So, I know I say this every single week, and based on my lack of leaving the apartment you probably will sigh and roll your eyes when I tell you that this week was absolutely crazy. But this week it really was. Let me tell ya:
Monday Night we started our first exchange with Sister Elkins and Sister Dixon. I knew it'd be so weird if I went back to be with Sister Elkins in my old area after only 3 weeks so I stayed here with Dixon. It was so fun! That night we were calling people to find and found 2 new people! Both of them told us they were super interested and wanted us to call back the next day! We did and they told us no, but still such a fun day!
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On Wednesday at noon we started another exchange and this time I went with Hermana Vestal to her Spanish Area. That's right, I still know close to no spanish. So, while calling I would introduce ourselves "somos los missionaras..." then she would say the rest. But, an awkward moment that happened: Vestal was teaching a member on a phone call and they told her that "the girl who speaks english could give the closing prayer" so I started praying and halfway through the prayer my mind blanked and I said "and please bless that they can have...fun... in their house..." and then I just ended it. Hopefully they don't speak too much english but Hermana Vestal lost it. It was so fun! Then Vestal and I went and chalked the words "Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? Find answers at "Come Unto Christ.org!" at a park and these two Indian men, (So many people from India here) named Al and Mayank stopped and talked to us and answered our questions and we ended up having a long conversation to them about religion! They both were really interested in meeting again and so we set up a return app. Al was kinda eccentric and kept interrupting us and saying "no, listen-" and then say some crazy religious stuff, while Mayank was a Jehovah's witness, so we thought he'd bash us but he had legit questions! They are great. We had to refer both of them to other missionaries though because they aren't in our area. They were awesome.
On Thursday night we had a member dinner, which was SO awesome! These members are incredible and from India and they made us curry which is my favorite and wow. It is so great to be in members homes again! We had to wear our masks in, take them off to eat, then put them back on to share a message. But, what a blessing. I love it
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Friday we had the Lewisville zone conference, and we were asked to give a training. We didn't mean to stay the whole time but we ended up doing so and at the end President was saying his goodbyes and it was so sad and I cried, even though I knew I'd see him the next day at my own zone conference
At our zone conference we had a training on using phones because no one knows how to talk on the phone or leave a voicemail as a missionary. So, we had to practice and we called Elder Olsen and his fake name was Albert, but Sister Menlove called him Elber so she lost a few points on that, but overall we did pretty well.
After the Zone conference was over we had to say goodbye again and I cried again when we all sang “Called to serve" and sang "forward, Texas Fort Worth" because going to a new mission for 5 months is gonna be so weird and I was so sad but It's chill. I'm good now.
I crochet’d President a tie.
Right after the Zone conference we had ERICA'S BAPTISM!! It was so amazing! The night before we learned she could have 20 people which was great because her husband was trying to bring 14 to the baptism and was super mad the bishop wouldn't let him. But, Ericas was so excited and crying the whole time and her mother in law gave her all these gifts and it was just incredible. She was so excited.
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So, Sister Menlove and I are just having a blast working with these Zone Leaders, and it's super easy and they love to communicate with us, and hate asking us for help last minute. All that was a lie. So, we decided to speak their language and we had a FISHING ZONE LEADER COUNCIL. And, it was so funny. I think they were annoyed because I wouldn't put my hand in the bait bucket, so I'd sit and wait for someone else to get bait so they could hand it to me, but it was a blast. We had been practicing our fishing and Sister Menlove was actually the only one who caught a fish, and I think the elders were bitter about it, but it was great and we just sat there and talked about goals and stuff. We are planning on making it a weekly thing, rather than sitting at the church.
So yesterday, Sunday was amazing, We had church in the morning and the attendance was like 25 and 30 for both wards. But Erica got confirmed which was so awesome.
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Then, we had a lesson with George, who was referred to missionaries back in December but because they could never contact him they stopped trying. We called him and he told us he is VERY interested! We kept confirming with him all week because we thought he'd cancel, but we had a lesson with him yesterday and WOW so amazing!
He is from China and didn't believe in God but while working in Australia he went to a Christian church and then came to the US and met a guy who was a member! He was so excited to talk to us! The coolest part was that he didn't know anything. I mentioned the New Testament and he had 0 idea what I was talking, about until I referred to it at the Holy Bible. But, we explained the Book of Mormon and read part of Alma 32 with him about growing his faith. And, you could see in his glasses reflection how he just kept reading as we were talking and he would get so excited while he was reading! He told us he knows he needs to read and pray, and then at the end he prayed for the first time ever! We had asked him to pray and he said yes, and started but half way through we saw his head was still bowed but he wasn't saying anything, so I said "Uhh Amen?" and he laughed and told us he just wanted to whisper his prayers. So, we just sat and waited and then he told us he was done. haha. But, it was incredible!!
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Then, last night we had a lesson with Jaxson, I wrote about him in the last few weeks, the guy who is agnostic and difficult to teach. Well, he is willing to keep meeting with us so we had a lesson and invited the family who we had dinner with. The father and son came and we met at the church in our masks, spread out across the room. We had an idea that if he doesn't want to listen to us, that maybe his soul will recognize the plan of salvation and he will feel it. WELL NOPE. We started with the premortal life and then Menlove said "have you ever heard of Adam and Eve?" and he said "yeah, but I don't believe it. I believe in Science. Like evolution" (insert stupid nacho Libre quote here about only believing in science). But, Brother Murala told him he isn't allowed to have scientific arguments in a religious discussion. But WOW, it was amazing. Brother Murala told him how he is also a scientist and built up his credentials by telling him all he's done for the scientific world, and then Me, Menlove and Brother Murala's son Keith all just sat back and watched them hash it out. Brother Murala was incredible and shared all these cool facts and bore such a strong testimony, but Jaxson was still apprehensive. Brother Murala was trying to explain how the gospel is like tasting salt and we can't explain to someone else how it tastes, and Jaxson says “Well, what if I don't want to try salt, What if I'm content with flour?" And I couldn't help it and burst out laughing, but they ignored me.
Bro. Murala told his conversion story how when he was 17 a senior missionary couple gave him a blessing and it changed his life. I kept feeling promptings to ask Jaxson if he'd want a blessing and he said Yes very quickly, and Bro. Murala gave him one. WOW. The blessing was incredible and so personal and promised all these things to Jaxson. And usually blessings aren't super long in these cases, but this one must've been 4-5 minutes. and The spirit was so strong. Afterwards you could see the change in Jaxson, he was quieter. As soon as Bro. Murala sat down and Jaxson said "When you first started talking, it sounded like the voice speaking wasn't you, it was like from inside my mind! Like, it was, like..." and we said "like it was a higher being" and he said "YES!" and then he told us "I feel like I'm standing in a room, and a window opened. And I think I should look out that window." He told us he is going to read the Book of Mormon. But mostly he just seemed really quiet. We all could feel it, and it seemed like he got punched in the face with the Priesthood. As soon as we said the closing prayer he bolted out and we were all just in shock. All menlove and I could say was "wow" because it was just amazing. I can't even fully describe it here. It was just WOW.
Then last night we had our final zoom call with our whole mission, and we all had to say goodbye and it was so sad. I never thought my mission would be this way, but hey, it's good! What a fun adventure.
Also another Awkward Malena Moment. Some elders took this picture during our weekly zoom devotional. I told them I was praying so they changed my name to Enos on the group chat and sent this picture.
Hey, I love you all! You are all amazing! Just remember not to be content with flour, there is so much more out there!
Have a great week!
-Sister McKee
Beautiful Sunset.
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