Christmas At the MTC

Hello Awesome Family,

                Well another week has gone by and that means my stay at the MTC is slowly coming to an end. I love the MTC and all the experience I have had in it but I am really excited to leave and go to Japan, even if my language ability needs some work. I have this huge desire to find and teach people and let them feel the spirit. My excitement to go was increased on Saturday night when I met President and Sister Budge, my new mission president.

They are amazing. It was so wonderful to meet them here before I went out to the field and to get to know them. They are both very kind and funny and fun. President Budge has come up with a theme for our mission. The theme is, “United in so great a cause.” It comes from Doctrine and Covenants 128:22 I believe. Sister Budge has made a quilt that will hang up in the entrance of the mission home and all the missionaries who are serving will sign it. They have lived in Japan for 17 years and only got back to the states 3 years ago. He was the first foreigner to be a CEO of any Japan bank. All their children, except for one son who served in Hong Kong, served in Japan for their missions and they have one son living in Tokyo right now with his wife and 2 sons so they are excited that they can be grandparents on their missions. They are also brining their 13 year old son. President Budge told us some interesting facts about the mission in Tokyo such as, there are 170 missionaries serving right now and 43 of them are Japanese natives. Half of that 43 are sisters and there are 20 sister missionaries total. He also said that a lot of the mission work will be to get the priesthood in Japan active. There are not a lot of brethren in the church right now and only 4-5 young men from a stake go on their missions. Elder Oaks this last weekend did a broadcast in Japan telling the missionaries to activate the priesthood and inspire the young men to serve missions. President Budge also talked about the amazing food they have over there. Can you see why I am getting really excited to leave? I know it will be hard and at the beginning the language will be extremely frustrating because I would want to share my message but I know that when I get there the language will come a lot faster than it has been coming here at the MTC and I can at least focus on the spirit and letting people feel it. The Lord will help me. He is the one that called me on this mission and it will be through Him that I will be able to accomplish so much.

I want to congratulate Eric on his engagement to Lisa. That is awesome and I happy for him. Lisa is a really awesome girl and I hope that they will have a good and happy marriage. Good luck with planning the wedding. J

Also I hope Megs has a really fun time on Trek. I loved Trek and is even more special to be able to go to Martin’s Cove and experience the hardships where the real pioneers were and to feel the spirit that is there in that sacred spot. I am kinda jealous of her opportunity. But have fun and try to get as much as you can out of it.

Last night we received new Japanese missionaries and there are 6 sisters total. Since I am the coordinating sister I was in charge of welcoming them and showing them their rooms and teaching them how to make their beds. I will admit that I became a little discouraged because of the language because I couldn’t say much but I am better and determined to use all that I know. So there are 17 Japanese missionaries total and none of them are going to Tokyo, so when I leave there will just be me and the 3 elders from my own district and 4 from another, so 8 missionaries total and I will be the only sister going among the senpai. I am ok with it and I am happy because there is one sister going to Sendai in the Japanese group so Stubbs shimai will be able to have someone. She doesn’t like to think about leaving and being separated. We have become really close and it will be hard to say goodbye so we are enjoying our last 3 weeks together.

Being coordinating sister can be hard sometimes because sometimes I just don’t know how to help someone even though I want to with all my heart. And I always wonder if I am saying the right thing or not, but saying that I am grateful for the opportunity to serve and for the chance this is making me to grow and become an even better missionary and the Lord is blessing me with His spirit and guiding me. Quick story: last week there was a sister who was having a hard time with her companion and crying and one of my teachers (Mortensen shimai) has been working with both of them and trying to help the companionship. Anyway she went to talk to this sister and then she came and pulled me out of class and asked if I could talk to the one that was really upset while she talked to the other for a while. She thought I would be able to help more, especially in my position as coordinating sister. I said yes and went into a room to talk to the sister. I talked to her to see what was wrong and how she was feeling. After she told me I talked to her a little bit about the problem and then asked if she would be willing to say a heartfelt prayer, asking the Father for help. After we knelt down and said a prayer we talked a little more than Mortensen shimai came back in and with her help we both talked to the sister and I believe helped her a lot. While we were talking to her I felt like I was just speaking in circles and not making much sense at all. But Mortensen shimai told me after class thank you for my help and that she felt like she was working with a companion. She felt the spirit coming out of me and knew that I was following the promptings it was giving me. That was a great compliment to hear and I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to be a vessel for the spirit and the Lord’s instrument. Funny how sometimes we can follow promptings and not know that it is by the spirit we are being prompted.

