Week 22 - 2 Sister Missionaries teaching in front of 250 people... 😳 - 1/31/2017

Hi Everyone!!

I feel like this past week was sooooo long... or maybe that's because my Pday got moved to today.

 

We got to go to the Salt Lake City temple this morning and since the temple is closed on Mondays we got to go this morning and have our Pday today. It was so weird getting everyone's emails and not being able to respond but I managed haha.
 

What even happened this week??

 

Well to start off, on Wednesday there was the Worldwide missionary broadcast. There were some changes made to the missionary schedule and depending on what part of the world you are serving in might depend on your schedule. For all you returned missionaries out there you might be a little shocked. There is no more nightly planning, we now have morning planning for 30 minutes and personal study for an hour.

 

Companionship study is done whenever you have time throughout the day.

 

Lunch went from an hour to only 30 minutes, which means I can't really take an afternoon nap anymore but that's okay. Pday's now begin at 8am instead of 10am so we have a couple more hours to get things done that we can't normally do throughout the week. All of us missionaries are excited to see these changes and to see what blessings the Savior has in store for us because of them.

 

We met with a few of our investigators this week and even found another person to teach. His name is Hasan and he is from Pakistan. We didn't have an appointment set up but we stopped by to see if he was home and he was so he said that we could share one now. We had another girl with us so we went in and taught him the entire Restoration lesson. He had so many awesome questions and really wants to know of what we are telling him is true.

 

We had some other lessons and did some tracting but the most exciting thing was that I took public transportation on my mission for the first time. Yes my companion and I do have a car but we live so close to the tracts and a bus stop so we decided to go talk to some people and see if we could actually make it to the institute and back home without getting lost. WE DIDN'T GET LOST AND MADE IT HOME. We were so proud of our selves!

 

Sunday was the highlight of my week. We got asked to speak about missionary work in one wards and then in another we got asked to teach a lesson during the third hour of church. I love speaking in church and it was the first time I have actually spoken in sacrament meeting on my mission. Before my mission, I was asked to speak almost every month as I was preparing for my mission and so I felt right at home when I got to speak on Sunday. In another one of our wards they were having a visitors Sunday where they encouraged the members to bring a friend along and so we got to teach their 3rd hour. There was about 250 people staring at us as we got to teach them all the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was awesome! A little nerve-racking at the beginning... but so awesome! We got a lot of complements about our lesson and so that made us really happy.

 

One thing I have been thinking a lot about is the word change. A lot of things are changing/ have changed in my life. I've been on my mission a little over 5 months, I just got a new companion, a new missionary schedule just happened and I myself am changing everyday.

Change can be scary but it can be a great experience as well. Amongst all the struggles we have everyday if we allow the Gospel of Jesus Christ to change our nature from that of the natural man in all of us, we can become a more Christ-like person. We become someone who God wants us to be rather that what the world expects.  Be open to change.

 

We never know what God can mold us into one day.

 

Mosiah 5:7 And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.

 

Favorite Quote from the week:

 

"How cool is it that the same God that created the mountains and oceans and galaxies looked at you though the world needed one of you too"

 

Love always, Sister McCammon ❤

PS- I slacked on the pictures this week. Sorry!

Week 21 - So much SNOW!! - 1/23/2017

Transfers happened, two snow storms, a Californian driving in snow and me becoming Senior Companion.

 

This is my week in a nut shell. It was a little crazy!!!

 

On Tuesday, Sister Whitehead and Gibb had to go to a STL training meeting, so I went with Sister Jensen and cleaned their apartment.

