Hermana McKay Hadley: "I'm Singin' in the Rain"

So I would like to start out by announcing that California has made it official and they are no longer in a drought!!!!! YAY!!!! But let me tell you it is wet here in the Santa Clarita! Rain is my absolute favorite thing so I am having a blast but it has been raining and raining and raining. This morning it was hailing so that was exciting! We are having a lot of fun knocking doors and people looking at us like we are crazy because we are soaking wet!

In other news I am now finally all moved into my new apartment and getting everything in order! This week has been so crazy with many things to do but we are taking it little by little and life is starting to calm down for just a bit. But I am sure it will pick up again in like a day! Gotta love the mission life!

This week we have been working really hard in our area with many of our investigators. Three of them are the cutest kids ever, they are 16, 11, and 9. They are on date for baptism on the 25th of February!!! I am so excited to watch them progress and learn, they are so fun!

Friday morning, we made breakfast for my District Leader and his companion. It was an adventure because I basically made up a recipe for crepes without sugar, because we didn't have any. I was very proud and the Elders were very happy and fed. The next day they came over and brought us some ice cream, play dough, and a certificate that I will send a picture of.

Let me share with you probably one of the craziest days ever. So my companion Hermana Jensen had two investigators that got baptized on Saturday so that meant a road trip to the wonderful valley of San Fernando which is always crazy. It started off with us going to soccer that morning and so I took my makeup, my dress and everything I need for the baptism so we could leave right after soccer. We missed the exit 3 times and ended up in Pacoima which is the ghetto of San Fernando, always an adventure.

We made it to the baptism where literally everything was going wrong but that is normal for a baptism. We were asked to sing a musical number that we hadn't practiced but it worked out. For the actual baptism the poor lady had to get baptized 5 times!!!! And then her husband twice!! It was a little stressful especially because the fourth time they thought she was good but another Hermana and I noticed it wasn't right and then we had to have her come back to the font and do it again. She is defiantly baptized a member of The Church! Long story short on what happened the rest of the day, I left all of my clothes and makeup in San Fernando so it’s been a fun little challenge and hopefully I will get it all back today! Yay!

One day this week we had an interesting night where we had dinner with a member and then went to go share another message with a member. We told the second member we didn't need dinner but she didn't believe me. They will not take no for an answer. Eating with Latino’s is an experience, they dish up and serve your plate with large amounts of food and you always have to have seconds or else they are very offended. So yes.. we ate 2 Latino dinners... I thought I was going to die. It took a little while to recover from all the food but we got back on our feet.

This week we also went to do service and we had to build a goat stand.... ya I can't even do Legos so it was a challenge for all of us but we will finish the goat stand this week haha. We joked and said we didn't know that being a carpenter was part of our mission call.

This week has been fun and wet but for sure one to remember. But know that God loves every single one of us!! Something that a member told me was we notice the hand of God and feel the Atonement the most when we look at where are feet are planted and live in the present! It is always good to not be worried about the past or the future but notice what is happening in the now! That’s my little spiritual advice for this week!

Love you all!

-Hermana Hadley

Operation Gratitude

Note from CASF Mission Facebook Page: Two of our Zones working with Operation Gratitude today. Then gave valuable logistical and sorting services, enabling Operation Gratitude to further their mission to send 200,000 + care packages, this new year, filled with food, entertainment, hygiene, and handmade items, plus personal letters of appreciation to Veterans, First Responders, New Recruits, Wounded Heroes, their Care Givers, and to individually named U.S. service members deployed overseas and their families waiting at home.

Thanks to our Missionaries...whether giving service in the communities where they serve, teaching repentance and baptizing converts, or helping to establish The Church in their areas of service!