August 31, 2015- "I love these sisters so much!"- it's also sister McBrides hump day Sept. 3rd. Mission half accomplished!

Sister Turner, sister Skagen and sister McBride


I love these sisters! I don't know what I was worried about being in a trio, I had heard trios were more challenging but, I love it! So far it's been a great experience and my companions have already been in one so they ken the trick of the trade of getting ready on time and working together efficiently. The first lesson we taught together was the law of chastity so that's a bonding moment! haha... I've learned a lot already from Sis Skagen and Sis Turner already.

(mom here: it is sister McBrides halfway mark on Sept 3rd and I sent her two packages. mainly because I was watching the weight and I didn't want it to go over so I sent two packages.) I got your packages mom! I loved it I did open one....hehe... but I will save the one for my hump-day. 

I know it's been weird realizing that this is my last time having these months on my mission. This is known as the 'black hole year' because not all sisters get and entire year from January to December. I feel like an Elder anyway with 4 Skype calls and missing two Christmases!! But it's ok :) It doesn't bother me as much as it used to.

So last week was super crazy we had a ridiculous moves day. So when we get transferred Monday we e-mail and that's it. Tuesday is normal and Wednesday is p-day until 6pm. So basically we had a party! Sister Reed left early in the morning for her train to Alloa and Sister Norin came to be my companion so it was us Sister Skagen and Jackson from Kirkclady, Sister Hinck and Milsoe from the neighboring district with Sister Buhler from Aberdeen. Sister Norin, jackson and Buhler had to wait for their companions who were coming in on the 8:50 train that night so we spent the whole day together! We went to a chippy place called Rockpool and then got permission to go to St. Andrews! It was really fun. I've seen all of it before but it was good. And I had to direct everyone becasue I was the only one who knew where we were going! haha but it was great. Our companions train was late though and it came in at half 9 instead so we had 5 sisters in our flat for the night because it was too late for them to get the next train home! so it was an adventure! 

Also our investigator Dmitry has a chance to come to church! We asked him to pray about an opportunity to come to church and it turns out the shop he works at is closing and going somewhere else and he is no longer employed! He was happy cuz he was too busy for 3 jobs anyway! So hopefully in a month he will come to church!

This week has been up really great. We are having a lot  fun together and I just figured out a new way to remember all the points of the 3 main lessons this morning! Sister Turner is very soft spoken and sweet and hasn't been ill very much she had migraines the past 3 months but she got vitamin supplements that have been really helping, though she gets them every once in a while. Sister Skagen is a hoot though. She keeps things interesting! haha she's also a very good missionary but has been a bit ill as well, so we had a fun adventure to Edinburgh last Wednesday. We took the elders car! Long story short their GPS sounds like a Jamacian man that Moos at you when you go over the speed limit haha. It was great fun.

We went to Edinburgh for a devotional that you can bring your less actives/recent converts to and it's at the mission home once every month. This one was a musical one and our recent convert of 18 who has been less active for a while came a long and she really loved it! She said she felt the Spirit and is so excited about the gospel again. I love it when peoples hearts are open and they allow the Spirit to speak to them and guide them.

got to run love you all!!

sister McBride 

Here are some pictures she sent of their moves day with the sisters.

Saying good bye to Sister Reed.

Sister Skagen  and I'm not sure of the other sisters.I believe that sister Norin might be on the end.

Not sure but I know sister Jackson is on the end black hair.

 Sister McBride and sister Skagen

sister McBride, ? and sister Hink?

 These are sweet women that take such good care of the sisters. Sister Diane and sister Hazel those are the first names I think I put on here that sometimes they call Hazelgranny but sister McBride says they call her Hazel and not granny. But I know they help out a lot when the sisters need it. Such great members.

Aug. 23, 2015- ' No letter'

I'm not sure what happened. I got a short little letter about 2:30 am saying that she was on. Every once in a while if w,e meaning her brothers and I, are on at the same time we can email back and forth we do this for couple of times and every once in a great while, and its' never long it's usually long enough to say Hi I'm doing great and I love you  and bye then she usually writes her long letter to the family. But this time that is all I got and no letter. I'm very sad. I hope everything is going well. I always makes me worried. maybe next week it's a longer letter.

August 17, 2015: "Glorius Moves call!"

Dundee zone picture. She says the two taking the pic are the AP's.. I wish I had all of the missionaries names. But, she just doesn't have the time to name them all. I'm just glad I get some pictures!

 This ones a little more serious. I noticed the senior couple isn't in this one.

Glorious Moves Call!

