Monday, July 18, 2016
Hey mom! So this week has been a little better than the last! We have been working more with the members and that has been nice since it's hard for me to sometimes teach with my companion it gives me somebody else who I can count on to support me in the teaching aspects. Not only has that been nice that I have a new mouth that helps in testimony but also its soo much easier to commit people to change when you can assure them that WE and the MEMBER will be there to support them. Changing is something that requires sacrifice and lots of time people can't make sacrifices alone and need somebody for the emotional and physical support. It is a huge blessing to work with smart, positive members because they can be that support and we can be the addition to them. It allows us so much more time and so much more energy.
This week I think the highlight of my days was that we made a huge step forward with one of our investigators. She is an old lady named Gloria. I have been teaching her for about a month and the reason I haven't let her go is because she has a testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon but can't connect the dots between the restoration and baptism by the authority of God. We kind of have stopped talking to her about the authority and we started talking to her about the form in which we should be baptized. I told her baptism is something that must be performed by immersion and she told me that Paul wasn't baptized by immersion and that is the reason why she doesn't need to be either... I invited her to study a few scriptures and told her that we would come back and talk later so she could show me where it teaches that Paul was in fact baptized without being immersed in water. In the end, the next time we showed up to the house, there sitting on the couch was the pastor of the church she is attending. We determined that the conversation would require us to take turns so that we wouldn't be talking over each other and we began to discuss the baptism of Paul. The pastor provided his points using a map and stating that on the street that Paul was on there was no river and so he couldn't have been baptized by immersion. Then we provided points from the teachings of Paul in Romans where he teaches we must be buried in him by baptism and born again in new life. The pastor told us we were wrong and that his map was right but I asked him why would Paul teach something he did not practice? The pastor ran out of arguments and right there in front of the pastor Gloria said she is willing to be baptized again in the church so she can fulfill what God has taught.
I was so stoked!!!!! Honestly I thought that in the end everything was going to be a disaster but no, God touched her heart and she alone chose to say she is willing to be born again through the true form of baptism. Honestly I can say that the Holy Scriptures are so clear and if we only make ourselves familiar with the lessons and teachings inside that we will see and know without a doubt that we are members of the true and only true church on the surface of the earth. God has restored His kingdom and invites all to enter into it by the gate of Baptism. I know Christ is our Savior and He gave us the perfect example. Follow Him. I love you.
Elder Jonah McKee
Monday, July 11, 2016
Hey mom! This week was pretty eventless and quite boring but in the end I guess it's the same! Here in the mission, sometimes the weeks are just so similar that it doesn't feel like it was another week. It's like Groundhog day, a repetition of the week before and when that happens it feels like life will never end. This entire week I have been dreaming the same dreams of me teaching our current investigators how to pray and it made the week really long!! All the hours of the day even the hours of the night were full of the same! In the end I won't lie it got annoying not being able to sleep and have some random dream of absolutely nothing of importance. I mean dang!! Why couldn't I dream about cyborg tigers or me falling off a cliff or something just random!?!?! I just want 8 hours of a break sometimes. It's fine though I guess my heart just wants me to live up these last couple months only thinking of the mission!
This week the only things that happened out of the normal are the following; We taught our newest progressing investigator named Yarkony and we had a taco eat out as a ward counsel on Saturday. Yarkony is a really interesting girl who is actually pretty receptive! She came to church with us yesterday and that was nice! Besides being receptive, she is super mysterious! I feel like even after seeing her 3 times just this week I still know nothing about her! This week it's my main goal to learn more about her and her family because up to this point I have no idea who she is or anything. It's funny because she struggles to speak spanish but she looks like a latina. She isn't originally from here but doesn't tell us where she is from. Its interesting!
Then the ward counsel cookout was a blast! Now that the second half of the year has begun the bishop decided it would be a good moment to let out some stress and so we, as the ward leaders and presidencies, played soccer and ate good tacos! It was super fun! I feel like the leaders all enjoyed it and I most definitely enjoyed it too! I think the bishop did just the right thing in giving them a day off and helping them release some stress. The ward got a new breath of fresh air and I hope they will now be able to support us in the next half of the year.
I am looking forward to the adventures to come and love the work that we are doing!
Love Always,
Elder Jonah McKee
Monday, July 4, 2016
Guess what just happened to me this week!!! We were contacting in the area and we were in a red zone or in other words a dangerous part of our area and two kids that were smoking yelled at us as we were walking and told us to teach them something, so we did. As we were teaching them a truck full of police in masks came flying down the street to do their daily drug busts and stuff and well the captain hit the back of the truck as they were passing and the truck stopped. Like 6 men got out of the truck bed, all of them armed heavily, and they said "hands against the wall!!" My companion responded asking "who, us or them?"
