Week 34 - Temple Day! - 5/2/2017

Today we had Pday instead of on Monday because we got to go to the temple! It was amazing and I just love the temple. Literally on a mission is many things happen in one week that I just can't remember them all and then I go to write all of you on Monday and I never have enough time. So today I have decided to just stick to bullet-points.

So here I go...

-the mission is still amazing. I have never been happier and I have had more of a confirmation in the past week that this where I need to be than I have had my entire mission.

-daily planning miracle: it was last Sunday and we had this one family, the Nelsons, in to go and visit. They are very active m bets and since we are trying to get to know the ward better we thought we would stop by. They are seriously the greatest family. We ended up sharing the Prince of Peace Easter video (one of my favorites ever!) and there son Jospeh during the part when it talks about Jesus Turing water into wine says, "why would he do that!" We all laughed a little but it was a valid questions haha

- My companion and I go running almost every morning and it's been super rainy this week which means that we ran in the ran. Does that makes us officially Utah residents yet? People here are way to fit.

- We made it to the last week of the month with just 18 miles left and that was on Tuesday! So we decided to leave our car at home and see is we could get around using, trap, the bus and people who would give us rides. Don't worry we didn't hitch hike. It was super fun and we made it everywhere and didn't have to use our car till Sunday! Our adventures of the week we're using public transportation! We only took the wrong bus once

 - While tracting one day we ran into a man that told us he was on a Spiritual vacation. I don't think that's a good thing. But

- Volunteered at the Soup Kitchen again and helped feed the homeless in SLC. I love volunteering there. And then because we weren't using our car Sister Denison, Bishops wife, picked us up and took us to Paradise Bakery for lunch! She's so sweet!

- A member in our ward, Brother McDonogh, served his mission in Canada and his mission President was President Monson!

- the Relief Society had a cooking demonstration at Sister Miller's, the RS President, house and we learned how to make scones and sugar cookies. Yummmmyyy! They both contained my favorite ingredient...

SUGAR haha

- This weekend was full of baptisms! They are so awesome to go to!

Sister Deem and I both had a baptism in our old areas. Sister Deem was serving in Rose Park before his and she taught this little girdled named Savana and she got baptized on Saturday! And then in my old area Kiersten got baptized! It was absolutely amazing to be able to be there to see Kiersten enter into the waters of baptism and become a member of this church! President ended up coming to Kiersten's baptism too and when she enter the font I was standing by President and I just had an ahah moment that this is my mission. I am on a mission inviting others to come unto Christ and follow him by being baptized and Kiersten did just that. She is amazing and I love her! I wish you could all meet her!

- Another coolest thing happened this week and her name is Jill Strasburg. Jill is so amazing! She sells the cutest jewelry. I followed her Instagram before my mission and when I found out she was in my ward I about died. So on Friday we went over and visited her and she is making us some jewelry! She made us bangle bracelets and also a gold bar necklace!

-We've found a couple new people to teach and are having fun while doing it. sister Deem and pretty crazy together but I love my mission more than anything in the world. I know that this is exactly where I need to be and that Heavenly Father is proud of me. Prayer and scripture weren't very important in my life before my mission but they are my necessities now! I cannot go a day without praying and reading.

Even if it's just a prayer of gratitude.

I love you all. If you ever have questions or want to know more about what I'm doing on my mission feel free to email me.

Love Sister McCammon ❤️

Sister Nit, Jenkinson, Deem and I at the Soup Kitchen!



 

Starla and Pamela. Literally my two favorite people ever! Members from the deaf ward.

 

Rainy Day

 

President Hinckley's House that he grew up in.

 

Our adventures with public transportation

 

Tracting on Monday!

Temple Trip!

 



 

Helped Brother Herd cut some wood!

 

Savana's Baptism!

 

Kierstein's Baptism!



Week 33 - "The Tree of Life" - 4/24/2017

What a week it has been! I feel like it just flew bye with everything we had happen this week.

As you all already know Monday we had exciting Pday filled with Zombies and well really just Zombies. We were finally feed everyday is last week and I just love the member so so so much! The wards we cover are the best. One dinner to remember was with an older women on the ward. She feed us so much food I don't know how my stomach didn't burst! We were so full after that we just had to take a break for a few minutes and let our stomachs settle.

