March 23th 2015- Mission Choir, and St. Andrews

Looks like sister McBride had a great time at St. Andrews. Looks like it was a stormy day too. Some exciting news she told us in a written letter that I thought I would share. Sister McBride told us that she has made the mission Easter choir! See 7 years of choir came in handy! It is a pretty big deal there. She had to try out for it, apparently she did it over the phone. They are given music to practice then each missionary tries out. It's usually not over the phone but for some reason she had to. She made it as an Alto. She has never sung Alto she says she is really nervous. The mission (SIM) has an Easter choir and a Christmas choir. The missionaries get to tour the mission and sing at different castles and cathedrals/churches. Sister McBride was also asked to play her flute so not only does she get to sing but she also gets to play the flute as well. They are touring this week and part of next week. We are so excited and proud of her! Sounds like she is having loads of fun!

Sister McBride at St. Andrews Castle

Hello everyone!

Sorry I won't have time to send back very many personal e-mails to some of you. We're doing a fast e-mail today due to our trip to Edinburgh later today! My companion and I are in the missionary Easter Choir and we get to go to a bunch of different churches and castles and sing! haha it's pretty cool. But mainly it's awesome to be able to sing songs about the savior all week and invite others to learn about him through the gift of music. My companion will be signing a song for our deaf friends while I'm singing with a group of a few other missionaries. 

These past few weeks I've learned a lot. For so long I felt like I needed to be having these crazy awesome spiritual experiences, but since I wasn't having very many I thought maybe I was doing something wrong. Then we went to Zone conference in Dundee and there was and Elder there who talked about his very similar experience and he said he said a prayer for help as he was about to stop a person. Before he told us the outcome of the experience my heart raced and I thought "oh no, he's going to say that he had this awesome experience and the person was totally baptized!" But he didn't. He said the words came out in a jumble and that the person really wasn't too interested. Then I realized, "I am normal!" I thought that I wasn't doing enough, didn't have enough faith, because I wasn't having all of these great outcomes when I prayed and did something I didn't want to. I felt that I was alone and that Heavenly Father couldn't help me progress because I wasn't doing what I needed to be doing, but now I see that he was there the whole time. The things was, was that I needed really small baby steps. I was learning to walk. He was there holding my hands like you would a child. Helping my cross the room. I wanted to go faster, but he would hold me back knowing that I wouldn't be able to handle anything more.

Our newest convert Lily went to the temple this last friday and saturday to do baptisms! She loved it and her husband was there with her waiting outside since he hasn't been baptized yet. They are the cutest couple and Mark is becoming happier as he learns more about the gospel.

The Glenrothes Elders Had a recent convert just baptized about a week ago her names Anne. We;ve come good friends with her and she had us over for dinner the other night (or tea). I was able to relate all these things that I've been learning and going through to help her in her life! She felt since she was baptized she was supposed to be feeling totally different and super spiritual all the time and I was able to help her realize what I had come to realize! It was so cool! Plus she said I was a good missionary and that keeps me going. Anne's just about the nicest person you could ever know.

Also the Presidents Sister, Stella took us down to St. Andrews where we saw an old cathedral! If I can't get them to e-mail, I'll have my mum post them on FB or something *Thanks mom!* Also we went to the beach where they filmed that scene from the movie chariots of fire? I've never seen it but it was cool! A bit of a stormy day but still awesome C: 

Love you all! Thanks for the encouragement and e-mails!

Sister McBride

Mom: here are the pictures she sent This of St. Andrews Castle and one of her and her companion and the woman they baptized and her husband who they are teaching. 

Sister McBrides travles to Anstruther and St. Andrews

Sister McBride said they were off to go to Anstruther and St. Andrews. Here is a little bit of where they were going to visit. It looks like a  charming and fun fishing village to visit.

 

Anstruther was originally founded as a fishing village, Anstruther is home to the Scottish Fisheries Museum. Its main industry is now tourism, although other small scale manufacturing and service industries continue.^{[citation needed]} Recreational vessels are now moored in the harbour, and a golf course is situated near the town. Anstruther Pleasure Cruises operate sightseeing/wildlife cruises from the harbour to the Isle of May, the UK's primary puffin location, on board the vessel the May Princess from April to October. An abundance of other wildlife, including seal colonies, also inhabit the island. The Waid Academy, the local state comprehensive school, is a focus of the community and through its secondary role as a community centre. Anstruther has a parish church at its center that is perched on a small hill. This structure incorporates a tower/spire feature rare to Britain, but common to the area.

This is St. Andrews. Looks like another fun historical place to visit. Known world wide as the "home of golf" Looks like a lot of fun to be had!

 




 

 I wonder what they ended up doing and the places they saw. Maybe we will get some pictures next week of her adventures.

March 16, 2015- 'This week was good'

A short but sweet letter from Sister McBride today! as always though it would be great if you could pray for her (them) to have courage to open their mouths and proclaim the gospel. It might be easy for some but harder for others even if you have a strong testimony and love sharing it's message.

