Jonah's Semana 59 - I Speak Spanish like a White Guy

Monday, December 14, 2015

Hey mom, don’t sweat! I won’t come home early!! BTW...I actually will be here 2 weeks more than what I had previously thought! The new missionary standards in the MTC have made a change to the time each person will be serving in the mission. I was informed this week that I will now be serving for 20 days more than what was originally thought.

 

I won’t lie I think that is very cool but it will suck for one reason. I am almost positive that now I will be missing 3 Halloweens and not just 2. I know you love that holiday and so do I! I love all of the chili and homemade rolls people always make during that time of year especially at the ward chili cook off! But no worries, all is well and the time has been going incredibly fast! For that reason I know these extra days that were just added on won’t even make a difference in how the 2 years feels! Can you even believe that I only have 10 months left?!?! Well technically 11 months now that the time has been changed but still!!!! The mission is way too fast! I have finally been able to get in on all of the jokes and all of the people understand my Spanish and it’s awesome!!

 

I won’t lie though; I have a super white accent that I need to work on. I guess the other missionaries say it is the whitest accent of all the missionaries but I don’t really care :P I have a wide vocab and people understand me so that is what is important. I will however keep working on the accent but its chill for now. So yea I guess the main thing I can tell you is that I am staying with my white son Elder Rogers and I am very stoked about that! He is an awesome guy and thanks to us both being white it makes the whole Christmas spirit thing like super real! I love him to pieces and not only him but his mom too! Haha. His family sent a big Christmas package and sent me 2 presents inside. I don’t know what they are yet but I’m stoked to find out!

 

Anyways in other news I have been pretty sick as of late! I have been, walking around the past couple of days with diarrhea and not only that but I’ve been throwing up a ton too! Haha. I still however would take the diarrhea and vomiting I’ve been having any day over the abdominal cramps that I started out with! I still however don’t know what I have but me and the mission nurses are pretty much positive I have a parasite.  I mean I have done a year in Honduras and I haven’t had a parasite yet so I guess now it’s my turn to be struck with one!

 

Really though all is well and I have loved my time this week! My comp and I found a good group of new investigators this week and we are very anxious to see how they progress!

 

I love you tons and I hope you’re doing okay!

Elder Jonah McKee

Jonah's Semana 58 - Beach Fun

Monday, December 5, 2015

Hey mom I am soooo sorry but I don’t think I’m going to be able to write you a ton today. We went to the beach and when we had to come back to our area, we missed the 2 o’clock bus and so we had to wait until the 3:30 bus came and the bus didn’t even leave until 4 because it was filling up with gas. Then we got home at about 5:30 and we had to go do some last moment shopping for the groceries for the week and to be honest I probably shouldn’t even be writing you right now because the day ended about 30 minutes ago but I had to write you and explain why. I promise next week I will send a voice message and a good sized email too. I love you.

Anyways, love you tons!!

Elder Jonah McKee

P.S. I can’t send pictures in this area because the computers are so old they can’t even read the format of the pictures my camera takes..... Haha. I am pretty sure these computers are still using Windows XP and its sloooooowwwwwww!!!!!

 

Jonah's Semana 57 - Home Improvements

Monday, November 30, 2015

Hey mom! I’m super glad that Spencer is getting you and the family all cleaned up and spiritual just in time for when I get home! Haha. I and my companion just read that email and we both laughed at the same parts thinking to ourselves that you and the rest of the family are just super special people! Haha I love you guys wayyyy too much!

I can honestly tell you that this Christmas will be one for the record books. My companion and I have been transforming our house into a winter wonderland and it has been quite the adventure! We have begun quite the number of modifications; one of them is a fireplace. It has been lots of fun! I’m sure the house at home has also gone through a grand number of changes. I’m super excited to see how all of your little projects have gone and I’m sure I will hear about even more before I make it home. I must have inherited that gene from you to always be looking for projects. I have been focused on making people my projects more than I have home improvements and I have always had a need to fix people that seem to be a little broken.