 Zone Conference was this Thursday and it was AMAZING! I love Zone conferences so much. I always feel so uplifted and edified after. We talked about avoiding and removing distractions and how the Tree of Life from Lehi's dream (1 Nephi 8) pertains to us. I love this quote from Boyd K. Packer: "You may think that Lehi's dream or vision has no special meaning for you, but it does. You are in it; all of us are in it... Lehi's dream or vision of the iron rod has in it everything a Latter-Day Saint needs to understand the test of life." There is so much symbolism in the story of the Tree of Life and it's directly related to us who live on the Earth today. We must always hold on to the iron rod (which is the word of God).

With Sister Deem being new to the area we have been trying to meet as many of the members as possible! And we have been pretty successful!

We have meet several families in the ward and we are building so many relationships it's great! We have shared with members our goals for the area and have invited them to help us find those living in the ward boundaries who are searching for something more in their life.

 Friday we have district meeting and this week our district leader asked us to help give the training! We got to teach our entire district about How to Begin Teaching (Preach My Gospel pg. 176). Which is something we use as missionaries to set up expectations and to get to know the people that we meet with. It was a really awesome opportunity to teach and learn from the other missionaries in the district.

Yesterday at church we go to speak in the Central 1st Ward! We picked our favorite talk from this past General Conference and I talked about goals! I love speaking in Sacrament meeting as a missionary. This was only the 2nd time I have spoken on my mission.

With serving in the deaf ward I have been asked to do serval things that have taken me out of my comfort zone. I am no means fluent in ASL but have had numerous opportunities where I have been able to interpret both singing to the deaf and speaking for the hearing. I don't know how I do it. It's truly through the gift of the spirit that I am able to do so. During the 2nd hour of church we have a class called Gospel Principals and yesterday was our day to teach. We made a PowerPoint with the help of our Ward Mission Leader and studied to lesson. I was able to teach the entire class, full of about 10 people, in American Sign Language. It was so awesome! I made a few mistakes and couldn't remember a couple words but they were all so patient and we did it! It was a really cool experience.

 Last night we went and visited with a family who just recently moved in the deaf ward. They are all hearing but the mom knows ASL and was just called a ward interpreter. We were visiting with them and their two daughters. We shared a scripture found in Alma 32:21 "And now as I said concerning faith- Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen but are true."

The mom said same thing that really stuck with me. She said that we have an imperfect knowledge but faith in a perfect plan. God has a plan for all of us. We  are living the Plan of Happiness and as we strive to follow Christ and do our best everyday we grow in our faith of the plan that God has for each one of us. I know this is true. I have studied and prayed to know for myself if it is true. I don't have a perfect knowledge but I do have Faith in Gods plan.

Love Sister McCammon ❤️

 

The Tree of Life

There is never a dull moment with Sister Deem. I Love her so much.

The Harnish boys, Leo and Calvin, are the cutest things ever!

We're just missing their baby sister Sadie.



 

Week 32 - Easter Miracle - 4/17/2017

The most amazing miracle happened this week. Plus I love my area with all my heart and  y new companion is amazing!

This week was kind of crazy. With sending my companion home and then getting a new companion and having to stay with another set of sisters for a couples days; it all just got a little crazy. But everything is back as it should be and the craziness is dying down.

My new companion Sister Deem is from Gilbert, Arizona (not to far from my families house in Maricopa, AZ). She has been serving for 14months and I love her so much, we served around each other earlier in my mission and we both were serving in YSA. I have never laughed so much on my mission and I can't wait to see our hard work unfold.

Monday I had to say goodbye to one of the best companions ever. Sister Evarts finished her mission strong! I miss her already. So many people are going home soon and all my missionary friends are leaving but I'm happy for them and know that have all served amazing missions. That morning our Ward Mission Leader in the deaf ward taught us how to fly fish and it was super super fun!

Tuesday I sent the day with Sister Sirmans and Sister Cheng since I was companion-less. It's was super fun. We had a busy day. Sister Sirmans was getting transferred and so we ended up saying goodbye to a lot of people in her wards and people she taught. She had been in the area for 6 months so she was close to a lot of people. This was her first transfer going into a new area and it reminded me of when I first came to the ASL/ 1st Ward. It was scary but oh how amazing it has been.