 

Sister Jensen was packing while I tried to find a ride for Sister Gibb to her new area. Sister Gibb and I had a "member message" (a lesson that we share with an active member to help them spiritually or to ask for referrals)...  and so Sister Jensen came with me to that. We go to see this woman, and we're not sure if her husband is a member or not, so I asked  if her husband is LDS and she says "No... but neither am I" and we about fell out of our chairs, because this "member message" just turned into a lesson with a nonmember. I asked her about her concerns with baptism and it turns out that she won't get baptized because if she gets married to her boyfriend then she loses money that she's getting from the Government. We talked about faith and we asked her if she knows that God would always provide a way, and she said that she knew he would! So we invited her to be baptized and now she's praying about it! It was such a good lesson and I'm pretty sure Heavenly Father gave me that opportunity to see that I could really lead the area as Senior Companion.

 

Wednesday my new companion, Sister Latchumanan, came into the area and right when she got here we headed to the institute to hear a devotional by Elder Jeffery R. Holland and Elder Dallin H. Oaks. It was amazing! We got to sit so close and their messages were so powerful.

 

Woke up on Saturday and a huge snow storm just dumped on the city. The roads were so bad and we were stuck inside for more than half of the day. The roads started getting cleared and so we were eventually able to make it to dinner with a member and then contact 3 referrals.

 

Sunday was great as usual. It's was Sister Latchumanan first Sunday here and so she was so fascinated with the idea of YSA wards hahah We went to a little ward activity that night and then to another ward for ward prayer.

 

At the devotional on Wednesday Elder Holland talked about making Christ more a part of our lives. He asked the question, "Is Christ in every square inch of our lives?" It's a great question to ask ourselves. He said that trials, tribulation and agony will come. It's the way of the gospel! It's the way to make Christ more present in our life. He blessed us all with the strength in our hard times. It was exactly what I needed to hear.

 

Ponder this quote I found from President Monson:

“So much in life depends on our attitude. The way we choose to see things and respond to others makes all the difference. To do the best we can and then to choose to be happy about our circumstances, whatever they may be, can bring peace and contentment. … We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. For maximum happiness, peace, and contentment, may we choose a positive attitude.”

 

I love you all! Have a fantastic week. Thank you for your constant support and encouragement. It's truly been such a blessing to receives emails from so many of you.

 

Love Sister McCammon ❤

Our "Last P-Day" together so we had to go to Temple Square!

 



Sister Latchumanan and I.



 

Kyleigh!! We love her so much. She's working on her mission papers.

Week 20 - No I'm good... I'll just stay in YSA - 1/16/2017

Where did this week even go?! 

Transfers this week! We just found out today that Sister Gibb will be leaving and heading up to Bountiful to be one of the new Sister Training Leaders. I on the other hand get to stay in the best YSA area ever! My new companions name is Sister Latchumanan and she is from Malaysia! I have only met her very briefly once before but am super excited to be companions with her. I'll get to meet her more on Wednesday when transfers happen. 

This week many of the people that we were teaching decided that they didn't really want to meet with us anymore. Which was super hard. We love all of our investigators so much and are so heart broken when they don't want to meet anymore. We haven't given up hope and are still able to see miracles everyday. We got a less-active to teach that wants to come back to church and a few potential investigators that seem really interested in learning more about the church. One of our new investigators, Yun, is from China and has had no prior religious background. She loves hearing stories about Jesus and we love talking about Him so we are continuing to meet with her and help her come to know that she has a loving Heavenly Father that knows her. 

Miracle of the week: one of the four wards that we cover hasn't had anyone to teach in so long, like almost a year. As a ward we all fasted for missionary opportunities and how we can invite our friends to learn more about the church. This Sunday, someone randomly called us. We didn't recognize the number or anything and he said that he just moved here from California and isn't a member but would love to learn more about the church. Very rarely in any of our wards do we have someone comes directly to us asking to be taught! It was so amazing.

Not gonna lie. This week was so rough. I was approaching rock bottom (or at least I thought) and was just trying to stay afloat. But on the bright side I have some amazing leadership in my Zone and I was able to talk to my Sister Training Leader and receive a priesthood blessing. Prayers and blessings work!!!

