Don't Shut the Door on Him - January 4, 2016

 

What's up Fam! I'll get right to it, we've got 6 more weeks in Conrad! Super relieved, I DID NOT want to leave. Love it here, the ward is awesome, and this last transfer went by insanely fast. Past week was a good one too!

- broke out the Mickey Mouse waffle maker Sister Asbury so kindly gave me for Christmas. Elder Asbury claims I have an addiction for that mouse... Can't deny it.

- sizzled my hand making ramen. Turned on the wrong stove and the pot handle was over the stove that was on so when I grabbed it.... Ya, I'm blonde, I deserved it. Sitting in gum back in Belgrade and now this.... This is why I can't have nice things.

- Force choked Elder Asbury at district meeting. #CompanionshipInventory

- had dinner out at Bishop Briggs. Freakin love the Briggs. Heard one of my UVids being played, Sister Briggs does a good job promoting them haha. It was a family reunion and one little girl was dressed up as Aurora. Asked her who her favorite princess was and she said "me." And walked away haha, she's a 3 year old version of Diz. She has some older brothers and cousins who wanna serve so it was fun talking with them, I get so hyped talking with future missionaries! They are pretty much the pioneers of the work in White Sulfur. I think only like 15 members in the branch. Super cool family, Briggs are awesome.

- Hit me one morning in personal study that Padmé is now technically a Disney princess #WifeThatGirl

- ate the most beautiful meal I have ever had in my life. Bro Cunnington Dutch oven'd some beef, sausage, cheese, and potatoes #WelcomeToMontana. Food is really good here, Eli and I can both have FatRolls when I get home, probably cuter on him though. It was seriously the most glorious thing I have tasted. Love the Cunningtons. He loves college football so he filled me in on bowl season. Touched my heart he was taking time away from watching the semifinals game to feed the missionary's.

- we saw a bat... At least we think it was a bat.... Ya, it was a bat.

#WelcomeToConrad

- New Year's Eve was a different one for me this year. No #OperationCarbonFreeze this year #WhiteBibleProbs, although props to the fam for continuing the tradition. Without Jared there to boil the Arnold NaPalmer in my moms hot chocolate maker or @TeamBetaAlpha in a hazmat suit.... Probably wasn't as good as last year. Elder Asbury and I had fun though. Played Uno and dice football all night and ate a ton of junk food. If I think dice football is fun I can't imagine what NCAA football will be like. #PantherPride.

- Elder Asbury straight up mutilated a gingerbread man and not gonna lie it kinda scared me.

- Went and blitzed the Cutbank area with the zone leaders to help the area out. It was fun. Walking around in Cutbank Montana in freezing temps while eating gas station food for dinner. Gotta love being a missionary. Tracted into a Presbyterian pastor who was wearing OSU gear. Preach My Gospel chapter 10 talks about asking inspired questions... Well I completely guessed the Buckeyes played that day and asked how they did and I was right #ChurchIsTrue! He Was thrilled the Utes spoiled the Harbaugh Honeymoon in week one. We had a good talk. We may have different religious views but we agree on one thing.... #AllHailUrbanMeyer. Really cool dude, welcomed us back to teach him. Unfortunately I won't be there but I'm pumped for the Cutbank elders, love that guy, not everyday you get a lesson set with a pastor.

- Met a family visiting at church yesterday who has a son serving in Sweden.  I was hoping they would say he has served with someone who constructed home made tasers and would do naked jumping jacks but they didn't. Last year in the bunker makes me pray for and envy those serving with Elder Walton, miss you dude.

- didn't have anyone signed up for dinner on Sunday and we didn't buy groceries cause it was the last week of the transfer so Sunday dinner was... creative... Plus it was fast Sunday so we were extra hungry. We had deer meat, eggs, Doritos, and candy, that's it... Definitely buying groceries today.

- have been using our boxes from Christmas for cutting out our nerf stealth op hostiles. We set up a shooting range in our apartment.

Going to Great Falls today which means we get to shop at a Walmart for the first time since November, gonna require some self control to not blow our monthly food allowance on nerf darts and light saber attachments. Ya most people mature on their mission... I'm going down hill... I think I'm turning more into a kid. @pettbryan said it best, If you aren't having fun then what's the point of being out here.