Wednesday I got y new companion! We already had some things planned so we dropped her bags off at home and off her service at the soup Kitchen we went. It was so amazing serving there. We helped feed and clean up after hundreds of homeless people. Unpacked later that day and went and got to know the area a little better. Within being companions for less that 2 hours I accidentally forgot the keys and locked us out which was fun but we got back in thanks to our landlord haha

Thursday we had our Book of Mormon class with Amy, Starla, Michale and Pamela. All 4 are deaf and I was able to start teaching them all in ASL about the tree of life. I was scared but through the spirit I was able to do it. That night we had ward correlation with Brother Hunsaker and they are always productive but so funny.

Friday we had district lunch before district meeting and dinner with the Losee's who are a deaf couple, which I was also able to understand and communicate with. Saturday morning we had breakfast with the Stake President and all the missionaries in the Stake, which is 6 companionship, 12 missionaries. We also rode our bikes most of the day and about died. I don't know why I thought riding up the hill would be better this time around. 

 Sunday was the best day of the week. We did the normal Sunday routine, went to church for 5 hours, and were so very grateful for the knowledge of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We were able to worship with others members and bear our witness of Jesus Christ. That night we had dinner with the Case family. They are amazing spiritual giants that I hope I can become like one day in my own family. Sister Case is the one that helps translate in our lessons with the Venezuelans. For most of their kids life (they have 8 kids) they have these extravagant hunts that their kids have to do to find their Easter baskets. They still haven't found this year and Easter was yesterday haha. Anyways, the Venezuelans were over for dinner and after we finished dinner the Case's surprised us with our own Easter basket hunt. We had to walk around the neighborhood and find clues all while teaching the Plan of Salvation. It didn't all quite work so by the time we got back to the house we hadn't really taught anything. We sat around the table and we're teaching about where we came from and why we're here which then led to a discussion about baptism. We invited them to pray about a day to be baptized about a week and a half ago but they still weren't feeling like that had received an answer. So we invited them right there to kneel in prayer and ask Heavenly Father. We all went into the living room, knelt in pray and offered our hearts unto the Lord to know what day they should be baptized. I have never prayed harder for the Lord to help other people and I have never had such a spiritual experience in my life. I can't even put into words how much love I felt from God. 

Things I spiritually learned from our experience yesterday: 

-God knows me and my name, my companions name and Jocelyn, Nathalie and Nathalie

-God is aware of our needs and desires

- God WILL answer your prayers IF you go to him with full purpose of heart and a sincere desire

- No matter what the language is he Spirt is able to testify of the truthfulness of the Gospel. 

There is so much but it was all feelings and I just can't put them into words. I can't even think of an emotion that would accurately describe the joy and happiness I felt. 

Many of us can have the same exact experiences as found in the scriptures and this experience that Lehi had is similar to the one we all had last night: 

1 Nephi 1-

5 Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people.

6 And it came to pass as he prayed unto the Lord...

12 And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord.

15 And after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him.

 Love Sister McCammon ❤

Week 31 - Jin Xhi's Baptism and Transfers - 4/10/2017

I thought last week was good but this week may have been even better!!!

I have never been happier in my life and I am so thankful for this time that I have been able to be here on my mission. I know other may think differently, but I literally am serving in THE best mission on the planet. It's super hard at times but what in life isn't?!

On Saturday April 8th, 2017 Jin xhi, and investigator from my old area got baptized! I taught him several times before I left me last area and when the sisters teaching him now called and said he was getting baptized I was so so so excited. I feel like I really connected with him went I got to teach him because he loves science and is getting his PhD in Biology at the U and I love science so I was able to bear my testimony of how studying science has increased my testimony of God. When I watched him enter into the waters of baptism I could not stop smiling. The spirit was so strong and I got to feel just a little bit of what Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ's love for him. Jin xhi is the first person that I have taught on my mission that has entered into the waters of baptism. Check out the pictures from the baptism below and all my friends who were there too!