I think it’s a blessing to be drawn to fixing broken souls but it’s a sad and painful path to go down when you realize that you just aren’t able to fix them like you really wanted to do. To make matters worse sometimes it’s not even us the fixers who can’t get the job done but it’s the broken hearted, lost soul, who isn’t ready to be fixed or found. I have noticed that many times here in the mission we have to look at those two possibilities and we have to at times come to the realization that we aren’t equipped to take on some of the projects we encounter or at other times the project just needs to be put off for another time. My companion and I are the leaders of a group here in San Marcos and many times I feel like he and I are going to have to make the decision between those two; whether the person is ready to be fixed or not.. At times it’s a very sad thing to come to the knowledge that we weren’t able to bring about the change we wanted to in the lives of those we come to meet but we can at least be comforted by the thought that we put the idea of a self-correction a little bit higher on their to do list.

I love being in the mission and I wouldn’t change the time I have spent here. Not even a second of it. I love you all and I love that Spencer has been able to point out the projects that we should be tackling spiritually in our lives! I hope that each and every one of you remembers that sometimes we need to make improvements to our own lives and not just in the material but also in the spiritual, or in other words the things that actually count. This Christmas should be one to remember and it can be! Just think of 3 spiritual projects you wants to make a priority to accomplish leading up to the Christmas Eve! I promise that if we each think of 3 things we could do better before Christmas then we will be happier and we will have the Christmas spirit with us sooo much more than we could have ever hoped. Not just the Christmas spirit, but, The Spirit of God. It can be something small such as a taking a vulgar word out of our vocabulary, maybe dropping a vice we may have to a certain destructive substance, or just telling people we love them twice the normal count. I know if we change something in our lives then we will feel enlightened.

I love you all,
Elder Jonah McKee

PS There is a new christmas video that has been posted on youtube its called "A SAVIOR IS BORN" go watch the video!! I promise you won't regret it!!! #ASaviorIsBorn

 

Jonah's Semana 56 - Near Death Experience

Monday, November 23, 2015

Hi mom what’s up, how are you doing? Guess what mom, I’m sitting on a tour bus. Remember when we were in Honduras 2 years ago and we had to take a tour bus to Roatan? Well, I’m sitting on a tour bus like that one, but this one is like the one that you had that didn’t have AC. I don’t know if you remember how bad you sweat on these buses, but at least we’re in the mountains so it won’t get too hot. Sometimes it gets really hot but we will only be on it for 1 hour instead of 5 like last time.

Elder Rogers almost died today, well at least he thinks he did, his heart is still racing. He was cleaning out his shoes and a giant millipede fell out of them. It was pretty big. He was about 3 seconds from putting his shoe on when the Spirit told him to clean them out again. When he did, the millipede fell out and it was easily 5 inches. I don’t know what kind of millipede it was, but everyone here is super freaked out by them. They said they are super venomous and that they can kill people. So my companions pretty sure that the Spirit prompted him and it saved his life today. I mean, who cleans their shoes out so many times? He says that when the millipede flew out he thought it was a snake so he called for me. When I got to the room, I told him not to touch it because it could kill him. It was hissing at him, it was on it’s legs and hissing and then it grew wings and started to fly. Elder Rogers says the rattle on its tail was going and it was hissing and then it started breathing fire. Haha. No he really did get close. He almost died, he better go read his scriptures right now.

Today we are going to meet some friends for Pday and play some soccer. It will be great. This week we had a lot of visits and that was cool. Last night we met a girl named Lillian who is a member and she was baptized about 11 years ago. When she got baptized she did it because she had a dream that her step brother baptized her and she thought it was true. She fell away from the church about 3 years ago and says that she is okay where she’s at right now. We challenged her to go back and pray and ask God who sent her a dream if she should go back to the church because He will give her an answer. She said she will pray, she should be coming back soon. We don’t want to push too hard because she’s a little bit stubborn and wants to do things on her own terms, but you know, girl, you gotta do you. J