The man then proclaimed that the two young men we were teaching had to go against the wall, hands up and they began searching them for drugs and hidden guns. Meantime, while they were searching our friends my companion and I began to try talking to one of the masked men and we gave him a picture of Jesus and told him that God loves him. The police left and didn't do anything to our two friends except for one thing; they told the two teen boys that they should listen to us and then the police were gone! After the officer told them to listen to us I asked them why the police didn't just arrest them and get it over with and they told us that it's because he saw my companion and I there and was giving them a chance. We continued to teach the two young men and one of them did something we never thought possible. Here in Honduras and many other places, gangsters wear hats and it's their mark. They respect their hats! I told the kids that if they were serious about listening to us then we wanted to see a sign. I told them to take off their hats and throw them to show that they were really willing to listen and to change. I know that that may sound like it's nothing but for the kids that are deep in gangs and bandas it's a serious thing!!! Only one of them was willing to throw his hat and the other just kept looking at us and smoking. I know it's true when the scriptures say that "many are called, but few are chosen". Only one of those two young men is ready to change and we will now be working with him to do so. I know the work with him will take time and patience but we are going to do everything in our power to make sure that this kid can have God in his life. Also I won't lie I was ready to poop myself when all of those police showed up and said get against the wall... If it weren't for my comp asking the guy which of us they meant, I would've definitely put my hands on the wall too.
Besides that, this week has been better then average. Nothing super crazy has happened out of the normal besides having our lesson interrupted by angry police officers but it's chill! This week however was testimony meeting and guess what; 3 different people in their testimonies mentioned me by name!!! I guess you can say I'm a boss, lol. It is awesome to be able to help truly change people's lives for the better, but hey! Also don't sweat I'm not letting that get to my head too much, just a little, so I feel more motivated to work :)
Besides that I think that was basically all of my week. HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!! Enjoy the cobbler and hot dogs without me!!
Love you all,
Elder McKee
Monday, June 27, 2016
Hey mom!!! The Diarrhea still continues on! I have taken those pills but it doesn't stop. I know that it's not normal how long I've had diarrhea and digestive problems but it's whatever. I can't really do anything about it. I haven't really been eating because honestly it hurts to eat. I feel fine though. I eat when I can manage and when I just can't manage I just don't. I am almost always still tired but it's fine I'm getting used to it.
The area I'm serving in is called The Kennedy. This part of the city is called The Kennedy because President JFK helped build it by clearing the forest and the uneasy terrain that once was here allowing them to build a shopping center with the money he also donated to the same cause. The area is the smallest area in the mission looking at it geographically speaking but it's jam packed with houses. Literally if somebody opens their door and it opens to the outside then it could easily touch the house that is built in front of it. The entire place is just built in a series of blocks full of houses. It's super easy to get lost in the labyrinth but it's fun teaching the students and residents who live here.
Of course I have been teaching new people!! If I wasn't teaching then the work would never move forward!! As of right now I am working and putting the majority of my focus on a small handful of people. First is Renè, He is 60 years old and wants to get baptized the 9th of July!! I hope he comes this next Sunday so we will be able to help him achieve his baptism goal! Next is Leticia and her daughter Mia. They are awesome!! More Mia than Leticia but I know that thanks to the faith of Mia that Leticia will be baptized too. It's sometimes funny the way that The Spirit works within a home. God knows whose hearts are softer and uses them to soften the hearts of the rest. I know God is working through Mia and that they will one day be baptized and hopefully it is during the month of July as well as Renè. The work is always advancing but only as fast as the missionaries are pushing it forward. Even being sick I try my very best to make sure that when I get home at 9:30 that I can say I left it all out there in the streets doing everything in my power. I hope God can recognize my efforts always but I know He is blessing me in my work.
This week has been a ton of fun and definitely the highlight was that on Saturday I was given the amazing opportunity to go to the temple with one of my very first converts, Mariela, who was just endowed and is preparing to serve her own mission in Bolivia. That morning I truly learned a whole new aspect of missionary work. I know now that missionary work isn't just teaching people so they can get baptized but that truly we are supposed to stay with our converts supporting them and nurturing them until they enter the house of the Lord and make higher covenants with Him. Many missionaries will always say that the best days on the mission were always the days that they baptized. It's true!! I was one of them that said that before but now I know that the best day is when that convert you baptized at least a year earlier is going into the temple and you truly are able to see them as God sees them. God is good and God is great. He loves us and I know He is there beside us every moment in this life.
