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!

July 27- It was a wee scary week! haha.. But it's all good!

I don't know the other two sisters but this is a sweet member Diane.

Sister Reed and I are going on splits all day this Wednesday with two girls named Chelsea and Holly. Holly has her call and is headed off on her mission in 3weeks so she will be going around with me, and Sister Reed will be going with Chelsea she's only 17 but she's so mature for her age and she wants to be a missionary so bad haha. It'll be weird being apart from my companion with out another full time missionary by my side for basically a whole day! It's been hard getting double appointments for that day though. We'll need a lot so that we can split them up but so far everyone wants to schedule on any day except Wednesday! haha It'll be fun though C:

We had our friend Jim come to church so that was great! He's a really nice guy and he's loving the gospel. He's already felt the Spirit in his life so it's easy for him to recognize truth. It's great he's such an easy teach. We thought our friend Robert was going to come because he confirmed with us the night before but he wasn't there and his phone was off again :/ So we'll see what happens. We'll see our friend Paula finally! She's been away in Turkey for a much needed holiday but we weren't able to follow up with her on if she felt good about her baptismal date before she left so hopefully she still feels good about it.

We were a little sleep deprived on Sunday due to an awful prank call by a private number! I was a bit dazed and answered it and for about 10 seconds there was silence and then for a half a second I heard this creepy voice on the other end but hit end call before it could get a whole word out. We weren't in any danger we were just super creeped because it kept calling us one right after the other that we didn't even have time to switch the phone off. it ended up calling us quite a few times before we managed to hit the power. Granted we also tried calling the Zone leader Elders and the Sister Training leaders but neither of them answered so we switched off the phone. We were both really creeped out that we stayed up for the next hour and a half first singing hymns and then just chatting to each other to try and clam ourselves down. The number never called again and we weren't in any danger it was just a strange experience. So yeah we were a bit sleep yesterday and today! 

  

AND, one of the ZL's Elder Wells scared me out of my skin Saturday morning! The window by our study table is by the walk way and you have to pass it to get to our door. They were dropping something off but we didn't know. The window is a bit higher up so Elder Wells jumps up to it and just screams this terrible sound. I'm thinking it's like some demented seagull (cuz those things are crazy) but when I looked up I saw the face of a man and because of the light shining behind him it didn't look like Elder Wells so I screamed really loud.... both him and Elder Lattin thought it was hilarious. I will admit it brightened up my mood haha so things are always interesting in Dundee.

But we really have been seeing miracles and we have been talking to such nice people lately! It's been great We were chapping just the other day and I thought to myself "wow, I really love missionary work! how great is it that I can be out here talking to people and sharing with them the restored gospel of our Saviour Jesus Christ?! In Scotland?!" It was a small but good feeling and it helped me remember that I am in the right place at the right time. C:

Yeah sometimes the bluntness of the Scottish can be fairly frustrating! I mean theirs a fine line between blunt and rude which not all people seem to be able to see. A common phrase is: "I'm not being cheeky but..." and then they go on to be condescending or round aboutly call us satanic worshippers. So that's fun. I'm amazed at the amount of patience I have actually! I mean I don't know where it came from but literally I hardly ever get angry at my companion or even people. Sure they frustrate me in the moment (especially when they ask me a question like well prove this and I get a total of one word out and then they interrupt me) but ultimately I don't really fester over anything afterwards I leave them on their way and have a prayer in my heart. it's crazy and definitely a blessing from God.

I got a set of mini scriptures for £4.50 they're awesome! I can carry all 4books and it weighs about as much as a... well I don't know but they're super light! C: It's awesome.

Also our Less active friend Ann (McHugh) we're helping her clean her loft and she has SO much stuff I mean just tons it's amazing anyway she has a ridiculous amount of shoes and she found a pair of clark boots that had been on sale that she forgot she bought and she said she didn't want them so she gave them to me! they're super nice and water proof I mean they will definitely last the rest of my mission. She's such a nice lady.

So yeah that's about all I can think of at the moment! It's been a great week and I'm looking forward to this one! We're having a great time!

I know that this is the Lords work and that he calls imperfect men to do important things because He knows the blessings and knowledge we will receive from it. The Gospel is true in all its aspects and can therefore bless us in every aspect of life. I love the Lord in Him my soul delights 2 Nephi 4

Love you all,

Sister McBride 

 

 

 Here are a few pictures...

 

 

I beliee this is a panoramic view of dundee where she lives.

July 20, 2015 - ' A BAPTISMAL DATE is set!'

a sweet picture from Sister McBride

Hello all!

