Happy Holidays from Salta Argentina Mision! Spencer's Take 2, Semana 34

Monday, December 29, 2014

Jonah's Week 9

Monday, December 29, 2014

Hey I love you mom and my birthday was awesome!! I celebrated it here with my family away from home, the Gonzalez family. Only two of the people are members but I am teaching the parents and the rest of the kids. They are awesome and they bought me a cake with my name misspelled on it! Then they lured me outside and smashed eggs on my head!! I guess it's a tradition here and it was hilarious! I had no idea that's what I was going outside for and luckily I just so happened to be taking a selfie when Mayra the oldest daughter smashed her egg on my head! haha!

Also I celebrated my birthday again today with the zone and they made me a cake and while I was blowing out the candles one of my friends Elder Vasquez smashed my face into the cake! haha Here in Honduras you receive a lot of abuse on your birthday! It's kinda funny!

Hey thanks for fixing the money thing I was started to get way worried! Love you lots!

Elder McKee

Best Christmas Presents EVER

December 25, 2014

Christmas at the McKee home was wonderful especially with our conversations with Elder Spencer McKee, Elder Jonah McKee, and Sister Lexie Sims. Here are their snap photos...

 

 

It was great to see them all happy, healthy and loving their opportunity to serve! Yay for awesome kids and awesome missionaries!!! Merry Christmas!

Jonah's Week 8

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Hey this week has been crazy!! I have killed two mice in my casa, been attacked at night by a gecko, I've been asked to marry this one investigators twin daughters, and last but not least I found out I have an investigator who has killed 23 people!! Okay now for the detail! haha
Well to begin we have a mouse problem in our casa. Our front door doesn't reach all the way to the ground so it's really interesting to see what kinds of creatures make their way into our home! This week it happened to be two mice and a couple of geckos! But anyways I was changing into my pajamas for the day when out of no where I step on something squishy and it squeaked! I pìcked my foot up fast and saw a mouse run across the floor! I hunted it through the house and after chasing it into the spare room I put a towel under the door so it couldn't escape. I then tied my tie around my head and declared war! It was going to be me or the mouse but I promised ONLY ONE OF US WAS GOING TO LEAVE THAT ROOM ALIVE!  Luckily for me I had a hammer so the odds were ever in my favor! hahha get it!?!? Okay well anyways I went to battle and came out victorious! Then later that week I had a second duel a lot less intense with a second babier mouse. But yea, you can call me a gladiator or the king of the arena if you really want to! I mean shoot I have people offer their daughters to me!! haha I guess that just goes to show my name in the duel arena has grown. haha

But seriously this one investigator has twin girls who are 16 and I won't lie they are lookers but I was abolutely shocked when she asked me if I had a girlfriend waiting for me at home and I said no she's not waiting for me and she said great because I want you to marry one or both of my daughters and take them home with you!! I told her I couldn't and then she insisted by saying they would make sure I was a happy man to say the very least.. haha Well anyways I once again respectfully declined and then continued by teaching the law of chastity again!! haha It was whack! But not as whack as finding out one of my investigators is not really in an investigator but a progressing member!!

He has killed 23 people and since then he has left the gang and found Jesus! He can't be baptized because of his actions and to be perfectly honest, when he told me this I didn't believe him because he is such a nice guy! He is even having us over for tamales tonight!! But I started to belive him when he showed me the tally mark scars on his chest for each of his kills. It's crazy to think people are capable of that and then making such a drastic change to the point of me not even believing him. Well anyways I have to go but this is my wish. Have a Merry Christmas and this Sunday is my birthday! It's tradiotion that when it's your birthday here you get to smash an egg on the head of your friends. Sooo this Sunday smash an egg on your head and send me a picture!! haha Well anyways I love you all tons and I know this church is true.

Merry Christmas,
Elder McKee

Spencer's Take 2, Semana 33

Monday, December 22, 2014

Hello family and friends! How are things back in the real world? I hope you're getting all of your shopping done and that you have found the most perfect gifts to share!