Amongst the struggles of this week I went and was trying to find comfort in the scriptures, prayer and words of our modern prophets and apostles, which is THE BEST place you can go in time of need. I was trying to find anything that could help me remember what my purpose here is, who I really am and why I ever decided to serve a mission, while leaving behind my senior year of college and my amazing family and friends. Just to my luck, I found exactly what I needed to hear and am oh so grateful for spiritual council. 

One scripture that I found that really comforted me is found in the Book of Mormon. It's in the Book of Alma 31:31 " O Lord, my heart is exceedingly sorrowful; wilt thou comfort my soul in Christ. O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these afflictions which shall come upon me" 

In times of adversity, comfort your soul in Christ. He is the only person that knows exactly what you are going through. Reach out to him and he will help you remember he is there and is never going to leave you. Satan wants us to forget but God wants us to remember. 

Read this talk! It's literally so good and helps us see how we can rely on the Lord and we face adversity. 

Come what may and love it- https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/come-what-may-and-love-it?lang=eng

I love this very last part of the talk. I can honestly say that I love this trial that I am going through because I have been able to tell people more than I have my entire mission that Christ is our healer and in Him we will never be let down. I don't know if I wrote all this out for my out benefit but I hope that this may help at least one of you when you face tough times. Know that I love you but more importantly that God loves you. 

"I know why there must be opposition in all things. Adversity, if handled correctly, can be a blessing in our lives. We can learn to love it.

As we look for humor, seek for the eternal perspective, understand the principle of compensation, and draw near to our Heavenly Father, we can endure hardship and trial. We can say, as did my mother, “Come what may, and love it.” Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen." 

Love you all 

Sister McCammon 

Frances! We love her very much and had the opportunity to teach her for a little bit. She is now in the amazing hands of the sister missionaries that cover the Draper YSA. 

Compie 

This picture explains everyone in my district to a T. They are all crazy but I love them all so much. Best district ever!!! 

They had puppies at FHE so of course we had to go! 

Week 19 - Have More Faith ☀ - 1/9/2017

This week just flew by!

 

Sister Gibb and I trekked through a lot of snow this week and had some

great experiences together. On Monday it was snowing and that night we

thought it would be a good idea to go out walking around one of our

areas in the snow. It wasn't that cold and the snow was so pretty. We

were walking to go see a lady we had previously given a pamphlet too

and instead ran into this lady named Ingrid. She was so cool. We were

talking to her and she said that she was walking to the university

which was a couple blocks up and asked if we wanted to join her.

Sister Gibb and I looked at each other and said sure! We talked for

about an hour and at the very end of our conversation we were able to

answer some questions she had and to teach her about eternal families.

It then proceeded to snow several other days this week but then get

very warm and now the snow is melting and it feels like spring. The

weather in Utah is so weird! But on another note, Sister Gibb and I

got to do some service by shoveling some snow for people which was a

first for me.

Last Monday for P-day my entire zone went to this thing called Get Out

Games. You are locked in a room (all the Sisters were together) and

you have hour to find all these clues, solve the 'puzzle' and then get

out. The Sisters were the only ones to get out. It was so much fun. I

usually am really bad at problem solving but when you have 6 sisters

in one room trying to beat the clock and the Elders you seem to find

quite the motivation.

We got to teach two guys from India this week. One was just visiting

his friend who studies at the University but they were very interested

to learn more about the church. Yesh grew up Roman Catholic and

Kumaran, who is the one studying at the U, grew up Hindu. We taught

them all about the Restoration and at the end invited them to be

baptized when they came to know these things are true. This is where

the pause for affect comes into play or the awkward silence whatever

you would like to call it. Yesh said yes he would if he comes to know

the church is true and Kumaran said no because his family wouldn't

approve. We totally respected that and are hoping we can go back and

read some of the Book of Mormon with him. That same day we were

knocking on some doors at an apartment complex and this guy answers

and proceeds to tell us that he knows more about The Church of Jesus

Christ of Latter-Day Saints then we do. We were taken very off guard

and proceeded to bear our witness and testimony of our Savior, Jesus

Christ, and our loving Heavenly Father. He very willingly offered to

have an argument and we kindly declined. From this experience I

learned that there are some people that are just very rude but at the

same time are unwilling to read the book, the Book of Mormon, that

will answer your questions and help you come to know if the things we

preach are true. If anything, this encounter made my testimony grow

stronger.