 I am staying here in Dundee and Sister Reed is headed to a place called Alloa in the Edinburgh Zone, but that's not the crazy bit.... So I'm getting 2 new companions! ... Yep you got it a trio with SIster Skagen (whom I know because she is like fluent in ASL and replaced me in Kirkcaldy) and then Sister Turner. She is a sister who has been a bit ill. I don't know what with but I guess she is super determined to stay out because she is moving here with Sister Skagen so that if there is a day (or multiple) that she simply can't go out and tract or go to lessons etc... then she will stay with Granny (Hazel Lancaster who won't answer to anything other than Granny, at least by the missionaries)

Then the two Elders that are in our ward Elder Reeder and Magby are both moving! Together! To Ireland to the Bangar zone where our district leader Elder Penman is going to white wash as a Zone Leader (which he has never before done) with Elder Beckstrand who I sang in the choir with. So the two Elders here are going to be replaced my the Chinese speaking missionaries... we think.

Also we are going to be moving flats! They're have been people coming to view our flat so we were going to get the Senior couples flat when they left in September but it so happens that Elders Reeder and Maby's flat is literally in the same block so that cannie happen.(mom here: they use these words over there like.. cannie and ken dunna... I'm not sure what they mean exactly but I love that I can tell she is picking up the lingo and using in her letters... haha..) SO they're deciding what to do because we have to leave! And everyone is coming in on Wednesday and I have no idea where we are going to fit a 3rd person... our bedroom has two huge double sized beds and all you can really do is walk around the sides. there's not even really space between the two mattresses! So I guess we'll be sleeping on the couches? anyway... it's exciting and also stressful.

I learned a lot about the great apostasy this week, that not only did people reject the apostles but when they did need answers and spiritual guidance after they were gone they didn't even bother to pray! The questions and decisions were answered and made by councils who discussed them. So Heavenly Father didn't only take away the Priesthood because of disobedience but they simply weren't looking for it and wouldn't have used it in the first place.

I also read about how it is never justified by God to enter a war or to retaliate to an enemy out of revenge or 'pay-back' but that The Lord will fight for the agency of His children. If war is being waged where others desire to oppress our speech, beliefs, and actions the Lord will help his people fight, because without those we are not able to progress. Our Father wants our progression, having said that people at the time after Christ and until America was colonized were oppressed. They were persuaded by their surroundings and culture, the traditions of their fathers, so there needed to be a place where people were free to progress not only individually but as a body and whole, where they could build churches off of their beliefs and this is what set up the scene for the restoration. anyway haha that was long but I learned that this morning and though it was cool :)

Also funny story of the week. Monday we went shopping, Tuesday we were at lunch and realized we didn't have oue=r loaf of bread that we bought... we lost our loaf of bread! So we have like no food in our flat haha. I just don't know how we lost a whole loaf! :D And we met a super nice 91 year old lady who didn't need a walker, hearing aids, and only had a simple pair of glasses. She is in good health for her age and she was telling us all these things about the war and how they had the black outs and that they dropped a bomb right in the middle of baxter park! (I walk through there every day) and that when the war was over everyone was dancing in the square. Ah it was soo cool I love old people.

Anyway I best go! Love you all! The Gospel is true and leads us to the truest happiness

Love Sister McBride

Aug. 10, 2015- "Week of heartbreak.... and Miracles!"

Alrighty! This week was great and full of a lot of miracles!

We had two investigator friends at church with us and one of them we just met on the street and invited! He came and said he really enjoyed so he might come back! It was awesome and we have already had a girl we met a while back text us and ask us if we can meet! Those two things don't happen very often!

Just a wee bit about the Scottish not only do they say a lot of stuff like Ken and dunnie ken but they also really like wearing kilts! There was the cutest 5year old kid just yesterday at church in a full on Kilt! they have these special vests and socks and other stuff that comes with it haha so it was pretty great.

One of our recently baptized friends has always been a bit up and down with her testimony. (or rather she thinks she doesn't have one when she does... I don't even know how that works but she manages) anyway she sent us a text that she has decided to officially leave the church and will not be accepting any phone calls from anyone. It's so hard because she just got a calling, she gave a talk 2 weeks ago in sacrament and she's been loving the church. We think her family might have convinced her of something that was not true.  Long story short we've been praying for her and our deaf friends Lily and Mark who have apparently given the Book of Mormon back to the church and are no longer coming.(mom here: Lily and Mark were sister McBrides first and only baptisms. Her and her companion had to learn sign language to be able to give them the lessons. They got permission from the President to go a few hours before their lessons to a member who would teach them how to sign the lesson the wanted to give then they would go to teach lily and Mark what they had just learned. It took a lot of time. In church Sister McBride and her companion would sign for them the sacrament talks and hymns and the RS and Sunday school lessons. So it was a lot of effort and love there... to me as a mom this is heartbreaking...)

