Day 52, Decatur, Alabama

Hello Friends and Family,

   

I don't even know where the week went, but I think I say that every week.

The work is great.  I love being a missionary.  It certainly isn't easy though.  

It's great because I have the opportunity to share something so important to me.  It's hard though because not everybody wants that, and sometimes they are very clear in expressing that- insert slamming door.

But that is okay!

Hermana Leahman and me!

We are really focusing on finding people to teach right now.  I have met so many wonderful people!!! We are teaching one family right now that is just awesome.  They are from Guatemala, and so their Mom only speaks a dialect.  Her oldest son, Pasquel, is 14 and speaks only Spanish and dialect, and then their youngest daughter who is 8, speaks English too.  They recently lost a younger brother, Edwardo, and they miss him very much.  When we taught them that they could live with their little brother again, it made every hard part of the mission worth it.  I love that family.  Pasquel is starting school soon, so we are going to try and start teaching him English.  It would be so hard to move from another country.  I am so blessed!  I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve!

On a funny note, Sister Leahman and I get a crack out of people's expressions as we ride our bikes.  What's so weird about seeing two girls riding bikes with skirts?  Apparently it's pretty weird.  We get creative to make sure we keep our skirts down where they are supposed to be.  I took two long, knee high socks and cut off the toes.  Then I pull those up around my knees, and tuck my skirt in the end.   Creative right???  And it totally works!!!!!  

Funny/scary story I probably shouldn't tell my mom:

The other day we were out walking about trying to find a members house.  We stopped on the side of the road to look at our GPS, and then we notice a black truck slowly roll to a stop. There were two men inside.  One of them yelled to us "Well, what are you going to teach us?"  I was super confused, and was like "Umm hi, are you interested in learning about our faith?”  He said "Yup.  I'll be honest though, we are working for the Devil".   Except I heard everything but the Devil part, but my companion did.  Cars were piling up behind them so I pointed to the cars, and they said they would drive back around. As soon as they left, my companion explained what they had said.  We didn’t know what to do, and it was getting dark, so we picked up our bags, held onto our skirts, and booked it.  

It was hilarious!  

Don't worry Mom, I'm safe!  Life is good here in Alabama.

Today we went to the farmers market.  Reminds me of home!!! We bought us some peaches and watermelon, and then I told them all about where I was from.  I have a lot of Wenatchee Pride.  And if people didn't know about it, well, they do now!   It's great.  We met one guy today who sold us a watermelon, his name was John.  He has a granddaughter my age, and we had the greatest conversation.  Then he gave us some of the yummiest green grapes I have ever had.  Love that Southern Hospitality!

My drawl is becoming more pronounced.  I thought Spanish would be the most difficult thing to learn..psh.  Try Southern!  Just kidding :)

I hope all is well with everyone back home.  I'm sending my love and prayers.  Thanks for all the support!!!  

Much Love,

Hermana McClune

Day 45, Decatur, Alabama

Hi Y'all!                                                                                                                Monday July 29, 2013

    I'm in love with in Alabama!

    We arrived safe and sound.  It started raining pretty hard right away.  Birmingham is beautiful and so green. They took us to the mission home right away.  Our flight was great, although we were all pretty tired.  A lot of people's (there are 17 greenies) luggage didn't make it on time, but mine did.  By the way, my luggage is awesome and works great.  And I am so glad I only have two bags.  I had to carry one of my companions’ suitcases and another one's duffel bag in addition to mine because I'm stronger, and they had way too much stuff.  But just by myself my luggage is a breeze to take care of!  Thanks for getting me good stuff!

  Anyhow so we arrived at the home about 11:30am  were we met with President and Sister Hanks.  I have the coolest mission president's in the entire world.  I love them both so much. President Hanks is a big guy, and a spiritual giant.  He is straight forward too, but he is so humble and accepting while being very bold.  I was curious how everyone else who already had Holzaphel would accept him, but everyone loves him.  In my interview with him he said: "I have a prediction, you are going to be one of my best missionaries".  I don't know if he says that to everyone, but it made me feel good.  I want to be a good missionary.  I want to be the kind that makes the President cry when they leave because they were such a good missionary.  I think I started out on a good foot.  I am excited to work more with President Hanks and serve him.  It's our jobs as missionaries to make his job easier.  Or at least that's what I am going to try to do.