This week has been crazy with all the apostles here and sadly I must report that I have not seen any of them. A lot of the Kohai have seen some walking the halls of the main building and on Sunday sacrament was split up into 4 between all of the MTC and one sacrament meetings was lucky enough to have the prophet there with them and he spoke to them for the entire meeting. I have had no such luck so far. Tonight’s fireside is the night that we will hear from them. But if it be one or a couple I have no idea. The apostles that I know that are here are Elder Bednar, Elder Holland, Elder Packer, Elder Anderson and of course President Monsen. The fireside should be really good and I am excited to be spiritually fed. J

Last week was a really good week. If you remember that I had the goal last week to be more hopeful so not to think/say anything negative about myself in any aspect. Having that goal did wonders. The week was so good and I was super happy and energetic (well until the weekend when I got sick). I have the same goal this week. It has been a rough start but I am determined to follow up on it. J

Today is our last Temple trip. They are closing the Temple for cleaning for two weeks and when they open it up again we will be gone and in Japan. I am blessed enough to be going to a mission with a Temple but for Stubbs shimai this will be her last one for 18 months. So we are going as a big group with the senpai . I love the Temple and the opportunity I have had to go every week for the past 2 months. It really has been a great blessing and the Temple has come to mean so much more in my life. As members of the church we are privileged to go into the Lord’s house and feel of His spirit. Have you thought about that? The Lord’s house, the place where He dwells. What a blessing that is and an honour that is. We should never take advantage of that and should always respect and honour that. We should be running the Temple at every opportunity that we have.

I love you all with all my heart and I am grateful every day to call you my family. You have given me so much love and support and you will never know how much each and every one of you means to me. May the Lord continue to bless you as I am away and know that you are never far from my heart.  I know this church is true and I know Jesus Christ is my Saviour. He has helped me to grow so much in the short time I have been here and He is moulding me to the missionary He wants me to be. Being on a mission is truly a blessing and an honour and I am very grateful for this chance to show the Lord how much I love Him and am willing to follow Him.

Love you with all my heart,

                Mackenzie

A Week of Blessings

Hello Family,

                One month to go from yesterday till I leave for Japan!! I am getting so excited; I have already started a countdown. And it is really exciting because this weekend I will be able to meet President Budge who will be my mission president. J

So this last week I have seen the hand of God every day and He has blessed me so much with strength and faith. So I have already told you about my Monday night experience of when I was praying and I could see Barb in heaven healthy and strong and at peace. Well the Lord blessed me again because the same day that I received the news about Barb passing away was the same day that we received the new kohai missionaries. With my assignment as coordinating sister I am responsible for the new sisters and to make sure that they feel welcomed and loved and now what the MTC is like. I love the new kohai and this assignment has truly been a blessing to me because it has given me the opportunity to look outside myself more and serve others. This was a great blessing this last week because it helped me to not feel so sad about Barb and just feel peaceful and happy about it. The Lord has given me strength this week and I am so grateful to have Him at my side during this journey, otherwise I could not do it.

I thought it really sweet what you did for a memorial for Barb. I have no doubt that she was there with you as you honoured her and the wonderful life that she had. My testimony of the plan of salvation has grown so much stronger and I know it is a wonderful blessing from our Father in Heaven and I am so happy that my family has been sealed for time and all eternity. I really do have the best family in the whole world and I am thankful for your love and support every day.

On Sunday it was good days to be a sister at the MTC because for Relief Society we had Elaine S Dalton (General Young Woman President) speak to us and then for the fireside later that night Sheri Dew spoke to us!! Awesome right!? They are two amazing women and their talks were amazing. I also gave a short talk in Japanese during sacrament on Sunday and I think I did pretty well. The Japanese is coming. Each day I just have to remember to have patience with it and that I have been progressing with it. I realized that when it comes to me during certain things I do not have much hope so that is something that I am really trying to work on. So this week I have given myself a goal that I am not allowed to speak/think anything negative about myself in any aspect. So far it has been going well and I had a really good experience today in the Temple when I was sitting in the Celestial Room. I was given peace and hope and I will cling to the feelings and impressions I received. On that note I urge anyone who reads this and who is endowed to go to the Temple as often as you can. The Temple is such a special place and is a gift for us to go into the house of the Lord. We can receive so many blessings from going and most important we can feel Heavenly Father and the Savior’s love and see their purpose for us in this life. Go!! You will not be disappointed.

