Tuesday, April 28, 2015

week 14

I think every 6 weeks my blog letter home will be about trusting the Lord.

Transfer emails came this week.

Sister Judkins and I really thought we were safe because we were in the middle of her training! 

LIES!

Sackley, Mallory........ Transfer and Train

This is a joke right?

I've thought a lot about the last 3 months the last couple of days. Everything that has happened so far on my mission was NOTHING that I expected. Our joke is that the Lord won't have any more curve balls to throw at me next transfer! But I know there will be, because there always is.

I have gained a strong testimony that there is no growth in the comfort zone and there is absolutely NO comfort in the growth zone. I'm terrified for the upcoming week, but I know that the Lord has something in mind. He knows what He is doing, and I just need to take a chill pill and calm down.

We read a book every morning in companionship study called, "Adjusting to Missionary Life". There is a part that says, "Think of the worst possible thing that could happen, and if it's something the Savior could help you with, move on without fear". 

Move on without fear.

This week the Lord is going to help me as I go to pick up my newest greenie. He is going to bless her with patience. He is going to bless us with strength to do His work in this new area. He is going to help me as we try to navigate where the apartment is, where the church is, and where the investigators are at. He is going to help us as we get lost as we walk and bike around town. I officially have no knowledge to lean on, only Him. It's scary, and so exciting at the same time. 

Am I terrified? Yes. But I have faith. Faith is an incredible thing, and I know that as my new companion and I act on our faith, the Lord WILL bless us with miracles. 

Let's do this.

Love ya!
Sister Mal
meet Eric Jeune. he's 8. he's haitian. he walked up to us one day and said, "HELLO CHRIST SISTERS!" needless to say, we're best friends. and he taught me how to say, "leave me alone" in creole this week. he also taught me some serious dance moves. 
our favorite- miss Ronetta. We spend every Tuesday with her. She
was baptized in December and she is just the sweetest

Reaction to transfer news

the moment we realized a sock bun doesn't work on my head


tampa district



Waffle House with the Lewis'!! They always take he departing
missionaries on our last morning.


annnnnd sister Chadwick teaching me how to fix my flat tire just
before she goes home :)
im going to miss this ward and this whole crew SO much


Wednesday, April 22, 2015

week 13



greeeetings!

about a month ago I wrote Logan and asked desperately for advice on how to manage training after only 6 weeks of being a missionary.

he wrote me back and told me three things, and this week, Sister Judkins and I discovered that we were doing them and Elder Logan was right.

1- Don't act like new missionaries. This has probably been the hardest. We've gotten lost so many times, and called the other sisters for help every single time we have a question. But this week we realized that we need to rely on what the Lord is telling us to do a little bit more. Clearly we know enough to be put together, so we went for it. We felt like greenies on the inside, but tried our hardest to work like we had been out for a year. Our spirits were lifted and the Lord led us again and again.

2- Bring the pain. I come home each night and bascially collapse on the floor. We walk and bike all day. I've never been so tan and tired in my life. But it is the best thing ever. Our bodies are exhausted, and yet I've never been so happy in my life.

3- Beg for miracles, they come. We begged, we pleaded, we fasted, we worked, and they do come. I often feel like I'm in the field of dreams saying, "If you build it, they will come!!" It's true. It's so true. One little example: We knocked on a man's door and showed him the Because He Lives video. He was nice, but as we kept talking to him, we realized he really didn't want anything to do with us. He then out of the blue said, "You know, I read your book, the Book of Mormon 30 plus years ago, and I want to believe it's true, but I just don't". We asked if he ever asked the Lord if it was true, and suddenly he was taken aback. He's agreed to give it another try and ask God this time. He's in the middle of 2 Nephi, and is amazed by what he is learning. Pray for Danny. He's ready, we know the Lord has prepared his heart.

Elder Logan- you've done it again. Way to go.

I love you all! Have a great week.
Love 
Sister Mal

sometimes... the things we find in our apartment complex worry us. ohhh tampa.




i love other churches reader boards

flamingos in the bay!

the roach's are out! I killed my first cockroach at the church this week. 

it's a week of firsts-- i officially can ride a bike with no hands. please enjoy my bow too :) haha



Sunday, April 19, 2015

week 12



hellllllo!