This will be my first and only Christmas in the mission. From what I hear Christmas is crazy here! Everyone has a barbeque on the 24 and they eat a lot of meat and drink a lot of alcohol all day and all night long. At 12 am on the 25 everyone lights off fire works and they go off for about an hour! I'm pretty excited for the fireworks because we live in a fourth floor apartment and we are going to be able to see everything! It should be fun. It's going to be different than the classic Christmas with gift giving, cinnamon rolls, eggnog, hot chocolate, Mexican food on Christmas eve, and sitting around all day watching the Christmas story and other movies. It will be different for sure but it will be fun.

Karen I hope you all have a good Christmas and that you can really focus and help others focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Question... what was the first Christmas ever given?  JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF!!!!  I am so grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ and for the gift that He is! I'm grateful for the chance that I have to start over every single day and to become more and more like Him everyday that I live! That is really the goal, right? To become like Him is my greatest desire. I hope that you can all focus on the things that really matter and that you can all share the love that our Father in heaven showers upon us! I love you all and wish you a Merry Christmas!

Con mucho amor, y esperanza a que tengan una feliz navidad,
Elder McKee

Jonah's Week 7

Monday, December 15, 2014

This week has been one of the quietest weeks of my life. Tegucigalpa is crazy! It's bringing back so many memories I can't even help but love this place! I am in a colony called Paraiso and it's cool but I don't think these people speak the same Spanish as the rest of the world. This language is not Spanish. That much is true. After everything there is a "mmm" sound, it seems like they are constantly humming and I don't get it at all! Oh and guess what! My first day here we were crossing over a stream to go eat at a member's house and the bridge was just a metal piece of something and while I was crossing it broke and my leg fell through and I cut my leg all up! haha! Then the third day here there was a mouse in my closet!! haha Welcome to Honduras!

 

Well anyways today is p-day and we decided to hike a mountain to this giant white cross that over looks the valley and it was seriously the steepest hike of my life!! It was a ton of fun and I'm starting to appreciate all of the small things in the world at home a lot more!! Well anyways it's been an adventure to say the least and I can't wait to see what else is in store!

Mom I know you want to put money in my account so that I can buy some Christmas presents for the people here but I don't think there is anything I can do. I don't know how to get out money and my comp is a native so I don't know how to communicate with him. There are a lot of families who could use help but I don't know how to help them. This place is insane! I'm always lost and I don't know what's happening but I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually.

 

Also I just have so much in mind right now I can't even express it. But for now, how is the family? How is the team? And how are you? Also don't worry about me. I am fine and I know this next couple weeks is going to be rough since I don't know the Spanish but I know I'll make do. haha. I'll write more next week, just for now I'm kind of in shock because I don't know what is going on around me ever. Haha. Well love you all and merry Christmas!

Elder McKee

My mission president and his wife

Elder Ngungutau



view from the bus

Ward Christmas party

dinner with some members





my mouse friend

aftermath of falling through the bridge

 

 

 

 

 

Spencer's Take 2, Semana 32

Monday, December 15, 2014

This week went really slow. We started off the week with a leadership conference in Salta.

Monday was crazy! My comp and I got to the bus terminal in time, we had our tickets ready and everything. As we were standing there waiting for the bus to arrive, about a half hour from when the bus was supposed to arrive, the sister leaders called us to tell us that the bus that was supposed to pass by to take them the bus terminal still hadn't arrived. The problem was that they were about 40 minutes away by taxi. I told them to find a taxi asap and to beg the driver to drive fast! Then another problem occurred... they didn't have money to pay for a taxi! I told them I would be waiting for them at the drop off so that's what they did. They found a taxi and came. The bus we were supposed to take arrived before the sisters got there and we would have just got on it but we couldn't because we had to pay for their taxi. We ran to the  taxi drop off hoping that they would arrive in time somehow. They got to the terminal at about 7:37 and the bus was scheduled to leave at 7:30. We ran through the terminal like a bunch of crazies but sadly the bus had already departed! We ended up waiting in the terminal until 11 at night which was when we miraculously found open seats. After a lot of stressful arguing with bus companies we finally started the trip. We got to Salta at 4 in the morning. The next day we were wasted! I fell asleep in during the training that President's wife gave. Elder Ellertson tried to help me stay awake but I had weighted eye lids! The conference was good, I learned a lot of good stuff. It was cool to find out that our zone had the most baptisms in the whole mission! After the trip we were both super tired and we still are recovering I think.