  We spent Tuesday night in a hotel (Marriot) and had probably the easiest day of our entire missions.  Then the next morning, we went to the stake center to meet our new companions.

  My trainer is Sister Leahman, from Clearfield Utah.  She is amazing.  Blonde, blue eyed, gorgeous on the outside as she is on the inside.  She seemed just as nervous as I was though, it was cute.  I said good bye to Hermana Easter, and we were off to Decatur.

  I love Decatur.  It's not exactly small, but it's kind of sleepy.  Everything moves slower here...which is difficult for a person who is used to go go go go go go.  (AKA-me!)

  We are living in a little apartment.  It basically one big room with a wall that that almost goes up to the top that divides the bedroom from the kitchen, and then there is a bathroom to the side. It's all we need. It's great!  Today was P-day so I scrubbed everything down good because it needed it.  Mom and Dad, thank you for teaching me how to clean.  It's been a very useful skill that not everybody has.  

Alabama is awesome.  Although I have been here for 5 days and no one has fed me some authentic southern food that everyone told me I was going to be stuffed with.  What's up with that?  My companion and I decided that we needed some authenticity so for lunch we went to Wally's and got the lunch box- a pulled-pork sandwich with coleslaw on it (genius!), a little cup of baked beans, and a little cup of potato salad.  It was perfect!  And it tasted so good.  Other than that I just eat my normal Greek yogurt, fiber one, and sandwiches and salads.  Whoo hoo. I'm a happy camper!

  The South defiantly is different.  No one can understand me because we have to switch between English and Spanish so much and so I end up talking in a lot of Spanglish when I am not paying attention, plus I am a white girl from Washington who starts to drawl when I start talking to actual southerners.  Basically, I'm a mess and I just have to repeat everything I say until they get it.  

  As far as the work goes, oh goodness, I love it.  It's hard. But it is so worth it.  I love love love it. The sisters here before... struggled.  So there is a lot of work to be done and a lot of things to polish up, but we are working hard. My trainer is amazing and so sweet. She has been here for one transfer before, but her last companionship... was very difficult.  Her last comp was not motivated to work, and just wanted to do service for members in the ward.  Which is fine, but we are here to invite others who don't already know about Christ too.  Hermana Leahman and I get a long great, and both have desires to be help and serve the best that we can.  So I jumped in with no progressing investigators, and really not much of a base, so we are starting from scratch; including the Area Book.  This past week, we have been tracting all over.  Some very prideful southern Baptists tell us we are wasting our time.  Others, usually awesome African American ladies, give us big hugs and tell thank us for sharing Jesus, but that they are firm in the faith.  Especially this one lady we met Saturday out tracting.  She reminds me of an African American Kristen, she was just so sweet!  She was sitting on her front porch with her neighbor enjoying the afternoon.  She told us we were crazy for being out working at the hottest time of day.  Then she told us to walk to the corner store and buy us a drink and a moon pie-so we said "Yes M'am" and did just that.  

We have found a lot of Spanish speakers as well, and I can understand them for the most part!  I just tell them that I am learning, and then they help me and we talk.  One of the problems is that most Latinos want to go to a church in Spanish so they can understand, but there is only one ward here in Decatur and it's English.  So we decided to start seeing if they would be interested in a Sunday school class in Spanish...and then people got really interested!  And then we got so excited we started inviting people, and then we asked the bishop.  Probably should have done that in the opposite order...but it worked out! Our bishop was excited so our first Spanish Sunday school class will be this week.  

