SHE MADE IT TO TEXAS!

Malena called us this morning in the airport before flying out.  She is excited and ready.  She is sad to leave the MTC and the friends she has made there, but also ready to get to work and Texas.  

We got this random picture from a former missionary mom in the airport.  LOVE these types of pics.

 She was able to message while on the flight with free wifi.  We had a good conversation.  I asked her for a picture and I got this with a message that said, "Eye'll miss you!"  haha

And she arrived!

Dear Parents,

We are so happy to let you know your missionary has arrived safe and sound. We are excited to have them here in the Texas Fort Worth Mission! We love them already!

Thank you for sharing them with us for a short while.

Thank You,

Sister JoAnne D. Davis

Mission Secretary, Texas Fort Worth Mission 

In the car to the mission home.

 Staying the night at a members home.  Malena said it doesn't feel real.  It feels like a big slumber party, since there are 10 beds in one room for all the girls.  Today was full of interviews and tomorrow she will meet her trainer and the area she will go too.  We can't wait until next Monday for a full report on her first week in Texas! I love this girl, and am so proud of her.  She is starting strong and full of light!

Dear Family,

Sister Whitney and I want you to know that your missionary has arrived safely in Texas.

We hope you enjoy the attached picture of your missionary as well as knowing that the

missionaries are in good hands here as they are in the Lord’s service.

Your missionary’s assignment will be in Arlington 1/3/4.  She will be serving with

Sister Swenson. 

If you will go to the Facebook Account Darrell Sally Whitney and Whitney - Ft. Worth Missionaries

you will find pictures of the missionaries as they arrived in Texas this week.

Your missionary will email on Monday which is their preparation day.  They are always

happy to hear from you as well.  Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

President & Sister Whitney

 Malena and Sister Swenson

It's A Match

Hey guys this week was my last at the mtc! I have loved my time here but I am so ready to get to Texas!! 

So much has happened thus week! One was the mission president conference! And all the general authorities were here and it was amazing. We spent a lot of time stalking them. We saw a lot of authorities by staring through windows, running across campus to watch Elder Oaks walk into a building and trying to hide out in T3. But Sunday night we had a devotional and we all had the genius idea to join choir so we can get good seats for the devotional and turns out 1000 others had that idea. It was a cool choir experience. And we all stood when all the general authorities entered and were singing “Hark All Ye Nations" and it was amazing and the spirit was so strong. I also saw President and Sister Nelson.   

Sister Haws and I  got the assignment of Tech Specialists. And it's a pretty menial calling and all we have to do is show the newbies how to email the branch president but we made ourselves badges and bragged about it to the new district. Now everyone always yells “Hey Tech Specialists!" And two sisters asked for our badges so they could be the next Tech Specialists. Haha. And that my friends is how you make light out of a lame situation.  

I'm really gonna miss my district/zone this week. Funny story: on Sunday we had this super long meeting and the branch presidency's wife was giving a very long lesson about how historical events led up to the restoration and everyone was kind of out of it but she writes 1805 on the board and says "who knows what happened this year?" And I got very excited and yelled out “The Louisiana Purchase!!" Because duh, they bought Utah in that, but no, turns out that is also the year Joseph Smith was born! Very awkward because the Louisiana purchase was in 1803. Wanna guess my AP US History score? 1 

Awkward Sister McKee moments: 

So we got a new district and one elder looked really familiar and then I realized! turns out I had matched with him on mutual!!! But I didnt say anything about it but Sister Hadley asked him if he had a mutual and he said yes then asked why, so I had to explain in front of our zone how I think I matched with him. It was all good though because all he said was "dude! Tell them how good my profile is though!" 

 I was showering and the razor fell off the shelf and hit me square in the face. I had little ridges on my nose but now just a bloody battle scar. 

We paired up with another district to practice a bus tracking scene and I sat next to this elder. We went through the motions and then after he said “So I've seen you around a lot at the MTC, and I feel bad because I've been meaning to talk to you! I've wanted to tell you something!" And the whole time I was thinking "one purpose one purpose!" Then he said "you look exactly like my friend Kelsey!" And I literally sighed in relief. If you thought I was awkward before, you have no idea. 

It was really sad leaving the MTC because of the great friends I've made and I'm so happy that a lot of them came with me to Texas!! 

I’ve had some very spiritual experiences with my prayers being answered very specifically.  I also met our new mission president and his wife… President and Sister Chapman.  They were so cute, and they came and found our Fort Worth group.  They then saw us during the choir and were waving at our group, and holding up heart signs.  I love them.  They are really short and at the devotional they were on the ground and we were on the bleachers and they were jumping so they could look over the other president’s heads and waving and smiling at us.  They seem pretty relaxed.  They will be in the mission next week.  

I love you all! See you next Monday!  

Sister McKee

Elder Elder Balukoff, Elder Sloan, and my little petit foot.

 One of my teachers

 Sister Haws and I ready to go out in the world and teach.

 Ready to give the spiritual thought.

 I love my district!

 Eating the crumbl cookies Grandma Munoa sent to the district.

 Some of the girls wearing Mom's earrings.

Week 2 Baby!

