Week #19: San Diego

HELLO!!!!!

    Happy Birthday to Peter!!!! Wahoo! Birthdays are so fun! What an amazing and busy week! Santee is on fire right now and we are seeing more and more miracles each and every day. I am so excited for everything that is happening at home! 2 baby girls and a baby boy when I get home wow  that is crazy!! Also Sounds like Destini had an exciting drive last week!:) REminds me  of when Angelee and I ran into the Garage when we were little! That is scary!! Tell Desi she is not alone! But I cannot help but laugh haha!   This week has been another week full of connections, I will add some pictures in the end!   We went on exchanges last week and I went Spanish speaking for a day! I absolutely loved it and I really am doing a lot better speaking it! I wish I had study time haha! Just kidding I know there is a reason I was called english and I love english work! It is nice to have both languages where there are so many hispanics though! Our assistant ward mission leader Brent told us about his friend that he met at school and wanted us to come meet her. We met her last week and we started teaching her. She is an amazing girl. She was in foster homes her entire life and finally someone wanted to adopt her and her brothers and then a while after they decided they just wanted her brothers. So back to foster homes she was finally adopted again and she said as soon as she turned 18 she was basically dropped from the family. It is crazy too because she is one of the nicest, most humble people that we have met. She says she just feels alone. She loved the message of the Restoration and she is currently reading and praying. She said she would get baptized when she knows it is true. Amazing girl. We have to pass off about 5 people this week that are just outside our area:( it will be hard, but we know that miracles happen with exact obedience! We have been street contacting like crazy and we send referrals off to other people every day. This week we actually ran into some YSA's on the street though and they are awesome! Dean and Derek, we are going to start teaching them this week. Another miracle with Amber. She refused to live the word of wisdom last week and said she wouldnt even try. Well we came back this week and she and she had a complete new mindset and we set up a schedule for her to give up her drugs, cigarettes and wine and she is on board!! She will be baptized in April as she stays on this track! We had temple shift last week and there was a man there names  Alesandro, we ended up teaching him the REstoration and the Plan of Salvation and he loved it! Sunday at the Battalion we had a 22 year old boy named Eduardo come inside. He said he would love to take a tour and as I got to talking with him he said that he drove past, saw the words Jesus Christ and knew he needed to come inside. He said " An unexplainable feeling told me that this is where I needed to be." I was able to give his tour and talk to him after, he has been part of a gang his whole life and he is ready to change and he felt something. Before I even brought up the idea of missionaries coming over he said, "Sister McKee, do you guys like teach people about your church? I think I would like to learn more about it and join." So the elders in the other YSA stake is starting to teach him MIRACLES! I feel like my mission is seriously going by so fast and it is really insane. Sister Owens is almost halfway done with her training! She is doing awesome! She is really training me haha she is such a sweet girl, crazy and fun! So we have a blast and work Very hard! Being at the Battalion is truly a test because we have the faith that our areas are watched over while we cannot be there half the time. We have so much work in Santee. We are hoping to get more missionaries in the branch! It will be a ward soon! We have almost 60 regularly attending now!!! YEY! Candice is doing so great too she is getting her temple recommend soon which is super exciting! We have Zone Conference again this week! Can you believe that I have been here long enough to have 2 Zone Conferences?! Crazy life! Well tell everyone that I love them so much! I get asked all the time about the Parrish family here when they know I am from Pocatello, I hope they are doing better and if you see them tell them I pray for them every day. I would love to write Jensen, could someone get me her email address?? She is a great friend of mine. Sounds like Angie is doing good at the MTC and having fun! That is good, mission is all about balance right dad? haha:) When is Aubs Jr. Miss? Will you record it para mi?? Gracias! Tell Kiki and Des to email me! I miss them! I love you all! Michelle, Mike, Jared, Scott and Steven and everyone!!! I would write everyones name, but that would start to be a whole other email haha! I just have the best family in the world! Thank you for being faithful and true so it makes it that much easier for me! I would love to see pictures of everyone too! Tell Britt and Jared thanks for the cute valentines card I absolutely loved it!!

Well, I better get going but know that I know this church is true and the atonement is real. He died not just for some of us, but for all of us and now we get to choose if we are going to use it and come back to our Heavenly Father or not. Keep Smiling always and Pray Daily- Read you Book of Mormon daily ( Even if it is just a verse) and go to church!! 

I LOVE YOU!!

Sister McKee:)

Week #18: MB

Hey Family!!

             This week was such a great week, very eventful! We are so busy it is insane and we do not have enough time in our area right now, it is a good problem and crazy one! We love it though, it is the best work in the world to be a missionary and I cannot believe it is MArch! I hope Steven and Rachel had a fantastic birthday!! I saw the Ricks this week in Old Town, it was great to see them and weird as it always is to see people from a different life haha! Kevin and Emily Johnson also came this week with their kids, that was crazy and I was not expecting to see them! I sent a picture of us all! I love my mission. Sister Owens is doing so great! She could already train she is just loving life and really trying hard to be better every day which is a huge example for me. This week we went out to eat and there was a lady who was sitting by herself so we started talking to her and she was so nice and talked to us about her church etc.. We explained who we were and asked if she would like to learn more, she kindly said, " I have my own church but thank you have a nice day." We gave her a mormon.org card and offered a Book of Mormon that she declined. We went outside and sat down and about 10 minutes later she walked outside and said, " Hey I have a question for you.. Why do mormons dress so nice?" We started talking about everything after that! We read from the Book of Mormon and she loved the scripture and said, "Well I guess you are right, I better take this book." She was so nice and loved it and it was just a huge testimony of how people do not realize they are prepared so we get to help them! There were so many other amazing miracles with street contacts this week. Something that I love about being in a YSA branch is that the majority of our street contacts are not for us, but it is a way we get to help others receive people and that is so awesome. I love it! Matt our investigator that dropped us came to church on Sunday and wants to start meeting again! He is on fire now and he will be baptized soon I know it. I love Santee! Another miracle is that I lost my wallet last week when we were eating with a member at a restaurant. I had been talking to the owner about the church and ended up leaving it there when I left. I had no idea where it had been left and I just felt awful because I could not focus on that at all during our busy week and just kept praying for help to find my wallet. I kept feeling like I should not call anyone for a new card so I didn't and just kept doing work. I got a call yesterday from a girl in my branch and she said that her next door neighbor came outside and asked her if she knew me and showed her my license! It was a miracle! I talked to the owner later and he said that he kept feeling something tell him to talk to him neighbor and so he did it. It was amazing that I was able to testify to him that it was the holy ghost that told him to do that and I feel so blessed to have met him. He will be baptized one day! Miracles are everywhere and I wish I had more time to talk about all of them just know that the work is progressing here in California! Sounds like life is crazy for all of you too! That is awesome! Oh and also Sarah got baptized on Saturday! It was such a great baptism! She was so prepared and her baptism was packed! Well I better go but know that I love you all so much! Keep smiling and keep testifying of the truths that you know!!