Transfers are this week and I am staying in this area with my new companion Sister Deem. I have served around Sister Deem in the past and she is super awesome so I'm excited to be with her.

I am going to miss sister Evarts so much! She is going to rock it in life after the mission and I can't wait to see her again. Bye Buddy!

Transfer Goal:

This past transfer my Sister Training Leaders asked me what I have learned from this transfer and honestly the thing that I have learned the most and honestly throughout my entire mission is that I cannot do this, but through Christ I can! All throughout my mission I have felt my Savior helping me and literally carrying me throughout all the hard times. My Heavenly Father knows me and knows what I need. My Savior is there for me because he is the only person that knows exactly what I am going through.

I love you all!

Love Sister McCammon ❤

 

 

Week 30 - "Look up to Jesus Christ" - 4/3/2017

Hi Family and friends!

This weekend was probably one of the best weekends I have ever experienced, in my life! And no I'm not being over dramatic, this is serious. Haha anyways, For those who may not know, this past Saturday and Sunday was General Conference. It takes place twice a year and each time we get to listen and receive counsel and inspiration from the leaders of the LDS church; our living prophets and apostles on the earth today.

There were 35 talks given, all prepared through direct inspiration and revelation from God. They are messages that we, all of us, as God's children, can benefit from and receive comfort and direction while living in perilous times.

One thing that really stood out to me throughout all of Conference, amongst several other things, was that fact that we do live in perilous times. The world is a crazy, scary, dangerous and unpredictable place and sometimes if I think about it too much it scares me. But one of the greatest lessons I have ever learned and still continue to learn everyday is that God knows me and as I look up to Him, He will protect me and help me in troubled times.  

 If you want to watch Conference and didn't get the chance to do so you can go here and watch it. I highly suggest it! 

 https://www.lds.org/general-conference?cid=HP_SU_2-4-2017_dPFD_fGC_xLIDyL1-B_&lang=eng

 I got to see a ton of people from my last area and it just made me so so so happy! I love them all so much and I'm so grateful that I got to see some of them.  

Also the church just put out a new Easter initiative. It's a great video that shows how Christ is the Prince of Peace. #princeofpeace check it out on Mormon.org 

Other news this week: 

Monday we did service at this place called the Good Samaritan. There is a lot of homeless people in Salt Lake City and the Good Samaritan provides 3 meals to those who are without food. We helped make sandwiches and put sack lunches together with donated food that the LDS church helps provide and many other organizations. 

Exchanges Part II- Wednesday one of our Sister Training Leaders was sick and had to take their car to the Senior missionary that is in charge of the cars, which meant that I got to go with the other Sister Training Leader, Sister Lakaj, and be with her for most of the day. I got to go to some of their meetings and it was actually really fun. 

We had our Book of Mormon class this week and we had 2 people show up this week but that's because Amy Jo fell and broke her ankle! We went to visit her after the class to see if she needed anything and just to keep her some company. She had surgery this past weekend so we're going to go back and help her clean her house this week. 

We had an awesome meeting with our ward mission leader in the deaf ward. He wouldn't let us voice and could only sign. It was pretty great and we were able to understand it all. He is really great and wants to help us find people to teach and those in the ward. During our meeting he got a phone call and gave the phone to Sister Evarts to answer

 Saturday we helped one of our investigators that we haven't been able to meet with for a long time move paver stones to their front yard. It was a lot of work but they really appreciated the help. Plus, we got some Pie pizza out of it so it was pretty great. After that we went and watched the Saturday afternoon session with a couple members, Javier and his mom. Javier is one of the calmest (chilliest) persons I have ever met. 

Conference was by far the greatest highlight of my week. One more conference left on my mission and thinking about it, it really makes me sad good thing I don't have to worry about it for another 6 months. 

Love Sister McCammon ❤

Week 29 - Happy St. Patrick's Day - 4/1/2017

 Hi Family and Friends!

 

On Monday we had a super fun Zone Pday activity and just played sports and grilled some hamburgers. The weather has been so nice that we all wanted to spend the day out in the Sun. Since we were outside at Liberty Park I finally got to use my hammock that a member gave to me in my last area. It was pretty fantastic! I even used it the other day while we were doing studies at the park.

