Hello Friends and Family!!!! Let me tell you this week (and the week before that) have been so crazy, but also so spiritually strengthening and uplifting!
For starters, these cupcakes were the bomb.com and they really did create a better and deeper relationship with our new friend Margret. Margaret is a Deaf sister in our ward that lost her husband nearly 35 years ago, and her family isn't in contact with her because they don't speak sign language and live all over the country. She doesn't have any friends except for one sister in the ward who she seems more like a glorified babysitter than a friend. For days I prayed and pondered what I could do to help her not to feel alone and that there were people that loved her. One morning while I was exercising it hit me, "desserts make me happy... cupcakes are pretty easy... I think my companions would be down to get our bake on", so I made German Chocolate cupcakes for both Margret and some other friends that we were teaching. Fast forward to next Monday, we gave Margret our cupcakes and I signed "we were thinking about you and thought you would like some sweetness in your life". Immediately she started crying and thanking us because she had had a very difficult day and she needed to know that she had three friends looking out for her. This truly will be one of my favorite memories watching a sweet 84-year-old lady watch us with tears in her eyes as we walked back to our car.
Another thing that happened was my emergency transfer inspired vacation to Wahpeton! Apparently the companionship down in Wahpeton has been together for nearly 4 months and problems and disagreements have to lead the companionship into having a "spiritually non-conducive environment". Luckily this was only a temporary transfer that would only last about 3 days, but I was still super stressed about why they were sending out a 4-week old missionary to settle disagreements between two Elders that only have 7-months left on their missions. As soon as I got there I thought I was sent to the devil's companionship. There were sticky notes and lines of tape on nearly every surface diving property of the two missionaries. The fridge even had tape clearly defining whose food was whose. I immediately wanted to grab my suitcase and run back to Fargo, but I was reminded of an email that President Howell sent me just the day before about my concern for going to Wahpeton, telling me that he had received a revelation that I was the answer to this problem and that if I worked out this problem the Lord would bless me. Therefore, I rolled my shoulders back made a Denver omelet using BOTH (they told me not too but I pretended that I was swept away by the culinary muse and couldn't hear them) of the Elders food and talked about the area and how I could help out. In the end, I loved my stay at Wahpeton and was happy that I was able to soothe the relationship between these two Elders, which goes to show that if you act in faith the Lord will answer your prayers and bless you in ways that you cannot imagine.
I received a very exciting, but also daunting phone call. While I was still on my tour of Wahpeton and Fergus falls I got a phone call from one of the Assistants telling me that they really needed to speak to me. A little unnerved I told them that I could do a Zoom call in fifteen minutes and also asked if my companions should be there with me. The Assistants said they only needed to call me, and that I needed to wear a suit because I was going to be on the call with President Howell. Fearing that I was either going to get transferred to Russia where I was going to have to teach underprivileged penguins sign language or get chewed out by President Howell I nervously got onto the Zoom call where President Howell welcomed me by saying I was the answer to the mission’s prayers. My first thought was that I was on the wrong Zoom call, but I later found out that President Howell had received yet another revelation about me. He told me that he felt inspired to make me Executive Facebook Business Manager of the entire North Dakota Bismarck Mission, where I would be in charge of marketing, advertising, and ensuring Facebook Page quality. Needless to say, I felt a rush of fear, then confusion, then subtle yet overwhelming peace. I am super excited to dive into this new responsibility and hope that whatever it is that I need to do I can exceed expectations.
To conclude, I just want to talk about something that I discovered this week that has brought so much peace and confirmation that this is the true church of Jesus Christ. These past few weeks I have interacted with so many people from all walks of life, and each individual has repeatedly told me that they are looking for comfort in this crazy pandemic and civil unrest world that we live. It has been my privilege to share the gospel and the happiness and comfort that it provides to each one of these individuals and to feel that God loves each and every one of His children. Often times, however, these individuals reject the gospel often calling it "restrictive" or "stressful", but I know that the gospel is neither of these things but rather the epitome of happiness and comfort that we need to be anchored to in these last days.
Love and miss you all so much and hope you are having just a great time as I am!!!
Elder McMullin
Photo Gallery!!
1) I love Fargo!
2-5) Fun Photos in Fergus Falls
6) The Cupcakes worthy of a cooking magazine (notice the powder sugar dusting on top :)
7) The Weird Weather Phenon