   We have one investigator, Ramero, who is awesome!  His faith is so great.  He calls the Libro de Mormon "bonito libro".  He studies all he can and shows up every Sunday. He is about 29 and from Mexico.  But he wants to be 100% sure before he commits to baptism.  It is a little frustrating, we have shared Ether 12:6 with him and tried multiple ways to show him he needs to be baptized, but he just wants to be 100% sure.  Last night we met with him though and talked about faith again, and how it was an action. I asked him how he could act of his faith, and he said that is a very good question.  He asked if he could answer it next time.  We invited him to pray and think about it.  I hope he comes to the right answer.  Yay for questions!  Anyhow, I brought him up because we asked him to help teach us the Sunday school class because he studies and knows so much, and he has a very strong desire to one day go back to Mexico and share his faith like we are.  I really think this will help him.  He is so awesome; he just needs to be baptized! 

  The ward is great, and I just went around introducing myself and meeting as many people as I could yesterday.  We wanted to introduce ourselves in a good way so we did a musical number during Sacrament Meeting.  I played the piano and Hermana Leahman sang.  She has a beautiful voice!  We actually have sung lots for people because it invites the spirit so well, and the words to hymns are so powerful.  I love "Nearer My God to Thee".

  Each person we come in contact with I just care for so much instantly.  I just want them to have this gospel in their lives.  I think and pray for them all the time.  I love this work.

  I've got to go, but I love this work!  And I love each of you!  I pray for you every night.  Take care!

My new address is: 

     Hermana Aubryann McClune

     2216 Acadia Drive SW apt #170

     Decatur, AL 35603

Con mucho amor,

Hermana McClune

Day 39, Provo Utah MTC

Last quick letter before in the MTC                                                                        Saturday, July 20, 2013

Since Tuesday, not a ton has happened, but at the same time lots has happened. 

Remember how I told you that Hermana Klein and I would be singing at the new missionary orientation (about 400 missionaries).  Well Hermana Klein ended up having a doctor’s appointment, so it ended up being a solo.  So Wednesday we went to the room to do a sound check, and I caught Aunt Diana so that she could listen.  I am so grateful for Aunt Diana and her family; they have been a huge blessing to me here in Provo at BYU and the MTC. 

Anyhow, sound check went fine.  I was ready. Or so I thought.

Have you ever stood up in front of 400 people, and made up a new song on the spot?  It takes talent.

Basically, I forgot the words.  Which is a very important of a song in case you didn’t know?  The piano started playing, I am looking at 400 new, nervous faces, and I blanked.  Yup, what I could remember was stanzas.  So I guess I didn't completely forget all the words, just mostly.  The song is "I know that my Redeemer Lives".  Luckily, the song has couplets like "He lives to grant me daily breath, he lives so I can conquer death" and so on.  So since I couldn't remember what words went where, I just made up a new version of the song.  I mixed up the entire arrangement.  And at one part, I even added me own "I know he Lives".  I guess I really wanted them to know that I knew that my Redeemer lives.

So, you want to know the funny part? No one noticed.  Inside I was panicking, but on the outside, I was giving them my best smile.

In the cafeteria I had several people come up to me and tell Hermana Easter and I that we did well.  Hermana Easter asked one of them if they noticed and they had no idea what she was talking about.  And she questioned this poor girl pretty intensely.  She genuinely seemed not to notice.

The closest comment we got was "it was a cool arrangement."

Right before I sang, I prayed to Heavenly Father that I wanted the new missionaries to feel the spirit while I sang.  I know how tough that first day is, and I just wanted to offer them some comfort that I could. 

Well maybe that was his way of doing it.  I'll never know.  I still am not sure what to think about the whole thing.

Sunday night we are supposed to sing again for our departing devotional (400+ again).  Hopefully that doesn't happen again.

Other than that, we are just living up our last few hours here.  We said goodbye to Hermano Harris yesterday. His mission President from Uruguay just came home so he went to go see him. 

I'll be leaving the MTC Monday night at 8:30.  whoohoo!

New favorite scripture:  1 Corinthians 15:10.  I feel like the scripture was made for me.  Maybe some other time when I have more time I will expand. 

Love your guts!!!!!!

Hermana McClune

Day 35, Provo Utah MTC

Buenas Dias Familia y Amigos!                                                                                     July 16, 2013

   Este es nuestra ultima semana!  This is our last week!  We fly out Monday night...well technically Tuesday morning at 12:30 am.  First we fly to Michigan (weird!), have a three hour layover, and then Land in the most amazing state of Alabama-after a night of no sleep- at 9:42 am! I am so excited!