Tuesday we went and picked up my bike from the mission office. I woke up not feeling very well so it was a little bit of a rough day but I tried my best to go and do all that I could. We did service at the DI with all the sisters. We didn't have dinner that night and so I ate really quick and then went to take a nap and didn't end up waking up for like 2 1/2 hours. My companion wanted me to sleep but I resisted her early so she just let me sleep that night.

 

Not too much happened on Wednesday except we had a super cool experience when we went to go and do service. We went to the YWCA which is a women's shelter type thing for women and their children that have experienced domestic violence. They have a boutique that helps provide clothes for the women and children there and that's what they have volunteers help stock and organize. We walked into the building and then all of the sudden this women walked up to us and says I just prayed for missionaries. She was a member who wanted to find her church building for her ward. Plus she also had a friend that wasn't a member and wanted to come with her. The crazy part is that we hadn't planned to do service at the YWCA until like an hour before we came! We were able to help her find her ward and she was very grateful!

 

Thursday we rode our bikes for the first time! I am officially a missionary on a bike haha we still use our car but we both have our bikes and will be using them more often. That same day we were at the Salt Lake City Public Library to try and print a permission form for one of our investigators to go to an activity with the Young Women in her ward. While there, a women comes up to us and asks to take a picture for our moms to post on the Facebook Missionary Mom's page. Neither of our mom's are on the page but we still let her take it haha. We also had our Book of Mormon class that we teach to about 5 people in the deaf ward. The spirit helps us out a lot and the classes actually go really well and we all understand each other. My ASL is slowly getting there.

 

Friday aka St. Patrick's Day was pretty great. A sister ended up going home a couple weeks before originally planned because her grandpa passed away so we stopped by the mission office before she headed to the airport to say goodbye. After that Sister Evarts and I had our interviews with President which are always great! Had district meeting and then came home to work on some weekly planning.

Saturday was a great day! It was super nice outside and we just walked around our area for most of the day. We parked our car at the church building and were walking around. We stopped by and visited some members to share a message and as we were walking down this one street we saw people moving rocks in their yard and then we recognized that it was one of our investigator's wife.

 

We walked over, asked if we could help and they gladly accepted. They were worried since we were in nicer clothes about getting dirty but we didn't let that stop us from helping. We were outside for most of the day and when we got home that night we were so exhausted. I haven't had that much sun exposed in a long time and I got  a heat rash or something on my feet. The sun just really hates me. It's a perk of being a red head.

 

Sunday was a normal Sunday. I really love our wards and getting to go and worship with the members. Before the 3rd hour of church started in the deaf ward, one of my favorite members Amy Jo, came up to us and gave Sister Evarts a name sign which is totally legit because a deaf person gave it to her. She is still thinking of mine because it's a little harder to come up with something but I'll let you all know when she does. That night I got one of the greatest calls ever. My old companion Sister Latch called to let me know that one of our investigators is getting baptized on April 8th!! Jin Xhi is getting baptized and I couldn't be happier for him! I am excited to go back and see everyone. I'll make sure to take pictures.

 

One thing that I have been thinking of is how I came to know the Gospel is true. I was born in the church and was raised Mormon. Many would think that's why I'm still a member today but it isn't. I've struggled just like a lot of people I have taught on my mission so far. An investigator that I taught in my last area emailed me and said she had an experience this past week where she knows God is real and she can't deny it. We all have trials that help us reach a point of pure joy. A pure joy of coming to know who God is. That doesn't mean we have everything else figured out but when we feel of His love and awareness of all of us it's so powerful. Just as it was for her. This investigator is easily going to be a friend for a long time and I can't wait to see her continue on her journey.

 

"Happiness is the object and design of our existence"

 

I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

 

Love always Sister McCammon


Week 28 - Conference Again?! - 3/27/2017

Where in the world did the month of March even go?! I cannot believe that it is almost over. But it's even crazier that General Conference is already here again. This is my second conference since on my mission and I just love actually being in Salt Lake City for it. 

 Nothing to exciting happened this week. We just did some of the usual missionary work and what not. 