Saturday was very spiritually filling. We took two of our

investigators to a baptism that the Elders in our Stake were having.

The guy getting baptized was so prepared and was seeking to find

meaning and purpose in his life and did through the Gospel of Jesus

Christ! This gospel brings meaning and light to the lives of those who

are seeking it and it's amazing to see the faith that people have when

they get baptized. Throughout the service there were several times

when I felt the spirit so strongly. I had my own spiritual

confirmation that the covenants I made when I was 8 and got baptized

have directly affected my life and impacted my relationship with God

ever since. Later that day our investigator, who is now being taught

in Draper, tetxted us and said she wants to be baptized in

February!!!! We are stoked and are hoping when and official date has

been chosen we can get permission from President and go to her

baptism.

Have more faith. Rely more on Christ. Grow to learn and love Him. He

knows you perfectly and is reaching out to all those who are seeking

purpose in their lives. The Book of Mormon answers questions from our

hearts and the Gospel of Jesus Christ helps us to continue to learn

and grow everyday but relying and building faith in Jesus Christ. Be

strengthen and guided by the plan that God has for you.

Have a great week! Love you all.

Love, Sister McCammon ❤

All the sisters in my zone at get out games

Snow ❄️ 

When your companion is allergic to Gluten and Dairy and a member feeds us both of those things for lunch. Poor Sister Gibb was not feeling to well so I thought it would be good to document. 

Elder and Sister Porter finished their mission this week. They will be greatly missed but served a good mission! 

 

Week 18 - Happy New Year 🎆 - 1/2/2017

Hi Everyone!!!

I hope you had a wonderful start to 2017! I know I have! It has been

weird to think that this entire year I will be on my mission but I

couldn't be more excited to see what this year has in store for me.

I typically hate making New Years resolutions because I either forget

about them in a week or I do what many people do and do really good

for a couple months and then just crash and burn. The more I thought

about it though, I realized that I make new resolutions every week! As

a missionary I set lots of goals for my area and me personally. We set

monthly, weekly, daily goals and personal and companionship goals and

even transfer and exchange goals. I am constantly making goals. So I

decided that I would set some goals for this year but only if it would

help me come closer to Christ. I'm still working on some of them but

maybe I'll put them in next weeks email.

Last P-day we had a Zone activity and went on a tour of the Conference

center and then went to watch the three new stories of Meet the

Mormons in the Jospeh Smith Memorial building. A lot of our

investigators have been gone still so we didn't have a ton of lessons

but we had a ton of success while tracting. We have 7 potential

investigators!!!

On New Years Eve, my Mission President allows us to watch one Disney

or Pixar animated movie with our district. This is a huge deal for us

missionaries since we don't get to watch movies like this at all while

on our missions. After some serious consideration to what movie we

were going to watch we chose, Emperors New Groove!!! We went over to a

members house and watched it there and had a great time. Oh and this

member had a home theater so you know it was good.  I forgot how funny

that movie is.

We had Zone Conference this week which also meant that we had

interviews with President Spendlove. I love Zone Conferences. I also

love President Spendlove. I know I was called just as much to my

Mission President as I was to my mission.  I always feel so uplifted

and edified after. We got to watch Mr. Kruggers Christmas and either I

have seen it or I just don't remember but I started to tear up while

watching it. I highly suggest you watch it. I don't want to spoil it

but there was one part that really resonated with me. He said

something along the lines that he felt the Savior walking by his side

throughout the hard times in his life. He bore a strong testimony of

the love and divinity of our Lord and Savior. It's officially one of

my new favorite Christmas movies.

