Monday, October 27, 2014

Nebraska is getting flatter...everyday!

Hello family!

How are you all doing?  Happy fall!  It has been the most beautiful fall this year!  Such a tender mercy I think.  It hasn't even been that cold!  I just love Nebraska more and more every day.  

Hmmm so what happened this week.... I ate ghost pepper chili! That my friends is never a good idea, ever.  Don't do it because you will cry! haha I only dipped a corner of a cracker into it and it had me crying... haha.  We had a chili cookoff for the branch and Brother Lindsey made his famous sizzle your face off chili.  What an adventure!  All the missionaries were the taste testers so we ate some of all the chilis and were required to try some of his.... thus a cracker dipped in slightly.   Good experience nonetheless..  
We had some crazy adventures this week!  We got a referral from a member which was fantastic... except he didn't know the exact address... just an appartment complex... so Sister Beers and I being crazy decided we'd try everyone in the complex..  because why not right?  We found a new investigator named Sherman!  It was cool, sometimes the Lord is just so good to us.  Sister Beers also lost her voice (which wasn't cool...) But she sounded really funny... so that was funny...But we went to try the referral at their work (because we also had that information)  But ended up just being weirdly creepy... and ordering strawberry burritos.. yup it was a good story but for some reason doesn't really make sense right now.  

We had an exchange in Columbus which was fun!  I got to make Cuban food with their recent convert.  He started yelling at me in Spanish because I accidentally dumped in a whole cup of garlic... opps!  But I was forgiven and we enjoyed fried fish and Cuban rice.  We also taught an English class which was great because I've needed to learn how so we can teach Rene English.  Rene is still set for November 8th, but will need to move it because we haven't been able to get people over there that speak Spanish... we told the branch council this and they were so sad there were several volunteers to help us teach him.. cool right!  It's an answer to prayers really.  The lord works in mysterious ways.  We had tried several times to get an Hermana down to york for the day and everytime something would go wrong, So I thnk it's because the Branch will be strengthened as they take charge of this investigator.  And we're praying his kids will follow too.. They're so sweet.

So a bit scattered here today, but very grateful for everyday.  Being a missionary is beautiful.  It's the most remarkably life changing thing a person could ever do.  I don't know if I'll ever be able to express how grateful I am to be here.  This week Sister Call, Sister Youngberg and Sister Schrader go home!  Yikes!  I'm going to miss their spirits out here in the field.  That's half my companions... weird.  So many things will probably be changing.... We have a busy week planned which is good because It helps me not stress about the coming weeks.  

I love you all soo much and I hope you all have a really great week!  I'm praying for you all.  Have an excellent Halloween! (Oh and Nebraska is getting flatter.. because they're cutting all the corn down! No more corn :(  )

Love always,

Sister McMaster

Brother Lindsey.. spicy Chili king!


Hastings Sisters! Love them.. we'll miss Sister Frisina!



We made an epic Lunch yesterday... looks delicious right?  All thanks to the Aurora Branch, they're the best.

Monday, October 20, 2014

Apples a Falling on my head!

Hello Family Dear!

Do you love the fall?  I sure do! Except when it's apples that fall!  This week we had an exchange in Nebraska City and it was delightful!  We picked apples at the Arbor lodge and it was so fun! (except i got loads of bug bites.... ick..)  but literally apples were falling on my head... it's an awkward thing to dodge... but makes for a great story right?  While I was picking apples I started thinking about a talk by President Uchtdorf from a while ago about our divine worth... I really don't know why this related at all to what I was doing... but the thought that came to mind was "you are infinitely more valuable to God than a falling apple"-- Probably a friendly reminder to not do anything dumb to pick the prettiest apples... I may be a missionary but sometimes I lack common sense... no worries though I heeded that prompting and didn't hurt myself picking apples.

Apples!

Sister Beers my apple picking buddy!:)


This was a really good week.  Lots of good things are happening here in Nebraska,  We were able to teach Hilda's kids and they are begining to progress.  Hilda really wants them to each have their own conversion which is so cool!  But It's also difficult because their conversions will be different than her own.  Conversion is a process different for every soul.  I hope she has the faith that her children are ready to be baptized.  I love their sweet family.   We also talked to Debbie about baptism this week, she is not confident in her own conversion but said she'd ponder it.  I know that as she ponders prayerfully she will recognized that she has changed in the last few months.  It's amazing because the reason she has changed is because she and her husband (Brother Dean)  have been reading the Book of Mormon every night!  It literally is changing everything!  I have such a testimony that the Book of Mormon can change lives.  Don't underestimate that!  Keep your habits of reading it strong! It's the foundation that you 100% need!  

Sister Beers and I have been learning a lot about foundations this week (perhaps because our foundation in our house is letting in lots of mice... we caught two this morning... they run around with traps stuck to their legs... ick..but they're becoming cuter... maybe that's a spiritual gift so I am less afraid of the little guys)  But really we learned about spiritual foundations, they are absolutely necessary to have.  We both got to speak in church on Sunday (third time in this branch!  that's more than my whole time in Fairview... haha)  We spoke about missionary work (easy topic right?)  I had this crazy idea to talk about powder... who knows why!  But I talked about how when we first got Powder he would run around crazy, and we would chase him quite fruitlessly trying to bring him home, but then Dad would come home and would call for him and he'd be there in an instant.  Then over time we each learned to call to powder with the power and authority that Dad did so that he would know his name.  Similarly in missionary work we learn to call to people with the voice of the good shepherd.  Sometimes as missionaries we run  a muck... not super effective... but as we learn the voice of the Shepherd (through studying the book of mormon and prayer)  We can learn to open or mouths and be the voice of the good shepherd.   So that my family is why we read the book of mormon, and build our foundation on that.  That we can be the instruments that the Lord needs us to be.  

