Jonah's Semana 39 - Every Member a Missionary

Monday, July 27, 2015

Hey my beloved family and friends!!!

This week I have so much to talk about, but I want to focus on one miracle!!! This week I was able to teach double the number of lessons with a member than ever before in my mission! We taught a total of 13 lessons with members this week and it was an amazing experience! It was a testimony to me of the importance and the power each and every one of the members has in the words that they share in lessons with investigators!!

This week, having a huge increase in the participation from the members, I really noticed a huge increase in the progress of those people we have been visiting! I have been so mislead this whole time as a member thinking that missionaries are amazing and that they alone have the gift to teach. It is true that missionaries are amazing, but up until this week I didn’t truly understand what Gordon B. Hinckley was saying when he said that every member is a missionary! This week I learned that what he meant is that every member has the same gift to teach with power. And when investigators hear the voice and testimony from the mouth of three or more witnesses of the truth of this message, it is much stronger than only the two we have in a companionship as missionaries!

 

I have been truly amazed this week by the example of these members who are ready and willing to serve in the work of salvation! I can’t say that I did anything to motivate them to work but I can say that the woman I wrote about last week from the other side got her message across that ALL MEMBERS ARE MISSIONARIES and now thanks to her and the exemplary life she lead, these members are starting to understand and take over the responsibility they have to preach and share the gospel.

I wanted to take a second and invite you all to talk to the missionaries serving in your ward and tell them you are ready and willing to work so you too can take part in the work of the Lord, the work which He called each and every one of us to do.

 

My mind has been opened and I am re-energized and ready to press forward in this marvelous movement.

Always,

Elder Jonah McKee

Spencer's Take 2, Semana 64 - Bless our Future Wives

Monday, July 27, 2015

This week I had the honor of doing exchanges with my own son! He is my zone leader here in Santiago del Estero and I, being a district leader, have to go on divisions with him once a transfer. He is a beast! It’s interesting to go and work with him now that he knows everything and speaks the language really well and is just a spiritual giant! One thing that he did that made me laugh really hard was when we did our night time companionship prayer he asked Heavenly Father to bless our future wives and that they would be good cooks and hard workers and have strong testimonies!!! It was so funny I almost busted up laughing right then and there!

We had a good week of teaching. Sadly we saw few fruits at the end of the week. Nobody made it to church which means zero progress. In the sacrament meeting there were a total of 11 people in attendance..... Including my companion and I..... It will be weird to change from 11 people in church to the big Iron Mountain ward of 300+ members!

This week we had a chat with our branch president. He and his family are passing through rough times spiritually and literally. Sometimes we make the mistake of assuming that our leaders are all fine and dandy but maybe things aren’t as they seem. I invite you to tell your local bishop or other auxiliary leader how much you love them and appreciate them for their service!

The church is true! Share the gospel with everyone! I love you all!!!!

Love,

Elder Spencer McKee

Jonah's Semana 38 - A visit to the Tegucigalpa Temple

Monday, July 20, 2015

Where do I even start!? This week truly has been a crazy mess! It was sooo incredibly fast that on Sunday I felt as if it was only Thursday! The week just flew by! I mean it’s not a bad thing because the reason it was fast is because it was insanely busy!

 

We began our week just as every other week with P day and that night I had 4 missionaries stay in my house with me. They stayed over so that the next morning at 1:30 am, we could all wake up, get dressed to the nines and make our way to the chapel so we could get picked up by a bus at 2:30 and make our way to the beautiful Tegucigalpa temple! We and the entire southern area made our way slowly but surely to the House of the Lord, the majority of us sleeping on the bus because of the lack of sleep we had that night. At about 7:45 we got to the temple and from the bus came a huge wave of elders dressed in their suits and ties with the occasional burst of color from the skirts and dresses of the beloved sisters here in the number one mission of the world!

 

 

My district and I were to enter the temple session at 8 so we all quickly separated ourselves from the sea of missionaries to get ready for the session! The session began on time and the time we had in the House of the Lord truly was a blessing! I have not been able to feel that way since 8 months ago! There is something soo amazing about the temple and I wish I could be there always! But, as many of you know I can’t say any more than that. After the session we all went to eat Burger King and waited as the other missionaries made their way through the sacred temple. By the time we all made it out of the temple and loaded back onto the bus, we set out for the 4 1/2 hour ride back home! I and the other 4 missionaries, who were going to be sleeping with us again, got home at about 8 giving us just enough time to call and order pizza which was a perfect ending to a perfect day!

