"Who wants to live with God in his Celestial Kingdom?"

Dear Familia,

Well my lovely friends and family, this week two more souls took the first step back home to their loving Heavenly Father. Thanks so much for your loving prayers on behalf of Fernanda and Luis. It truly is so amazing to watch people take these first steps to be ready to return back to their heavenly home.

This week I was thinking a lot about that concept. About our return back home to God. It got me thinking, if someone asked the question, "Who wants to live with God in his Celestial Kingdom?" I'm sure everyone would say raise their hands, I know I would. And if they followed up with the question, "Who believes they would be worthy to live with God in His Kingdom if they died in this moment?" Ha ya, that follow up question really made me stop and think. What am I doing? What do I need to start doing? Thankfully, being a missionary I feel like every lesson God answers my questions through the investigators that we teach and their own personal questions.

This week we taught an investigator named Esteben. He's around 45 years old, crazy smart (in worldly terms) and loves reading the Book of Mormon. We talked with him about our purpose here on earth, the atonement, and the final judgment day. In the start of the lesson he wasn't getting how important it is to accept Christ/the atonement in our lives and follow the steps and guidelines he has given us. But when we got to the final judgment, things finally started to click for him. We talked about how nothing impure can live with God and how the only way to be made clean is through the atonement and accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior. It was an AMAZING experience being able to see his testimony of Jesus Christ growing right before our eyes!!! The spirit was super strong and after a pause in the lesson he looked at us and said, "Now I understand. Now I realize why baptism is important." He accepted baptism but is struggling with setting a date, prayers on behalf of Esteben are more than welcomed!

Love,

Hermana McKenna



Photos:









Baptism :)

The sisters I do exchanges with and Hna. Díaz.



The screen saver in the house of Luis and Laura :) FAMILIAS ETERNAS!

Promise We Are Not Spies From the US

Dear Familia,

Me gustan mucho los planes for our Chile trip in March! :)  We can change a little bit of the plans in my mission because Coquimbo is about 8 hours from Valpo, it would be best to visit Valpo, Olmue, and then Coquimbo because it's really far north, who knows, maybe we can fly out of Coquimbo or La Sarena. You had mentioned before the possibility of visiting Machu Pichu...I don't know if that is still in the plans, but it would be really neat to visit those ruins after studying the Book of Mormon. Just a thought....but I'm good with whatever :) the trip will be great no matter what :) I sure do love you guys!

What an amazing experience to have Elder Holland at Sacrament Meeting! That's something that everyone will never forget! Please send my love for the Shipp family. I sure love you, Mom, and hope that all is well. I'm still a STL and one of the sisters who I did interchanges with went home this week for some serious problems she was having in the mission. I'll tell you more about it when I get home. But we became really close and I'm going to write her and I also have to send a letter to the President about the interchange. I'll send a couple photos and fun facts, and next week I'll give more details about the sector. Please keep Luis and Fernanda in your prayers.



Fun Facts:



We had 3 people this week tell us we were spies from the United States....that comment always makes me laugh

We got the package with the BYU goodies and the package from Megan Brindley! SHOUT OUT to my South American sister: Muchas gracias por todos tus regalitos! Me encantó y estoy disfrutando todo los dulcesitos :)


I accidently scraped my forehead and now look like a blond-girl version of Harry Potter. Don't worry, I don't think it'll leave a scar quite like Harry's :)


For the first time in 16 months I ate SUBWAY!!!!



PS.  Thanks so much dad. I loved the letter, and it was a precious reminder. Have a great week :) Te amo!





Photos:


Lookie Lookie! My sweet mother is famous even in Chile :)



When Rebeca and her husband helped Luis, Laura, Fernanda, and Jose move.



The brother in the middle gave his farewell talk. The closing hymn was "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go." It brought back SO many memories, and I may or may not have shed a tear....time passes way to fast!



Hna. Lopez and I enjoying the lovely package we received!!! Thank you SO much! She LOVED the package, and is currently wearing the BYU sweatshirt :)



Check out the flowers in the background!!! It's BEAUTIFUL here in Olmué and there are wildflowers everywhere you look! Even though we have to walk about 2-4 miles to get from one lesson to the next, it's definitely worth the walk!

We Are All 'Swans'

Dear Familia,

This week it was really fun to see how much the Chileans are getting into Halloween. According to what the members have told me, these past couple of years they have really started celebrating Halloween here in Chile. It was fun to see all the little kids running around with their costumes, it brought back a lot of fun memories of good ol' Santa Clara and all the craziness that goes on over there this time of year. This past week while everyone was preparing for Halloween and planning the costume they were going to use and who they were going to pretend to be, Hna. Lopez and I shared a lot about the importance of our true identity. There's a great Mormon Message called "Our True Identity" that is based off a talk by President Uchtdorf. In the Mormon Message it starts off telling the story of the ugly duckling and how it felt unaccepted, big, ugly, unwanted, and of little importance. It shares how the other ducks teased and made fun of him because he was different. He leaves the others and lives by himself, only to discover one day while looking in the water, he sees his true reflection. He discovers that he's not an ugly duck, he's not even a duck, but rather a beautiful and majestic swan.