When I take time to think I am amazed at the growth that I have seen in myself and I am so happy and grateful for this experience. I am still not a perfect teacher but each day I am learning something new to help me to pray and I have the Lord on my side so I know I can do it. He is truly shaping me to be the missionary that He needs. And He does need me. I know that I have a specific purpose and that I am needed for a special plan. I do not know what that is and I don’t know if I will ever know but I will do what is required of me from the Lord with a glad heart.

I love you with all my heart and I am so grateful that everyone is doing so well. I hope this week goes well for you.

Love you with all my heart,

                Mackenzie

2 Nephi 4:20 – “My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.”

Past the Point of No Return

Ohayo gozimasu Kazoku to tomodachi,

                Wow, it has already been a week. Time is really starting to fly here. I have now reached past my halfway point. Wahoo. But it isn’t so bad here at the MTC. The thing that I hate the most is the food. It is 19 year old boy food and they some type of burgers and fries every single day and the rest of the food is your basic cafeteria food. I usually stick with their fruit (which is amazing) or a wrap/PB&J. And with that I have lost 5 lbs and I haven’t gained any weight. Yay for me! I can’t wait to get to Japan to get some real food and to be moving around more. It will be fun. The things that I love the most about the MTC are the wonderful meetings: Sunday firesides, Tuesday devotionals and relief society. Relief society is the best here. We always have a wonderful speaker and a musical performance. This last Sunday the speaker that we had was Cheryl Esplin the second counsellor in the Primary Presidency. She gave an amazing talk. And a lot of the talks that the speaker gives are pretty amazing.

                Oh I did want to mention that in two weeks it will be Christmas here. Why you may ask? Because it is the mission president conference and a ton of apostles come to train. So that Tuesday night devotional, the 26 I believe, will start at 4:30 instead of 7 and it should be sweet!!! Also what is cool is that my mission president that will be starting at the beginning of July will be here and all of us Tokyo missionaries will be able to meet him. I am super excited. 

                Thank you so much for all of the love and support that I have had this week with so many letters. I received some that I didn’t think I would get and it was a wonderful surprise. Thank you so much. It is wonderful to know that I have such a wonderful support group back home. I will try to write and send letters to everyone today.

                Shout out to Britney and her awesome engagement. That is so exciting. Tell her I love her and that I am so happy for her. Also tell Aubri that I met one her friends from camp here. She lives on the same floor as me. Her camp name is ponytail but for the life of me I can’t remember her real name. Haha It was fun talking about Brighton with her.

                I am really excited for tomorrow because we get new Kohai (new missionaries). With this new batch we will get 36 new missionaries and 8 of them will be sisters. 3 of those sisters will be going to Tokyo with me. I am pretty excited and I will be busy this week because I will be showing them around a lot and having meetings with them. Everyone is pretty excited. We are now the senpai. Hahaha

                It is amazing what I have learned here and the ways the Lord speaks to me. This last weekend alone I have learned that I need to be a much better missionary and that the Lord expects a lot more. For one I have been looking inward a lot more then I should be doing. He wants me to look outward more and think about others and serve them. Yes I know DUH!! But sometimes while you are in here it is easy to get caught up in what you are feeling. ‘O I am terrible at Japanese, my Japanese has improved, or I want to do this I want that.’ As David A Bednar put it in a talk I watched on Sunday night, it is like you are a cookie monster “I WANT COOKIE NOW!!” I am not saying that I am this huge selfish person but I do need to improve and I am so grateful to be the coordinating sister and the opportunity it gives me to do this and work on this skill. That is just one thing to mention that I have learned but there is many, many more. I have grown so much as a person and as a missionary. I am starting to have this new confidence in myself and yes some days are a little harder than others but I am starting to see my progression as a missionary with the language, as a teacher, and as a tool for the spirit. I think back to my first week here and think about how much I have grown. I pray that I will be able to touch people’s lives and make a difference. This Gospel brings so much happiness and peace and I want to share it with the Japanese. I want them to know their Savior, Jesus Christ. I want them to receive blessings and know of the wonderful plan that God has created for us. I am so excited to get to Japan and I know that the next 5 weeks will go by fast.

