A Child's Prayer

Hello everyone! I hope you have all had a nice week and have enjoyed the sunshine.

 It is amazing to see how quickly the weeks are flying by. I can't believe that this past week I passed my 8 month mark! Sometimes being on a mission feels like a treadmill. When you start out it is really slow and doesn't feel like it is moving at all. Then as you increase the speed, it gradually gets faster and faster until your legs can't keep up anymore as you frantically try to slow it down.

We have been working with a lovely family, the Comptons. The mum is less active, and has 3 little girls. The oldest, Ella, is 9 and is going to be baptized this Saturday! She also has 6 year old twin girls, Anna and Eva. I love teaching this family; they are so sweet and so fun. We usually feel extra blessed after we leave because all of the girls want to say the closing prayer, so we have at least 3 prayers before we go. Last week, Eva said one of the closing prayers, and she prayed that we would find lots and lots of people to teach. Both Sister Smith and I felt the spirit so strongly as we listened to her pure and childlike faith. There really is such a power in a child's prayer. This past week we have really felt that, as we found so many people who had been prepared to hear the gospel. We are so excited for the coming week to be able to start teaching these people. We were excited to go back and tell Eva how much her prayer helped us this week.

On Wednesday we traveled to London for zone conference. We felt very lucky because that was the day it just chucked it down with rain, and we got to be in the nice, dry chapel most of the day. We talked a lot about the atonement, and the real meaning of Easter. The spirit was so strong during the conference. As a missionary, I have grown to love and understand the atonement so much more, and this Easter time is the perfect time to reflect on the atonement. There is a new Easter initiative called #hallelujah. It really brings the true spirit of Easter, I would really encourage all of you to watch it and share it! 

While at the conference, the dreaded news came... The visa came through! Sister Smith will be leaving me at the end of the month.  I'm sad to see her go, but know she will do great in the blessed land of Arizona. So to all my friends in Arizona: watch out! Your getting one of the best missionaries ever! I am really going to miss her when she goes.

Every Wednesday evening we have a sports night at the church. It is a great way for investigators, members, and less actives to get to know each other better and to have fun. This last week however, we didn't have our sports clothes because we had just come back from London. We played football (soccer) and volleyball in our skirts, which actually ended up not being too bad. It was heaps of fun.

I love you all so much! I hope you have an amazing week.

Love,

Sister McFarland 

Pictures 

1. Making an all American breakfast to celebrate the visa

2. Today for P-day we got ice creams and walked along the sea front :)
3. This is part of our district (left to right) Elder Nelson from Texas, Elder Lapi from Albania, Elder Nakaima from Japan, Sister Smith from England, Elder Isaksen from Norway, and me from the 'Cuse.