A crazy week in North Ogden

Hey everyone, It was great to read all of your emails. I am glad to hear how everything is going on back at home. 

So quick thing I need to tell you before I forget:

I will be going to the Ogden, Utah open house with the CEFALOS from Clinton!!!! We will be going with them on August 22nd at 7pm. Sister Cefalo messaged me on Facebook asking me to come with them. They really miss me and having me over to eat their mac and cheese which consists of FOUR POUNDS of cheese. I know cheese is horrible for you but man, that mac and cheese is so delicious. 

What a week. This week consisted of frustrating moments, exciting moments, happy moments, disappointing moments, and overall, it was a great week to be a missionary in the Utah Ogden mission. 

Last Wednesday, I was able to go on exchanges with one of the Zone Leaders, Elder Folkman. He is from Baltimore, Maryland and he has been out 20 months. He is a super sick missionary and we worked HARD during the exchanges. We literally talked to so many people. It was amazing. We were also able to take the Bowden family to the Ogden Utah Temple open house and the Bowden family LOVED it. Sister Bowden was telling me about the Celestial Room and how peaceful it was. Brother Bowden also made a comment while we were talking about the Celestial Room. A little background before I go into the comment: The Ogden Utah temple open house tour is like a long line. You're constantly walking but again, you can see everything in the temple. Brother Bowden remarked that in the Celestial Room, you can hear talking when people are on the stairs to approach the Celestial Room but once they step into the Celestial Room, they are immediately quiet. It's like that moment when the Prophet walks into Conference Center, everyone quiets and stands up. It is amazing. The Spirit is so strong in the temple. What a great opportunity we all have to have temples. To perform saving ordinances for those who have passed on without knowledge of the restored gospel. Because of temples, families can be together forever. I love temples so much. I highly urge you all to take advantage of the opportunity we have and do family history. We can find people in our families that needs those saving ordinances to enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:5). 

So a few days ago, Elder Reinhart and I ate dinner with this awesome family and they gave us a referral for this hispanic family who is from California. The mother is a single mother due to divorce and the Catholic church kinda "damned" her for getting divorced. She is lonely because she lost his husband and the Church turned its back on her. :( Heavenly Father would never turn His back on us because He loves us! John 3:16! 

So we we went over and knocked on her door. We started to talk to her and her name is Ester Duran. She is really cool. She has a daughter with Downs Syndrome who turns two in October. I was able to bear my testimony about Jesus Christ and how He knows EXACTLY what we go through because He went through it Himself (Alma 7:11-12). As some of you may not know, Elder Reinhart grew up Catholic and was baptized into the LDS church at age 11. He was able to relate experiences to Ester and talk about how meeting with the missionaries will change her life as it did to him. Ester also commented that she really connects with both of us and she wants us to come back and teach her! :D What a MIRACLE! 

Heavenly Father always has His hand in everything we do. Sometimes, we may not notice it and think that Heavenly Father isn't real but He is real. He is our Father in Heaven. He is always there for us. He gives us trials for a reason (Hebrews 12) and it is to help us grow to become the person He knows we can become. 

I want to give a shout out to my most amazing older sister, Hermana Caitlin McGrath. She is on her last week on her mission in New York New York South, Spanish speaking. She will be going home on August 19. She served a honorable mission and she has brought many souls unto Christ. She is and always will be an amazing missionary and friend to all. She is a great example of her desire to serve the Lord. Congratulations, Hermana McGrath, you have done an amazing job on your mission. 

I hope all is well and I love you all. Stay strong and YOU can do HARD things! Love, Elder McGrath

My new socks. Super comfortable too. :)

This was after Zone Study. We were doing a zone blitz in one of the Sister's area which was struggling. I was with Elder Folkman and he left his iPad on the top of the car and he sped off while it was still on. He later realized that he doesn't have his iPad so we went around looking for it. We found it after a half hour and the funny thing is that the case is perfectly fine but the iPad was folded in half. hahaha. President Hiers said it was the most bizarre damaged iPad he has ever seen on his mission. it was hilarious! Since Elder Folkman is a ZL, he got a new iPad 2 days later. haha