The Swap

Hi everyone! 

It has definitely been a week but we had some amazing things happen!

Sometimes when we text the wrong person, God makes it work! We have two Nates that we are working with. One of them is someone we are teaching and the other one is a new convert. We were supposed to have a lesson with our friend Nate but I accidentally texted the new convert Nate to confirm our lesson. He said he could and then I realized he was the wrong one but it was good because we haven't been able to do a lesson with him for a while! It turns out the other Nate had to cancel so everything worked out! By the end of the lesson I realized that he needed to hear the message we were led to give him and it was one of those moments that helped me know for a fact that God knows exactly what He is doing and that He is leading this work!

We also were able to get Theresa to church this week! She is a recent convert that we haven't been able to get to church since I've gotten to Green Bay! We've really been trying to get her involved with the members so that she would want to come and it worked! We talked to her this morning and she said she loved it! She told us that it gave her a spiritual boost! Church is definitely a place where we can be lifted up! 

This is something that I didn't realize before my mission but we spend more time looking for people to teach than we do actually teaching. It has been really hard the last couple weeks finding people to teach. Luckily we do already have a good amount of people that we are teaching and we have found a lot of success in helping the new converts and members that are needing to be uplifted. I've been pondering the question why am I out here a lot lately. I know that I am here to help people come closer to Christ and to feel the joy and peace that he brings. I am learning that you don't need to have a ton of baptisms to be a successful missionary. I feel like at least right now God's plan for me is to continue to help those we are teaching and to also focus on those who have already been baptized. To remind them the joy that they once felt and to help them find their way back to their Heavenly Father. I know how easy it is to get lost and wonder off but I also know how worth it it is to come back. We did our facebook post this week on the parable of the lost sheep and how the shepherd left the 99 to find that one lost sheep. I know that Jesus Christ is able to find that one lost sheep and I have learned that He places people in our lives to help rescue us. I am so thankful for all the amazing people he has placed in my life that helped me and I am so thankful to have this opportunity to be someone that He can use to help find those lost sheep!

We have been called as the facebook page admin for our zone which is exciting but I am not gonna lie I was a little scared. I'm still learning how to be a missionary, I am training a new missionary, and now I'm in charge of facebook. I was feeling overwhelmed. I was letting my fear overcome my faith. Then in my personal study I decided to read next week's Come Follow Me. The section that I flipped to was God calls us to do his work despite our inadequacies. It talked about how even Enoch the prophet felt overwhelmed but that the Lord gave him courage to do it. 

Moses 6: 31-32

"And when Enoch had heard these words, he bowed himself to the earth, before the Lord, and spake before the Lord, saying: Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant?

32 And the Lord said unto Enoch: Go forth and do as I have commanded thee, and no man shall pierce thee. Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance, for all flesh is in my hands, and I will do as seemeth me good."

God will ask you to do hard things because that is what he needs you to do. It will be for your benefit because you will learn from it but it is also for others. We need to trust God. He knows what He is doing and He will give you strength to do it! I know that I am definitely not perfect but God doesn't ask us to be perfect. He asks us to do everything we can to try our best and he will make up the rest that we can't do. 

We were able to share this with one of the members we are working with and we extended the invitation to her to pray for the courage to do something that God needs you to do. She told us she has been trying to quit smoking and we are so excited to continue to work with her to meet that goal!

This was a little longer and more serious email but I don't want to make it seem like everything is always perfect in missionary life. It is the hardest thing ever but it is so worth it. I would never change the hard times because then I  would never have experienced the complete joy and miracles that I have been able to see. 

I just wanted to remind you all that your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love you so very much! They will give you the strength to do everything that They ask you to do! Keep relying on your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ! And if you don't know how or need help, reach out to me! I would love to help you feel the peace and joy that comes from Jesus Christ!

I love and miss you all so much! I hope you have a great week!

♡Sister McGary 

Pictures:

1. Snacks make weekly planning more fun!

2.The Good Shepherd 

3. Our last district picture. Luckily not much is changing to it!