Tuesday we had exchanges with our Sister Training Leaders and so Sister Evarts left and went with Sister Whitehead to their area and Sister Lakaj and I worked for the day in my area. I always love exchanges so much and I always learn so much. Sister Lakaj is just great! That same day during exchanges I got offered a job at the DI (Deseret Industries; it's a thrift store). We volunteer there at least once a week typically and the manager, Drew, said he was super impressed with how fast and efficient we were haha so he jokingly offered us a job. We replied by saying maybe we should finish our missions first haha 

Thursday was another great day! In the morning we went with Sister Ioasa and Yin to do some service at LDS Humanitarian Center. We helped quilt for a couple hours. These quilts get sent all over the world and help people in need. It was so much fun. So there is this member in the deaf ward named Amy Jo. I mentioned her in previous emails. Anyways, she is just so fantastic and I love her so much. We meet with her for our Book of Mormon class and a couple other things. So just like all other Thursdays we show up to teach our Book of Mormon Class and Amy Jo is the only one that shows up. We were just talking for a bit and talked a little about the chapter they were supposed to read. Next thing we know our dinner cancels on us and then Amy offers to take us to dinner. She took us to my new favorite restaurant ever! It's called Settebello's! Brother Bellio, my teacher in the MTC, would be so happy to hear that I went haha. Dinner was great and the pizza was amazing! To make things even more interesting though, the entire time we met with Amy and were at dinner, Sister Evarts and I had ear plugs in! Amy bought us some so we could wear them and experience what it is like to be hard of hearing. I went to a restaurant with ear plugs and it was actually quite peaceful. It was super cool to experience it and I feel like my signing improved in just that short little time. When talking to the waiter we couldn't tell how loud we were/ weren't speaking. Then that night, our hearing Ward had their Relief Society  birthday. We celebrated 175 years since it was organized! 

Since Gereral Conference is upon us again, the general women's session was this Saturday. Sister Evarts and I didn't think we were going to be able to go but we got tickets last second and we're able to make it! The speakers and talks given were so great and I learned so much. 

 

If you missed it you can watch it here:

 https://www.lds.org/general-conference?cid=HP_SA_25-3-2017_dPFD_fGC_xLIDyL1-B_&lang=eng

 Sunday, as always, was great! In our hearing Ward we found out that this one guy was actually used in one of Elder Andersen's old talks from General Conference. Elder Andersen shared Brother Openshaw's story of faith as his parents and two siblings were killed in a private plan crash while he was on his mission in the Christmas islands. It's an incredible story! The deaf ward had Ward Conference and so the Stake Presidency and auxiliary leaders were there and we got to hear from them. It's kind of funny sometimes because usually the deaf ward is much louder than our hearing Ward. This was definitely the case yesterday. I got to say (sign) the opening prayer during the 3 hour and I was slightly terrified. I could have voiced it but I knew I needed to try and sign it, so I did. I just hope they all understood what I tried to say. We had dinner with the Case family that night and they seriously are one of my favorite families ever! 

Fun fact: I also finished the New Testament this morning during studies and I seriously do not know why I have never read it all the way through before! The New Testament is great! I'll be finishing the Book of Mormon before General Conference this weekend and then will start reading the Book of Mormon again and hopefully the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price! 

Here are some quotes I liked from the General Women's Session: 

 

Carol F. McConkie-

"Take time to be holy. Holiness is to become a saint of Jesus Christ." 

 

"CHOOSE HOLINESS"

"We need to become holy even as He is holy"

 

Linda K. Burton- 

"Declare you witness, your certain witness of Christ" 

President Eyring- 

"The Lord promised peace in His way not the worlds way. He will send Peace through the comforter." 

"It's a blessing to be able to recognize our weaknesses. As we do we progress." Ether 12:27

Love Sister McCammon ❤

 

Week 27 - Sister "RED HAIR" - 3/13/2017

This week has been super amazing and really busy. I feel like so much has happened and I don't even know where to begin. Sorry for such the long email!

Last Monday, after finishing all our P_DAY errands, I took a two hour nap and it was the best thing of my life. I haven't taken a nap in quite a long time. I didn't realize how tired I was until I knocked out for so long. Anyways, that was a totally insignificant story from this week haha.