This week was good and crazy and everything! :) Our friend Jim accepted the invite to baptism on the 30th of August! :D he's awesome and is already very close to the spirit! We didn't see ANY of our investigators this week except for Jim and there are 6 of them all together so that's 5 total. :/ it was pretty lame. we're feeling a bit down on our numbers that we had to report but we have a lot of appointments lined up for this week so hopefully things will go well!

Our district leader Elder Penmann asked me to give a training on humility for our district meeting tomorrow so I've been studying up on that for the past few days and it's a hard one! At least for me it's hard to develop haha but as all christlike attributes not only is it a commandment to be humble but it's mainly a loving invite to improve so that our heavenly Father can bless us more. How awesome is that? This will be the second time I've given a training and the last one was at our last district meeting before transfers and I trained on what makes a progressing investigator progressing? So.. goodness fun times I hope I can teach my the spirit..! 

 

Prayer is definitely powerful the City Quay (key) Elders lost our keys haha! They needed one set of ours to open the church to find their keys but they were lost and then they lost ours a couple of hours later. Luckily we have two sets to our flat but only one to the church. They prayed to find them though and they did! In this big grass area of the park that should have been impossible to find them in about 24 hours after they lost them! I think it really helped them see the blessings of prayer.

 

 (they have a fan going in this library! It's perfectly fine in here, cold outside and they have a fan!..... only in Scotland...)

we also got to see The Singing Children of Africa! They are all from Kenya and it is a charity that is founded by a member from Scotland. Her and her husband went on holiday to Africa and were so appalled at the lack of education and basically everything that they started a charity and now their school funds I think 700 hundred childrens education! so a few choice children come to Europe and sometimes the US and do a tour to raise money. They range from the ages of 6 or 7 to about 12 and then 4 older guys went along to help do the drums and stuff. It's really awesome. Bought myself a bracelet and got to meet 2 of the teachers Grace and Stella because they were staying at the homes of the members and they were in our recent convert Lisa house so we shared a thought with them when we went over and they came to church with us on sunday! Stella walks an hour to church! I can understand why the church in Africa is booming because people over there are so religious I mean their churches are few and far away but so many of them take the day to gather together in them even though they don't always have ceilings and usually have dirt floor. Grace takes a bus for an hour and then walks 45 min to her church! They are basically awesome! I have a few pics.

LOVE YOU ALL!

Sister McBride

 

 

 

July 13, 2015 -Things are great here in Dundee!

Hello everyone!

Sorry I didn't get to reply to many of you today but know that I read your e-mails and I am so grateful for your support and love and I will write you back for sure!!

Things are great here in Dundee and we have a new investigator friend named Jim! We met him on the street and then invited him to church and he came! we had a lesson with him after and he actually read the pamphlet that we gave him! It was awesome. Also we have like 6 dinner appointments this week! I can't even believe it!!!! I feel like a Utah missionary. I'm going to be so fat this week.  we met a man on the street the other day named Jim and then we invited him to church (through txt the next day) and he actually came! and now he's an investigator so that was super cool!

 

Lots of fun for this week, we have Zone interview training which is a big meeting where the zone gets together and we have a training as well as an interview with the president! so it will be fun! Also Sister Griffiths parents know Elder Hornberger who I sang in the choir with and... He might still be in my zone not sure but yeah crazy small world! It's very rainy today so hopefully it will lighten up a bit. We had someone hammering above us in the wee hours of the morning this week! So that was frustrating but other than that it's been good

LOVE YOU ALL! Stay strong and believe in the wonderful.

With love always,

Sister McBride

June 28, 2015- "Things were good this week"

She send this picture and said 'The Elders got some hand-me-down bikes and needed to use our flat for safe keeping. Well we weren't in at the time so this is what we found when we came home. That is... my bed! XD...

 Mom here: I thought that was a hoot! Is it bad of me as a mom and after laughing the first thing that came to my mind was... she didn't make her bed! I always say make your bed EVERYDAY!.... it helps begin your day great!

Hello all!

We're headed off to St. Andrews today! :D hopefully we'll get a good amount of time there. They have the oldest university and abbey over there so were excited. I sent some pics of it once before but we were only there for like 20min hopefully this will be more like an hour and then we can go see the St. Andrews castle. C: (unless you have to pay, then we'll just go get ice cream at one of the oldest gelato places ever! :D 

 

So this week is our Presidents last e-mail to us as president!! This Saturday we will be meeting our new president in Edinburgh!

 

Things were good this week. Wednesday was a bit difficult as ALL of our 5 lessons fell through. SO it was an entire day of traveling places finding people not in then going chapping or fishing, (mom here: chapping is tracking and fishing is street contacting) but it was ok after that.We were blessed with 2 new investigator friends this week! We actually ended up having a lesson with a Seventh day Adventist who tried to convince us that we were worshipping wrongly and breaking the commandments because the Sabbath was on Saturday.... *sigh* lets just say that patience really is a virtue when you're trying to bear your testimony of the restored gospel and they're completely not paying attention. haha so yeah he was nice enough, he was just trying to convert us.

