November 3, 2014 ~ Week 37

Hello Family & Friends and Happy November!

This week was so amazing as usual!  There is no week that goes by where there aren't the best adventures of my entire life.  Sometimes I feel like I want to relive every adventure I have, but then there would be no room for even better adventures to happen. Looking forward is the best thing!

Some pretty neat experiences:

The Dance Story :)

On Wednesday afternoon, Sister Dixon and I were praying about where we should go, we had many names come to mind but we wanted to be exactly where God needed us.  Sister Dixon received revelation to visit a woman named Ginny after we visited the family I thought of and I had received revelation to visit a family we have not met before.  We typed in the address to the GPS and found out this family lived four miles away.  I almost hesitated about going for a second because of how far it was and miles limitations, but then I remembered that we biked for a straight nine days and had EXTRA EXTRA miles because of that.  Also, Heavenly Father definitely knew that we had extra miles and so I could not turn away from the revelation I had received.  So we drove to this home and the parents of the family opened the door.  They were actually attending a Spanish speaking Ward in Jacksonville, but they lived in that home and were watching their grandchildren while the parents were out.  They want us to teach their daughter and grandchildren as well as their friends who live close by.  That was a miracle.  Not only that, I was asking Tammy about her family.  Two of her granddaughters are dancers and attended Center Stage dance studio in Utah before they moved here. She showed me pictures of her granddaughters doing amazing things.  My sister had emailed me a picture last week of her doing a jump on the beach and it was exactly like Tammy's granddaughter so she was very excited to see that when I showed her!  Not only that, they are New York City Dance Alliance dancers!  Which means at some point in my dance career in my teenage years, I must have met them without knowing it in New York City! Whoa!  I can't wait to meet them.  That was a neat connection I was able to have.  Haven't met many dancers down here!

'NO FEAR'

One of my main focuses and the mission's focus is finding families.  Because I know for myself how much the restored gospel of Jesus Christ blesses families eternally.  I know this, because it has and will bless my family eternally.  Through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, 'families can be together forever' and that is why I am out here serving my mission.  To reveal to families, the blessings that Heavenly Father has waiting for them that will bring them true and everlasting joy.  In order to find families, Sister Dixon and I have committed to talking to everyone.  I will admit that sometimes fear or doubt comes across my mind when I am out, so in order to conquer that, I came up with a simple phrase that brings me peace every time before I talk to someone, 'No Fear'.  I can't even explain enough what a difference that makes. And this can be applied to everyone, not just the full-time missionaries.  For example, we were driving to a lesson we had.  We drove into the apartment complex and noticed there was a deaf family outside.  I literally stopped the car in the middle of the road because the Spirit was urging me and Sister Dixon strongly to talk to them.  Sister Dixon is the one who can sign, I wish I knew some.  She was a little nervous because she only knows some.  I told her that she would be blessed with the gift of tongues and she was so confident! I love it.  We said together, 'NO FEAR' this is how we are going to find families!  We didn't want to miss them, so we went and parked in front of our investigator's building, prayed mightily, and ran about five hundred feet just to go talk to them.  They are completely interested and Sister Dixon was blessed with the gift of tongues and the gift of interpretation of tongues.  It was so neat to watch!  We found a family!  Remember 'No Fear'.

My studies in the Book of Mormon on Saturday were some of my favorites. I was in 3 Nephi 8.  Where Jesus Christ is about to appear to the people living in the ancient Americas.  Before He appears, there are signs and prophecies from the prophets coming to pass.  (During the time of Christ's death).  One of which many cities were being destroyed because they refused to repent and rejected the prophets.  One city was burned, another was overcome by the sea, and another became a mountain.  It was very dark in the land, so dark that they couldn't even see a torch that was lit.  There were earthquakes, thundering, lightening, etc. you can imagine what some of these people were feeling.  I wanted to point out something specific--This is what was recorded about all of these things that happened: '...for behold, they did last for about the space of three hours; and it was said by some that the time was greater; nevertheless, all these great and terrible things were done in about the space of three hours..' (3 Nephi 8:19).  I really pondered about that verse for a few minutes.  This can be likened to all trials.  Sometimes, to us, trials last forever, almost as if they will never end.  But Heavenly Father knows what we can endure.  In the moment, it feels like they will never end but when we surpass them and look back on how we grew, and what Heavenly Father was trying to teach us, it's as if the adversity was just the snap of a fingers.  It's a beautiful thing although the pain and hardship can seem too much to bear.  If only we constantly come unto Christ and accept His help, we can overcome ALL things through Him.  I love the Lord and I know He loves you and I.

I love all of you.

Love, Sister McCook