Friday, February 12, 2016

1 February 2016 - You were all right!

Greetings from up north-

Everyone who found out I was serving in Idaho commented on how cold it would be.  I am glad to tell you all that you were RIGHT!  100% correct.  There is about 2-3 feet of snow all over.  I'm getting a lot of good practice driving in ice/snow.  Having a car is such a blessing.

On Tuesday morning, my MTC companions left at 3am for Boston, then about 15 of us took a teeny tiny plane from SLC to Pocatello and our mission president and his wife (the Hancocks) met us there and took us to the mission office, where we were oriented, and met all sorts of important people.  3 of the elders from my district are going to Pocatello, as well, so it was nice to have them there.  Afterward, we went to the mission home, where they fed us dinner and told us where our first area would be and who our trainer was going to be!! It was like in Harry Potter and the sorcer's stone, when they'd go up to the front, one by one, then get told which house they'd be in. Not kidding.  My first area is....... THE SUGAR CITY AREA!  

Here are some fun facts about my area:
 -I cover 9 wards.  One whole stake. (fyi - that is a lot of wards)
-This stake covers the whole town of sugar city.
-Sugar City population: 1500... slightly more than my high school graduating class
-90% of Sugar City are members of the church
-Half of the other 10% don't speak english

Fun facts about my mission:
-There are over 90 stakes in the Idaho Pocatello mission
-Over 180 missionaries in the mission
-Pretty much every companionship gets a car, especially in winter.
-My mission president and his wife are great

My trainer, Sister Stein, is wonderful! She's only been out about 12 weeks, and we're kind of white-washing the sugar city area, meaning that neither of us have covered this area before, because it's a new area.  That being said, there hasn't been as much teaching as there will be in the future, but a lot of planning, phone calls, meetings, correlations with ward mission leaders etc.. It's been a lot of paperwork so far, but I'm hopeful and anxious about things getting better and better!  I love her!

One thing that's been on my mind lately is something Pres. Utchdorf said: "Salvation cannot be bought by the currency of obedience."  It doesn't matter if one person has sinned more than another, or repented more, or sinned less or whatever.  Through Christ's atonement, EVERYONE is covered.  He has paid the price for EVERYONE'S salvation, because He loves all of us individually, equally, and eternally.  We have to accept his help, his grace, and keep his commandments because we love him, but he did not perform the atonement with respect to one person or another.  Study Alma 7:11-12.  Send me your thoughts.  It's one of my new favorites. 

I love you all!  And I love to hear from you all!

The church is true,


Sister McIntosh

 Me and my companion.

Some girls were just like laying in the snow...  

That's our car and the view from our apartment.  We're staying in a old lady's little apartment thing that has a baby kitchen and bathroom.  She's nice.  And has a piano.  holla 

Feeding dinner to our NEIGHbors.  I love them so much. 

Us and the district leaders shoveling snow for people. I've never shoveled snow in my life before that day. 

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