- S/O to the 2 year anniversary of the cat in Hawaii. "Mom there is a cat in your closet" "McKay, it's just Ezra making noises" ... "I CAN SEE ITS DANG EYES MOM!" #NeverForget

- happy birthday to my Grandma Mary!!! I love you so much grandma!! Despite what grandpa may say about you cheating at card games I know it is pure skill you got! I went undefeated in New Year's Eve Uno and I know you would be proud. I loved stopping by to see you and grandpa whenever I came home from the U last year, we had some good talks. Eat a Carl's biscuit for me today!! Love you so much!!

Along with nerf wars and burning my hand we did actually do missionary work too. Gave some more blessings, oh man I love giving blessings.

Had another lesson with Grant, one of the investigators we got from the night we were spittin fire a few weeks back while tracting. We taught it in the chapel and it was pretty cool. He was super interested with the hymn book and the first hymn he opens to is "If you Could Hie to Kolob".... Of course... The hymn bishops are told to not sing in sacrament meeting for the fear of freaking out visitors is the one he opens to. It actually worked out well, he had a lot of questions about where God lived and the 3 kingdoms. I love teaching the Plan of Salvation. So cool teaching about eternal families. Grant is a stud, but is unfortunately moving to Colorado Springs this week. He wants to continue to read the Book of Mormon and hopefully his investigation in the church continues. No coincidence we met him during the short span he was here visiting.

Still trying hard to find people to teach but it's tough here. It's pretty easy to get discouraged, hence the nerf wars and lightsaber battles to lighten us up. Clicked for me this week what makes this work difficult. Not necessarily the being away from home, although that does a play a role. It's the studying, role playing, and praying to be guided to a house only to have that person reject you. I always thought when that happens I just got the wrong prompting. Well on the night of the blitz Elder Rowley and I are out tracting and we feel prompted to go to a house. The man tells us his wife is dying in the hospital and next time we show up he will have a gun. I couldn't care less about the gun part, everyone has a gun here, but I was super sad when we turned to walk back. The spirit guided us to him, that was a for sure promting. For all we know it could've been his wife that guided us there, and that's his response to Heavenly Father reaching out to him. Just makes me sad.

Hurts me to see people constantly turn down the message that could change their life. If it hurts me I can't even imagine how it hurts Heavenly Father. He is constantly reaching out to us, please don't shut the door on Him. That's what makes this work rough, but when you find that Robison family or Oscar or Corey, makes it worth it. Tough part is Elder Asbury has yet to find that family or individual, and I can tell this work is weighing on him. We as missionary's try to picture a light at the end of this 2 year tunnel but often forget we are the light at the end of someone else's tunnel. I have been blessed with a sweet duty to train and lead a district but oh man it takes a toll on me, you gotta be positive, patient, obedient and diligent in the work and it's not always easy. Wouldn't want it any other way though, it's just tough. You can either turn to Christ out here to help you or turn to the world, much like life outside of your mission.

Grateful that these past 6 months have taught me how much I need Christ in my life now and in my future. The world won't bring near as much joy and happiness to you compared to the joy and happiness you will feel living the gospel.

Highlight of the week was probably our dinner out at Bishops family reunion. I just love the Bishop and his family!!! We taught your standard "Faith is like a Seed" Alma 32 lesson just with a bigger audience. Mid way through the lesson the bishop's dad who is sitting next to me says "you must have really good parents". I laughed, reminisced of the dirty Disney, told him I sure do, and continued on with the lesson. The hour drive back to Conrad and the past week I have been thinking about what he said, and he's 100% right, my parents are amazing.  Words don't do it justice how much I love my family and how badly I want to see baby Eli right now, but dang that 1 week old linebacker just put a lot of pressure on me when I heard what his middle name is. Eli McKay Lords. My legacy extends far beyond these 2 years now, it's apart of Eli too.  As much as I miss them, there's no place I'd rather be than Conrad Montana with ma boy Elder Asbury. I have a desire to share this gospel that I never thought I'd have, and it's because of my family home and my family here, and my ever going testimony of our Savior.

My challenge to you is to Read alma 46 this week. Freakin sweet war chapters, Moroni is a stud. A verse I love is 21 - " the people (nephites) came running... With their armour girded about their loins".

 "Why should we think to earn a great reward, if we now shun the fight"

Come Come Ye Saints, one of my favorite hymns and one of the hymns I shared with Grant. Don't shun the fight, put on the armour of God, #IWILL. Entire book of Alma fires me up to be a missionary. Moroni is the Coach Shah of the Book of Mormon. He gets me pumped.

Church is true, onward ever onward, family on 3.

- Elder K