So the way transfers works now... Saturday night we are told where we are going. Sunday is normal Monday is p-day and then we pack and Tuesday we move to our new area. So I thought I was going to stay for my last transfer. Sister Dignos and I made a great team and we really enjoyed being together. Honestly, President did a really good job putting us together. I love her so much. But Saturday night we waited and waited and then realized our phone was turned off.... So we turned it on and called Elder Nogueroles. I asked if I was leaving and he said, "No, let me start from the top." He did and eventually he got to our district and everyone is staying the same... except me. He said, "Sister MacKay, you are going to Loughborough..." I said, No, you have to be kidding. He said nope. I'm sorry. Sister Melville is replacing me. They are having a hard time with the idea of me leaving. It's really become a close district and I really don't want to leave. I couldn't fall asleep. But as Elder Nogueroles and I talked the next morning, we realized we just have to trust Heavenly Father. I get to go to an awesome area with a sister from Las Vegas who goes home one transfer after me. She is a sweetheart and had said she wanted to serve with me :), so that will be fun.
Monday we had a family home evening with a returning member and his family - it was fun. They are so sweet and now want us to come over once a week. It was all because Sister Spangler and I went up and talked to them.
Tuesday everyone cancelled so we went out finding and as we were leaving our neighborhood we found a potential. He remodels houses and rents them out. Haha sounds familiar. ;) We found a young mom and she was sweet. We found one other person on our way to district finding and then all our success stopped, and it became a day that you endure through. We had a lesson with Martin and he is slowly progressing. He is seeing some of the blessings come but is having a hard time being willing to acknowledge that it is the Spirit, but he will. His heart still needs a bit of softening, but he will be fine.
Wednesday was zone meeting and it was fun. The Spirit gave me a lot to work on for the rest of my mission, so I was grateful for that. I realized that if I can make sure that I hand my heart over to the Lord every day and seek the Spirit and go the extra mile each day to be obedient then these last 6 weeks will be amazing - hard, but awesome. And it will definitely change from day to day, but that's all right - as long as I am moving forward.
Thursday we helped the elders out with their investigator, Valerie. She is elderly and they weren't sure how much she was getting. Apparently I am really good at figuring out how much people understand so we met with her and they said it helped. Funny story - yesterday, when my tire went flat again, Elder Nogueroles was fixing it again and he asked me to call Valerie to see if they could come tonight. She said no and said she wants the women to come. She likes the women better! Hahah, I laughed so hard at Elder Nogueroles' face when I repeated what she said! After doing finding and getting ice cream after a long hard day, we went to the Scripture Study Class and then home. I realized that I have been working with members wrong and was again rebuked by the Spirit. Maybe that was Friday, but still it was a week of reflection, and self examination. But, it was all good, and we made a plan for how to be better and I am excited to put it into action in my new area.
Friday we went to Gainsborough.
Saturday we had flat inspections and they showed up a whole hour early but we were ready for them :) and passed with flying colors. It was a hard day to get going, but once we got out and changed our attitudes (aka repented), we found some awesome people and had my favourite 10 minutes of my mission. There is a potential investigator, Victoria, that we stopped by to visit. It's been a few years since missionaries found her, but since then, the Jehovah Witnesses have started working on her. When we stopped by, she kindly said that she is happy. We had just gotten the cards for the church's new Easter video and so we shared it with her and it started a conversation about Easter. We taught her about the fall, the atonement and the resurrection and, oh my goodness, the Spirit was undeniably there. She was the one that pointed it out. I have never felt so happy in my entire mission. She said we could come back and get her feedback on the video. With the Spirit that was there, at the end, she said, "I am still going to see what the Jehovah Witness' Easter memorial is about," but there was a silent 'but' and you could tell she wants more. So I am excited to hear how it goes. We have told members about that experience as we shared the video which brings in the Spirit, and they have made comments about how the Spirit has blown them away at the end of the video. I just love it! I love this ward and am sad to leave, but grateful for all the friends I have gained!!
I know that Christ really is risen and that He love us so much. I wish all of you could have felt the Spirit the way we did on Saturday. Know that I love you!!
Talk to you from Loughborough next week!!
Sister Ashley MacKay
Monday we had a family home evening with a returning member and his family - it was fun. They are so sweet and now want us to come over once a week. It was all because Sister Spangler and I went up and talked to them.
Tuesday everyone cancelled so we went out finding and as we were leaving our neighborhood we found a potential. He remodels houses and rents them out. Haha sounds familiar. ;) We found a young mom and she was sweet. We found one other person on our way to district finding and then all our success stopped, and it became a day that you endure through. We had a lesson with Martin and he is slowly progressing. He is seeing some of the blessings come but is having a hard time being willing to acknowledge that it is the Spirit, but he will. His heart still needs a bit of softening, but he will be fine.
Wednesday was zone meeting and it was fun. The Spirit gave me a lot to work on for the rest of my mission, so I was grateful for that. I realized that if I can make sure that I hand my heart over to the Lord every day and seek the Spirit and go the extra mile each day to be obedient then these last 6 weeks will be amazing - hard, but awesome. And it will definitely change from day to day, but that's all right - as long as I am moving forward.
Thursday we helped the elders out with their investigator, Valerie. She is elderly and they weren't sure how much she was getting. Apparently I am really good at figuring out how much people understand so we met with her and they said it helped. Funny story - yesterday, when my tire went flat again, Elder Nogueroles was fixing it again and he asked me to call Valerie to see if they could come tonight. She said no and said she wants the women to come. She likes the women better! Hahah, I laughed so hard at Elder Nogueroles' face when I repeated what she said! After doing finding and getting ice cream after a long hard day, we went to the Scripture Study Class and then home. I realized that I have been working with members wrong and was again rebuked by the Spirit. Maybe that was Friday, but still it was a week of reflection, and self examination. But, it was all good, and we made a plan for how to be better and I am excited to put it into action in my new area.
Friday we went to Gainsborough.
Saturday we had flat inspections and they showed up a whole hour early but we were ready for them :) and passed with flying colors. It was a hard day to get going, but once we got out and changed our attitudes (aka repented), we found some awesome people and had my favourite 10 minutes of my mission. There is a potential investigator, Victoria, that we stopped by to visit. It's been a few years since missionaries found her, but since then, the Jehovah Witnesses have started working on her. When we stopped by, she kindly said that she is happy. We had just gotten the cards for the church's new Easter video and so we shared it with her and it started a conversation about Easter. We taught her about the fall, the atonement and the resurrection and, oh my goodness, the Spirit was undeniably there. She was the one that pointed it out. I have never felt so happy in my entire mission. She said we could come back and get her feedback on the video. With the Spirit that was there, at the end, she said, "I am still going to see what the Jehovah Witness' Easter memorial is about," but there was a silent 'but' and you could tell she wants more. So I am excited to hear how it goes. We have told members about that experience as we shared the video which brings in the Spirit, and they have made comments about how the Spirit has blown them away at the end of the video. I just love it! I love this ward and am sad to leave, but grateful for all the friends I have gained!!
I know that Christ really is risen and that He love us so much. I wish all of you could have felt the Spirit the way we did on Saturday. Know that I love you!!
Talk to you from Loughborough next week!!
Sister Ashley MacKay