Yesterday we had 18 people at church. That’s a lot, right mom? Anyways, we need to do better. Hey mom, we’re trying to come up with activity ideas. You know things we can do to create unity. There’s like 100 registered members here, but on a good day, only like 30 of them show up.  So we want to put on some activities to create more unity. We are going to start teaching seminary on Thursdays, teaching English on Fridays and watching movies on Saturdays. Well, we’re going to watch movies if we can figure out how to get a TV. I guess that since we’re a group we don’t have any church funds, so we don’t have any budget to work with. So we’re thinking we’re going to sacrifice the money and buy a computer screen because they’re pretty cheap. We don’t need to be able to run cable or anything through it, just a DVD. So, I think it will be the cheapest option, but we’ll see how it works though.

If you have any good ideas that wouldn’t take much money, tell us. We also don’t have a lot of time, so we can’t do any big meals or anything like that either. We were thinking of doing a photo scavenger hunt, or minute to win it, or something like that.

Okay mom, be safe, be good. I love you tons. Take care. Life is good.

Love,
Elder Jonah McKee

 

 

Jonah's Semana 56 - SAN MARCOS!!!

Monday, November 16, 2015

Hey Mom! What’s up? It’s your boy Mickey. J

So anyways, everything is cool, I just had changes and I’m in San Marcos now. It’s an area that is pretty far from where I was before; it’s an hour and a half away. I’m in the mountains now and I have my first white companion. His name is Elder Rogers and he is from Mesa, Arizona. Mom, everything is good, everything is awesome. I don’t know what to report to you because I’m so new here, but it is awesome! This area looks a lot like the first area I was in, Parariso, but it’s not the same, there are a lot of mountains. I’m pretty sure my thighs are going to get so big and bust through the seams of my pants from climbing up all these mountains, and if not my butt will. It might just burst out of the seams in these pairs of pants I’ve got. Just keep on the lookout for some good, cheap pants because you might have to send me some in a minute. Haha.

Anyways, Christmas is coming and that’s cool because I’ve got a white comp. It will be so awesome to spend it with Elder Rogers. It would be even cooler if I had my package but you know, that’s fine too. I mean you guys are cool and all, I love you both. Just remember, I’m the only missionary in the family now, you know, show me some love, lol.

I’m glad Spencer’s home, it sounds like he’s having fun. Tell him not to get married before I get home because if he does I’ll hate him and won’t let my kids know that he exists. I need to know his wife before he marries her so that I can make sure she’s not crazy. Just make sure that he doesn’t marry that girl he’s gone out with, because I really want to get to know her first. Tell him if he gets into my shoes, that’s chill, just don’t scuff them up. J

All is well, all is well. I am feeling much better, it’s been a relief. I am training once again but I’m just finishing Elder Rogers training so I’m not his real dad, I’m just a step dad I guess. I’m still district leader, and that’s kind of crazy, but what are you gonna do, you just got to love the people. It’s super cold here at night, so I’m probably going to get a jacket. Just a thin one, like a sweater.

It’s nice here. The church is a group here, not even a branch, its super small. This Sunday my companion and I spoke in sacrament meeting along with our convert of 6 weeks. We all spoke about family and it was pretty cool. I guess that I am supposed to be the person that assigns talks in church and all that stuff. I don’t have a calling because it’s just a group, but I guess if it were a branch, I would be the first counselor. So, yeah, it’s going to be fun. This week we only had 25 people in church but we’re going to try to have 50 before Christmas so that our Christmas here will be awesome! It will be one to remember here in San Marcos!

Tell the family that I really appreciated how much they wrote me this week. :P I think that I got one sentence from you, telling me you were really tired, but that you loved me, so I guess that’s good. I didn’t get anything from Elin and Alec. But hey, that’s ok, Spencer’s home and you love him more, haha. Don’t worry; I’m not trying to have a pity party for myself or anything, haha.

Next week I will write you a more detailed message, but since I only got one sentence from you, I guess it’s fair. Oh, hey, I just got your message. Sweet! I love you. Everything’s good.

