Witch Hunt

Hellooo everyone! Happy 4th of July! Everyone here takes it very seriously (including us, picture included) and it was so fun to see everyone dressed up and waving flags and eating BBQ.

~~~~~

This week was pretty good. We officially joined the Texas Dallas West mission this week, and had a meet the president meeting on Wednesday. It was so weird to have a new mission president and to not know anyone at the conference. THEN, President Farley started talking about Pathway and different pilot programs that we are taking from Fort Worth into Dallas and he points at me and says "tell us about your Bible studies" and I was super caught off guard, but apparently the Bible study request I put out 3 months ago, and got like 350 responses, led to baptisms all over the world and he had me get up and talk about it and then he said "Salt Lake knows about you. Those Bible studies are changing the way we are doing missionary work" WOW I WAS SHOCKED. I HAD NO IDEA THAT THEY LED TO ANYTHING BECAUSE ALL THE PEOPLE WE WERE TEACHING DROPPED US!. So, that was super cool. I didn't know I did anything. I think that is a lesson showing how we really don't know the effect we have on people. We don't know what will come from our actions.

Then, he started telling us that the mission is going to start their own virtual visitors center, and they wouldn't have areas and devote all their time to sending referrals and doing online work and I got scared I'd go there. As much as I like teaching people online, which is only a little but slightly higher than everyone else, I would be so sad not to have an area or a ward. Luckily transfers came and went, and I am staying with Sister Menlove! I'm stoked! we have a lot of good things going for us, this week we put Ava on baptismal date!

~~~~~

Fun fact, we met Ava this week. She is this 57 year old African American lady, who moved in with her niece who is a member, and Ava didn't know her niece was a member, and her niece didn't know Ava was meeting with missionaries in Arizona for months! We went over and Ava was so funny, she loves to talk about the persecution of the Latta Daya saints, and how she knows it is the true church. We asked her when she wanted to get baptized and she said “How about the 11th, I'm not doing anything then" but that was only 1 week, so we had to move it because that's not enough time. So, we set for the 18th! WOOHOO!

We also taught Alaina, who is also wanting to get baptized and she is so awesome! She is currently praying on a date, and told us she has seen many signs that tell her this is the place God wants her to be! 

~~~~~

On our way home from the "meet the president" a bunch of missionaries stopped at In and Out, and while we were eating a server came around and was talking to us. He told us he wants a Book of Mormon, but when we asked him again he said no, but wants to do a Bible study. He friended us on Facebook and then messaged us and set up a time to come do a Bible study with us the next day. I asked him multiple times if he was gonna bash us and he said no, but we brought Elder Paulson and Martinez anyways because they know the Bible, and I was getting weird vibes. So, we showed up and it was crazy, we barely could talk because Randall was talking too much, and Paulson did a lot of the talking and I only did a little. He kept looking at my shoes and complimenting them, and then wanted to pray for us. We all prayed and then he prayed and it was intense, and then he spent like 5 straight minutes praying for my future husband and my husband is gonna be pretty great, I know that now, who will want to study the Bible and praise with me. He said a lot of weird stuff, I was really glad the Elders came. Then, after the Elders got in their car, he followed us to our car and kept talking to us so I was signaling to the Elders not to leave.  I made Randall take a pamphlet and then we left. It was weird. 

~~~~~

So, in my pursuit of Facebook finding this week I got literal witch hunted, where one woman in a group was calling all the missionaries out and posting anti and it was crazy. I got in a few really good conversations, but then it just went bad and I got kicked out. It was intense.

~~~~~

On the 4th we had our weekly fishing ZLC. Me and Menlove brought leftover hotdogs for our bait and the Elders told us it wouldn't work, and they were right! We caught nothing for like an hour, even after we started using worms. One of the Elders kept catching fish RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, and I was so mad cause I'd caught zip. So, I told Menlove to pray for me and she did and then we both caught a fish at the exact same time!!!! Then, I got it off and I caught another fish! Prayer is  Real! It was so funny.

~~~~

This week as a zone we all fasted together for motivation, because corona missions are hard, and I will just include the thought I put in the group yesterday: 

Because we are fasting for motivation today, I wanted to share a thought I had on motivation yesterday after we prayed.

In Alma 26:27 it says 

"Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success." 

I was thinking about how long we've been in quarantine, and it's been really tough for me because it stinks, and I don't know why we have to be this way. At one point I had just cried for around 3 hours straight because I was so miserable and wanted to go home. My parents, in a loving way, pretty much said "no, you are not allowed to come home, suck it up. Trust in the Lord." 

I think we all have those moments when we want to turn back, but imagine what would have happened if Ammon had turned back. King Lamoni, his father and all their people wouldn't have had the gospel! God knows it's hard. Right now, he planned for this, you're where you are supposed to be, and we just need to bare it with patience, our afflictions. It's supposed to be hard, missions are hard for a reason, and we got dealt a hard hand, but God is on our side. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and we can't lose when we are on the Lords errand! It sometimes feels menial, and pointless, because none of our missions are how they used to be, but that doesn't mean they still can't be great! It's hard, but if it wasn't hard, it wouldn't be great. Our success is coming! We just need to work hard, get creative, and let God do the rest! 💪🥳

My motto is: be bold or go home, and since we aren't going home, we just gotta be bold. So, take chances and have fun! It's hard, and it's supposed to be, so suck it up and work hard and you will be blessed.

Love yall! 

-Sister McKee