This week wasn't too eventful, but in honor of our final P-day, last night we had "P-DAY SMACK DOWN". Ya, it's a thing.  It involved placing two mattresses side by side in our tiny room. The object is to push the other sister off of the mattress (King of the Hillish).  It was an epic battle.  We had a bracket of 4 sisters, of which my companion and I tied for first because we ran out of time.  Dad, Derek, Landon, you would have been so proud of me-I totally road the leg.  Thank you for teaching to me wrestling moves so that I could be prepared to dominate in P-day smack down-chiste!

I also had my favorite meal yesterday: a pb & banana sandwich with a glass of milk.  It was heavenly.  I am so sick of cafeteria food. They have lots of options, but everything has that same kind of bouncy texture.  Food shouldn't bounce.  Missionaries are very easily pleased. We get excited over things like rain, news from the outside world, and pb sandwiches. yay!  Every day is a good day when you are a missionary!

Anyhow :)

On another note, Hermana Klein and I are singing tomorrow for the new missionaries’ orientation devotional. Hermana Easter is accompanying us to "I Know that my Redeemer Lives".  It is a beautiful arrangement.  I get goose bumps every time we sing.  It is a very next experience to be able to sing my testimony-that I truly know that my Lord lives. I know he lives and through him, despite all of my many, many imperfections and mistakes, I can become like him so that I can live with my Heavenly Father again.

At times I am overwhelmed with my inadequacies i want to be the best I can-the best daughter, best sister, best friend, and especially the best missionary I can be. I am so imperfect though.  Saturday night I was really struggling with this.  I know that my Father in Heaven has a plan for me, but sometimes I still wonder, what can I offer the Lord? I was doubting my worth, and felt really disheartened.

The sisters in my room reminded me that my doubts were not true. 

In Alma, from the Book of Mormon, 7:11-12 it says: "And he [Christ] shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and sicknesses of his people.  And he will take upon death that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities"

All that I can offer the Lord is a hard worker and a willing and obedient heart.  But that is all that he asks.  While he was here on the earth, he established his church and preformed his atonement.  He set the way for us to follow.  No matter how much I try, I can't be as "best" as I want too; I can't be perfect in this life.  But Christ is, and he makes all the difference.  He has felt everything that I feel, so that he knows how to help me.  When I was struggling with these feelings, he worked through the other sisters to comfort me.  And then when I prayed, I was blessed with feelings of comfort and peace.  That doesn't just happen.  I know that my Redeemer lives. 

In one week, I get to share that wonderful love and knowledge of Christ's atonement with the people in Alabama.

Well loved ones, I hope you are all doing well!  I send my love and prayers.  Thank you for all the letters and encouragement. (If you send any more letters, probably want to start sending them to Alabama) Y'all are amazing!

Lots of love,

Hermana McClune

Day 28, Provo Utah MTC

Hola familia y amigos!

The race begins!  We all type as fast as we can for the next hour!

   

This week was great, as usual.  Here are the highlights:

Wednesday my district leader gave me a package slip.  I sprinted with Hermana Easter to pick it up, but we couldn't spring back because I had to carry a very large, heavy apple box! Later that night when I opened it, I actually screamed for joy when I saw and watermelon (written in a black on the watermelon was “We will be eating this tomorrow too, but it will not be the same without you!  We love you!  Love from….) and strawberries from my family!  So the 4th was awesome!  We had the watermelon and strawberries with my zone for a picnic!  We all got sack lunch, sat outside, and enjoyed a beautiful day.  It was seriously the best watermelon I have ever had.  After lunch we got to play softball and an intense game of 4 square.  Yes it was intense!  The rest of class that day was good but then at 7:15 pm we got to finish early and go to a special program.  We had a short devotional on patriotism and how thankful we are for the country.  Which truly, I am truly thankful for.  I love this country and am so proud to be an American.  Anyhow then we got to watch a movie: 17 miracles!   It was so good!  But my second favorite part (the first was when I got the watermelon) was that we got to stay up past our bed time!  We got to stay up past 10:30 pm to watch fireworks and eat ice cream!!!!!!!!! Yay!  Thank you family for my 4th of July gifts, I truly missed you all too.  I felt so loved though, and am so thankful that you thought of me!  I hope you all had a great 4th; I enjoyed hearing about it from Mom.