After we watched the movie we all got to share our testimony about our

Savior. I felt the spirt so strong and knew that the Savior was right

by my side and has been by my side throughout my entire life. I know

my Savior lives. "He is the way, the truth, and the life" (John

14:5-6). In the words of President Spenser W. Kimball, "He is my

friend, my Savior, my Lord, my God"

Love, 

Sister McCammon ❤

Me and Sister Jensen during exchanges 

Sister Gibb and Sister Whitehead being their typical goofball selves while ending exchanges 😂 

Waiting for our interviews with President Spendlove 

Week 17 - A Christmas Miracle - 12/26/2016

This week was fantastic!

We were able to stay busy even though so so so many people were gone

for the holidays. I feel like I learned a lot this week and hopefully

was able to help others to see the Light of Christ within themselves.

We got permission to FaceTime Charlee while she is home for the break

and so we were able to talk with here and still teach her. She is so

sweet and I can just tell that she is growing so much since we first

started teaching her. We love her! We also got to meet with Katie

before she headed home for Christmas. She as well is growing so much

and you can just see her countenance changing.

We had our mission Christmas party this Wednesday and it was the best

thing of my life. Christmas on the mission is seriously the best. We

had a very nice devotional put together by Sister Spendlove about how

Christ is the Light of the World. Some of the missionaries in my zone

were asked by Sister Spendlove to sing a song during the devotional,

so Sister Gibb and I had the opportunity to do that. Then we had this

super nice lunch that was catered. After lunch we had a talent show

put on by the missionaries. This is like a legit talent show.

Missionaries go all out for this and I was laughing so hard at some of

them. There were parodies of popular songs that none of us have heard

in forever, Polynesian dances and piano battles. Oh and a Haka that

was dedicated to President Spendlove's father, who passed away a

couple months ago, by the Tongan elders.

Christmas Eve, my district went to Pioneer Park and handed homeless

bags that had socks, soap and other things that they may need. We met

some people and handed out probably 30 bags. We then walked over to

the homeless shelter and volunteered there, helping sort all the

donations that were coming in that day. Holmes's people line the

street outside the shelter. When we were walking to the front door

this lady walked by and said Merry Christmas. A few minutes later she

then walked back and said that she used to be a member of the church

and  when we walked by she felt so much peace. I know that God was

comforting her at this time. It was humbling to meet all those people

and to hear some of there stories.

There was a huge snow storm that came and I finally got a white

Christmas. It was actually the snowiest Christmas Salt Lake has had in

over 100 years. It was so bad that Sister Gibb and I couldn't even

make it up the hill in our car to church and ended up walking down the

street to another ward that we didn't cover. Going up the hill I feel

like we almost died, I'm being a little dramatic, but in the

perspective of someone who was born and raised in a California... yes

we almost died. I got to FaceTime my family and practically cried the

entire time. I love my family so much! They mean everything to me and

even though it's hard being away from them, I need to spend sometime

away from my family so I can help others be with theirs forever.

Yesterday was Christmas and I am still in denial that I have to wait

another 364 days to celebrate it again...but don't you all worry, I

will still be singing Christmas songs and wearing Christmas socks all

year round. Most important I will be celebrating Christmas all year

round because I will be looking towards my Savior and worshipping Him.

It's a Christmas Miracle that we don't have to wait a whole year to

find the peace and joy that comes from following our Saviors example.

It's a Christmas miracle that our Heavenly Father gave us His only

Begotten Son so that we wouldn't have to wait to focus our thoughts,

words, deeds and actions towards Christ.

"Christmas is not only a celebration of how Jesus came into the World

but also of knowing who He is - our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ- and

of why He came"

               - Elder Craig C. Christensen, The Fulness of the Story

of Christmas

"We can light a dark world"

 - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Love you all, Sister McCammon ❤

Lots of pictures this week!

