Quick Visit to the Mission Home

Sister Yerkes, Sister Rosa, Sister Long, Sister McShane, Sister Dennis and President MillerA visit to the Mission office (Most likely to pick up mail considering Sister McShane was suppose to be getting something from home quickly sent overnight!)

Last one, Maybe

Dear Family!

How is everyone! I can't believe that this just might be the last time I ever email you as Sister McShane (you know what I mean). Its been hard to think about and very emotionally draining.

But my watch is breaking and my shoes are falling apart. Not to mention my purse as well. And I really don't know what to say. Except one of the biggest rules. And y'all got to listen to this one. NO ONE GETS TO HUG ME BEFORE MOM. Okay? Sounds perfect. oh and Dad, Orange chicken sounds awesome!

I really can't believe this may be the last email to you. I love y'all soo much. and I love Heavenly Father. I almost can't believe all that he has had planned for me and my life. Here I am and I've accomplished the impossible. Serving a mission has been the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It is the refiners fire. It is holding nothing back, putting my entire self into the work and into the Lord all the while risking every thing, but really risking nothing at the same time. I know that Our Redeemer lives. I know He loves us I know I am important. I know that each of us have specific experiences for multiple reasons. One of the greatest is to share the gospel to others and invite all to come unto Christ regardless if it is at a supermarket or with a weeping single mother. I know that this gospel will bless the lives of many, one way or another. I feel like when I came out, my testimony was a deep puddle. but now it has grown into a swimming pool. I know this Gospel needed to be restored through a prophet. I know the plan of salvation is Gods plan for us and he gives us church, prayer, temple, Book of Mormon, scriptures, and more that we may live again with him one day. I know that faith, repentance, baptism, and the holy ghost are principles and ordinances that make enduring to the end enjoyable. And I know this will impact my life and so many others forever

Mi'-me is getting baptized this Saturday and she passed her interview with flying colors. I love her soooo much! I even hope to call her next week. I'm going to be her best fellow shipper ever. We even started to teach her husband and son this last week. its amazing how God works and how she has been prepared for years. I am soo excited to be there at it. She is a blessing. and an answer to my prayer as well. We went over the questions with her and her answers are outstanding.

I love serving in the YSA branch. I feel like Heavenly Father has really sent me here to help many people, but has even made it a blessing in my own life to prepare me for when I go home (and to see examples of RMs I do and do NOT want to be like :)

I love y'all and I don't know what to say more. So much has happened. How can you summarize a testimony that has been tried and strengthened so intensely for so long

Love you all


Sister McShane

Dinner picture

From left to right:
Elders Humpherys, Elder Jenson, Elder and Sister Ellis,
Sister McShane, Sister Dennis, Sister Long and Sister Rosa

Happy Birthday Daddy and More Miracles!!

Dear Family!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!!!!!!! CANT BELIEVE THIS BIRTHDAY IS HAPPENING! SO ODD RIGHT! I HAVE A CARD ABOUT TO BE IN THE MAIL FOR YOU TONIGHT! I HOPE ITS GOOD CAUSE ITS WHAT YOU ARE GETTING! I LOVE YOU SOOOOOOOOO MUCH!

So, :) This has been a great week with so many little miracles I don't even know where to begin. With Dads millions of little letters I have in my bag, with realizing how God has changed me in 18 months with this Saturday being my 18 month mark or what. So many good things are going on.

One amazing miracle is that Mi-me is getting baptized on Feb 15th. And that is such a huge miracle. This week we taught her about prophets and she just said of course we need a prophet. And the word of wisdom does not even phase her. She is soo strong and just has this glow about her now. I'm so excited for y'all to meet her via skype one day! You will love her. I could go on and on about her and how I love her. She is one of the biggest reasons I have served in Academy Heights.

Another miracle is just how great our district is. Because our District Leader will not be at my last district meeting, my companions decided they would "kill me" a few weeks ago when I had to give an impromptu training and they pulled out the Nerf guns!!!!!! What in the world! haha, it was a lot of fun. We also learned about how the Book of Mormon is the key stone of our religion using human props. You may have to ask me about that one in a few weeks.

We also came up with district roles. We have nanny, stylist (of course both elders) scribe, activity leader, environmental control, and more. haha. Its a lot of fun. We have the biggest district of the mission.

This week, I experienced some of the most powerful spiritual experiences of my life, and I don't understand why, only that they were.

One came in teaching Anna- a new investigator in the YSA branch. She first listened because of curiosity but now almost seems confused. She acts like she knows what she believes, but when what we say makes sense she kind of tries to hide from the spirit by getting defensive. This last lesson with her was amazing though because we let her know we were not there to argue or whatever but let her feel the spirit and give her enough information to help her find the answers on her own. its so interesting. At the beginning of the lesson, she brought up a scripture about how in Proverbs it says our hearts are evil. But we had continued the lesson talking about how God speaks to us through our hearts and by the spirit. A little way in, I felt overwhelmingly prompted to share a scripture in Mosiah about the natural man and how we need to cast that off for things of the spirit. I was able to relate that to what her scripture in Proverbs said about our hearts being evil. I don't know if that made sense typed out but that doesn't necessarily matter. When this scripture popped in my head i knew that Heavenly Father wanted me to share it. The spirit was so strong that I was shaking and trying to keep my voice steady and calm. I don't know exactly why that Scripture was THAT important but i know that it was and that Heavenly Father asked me to share that with Anna at that time.

Another powerful moment came in teaching a less active who is returning to church. She has come for the last many weeks and asked us to talk about missionary work. you have to understand she is amazing. And the lesson was powerful as we bore testimony about asking God what is right for us and about some of the realities of missionary work. aka its hard but more rewarding. We showed her the clip from General Conference when the age change happened and i again felt the spirit soooo strongly that i needed to bare my testimony about the importance of missionary work and how it has already started to change my life. i know it was meant to be me to say those things at that time.

We have had snow! happy days!

I feel like there was more i was suppose to say. oh well. I love you all!!!! Happy Feb. And Happy Birthday Daddy! I love you so much! love everyone!!!!!!!!

Love Sister Elizabeth K McShane