 

 

From that day, the week seemed to just disappear as we lost ourselves in the work trying to make up for the time we had lost from that trip to the temple! We did a great job recovering what we had lost but we also lost one thing which sadly we will never be able to recover and that was a sister in the ward. Her name was Sister Carolina. She is a girl who when she had 8 years of age was diagnosed with a disease that attacks the nervous system and slowly but surely paralyzes your body until one day your mind shuts off and stops working. When she was diagnosed the doctors told her parents that if she was lucky then she would live to be 20 but they were wrong and I know why they were wrong.

 

 

Carolina was an angel sent to be in the earth but not of the earth! She was not born into the church but God blessed her with the chance of a lifetime to hear our message at the age of 14. By this time she had already been fighting this chronic illness for 6 years and it was preparing and humbling her to recognize the message of God when it knocked on her door. Carolina was baptized within three weeks of receiving the first visit of those missionaries. From that day forward she began her battle on a whole new level! Carolina lost feeling in her legs the week after being baptized. Her mother was furious! Her mom constantly blamed God for putting this sickness in her daughter’s body and was even madder when she lost her legs just after following the council of the Lord. Even though her mother was mad, Carolina knew that she was meant to learn something and that God truly had a plan for her. Rather than mourning and hating her decision, she decided to take her newly found faith and share it with everybody she knew. Little by little, her family and friends began to join the church and Carolina began to be one of the greatest missionaries I would ever have the pleasure to know.

Carolina sadly ended her calling as a missionary this last Saturday morning and all of the people here can feel her absence. But I know just as she knew and still knows that God has a plan for her and that’s why He allowed her to live to see 18 more years of life. And she was taken from us now because she is being called to preach the gospel to everybody who hasn’t yet heard this lovely message. Carolina was prepared and humbled to become a teacher in this life and now she is using her newly developed talent to accelerate the work of the Lord! I was truly blessed to know her and I can’t wait to see her again.

 

As you may be able to see or understand now, the week was very different and full of surprises. This work never is the same and even though it is full of happy and sad moments I have never been happier! I love you all. Remember that always.

Sincerely,

Elder Jonah McKee

 

 

 

 

Spencer's Take 2, Semana 63 - We Lived After the Manner of Happiness

Monday, July 20, 2015

This week was awesome! We worked our butts off! We found 4 new families to teach and they are all awesome! Two of them are families of 8 and 9 children! I love that. My dream is to have a big family like that! Maybe not sooo big but like 5 or 6, 4 kids at least!

We had interviews with our president this week. Every time I am interviewed I feel like a Pokémon that evolves! Like charmander to charmeleon and then last but not least charizard!!!! I love that feeling. I had a good talk with Presidente. He told me that in his mission he was faced with the challenge of building a branch stronger! He said that he took a branch that had just 18 members attending the meetings to 80! That’s so crazy! I need to beat him, haha! I love Frias.

Today is friend day. It is huge here in Argentina! And can you imagine, in Frias, the city of friendship.... its nuts here! In the main plaza there is a free concert going on. It is a considerably small city so it seems like everyone is there right now. I love the traditional music of Argentina its called folklore. It’s beautiful. I will be sure to listen some when I get back! They are blasting that music right now. Today we hitched a ride with a brother to the capital of Santiago to play soccer with the rest of the zone. We are really far away from the rest of the zone so we had to take advantage of a free ride! It was fun. The city is beautiful. I love the cities of Argentina!

I love life. I love the mission. I love the gospel. The church is true.

2 Nephi 5:27, words to live by: And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness.

I love you guys a ton!

Love,
Elder Spencer McKee

Jonah's Semana 37 - Leg Waxing

Monday, July 13, 2015

Hey, how’s it going?!?! I just want to start out with one quick question! Have you ever waxed your legs? Just know if you have then you’re going to be able to relate to this story I have for each and every one of you! This Wednesday we had changes but here in the south which is the part of the mission I am in, we, or the missionaries who don’t have to change areas, just stay here and wait for our comps to come down on a bus! I am very new here in the south so I didn’t change districts, I just had to receive my new companion. Three other elders and I were told to stay in the house and wait until our companions came down! WE DID NOT BREAK ANY RULES! But that Wednesday in our immense boredom, we decided to pass the time and talk about what we used to do before the mission.

One of the elders, Elder Tapia, told us he used to work at a salon and spa at a super touristy beach in Costa Rica! He told us about how he used to wax people’s legs and give massages. In our stupidity we didn’t believe him and told him that if he really can make wax, then me and one of the other white kids who was there, Elder Abbott, wanted him to wax our legs! Haha. I know it sounds super dumb and to be honest it’s true, it was really dumb!! I’m not going to lie, it hurt like crazy!! I thought for sure after he ripped the first strip off, that blood was definitely going to follow the hair follicles. So yeah, I let him wax my legs or in other words I should say I let him START to wax my legs! As we were about halfway through the process, the wax started to harden and we needed to reheat it so we could continue! He went and put the wax back over the stove and while he was heating it, instead of just melting, the wax burned! I was then left without wax and without hair on only one of my two legs! That left me with no other option but to take a razor and finish the job. Haha. I know that this story is super dumb but now I’m going to try and take that story and relate it to something I learned this week which will help me so much as a leader and as a servant of God here in the mission.