It has been raining almost all week! I love the rain because it cools down a lot but I hate it because I am getting soaked all day long! I have this really cool Nike wind breaker water shield jacket. It used to be really water proof but it has officially lost its magical powers :( I cant believe Christmas is in two weeks! Me and my comp are in charge of hiring the caterer for the Christmas conference this Wednesday. It should be fun. The three zones here in Tucuman are getting together so it's going to be pretty big. Christmas is going to be really weird. We are so busy we can't even think about that kind of holly jolly!

I miss you all a lot! I hope you are having a happy holiday and that you are on Santa's nice list! Espero que la Navidad les pase linda! Les amo un montón! 

 

Su querido,

Elder McKee

Six degrees of Separation

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

The church truly is a small world!!! This week we found out that Spencer's new companion,Elder Ellertson, lives in California. My sister works in California with a guy who is in the same ward with Elder Ellertson's family. His mom sent these pictures...

She went on to say that they ate the big grasshopper, yuck! 

Then, Jonah flew out to Honduras today and we were pleasantly surprised to hear from some old friends with a close contact to Jonah. Sister Jangard wrote to tell us that Jonah's new mission president was her old stake president and that his wife had sent some pictures, YAY! 

The presidents wife, Sister Bowler said "Is this the best missionary ever? He just landed and is setting up our tree!"

I'm so glad these friends reached out to us. It's always fun to see pictures of the boys.

And, as a final parting jewel, Jonah sent this before he left the mtc...
This is my favorite Jesus there ever was. I like to pray to the 6 lb 8 oz baby Jesus and thank Him for the opportunity I have to serve a mission in His name.

I love these boys so very much and I too am grateful for the opportunity that they have to learn and grow and serve the people of Argentina and Honduras! I love Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ and I am blessed beyond measure. Thanks for your love and support it means a lot to all of us! Have a great week!

Jana

Spencer's Take 2, Semana 31

Monday, December 8, 2014
 

This week has been awesome! My new comp is a beast! He really is awesome. He has already taught me so much this week! He teaches in a way that all present feel loved! He is really cool and chill. I think I already told you guys about him a little bit but he is from California. He spends his time surfing and skating and mountain biking! You could say that we get along pretty well!

 

On Monday we had something happen to us that was super crazy! A random pitbull from the streets claimed us as his owners or something and just waited for us outside of our apartment all day. When we finally left to go work in the afternoon he followed us everywhere so we gave him a name and his name is Brutus! It was pretty funny at first because he was just being crazy. After walking for about 30 minutes we finally got to the house of our investigator. When we got there a bunch of other dogs ran out and started barking at Brutus. Brutus went crazy and bit one of the smaller dogs on the neck and just tossed it around like a rag doll! Brutus would not leg go of the dog so me and Elder Ellertson started acting out of emergency. I grabbed a stick on the ground and smashed it on Brutus' back and it barely phased him. We started throwing rocks and stuff and he finally dropped the dog. By the time he let go of the little dog there was blood everywhere and its neck was ripped open! My comp, out of shock I think, picked up the little dying dog off the road and Brutus tried to eat it out of his arms! Elder Ellertson put it on top of a car and we started yelling and searching for the owner. That was so crazy! I was so mad at Brutus that I grabbed a brick and tried to kill him with it! I'm a terrible throw so he was fine. We left after the owner of the dog came out to save his little doggy. Brutus still followed us and we got to a main street and told some cops and they were supposedly going to come back with someone to take care of the dog. They didn't come back. We decided it would be impossible to teach if Brutus was killing the dogs of our investigators so we hopped in a taxi to lose him. He chased after the taxi for so long! The taxi driver was so shocked at how big Brutus is and how fast he ran! We finally lost him when we got to the freeway. The rest of the day went well once we lost him! The next day, to our surprise, we woke up to Brutus barking at us in our 4th floor apartment! He found his way back to the apartment! Longer story short, we had to pray that Brutus would be sleeping when we left and stuff so that he wouldn't follow us. It worked because we managed to sneak past him the next 3 days. On Thursday he disappeared! I think he finally understood that our relationship was never going to work! 

Oh golly, mission stories are the best! 