Stay sweet,

Elder Jonah McKee

 

 

Jonah's Semana 55 - Staying on Dry Ground

Monday, November 9, 2015

Hi mom! I promise you don’t need to worry about me being disobedient or anything like that. I have been trying very hard to stay focused on the rules and I figure that no matter what I’ll at least be free of any punishment that comes our way because I stay on dry ground and I’m afraid to put my toes in the water to feel how it is. I don’t want you to worry for me! I am going to be okay!!

I have come to the realization that the main reason I was ever even stressed was because I am afraid of leaving my companion in the area. I have just spent soo much time trying to turn it around and make it into a progressing area. I talked to him recently and asked him if he could please just be nice and courteous and maintain the area at the level I leave it and not shoot all of it down into the dirt and he agreed. I know he is disobedient but he for some reason respects me and so I know he will be able to honor my last wish of him. I will be able to leave without regret and that’s something that is so heartwarming.

I love you tons and I hope you and the family had an amazing weekend!! I’m sorry I never said happy birthday last week I just always forget to mention the things that will be coming up in my letters home because I’m always writing about what had just passed…

Well yea! Love you

Elder Jonah McKee

Jonah's Semana 54 - It's not all Butterflies and Cakewalks

Monday, November 2, 2015

Hey mom I guess you are partially right. I have been struggling for about a month now from hearing that a friend is seriously considering going home and that he doesn’t feel that he is making a difference to hearing every week that Spencer is going to be home and how badly I would love to see him.

A combination of things has occupied my mind and all of its empty cavities. I can see and feel that my level of joy has gone down and I know why it’s happening, the only problem is that I can’t do anything to change most of those things. I have a battle within me that’s taking place and I am coming to learn it’s just like a big hump. In all things you have humps. From a hump day every week to those last 10 lbs, one can never seem to lose after killing yourself every day in the gym for hours and hours. I feel like the more accurate of those two comparisons is definitely the one about weight cutting but it’s the truth. I have been killing myself for a year basically running between houses just to spend every second of my time teaching and declaring this message to all those who are ready to hear it.

Now, I have a year of doing that and I feel like the fire and the gains I had have withered. I am trying to become reanimated but it’s very hard when I constantly have a companion at my side that is trying to do the exact opposite and is not working towards becoming a bigger and better missionary. At every corner or at every chance that sin offers him to convince me to break the rules, he tries. Whether it is go to a party or ask me what I thought about a girl in a physical sense. I have been suffering and I know it. I am trying my best to be strong but I don’t know how much more weight I can take and continue to walk with strength and bliss in every step. I’m struggling and I can honestly say that I have been doing an incredible job of fighting the voice I constantly hear coming from my comp telling me to be a rebel but I don’t know how much more I will be able to ignore before it gets to be too hard. I only have to survive 10 days more with this dead weight companion but I know these 10 days is going to be difficult.

I have been struggling. I’m sorry I haven’t been writing home every week it’s just that it’s hard to pretend all is butterflies and cakewalks when that’s not true. I don’t think I’m gonna write a general this week either but I know I am going to get over this hump because I always have. Please don’t forget me in your prayers and also don’t be afraid to put my friend into them too! He needs us and I need him to have the strength to continue so that I can have peace of mind.

I found a new family 2 weeks ago and I know that they are going to be key in helping me reboot myself into mission shape once again but it’s going to be harder than I think. I promise I won’t give up but I need you to try to understand I’m in a rough patch and I need some direction.

Always,
Elder Jonah McKee

Jonah's Semana 53 - Time is Flying!

 

Monday, October 26, 2015

Hey how’s life?

I am almost positive that after reading that question, nobody actually stopped to think, "Hmm, how is my life?"  Its fine, it’s not too late to do exactly that. Take a moment and think to yourself, “how am I and where am I going?” I think you might just surprise yourself with what you find. I know that sometimes we feel like we need to do everything
quickly because the world is moving incredibly fast but we don’t have to be a part of the current.

