members right before they had a party haha.... they are always having parties! But we had 3 return missionaries and a recent convert at that lesson and it was so great to have that support! I am so lucky to have this time to teach Roberto! He is so prepared and I am excited for this journey he is on right now! He has been coming to church and has been loving all of the classes.

Speaking of church. This week we started Sacrament Meeting with only 5 members. It was strange, so Hermana Starke and I have decided we need to go find out where our Branch disappeared too. We are going to be doing a lot of less active work because it is hard to bring your investigators to a Branch that doesn't really exist. But we got this!!! Have an awesome week everyone!!!

Hermana Hadley




This is a screen shot of a video Hermana Hadley's family received the night before her Birthday.  This was the best present we could have received.  Hermana Starke and Hermana Hadley have been sharing the gospel and their testimonies through song with investigators and when they have dinner appointments.  So thankful to witness them singing "I Know My Redeemer Lives" in Spanish through a text from a Branch President while they were having dinner in the San Fernando Valley Monday night. 
The video is posted on Facebook.



Special P-Day Picnic that Hermana Starke arranged for my B-Day with our District and Chick-fil-A! 




Birthday Morning! Thank you everyone for the LOVE! 
Mom Note: Forgot to ask how the Popcorn Balls tasted since they were 12 days old by the time McKay gets her mail in the mission.  :)



Hermana Starke made a Cheese Cake for me!!! <3


7-11 Day! 
Free Slurpee's with our investegator Alondra



Mom Note: These were surprise pictures we received on McKay's Birthday from Hermana Hernandez during a very special lunch!  Hermana Starke and Hermana Hadley's birthdays are only 6 days apart and they were true Princesses for the afternoon!!!







So greatful for sweet Hermana Hernandez who texted me and said don't worry I will be her second mom today!  We sure love this sweet lady who is a recent convert and showed such love to our cute missionaries!!!






Birthday Dinner with Elder and Sister Dowell! They are so kind and we just love them!
Also enjoying pizza around the table is Hermana Starke, Hermana Gomez 
and Hermana Dunn!




When our members Facetime our other members (who we were with at the time) while in the pool to say "Hi" to us and brag that they are swimming and how cool their underwater phones are. Haha.
No swimming or cool phones for these Hermanas!




Pictures from the CASF Facebook Page of their Zone Conference


The Great San Fernando Zone



Doing some Role Playing with Hermana's Hadley, Starke, Gomez and Dunn



The Missionaries always sing "Called to Serve" as a thank you to those 
who provided their lunch. <3






These next pictures are how the Hadley Family celebrated McKay's 20th Birthday! We also had a great day celebrating our cute missionary!




Waiting in line for the free Slurpee because we knew that was what McKay would do. 
Later, she let us know she did not have a line at her 7-11.  
Yes that is Logan waving from the back of the line!



Still smiling and almost there.



We have arrived finally!



It was worth the wait to know she was also enjoying her Birthday Slurpee! <3



Another favorite of McKay's Birthday is "World's Best Corndogs" 
truck stand in Kaysville.  Don't forget the Honey!



Our dear friends Shawnette and Emily Page decided we needed some cake on this special day and surprised us that night with these incredible homemade cupcakes with a Disney touch knowing how much McKay loves Disney!!! 

We all felt so loved just like our missionary on 7-11!