I'm Here! Safe & Sound

Monday, September 1, 2014

Hola Familia!

I have arrived and am safe and sound! They wouldn't let us email when we first got there, so hopefully you weren't to panicked when you didn't hear from me. Also, these lovely computers don't have any spell check, so things could get pretty crazy with my spelling. Just sound it out, and if you still can't make sense of it, try sounding it out with a Spanish accent...that might help.

Boy, oh boy, this is an experience! I am currently living in, and knocking the doors of Valparaíso. It's pretty similar to Viña, and it´s right by the sea. Each morning for our exercise, Hermana Dalton and I go running on a little road right next to the beach. Oh, it's sooo pretty! It's the rocky kind of beach, and is always unsettled and crashing up on the rocks. The entire city is made out of hills. I'm not kidding when I say the only time I walk on a flat surface is when I'm in a building, because all the streets are slanted! It's a big blessing though, because it's pretty chilly here with the constant ocean breezes and chilly September air, and walking the hills helps keep me warm. Walking the hills also helps keep the yummy Chilean food off my hips…ha, so really there's nothing bad about the practically vertical hills!

My companion is FANTASTIC! She's actually been on her mission for 18 months and a week, so she's about as seasoned as they come. She asked for an extension so I'll have her for the next 3 weeks before they put me with someone new. Hermana Dalton is from Kaysville, Utah, and has a heart of gold. The only jacket I brought was the black water proof one, which is great, it's just not insulated and with this weather insulation is key! Anywho, she had a black puffy jacket that she just gave to me! It's been my saving grace! I wear it under my other jacket practically every second of every day. Don't worry Mom, she's looking out for me. There haven't been missionaries in our area for about a month now, we're both new to the area. We're trying to get the ball rolling again, and it's going. There's no doubt it's been hard, but then again, I didn't expect this work to be easy.

My Spanish is coming along. I can roughly communicate with people, and bare a simple testimony. Learning a new language has really helped me appreciate the fact that the Lord glories in plainness.

I love you all!

XOXO-Hermana McKenna

My companion and me teaching the First Vision at an open house for the church.

Going on visits with one of the members. Her name is Sofia and she is AMAZING! Dang, she's going to be a great missionary.

Ha! This is me with a futbol club player. I met him and his team in the airport and had about a 10 minute conversation with him in broken Spanish about how much I love the Chilean soccer team and Alexis Sanchez etc...using all the info I know. He kept laughing at me while I was talking and I thought it was because my Spanish was so bad. Ya he plays for a team in Paraguay...my bad.

Pictures from the Mission President...These are posted on the Mission Blog.