Letters From Hermana McKenna : New Year = New Goals

January 5, 2015

Happy New Year!!!!! Wow what a year it is going to be! I am just about to complete 1/3 of my misión and I feel like I'm still a baby in the misión field! I have SOOO much left to learn! I am so excited for the goals I made this year...it's a crazy feeling to know that I am going to spend this entire next year in the service of the Lord! ¡Que bendición! We had cambios this week and the Lord blessed me with another 6 weeks in the Rama Levarte with my beautiful daughter Hna. Prates. Together we're going to finish her 12 week training and conquer the world in the process. We made a lot of big goals for this year and also for this cambio. The biggest of all is that she can stay in the misión and serve a full 18 months. She's been growing leaps and bounds, and I'm so grateful that I've been able to be her companion and grow right alongside her. She just started reading the Book of Mormon from the beginning for the very first time in her life, and I'm here to tell you folks that the Book of Mormon changes lives. I love to listen to her share here experiences with the Book of Mormon and how she wants to be more like Nephi and less like Laman and Lemuel (she had a murmuring and obedience problema the first 6 weeks of her misión). I also have started the Book of Mormon from the beginning and have the goal to read it in Spanish 3 times this year, marking different aspects of the góspel that I want to learn more about. Wish me luck! :)

Our investigators are a Little stagnant right now. This past week we haven't been able to find Luis and he hasn't been going to church the past 3 Sundays. Please keep him in your prayers, that he can continue to have a desire to investigate this góspel and that the desire can grow into a desire to be baptized and enter the temple. We are also teaching another Luis (we will refer to him as Hno. Luis). Hno. Luis has been receiving the lessons for YEARS!!!! All of his family are members but he is a stubborn little bugger. We recently started teaching him and he's been coming to church with his wife. Last night we watched the video of the life of Joseph Smith and the spirit was SO strong. We invited him to read the promise in Moroni 10:3-5 and pray to know if the Book of Mormon is true and that the Church of Jesús Christ was restored through the profeta José Smith. He said that he would do it. Please pray that he can receive and recognize his answer!

I love you all and am so grateful for your support, prayers, and letters! A scripture that I want to share with you is one that I recently read with Hna. Prates in our study of the Book of Mormon. It's 2 Nephi 5:27 "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness." I love this scripture because it's so short, but so profound. Everybody wants to have a happy life...EVERYBODY! The only thing that's different is that people are always trying to find happiness in worldly things. There is only one way to have real happiness, lasting happiness, and that's the manner of the Lord. Throughout chapter 5, Nephi talks about how the Nephites lived in the manner of happiness. Some of the things that he mentions are the importance of avoiding contention, keeping the commandments, temples, and hard work. My invitation for you is to read the chapter and find more ways to truly live after the manner of happiness this new year!

Chi-Chi-Chi Le-Le-Le VIVE CHILE!

XOXO- Hna. McKenna

Fun Facts:

It's not just the Bazilean soccer players that have magic spray that works for any possible ailment. Hna. Prates also has a magical cream that works for any ailment…bruise, headache, burn...doesn't matter. Anytime something hurts we wip out her magical cream and it seams to heal her. I have no idea what it is, but if it helps her feel better you'll get no complaints out of me!

Here in Chile everybody gives a New Years Hug...huh?

I now know how to pray in Portuguese!!! Wahooo for knowing 3 languages!!!!

Patricio received the sacerdocio!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THE MISSION!!!!!!

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