Like the swan, most of us have felt at one time or another that we don't quite fit in. Much of the confusion we experience in this life comes from simply not understanding who we are. It's so sad to see, but here in the mission I've seen so many people go about their lives thinking they are of little worth when, in reality, they are beautiful and eternal creature of infinite value with potential beyond imagination!

Part of our purpose here on earth is to discover who we really are. Growing up in the church I have been blessed with the answers of why I'm here on earth, where I came from, and where I'm going after this earthly life. As members of the church we have the answers not because of someone's educated guess or because we found a scientific explanation. We have the answers because heavenly messengers and personal revelation have revealed these mysteries to man. This knowledge that we are children of God changes us. It changes how we act, how we make decisions, it changes everything. There will always be voices telling us that we are foolish to believe that we are swans. But we know better, we've seen our reflection in the water and have felt the love of our Father in Heaven testifying we are his children. We are not ordinary beings...we are glorious and eternal.

Never forget that even though we might dress up as someone different for Halloween, or the world might try telling us we're unimportant, and just an ugly duckling, we should never forget our true identity, that we are children of the most powerful and glorious being in the universe!

 I love you all and I love sharing this message with my lovely Chilean brothers and sisters.



XOXO-Hna. McKenna 



P.S

Look up the Momon Message, It's SOO good :)

hahahahahaha OH MY!!!! Did Megan and Ashley dress up as Bolivians!? HA that is to funny!

WAHOOOOO I HAD NO IDEA KYLIE WAS CALLED TO SERVE IN CHILE!  Ah she is one lucky duck!

"More Used Would I Be"

HOLA,

This week we had a bit of a surprise! We have been teaching La Familia Valenzuela these past couple of weeks, we're helping Fernanda (11 years old) prepare for her baptism on the 7th of November. She wanted her stepdad, Luis, to baptize her, so we talked with the Bishop in order to make goals with him so that he could receive the priesthood before her baptism. While trying to get his records sent to the ward here in Olmue, we found out that his records don't exist! We talked with the mission office and with a little research we discovered that he was baptized when he was 8 but he was never confirmed! SURPRISE! When we told him that his baptism isn't valid without receiving the Holy Ghost he asked if that meant he could be baptized again. We told him yes, and his whole face lit up! He said that he has felt such a strong desire to be baptized and start everything over again and that this time he was really going to follow Jesus in this new life that he wants to have. He and his family are so excited and are progressing SO much! They have started saying family prayers every night and are all reading in the Book of Mormón. The spirit that is in their house has changed 100%, and just in these past couple of weeks Hna. Lopez and I have been able to see a grande change in each and every one of them!



This past week I have been reflecting on how important it is to really follow Jesus after our baptism and become more like him. I have been meditating a lot on the hymn "More Holiness Give Me".  I have put the lyrics here and I want to focus on the last couple lines "more used would I be, more blessed and holy, more Savior like thee." I know that when we try a little more to be a little better, to be more holy, to be more like our Savior, we become better instruments in the hands of our Lord and Savior to help bless the lives of our brothers and sisters in this world.



1. More holiness give me,
 More strivings within,
 More patience in suff'ring,
 More sorrow for sin,
 More faith in my Savior, 
More sense of his care,
 More joy in his service,
 More purpose in prayer.

2. More gratitude give me, 
More trust in the Lord,
 More pride in his glory, 
More hope in his word,
 More tears for his sorrows,
 More pain at his grief,
 More meekness in trial, 
More praise for relief.

3. More purity give me,
 More strength to o'ercome,
 More freedom from earth-stains,
 More longing for home.
 More fit for the kingdom,
 More used would I be,
 More blessed and holy--
More, Savior, like thee.



I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week!



XOXO-Hna. McKenna



Fun Facts:



-La Familia Valenzuela has three little weenie dogs that are SOOO CUTE!!! I LOVE them so much :) The other day the grandma was making costumes for them for Halloween, I'll try to send photos next week.



-In the Metro there are always people singing...some are good singers, some are bad, some are entertaining, and some are down right weird. Well, the other day we were in the Metro headed to Viña and the guy that started to sing and play the guitar decided he was going to sing about everything I did! His song went a little like this, "The blond is sitting looking out the window. She closes here eyes. She opens them again. She scratches her nose. She tries not to look at me. You can tell she's not from around here. She doesn't speak our language. Maybe for that reason she's not looking at me." I finally look at him and give him a smile telling him thanks for the song. It was the most uncomfortable train ride I've had here in Chile!