Other highlights:

I found out the Elders gave me a nickname on day one-Hermana Manzana (Sister Apple).  Apparently everyone got a kick out of the fact that I introduced myself as being from "Wenatchee Washington, the Apple Capital of the World".  And they enjoy the fact that I very devotedly eat an apple almost every single meal, but at least once every single day!  Apparently everyone has been using my nick name but just didn't tell me!  I think it’s hilarious-I'm proud of my roots!

I got a bunch of letters this week!  It is like Christmas when we get a letter or a Dear Elder.  Keep them coming!  I love to hear about how everyone is doing.  I got to show off Landon's letter to all the missionaries in my zone.  They were jealous of how cool my little brothers are. 

On the sad side, Hermana Mackay left for the Mexico MTC to teach there.  We did get a new teacher though who is awesome-Herman Harris.  He is actually related to the Harris family in Wenatchee, and served with Brian Nygard in Uruguay. Small world!

I apologize that this so random, but really things are about the same here in the MTC.  Life is good, the church is true, and the Lord continues to bless me every day. 

We continue to teach our "investigator" Sabastien.  He is great.  At first, he wasn't to sure about taking the discussions because he is young and feels that his life is pretty happy.  As he continues to read the Book of Mormon however, he has expressed that each day gets even better.  The gospel truly does bless our lives.

We study our brains out here, but I love it.  Lately I have been studying the apostles in the New Testament.  One of the favorite things I studied was the epistle of Paul to the Colossians.  Paul is a stud, I'd love to be able to share the gospel with same kind of power that he has.  (It makes me love the name Paul even more, besides it being the name of my Great Grandad, Derek's middle name, and my future husband's name).  Anyhow, I love in 1 Col 1:9-11:

    

  "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding....Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.”

    I love this scripture because it's how I want to care for the people I will teach.  The gospel is such a blessing; it truly does bring peace and joy.  I feel that in my own life every day, and have felt the love of my Savior since I was little.  I want to share that happiness and that love with others.  I already have such a great love for them, just as Paul had for the Colossians.  What is amazing is that I only feel a fraction of the love that our Heavenly Father has for us. 

   

He loves us so much.  In verse 25 its says" Whereof I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God which is give to me for you, to fulfill the word of God".  Of course this is Paul speaking, but it also applies to me.  Heavenly Father wants us to have his gospel.  He has wanted that from the very beginning, and so He has called prophets, apostles, and even missionaries at each time, or dispensation, so that He can guide his children.  It is my privilege to participate in this work, and to help share His gospel with his Children in Alamabama.  I know this church is true, and I am very grateful for the opportunity I have to share it.

    Well that's about all for this week.  I wish you all the best, and send my love and prayers your way!  Thank you for all your love and support, I am truly blessed.

Hasta Luego!

Con amor,

Hermana McClune

PS I get to see Hermana Merrill everyday!!!

Day 21, Provo Utah MTC

Hola mis familia y amigos,

    Este seamana pasada fue muy bueno.  And It is becoming increasingly more difficult to write in either Spanish or English.  Now I am terrible at both it seems because my mind gets so mixed up!  I guess it's good though, I'm learning lots.

    Well life here at the MTC is pretty repetitive, but it's good.  A typical day looks like this: We wake up at 6:20 am, go grab a sack breakfast.  Most people get the BYU bagels or doughnuts, but I am pretty attached to my All Bran and banana or apple.  Then we have about an hour extra because we didn't eat in the cafeteria to study the scriptures or something like that before Gym time.  I usually start working out a little before gym, because then when I get to them gym I can finish my workout, and go play 4 square with our zone.  They have a track in the very top floor of the gym (10 laps=1 mile).  So I get some running in which is nice because I really miss it!!! It's nothing like running on the loop early in the morning with Dutch, but it's what I got.  Anyhow you wouldn't believe how intense 4-square is until you play- we get intense.  I actually got kicked out once because I sort of dived...and we aren't supposed to do that cause they don't want us getting injured right before we really start our missions out in the field.  Our whole zone is in it though.  Hermana Pickett is probably the sweetest girl you will ever meet, but don't play kickball against her.  We now refer to her as "The Pickett" because of how fierce she is at 4-square.  You don't stand a chance. 