Hello! this week was good!

It's not been as rainy as everyone thinks it to be though. I can't say I've been out in pouring rain. It was almost there once and water was literally dripping from my beanie and into my face, but we weren't out for long and it really wasn't too bad.

We had a great experience with Lily and Mark yesterday. Lily told us that she kept being prompted by Heavenly Father to go to church! Well she tried and tried, 3 times but she didn't feel right at any of them/didn't like them. I knew all that but what I didn't know was that it wasn't until a whole year later that Sister Wilkinson slipped a mormon.org card through their door! I felt the spirit testify to me that I was meant to be here and to teach them and that I am so lucky to have the opportunity to know them and to get to learn sign language.

I got a flute! So they asked me to play the flute for a couple songs in the missionary choir. the President and his wife came and gave it it to me on Sunday! (they mainly came for mothers day) but I'm so excited. I haven't been able to play it yet, but I can't wait!

Also we're going to a place called Anstrutter and St Andrews today to see some historical sights so that will be fun!

Love you all!

March 2nd and 9th letters - Lilly's baptism and humility

sorry I didn't get her letter last week on here so  there are two March 2nd and 8th.

March 2nd letter

HIya!

Lily our deaf investigator was baptized this week!!! :DD She is the first deaf investigator that we came in contact with. She's from Malaysia and moved here to Scotland when she married her husband Mark who is also deaf. She basically awesome and bakes and cooks delicious Malaysian food! It's probably the best, actual spicy stuff I've had since I've been out!

Her baptism went so good. There were quite a few people from the ward (though we hoped for more). But Bishop Dewey, the professional translator from Ayr who's really been helping us out took the time to drive 2hours here and translate for us! He's way cool and super good. Lily really felt the spirit. her testimony is amazing! and now her husband is a lot more excited to be baptized and go to the temple! They're just the cutest! I'm hoping they'll be going through the temple just as I get off my mission and then I can go through with them! :D But we'll see. When lily was confirmed this sunday the ward was really inspired by her. Se teared up and was just glowing! Even though she didn't say anything, I was amazed at how much her spirit touched others. She is awesome!! Plus I love learning sign language!

This week was a hard week. I've still been struggling with stopping people on the street and getting a QGC, but! We went on exchanges. Exchanges are inspired! Sister Wilkinson and I were just kinda having a hard time not being annoyed with each other. You just go through those phases ya know? where you get along really well and then there's just days where everything you do annoys one another! haha anyway it was kinda one of those days. But on exchanges Sister Sawyer really helped me see how there are different ways to approach people and I kept trying to do it like Sister Wilkinson but it just wasn't natural. So I'm going to try different ways and see what works best for me C: It's just another experience where prayer has helped me through and has been the way that I have received answers.

Also! Another great experience with prayer!! *drum roll* I made it into the missionary choir!! I prayed to be in it.. which might be vain of me but I really wanted to be a part of it! But yay! I made it! And I made it as an alto! Basically they called me and I told them my choir background ( I knew there was a reason why I stuck with it for 7 years!) I made it in cuz I can sight read and I sang over the phone for them. There are only about 20people in the choir and about 5altos overall so I'm really lucky! (I didn't tell them that I've never sung alto in my life....) Anyway we have the music and we practice on our own and then get together and sing a a bunch of different castles basically! It's going to be so fun. Especially since it's easter (which is a slightly bigger holiday over here) and we get to sing all of the songs about the Savior and His Resurrection. C: I'm super excited.

Anyway there are a lot of miracles that happened this week and I know it's through prayer, diligent study and hard work that we can receive those things. I also know that the grace of Christ is sufficient for all. I love the gospel. and it's so great to know and see how the gospel can change people. It's definitely changed me and has helped me through so many things.I know Jesus lives and is our Savior and that this gospel is how we return to him.

March 8th letter

HELLO everyone!

Sister Wilkinson and I are staying together! I'm happy that we are since she's the only other missionary who knows BSL, but also stressed because that means next transfer for sure she will leave! So thats scary, she's been here all of her mission so far and she's only been out 2transfers earlier than me so it's been a while!

Lily is going to the temple next week! She can go do baptisms for the dead! It truly is a tender mercy and miracle that the ward planned to travel up to the Preston temple on the weekend that the deaf people go and have everything signed! Ah! So cool. Her Husbands not baptized yet so he wont go in, but he's said he's perfectly happy waiting outside. One of our investigators daughters came to church! Her mum just had a baby so she didn't come but her daughter has been struggling and she told her mom she wanted to go to church and the girl was just so happy when she was there, it made me smile. She's so shy, but her mom is really seeing how the gospel is helping her daughter and is more excited to learn about it.

I've learned a lot about humility while being out... I have realized that when we are frustrated with someone it is often because we are truly upset with ourselves for something we can't do/havent done. I have thought about that in moments when I'm upset and I am amazed at the truthfulness of it!

Love you all!

Sister McBride