Tuesday night I had an amazing experience! We went with this family to temple square and got to watch Joseph Smith the Prophet of the Restoration movie. Now, I've seen this movie several times on my mission but this one was different. The Soria family has a deaf son and so we got to watch the movie with ASL interpretation! It was so beautiful and the entire time I was watching I was so enthralled and felt my testimony and witness grow of the truthfulness of the Prophet Joseph Smith. I have no doubt in my mind that he was truly a Prophet called of God to restore Jesus Christ's original true church back on this earth.

Wednesday, Sister Evarts and I had a member from our Deaf Ward help us learn how to interpret things we read from books to deaf people. ASL's structure is much different than English and many English words don't even have a sign which means interpreting something from a book is much more difficult and really hard for deaf people to understand. I'm trying my best to learn as much as I can. God has definitely helped me so far though.

Thursday we had Zone Conference and as always I love being able to spend time with my Zone as well as President and Sister Spendlove to council together and learn more about missionary work and the gospel of Jesus Christ. During Zone Conference we talked about Joseph Smith and it was a further testimony builder to me this week of the truthfulness of his calling. We always have some good laughs as a Zone with President so that's fun too. That night Sister Evarts was going to go to dinner with a former less active member she used to teach and her old companion, which meant I got to be with Sister Jensen for a couple hours! Sister Jensen was my first Sister Training Leader and helped me so so so much the first 4ish months of my mission so I was super excited to see her. Also since she goes home at the end of this transfer so I may not see her again for a super long time.

 It's Biking season which means President wants us ALL on bikes. I'm so excited! Even though we have a car in our area because the Deaf Ward is so big our other ward isn't that far from where we live so we'll be on bikes! I just now have to figure out how to ride a bike in a skirt now.

On Friday my district all met up at the City Creek food court for lunch before district meeting and right before, my District Leader and his companion got to meet President Uchtdorf! (He is one of the leaders of our church) President Uchtdorf was just walking out of Macy's and my district Leader just happened to be right there. We were so jealous.

Saturday we had a lesson with the family from Venezuela and it went really great! We had Sister Case (a member from our ward) come and as we taught she would then translate in Spanish and interpret in ASL.

It's pretty crazy but they understood so much better than they have been and they want to come to General Conference! Since I am still fairly new they were asking me what my name is and so I signed Sister McCammon. They were having a hard time recognizing my weird last name because they had never seen it before so Sister Case said they could just call me Sister Red Hair instead and they liked that way better haha so that's my new name. Maybe one day I can get a name sign and so people won't be so confused.

This weekend was Stake Conference and so we got to go to those meetings on Saturday and Sunday. Elder John C. Pingree of the 70 presided and I got to meet him as well. During the Saturday night adult session, President and Sister Spendlove were there and were asked to speak. President got up to talk and then called out all of the missionaries in the Stake. It's super cool because the Salt Lake Central Stake is one of the Stakes in our mission that has the most missionaries serving in it. We have 6 companionships in just one Stake. In our mission we sometimes have one companionship covering 2 or 3 stakes! The coolest thing about this weekend was that the Sunday session of Stake Conference was held at the Assembly Hall at Temple Square. It's the super pretty church building that is right next to the old tabernacle on Temple Square, which is like one of my favorite places ever!

Something pretty funny happened the other week and I totally forgot to put it in my email last week. We were at dinner and this little boy comes up to me and pointing at my face asks, "What happened to your face?" He was pointing at my acne and he thought that I had hurt myself some other way. He asked it I fell on my face and scratched it and I ended up just telling him, "just wait till you get older". We all got a good laugh out of it and I realized then that Utah has only made my acne worse but he I don't care because I'm doing the Lords work haha. The little boy and I are still friends so it's all good.

Well this email is already long enough but I love and miss you all. Oh and as of this exact day I'll be home in exactly one year. Crazy to think how much has already happened and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Love Sister McCammon ❤

 

 

 

When you live in the basement and have no reception to send text messages to our investigators.

 

When she wants to get tan and stay in the Sun while I hide in any shade I can find.

 

Stake Conference at the Assembly Hall.

 

Week 26 - "Today's Test in Tomorrow's Testimony" - 3/6/2017

Hi Family and friends!

