Monday, August 3, 2015
Where to begin? I don’t even know...
I guess I’ll start by saying this, I’m happy! Just for all of
you who can’t tell from my letters, I am happy!!!! Do you know why? Don’t
worry, I’m gonna tell you! The reason I am so happy is because I am in love!!!
I have completely fallen in love with this country and the work of the Lord! I
have always been happy to be here but this past couple of weeks I have had
something grab me and it has pulled me even deeper into the mission; submersing
me even deeper into my objective as a missionary and conviction that I was called
to be here and nowhere else in the world.
This Tuesday we had our zone conference with the mission
president and in my 9 months of being here, I have never been in a conference
like this one. All of the other conferences I have been to have been filled
with criticism and filled with long discussions about where we are failing as
missionaries. I’m not going to lie, I went into this conference thinking that this
was just going to be like the rest of them and that the president and his
assistants were just going to shave us super hard again. But, I was wrong. After
all of the missionaries had gotten to their seats and the hour reached 10 we
began with our opening musical number and a prayer. President then came to the pulpit
to begin and he said something that none of us were expecting. He said, "I’m
proud of the work you all are doing, keep it up". All of us missionaries
were in shock! Each and every one of us were ready to be shaved but instead we received
a bunch of positive support and feedback! Along with the positive feedback, we received
an invitation to reflect on what we have accomplished and were told to think
about how we would be able to be our own ruler and what we need to do to be
better. I accepted the invitation and began to reflect on these past 9 months
and all I could remember from all of the things I have seen and done were the
positive things. My mission has been full of beautiful memories and highlights
of my lifetime!
I won’t lie to anybody, I will never go and tell somebody that
the mission has been all daisies and roses; but I can honestly say, that I have
never been happier! Those moments of sadness and darkness are amazingly
outweighed by those numberless gifts of light God has put in my path.
This Sunday, the 2nd of August, I was so very lucky to baptize
one of the strongest souls I have ever had the opportunity to meet! It was 2
weeks ago that I wrote you talking about an angel sent from God named Carolina;
she was the lady who was sick and paralyzed from the neck down. Well, this week
I was privileged and blessed to be able to have been chosen to baptize the last
person she introduced to us before passing away. The girl she presented me to
is Yosselin and she is 19. From the moment we met Yosselin we knew she was
different, she seemed prepped and ready to hear our message, she was full of a
light, and primed for harvest. We had intended to help her grow even more and about
10 days ago she said that she wanted to be baptized on Carolina’s birthday to
honor and thank her for bringing us to her. I told her that would be perfect
and then asked her when Carolina’s birthday was? She told us it was the 2nd of
August. That was the moment we said to her we would do all we could to prepare
her to be baptized and I won’t lie, it was hard! She had many things to
overcome and she has parents who aren’t in favor of her decisions in regards to
the church and everything that is related to it. They are the type of people
that hate others just because of their faith.
Yosseline knew that, and since the day we showed up to her
house with Carolina she heard about it every day from her mom and her dad. But,
like I said, she was and is different than a lot of the people we have met
during this 9 months. Yosi is a fighter! She told us she was going to be
baptized and that she was ready to accept the consequences, whatever they may
be, after she is baptized because she knows she won’t be alone and that God
will be with her. She said much more but it was incredibly personal and spiritual
and I wouldn’t do it justice telling you all about it. I can’t explain it in
full detail but I can tell you that she is one of the strongest people God has
prepared in His army upon the face of the earth. On Sunday morning, in honor of
Carolina, she was baptized and the light she had within her was brighter than
ever. I was so blessed to have taken part in this amazing moment in her life
and I know she was truly converted to the gospel of Christ!
Every day of these 9 months has been filled with amazing
moments and true testimony building experiences and as a result I am in love
with this mission, with this country, and with these people I am getting to
know daily.
I know that the church is true and if you don’t know then ask
God, He will tell you.
Love,
Elder Jonah McKee
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