Sister Gibb and I at the Christmas Party in our Christmas skirts my mom made us 

Sister Berrett (red cardigan) said she wanted to squish our faces so we let here. She goes home this Wednesday. 

teering at the homeless shelter And Santa walked by so we had to get a picture 🎅🏻

Walking to church 🚶🏼‍♀️

This Candace! We love her so much. We have dinner with her every month

Week 16 - "For unto us a child is born... and his name shall be called Wonderful" 2 Nephi 19:6 🎄 - 12/19/2016

Hi everyone!!!

🎄MERRY CHRISTMAS 🎄

I can't believe that Christmas is this Sunday. How crazy is that?!?!

This week we have seen so many amazing miracles. We had exchanges on

Thursday and Sister Whitehead came into my area. We were out finding

some of the people that used to meet with the missionaries that lived

in our area and we left a #LIGHTtheWORLD pass along card tucked into

their door. We left and thought nothing of it. That is until the next

day when we got a call for a girl named Aizey and she says she has not

gone to church in over a year and wants to start coming back. We met

her on Sunday and sat with her all throughout church and we are even

going to the lights at Temple Square with her this week.

 When we following the guidance and direction given to us through the

Holy Ghost, God will place people in our paths that may be seeking for

our help.

Had Chick-fil-a on Thursday for dinner with a member and I forgot just

how much I love it haha I haven't had it since I was in the MTC! I

miss having one right down the street from my apartment.

We had several amazing lessons this week and now that finals are over

at the University we are hoping that we can still find people to

teach. If not, we will patiently wait till January when the new

semester starts. Charlee headed home to Washington and we got

permission from President to FaceTime with her so we can still teach

her while she is home for the break. She is so amazing and even got

Sister Gibb and I a little necklace as a Christmas gift before she

left. We just love her. Andres made it home safely to Colombia and

emailed us this week making sure we don't forget about him.

I look back on what I was doing this time last year and all throughout

2016 and I literally cannot be more thankful for all the blessings

that I have had in my life. I was blessed to be able to have a job and

go to school at the beginning of the year. Then I was blessed to be

able to receive my mission call to Salt Lake City and then shortly

there after go to the temple and make more covenants with my Father in

Heaven. I have been blessed to be able to serve as a full time

missionary for the last 4 months and I am excited for what the next 14

months have in store for me. Most importantly I have been blessed with

the knowledge of a loving God who knows me and wants what's best for

me.

In church yesterday someone said this quote that really stood out to

me, they said, "The World says, show me and I'll believe, but Christ

says, believe and I'll show you"

How often do we find our selfs having to see something first in order

to believe it rather than exercising our faith?

I have never seen my Saviaor but I KNOW that he is there. I KNOW that

He lives and knows every challenge, pain and trail that I have and

will go through. This Christmas season is because of Him. Without

Christ we wouldn't have a day called Christmas, it would just be

another random holiday. Another thing to remember is that without

Christmas we would not have Easter. These two days are so crucial to

us all because they testify of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The Book of

Mormon is another testimony of Jesus Christ and how we can live with

Him again. I invite you all this week to read the scriptures, whether

that's the Book of Mormon or New Testament but to read about Jesus

Christ. Read about His birth, His earthly ministry or when He appears

as a resurrected being. As you read finds way to build in your

relationship with Him.

I love this quote from Elder Boyd K. Packer from the May 2003 Ensign:

"Keep the fire of your testimony of the restored gospel and your

witness of our Redeemer burning so brightly that our children can warm

their hands by the fire of your faith"

I hope you all can take time this week to reflect on the true meaning

of Christmas and grow in your faith and witness of your Savior Jesus

Christ, who lived and died for you. "For unto us a child is born..."

Love always, 

Sister McCammon

Sister Whitehead and I on exchanges. Oh and Joe Jonas photo bombing in the background. 

Robin (the one in the plaid shirt) is heading home to South Korea this week. We will miss you Robin 👋🏻 also, don't mind Ben and the weird face he is making haha

Lights at Temple Square

I love these sisters so much 😘