HEY EVERYONE!
SO I felt really bad all week that last week's was so short! Haha. So I'll try to make up for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FIRST OFF: BIG SHOUTOUT TO Sister Houseman (Kaylie!?!) who I miss and love dearly! And to Sister Wheeler who is coming back!?!?!??! WAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And another big shoutout (not that she is going to read this..) to my new companion Sister Nicholas! She's so great! She is from Chicago/Colorado, has already graduated from BYU in linguistics (yes her Russian is super good!) and lived in St. Petersburg for a few months. We had a 12 hour day train down to Sochi her first day here, so saying we got to know each other is probably an understatement haha! Well actually she was really jet lagged so she got a nap. So far it is going GREAT! We are really..similar! It's scary actually, in orientation, I kept having something I was about to say, and then she would say it.............WAA! Haha. Then I would ask her questions like, "what's your favorite..." and she would answer exactly what I would have answered. It's cool. Also she was a visa waiter so she served a transfer in LA, in a KOREAN ward! Whaaat?! So cool right?! I'm trying not to be a little jealous. Her area was Koreatown.
Okaaay so update from the last two weeks. Huh. I'll just work backwords and see how far I get!
Yesterday at church the Prowses were in town, which was so much fun! We took them to meet Zhanna and Sasha, and at church President talked to one of our investigators, a husband in a part-member family, and had a really good talk. Also, SURPRISE! Well, it was fun for me, I don't know if you will really care, but Katya from Volzhsky came down!!! So I got to see her and it was so fun--there were some people from Moscow too, and so we had a good group of youth. It was sad though, because only two were actually from Sochi--we are really struggling on the young single adults.
When we first got back to Sochi, we went and saw a babushka named Maria--who has this cat that she loves like her own child. Turns out Sister N is allergic! Whoops! She did great, but we are going to find her some allergy medicine I think. ASAP. We also went and visited a member who can't leave her house because of back problems--it made me think about what I would do if I couldn't ever leave my house. I would hope I would just become a missionary online and be super involved in mormon.org or something! The next morning we went for a run, and I realized I am a babushka. Haha. It doesn't help that the loop we chose was basically only uphill. Who knew that was possible? Sister Nicholas is going to whip me back into shape I think.
Hmmm what else......................up in Rostov last week I sent Sister Houseman off--which was really, really sad. But I know that has to happen eventually!! We had the most interesting last day haha! It was great. Then I was with Sister Bateman for a day or so, we went and taught a past investigator named Lena. Lena was really cool--she talked about how she could feel a difference when she went to church and read her scriptures, and when she didn't--but she said twice in the lesson, "i will NOT be baptized". Sooo that wasn't the best. But she's just worried about being baptized in another church, and how she thinks being baptized a second time isn't right. Then she fed us some vegetable juice..I don't think I've ever actually tried veggie juice, and I think once was probably enough. Blehhg.
Oh! One really great thing at church yesterday was that a member who moved to Moscow came back to visit, and invited 2 friends who are from Sochi!! One was a girl, Dasha who is SO COOL. She has a little girl who is 2, and we are meeting again this week!
HOW DID I FORGET THIS!?!? ALINA from VOLZHSKY is getting baptized!! She picked a date, I am so excited for her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish I could be there, but that's okay. But I'm so glad she finally commited to a date!!!!!!!!!! And then on top of that, Diana from Krasnodar is working towards a date as well, and has been doing really, really great!!! Oh, it just makes my heart so happy for all of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Things are overall just lovely. Spring in Sochi is amazing. Our mission is working towards our 121 baptisms this year, and I finally picked my sacrifice..but I don't think I really want to write it here haha!! But its amazing to see how all of us picking a sacrifice has unified our mission--there is something amazing about being part of this team, all working towards our common goal. Please join us!!! Pray, sacrifice, invite your friends! We are seeing miracles across our mission! We taught a girl named Ksyusha yesterday, and she randomly had her mom with her as well!! They were super excited to read the Book of Mormon--there are people who are ready! We are even finding that there are tons of kids who are 9 and older who haven't been baptized for some reason...we are teaching a nine year old girl named Milena, who is the cutest thing. Oh also I got a calling! I am the second counselor in the Relief Society! Cool, huh? I'm excited to help out. The Relief Society President is a major trooper, she just needs some help! So I am going to get reading the handbook and figure out what to do.
We have been studying lots of different things, but one thing I loved from the past little while was 2 Peter 1--it's about sanctification, and it gives kind of steps, or a ladder. Another chapter I love is Moroni 7--we're reading parts of that at a family home evening tonight. I absolutely loved the quotes my parents sent this week. SO good. So I'll share!
"If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present. " Lao Tzu
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." Thomas Edison
"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." African proverb
"God's love is there for you....it is simply always there. I promise you that one day you will stand aside and look at your difficult times and you will realize that he was always there beside you." Thomas S. Monson
"His ministry always consisted of blessing people one by one" Carlos Amado
I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission! I learn so much from each companion, member and person I meet. I don't think I have ever, in my whole life, thought so much about other people! It's the best. There are hard days, but I guess in the end, those days are the best for you. It's weird that I've been out so long--its sometimes hard not to feel like I'm supposed to be perfect at everything by now. In my head I know that's not true, but its such an easy trap to fall into! I am very grateful for my family, and for all the mission prep they gave me! Happy Anniversary to my lovely parents this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You will always be the cutest couple to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love you all, lots and lots!
