Sup'... so this awkward but I haven't sent a weekly email to y'all in six months. These last six months have been absolutely crazy featuring me being called as the Social Media Assistant for the mission, returning back to my cubicle in the mission office, living the oil barron life in Williston, and am now back happily serving in Rapid City as a Mt.Rushmore Elder! I've also had the pleasure of being companions with three amazing Elders and finishing the training of the fourth. Needless to say a lot has happened since I've last written y'all and it's crazy to think about where all the time has gone and how I will be stepping back on a plane home in just two months! Coming back to Rapid City and serving in the same ward from a year ago has really made me reflect a lot on my mission and how much it has changed me. Words simply can't describe the absolute joy I have found in serving a mission as well as the amazing people I have had the privilege to teach or serve with. I would highly recommend and encourage everyone who is able to serve, regardless of whether you're a guy or girl, to jump head first into the whirlpool of missionary work and be transformed into someone unachievable through other routes. Serving Jesus Christ and God is truly a transformative experience where you are able to strengthen your testimony alongside refining social, physical, and intellectual talents. If you are thinking about serving a mission, pull a Nike and just do it. I can promise as both an active missionary and someone who was once in your boat that it is worth more than your time, your job, your relationship, and really anything.
So as a update of what I've been up too, in October I was ripped away from my fantastic trainee in Fargo, ND (loved Elder Wells) and was called back to the Bismarck Mission office to redo the entire mission's social media stance which fell apart with the departure of the Howells. Let me just say that this was one of the most difficult times of my mission and by far one of the most exhausting. My record was spending fourteen hours on my laptop and driving 2,500 miles in one day- the same day. But I am proud to say we went from being one of the worst social media missions to being second best in the area and seeing an all-time spike in SM numbers for the North Dakota Bismarck Mission. I traveled around the mission doing Social Media Zone Conference training, remade digital marketing audiences for all advertising campaigns resulting in an ad budget increase, redid the aesthetics for the mission's Facebook and Instagram, and finally planned out all posted content and advertisements for 2022 and 2023. I was also companion to the vehicle coordinator meaning I also did all the vehicle inspections, mileage logs, and sales for all retired missionary vehicles. So yah- Bismarck was hecka busy.
Williston was absolute paradise! I was able to serve with Elder Sorensen, who I actually went to High School with, in the Williston 3rd ward in the dead of Winter. For those of you unfamiliar with North Dakota geography, Williston sits on one of the largest oil formations in the world called the "Bakken" (pronounced bauk-inn not bacon) and is 30 minutes from the Canadian border and almost in the arctic circle. So it was cold to say the least like -45 degrees cold, but you know we love knocking doors in -30 with golf balls while our eyes slowly freeze over if we don't blink every ten seconds. The Williston third ward is renowned for being one of the more hostile wards towards missionaries, but let me just say that Elder Sorensen and I changed that real quick to the point we were being being invited to 5yr olds birthday parties, DJing the stake dance, and being invited over for dinner 40 nights in a row. I absolutely love the people of Williston North Dakota and could honestly not have asked for a better place to continue to serve as Social Media assistant.
However, as we know all good things must come to an end. The McMullin and Sorensen duo eventually had to be broken up because of requests from other struggling missionaries and new leadership structure (apparently a social media assistant is against the mission president handbook) resulting in my release of being Assistant and becoming a District Leader and trainer down in Rapid City- in the same ward I served in exactly a year ago. It was a dramatic shift to say the least of going from arctic wasteland to the lush green Black Hills. I've been able to live in an apartment with only two windows (we call it the bunker) with another set of Elders which has been an absolute blast to say the least. We've started making vlogs together and I even attached a few of them for your own personal enjoyment ;) I have been able to be a part of some seriously spiritual lessons while being here in Rapid City and I can confidently say that the atonement of Jesus Christ really can transform and change any person who is willing to let His light into their life. Transfers were going to be this week, but due to an extreme blizzard expecting to deliver 12-17 inches of snow, we are waiting till next week to transfer. No idea what to expect with this upcoming transfer, especially with seventeen of our senior missionaries leaving for their original assignment and only five new missionaries coming in. So I have no idea what's going to happen, but I'm praying I'll continue living in the paradise of Rapid City.
Anyways, sorry for how long it's been since I've sent a weekly email, but know that I really do love you all so much and feel your support and prayers with me everyday. Love you all and excited to see y'all in two months!!!
You're favorite McM in the NDBM,
Elder McMullin
Pictures!!!
I just attached a Google Photos Album with some highlights of the areas I have served in since my last email as well as the vlogs we've started making in Rapid- enjoy!
Photos of Williston, Bismarck, and Rapid:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/VGsRNXSK2zHGDE769
Vlog Link:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/dmC1EMfpZfmXhrE57
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