Don't forget to pray about the little things. Our heavenly Father wants to help us with everything. I've learned that I make so many mistakes. I have them weighing on me and I feel like those mistakes in my teaching and in listening to the Spirit have caused these people to leave, to not have the stronger testimony that they should have, that I wasn't enough. Then we were sharing a thought with someone at dinner or something and I learned a lot about our short comings. (I learn so much from these thoughts we share) The Spirit can speak to me better and sometimes I say things that hadn't quite clicked in my head until that moment and I am given greater understanding. I realized this week even more about the atonement! I just can't even describe it....

We are in the work of the salvation of souls, that is exciting, scary and in all ways humbling. How could an all mighty being put such trust and faith and importance in one, small, imperfect being such as I? Truly because I'm not supposed to do it alone. Never are we given something that the Lord wont help us with. As much as I feel sometimes like I didn't follow the Spirit and therefore caused someone to loose their opportunity to salvation, He knows! Not only that others have agency but that I can repent and all will be made right and fair as long as I hold my desire and try to do my best.

"The Lord is my light then why should I fear?... How can I ever in darkness remain?" 

The gospel truly is simple: Do you're best, and use the Atonement.

"some people aren't closed off, they're just broken and ready to be fixed."

Love you all

Sister McBride

Here are some pictures of her adventures to Broughty castle. 

August 2, 2015 - "It was a hard week"

We saw this chapping and thought it was pretty funny. This is a door bell tapped to a door. We're pretty sure it doesn't work like that.... haha... it put a smile on our faces.

 


(mom here:) Sister McBride with her companion who is on the far left.  The other two sisters are the ones that they went on splits with. Holly the sister to the left of sister McBride (in blue) is going on a mission in two weeks to London but is going to the provo MTC. Chelsea The one on the far right wants to go on a mission but still is only 17.

 Lots of up and downs this week but we're doing great! I'll admit, this week was super duper hard.

Splits were a bit crazy. Holly is leaving in about 2 weeks now to Provo and then after the MTC she's off to the London South mission (kind of weird) but she went with me on splits and Chelsea went with sister reed. We planned on a lot of lessons but we only ended up with 4 so we each got 2 and one of our cancelled :/ it was our friends Jim who since has dropped us completely and no longer wants to be baptized... we're still not really sure why. He was nice about but we were still sad. I think I can officially say he was the first investigator I've cried over (just a wee bit). I've worried and pondered, plead and prayed but never cried until now. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that he was our only progressing investigator all the other ones we haven't been in contact with at all for the last 3 weeks due to different reasons and a missionary who isn't teaching is an unhappy missionary! So hopefully this week will be on the rise and we will be more diligent in our finding, chapping and contacting time so that we can find those prepared people. Anyway it was a day full of finding which is something  that I needed and I have a new found respect for trainers especially mine since Holly was afraid to talk to people and was just like me when I came out haha..

I just woke up Tuesday feeling rubbish. It's been hard because I have been a little homesick.  I think it's hitting me that I won't be there for Christmas or  for Conners Senior year and for Jim and Taelor going off to college and the family reunion! I think that is what's hard for me. I don't want anyone to change haha. I want to see Conner graduate I want to be able to be a family with just us (which is so selfish). I don't want things to be different when I get home and I know I can't have that and I knew I couldn't have that when I went out (I just didn't feel the effects of it until now) I just really miss everyone and it's been hard. I didn't think I would get this homesick! But I'm figuring out what to do and we've been talking with the Sister Training Leaders so that's helped and we have a really great district leader. He and his companion are giving us blessings tomorrow after District Meeting so that will be good. Ultimately I know that this is the most important work I could ever do next to having a family. That in WOW! 10months time I won't be wearing a name badge or talking with people about the gospel. It's just so hard to keep that perspective when you see the world running around you and you feel like your standing still, watching everyone live on without you. It's especially hard when you're not teaching anyone or your not seeing the rewards for your hard work so you feel like you need to work harder and then you feel overwhelmed by that idea and it just stresses me out. But I know that I am working hard! Yeah there are things I need to improve in but ultimately I want to serve and I'm serving the best I can. I know the Lord wants me here and that I will be blessed with uncountable blessings for my imperfect service! And that I take great comfort in. What is 18months for others eternal salvation? I've just been having a hard time lately, but it will pass and I hope it passes soon. Dunna worry too much about me I'm on the Lords side and He's walking the streets with me and is chapping every door that I chap. It'll be a great week!! :)

 The church is definitely true and this work is the work of the Lord and It's the most important thing in the world. we are apart of the salvation of souls.

Love you all!