                The Lord lives!! I know it!! And because of Him I know that when I fall short or don’t have enough strength to continue one He will be with me. Read the Book of Mormon. If you are not right now I urge you to and really ponder what is written. The stories can come alive and you can feel God’s love through them. Don’t waste such a precious gift from our beloved Heavenly Father. Read!!

                I love you all and I miss you but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I will try to send home my memory card this week so you can see all of the fun pictures. J

Love from all my heart and soul,

Sister Dolan

Blossoming

Hello my wonderful Family and Friends,

Thank you so much for all of the letters that I received this week. It is nice to feel so loved and I enjoy reading about what is going on at home. Thanks to Sarah May for the cookies and tell Emily that is awesome about her mission call to Fort Lauderdale. She is going to have so much fun and unfortunately she gets here two days after I leave.

So this week has been one of the best weeks. Why you may ask? Because of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and a wonderful and wise older brother. Haha Because of the two this week I was able to relax more and not worry as much. I didn’t get frustrated with the language; my teaching skills have become a lot better; and I felt the spirit in more abundance. It has been wonderful. My Japanese has really taken off and even one of my teachers said that my Japanese has“blossomed” ha ha. That doesn’t mean I am perfect by any means and I of course still have A LOT I have to do.

One of my favourite things that we do here is the TRC. I think I mentioned what TRC is last week but I love it. I get so excited to teach and to meet new people. It is like a breath of fresh air. The people that we meet are so nice and I feel like my Japanese come out more during these lessons and the spirit is always there. I think I like it so much because even though they are members and already know that gospel I feel like I am teaching a real lesson to someone, not just one of my teachers playing an investigator.

On Sunday night I was asked to say the closing prayer at the fireside that we had. Yep, I said it in front of all 2,000 missionaries who are here at the MTC. It was a great experience and one that I will probably always remember. We didn’t have an apostle or anything (I know bummer) the man who spoke was the chief of the missionary department health services. So he is charge of all the missionaries’ health around the world. So that was pretty cool.

Yesterday our senpai missionaries left and Sister Stubbs and I woke up at 3:30 to say goodbye to the sister missionaries. When I said goodbye to Sister Vail it was sad and I cried. She has been such a strenth to me and I have apprecaiated the love and friendship she gave. She is going to the same mission as me so I will see her and I pray that we will be companions.

I can't believe that I have been away for over a month. I have learned so much and I have gained a new confidence in myself that wasn't there before. I am so grateful to be here and I feel honored that the Lord chose me to come here. I am so excited to teach people about Jesus Christ and also for my own personal growth. He lives! Jesus Christ lives and he is the Savior. I have felt Him with me. He walks beside me, and sits next to me. He gives me strength and encouragement all through the day. I am so grateful to Him and I love Him so much. He lives!!

Love you all and I miss you with all my heart. God be with you till we meet again.

Sister Mackenzie Dolan

1 Month Down

Hey all of my dear people that I love with all my heart,

 

I have now been here at the MTC for a month. Isn't that crazy!?!? I think back on it and the weeks really have gone by quickly. I still feel like I should be a greenie sometimes but I am not getting up there as one of the veterans. haha

 

So next week our senpai leave and that makes me so sad. I have become really close to the senpai shimai so it is sad to see them go. But at least I will be able to see one of them, Sister Vail, because she is going to Tokyo as well and I am praying that we will be companions sometime along the way. Which is a very good possibility. But it will be sad to see Roger shimai to leave because she is going to Nagoya and she is from Austrailia so chances of seeing her again are slim. But at least we will be together in spirit. :)

 

So because the Senpai are leaving on Sunday we had new zone leaders called and......a new coordinating sister (Rogers shimai was it before). Any guesses on who has been given this position? Well it is me. Think of it as the highest posistion that you can get without being called a Relief Society President. So my responsibilities are to the sisters in my zone and when the senpai leave that will just be 3 (not including myself) until we get new missionaries which I believe we get the week after they leave. I am really looking forward to this chance to grow and as they said in one of my meetings "this oppurtunity to look outward instead of inward." Even though I was just called on Sunday I have already jumped in with both feet. The other sister companionship that shares the room with me and Stubbs shimai are going through a few tough things right now and I am planning on talking to them today and hopefully I can help them so that they can become a stronger companionship. I had a lot of meetings on Sunday that I went to without my companion and that was so wierd since we have been joint at the hip. She threw herself at me when I saw her again because she missed me so much. So you should have no worries, our companionship is one that is strong and filled with love.

