Sister Malena McKee : And I Thought Rejection in High School Was Hard!

So my second week has been AWESOME. We've gotten a lot done, and I've learned a ton about being a missionary. If you ever want to know how to be good missionary, just Google how not to ever say the wrong thing. I don't have Google so I just look it up in the scriptures.

But anyways,

This week we did a ton of tracting and knocking doors. And no one answered them. We would walk neighborhoods and maybe 1 out of 7 would answer. A man was in his yard and we said hi and I think I was in a different dimension or something because he ignored us really well. Some people will answer only to tell us that they are busy or to read their no soliciting sign. Its been fun though! We found 3 new people!

85% of the people who do answer are soooo nice! They usually love to talk about their faith in Christ and how it's helped them. I love that about Texas because everyone is so open about their faith and everyone is so diverse!

One instance was so funny:

Sister Swenson: Do you have faith in Jesus Christ?

Man: No

Ss: Oh, would you like to gain a better testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?

Man: Oh I believe in God, just not Jesus Christ.

Ss: Oh, well we believe-

Man: Well your church is just a made up religion

Ss: Well, agree to disagree (she was really nice)

At this point we started walking away and I called back “Have a happy 4th of July! And he yelled back "no, it is NOT a happy 4th of July!" And slammed the door. It was so funny.

People are usually really nice! Everyone tells us we are welcome back if we need water or anything, but have their own church. At one point a lady sat outside and talked to us after we got rejected at 15 houses. She was sooo nice!

I've seen a ton of tender mercys in my life this week!:

One night we were knocking and no one would answer and one guy said he had homework so he couldn't learn about Jesus, and we walked back to our car and it was dark and they're was a single light above our car shining directing on us. We felt like it was Christ shining directly on us.

I also found my chapstick, which I haven't seen in over a month. I was so excited.

Also! I hit one month on the 5th! It's so crazy how quickly it's passed! I've loved it so much!

We also had a bbq on the 4th and I got ribs and dang good guacamole. That was definitely a tender mercy. I love that stuff.

Now it's time for everyone's favorite segment:

AWKWARD SISTER MCKEE MOMENTS!

So I didn't think I had any, but I asked Sister Swenson, and she said she can think of a few:

1. So one night we went to members house and they offered us this soda or water. To be nice I took the soda. And it was an orange/citrus flavored soda. I hate orange. So I wasn't drinking anything but then I had a ton of really hot salsa and didn't know what to do!! So I made another taco and I was scooping tomatoes and I brought it over my drink and just dropped a few in there. Then I said "oh no!" And I got to dump out my drink out and get water.

2. We were tracting and we knocked on a door and this man answered, and he was shirtless. Which is normal here. But he started talking with his hands and not his mouth so I thought "yes! My time to shine!" And started speaking sign language. Turns out he had been eating and his mouth was full. He wasn’t deaf. He was this 65 year old shirtless Cuban man who talked to us for like 15 minutes on his porch. He wanted to know all about us and then told us we can'tlcome in because he has all sons and they'd be distracted (???) and that was fine by us. Then he told us to be careful out there because we are too pretty to go walking out by ourselves. We shook hands goodbye and he said "no, that is not how we shake a lady's hand! Men these days have no respect! None of them shake women's hands right!". It was so awkward.

3. So while I was studying this week I was in the end of Mosiah/beginning of Alma, when the sons of Mosiah were leaving and Mosiah was worried because all 4 sons were leaving but God promises Mosiah that his kids will be protected while their doing the Lord's work. And that reminded me of my mom, so along the top of the page, I wrote “Mosiah: the original missionary mom".

Then later at district council we had to share a verse we liked and I was reading one off that page and Sister Swenson saw the little note and pointed it out so I had to explain to the district why I had “Mosiah: the original missionary mom" written on the top of my scriptures. And I thought it was funny but none of them really laughed.

One night a sister sent us pizza for dinner so we set up the Joseph Smith restoration movie (the long one) and had a pizza and movie night. It was super great.

I loved that movie because it reminded me of the faith that the early members had. Especially Joseph Smith for all the things he went through. Throughout history when people make up religions or lie about heavenly visions and are about to be killed for it, they deny it. But Joseph Smith never once denied it and that was such a powerful testament to me. I think we will all be put in a situation where we are given the opportunity to stand up for our beliefs and it will be a real test of our conversion as to what we do. I encourage and invite everyone to share their beliefs in one way or another this week. Here in testimony meeting there is not a free second at the pulpit. Everyone gets up. In all 3 meetings I went to. and I kept thinking if all the moments of silence I experienced in my home chapel and encourage you all to share your testimonies! Shout it from the rooftops or whisper it from the basement, just share. It will help others and help yourself. So get two people to heaven with one step stool, that's what I always say.

I love you all! Have a good week!

Sister McKee

Pictures!

•In case y'all wanted to see where I live.