I love you all.  I hope you all keep your foundations strong.  Keep reading keep praying and know that the Lord truly does hear your prayers, he knows your worries and doubts, and he truly does love you.  I'm grateful for your love and Support.  Have a terrific week!

Love Always,


Sister McMaster

PB&J party with my darling Sister Beers

Monday, October 13, 2014

Faith is Power

Well My Family Dears... HELLO!

Happy Columbus Day!  Miracle of the day- the libraries are open in York :)

It was really a great week in Nebraska, a great week to be a missionary!  Did any of you get to go see Meet the Mormons?  I didn't but I heard it was a "tear jerker" -an elder said that... haha.  Hopefully we'll find someone willing to drive to Omaha to see it soon!  

Always learning but I really loved what I learned this week.  Faith is power.  There ya go that's it.  I was with a Sister named Sister Crist, who happens to be wonderful.  She was really anxious to be praying 30 times a day (that was a commitment from a little while ago) So we were tallying everytime we prayed.  It was so cool.  The spirit was so strong as we were walking down the street and she said... wait... can we pray now?  It's hard to say no to that question so we prayed a lot.  We knocked on a door and no one answered, then I felt like we should knock on the door across the street and no one answered... so we left and didn't think much of it.  Then we ate lunch and prayed to  know where to go.  We felt we should go back to that circle.  So we did.  And we saw the lady we were looking for and gave her a Book of Mormon, she was really busy but seemed pretty sincere.   Then we walked away and I felt again like we should knock on the door across the street again so we did, and what do ya know the sweetest lady answered and we were introducing ourselves when she told us "I'm a Mormon too!"  They had just barely moved in and hadn't found the church yet (may not have been too actively looking either)  But she was excited to see us and told us that she was 90% sure she'd come to church the next day.  I have absolutely no doubt that Heavenly Father knew exactly where that lady was and knew that she needed a friendly knock from a missionary.  I am so grateful for these kind of miracles. It really helps me see that the Lord's hand is real in our lives.  He knows exactly where we are and what we need.  He's the best missionary!  He helps each of us serve each other, he helps us strengthen our faith from the love we feel from each other.  He truly has a perfect plan.

So I'm grateful today to be a missionary.  York is such a special place and though things may not have gone perfectly this week I know the Lord is teaching us to keep trying.  To search to find the down-trodden and the afflicted.  To keep praying, to keep reading to never give up.  He'll never give up on us so we can't give up on him.  

I hope you all have a terrific week.  Keep smiling and serving those that need you!

Love Always,

Sister McMaster


Classic Nebraska... trains everywhere... making us late!



awkward picture... waiting for the train!  Hermana Buhler in the back our secret kidnapped hermana... she helps us speak spanish to people!




Monday, October 6, 2014

Raise Your Hand If You Loved Conference!

Raise your hand if you want to play the raise your hand game!?

I think they should start saying that in the Saturday afternoon session of conference... that's secretly one of my favorite parts is the raise your hand game that happens in the conference center!  Also it was cool how there were a lot of talks about what it means to sustain the leaders of the church and how they love us with Heavenly Father's love.  That was one of my favorite things. (Lots of favorite things...)  But really it's so true!  Everyday as a missionary we pray to feel God's love for his children, and it's so powerful.  I know that the Prophet and apostles do the same and I can only imagine the power of the love they feel.  So powerful loving one another. I'm grateful with all my heart that I get to love you family!  You're great! You know that right?  Hope so :)

It was a really good week.  Lots of growing and that's always a good thing.  I wish I could express it better but my testimony that our Father in Heaven loves each of us individually and knows our deepest fears and worries has grown very much this week. I feel like such a blessed daughter of God.  I hope you all feel that love every day as you get on your knees and pray to our beloved Father in Heaven.

We saw miracles as we tried new towns in our area! We trekked through the muddy roads of Henderson and we gave a Book of Mormon to three people in the little town of Fairmont, Nebraska.  It's like our neighbor village.  Haha this place is so bonkers I just love it to death.  I love to give the book of mormon away though! It's so powerful to testify of how you know that it will change their life, little do they know that it really 100 % will... I have high hopes that there will be a Fairmont ward one day... that'd be sweet.   We also had a really sweet lesson with Veronica (Hilda's find!)  She's so sweet and just soaked up the restoration.  I love the restoration.. you should study it in preach my gospel (chapter three lesson one)  It is so cool how simply it teaches us that God keeps his promises ALWAYS!  He will not ever forget us and he will always bless our lives as we do what he says.

I left conference feeling motivated and enthusiastic.  I am so grateful for the inspiration of the leaders of the church.  So wonderful.  Glad to hear Dad finally won the st. george marathon!  (you did win didn't you?)  I was thinking about you Saturday morning and I ran almost a whole mile! (getting more and more pathetic in the running category.. aw well!)  

Love you all to the moon and back!  Have a beautiful week!


Love,
 Sister McMaster

Ice Cream in Omaha... oh and I found sister Wrubell!




The creepy cornfield in Fairmont... be afraid you'll never know what could pop out!