As many of you know, I was called about 2 months ago to be a district leader and I was truly nervous! Not just nervous but beyond terrified that I wouldn’t be able to fulfill my jobs and responsibilities as a missionary as well as my newer tasks as a district leader! In other words I was left with two big messes! There was a lot of work to be done and I knew I was not going to be able to do it all on my own. After a few weeks of meditation, I came to know I didn’t need to do any of it alone!! A good leader is not a leader who does everything himself; he gives others opportunities to grow and carry out responsibilities so they too can share the load and grow. In the beginning I was trying to do it all on my own but I learned.

This last month I have been trying my very hardest to assign and direct my district in a manner in which they and I will each be able to grow and develop personally! It is true that sometimes the people I assign things to do not accomplish them, but at least I had enough confidence in them to give them a chance to have success or failure! It’s true when those other missionaries don’t complete the tasks I give them it sucks. But I have come to learn that my job isn’t to go after them and clean everything up but to go back with them and side by side show them how I needed that specific thing to be done! Kinda like with the legs! Haha. I had an idea about how they were going to be: soft like lavender, and sweet to touch! But, we as people sometimes aren’t perfect and fall short so we need to try again and again. And sometimes if the method we are attempting just doesn’t work, like the way the wax burned, then maybe we will need to change our plan of attack. With a new course we will be able to accomplish what is required of each of us.

I know we each feel like we have a big plate and sometimes there is too much for us to handle, but we don’t have to attack it alone! Use those loved ones around you and I know they will help. Not only will your life be easier but you will be giving others an opportunity to serve and grow.

I love you all and I am sooo happy to be here in the mission representing my family and friends I have back home! Thanks so much to each and every one of you who write me. I truly love reading about your lives and I miss you all so much!!

With love,

Elder Jonah McKee

P.S. We had a baptism this week! It was a sister who is married to a member. They had a child together out of wedlock and have decided that they want to be sealed for all time and eternity in the temple. I am so thankful for plan of salvation and for repentance! I am excited to help this family in their progress towards the temple and look forward to preparing them for this great blessing!

 

 

Spencer's Take 2, Semana 62 - Life is Good!

Monday, July 13, 2015

The Lord lives!!!!!

We have a family that is progressing quite splendidly! They are awesome. They are the Herrera family. We found them my first week here. We showed up on their door step and before we could even present ourselves they asked us, “Are you going to come in or....?" Of course we accepted the invitation with joy and now they have become the first progressing investigators that I have had in a LONG TIME!!!!! I think I passed all my time in Jujuy without one investigator that really progressed. They are reading, praying and yesterday, they made it to church! The members helped us a ton by making them feel welcome and comfortable. After I am done with my email time we are going to their house to teach them!

I am loving my time here! Time is flying by. I cannot believe that I am in my third week here with Elder Rodriguez. Before I know it, I will be here with my last companion to kill me!

Life is good! I love the mission. The church is true!

Love,

Elder Spencer McKee

Jonah's Semana 36 - Garobo Soup

Monday, July 6, 2015

Okay well, hey, how are you all doing?!?!? I know the last time I wrote I mentioned how life back home seems to be speeding forward and that everybody is getting married! Well just to make note of what I said, I want to say congrats on the engagement Jashon!!! Haha. Well I mean it’s true that life back home seems to be changing quicker than I ever could have imagined!!

But hey, I just want to say one thing to start off with my weekly report!! Last week I bought a ukelele and I love playing it!!! Its sooo fun to have something to play and learn apart from the language!! haha. I mean it’s super important to learn the language and I practice daily but I truly needed to get something so I could have small breaks every once in awhile!

Not only did I buy a uke but I also killed a dragon this week!!! I was walking with my comp and I know I explained that there are a few different types of giant lizards here. Well while we were walking I saw one and I told him to stop I pulled out my sling shot and a ton of kids started screaming "kill it". I pointed it at the beast and pegged it in the head!  All the kids started running over to grab it and so I ran racing them to collect my kill because I knew if they got it first then they would take it so they could eat it!! Haha. Luckily I was able to out run them all and they began to beg me for my garobo so I told them to take me to their house so I could skin it and I would give them the meat! Haha. They took us home and I cut the head off and skinned it. The kids had their mom out back and as I was preparing the body of that dragon I was talking to the mom about how we are missionaries and how we preach the true gospel of Jesus Christ!! Haha. I’m not going to lie, it was a really funny moment for me and I actually did a pretty good job for it being my first time ever doing those things at the same instant! Haha. So yeah, and now we are teaching that lady! Haha. I guess they cooked the lizard later that night in a soup they call "substance of garobo",  haha. I really don’t want to try that soup!! But yea anyways that lady is really cool and her name is Maria Carmen but I don’t think she will be a person who progresses just yet but it is always good to make friends and get our foot in the door! So yeah! But I guess that really is the highlight of my week!

