Week 12 - Snow ❄️- 11/21/2016

Hello Family and friends!!! 

All the sisters in the zone at Savior of the World 

Most exciting week ever! On Thursday I woke up to snow. I love the snow and it was so beautiful. It melted within the next couple days but it should snow again soon. I also didn't freeze nearly as bad as I thought I was going to, so that's a bonus. 

Snow outside our apartment window 

On Thursday night we got to go to a musical put on by the Church at the Conference Center called Savior of the World. Our entire mission got tickets to see the preview dress rehearsal and my zone got to go on Thursday. 

We also have two new investigators. Katie is just awesome and is so willing to learn about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We are meeting with her again tomorrow and will hopefully have date picked out for baptism. The other investigator is Andres. He is from Columbia! He love his family so much and just wants to be with them again but is here for business the next couple months. 

Pday is cut short today because we have Thursday as pday also. Sorry there isn't more but God bless and have an attitude of gratitude this week! 

Happy Turkey Week 

Love Sister McCammon

Snow on the mountains 

Week 11 - I learned Mandarin... sort of - 11/14/2016

Just in case you were wondering there is only 40 days tills Christmas and there is officially an aisle in Walmart that has all the holiday goodies! We went shopping today on our P-day we got super excited so we took a picture as well haha 

Sister Wu and I on exchanges 

We had exchanges on Tuesday of this week and so Sister Gibb stayed in our area and I got to go to an area called the Married Student Stake. This entire stake covers the villages which is the married student and foreign housing for the students that attend the University. A special note about this stake, since they do house several foreign students many Chinese speaking students are interested in learning about the gospel. While on exchanges we got to teach several lessons but two of those were only in Mandarin and so I really had no clue what was going on. It was so cool though because although I couldn't understand what was being said, I was still able to feel the truthfulness of the message that my companion for the day, Sister Wu, was sharing with them. Plus it was pretty cool because I got to learn some phrases in Mandarin. 

This week was very slow when it comes to lessons. We did not have one lesson and currently our teaching pool is dwindling faster than we can replenish it. We went out everyday trying to contact and find as many people as we could but it felt like there was no one walking outside or answering their doors. We had this one lady answer her door who was Yugoslavia. She wasn't too religious but said she has read several religious books such as the Koran and even the Book of Mormon. We talked with her for a little while and she shared with us that her mother had passed away a few years ago. We shared the knowledge and the truths we have found from the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how we know that she will be able to see her mother and live with her again. She really wanted to believe but she couldn't let her self. We gave her a Plan of Salvation pamphlet to read and encouraged her to sincerely seek and ask her Heavenly Father what is really the truth. She didn't feel too comfortable meeting with us but decided that she would talk to her coworker about it. We hope that she may be able to have her questions as we're but it was an amazing opportunity to meet her. 

As the week went on and we tried finding  more people we ended up getting a referral from the Elders that cover the family wards in the same area as us. And GUESS WHAT?!?!?? We have a lesson with her tonight! We are very excited and blessed to be able to find someone to teach. 

As missionaries we are very limited on the books that we can read. We typically stick to the standard works which simplify refers to the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. However, there a couple others books that we get to read as well. One of the is called Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage. It goes through the course of Jesus's life and references the New Testament. I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! I have really trying to gain more understanding and knowledge about Christ and this book has taught me so much, so far, about my older brother, and Savior, Jesus Christ. Also as I am reading the New Testament I feel like I have never had a stronger relationship with my Savior. He suffered for me, making me be able to become like Him one day. He came into this world to do His Fathers will and in so doing showed His love to all those around him. I love Jesus Christ, and as I heard someone say on my mission one time, He is my best friend. I found this scripture in Matthew 24:14 which says, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations;". I am so honored to be able to help fulfill this scripture and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of Salt Lake City. Who is Jesus Christ to you? 

I love you all ️

Sister McCammon

This was my district from last transfer 

After exchanges. I love these sisters!!! 

Tyler, Sister Wu, Nyen, and me. Nyen is investigating the church 

Lunch with Erickson. He served his mission here a few years ago. 

Dinner with some of our favorite members of the Foothill YSA ward. 

Sister Gibb and I taking some selfies in a church parking lot this morning.

Christmas aisle in Walmart 

Week 10 - 47 DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS! - 11/7/2016

Don't mind the crazy eyes. I guess I am just super excited for Christmas!

Anyone who knows me, knows that Christmas never really ends for me. Its my favorite holiday and yes it is only 47 days till Christmas everyone!!!!

This week was pretty neat (I'm trying not to use awesome or good as much lol)

Met a lot of new people and talked to them about the gospel, ya know the usual daily life of a missionary. We are unfortunately not meeting with one of our investigators anyone. Its really sad but he is still willing to pray and seek and answer if he should be baptized. We also had a miracle while tracting! We were knocking doors in an
apartment complex when this guy comes up the stairs and asked if we knocked on his door. We said yes and that we were missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints sharing a message about Jesus Christ. He said he was interested and we shared a message with him right there and asked if we could come back another time to share more. He said maybe but that he wanted to come to church on Sunday and then he asked for a Book of Mormon!!! This has never happened to us before!!! Sad part of the story is that he technically doesn't live in our area so we had to pass him off to the Elders but he did come to church!!!! 