Howdy y'all.                                 June 18, 2019

 I want to start this email talking about prayer. We studied a lot about prayer and I have prayed more in the last week than I think ever. A scripture I wanted to share with you guys is 3 Nephi 27:29. "Therefore, ask and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for he that asketh, receiveth; and unto him that knocketh, it shall be opened" I love this because I've seen it work as i've prayed this last week with real intent. If we ask Heavenly Father and believe that he will help us, he will. And I invite all of you guys to try it in your life. I know it will help with anything you are going through. 

This last week has been good! We did a Ton of lessons and some went better than others but it's been awesome practicing! Sister Haws was really excited to invite Madeline to be baptized on our second lesson, but I told her maybe to wait and see if she kept our other small commitment, to pray. 

We also had a really cool experience where we were trying to prepare a lesson for a girl who asked us "why do bad things happen to good people?" and its a hard question to answer so we had been thinking about it and praying about it and then the night before during companionship study, we were reading in our scriptures and sister haws opened her bag to get a pen and she remembered a letter that a family in her ward had written her. she opened it up and one of the parents had written "we all wonder the lifelong question "why do bad things happen to good people" but I often find that answer in Helaman 11" and we both started freaking out and she turned back to her scriptures, and she had JUST finished reading Helaman 11. Like the lord is good, and he works in amazing ways. 

So funny story: This week Sister Haws and I decided that if we were gonna eat the MTC food, we should burn it off with the stairs to our bedroom and classroom. Well, we're on the top floor of both. We climbed to the 6th floor twice for class and then for class our teacher looked at us and said "you're gonna love today's activity." and we ran all the way down and back up the stairs. Now our fun game is to time how long we wait for elevators.

Once upon a time Sister Haws and I were talking to breakfast and we saw the MTC cat, and Sister Haws loves Sister Mittens (rumor has it that 2 elders gave her the priesthood last year) so she bent down to pet it and 3 elders walked past and one yelled "Yeah! Give her those pets! Yeah girl, that's what I like to see! she calls it being "literally cat called". Some elders advert their eyes when we walk past and some yell weird stuff. All the Elders are great though. I'm gonna miss hanging out with them next week. 

Another time we were studying in front of one of the murals in t4. All y'all should come take a tour of the MTC and look at them, they are amazing and I love them and I stare at them all the time. but we were studying and Sister Haws loves her study time, and she goes very deep into her world (until her watch hits noon, then we go straight to lunch). But this senior couple walked past and was giving a tour to a family so I said hi and shook the senior elders hand and talked to him for a minute, and Sister Haws said hi but then went back to studying. But He and I kept talking til he moved the tour along, and I was being very nice because IT WAS THE MTC PRESIDENT!!! and I saw it on his tag but Sister Haws didn't and it was so funny. I always tease her about ignoring The MTC president.

I've learned a lot about asking good questions and leading the conversation and also learning basic outlines of the lessons. I'm never gonna be awkward again now that I know how to lead a good conversation, as long as it's about the restoration or 3 nephi 27 or 2 nephi 2. WOOHOO.

Sorry this email is so long, but its time for:

AWKWARD MALENA MOMENT:

So sister Haws and I love some of the deserts the cafeteria has,but they haven't had any of our favorites this week. So while we were pouting over our lunch, the elder next to me had this delicious cupcake sitting on his tray. And sister haws whispers, "grab it" so I start slowly walking my fingers over to his tray and I get my fingers on his tray and turn to say something to sister Haws when she whispers "HE's Looking at you!!" and I turn back and this elder is looking straight at me! 1. I didn't get the cupcake. 2. Turns out he was my zone leader. Maybe you kinda had to be there, but it was funny and awkward. 

I'd like to end with my testimony about the atonement. We came to this earth to progress. I know that. and even though we are here to become good people and be kind and thoughtful, there are so many other things that we need to do that will help us return to live with Heavenly Father. Through Jesus Christ we can be saved. and we can do so by using the atonement! it is there for us! Christ suffered for all of our sins, because he loves us so much and we shouldn't let that be in vain. Repentance is a long hard process, but I promise all of you that as we use it, it will get easier and we will all see amazing results in this life and our life to come! 

WOO HOO! I'm a missionary! I love you all! 

Sister McKee. 

Also I got my flight plans!!! I leave on Tuesday at 4:15 am!! Yay! 

Sunday Schedule

 Fireside with my district.  I think we cut off Sister Wilson.

 Mom send a roommate treat box, which was candy, stress release balls, silly putty, and face masks.  

 Sister Haws and Me

 Looks like mannequin

 Spiritual and Personal Self Care

 All the roommates.

I told my mom that the girls in my zone loved my beaded earring, and a few of them asked if she would make me some.  

She made 21 pairs and sent them over.  Everyone loved them, and sent her thank you videos.

I ran into Riley Beckstead, who is Jake's friend from High school.  She was there teaching. 

and she sent this to my mom.

 Got a pic of my plaque that my ward displays.

 P-day temple day. 

Sister Haws and I.

 My district

 Sister Gutierrez was amazed that I am this much darker then her and not even Latina. 

 Joseph Smith has a lot of knick names.  I laughed for 10 minutes at this.