 

I really am so grateful to Stubbs Shimai. She is a great strength to me and helps me during the times that I get really frustrated with myself. Particularly with the language. It is is funny because we actually balance each other out really well. With me I can't speak the language all that well but I can understand it - even when I can't understand all the words that are being said I somehow still understand the meaning behind it - Stubbs shimai can speak the language well but has a harder time understanding it. There are reasons why you are paired up with somebody.

 

So I want to tell about an experience that I had on Saturday morning. Every Saturday we do this thing called TRC. It is where we teach members of the church (who are still speaking Japanese) a lesson. This last Saturday we taught two 20 min. lessons on prayer. The first lesson we taught to a guy name Taylor (he went on his mission to Tokyo) and we shared our messge with him. During that lesson was the first time that I really felt the spirit so strong and felt it teaching through me. I talked about how through prayer we are able to receive revelation and know what our Heavenly Father wants from us. I related an experience that I had this past week with prayer and receiving some revelation that has really helped me. While I was telling the story I started crying and started crying harder when I was telling him my testimony on prayer. It was so amazing because for the first time I wanted to relate my message more then worrying about how to say my message and trying to speak in Japanese. I didn't care how I sounded or if I was speaking correctly. I just spoke and let the spirit be the real teacher. I was so grateful for that experience. It made me excited to get to Japan to really start teaching the people and made me have hope that I will be a good missionary and be able to help someone.

 

So the member volunteers are required to write a note about how the missionaries did during their lesson and if they felt the spirit and if their faith was strengthened. This is the note that Stubbs shimai and myself received back from Taylor:

 

"Sister Stubbs and Sister Dolan,

They did a very good job teaching something that strengthened my testimony. I really felt the spirit as Dolan shimai shared a personal experience. I also felt it as both of them really tried to continue speaking even when it was difficult. They did an excellent job. They'll be, and are, wonderful missionaries. Your lesson helped know how to find out better what God's will is for me. Thanks! Ganbatene!! (good luck)"

 

Going through that has helped me to have more faith in myself and helped me become more excited to be a missionary. As John 15:15 says  I am not just a servent of the Lord but I am His friend and He is mine. And because He is my friend and I do and feel for Him as I do with my wonderful friends back home. I love Him, I know He is there. I will do anything for Him and because I will do anything for Him I  know that He loves me more and will do anything for me. He has been with me this last month. He has given me peace when I have felt unsettled, has given me hope when I have felt frustrated, and has given me strength when I had none to spare. He lives!! And He is my Heavenly friend and I am doing His work. This Gospel is true I know it with all my heart.

 

I love you all and I miss you. I shall see you in 17 months.

 

Aishitemasu!!!

 

Sister Mackenzie Dolan

MTC-Week 3!

We received some pictures from our missionary this week! Here are some of just her and then with her companion, Sister Stubbs from Australia.

Dear Family,

So we have Japanese missionaries here and I have grown to love them soooo much. The sisters are so cute and they are just making me so excited to go and serve in Japan. It is interesting because I love talking to them in Japanese (at least trying) and remember a lot of things and am getting comfortable with it. But when we meet with our investigators I freeze, I can't remember anything and I just get so nervous. I almost believe that I am getting graded when I go in there because they are actually our teachers. Hopefully the way I feel when I talk to the Nihonjin (Jap. people) is the way I will feel when I get to Tokyo. On Sunday we watched the Joseph Smith movie in Japanese and after the Nihonjin sang a really pretty song to everyone. Even though I could only pick up a few words during the movie and the song the Spirit was still just the same and was powerful. If nothing else I can always bring the spirit with me if I can't speak or understand the language.

 

Our senpai shimai are leaving in two weeks!! I am going to miss them so much. They are so much fun and have been good friends here. Sister Vail is going to Tokyo and I hope that I will be able to see her again. We took a lot of pictures today at the temple with all the sisters so if I get a few copies printed off I will mail them to you.

I don't know if i ever mentioned this before but devotionals are on P day which is really nice and last week L. Tom Perry came and spoke to us and it was an amazing message about the Book of Mormon and the Priesthood. There is a rumor going around that tonight it will be another one. My first devotional here D. Todd Christofferson came. I feel so blessed that i can hear these men speak. There are messages are always so powerful and I am filled with such a sweet spirit.

