McKenzee's Missionary Moments: July 11th, 2016

Hey hey family and friends,

I hope you all have had a great week! It's so good to hear from y'all!

Just want to give y'all an update in case you aren't aware, BUT THIS
THURSDAY IS MY HALF WAY MARK!!!!! You guys I repeat that I will be 9
months on Thursday!!!!! I'm going to be half way done with my
mission!!!!!! Hump day here I come!!!!! Lol
It's kinda of a big deal and I'm just blown away and can't fully
comprehend that it's real haha.

Anyway, this weekend we found out about transfers. Both Sister Foster
and I are staying here in Nehalem! So we will have more time to ride
our bikes! woop woop lol. But no honestly it's not THAT bad. I
emphasize that because it could be a lot worse. It only rained one day
while we were riding, but that's another story I'll tell you guys
later. Haha and the weather hasn't been too hot, I actually wear a
sweater because the wind makes me cold. And it's really good exercise!
I can feel my muscle form in my thighs and calves. It's exciting, oh
and the sun is out so I'm actually getting tan too haha. It's great!
Well aside from the nasty farmers tan lol. But it's okay! I'm trying
to look at the positives because it's so easy to get caught up in the
negatives!

Alright Monday was the 4th and it was honestly one for the books! It
was really great and I just loved it, it has definitely become one of
my favorite holidays:) So we went to the Ward breakfast which was
nice, and we had a great turn out, saw some less actives which is
always exciting! And let me just say that being a missionary has its
perks because instead of waiting in the hour long line (okay not that
long but you get it) the Ward insisted that we go to the front of the
line and get food! Haha it was so sweet of them! Then that afternoon,
P threw a party and it was just so fun! Lots of people came and
even B came with her daughter and grandkids. It's always so fun to
see that woman, I just adore her! And when the two of them are
together, P and B, it's always a good time haha. We had lots
of food and it was just really nice.

Then that night we just got to hang out with members and watch the
fireworks! And omg the fire works here in Vancouver are the BEST!
Literally better than anywhere I've seen before! I was just amazed and
in heaven! I love fireworks. So we spent most of our night with a family
in our Ward. They are so cute and sweet, they sent a picture to your
phone mom! Did you get it? But omg I was not expecting how cold it
was going to get! We are use to going home at 9 every night but since
it's the 4th we got to stay out until 11 which was so fun, but I also didn't
realize how cold it got! I was wearing a sweater I brought with me and
then this family gave me 4 blankets, a jacket, and a pair of socks! Haha
I felt like an eskimo but it was just so comfy and I loved it:) hope you all
enjoyed your fourth as well:)

Tuesday was a fun day because we got to go do lots of service! And I
just love it! We went to the botanical gardens and helped this cute
lady named S in the hummingbird garden trim all of her flowers and
pull some weeds! It was a lot of fun, of and the STLs took us so it
was fun getting to spend some time with them!

Then we went to help a lady clean her apartment which was less
exciting but we got to wear pants which felt heavenly:) lol oh and for
dinner we went back to the family that we watched the fireworks with
and it was so good and fun. They gave us a funny drink...hahah it was
soooo good, I'll have to make them for the family when I get home!!
Then that night we did some more yard work. And we rode our bikes to
her house and since we wore our service clothes we got to ride our
bikes in jeans and omg it was the weirdest thing, I almost felt
strange because I didn't have on my skirt! So weird! Lol

Wednesday, nothing fancy. We decided to sweep the street because all
the trash from the fireworks were still laying around everywhere and
we thought its be a good opportunity to get out in our neighborhood
and show them that we are normal and just want to help out. Then after
lunch we also wanted to show our appreciation to P because she
has been a real MVP driving us to and from our appointments when she
can. So we remember her saying her windows needed cleaning so we
cleaned the inside and out of her Windows to show her our love. She's
just the cutest lady ever! Anyway, that was really fun:) Then we went
out and did a bunch of findings which resulted in riding our bikes all
night long for miles haha. My legs still hurt every now and again and
I was pooped that night!