I once saw a movie called Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and in the movie there is a quote that I have always loved and it says:

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around for a while, you could miss it."

I recently just applied that to my mission. I just finished a year and now I am at the half way point. If anything about that quote is true then it’s the fact that life moves pretty quickly. I don’t know how a year has gone by sooo rapidly! It is as if I had only shut my eyes to go to sleep had an incredible dream and woke up. Now, here I am.

I decided to look around and decide if I am satisfied with my mission up to this
point or not and what direction I am taking. I know I have become a much better disciple of Christ since I have left but I’m not completely done learning and growing just yet. I now only have a year left to learn all of the lessons I know I am supposed to learn throughout this time and I’m going to try my very hardest to do just that.  

I know you all have goals of your own and that you’re all extremely blessed to be wherever you are while you’re sitting there reading this email but I want to invite you all to think about what your goals and are you progressing towards them or not. Life goes quickly so don’t hesitate to pursue your greatest hopes and dreams today.

I love you all and I want you to know I am safe and well.

Love,
Elder Jonah McKee

Spencer's Take 2, Semana 77 - To the very end....

Monday, October 26, 2015

This is so crazy. My buddies have been asking me what I’m going to say in this, my last letter home. I guess it is like custom to write a last testimony or something like that. But I, hipster Elder McKee, will not do that. Why you ask? Because the mission is still not over! I still have a week left!

I watched a video the other day that really made me think. On the Mormon channel there is a series called 2 brothers 2. It’s real good. Anyway, in the very last episode the oldest of the brothers in the series shares some thoughts about the mission. He said something along the lines of how the mission is set up to be a failure. There is no such thing as a perfect day in the mission. There is no such thing as a perfect missionary. If you expect to have a perfect mission and be a perfect missionary you are going to be a sad, sad man. At the end of the day everyone can look back and say, “Man that sure was stupid. Why did I do that?” it’s true! I know I have had many days like such!

In these past couple of days I have thought a lot about if my efforts have been enough. Now, there have been days where I have been on it way more than others. I have lost months of blessings due to disobedience and a lack of faith. I have had periods of time where I could really feel the presence of a third companion (the Holy Ghost) and others where I felt as if I was walking blind folded. It’s sad to think that I have let days go by. In the end, I guess I really can say that I had a great mission. I have learned a lot. I know that nobody is perfect. If there is anything I have learned from my mission, it would have to be the importance of repentance. I am really, realllyyyyy good at it now.

The mission is preparation for real life. I think I’m ready. I hope so at least! If anything, I would really just like to know what my Heavenly Father thinks about my mission. One thing I learned in my mission is that to God, it doesn’t matter what you did yesterday. What he cares about is what you do today and tomorrow. I have one week left!

I love you all. See you soon!

Home means Nevada, home means the hills.....

xoxo

-Elder Spencer McKee

Jonah's Semana 52 - Playing Nurse

Monday, October 19, 2015

Hey everybody!!

So hey, this week, I don’t have very much to say because we have been inside for 2 of the days this week. My companion was sick so I have been taking care of him and tending to his needs like the great companion I am J! Haha I will be honest, I hated being in the house! Haha, I know you all have had days where you’ve stayed in the house and you were just bored 100% out of your mind. Well, imagine having another one of those days but this time you can’t watch TV, play Xbox, call a friend to come over, sit in the pool, go outside and skate, or even look up new music on YouTube or sound cloud. Haha. Those 197 songs I have can only be listened too so many times before you just can’t take more of it.

I did get to read 2 Liahonnas I didn’t read before and also I am now in chapter 25 of Alma Reading the BOM for the second time through but besides read a ton I truly had nothing else to do. I was going crazy! Luckily we didn’t have to stay in for a third day because if we did I know I would’ve lost it. Haha it was worse than prison! But I survived it and now going into this week with a healthy comp, I am hoping I’ll be able to get out all of this slothfulness I built up during that time. Tomorrow is the Zone conference with the misión president so I’m very excited to see how that goes and see what direction he has been inspired to give us. I love you all and I hope you’re all well at home. Also pray that I’ll be able to have a more successful week this week :)

Te amo,

Elder Jonah McKee

It's official! I have been out for 1 year! Time is flying!!!