I also did have a wonderful opportunity to go to the stake conference this weekend and I truly enjoyed listening to Elder Ochoa speak! Oh and for those of you who don’t know Elder Ochoa is the person I met when I was here last April. He told me clearly that he felt as though I was going to be serving my mission here in this exact mission that I’m in right now. So yeah, it’s really a blessing to see him and have the amazing opportunity to say hi and get to know him! He actually remembered my name from the last time he was here and while I was talking to another person he put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Hi Elder McKee, how are you doing?" It truly is amazing how small the Mormon community is and I love and am soo proud to say I am a part of this very small and very inspiring Mormon community!

Love you all and hope I can hear from all of those who aren’t writing me soon!!

Elder Jonah McKee

 

 

 

 

Spencer's Take 2, Semana 61 - First Week in Frias

Monday, July 6, 2015

My first week in Frias! Frias is known as "La Ciudad de la Amistad" or the “City of Friendship” and it lives up to its name! Several times this week we appeared in the doorway of a home and before even presenting ourselves the people just invited us in! It’s really cool how nice and friendly they are! We found a ton of new investigators so we are pretty stoked about that!

This week we ate a traditional Argentinian food called giso. The giso that I ate Friday was a very special giso! The sister put it on the table and I with my big mouth ask her, "Sister, what kind of meat is that???" It was chicken gizzards, hearts, livers and other goodies that no one ever eats! It was quite the experience! When I eat things like that, a mini war wages between my brain and my tongue! For example, when I ate the heart I was thinking how weird it was that I was eating a heart but at the same time my tongue was very pleased!

This Sunday in church was pretty different! I was seriously in shock! There were 17 in total in attendance! In the whole town of Frias there are about 40,000 citizens. About 220 of them are members. The average attendance is 30. The branch president is reactivating himself after being less active for about 4 months. We’ve got a lot of work to do! 

I love you all. 

Please don’t forget me in your prayers! Stay strong! The church is true! Pray for Argentina so that they can win the next cup. B0000!!!! 

Elder Spencer McKee

My camera card still doesn’t work. I’m working on that! 

Spencer's Take 2, Semana 60 - Transfers

Monday, June 29, 2015

So this week was a really good week.

It has been a week of suffering the consequences of not doing my best, not being diligent, not being 100% obedient. As you may have heard, about 2 weeks ago my companion and I were humbled to our knees and we lifted our voices unto the Lord and begged Him for His mercy. As we all know, the Lord is merciful and He loves us but that doesn’t mean He is going to let a good teaching opportunity slip by! He let us suffer for those last 2 weeks of the transfer! I knew it wasn’t going to be easy considering the fact that we had let so much time go to waste. On Saturday I was tired. The Lord had just about beaten me to the dirt! I was not throwing in the towel but I was reaching for it! I couldn’t find it.... haha.

In my studies I found myself searching for comforting words. Some of the words that impact me are those of the Lord to the prophet Joseph Smith when he was in Liberty Jail! Without even a fragment of the suffering Joseph experienced, I called unto the Lord, “When is this going to end! I know we have to suffer the consequences but when does it end!!!!" Maybe those weren’t the exact words but that’s pretty much the idea. Saturday didn’t get any better. Then..... all of a sudden.... Sunday..... the Lord comforted me! In the sacrament meeting I had a rush of blessings and the Savior’s love rained down on me! We had 3 investigators with baptismal dates in the meeting and even some of my converts from Chijra (my first area here in Jujuy) came to visit me in case it was my last Sunday there. GOD IS GOOD. LIFE IS GOOD. God teaches us in so many ways and I think the hard headed people usually learn best by techniques that are not so subtle.

I got transferred from Jujuy. I am no longer zone leader but I am here in Santiago del Estero as a district leader! Elder Reynolds (mi hijito) is my zone leader! God is so funny! I’m sure he was laughing his white glowing robes off as he sent that revelation to President Chaparro! I’m in my 3rd to last transfer so I will surely die here! My area is called Frias. It is the area at the southern extreme of the mission. It is notorious for being the hardest and hottest area in the mission as well! To be honest when I first received the news I was pretty ticked. But after I meditated for a short while the Lord made me understand His will and now I am so excited! My time here will be the ultimate test of all the things I have learned so far in the mission!

I love you all. God loves you more. Special shout out to Eris Primm for the baptism! I’m sooo happy for you!

Elder Spencer McKee