McKenzee's Missionary Moments: January 23rd, 2017

HI I LOVE Y'ALL,

Alrighty, so this week was full of things to do! Let's hope I remember so I can mention it all in my letter! But first, I just want y'all to know how much I love and enjoy getting emails from y'all! It makes my day and makes me feel like I'm there with y'all! I love them! So thank you for taking the time to fill me in! I really appreciate it! And believe me, I know how much of a pain it can be to try and remember the week, so just know they mean the world to me!!!! :)

So Tuesday morning we had planned to drive down to Vancouver for a big missionary meeting and it was going to take an hour or so so we set our alarms for 4 to start getting ready so we would get there on time. Well we wake up and I had a feeling to check the phone and as I read the text we found out our big zone conference got canceled due to freezing rain that was in the forecast. So there we are, 4 am in the morning awake and getting ready. Haha needless to say we were all so tired that we jumped back in bed as fast as we could to sleep for another 2 hours before our real alarm went off. So Tuesday when we got up the second time we were all exhausted and a little in a panic because we had blocked out the whole entire day for this meeting and now we had nothing. Zip. Nada. Lol so we started making calls trying to find something to fill in our day. Well we found a service opportunity to go to with the other sisters and when we got to the house it started freezing raining and so we had to leave and the rest of the day we stayed home because it was really bad outside. I felt so lazy! Haha it's crazy how the mission makes you feel like you always need to be doing something! Again, I feel like mom where I constantly need to be productive. Haha.

By Tuesday night it started clearing up and we got the okay to go ahead with our temple trip! We were SO PUMPED! Well with us being all the way in St. Helens we had to make sure we had enough time to drive there. But we first were meeting altogether as a zone in Longview and we didn't know how long it was gonna take us to drive so again we woke up at 4 am to start getting ready! Boy was it a pain but we were just so excited to get to go to the temple that we didn't want to run late. Well it was raining and we didn't know if there was gonna be traffic on the way to Longview and so we left around 5:40, we thought it was an hour or so drive... oh and I picked the short straw and I had to drive haha. Anyway, we end up getting to Longview at 6:30 and we didn't need to be there until 7:30!!! We were so mad haha. And mostly exhausted! So we took a little nap as we waited for everyone to show up. By the way, it was pitch black outside and raining buckets. So it was a very stressful car ride. So 7:30 rolls around and people start showing up and then we pray and off to the temple we drive. Well here is where the traffic starts. It was so bad. Just bumper to bumper for miles and miles. And it was still raining super hard. I was stressed. And all the sisters fell asleep while I was driving, I was so mad! Hahah we finally made it to the temple around 9:40 for our 10:30 session. Lol, it was good though, I enjoyed getting to just spend time in the temple. Oh and Sister Crawley was there!!!!:) so I got to see her and talk with her and it was so good! I miss her so much! I was a real happy camper. Then at the end I got to see a bunch of other missionaries. I saw Sister Foster, Davis, and Sister Mortensen (from the Mtc). It was so nice to see everyone in the house of The Lord! It was like a big reunion:) I think like it will be when we all go to heaven. Anyway, I was so happy! I just seriously LOVE going to the temple! It's one of my favorite places!

After the temple we went applebees and got some bomb salads haha. Then to the book store, also one of my favorite places:) then we started on our track back home. We got lost in Portland and it was even more stressful than the drive up! Although it was brighter outside so it was a little easier to see. Portland is crazy. Haha lots of cars and people. I miss it. This girl is not made for a little town! Get me out! Lol. We finally made it home at 4:55. Longgg day. Then we went out and had a few lessons that evening and it went pretty well. Got home and went to bed around 9:50. We were pooped.