Sister Gibb and I got to go to a fireside last night where BYU Vocal Point came and sang. It was so spiritually uplifting to hear them sing live and bear testimony through song. They all mentioned that they were a little timid because they were out numbered by U fans but everything turned out to be okay. Favorite part of this week probably would have to be when a girl was bearing her testimony and telling the whole congregation about breaking up with her boyfriend this week... Gotta love serving in a young single adult ward hahah

It was kind of a rough week but I learned a lot about myself and the fact that even when I am sad I cannot be sad for long. Being sad makes me sad lol if that makes any sense. Heavenly Father has created a plan for each of us called the Plan of Happiness. We have too much to be happy about and give gratitude for! We met this older gentleman named Ron this week. He is currently meeting with the elders that cover the family wards in that area. He was so nice and loves the church with all his heart. He told me to make sure to put in my email a thank you from him to all that helped  me come on my mission and to all those who are constantly encouraging and cheering me on. He wants to thank you all and tell you how much he appreciates missionaries and their family and loved ones. Meeting Ron showed me that gratitude for even the smallest things shows our love for this plan our Heavenly Father has for us. What are you thankful for? I am thankful for my trials, I am weak but they help my grow stronger in my faith. I am thankful for my family who supported me in leaving my senior year of college to come on my mission. I am thankful for my friends who showed me love when I was doubting if I would even make it on a mission. But most of all I am thankful for my mission! I have been out for 10 weeks and 5 days, so crazy! Everyday since I have been in Salt Lake City I have kept a testimony and gratitude journal and it is so amazing to look back on. 

Quote from President Ucthdorf from  this past General Conference: 

"How could it ever be possible that we of all people would not be excited about attending our Church worship services? Or get tired of reading the holy scriptures? I suppose this could be possible only if our hearts were past feeling to experience gratitude and awe for the sacred and sublime gifts God has granted us. Life-changing truths are before our eyes and at our fingertips, but sometimes we sleepwalk on the path of discipleship. Too often we let ourselves be distracted by the imperfections of our fellow members instead of following the example of our Master. We tread a path covered with diamonds, but we can scarcely distinguish them from ordinary pebbles."

Be grateful for the small gifts God has given you and walk the unordinary path, according to the world, that is covered in diamonds. 

Love Always, 

Sister McCammon

Sister Gibb and I with Elder and Sister Williams. They are a senior couple that just finished their mission.  We are going to miss them so much!!! 

Week 9 - Cereal Buffet...- 10/31/2016

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!! 

Hope you all have your costumes picked out and are going to get some candy tonight. Sister Gibb and I are still working on our costumes. The best thing we have come up with so far is switching our name tags so people think we are each other. Its pretty lame but on the mission its the little things in life that seem to be the most hilarious to us. Halloween is actually one of the days that we don't go knocking on peoples doors haha

My tree of life pumpkin 🎃

This week was awesome (I feel like I say that every week, but it was). One thing that I have noticed is that when I sit down to write these emails each week I cannot remember the 'bad' things that happened during the past week. Don't worry, nothing that bad happens here but sometimes there are better days than others. I am still human and have bad days and what not but its like they are wiped away and I can only remember the good. 

Last Monday we got to carve pumpkins again! I don't think I have carved as many pumpkins in the past 5 years as I have the past 2 weeks, but it is so much fun! I carved the tree of life found in Lehi's Dream (1 Nephi 8) ! I'll send a picture along with some others from the week  :) 

Our pumpkins. Sister Gibb's kind of fell apart

 Tuesday we helped some of the other Sisters in our zone clean and pack for transfers the next day. Later that night we had a member take us out to dinner at Olive Garden (which is one of my families favorite) and got to load up on a ton of noodles and alfredo sauce. That same night we had a lesson with a new investigator that we hadn't meet with yet. He is dating a member in one of our wards and was curious about somethings in the church. As we were getting to know him a little bit, we found out that he is a professional soccer player for Real Salt Lake!!!!!! Sister Gibb loves soccer just as much as I do and so after the lesson we couldn't stop talking about it and telling all of the other missionaries. They are in the play offs and are actually playing LA Galaxy (I can't remember the day) so I told him I might not be able to root for him. 

Wednesday we had dinner at a members house like we do every night. He served in Denmark and made us a traditional meal he would eat on his mission a lot. So I can now say I have ha foreign food on my mission! 

Me, Sister Gibb and Amanda (a member form one of our wards)

Had pasta for dinner again on Thursday and Friday (lots of pasta this week). On Friday we actually got to volunteer for IRC which is the International Refuge Committee here in Salt Lake. They are a really great organization and have helped so many of the refugees here in Salt Lake. I love getting a chance to do service and help others around me. 

Sunday we went to church and did the usual Sunday thing. I finally experienced for the the first two dinner appointments. At the end of the night I felt so sick. I also had funeral potatoes for the first time being here in Utah! Our second dinner that night was a Cereal Buffet! And for anyone that knows me, they know that I absolutely love cereal (possibly a little to much). 

Yesterday the topic in church in almost all of our wards was service. Service is something that I have really been trying to incorporate into the mission lifestyle. Yes we do big service projects like with IRC and stuff but there are so many people all around me that need it just as much. As a mission we started reading the New testament a couple weeks ago so that we can finish in time for April Conference. Reading about Christ's life and all the service and love He had for the people truly made me want to be more charitable and give service to everyone. Mosiah 2:17 talks about service and how when we serve those around us we are serving our God. God has commanded us to love thy neighbor and one way we can show our love for our neighbors is by doing service for them. You won't only be a blessing in their life but you will see blessings in your own life as well, I promise!

So this email is mainly about food this week haha Don't know how that happened but there was just a lot of pasta and cereal this week. 

Always turn to your Heavenly Father in need. Have a great week!

Love Sister McCammon