Ayuno y Milagros!

Dear Familia,

For you non-Spanish speakers out there, this subject means "fasting and miracles" and that is exactly what happened this week! So last week Hna. Day and I started the transfer off fasting together that we can find and teach people who are truly prepared for baptism and have a testimony of the restoration (which is the key to EVERYTHING...eternal marriage, word of wisdom, tithing...everything!) 

I told you all about how Esther needed to go back to Ecuador but wanted to be baptized before she left. Well, we taught her about the power of fasting and she was soooo down for fasting for help to be baptized. She fasted and the next day we got permission to baptize her and give her the Holy Ghost 24 hours before she left the country! It was pretty crazy! She really is SO amazing and has a stronger testimony of the Restoration than I did when I came out on the mission! She bore her testimony after receiving the Holy Ghost and everyone in the baptismal service was floored! She's so pumped to go to the temple in Ecuador and do baptisms for her grandparents and has already been in contact with the ward she'll be in in Ecuador! Dang, I love that girl! 

Rebeca has been a little harder of a nut to crack. Her son is an ex-missionary and the only member in the family. He got home from the mission in Jan. and has been working with the missionaries since then to help him with his family. (I love this because it shows how important the family is and how precious it is that we do everything to share it with the people we love most). Rebeca is the most receptive and has progressed a ton since her son has been home. Last month she got married so that she could be baptized (a GIANT miracle in and of itself), but since her marriage she has had 2 baptismal dates that have fallen through because the day of her baptism she never showed up to church!!! Hna. Day and I didn't know what to do to help her, because she's reading, praying, going to church, living the word of wisdom (which also has been one of her struggles), and in the interview for baptism she passes with flying colors, but she's always saying how she's still not ready. So what did we do....WE FASTED! We then made a list with her of all the things she thinks she needs to do to be ready for baptism.  After, we set a day this week to fast with her so that she can know the date that she should be baptized and we can work with her for this date! Please keep her in your prayers! 

I know the power of fasting is real and that through fasting we can witness miracles. If you can, you should read the talk "Is This Not the Fast That I Have Chosen" from General Conference in April. It teaches us how we can truly receive the blessings from truly fasting! I promise you that whatever doubts, worries, struggles, questions, help, or support you need can be answered through fasting and faith. 

I love this sector, it is BEAUTIFUL! I love the mission! I love being with Hna. Day! I love this ward! I love the Lord! Dang, life is good! I hope you all have a great 4th of July and think of me while you're eating hot dogs watching fireworks! 

XOXO-Hna. McKenna 

Fun Facts:

On Sunday, a member asked us to help here with her Primary class and teach them what we do as missionaries. According to the 5 year olds of the Olmuè Ward, what we do as missionaries is give out stickers, eat, and receive fruit from their parents...haha they also think we teach Chinese classes. 

As a mission we're going to fast for rain in this region of Chile because it's SOOO dry! 

Scripture: 

I read in Mormon 8:3-5 and got sooo depressed. Here Moroni is saying how he's all alone and it doesn't even matter if he lives or not! It made me really reflect on our purpose in this life. Having a purpose makes all the difference! Moroni had so much do to! He was going to be the prophet that was going to write chapter 10:4-3 the very promise of the Book of Mormon!!!!!! God had a HUGE plan for him, and he has a huge plan for each one of us! Live life with purpose and always remember God has a plan for you!