 

Spencer's Take 2, Semana 76 - The Great Culmination!

Monday, October 19, 2015

This week was a special one! I got to check off an achievement in the to-do list this week! For the first time in my mission I helped a couple unite themselves in the not so holy bonds of marriage! Here, no other church, besides the Catholic church, has any rights to perform marriages so Marilin and Nazareno got married civilly. This next week, well, this Saturday, Marilin will be baptized! It is the culmination of the work of many missionaries throughout the years. They have been engaged for 3 years they said and just barely tied the knot. It was a super cute little ceremony. Nice and short. It’s tradition here to throw rice at the newlyweds as they walk out of the church, or in this case, the municipal building. You already know that they got bombarded by a tooonnnnnn of rice! Everyone, even the babies participated in the volley of rice throwing! Afterwards they had a little reception party lunch after. It was nice. It’s a tradition also to dance with the newlyweds. I’m not so disobedient to dance with Marilin but you bet your bottom dollar that I danced with Nazareno! We showed the world how the waltz is done!!!!

Here on Sunday, and I think exclusively in Argentina, was mother’s day. I honestly felt more of the mother’s day spirit on Sunday than I did in May of this year. The branch president in the sacrament meeting shared a memory that he has of his mom who passed away about 25 years ago when he was just 13. He told how his mom did not know how to read or write and she was mortally ashamed of it thus impeding her from enlisting her kids in school for fear of having people know about her weakness. President Voitina then proceeded to tell how he was forced to enlist him and his brother in school alone. When he was of age to go to high school he finally went to school and he was terrified to make the change. The first day his mom ironed his favorite shirt and shined his shoes for him. When he was several blocks from his house on the way to his first day of high school, he was struck with fear and he peeked over his shoulder only to find his mom standing in the middle of the street in support of her son. He said that seeing her there gave him the confidence and support he needed to proceed toward his new school. As I heard that story I couldn’t fight the tears. I have been blessed in this life with such an amazing mother that loves me and has supported me through everything. She has forgiven me and has even smacked very much sense into me when I needed it. I love you mom for all that you have done and do for me to this day. Te amo. 😘  

My second to last week. Weird.

I love you all sooooo much! Please pray for the Rodriguez family. They are going through some rough times!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Spencer McKee

Jonah's Semana 50 - Miracles Happen Every Day!

Monday, October, 12, 2015

I am always amazed to see the miracles that happen every day!!

This week was a week full of moments of service and good vibes. I have always loved being able to serve and work with my hands and this week there were so many golden opportunities to do exactly that and serve the people that surround me! I don’t know why, but that just makes the time fly by.

I was lost this week because the time went so quickly that one day seemed to run into the other and I lost track of time! I guess you could say it was thanks to my new companion and I being lost in the service of our fellow man. I won’t lie; this is going to be a very interesting group of weeks serving with my new companion Elder Gonzalez. He is a great elder and I truly love being with him but he is at the end of his mission and he can’t wait to be home!! Haha. I know he is still working but his heart is at home and I know this is going to be a true challenge for me to stay focused on the reason I am here while he talks about home all the time. Luckily, I will have a transfer full of baptisms so that should help me to focus and keep my eye fixed on the work of the Lord!

I actually had the pleasure of having a baptism this week of two girls! One is 16 and her
name is Mayra, the other is Viviana and she is 9. They are cousins and for about 2 months I have been working with their family trying and fighting alongside them to help them get to the baptism font. It has been rough and a battle full of arguments from parents who just didn’t understand but now they do. The spirit did something that I don’t think I will ever understand and one day the mother of Mayra came and told us she could be baptized and that she is happy her daughter is searching for God. I don’t know what it was that changed or how but I know it was just one of the many miracles I have witnessed and it was in the lives of these two daughters of God! I know He loves us and he helps us accomplish our deepest desires if we are accomplishing what He desires of us.