Thank you for being a great family!

Love:

Sister McKee:)

PS: Sister Baker from Pocatello and her trainer Sister Dunaway  got into an accident on the interstate yesterday, they are doing okay but the car was totaled and mentally I think it has been hard on them! Keep them in your prayers! Thank you!! Love you all! Here are some pictures!

 Bowling with my companion

 Drying shoes after the rainstorm

 Giving a tour to Cousin Kevin and Emily and their sweet family!

 The Ricks-ps: If you can't tell I got a really bad sunburn this week..

 Sarah was baptized last Saturday!

 MB Sisters at lunch for Pday

 Street contact

The Temple

Week #17: 4 months down, 14 to go!

Hello Family!

              I hope Mike had a good birthday and Happy Birthday this week to Rachel and Steven!! I still think that it is cute you have birthdays so close together and you are married.. :) That is convenient! You can always just celebrate on the 9th haha! Just kidding. But have a great week and do something fun!! Sounds like Charlie's baptism went awesome! Aubs had a stake talk! Whoa that is awesome. Very exciting I am sure you were able to help so many people with that talk! It sounds like the Parrish's funeral went well. That would have been overwhelming to see those four amazing people in caskets, but it sounds like Jensen and Ian are doing well. They are such great examples. Please tell them I love them so much and pray for them often. When people find out I am from Pocatello they ask about it and I can hardly talk about it, it is hard to comprehend, but I am so thankful we have this amazing truth that they will see their family again.

 We have seen so many miracles this week. There is a less active named Chris that we have tried to see since I first got to Santee. We have left a sticky note there almost every week since I got here. Well we went again last weekend and passed a guy on the way. We started talking to him and he said "I am not interested and I am busy so no." Well.. after that we decided to go stop by and grab something to eat and Sister Owens and I could not decide where to go and then we agreed on a place, walked in and there was that guy sitting down eating. We started talking to him and said, " Hey we just saw you! Can we come sit by you?" He said we could and we soon found out that this guy was the less active Chris that we had been trying to find for forever! It was such a miracle. We had a lesson while we ate with him and we were able to address his concerns and set up a return appointment. He is going to start attending the branch and he is excited. Such a miracle! Another miracle was last night. We had an appointment at 7 and FHE is at 7. Well the guy who we had an appointment with texted us and let us know he would not be home for about 30 minutes so we went to FHE for the first few minutes and introduced some less actives to the branch. Well, as we were about to leave for our appointment there was a guy outside in the parking lot, we went and talked to him and got to know him. We told him that Family Home Evening was going on inside and that he was welcome. He said he would come, we set up an appointment for tomorrow and we left, leaving him with our branch to get to our appointment. We got a call later that night from our Branch president's wife and she was just going on and on about how amazing this guy was and how well he got a long with everyone and loved the spirit there. He is going to be super solid. WE are excited. Sunday we were able to watch the CES fireside with people we brought that was from BYU-Idaho. It was an amazing fireside and Candice, who just got baptized came. The fireside was from BYU-IDaho and it was fun to see some friends on the screen, but what was even more awesome was the amazing message as it was on the Holy Ghost and Candice had just been confirmed that day. She called us that night with excitement because she said that she was afraid she would not feel the spirit and that tonight she could feel it so strong and she knows she is supposed to go to BYU-IDaho. It was so awesome and I am so excited for her and her new journey in life. She has gone out with us to teach a lot this week. Speaking of that.. We are so busy!! We have so many teaching appointments!! We have a list of 500 less actives we are working with and there have been so many reactivated this month. We also have been getting investigators and we have a baptism this weekend. Sarah who we started teaching but is in the mid-single adult ward now. She is incredible. Wow I could keep going on forever but we have to go! Just know that I love you all so much!! I am so thankful for the things that I am able to learn every day.

 My companion is doing great! She is super funny. Oh and at the Battalion Brother Parry came and I was able to give that tour and on the same tour was a guy named Brady Allred I think that knew the Watson's from Tennessee!! It was so fun to talk with him about some of my closest friends and it was cool it was the same tour because Mark Parry served in Nashville and knows the Watsons. Wow Miracles! I love being a missionary! I cannot even believe how fast time is going!!!!!!!! Keep me updated on everything and know I love you all and pray for you all so so much! When we stand up for what we believe in and are persecuted for Jesus Christ's name we are promised so many blessings. All of you are examples of that. Thank you!! 

Love you so much!!

Love,

sister McKee;)