McKay Is Away ... In Seattle: Jesus, Saviour, Pilot Me

It's been a beautiful week here in Seattle. And by beautiful I mean that th weather has been crazy. The beginning of the week was back and forth between raining and being sunny changing about every hour. Then, we got two days of gorgeous 87 degree weather. All leading up to 3 days of non-stop buckets of pouring rain. Hahah it was great. Except all the ups and downs in the weather have been making me sick. I've been losing my voice so I sound a little, well maybe more than a little, weird. I'm pretty sure my voice is about to give out completely. The best part was that yesterday we were out tracting and all of the sudden I got hiccups that lasted for like an hour. I was trying to talk so that people could understand me, but meanwhile I wa s hiccuping all over the place. Rough! Haha poor Hermana Boley has had to do a lot of the talking these last few days.

We had zone cenference this week. I LOVE Zone conferences. They told one story that I really loved and learned a lot from. I'll try to explain it but it may not be as good as it was in the conference.

There was a village and on top of a huge hill outside the village there was a giant boulder. It had been there forever and it was impossible to move, but because the hill was steep they knew that if they could just get it moving, it would gain momentum and go down the hill. One day their leader told them that they all needed to go and push the boulder with all their might. So they obeyed. Day after day they worked and worked trying to push the boulder but still the boulder didn't move at all. After quite some time they all voiced their frustration saying to the leader, "Why did you ask us to move this boulder? We all know that there's no way it's going to move." And their leader responded, "I didn't tell you to move the rock, I just told you to push. Now, look at how much stronger you are. Look how much you've grown."

I have been thinking about this a lot this week and how our leader, our loving Heavenly Father puts us in some tough situations sometimes. Sometimes there are things that to us seem silly and too hard to complete, but He knows better. Every fallen through appointment, every investigator that drops us, and every down right hard day as missionaries refines us and strengthens us. And it's the same is "normal people life" as well. We learn and grow. Some things Heavenly Father asks us to endure seem down right difficult. But He is always there guiding us and supporting us.

I know that one of these trials that has been hard for my family this past year and something I haven't talked about very much is my step dad's cancer. He has been in remission for about a month now but there's a lump on his neck again and he will be tested tomorrow to see if it's cancerous or not. I would like to ask any of you that can to please pray for him. I know our family could use the prayers right now. The amazing thing to know though is that no matter the outcome, it's God's plan and everything will work together in the way it's supposed to.

This week should be a great one! I will get to call my families on Mother's Day and will turn the big 2-0 on the same day. I just want to end telling you all that I know that our Savior, Jesus Christ loves each and every single one of you so much! I just wanted to share the words of one of my favorite hymns, "Jesus, Savior, pilot me." It's so amazing to know that he is always, always helping each of us personally.

Jesus, Savior, pilot me

Over life's tempestuous sea;

Unknown waves before me roll,

Hiding rock and treach'rous shoal.

Chart and compass came from thee;

Jesus, Savior, pilot me.
2. As a mother stills her child,

Thou canst hush the ocean wild;

Boist'rous waves obey thy will

When thou say'st to them, "Be still!"

Wondrous Sov'reign of the sea,

Jesus, Savior, pilot me.
3. When at last I near the shore,

And the fearful breakers roar

'Twixt me and the peaceful rest,

Then, while leaning on thy breast,

May I hear thee say to me,

"Fear not; I will pilot thee."