 

 We're teaching a girl Emma, and her mom keeps saying 'oh well I can't really see her joining the church because she's living with her partner, she's not married and he doesn't like religion but she can always join later in life and it's good for her to know what we're talking about.' She has forgotten the point of baptism. yes it is to become a member, but ultimately it is the saving ordinance that we need in order to gain salvation!

Sorry if I dodn't get to reply to everyone I don't have much time today but I love you all and have a great week!

 

Quick thought this week.. So many times in PMG (Preach My Gospel) it says to exercise spiritual power. I'm positive that the morning work out for missionaries was also established to see the effects of a physical work out and apply that spiritually. If we are willing to work hard to maintain our bodies how much harder are we going to be able to work to maintain and exercise our spiritual bodies? It's awesome anyway... That's my random thought for the week... Love you all!!!  GTG bye!  GTG (means Got To Go.. sounds like she was in a hurry to get all of her writing in to head off for some fun!)

Sister McBride

 

 

Sorry, I'm not sure of the building she is standing in front of. She often times doesn't get enough time to tell me every time about the pictures. The computers take a bit longer to upload etc and it eats into her time so I know when I don't get a description she is short on time. But a neat building and cute girl none the less.  :)

June 22, 2015: ' HEY HEY'

Sister McBride with President Brown and his wife. This will be the last picture she gets with them. The new mission president is coming the 1rst week of July.

Hey hey!

So most people have heat and sunshine and we have clouds and rain. Came down pretty good yesterday but luckily we weren't out too much. it is warmer. I don't feel frozen fingers any more but I mean, I'll be honest, it's like the weather of mid November in Arizona here! Scotland gets like 3 real days of summer and then it's back to its normal self ;) But you've got to love life even with all it's crazy circumstances!

 We had an interesting relief society activity about funerals! What to plan, wear, coffins, what funeral plans to by, where and what different ways you can get buried. Did you know that there is a place in America where you can send them some of your ashes (well you family would send them your ashes) and they make you into a diamond?! Kinda creepy to have your family wearing you around on jewelery but also awesome to be able to literally become a diamond after you die.... but mostly just kinda morbid. There was this sweet funny older lady that is like out of an old black and white film. She's got that sweet high pitched voice and she's just super naive, in a good way. They were talking about spreading peoples ashes and that you have to get permission otherwise it's illegal and she says "Really? Oh, my husbands been spread over the swany ponds!" She's hilarious. It was definitely the most interesting relief society activity I've been to. I hope yours goes well mumsy! take pics and send me some! C: 

This week was good we met with our investigators Nick, Robert and Clinton. Nick has taken the lessons before and he was never baptized so we're not sure where to go with him, but he's nice enough. Though we actually took a girl with us as a joint teach and apparently she does not like him at all so that was a bit awkward! But Robert is cool though he flat out said no to coming to church says he's too busy. That just frustrates me because he's not too busy to meet with us every Wednesday morning! But he's nice and we'll get him eventually. Clinton is... interesting. He mainly just has a bunch of questions that he thinks are really deep and that we don't have answers to whereas we do we juts cant spout them out to him because otherwise he'll just get more and more confused. We keep telling him this and that we need to have a foundation first and that all of his questions are answerable. We had a good joint teach with us who is a returned missionary from Brazil, her names Rowan, she was really helpful.

We haven't heard from our Latvian friend Dmitry, which is unusual so we hope everything is going oK... Hopefully we hear back.

Remember that the book of Mormon is the most true book on this earth and it will be the most helpful thing in strengthening your testimony of Jesus Christ. Never forget what studying the book of Mormon has done. There will be people that try and tell you that" the book of Mormon doesn't testify of Jesus Christ" or that "it can't possibly be right because why would we need anything more than the Bible". Listen to what your Heavenly Father tells you pray about the book of Mormon and your testimony will be strengthened.

I love you all and Hope you have a fantastic week! Yay for summer break!

Lots of love

Sister McBride

 Me and Sister Brown. I just LOVE her!

This was taken near where I live.

June 16, 2015- Great Week This Week!