I am officially in my new area with my new companion and I absolutely love it here! It's pretty funny because I live right across the street from my old area and so I really didn't go that far.

Who knew that a decision I made 7 years ago would affect me today. I was a freshman in high school and thought it would be really cool to take American Sign Language. I took it for two years in high school and then didn't really think anything of it. But now, 7 years later I have the amazing opportunity to serve as a full-time missionary in a deaf ward! I understand a lot more than I thought I was going to but I am still needing to learn so much more. I try and make small conversation and most of the deaf members are very understanding and patient. Just being at church yesterday I was able to pick up new signs to add to my vocabulary. At church, I got to sing the hymns by signing them and I felt the spirit so strongly. Although I don't catch everything they are saying I know that as I practice and put my faith in God to help me I will be able to get there one day.

My companion and I cover one other ward that meets in the same church building. It's not a deaf ward but English family ward and I love it there so much too! The kids are all so cute. I do have to admit though that it has been a little bit different than a quiet YSA Ward where everyone is between the ages of 18-30, like I'm used to. We've got ALL ages and I love it!!

Wednesday was exchanges and so we were just trying to get settled into our new apartment and figure things out and then off to our area we went.

Thursday we went out tracting and didn't find anyone that was interested but we did get to invite people to learn more about Jesus Christ and sometimes that's all people are ready for. Recently the
sisters started teaching a Book of Mormon class to some deaf members since it's hard for them to understand it. Today just happened to be the day that the class is held. My companion Sister Evarts isn't fluent in ASL either and so we were nervous on how we were going to be able to teach it. Only two people showed up and we had practiced as much as we could. By taught 1 Nephi 4 and they actually understood us and said we did a really good job! Sister Is carts did most of the signing so she deserves way more credit than me. I just know that the spirit did most of the teaching and helped us to know what to say. We then had dinner with the bishop of our hearing ward and he went to Cal
Poly Pomona. His wife is even from Glendale and so they new exactly where I was from.

Friday we had what we call Zone training meeting and I got to meet my new Zone. My district is really cool and pretty funny so I have no doubt that this is going to be a great transfer! This is also my
companions last transfer before she goes home so we've got a lot to do.

Saturday night we had dinner for the first time since I had been in the area with a family from the deaf ward. The husband was deaf but his wife and 2 sons were hearing. He and his wife are both from
California and they had a picture of the LA temple in their home and it reminded me so much of home and how my mom is a temple worker there. Arturo, was so nice and I was able to communicate with him a little bit but he asked me to say the opening prayer which means I needed to sign it. I was a little terrified and it was a prayer that a 2 year old could give but I tried. Since then I now try and sign all my prayers which has helped me learn a lot more.

Heavenly Father has truly prepared me for this area. I have had much anxiety as I am trying to get to know my new area and how to communicate with the deaf members but in the times that I feel over
whelmed and wanting to have a slight panic attack I turn to my Savior and ask for help. As I have done that I have truly felt His enabling power to help me see my potential and know that as I try my hardest he will make up the rest.

In one of the programs yesterday at church there was a quote printed on the front that says, "Today's test is tomorrow's testimony"

Heavenly Father gives us opportunities to learn and progress so that we may learn and grow. And that is exactly what I have seen in my life. All though I have had harder tests on my mission, being in an
area where I can't readily communicate with the members has shown me how to exercise patience (mostly with myself) and a reliance on my Savior. I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for me. As I continue on in my journey called life this scripture has become a part of me and I want you all to ponder it in your hearts as well:

Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Love Sister McCammon ❤

 

I'm gonna miss Amanda! She started crying when I left. I'll be back in a year!

This is Kortney! She is literally the most amazing human being I have ever met.

 

These girls have easily become some great friends of mine. We're just missing Kassidee.

My stuff all ready and ready to be transferred. It's my first transfer on my mission!

 

The most amazing Sisters in the Cannon Zone, also my companion loves food and sleep just as much as I do so the picture was not a priority HAHA!!

 

Dinner at Bishop Dennison's house

 

It's kind of hard to tell from this picture but we were driving and got caught in a crazy snow storm. The power kept going out from the lighting and we both got a little scared when we couldn't see the lanes on the road. We made it home safe though!