I truly know without a doubt in my heart that I am in the service of the Almighty God and I know I am a son of God and that He loves me as well as He loves each and every one of you! I testify that this is the great work of salvation that is mentioned so frequently in the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Today the gathering of Israel is coming to pass and I am a part of the gathering forces! I love being a missionary!

Love,

Elder Jonah McKee

P.S. our shower broke so I rigged a cool thing made out of plastic cups and tape so we could shower!!! I guys you could say I’m a pretty handy man :)

Spencer's Take 2, Semana 75 - Tucuman!

Monday, October 12, 2015

This last week was strange. We had very little time to actually work in our area.

Last Monday at the butt crack of dawn, as my mom Jana banana would say, we arrived in Tucuman at about 5 and had to be up at 7 to eat breakfast. The hotel we stayed at was super nice and it had a nice continental breakfast. I have really come to appreciate a continental breakfast here in Argentina. Of course, it was no continental breakfast at a Marriott or Days Inn but it was tasty.

Monday was the more eventful of the 2 days that we were in Tucuman. After not actually achieving what we went there to do in the morning, we ended up writing letters and then going to lunch. At lunch there was a sister who was the first convert from the province of Cordoba and the missionary who baptized her was Richard G. Scott, which was cool. After lunch we had the rest of the day to explore so we went and bought some cool trinkets from the hippies in their little hippie plaza. It was funny because some of them remembered me from the many times that I passed through before! They are so cool.

Here in Argentina the hippies are just like traveling salesmen that stop along their unbeaten trail and sell their artisanal crafts and goodies. You bet your bottom dollar that I have bought a bunch of stuff from them!

In the afternoon we went to visit some of my converts in my previous area in Tucuman! It was soooo nice to see them! I love them all soo much! It’s such an intense love that I have for them all! I HAVE to come back one day to visit them all again! I can’t wait till the spirit world! I thought I was going to have more time to see them and the others on Tuesday but we ended up doing all of our document papers early so we left to go back to Frias sooner than expected.

General Conference was awesome! I learned a lot and received a lot of personal revelation that was well needed! Our investigator Jose also had a lot of good experiences at the conference. He went to 4 of the 5 sessions and loved it. I hope he has a change of heart and that his faith will grow so that he gets married finally! He and his family need to get dunked before I go!

I love you all.  Take care!

#3weeks.

Elder Spencer McKee

Jonah Semana 49 - It's Stttiiiiilllllllll Raining!

Monday, October 5, 2015

Oh man it is still pouring here and making it very difficult for the internet to work.  I will try to get a better letter in next week, hopefully it won't be raining so hard! I am happy and working hard! I love you!

Elder Jonah McKee

Spencer's Take 2, Semana 74 - Let us Not Shrink

Monday, October 5, 2015

This week was a good one. Truly we are being soooo extremely blessed here in Frias!

Our investigators are progressing like a dream. Marilin and Nazareno are going to get married the 16 and then Marilin will be baptized the 24!

The Rodriguez family also is running like a dream car! They are so prepared! They accept every commandment like nothing. As if they were mad for not knowing about them before! Last night we taught the principle of the tithing. The tithing lesson is always a sketchy one! On one hand it’s sketchy because it’s hard for some people to accept and on the other hand it’s awesome because it’s soooo easy to teach because it’s such a simple commandment. The parents are progressing great. Another of their kids, the oldest son named Santiago also jumped onto the progress boat! More and more of them are getting really excited for their baptism. Jose needs to make the decision to finally get married. He worries a lot about their economic state. I guess it makes sense but I know that with just a little bit more faith they will see big blessings!

Elder Christensen also is progressing really well.

Unfortunately we did not have the chance to see General Conference. Here in Frias the internet connection is not fast enough to watch on a live stream. We are going to watch it this upcoming Saturday and Sunday. So please, give me spoiler alerts at least!