Thursday we woke up around 6 and we were all feeling super motivated so we went to the church and ran some laps and did some circuit exercises. It was so good! And it felt so great! Really woke me up and gave me energy. By the end of the day my body was sore and I could feel my legs hurting but it was the feel good hurt. (We've been doing it every morning the last few days)

Okay so rewind, Thursday morning we get a call from the lady with the dead dog(found out it was 2 dead dogs and a cat) in her freezer and she needed help moving some of her boxes outside because the sheriff was coming to lock up her house. So we went and helped her with that and oh my lanta... I don't even know if I can explain how messy it was. Her house is just awful. And the smell. It's just so rotten I don't even know how to convey the smell. Think of death with a little bit of feces and nasty animals mixed with garbage. It's just a big stinky hole. Anyway, we tried holding our breath because it's so bad. Well on top of that she had cob webs on her ceilings that are huge! They are so bad and just cover everything. And she has stuff everywhere. So you're always walking on things. Well it took us a while but we got a few big boxes outside for her. She told us that as long as they are outside she can use them . Anything left in her house she wouldn't be able to get to. It was really sad. We might be going back tomorrow, haha. To be continued I guess....

After that we went to the farm with the other sisters and the elders. And we mucked a cow stall. If you don't know what mucking is (I didn't either) it's where you shovel out cow poop! Hahahah, and the stink was so bad! Although I'd rather smell that than the lady's house! If that tells you anything about her house. Lol. Anyway it was actually fun. I mostly did supervising while everyone else was working. And by supervising I mean I was petting and feeding the baby cow. She was so cute! Her name was super and she was super friendly! She even kissed my nose. It was fun!

When we finished mucking we came home and had to clean up. Our boots were just covered in cow poop and we smelt just as bad. Haha. Then the Lowders (from the mission office) came to drop off a dresser for us and they were so sweet and took us out to lunch! It was a good time. Although they told us we stunk! Hahah after they left we had to shower and clean up. Then that evening we went to community meals and served again and it was so fun! I think a lady sent you some pictures?

Friday we had weekly planning then a few lessons then we went to dinner with the Murphy's. He's the one that called you mom. It was funny because he asked for your number and then he asked if we wanted to say something to you. And I was thinking that I had to tell you something that you would know was from me, and that was all I could think of hahah. Then at church he told me that you already sent me another one. I was laughing so hard. Lol we finished the night by having two more lessons. One of which is with our investigator who is getting baptized on February 4th!!! Whoop whoop :) we are so excited! It was good one! We have another lesson with him tonight!

Saturday was crazy busy but nothing really excited happened. It rained pretty much all day. We went and visited with this cute little old lady who can't remember much so we had the same conversation pretty much 7 times during our visit lol. Then we had dinner with the family that sent you the picture. Can you send it to me mom? Thanks. I really hope I don't have food in my teeth and I hope I don't look crazy haha.

Then omg we had such a good lesson with a PMF we are teaching!!! The husband is an investigator and the wife is less active. But he is seriously soooo awesome! We love teaching him! At first he was kind of closed off but last week we read the intro to the Book of Mormon and he totally opened up it was really cool. Well this week we went over the plan of salvation and he was a little iffy about it because he wanted to know where it talked about it in the Bible and so we were able to show him a bunch of references and every time it was like a light bulb went off in his eyes and it was soooo awesome to see:) made me so happy!!!! He's opening his heart and it's just the best thing! We are really loving working with him! :) it just made me fall in love with missionary work all over again! It's experiences like this that bring me so much joy and make me so pumped to be a missionary! :)

Well I love this gospel. I know that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and I know that it supports the Bible. I know that it can bring us closer to Christ and can help us become better. I love the way it brings peace into my life. I love that we have temples too. I love that I get to go into the house of the Lord and spend time there. It's my happy place:) I love sharing the gospel and I love being a missionary. Even though it's so hard I love it. Who would have thought? Lol

I hope y'all know how much I miss you guys. Think and pray for you guys often.

Thanks for all the love and support. Means the world.

LOVE Y'ALL TO THE MOON AND BACK. LOVE Y'ALL FOR ALWAYS.

Don't forget to remember me;)

Dad, I can't believe I'm at less than a hundred days. Makes my heart flutter knowing I get to see y'all soon! Also makes my heart flutter knowing this is coming to an end. Wow. Time flies. Life is good. God is good.

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

Oh ps. This week we are having a missionary meeting and we are thinking a lot is going to change in our schedule. We also might get Facebook as a tool to use to proselyte... we are kind of nervous about all the potential changes but we won't know anything until Wednesday at our meeting. But on days we might only have 3 hours to email and that will literally kill me:( but we will see. I'll keep y'all posted.

xoxo

Sister Batey