Love Always,
Elder Jonah McKee
Monday, June 20, 2016
Hey mom! Yeah, lots of interesting news this week!! I continue having diarrhea!! And it's awesome!! I have been losing a ton of weight so hopefully once I can get plugged up then I'll keep this weight off and I won't just inflate like a balloon.
In other news, I'm super nervous cuz President Bowler called me yesterday after church and told me he was going to give me a special assignment if I was feeling up to it. I told him I was fine and so he told me that the assignment is that there is an Elder here in the field that is very hard to work with and he wants me to try to help this elder straighten out a bit. I'm nervous!!! I know who he is and it's gonna be rough! Sometimes I don't know if President loves me or hates me because he is really good at giving me special assignments that have to deal with babysitting challenging people.
The work, however, is accelerating!! This Saturday I received permission to go through the temple with one of my very first converts so she can be endowed. I am so happy to see that Mariela after so much time has continued progressing!! I'm so excited to have been a part in this change of life she's going through and I hope that after she leaves to serve in the mission that she will bless the lives of many!! I have truly come to know that a baptism is like an apple and it holds countless seeds. Each seed can grow to become its own tree and one day that tree will also give fruits. It's like a ripple and it will never end.
God is perfect and his glory is eternal! I love my Father in Heaven and I hope that every day I can please him. I know that this church is true and that all who believe on His name and follow His steps will be exalted in the last day.
Love,
Elder Jonah McKee
Monday, June 13, 2016
Wow; where do I even start? I was absolutely amazed to hear about all of the crazy things you had going on this week (Graduation, Manu's Family coming, our beautiful Lexie getting married)!! I can't believe so many things changed so drastically in such little time. It's absolutely amazing how radically different life can become after just one week. I hope you enjoyed having Spencer home for the week and I imagine he loved being there alongside you all for Elin´s graduation. I am so proud of her and seeing her grow more every week. I heard Dottie is getting sick and that's super sad. Elin loves that dog more than she loves me, her own flesh and blood, and I know she is going to be ruined if it's Dotties time to move on.
In other news Lexie looked amazing and I'm sad I couldn't be there with you all! I miss that girl even though we fought most of the time. I still wish I could've been there though so that I could've been in some of those pictures with you beautiful people. You all look like you're growing so much!! Or better said that you and dad are shrinking and Alec is shooting up!! It's so insane to see you all now. I'm almost positive it's gonna be shocking to see you all once I'm home.
For now though, I'm living it up here in the mission field. I got a super sick stomach bug this week and I have zero idea why! Since Tuesday I have basically been living in the bathroom. I have 20 months here in the mission field and up to this day I have never been so sick in the stomach as I was this week.----- I'd just like to warn you and all of the other people that are reading this that I'm about to go into extreme detail now and so if you don't like that super gross stuff then just skip this paragraph. ------ So, I know each and every person on this earth knows what is is like to get a little food poisoning or something and get diarrhea. It sucks right?!?! Yea, well this week I learned there is something much less fun than getting diarrhea from food poisoning. I'm not sure what caused it but in the middle of the night Tuesday, I woke up with a wrenching knot in my stomach and I couldn't handle it. I tried to just sleep and sleep but I couldn't. It was like I went into super man mode and jumped off my top bunk and went into the bathroom and began to die. I thought to myself something like this, ¨this is just regular diarrhea, it'll be over by morning time¨. Man how wrong I was. Morning came and it began to get worse. More frequent and more runny. By the afternoon I was destroyed. It was no longer poop leaving me but straight stomach acid. If I ate anything it would come out 4 or 5 hours later in the same form I swallowed it in. Zero digestion whatsoever. Thursday night is when it truly started getting fun with me pooping my pants (for the second time this week) and me once again spending a good portion of my night on the toilet. I tried to get up once I thought I was done and thanks to the huge amount of dehydration I passed out once I stood up. After regaining consciousness I stood up and started to throw up. Let's just say, it made for a reeeaaaalllllllyyyy long night.
The following days of the week were quite similar with us working all the days everyday and making frequent stops at home so I could once again empty the tank of all the stomach acid that was in me. We worked the hardest we could and it was rough but in the end I was truly surprised with how much success we had in spite of the amount of time I spent this week on the toilet, if you know what i mean ;)
All in all, the week was really fast and I am mostly feeling better and getting over my stomach bug. Last night I only woke up once to throw up but I'm doing better because it was only once and not 4 or 5 times like the other nights. I am happy and all of you who have been praying and asking my parents about me I thank you tons! I want to assure you all that I'm going to be fine! Everyday I'm getting better and with time I'll be better than ever! I love you all and I hope you all the best in everything.
Love,
Elder Jonah McKee