 

I love you guys! I hope all is well back in the USA! Happy holidays! I miss  you like crazy! 

 

Elder McKee <3

Jonah's Week 5

Thursday, November 4, 2014

I leave on Tuesday morning and it was way tight getting my flight info! I can't even wait to finally get out of here but until then I'm making the best of my time! I am doing things like sleeping on top of the casas and causing a little bit of shenanigans but its all been way tight!

 

We taught our investigator for the last time this week and we told her about the importance of missionary work and told her that since she is having trouble with her family accepting her decision it is now her job to help her family accept the gospel.  She asked me if I ever have doubts and I told her that I am still a human just like her who has a lot of problems just I know that with faith in Jesus Christ we can overcome any obstacle in our path. I had her read Ether 12:27:

 

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

 

and then we called her to be a missionary for her family and to share with them the fullness of this gospel. She asked us for copies of the Book of Mormon so she can give them to her brothers and her mom. She is an amazing girl and she gets baptized the Sunday after we leave.... she was so sad when she heard I wasn't going to be the one to baptize her and she started to cry. I told her that she is making amazing choices and that she going to be blessed as she continues to share the gospel with her family and live the teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We explained to her that she is being converted to the church of Jesus Christ and not the church of Elders McKee and Ngungutau. We told her that in the church the priesthood is the same no matter who is holding it as long as they are worthy and that it's Jesus Christ who she is supposed to follow, not us. She understood exactly what I had to say and she then told me that we are angels and we  are blessings in her life.... I felt the spirit punch a hole in my chest because I have been praying every night that before I leave if I'm doing what I need to be doing then I would be called an angel before I left. She was a blessing in my life and I am grateful for God using her to answer my prayer. She knows that we are leaving to Honduras and in her prayer she asked God to bless us that we can bring the joy we brought to her to every person in Honduras. She then stopped and asked God to bless her with the strength to be a missionary someday. She is a light on top  of a mountain. Marisela, thank you for being a beacon of light unto the world. I am forever thankful for your spirit and testimony.

 

I know this church is true and I love the gospel with all of my heart. I know I have been called to Honduras for a reason and I can not wait to see what that reason is. I cannot wait to see the joy I can bring with this peaceful message about God our Eternal Father and His Son, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. I love you mom and I love you all too. Thanks for the examples and blessings each and every one of you has been in my life. 

 

Siempre

Elder McKee

Spencer's Take 2, Semana 30

Monday, December 1, 2014

 

Oh man this has been such a crazy week! We as zone leaders have been sooo busy!

 

On Friday we did a total of 15 baptism interviews! With the miracles we saw this week we were able to reach our goal for baptisms for the month of November! We baptized as a zone 26!!! We double the baptisms from the last month so that's a great improvement! We have a new goal of 30 baptisms for December and we are all really excited to surpass this new goal. My buddies Elder Blake and Elder Philpot saved the zone by baptizing 9 on Saturday! I did the interviews for half of their baptisms and it was so tiring! As soon as we got to their house to do the interviews the next door neighbors pulled out their giant speakers and played their crappy music for the whole world to hear! I had to scream for 2 hours straight basically and on top of that the room where we were was small and had no ventilation so I was baking alive in there!

 

Thanksgiving was this week! It was super weird being away from home for that! It was no where near to a true Thanksgiving! In honor we ordered sandwiches before going to bed to celebrate! 

 

We had transfers this week. Seriously half of the zone got switched out including my comp Elder Knudsen! He got sent to a pueblito called Tartagal and he will be training there! It was weird to hear that. He is a zone leader gone trainer and he is going to die there with his son because he only has 2 transfers left! My new companions name is Elder Ellertson! He is super cool and he is from Temecula, California! He likes to skate and surf so I am already sure that we are going to get along great! He is a new zone leader just like me so we are going to be learning together! I have been up since 7 am yesterday. Being ZL I was in charge of making sure everyone got on the right buses and on time. It has been an exhausting day. I'm about ready to die in my bed. We are here in the bus station waiting for the last bus of missionaries to finally get here and then we are going to rest and what not for a little bit before our p day ends! 

 

I love you guys! Thanks for your love and prayers! Happy holidays! 

Elder McKee