Hey everyone! great week this week!

this Monday was Zone development where we get together with our whole Zone and play games and do sports and just have a bunch of fun! C: It's an all day thing and they have it because Scotland missionaries tend to get... well, depressed not only because of the weather but also the people are hardy and it is a very prominent country for Catholics and protestants and then the there's people in the middle that just see the bad that comes from religion and tell you to go away and stop causing problems. So Zone D is meant to enliven and brighten our spirits. and it works! C: Im super sore from running around everywhere though XD

This week was amazing we went on exchanges and I got to be with Sister Montgomery. We had a great experience when we were headed back to our flat for the end of the night from Hilltown (about 5min bus ride away). We caught a bus even though we could have walked (but I've been stuck in Hilltown before with 15 min to get in the flat for the night and it's a 20min walk! so we took a 22 bus) So we were almost home and I just randomly decided to push the the stop button and get of at an earlier bus stop and walk so that we could stop people along the way home. Well it just so happens that a guy got off at the same one and it was someone that Sister Montgomery had taught once when she was here for a transfer back in November or October! His names Nick and he was a former investigator but he had said that he had been reading the Book of Mormon on his own! we set up and appointment for the next morning (which never happens) and he said he wanted to start taking the lessons again! How amazing is that? That the Lord guided us to be in the right place at the right time with the right people! All we need to to is continue trying to do the right things! C:

We have 3 new investigator friends this week and it's great to feel like our efforts have paid off. Sister Reed and I have been working for a long time to be diligent in stopping and talking to anyone and everyone. We have now beun to see the trust that the Lord is placing in us as we do our best to talk to all of His children even if they don't want to listen. As Elder Holland said "Don't you ever! Judge anyone on whether or not they need the gospel. Christ talked to all. Your most effective tool that you have are words" How true?! especially in the account of Josph Smith 1st vision. The adversary can't kill him, he doesn't have that power. So the next damaging thing he could do was to bind his tongue. How crazy is that? So remember all- your words are important!

Got to go but 3 Nephi 14:9-11. Remember that God loves you and wants the best for you all you have to do it talk to him through sincere prayer. Our heavenly father loves us and will always give us the best gifts that He can. C:

PS totally didn't pull that scripture out from memory guys, I'm not that good XD haha..

Love you all!

Sister McBride

June 8, 2015- Elder Holland was pretty dang intense!!

Sister McBride and Sister Reed with sister Reed's new hair cut.

Talk about some spiritual intensity this week!

Elder Holland came to Scotland to have a broadcasted conference with the surrounding areas and it was great! The missionaries in Scotland go to have their own conference on the Saturday before his broadcast.

He is pretty dang intense! All of the missionaries in Scotland met at the church by the mission home at 3 o'clock sharp! We were all waiting in the hall ready to go into the chapel and we were whispering to each other about how people have heard that talks from Elder Holland are like 70% rebuke and 30% not! They were almost like horror stories of how we might be told how we need to be doing better and be more obedient. which ultimately through his teachings the spirit was able to let us know. Elder Holland has some bright piercing blue eyes though... totally made eye contact for like 2seconds and thought my eyes were going to light on fire....

He had this clip on mic so he was able to walk around and there was one point towards the beginning that he asked us a question and then he bends down and grabs this Elder sitting on the edge of the pew by the back of the head gets close and stares him in the face shaking him (almost shouting) saying "Elder! Do you know!?" He releases him and says something like: "just checking" Poor elder was scared out of his mind! It was amazing to have an apostle expound scripture to us. We talked about Nicodemus and why he misunderstood Christ and how Christ was able to go to his level of understanding and help him have a spiritual experience.

He would do this thing where he would be talking and explaining and then he would say very sternly "don't you EVER! forget your mission" or "let one moment pass to share the gospel" etc. He said don't you EVER a lot. It was way cool I wish I could tell you everything in one e-mail! I'll have to give more info next time! But it was definitely amazing seeing him and I got to shake his hand! all the missionaries did. I didn't get many pics of the actual event cuz we were mostly in the chapel... so yeah no pics with elder Holland but I took one with my mind! C: He has a strong testimony and something that I loved of what he said on Sunday is that when he was a missionary he could 'testify' of the gospel, but now as an apostle he can 'witness' of its truth fullness. Isn't that awesome?!? it was great I got lots of chills and I am now more motivated to become the best missionary I can possibly be!

 We had a great lesson with our investigator Dimirty and hopefully we will have him with a baptismal date soon! And our investigator Kris is doing awesome. he doesn't always keep his commitments but he is also getting himself off of drugs and it's amazing to see the change in him! His eyes are becoming so much more clear every time we see him it's great!

The Lord is directing his church and this is His gospel. We can find the fullness of joy through living it and continuing to grow. He loves us and always will! He desires the best for us and all He asks is to strive to do go and talk with Him through prayer. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and your greatest source of help. Please don't forget to read it.

With love to you all,

Sister McBride

 

 

Here are a few of her pictures from her Mission Eastern Conference to see Elder Holland.

 

 

On the Dock. Not sure quite where.

With a couple of missionaries in her District. I don't know their names.

On the train ride.

 Another picture on the dock.

On the train ride. A few elders from her district.

 

 Sister Reed, Sister McBride, and Elder Scheuermann.