 

I also love my teachers, they are awesome!! They are so patient with everyone and help us so much in all matters. The language is still hard but now I just take one day at a time and realized that I am progressing. Someone told me this week about how missionaries always pray to learn the language and understand and they keep praying for it hoping that the language will all of a sudden come. But they don't realized that the Lord is helping them progress little by little. I know more right now then I did 3 weeks ago. The Lord is blessing me, i just need to have patience with myself and let it all soak in.

I love you all! That is basically all the exciting news for this weeks. Just had more language study and that it is it.

 

I love you with all my heart and I miss you!!!

 

Mackenzie

Rollercoaster (Week 2)

Well this week has been a rollercoaster week. I have a had a lot of ups and downs but it seems that the downs are long sometimes. I'll first tell about an up I had on Friday that I liked. So through out this whole week I have been praying that I could have the spirit more so that I could teach by it and have it work through me. Well on Friday we were practicing inviting someone to be baptized and having them say no but then we would have to ask why they said no. I was with Hall Choro (our DL) and I was playing the missionary and it was our second round. I asked him to be baptized and he said no. When I asked why he said that he didn't know enough about Christ and didn't feel ready to commit to baptism before he knew Him better. At this point our teacher, Pangariban sensei, told me that I should stop and just let there be silence so that I could  listen to the spirit to know what he needed to here. So I sat there and thought a little bit about what I should say. When I finally decided to speak the only words that I got  out were "I know that Jesus Christ lives" before I started bawling. It was embarrassing. I was crying so much that I couldn't speak anymore. But when I was able to get under control I was able to express that I know that Jesus Christ loves him and is proud of him and wants him to come unto Him with all his heart. I also testified that the Book of Mormon was the way that He speaks to us and that it was written for him and no one else. It has answers that he is seeking. I also testified of prayer and that if Hall Choro would just pray to Him he would receive answers. Besides the embarrassing bawling part I really enjoyed that because it made me happy because that is exactly what I have been praying for for the whole week. It was a good experience.

So I can't remember if I talked about Higaki san in the last e-mail but she was our investigator during our first week here. On Thursday and Friday we got a surprise. Thursday we watched a video from her and guess what? She speaks English. So all the lessons we had with her when we thought she couldn't understand us, nope she did. And on Friday we walked into the classroom and get another surprise. She is our new teacher and her real name is Mortensen sensie. Crazy right? All of missionaries have a hard time with the deception and take it really hard. For me though I can see why they did it. I just felt embarrassed more then anything I guess. But I really like her, she is a good teacher. So now when I meet with "investigators" it will actually be our two teachers but they will just be acting like someone they met on their mission. It is hard to teach. I feel like I would so really well if I was speaking English but since that is not the language I am learning I have to get used to speaking in Japanese. I just hope that I can get a hang of this language. One of the goals for Stubbs shimai is to help me with my confidence before we leave. I too will be working on it.

 

Yesterday we got about 15-20 Japanese missionaries. Because of the earthquake last year in Japan the MTC there has been closed and so every few weeks the MTC here gets a group of Japanese missionaries and they are here for 3 weeks. Tonight after the devotional we have a branch review about the devotional we heard and we will be the interpreters. I think having them here will really help me. I found that I can understand the language better then speak it so that is a start right.

 

Even though being here is hard sometimes I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I am honored to be serving the Lord and I am grateful for the spirit and growth that I have already experienced here. He lives and has been by me through these two weeks silently cheering me on and giving me strength, love and peace. I have improved a little bit I will be honest. I just have to get over trying to be perfect RIGHT NOW. You know me, I always feel like I need to do things the right way and the perfect way right from the start. But since Sunday I feel a lot better.  I am just focusing on one day at a time and will take advantage of my strengths and try to work on my weaknesses. With the Lord at my side nothing is impossible. :D

 

I love you, with all my heart and I think about you everyday and pray that you all will be safe and blessed while I am away. Someone quoted a missionary quote that went like this "a missionary is someone who leaves her family for a little while so that others could be with theirs forever." I am so glad I have you for eternity so that makes 18 months nothing. :D

 

With all my love,

Mackenzie

 

Oh p.s I forgot to mention this last week. There are 3 Elders here who are going to a new mission. Their mission is to the Marshal Islands. Isn't that sweet!!! It is so exciting to here that there are still missions being opened today. I am sure they have a big job ahead of them. But they will be amazing!! Just like Kolipolky in the Other Side of Heaven. :)