Love
Sister McGhie
PS Tell Ashley Preisler I miss her and think about her!!! Tell her I love her lots and just don't know her email hahaa
SO I felt really bad all week that last week's was so short! Haha. So I'll try to make up for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FIRST OFF: BIG SHOUTOUT TO Sister Houseman (Kaylie!?!) who I miss and love dearly! And to Sister Wheeler who is coming back!?!?!??! WAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And another big shoutout (not that she is going to read this..) to my new companion Sister Nicholas! She's so great! She is from Chicago/Colorado, has already graduated from BYU in linguistics (yes her Russian is super good!) and lived in St. Petersburg for a few months. We had a 12 hour day train down to Sochi her first day here, so saying we got to know each other is probably an understatement haha! Well actually she was really jet lagged so she got a nap. So far it is going GREAT! We are really..similar! It's scary actually, in orientation, I kept having something I was about to say, and then she would say it.............WAA! Haha. Then I would ask her questions like, "what's your favorite..." and she would answer exactly what I would have answered. It's cool. Also she was a visa waiter so she served a transfer in LA, in a KOREAN ward! Whaaat?! So cool right?! I'm trying not to be a little jealous. Her area was Koreatown.
 |
| Sister Nicholas and Sister McGhie |
Yesterday at church the Prowses were in town, which was so much fun! We took them to meet Zhanna and Sasha, and at church President talked to one of our investigators, a husband in a part-member family, and had a really good talk. Also, SURPRISE! Well, it was fun for me, I don't know if you will really care, but Katya from Volzhsky came down!!! So I got to see her and it was so fun--there were some people from Moscow too, and so we had a good group of youth. It was sad though, because only two were actually from Sochi--we are really struggling on the young single adults.
When we first got back to Sochi, we went and saw a babushka named Maria--who has this cat that she loves like her own child. Turns out Sister N is allergic! Whoops! She did great, but we are going to find her some allergy medicine I think. ASAP. We also went and visited a member who can't leave her house because of back problems--it made me think about what I would do if I couldn't ever leave my house. I would hope I would just become a missionary online and be super involved in mormon.org or something! The next morning we went for a run, and I realized I am a babushka. Haha. It doesn't help that the loop we chose was basically only uphill. Who knew that was possible? Sister Nicholas is going to whip me back into shape I think.
Hmmm what else......................up in Rostov last week I sent Sister Houseman off--which was really, really sad. But I know that has to happen eventually!! We had the most interesting last day haha! It was great. Then I was with Sister Bateman for a day or so, we went and taught a past investigator named Lena. Lena was really cool--she talked about how she could feel a difference when she went to church and read her scriptures, and when she didn't--but she said twice in the lesson, "i will NOT be baptized". Sooo that wasn't the best. But she's just worried about being baptized in another church, and how she thinks being baptized a second time isn't right. Then she fed us some vegetable juice..I don't think I've ever actually tried veggie juice, and I think once was probably enough. Blehhg.
Oh! One really great thing at church yesterday was that a member who moved to Moscow came back to visit, and invited 2 friends who are from Sochi!! One was a girl, Dasha who is SO COOL. She has a little girl who is 2, and we are meeting again this week!
HOW DID I FORGET THIS!?!? ALINA from VOLZHSKY is getting baptized!! She picked a date, I am so excited for her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish I could be there, but that's okay. But I'm so glad she finally commited to a date!!!!!!!!!! And then on top of that, Diana from Krasnodar is working towards a date as well, and has been doing really, really great!!! Oh, it just makes my heart so happy for all of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Things are overall just lovely. Spring in Sochi is amazing. Our mission is working towards our 121 baptisms this year, and I finally picked my sacrifice..but I don't think I really want to write it here haha!! But its amazing to see how all of us picking a sacrifice has unified our mission--there is something amazing about being part of this team, all working towards our common goal. Please join us!!! Pray, sacrifice, invite your friends! We are seeing miracles across our mission! We taught a girl named Ksyusha yesterday, and she randomly had her mom with her as well!! They were super excited to read the Book of Mormon--there are people who are ready! We are even finding that there are tons of kids who are 9 and older who haven't been baptized for some reason...we are teaching a nine year old girl named Milena, who is the cutest thing. Oh also I got a calling! I am the second counselor in the Relief Society! Cool, huh? I'm excited to help out. The Relief Society President is a major trooper, she just needs some help! So I am going to get reading the handbook and figure out what to do.
We have been studying lots of different things, but one thing I loved from the past little while was 2 Peter 1--it's about sanctification, and it gives kind of steps, or a ladder. Another chapter I love is Moroni 7--we're reading parts of that at a family home evening tonight. I absolutely loved the quotes my parents sent this week. SO good. So I'll share!
"If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present. " Lao Tzu
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." Thomas Edison
"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." African proverb
"God's love is there for you....it is simply always there. I promise you that one day you will stand aside and look at your difficult times and you will realize that he was always there beside you." Thomas S. Monson
"His ministry always consisted of blessing people one by one" Carlos Amado
I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission! I learn so much from each companion, member and person I meet. I don't think I have ever, in my whole life, thought so much about other people! It's the best. There are hard days, but I guess in the end, those days are the best for you. It's weird that I've been out so long--its sometimes hard not to feel like I'm supposed to be perfect at everything by now. In my head I know that's not true, but its such an easy trap to fall into! I am very grateful for my family, and for all the mission prep they gave me! Happy Anniversary to my lovely parents this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You will always be the cutest couple to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love you all, lots and lots!
Love
Sister McGhie
PS Tell Ashley Preisler I miss her and think about her!!! Tell her I love her lots and just don't know her email hahaa
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