Adventures of Cri-Kee and Mushu

Welcome to Missionary Monday!

Okay, I love my companion. She is the pea to my pod! Hahaha I am so blessed to have Sister Muasau. ^^^ Hence the title of this email. On my mission, people give up trying to look at my name tag and I can't tell you how many times people have called me Sister Cricket... haha :) And no one can pronounce Muasau, so they either call her Mufasa or Mushu. So we decided to go all MULAN on everyone and make us Cri-kee and Mushu. It's a good time:)

This week was crazy!! It's been tough. Finals ended and graduation happened. We got to go see Cornell graduate! That was exciting:) He's the coolest kid ever and now he's headed off the Lincoln. Farewell!!

I got sick this last week :( NO FUN. 2nd time on the mission. BOO. But hey, at least it's only twice. It's been embarrassing this last week with my voice out of wack. GOOD THING Branch President did have us sing for Mothers Day yesterday like he was going to. I have time to fix my voice before next week.

So because of graduation, and with the saying "You can't spell drunk without UNK", You can imagine the parties happening around town. We did our best to stay busy and find people who are staying in Kearney for the Summer. We did a lot of service. Being able to help the foreign students that are staying here for the summer to move into their new dorms. That was fun!

I got offered a beer this last week for the FIRST time in my life... haha as a missionary. That was an exciting adventure...

Got to talk to my fam yesterday!! That was the best:) HAPPY MOTHERS DAY, MOMMA!!!!
I hope you all know how much I truly appreciate all the support and encouragement I continue to receive from you. I have the greatest friends, family, and examples I could ever ask for. I have been SO BLESSED from such a loving Father in Heaven, I cannot even comprehend it.

I hope you all know that I have a very real testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know He lives. I know He is with me every day. I also know that sometimes I get so caught up in the things around me that I forget to recognize Him, but guess what, he never leaves. He understand me, He know my heart, my desire, my motives, and as I turn to Him and my Father in Heaven with questions, because I know they know perfectly everything, they can help me discover answers and lead me towards the right paths that will help me to reach my potential.

I have seen them work in the lives of all those I am surrounded by here in Nebraska. They work through prayer, the Book of Mormon, and the spirit that accompanies church as we partake of the sacrament. They are in the DETAILS of our lives!

This last week, Sister Muasau and I were able to share our true conversion stories with each other as we did our companionship study at the park one morning. As I again, vocally went through many moments and memories in my past, even MORE details stood out to me of just how involved my Father in Heaven is with my life.
I used to drive past the house that the missionaries were living in down the street EVERY DAY on my way to school in the early mornings and see a light on in one of the windows. And every morning I would subconsciously be wondering what it is they were doing. Now look, I'm on a mission, LIVING that life.

He is SO very aware of us!!

I KNOW that the Book of Mormon is true. I was really bad at reading it before my mission, I couldn't name off lots of the stories, but I knew that when I did read it, even if I didn't understand it, I felt happier. I know that as I've read it more, and as my desire to know it has grown, my understanding of it has also grown. I read in Alma 14 today and I KNOW that story is true!! There is no doubt. These people lived! Alma and Amulek suffered much and were able to have these Christlike qualities in themselves because they KNEW CHRIST. They knew the gospel made them happy. And they knew He would come. I KNOW the Book of Mormon is how we get to KNOW Christ.

Prayer is REAL. Sometimes, it may feel like you're just talking to yourself. But as you pay attention to where your words lead, you will feel the spirit guiding your words and will come to receive answers that you would have never thought of yourself. He listens. He cares.

It's a tough area out here, and I often ask myself why I have been placed in the Kearney YSA, during the Summer now. It's forcing me to get out of my comfort zone and discover new ways to find and teach people, it's molding me into learning something that my Father in Heaven wants me to be. Only time will tell what that means...

Don't be afraid to open your hearts, to yourself, to your family, your loved ones, and especially Heavenly Father. Don't be afraid. As my mission scripture says

"Wherefore, be of good cheer and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come" -D&C 68:6

I love you all. I wish you the best of weeks!

Keep Calm and Carry On <3

-Sister Megan Elise Checketts