PS… I'm 100% ok with Jack and Carrson coming with us to Chile in March. I think it will be great for them and great family memories. haha Also I think every young woman, investigator and convert that has seen photos of my family is looking forward to meeting my brothers ;)



I'm so happy for Amanda!!! And I LOVE the idea of touring Europe, haha sign me up :) OH how precious is little baby Aaron! He and Indy are going to have so much fun!



Indy’s nursery is SO, SO, SO, SO, SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CUTE!!!!!!!!



PHOTOS:

I might not have been able to be part of the adorable Baby Shower for my adorable little Indy, but I did get to help Karina with her Baby Shower for sweet little Alicia :) I love the little tender mercies God gives us.

Chilean Pride...would you check out that view! Haha yes I did have to climb the hill/mountain in order have the view. There is a recent convert that lives in the 2nd to last house on the tip of the mountain.

Our District Leader gave Hna. Lopez and me little candy dolls modeled after a photo we took as a district....I may or may not have done a photo shoot with mine.

The infamous CHICHA...aka moonshine.

Felipe´s Baptism!!!!

The photo of our District that inspired the candy doll.

An FHE we had with La Familia Figaroa (the husband is the President of the Priest Quorum.) and La Familia Valenzuela (Laura-less active, Luis-investigator, José-less active, and Fernanda-investigator.) 

Our neighbor María Virginia. She was an investigator, but we stopped teaching her because she wasn't progressing in the lessons.

Felipe is Baptized!

Dear Familia,

Felipe got baptized!!!!!!!!! It was by far one of my all time favorite baptismal services. There were so many people there to support him and his decision, and so many of them were family members that had traveled from different cities in order to be part of his baptism. Seeing them all there gathered together supporting him reminded me a lot of our family and how we always get together and are one big crazy bunch! Haha that's how this baptismal service was....a lot of little kids running around everywhere, a lot of noise, a lot of food, and a lot of love!

Hna. Lopez and I knew that the baptismal service was going to be a big deal so we prepared everything PERFECTLY a week in advance and had it all ready to go. But heaven forbid we have a baptismal service without any complications. Ha 5 minutes before the baptismal service is about to start the mission leader informs us that he doesn't know where the keys are to open the curtain for the baptismal font...which means nobody is going to be able to see the baptism! We have 50 people (members, nonmembers, investigators etc...) waiting to see his baptism and the curtains won’t open! We decide that the bishop is going to start the baptismal service while the mission leader figures something out and is running around trying to find a key to open the curtain. While all of this is happening I'm trying not to stress...which is hard for me to do when there are investigators involved (Fernanda and her family came to see the baptism). While I'm silently praying that the curtains will open a thought pops into my head that my family has been praying for Felipe's baptism and that everything is going to be ok. That thought really calmed me down and 10 minutes later the mission leader gives me the thumbs up letting me know that the curtains are opened and after we finish with the musical number everyone is going to be able to see the baptismal service. Just another amazing testimony builder that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers.

The following day in Sacrament Meeting all of the testimonies were on how families can be together forever. Felipe got baptized with that goal in mind and he and Karina are already planning their sealing in a year from now. It's the most beautiful thing my little missionary ears have heard, and little missionary eyes have seen. And not only did Fernanda (investigator) and her family (Luis, Laura, and Jose - all of which are less active) attend the baptismal service of Felipe, but they also all attended church on Sunday and LOVED it! Luis got baptized when he was 8 and became less active immediately, Laura was baptized 4 years ago with José in a different ward and when they moved 3 years ago they lost contact with the church, all of them hardly remember anything about the church, but they loved the lessons, especially on the family.

 I love being a missionary. I love being able to share this beautiful message with the people of Chile. I love my family I have here in Chile among all my companions and members. And I love my family that supports me and helps me from the home front in Utah!



XOXO-Hna. McKenna

Fun Facts:

-In Limache, the neighboring town, there is some crazy Chilean that is always dressed as a clown! I've seen him about 5 times now and it's the weirdest, creepiest thing!

-Rebeca (recent convert) called us at 10 o'clock at night because she was so excited to share with us the symbolism she found in Jacob 5 while she was reading! Bless her heart!

-José (Fernanda's brother) was playing soccer with one of his friends in a field by his house. Hna. Lopez and I passed by and started talking with them and made a deal that if they did more juggles than us we'd buy them an alfajor (chocolate covered cookie with manjar) and if I did more juggles than them we'd have a lesson with them. Needless to say I still got skills while juggling in Danskos and a skirt! José did 14 juggles and I did 15...I didn't want to embarrass the poor guy :) Soccer skills=Saving souls :)



SHOUT OUT: GO SC WARRIORS GIRLS SOCCER!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't worry, you're in my prayers ;)

Even the District Leader Cried

Dear Familia,

Sorry this email is going to be so short. I have a lot to write President about the exchanges I had this week and Hna. Prates wrote me to tell me she is going to get married in the Salt Lake Temple and is waiting for me so that I can be in her sellamamiento!!!! AHHH my missionary daughter is growing up so fast!!! Ha she's even getting married before me!