Thursday we had district meeting and Sister Foster and I gave the
restoration. It's so funny to look back at the first time I did it and
to now. I've completely changed and I don't get anywhere close to as
nervous anymore! Then that afternoon P had a "small surgery" on
her shoulder so we decided to make her dinner since no one signed up
to feed us. It actually worked out nicely because we were walking
around the area and would have ran late if someone signed up. Anyway
so we made her dinner, which was weird because I haven't made dinner
in a really long time! But I made my specialty haha, tortellini with
salad and lemonade lol it was really good and it was fun to spend
some time with P. Anytime spend with P is a good time:) lol.
Then we had a few lessons that night and Grandma B was sweet and
drove us around since it was kinda raining outside.

Friday we had weekly planning and also we were waiting around watching
for the mailman to see if we would be getting transfer letters! Well
the mail came and went and we didn't get a letter which means we get
to stay together unless it decided to come on Saturday. Well some more
hours of planning we had dinner with a cute little old lady so we rode
our bike to her home and omg, I'll have to spend you pictures of what
she fed us. Haha she gave us some left over lasagna but it was HUGE!
Like the size of my face!!! And then she gave us some dry Cole slaw!
Haha and get this, she took the Cole slaw and dried it off with a
dirty hand towel... Omg it was so hard for me and Sister Foster not to
laugh! We were dying. And then she didn't even eat! She just sat and
watched us! Oh my lanta, I was dying! Lol lol

After dinner we had our lesson cancel so we had to go out and knock
doors and ride our bikes all night....and the best part was it was
raining all night! Omg so it was the first time that we rode our bikes
in the rain and it was just not the best haha. And we just got soaking
wet and it was cold. But we couldn't help but just laugh because it
was so ridiculous hahaha. I'll send you a picture of before and after
the rain. It was a long wet night. And of course no one wanted to let
in two wet girls so nothing too exciting happened! Lol

That night we went on exchanges with the STLs though so I was pretty
pumped for that! I went to the YSA Ward with Sister Okerlund(the one
with bangs) and sister Carter and Foster stayed in Nehalem. And let me
just let you how pumped I was to be in YSA because they have a car so
I didn't have to ride a bike! Haha it was nice!

So Saturday we went running in the morning for exercise. I know, who
am I anymore haha? Then we went to the botanical gardens again to help
trim the bushes again and it was so funny because sister okerlund fell
into the bush that we were trimming! Omg we were laughing so hard!
Then we went to eat lunch with P and she showed us her shoulder
where she had surgery and poor thing it looks so awful! Oh and while
we were eating we saw the mailman and so we ran out and asked her to
give it to us and we didn't have any letters so we both are staying!
Although sister okerlund is getting transferred and won't be my STL
anymore and I'm so sad, but happy that I get to go on another exchange
before she gets transferred! After lunch we went to a lesson with an
investigator in her Ward and we taught about the atonement and then
we put her on date for baptism which was so exciting!!!:)

Then we had a few people to stop by before dinner. But omg so got lost
a few times and so we ended up driving around for an hour and it was
just so funny because we could not find out where to go! For dinner we
had shrimp and honestly I've been getting a lot of shrimp lately! But
it's good.. although I miss the way pawpaw makes it! Haha. Hmmm let's
see, the rest of the exchange was fun! We were walking around and saw
this Hispanic family trying to jump their car and so we went and tried
to help them but of course I completely forgot everything I learned
when dad explained how to jump a car so I was useless haha. Dad don't
be mad lol. But the man only spoke Spanish and so I used my many years
of Spanish and living in SA and we spoke to each other in Spanish a
little bit, haha it was really funny. But hey I enjoyed myself lol.

Sunday we had another early morning meeting, which is so not fun. But
I got to come home and take a nap which is always nice! Haha
Omg but poor P, her "little surgery" became infected and so she
had to go to the ER and figure out what's wrong. They gave her some
medicine so we are praying that it was all work out soon!
Sunday's dinner was really funny. We had dinner with a family and it
was a mom dad and a 14 year old daughter. Reminded me of me and dads
relationship. Well anyway the dad and daughter watch he bachelorette
and the dad during the middle of dinner asked his daughter if she
thinks I look like the bachelorette that is currently on, I think her
name is JoJo. Haha anyway it was funny because I just love that show
and so the dad started to give me a run down of the bachelorette!!!
Haha I was laughing so hard and I just loved it!

Well, I'm hoping for good things to come at the start of this new
transfer. I hope all is going well back home!
I miss and love y'all to the moon and back!!!!
Ps don't forget to remember me! ;)

"Have faith, have hope, live like His Son, help others on their way"

Xoxo
Sister Batey