Well for the first time in a year and a half... parts of the Tampa mission are back to knocking doors! AH! I feel like an old school missionary and I don't know how to do it!

Our district leader talks about how knocking doors builds a "fist of faith". We spend most of the week knocking and everyone loves Jesus. WHICH MAKES ME SO HAPPY! But they don't understand that we all need to come closer to Him. We've been working on new approaches of how people can quickly understand that, we as missionaries, help people come closer to Christ. 

I've been thinking about it a lot this week and what it is that missionaries do. I often think of a blog that Logan wrote months ago about how we are not salesmen. I'm not here to convince or sell my faith to you. Rather I am here because I know how much happiness this gospel can bring you. I know how much closer you can come to Christ through His gospel. I am here because I am a daughter of God, and I know how much He loves me, so I want to make sure you know how much He loves you. 

A recent convert gave a talk this week in church. She challenged the congregation to think back to where your testimony originates from. When did you come to know for yourself the church was true? Think about it. For me it was a gradual process. Nothing clicked. It was a little bit here and a little bit there, and then I realized that I knew it. 

So as we knock on doors in the hot sun, I think about that. It didn't just click for me, so I can't expect it to click for them. Not only are we planting seeds, but we are watering them slowly and surely. It takes time for a testimony to grow. And if I spend my entire mission just helping people water their testimonies, then it will be worth it. Because I can think of countless people who did that for me throughout my life. 

Knocking doors truly does give you a fist of faith. I have the faith that our efforts are not being wasted. Someone will remember the two sweaty sisters that came to their door. One day, another missionary will be grateful for the seeds that were planted. It just takes time.

I love you all!
Sister Mal

I'm sweaty and crying tears of happiness. Home never tasted so good! Thank you whiteley-ross'!


I feel like Im in a bugs life! say hello to florida grasshoppers :)

PURE HAPPINESS. thank you Whiteley-Ross family!!!



my fav door so far :)


Tuesday, April 7, 2015

week 11

Before my mission, every night at the dinner table, I would make the family go around and say what their "Go world" moment of the day was. A "Go world" moment is when the stars allign and everything seems perfect and you just want to scream GO WORLD!

Well since being on my mission, I've changed it to "THE CHURCH IS TRUE".

For example: Pepe getting his mission call to Tampa (which I am still freaking out about) 
THE CHURCH IS TRUE!

Well this week had plenty of ups and downs. But always just when I thought God had forgotten about me, I was proven wrong, again and again.

On Saturday, Sister Judkins and I were not having the best day of our lives. Her bike broke, our appointments fell through, and we were walking forever to try and find a bike shop to be able to make it back to the church to watch conference in time. Well we get her bike fixed but Sister Sackley was still in a grumpy mood and was frustrated and exhausted. 

We get to the church and to make a long story short, end up in the Mother's Lounge trying to watch conference on our ipad. It wouldn't work. We were tired and hungry and we just wanted to listen to the apostles! 

Then out of no where we hear, "Sisters???"

We open the door to find Sister Au, a member of the ward who we already love because she is incredible. She hands us a bag and says, "I was making dinner and just happened to have some leftovers and I had the thought, 'Maybe some missionaries could use dinner!' So I hurried over here!"

I'm not sure if I have ever felt so incredibly grateful in my life. I think I scared her because I broke down in tears of happiness. She was an answer to a unsaid prayer.

We often forget that the Lord answers our prayers through other people. She didn't even know if missionaries would be at the church, but she had a prompting and she acted. And I am so grateful it did. It completely changed our attitudes and reminded us truly of how the Lord is watching out for us.

In that moment, I truly wanted to scream, "THE CHURCH IS TRUE!!" God hears us even when we don't pray. He knows our hearts and He knows exactly how to help us.

I love you all
but Pepe most still.

Sister Mal


soo my camera memory card was stolen this week.... in other words, i've been using the ipad. and i will be spending money from my card to buy another memory card... fyi dad.


you probably can't even tell- but we got caught in a down pour last night. we ended easter with dancing in the rain

bayshore selfies for the win. we've been biking HARD all week.

I FOUND VICKI! she's alive and well in florida and now has floral seat covers.

weekly planning ALWAYS involves m&ms

sister chadwick has been sick all weekend... she tried this steaming technique... she thought it worked. we all thought it was hysterical.