But I wanted to write you all and let you know that Felipe passed his baptismal interview this week and is SOO excited for his baptism. Our District Leader (who interviewed him) started crying in the interview because Felipe is SOO amazing! Haha and it's no joke! He is 100% a golden investigator sent from the heavens above! I'll send you all photos next week of the baptism.

Also, Rebeca (the recent convert) bore her testimony in Stake Conference this week! That's right, she's a little power house that Rebeca, and she will also be giving a talk at the baptism of Felipe :)

Life is good here in Olmué. I love the mission and am enjoying every minute. Please keep these amazing people in your prayers, and pray that we can continue to find the people the Lord has prepared for us!


Scripture: Jacob 2:18-19 This is a great scripture to medetizar :)

XOXO- Hna. McKenna

PS…Thanks so much for the quote, Mom! It's fantastic! I love the baby shower, it turned out SOOO cute! HAHA and I can't wait to see photos of Jack-Man in his Peter Pan costume :)

"What Lack I Yet?"

Dear Familia,

I'm trying to figure out if the Conferences just keep getting better and better as the years go on, or if it's because I'm becoming more and more receptive and pay more attention. Ha I think it has to do more with me, and the Conferences have always been this inspiring and uplifting, but I LOVED Conference!!!! It was absolutely AMAZING!

Leading up to Conference I had been really hoping and praying to know how I could be better at receiving, recognizing, and following personal revelation from God. I felt like Elder Larry L. Lawrence's talk about the rich young ruler was a message from my Heavenly Father directly for me. The story of the rich young ruler is about a young man who comes to Christ wanting to know what he can do to enter the kingdom of God. Christ tells him to keep his commandments. The young man tells him that he has kept the commandments since birth, and then asks the question that I've been asking myself, and we should all ask ourselves...What lack I yet? The Lord tells the rich young ruler to sell all that he has and give to the poor. The young ruler goes away sad and upset because what the Lord required of him was hard to do.

Many times I find myself asking the Lord, "What lack I yet?" I want to improve, I want to be a better missionary, I want to return to live with God and my family in the Celestial Kingdom. I keep the commandments, and obey the missionary rules, but I know that I'm still lacking. I know I need to improve. Just like the rich young ruler, I'm humble enough to ask the question, but many times...just like the rich young ruler, the answer I receive is hard and many times I don't want to do it. I'm humble enough to ask the question, but too prideful and stubborn to follow the council I receive. This talk addresses how if we humbly ask the Lord what we need to do to improve, the Holy Ghost will give us direct and personal advice and guidance for our lives. The Holy Ghost will tell us what nobody else will. He will give us this guidance line upon line, and if we respond and follow his council, he will give us more. If I ask for guidance, but then don't follow it, there is nothing more the Lord can reveal to me. I have to be humbly accepting to the will of the Lord and be humble enough to follow it. "Have your own way Lord, have your own way. You are the potter and I am the clay." -Sis. Marriot

I love you all and hope that you have a fantastic week!

XOXO-Hna. McKenna

Updates:

-Felipe is doing great and accepted to live all the commandments.

-Fernanda is an investigator that we have from a less active family that accepted a baptismal date. Keep her in your prayers and I'll give you more updates next week on her family and their story

-Rebeca has plans to go to the temple the end of this month! WAHOO

 Fun Facts:

-The mission has a FB page about the earthquake (Mission Viña del Mar)

-Some random guy started singing to me in English when we were in the subway on our way to Viña.

-I didn't get the package, but I did get lots of letters. Thanks so much for your love and support!

-A sister in the ward had a magazine from the Jehovah's Witnesses in her house. We asked her why she was receiving magazines from them. She started laughing and said because they're more faithful than her visiting teachers! Ha she doesn't listen to them and she's a teacher in Relief Society, but it was a good reminder that we should do our visits!

-There was a giant fly that was in our room all night and because of the noise we couldn't sleep. We spent 30 min trying to kill this little bugger and ended up destroying our bedroom in the process. hahaha we were dying of laughter during the crazy process, but I will have you know we did kill it!



Photos:

Interviews with President Díaz, the assistents (Elder Herrera y Elder Frampton), and the pensionero (Elder Call).

A pretty great pasture next to a little stream. It made me think of the talk Shane gave for graduation about how even though we might be little, just like a stream, we can make the world a greener and better place if we give a little everywhere we go.