Gilbert Temple

This week was a great week! I got to go a temple sealing at the Gilbert Temple. We believe that we can be sealed as family for eternity. It was really nice. The whole thing was in Spanish
which it made it interesting. Not too much new this week. Next week I'll be going again because another family is going.

I love Trader Joe's.  I think Trader Joe's need to be everywhere. I love that store way too much. We have a lady that teaches us how be healthier, so this week I am trying chia seed pudding. This should be interesting. I have also been exercising better. I've lifting lots of weights, even though I feel silly doing it, because I'm really weak. One day I will be strong! I like how we are told to take care of ourselves physically and spiritually. We should try and improve all parts of our lives. That's my little pep talk this week, eat your veggies!

Sister Sarah MacKillop

Another Week!

I'm still in Paradise Valley. It's pretty fun here. I've been serving in a Young Single Adult ward and a Spanish ward. I have some pretty fun adventures. Last night at dinner a member from the YSA ward fed us. He served in Brazil and he's from the South so he fed us this rice and meat dish. There was this weird sausage in it. It was super chewy. Well I soon discovered it wasn't sausage, it was chicken hearts! Actually it wasn't that bad. I kind of enjoyed it. My companion didn't like it all. Poor thing, she's a new missionary and not used to strange things. He also fed us this giant cake. It was a seven pound cake and I think we ate a pound each.

Well on a more spiritual note. Book of Mormon reading group we should be finished with 2nd Nephi by now. Also there is a super cool movie about the Book of Mormon. Our president gave us permission to watch it and I liked a lot. Everyone should go check it out!

http://www.byutv.org/watch/90be2679-e6eb-4039-afa1-fee5477b0c20/new-day-for-the-book-of-mormon-new-day-for-the-book-of-mormon

Sister Sarah MacKillop

Tales From Paradise Valley

Alright group, we should be on 1 Nephi 12. If you gotten behind make sure you make it up. Also we have recently got new office staff and they are struggling. They messed up my address and so from  now on just send things to the mission home. I'll put the address on the bottom.

This week has been great. Our investigator Chris got baptized. His songs of choice were great. We started by singing America the Beautiful and ended with Battle Hymn of the Republic. They are two very fun and loud songs. 

I have this problem. Our mission has new rules about music and we can only listen to Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Since is there very few songs I enjoy, I like to put those songs on repeat, for days. I think it's beginning to annoy my companion. 

I know that this a little bit of a random letter but that's all for this week!

Hermana Sarah MacKillop

Mission Home:

6265 N 82nd St

Scottsdale, AZ 85250

New Years!

Fun stories from this week! Now that I'm back in spanish work part time, I run into some really funny moments. We were teaching this family that has two small boys. The little wanted to show me his toys so he put them on my lap. Well I started to get a lot of toys on my lap. He didn't speak any English though. I kept trying to tell him to put his toys back, but I didn't know how to say it in Spanish, so I accidentally told him to bring more. Well I ended up with a lot of toys on my lap.

New years! We had a good New year. We ate dinner at a member's house New Years Eve and played games afterwards. Then we went to a member's party and had a Nerf gun fight with some of our members and the other missionaries. New years day we had a missionary party and played boards and watched movies. It was super great. We played Russian monopoly. An Elder who got evacuated from Ukraine brought it.

Today we helped a lady move. We had missionaries in the house cleaning and moving boxes. It was really cool. The house was n really bad shape (really dirty, other little friends like bugs). Instead of whining and making rude comments, we decided to sing! We sang while we scrubbed the walls and floors and vents and cleared boxes. An old lady in her wheel chair wheeled in there to listen to us, and actually started crying. She loved our singing that much.

Remember there are always people around that need a helping hand. You just have to look! Serving others brings happiness and who doesn't want to be happy?

Hermana Sarah MacKillop

The heat is over!

It's cold here! Anything under 80 degrees feels so cold now. I've been in Arizona too long. I love being in the Valley though. I am know with my old companion Sis Brandley. Were together in Sept and now we are back together again. Sis Brandley round 2. But we are now serving in a YSA ward. Yes, I never thought I would serve in Young Single Adult ward but I am. I'm not positive I'll ever make it back to spanish work, but maybe one day. It's ok though because everyone needs the Gospel in their lives and Young Single Adult wards are very fun.

I love my companion. She is super great and we get along really well. I've been trying to have more fun and enjoy my mission. I still try and work hard, but who said it had to be boring! We recently got to go the Phoenix Temple open house which was really cool. Normally temples aren't open to the public but before it gets dedicated its open to the public for a few weeks. It's been really cool taking people. Sis Entin and I took our 80 year old investigator. She gets grumpy, so we promised her ice cream if she would come. She liked the ice cream and the temple. Last time we took her to the Visitor center she got really angry because she couldn't go inside the temple. This time it went better. 

We have some really great young investigators which super exciting. They are super cool and fun to teach. I promise I'll be better at writing group emails. I'm going to make it goal. Also taking more pictures. That's another goal. 

Hermana Sarah MacKillop

Phoenix Temple!

Sis Entin and I at the temple.

Sis Mortensen (my trainer) and I, she doesn't want to leave me but she's going home this week!

 

 

 

It feels like fall

I have survive the refiners fire of the Arizona summer. It's starting to feel like fall. It's so beautiful outside. It reminds me of Idaho, but with less cold and more perfect. I get really confused when I walk outside and it's not super hot.

Something really cool is I got to help teach my companion's Grandma over skype. My companion's family is from West Africa.  So Sis Entin and another Elder who got evacuated from West Africa are teaching her in Creole. It's really fun because Creole is very similar to English but it is not the same. It's strange and fun to listen to. Well I guess I didn't help that much, but it was fun to watch. 

Today I cleaned the whole apartment. I feel great. I feel like a new women with an organized desk. It's been getting pretty bad, but not anymore. 

A story I really like from the Book of Mormon is the story of Nephi and his brothers. Nephi and his family went through many different kinds of trials. Nephi allowed himself to become stronger and more loyal to God, while his brothers just became bitter. Do we let hard things make us better or bitter? It's something I've been thinking about recently. 

Well till next week!

Hermana Sarah MacKillop