   Anyhow, we then have a half hour to scramble and get ready for the day.  Then we go to our classroom and have personal study, where we study the scriptures and Preach My Gospel (the missionary handbook) for ourselves, and for our investigators that we will be teaching.  After that we usually have TALL, which is a language program on the computer that is actually pretty helpful to learn grammar.  Our teacher's don't teach a lot of grammar, we mostly focus on conversation aspects.  This is what ya need, so the computer grammar mixed in is great.  After TALL is Lunch in the cafeteria.  You have already heard my rants about the cafeteria food.  It's not so bad if you stick to soups and salad.  You just have to accept that you will never be regular: it's either you can or you can't go.  Supposedly the OJ is saturated with fiber here and they warn you not to drink it, but two of the Hermanas were so sick of not being able to GO, that they drank 5 cups.  It didn't work.  Glad I didn't try! 

  After lunch, we have class with Hermano Green.  He is awesome!  He served in Argentina and is just a very fun, but spiritual guy.  Part of class is to teach an investigator, that our teacher's role plays as. Hermano Green role play's "Sabastien".  So we teach in, and then have an hour for Spanish, and then an hour for gospel goodness.  Then at 5 we have dinner, in the beloved cafeteria. 

  After dinner, we have class again until 8:30 with Hermana Mackay.  Okay well, last night was actually our last night with her.  She is going to the Mexico MTC to teach for 6 weeks so we are getting a new teacher.  We were so sad.  She is seriously a huge role model for me, and we only knew her for 3 weeks.  I have known hundreds of wonderful people in my life, but very few who are as close to the spirit as she is.  She said her goal is to actually be best friends with the Holy Spirit, and you can tell.  She radiates Christ, and speaks with power.  At the same time, she is so humble, and encourages having that same relationship for ourselves.  It is my goal to grow to be like that, and to also become that close to the spirit. 

  Hermana Mackay role played as "Ramona".  When you sincerely pray and prepare for your investigators, I actually forget they are really my teacher-which is good because then I am really learning and experiencing what I need to in order to be a good missionary.  Ramona's story is that she felt impressed by God Friday night at  church that God wanted her to go to the US (she was from Mexico).  By a miracle, she came to the US and found the only family she knew there, as they were driving to church. They took Ramona to church, where she met the missionaries.  Ramona's spirit is so powerful.  We taught her that God is her loving, Heavenly Father.  She looked so truly happy when we explained that she was the literal daughter of Heavenly Father, he is the father of our spirits, and because of that, he has established his priesthood authority and gospel on the earth to help guide us.  We also shared a book of Mormon with her, which she clutched like it was the most precious thing she had ever seen.  I know for me, the Book of Mormon truly is a treasure that I look forward to sharing with people like Ramona.

   Hermana Mackay really taught an investigator named Ramone on her mission, who really was like that.  Ramone had been prepared for the gospel and the opportunity to follow Christ and be baptized.  When she shared about Ramone the spirit was so strong.  It was another testament to me that this gospel is true, and that God really does love us.  I know he loves me, which is in large part why I am our here.  I know I am a daughter of my loving Heavenly Father, and I want to share that knowledge.  I want to help lift up those who struggle, and let them know they don't have to do it alone.  Our heavenly Father is waiting for them, and is reaching out to them through me, and thousands of other missionaries.  I am striving to be worthy and prepared so that I may serve them.

   Well, that's all for this week.  I send my love and testimony of the truth of this gospel.  Please know how thankful I am, the Lord has truly blessed me!

  

Love your guts!

Hermana McClune