This week I learned a huge lesson. A while back I had studied a talk by Elder Bednar that’s called 'let us not shrink'. It talks about the faith that all of us need. We need to be faithfully strong enough to not only be able to accept the blessings and the good times but also the bad and not so pleasant times. My zone leader Elder Hampton asked me: “Elder McKee, do you have the faith to be okay if things don’t turn out how you want them to?" referring to the possible 9 baptisms that we could have before I leave. Truly it would be a dream. Help two families get married and baptize them!!!! That would be a dream come true and a big bang to go out to on the mission! The question made me think a lot. I said yes after considering the possibilities. I know God is a God of miracles. He is capable of changing even the hardest of hearts. I have faith. I know that the promises that God has made to us are real. I’m grateful that I was able to testify and share personal experiences about the power of paying tithing. I know it’s a commandment of God and that it is at times a hard test of faith but that the windows of heaven open unto us if we are obedient.

I love you so much. I’m in Tucuman today doing legalization paper work stuff. Sadly the computer I’m on doesn’t read my SD card so no pictures today. Sorry.

Con mucho amor,

Elder Spencer McKee

Shout out to Brett and Mason! Congratulations and wait till I get home so I can come to your weddings!

Jonah, Semana 48 - It's storming!

Monday, September 28, 2015

Hey everybody I guess I have to say that I have had a really fast week this week!!

I don’t know why but the days just seemed to fly right passed me!! I have truly been busy all of the days of the week doing service projects and it was really fun!!I had a ton of fun and now my body is tired and I know it’s because I’m sacrificing my all to the people I am serving.

I have changes this next Wednesday and it is going to be very exciting to see what happens with me and my companion because nobody ever knows what changes bring besides a ton of surprise!!!

I am sorry but there is a storm here and the internet is moving extremely slowly so I can’t write much but I love you all!!

Love,
Elder Jonah McKee

Spencer's Take 2, Semana 73 - What a Week!!!

Monday, September 28, 2015

What a week! We are still working like crazy with the Rodriguez family and Marilin!

The Rodriguez family is so awesome! If all goes well with all those that are age eligible in the family to be baptized, we will have 8 new members! It’s hard to get everyone to sit down and listen to us because they are so numerous and just crazy kids. Their interest and attendance in the lessons is the biggest challenge for them! Jose and Karina, the mom and dad are deciding on a date to get married! Marilin and her member boyfriend are getting ready to be married on the 16th of October!

We have two other families, the Dominguez and Herrera family. They are also really cool but are progressing a little bit slower. We have faith in them and in the Lord! All will unfold as was set in place by the plan of God! We need to find new investigators reallllly bad. I don’t want to leave Elder Christensen here with his next companion and leave them with nothing to work with! That would really blow!!!!

Yesterday we had a great day at church! When I got here we had an attendance of about 10-15 at church. Last week we had 31 and this week we had..... 40 people in church!!!!!!! All thanks to Elder Christensen of course! He is a beast! He is progressing really well and his Spanish is really coming along. Poor little guy has been pretty sick for the last week or so. I think that his body is finally adjusting to the Argentine life. The water, food... all that good stuff!

I am seriously sick and tired of pasta! I never want to eat pasta ever again! It is the most common lunch here from the members. Four and a half months of pasta with the same sauce 2 times a week...... I’m done. I appreciate it, but I am ready for some rice J

The branch became a part of the stake here in the province of Santiago del Estero so we had some representatives from the stake and President Chaparro in some meetings with us Sunday. It was soooo funny seeing President and Sister Chaparro in Frias! It was his first time I think! Oooooooh Frias..... the city of friendship they say! 

I love you all so much! I’m so excited to see you all! I’m going to give all of you the biggest fattest hugs and kisses!!!! Prepare yourselves for a super touchy, contact deprived ex elder mickey!!!!!!!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Spencer McKee

 

I love how here in Argentina people choose to paint thier houses with

 the most vibrant and pretty colors! They may not all match sooo well

but I love it! im going to have a super colorful house like this!!!!!