Week 3 - An X-ray and another field trip

Cześć Everyone!! 

This week hasn't been as exciting since we got back from California. You can tell from my schedule that not much changes. The days all blur together, and it's a really good routine. My companion and I have started going to the 6 am fitness classes for sisters and that has been fun. I enjoy those. It's almost like being at the gym at home... almost. The gym at home is better. 

So a bit of a scripture to get us started. I have been studying a lot recently about God's love. I was told about Joshua 1:9 (Be of good courage, be not afraid nor be thou dismayed for the Lord, thy God, is with thee withersoever thou goest.) in a blessing and I was cross referencing and doing some studying about God's love. It's been what I have been studying all week. I found a bunch of scriptures about God's love. It's everywhere! I particularly like Doctrine and Covenants 98:1 which is the Lord comforting the Missouri saints amidst their persecutions. I recommend looking it up because I can't remember it. But It definitely was comforting. I was then reading in 3 Nephi 17 and that is the chapter that Jesus visits the saints in America. It's near the end of His first teachings and He is getting ready to leave when he stops and looks at the Nephites. He notices that all of them want Him to stay, but don't really want to say anything. He says, "My bowels are filled with compassion towards you." As I read that the most powerful feeling of love came over me and I know that the Lord loves me just as much as He loved all of the Nephites. After that He healed all of their sick and afflicted and then He blessed all of their children and prayed for the Nephites so powerfully that His words can't even be recorded. His love for us is so powerful and all consuming. He loves us. I invite all of you to read it. You can find it if you google 3 Nephi 17 and go to the link from the LDS.org website. It's a powerful chapter. Even if you aren't of this faith, God will still testify to you that HE loves you. Because He does.

A bit more about my week. Sundays are still really awesome. Sisar Godfrey and I taught in Relief Society today and that was fun. We got lots of positive feedback. We taught about the restoration. Good and easy topic. It was great. I love it! We also got in all the new Belgium/ Netherlands missionaries. I think that was it. We didn't get anyone new yesterday. So it's a lot the same with the branch. Oh we also watched the Restoration film. It was very good and I loved it. Very powerful acting and powerful story. You can find this one online on LDS.org or go to the temple visitors center in IF and they have it there too... (I'm 99% sure). It's very good and it built my testimony of the Restoration. It reaffirmed that Joseph Smith was God's prophet and that through Joseph Smith God restored HIS gospel, and through GOD's power Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon as ANOTHER TESTAMENT OF JESUS CHRIST. That is the important part. The choir director (Brother Egget) was in a meeting and talking with the general authorities (idk which ones) but one of them said that they wanted to change the name of the Book of Mormon to Another Testament of Jesus Christ; The book of Mormon. Bringing the focus on Jesus Christ... not Mormon. Which makes sense. We worship Christ and God not Mormon.

I think that's all the spiritual. So we'll move into fun. In my greeting that first word is actually not Finnish. It is Polish for hello. Our district has adopted using it for anything they want it to mean. Which gets confusing but the Poles love it! Yesterday we taught a member in Finnish. (TRC) and it was the same two people we had last time! They were so proud of how much better we are getting. Oh our teacher knows one of our Sister's uncles. They were in Finland at the same time serving missions. It was so weird because they figured it out because they are both vegans. Which leads to the ongoing discussion we've been having at meal times about being vegan. Sister Allen is a vegan and the Elders just find that so fascinating. They said, "Our mouths water when we're cooking steaks, does your mouth water when you're mowing the lawn??" It was so innocent and funny!!! Oh and we missionaries are so starved for physical contact. It's kind of sad, but we were watching the restoration film on Saturday. It was the part where Joseph and Emma are courting and they're about to kiss under a bridge... All the elders in the audience started to cheer. It was so funny and a bit embarrassing. They were so excited to watch it.

One last note! So most people don't get to leave the MTC until they go to the field. We as a district have left twice for California. Sisar Godfrey and I have left 3x now. We had to get my thumb x-rayed to make sure it wasn't broken. (it isn't.) But the doctor is sending me to a specialist tomorrow so I get to rack that number up to a 4!!! (This is definitely an attention seeking ploy. Indulge me as you read this and oohh and ahhh. Maybe tell me I'm special or something! 😉😉)

Note to dad: The rhythm of the MTC is definitely falling into place. I'm getting to be an older missionary as all the state side missionaries that came the day I did are now gone. Studying is going good. I definitely prefer to study the gospel than the language but we do have time for both. It's fun though and I love it. The artwork is definitely amazing. I'll start exploring a little bit this week and taking some pictures. They are absolutely amazing! 

Note to Mom:I am doing great! I've gotten used to the MTC at this point that I'm okay not being home. I do wish I could call you more, but this will do. I want to hug you too! I miss you bunches and bunches! The language really is coming along better. We just started intermediate core and I basically have the 1st vision and mission purpose (pg 1 in Preach My Gospel) memorized. It's just slow and very choppy, but we work on it everyday. I am definitely not as frustrated anymore. It's just a flow. I think that the first few weeks in Finland will be about the same. IDK it's just the whole change thing for me.

I love you all! 

Sisar McCammon

So she didn't send pictures but I have a link from their Finnish Missionary dropbox and grabbed a couple from there.