Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Monday, August 28, 2017

Heyyyy from Juneau!

Hello!
Dang, it has been such a good week!  Sister Cox and I flew to Juneau early this morning for P-day and exchanges with sisters!  The weather was so beautiful and sunny...Alaska is amazing!  We had such a good week, though, and I am just going to send bits and pieces from Sister Cox's email combined with mine cause she's the best!

 Boarding pass and flight to Juneau
Last Monday, it was pouring rain.  We ran and played soccer outside all afternoon, and it was so much fun.  Everyone kept biffing it because the field was slippery.  Too funny.  Within the first couple of minutes, I tripped Sister Cox so bad (on accident of course), and it was game on after that--no mercy from her.   

We trained in our district meeting on Tuesday.  We talked about the potential of those that we speak and work with, and how Christ sees them, and us.  He sees us all as divine sons and daughters of God with eternal potential, the potential to become perfected through his atonement and to be able to dwell in the presence of our Heavenly Father.  We need to see that potential in everyone we come in contact with.  One of my favorite quotes is:  "We're all just walking each other home."  And, we do that by helping others and inviting them to receive the restored gospel, and by loving them and seeing them for the potential they have to become.  It was one of my favorite trainings to present!

After District Meeting, we went on exchanges with the sisters serving in the Jewel Lake Ward.  I was able to go with Sister Wilden.  She has been out for two weeks and, honestly, I felt like I was with a sister that had been out for 18 months and was about to go home!  She is such an INCREDIBLE missionary.  She has such a strong testimony of the Gospel, constantly looking for ways to serve everyone, and truly loves the work.  We had some incredible lessons as well!  It was such a good exchange.  We had a great lesson with Annette and set up a chapel tour because she really wanted to come to church but was so nervous!  We then stopped by a less active's family that we have tried so hard to get in with but have never been able, and we had such an amazing lesson with them.  Such a good day!

Wednesday, we hit an all time low with exhaustion, and got so desperate that we bought sodas to stay awake.  I can't even remember the last time I had soda, and it didn't even taste good, but, boy, did that caffeine help.  We ended up having two bomb dot.com lessons with an investigator in Bush--Arthur--and our recent convert--Angie.  We set a date for baptism for Arthur!  We are working with him to get him ready for his date; it has been good!

We met with our other investigator, Nanette, on Thursday.  We're still trying to discern her needs as she knows the Church is true and the Book of Mormon, but she says she's Catholic and that's just how she is.  We invited her to pray from her heart, read, and come to church.  AND, she came!!!

That afternoon, we were searching for potential investigators, and we came across one that Sister Cox and I had found while tracting when we were on exchanges a few months back.  We tried him and he let us in, and he started asking a bunch of questions about the Book of Mormon and the Prophet Joseph Smith.  We were able to teach him a scattered version of the Restoration.  He said he had seen us walking earlier and his wife had said, "Look, those are the girls," and he said, "Just give them 30 minutes," and there we were 30 minutes later.  That was such a cool experience and a definite testimony builder for me that Heavenly Father will lead us and guide us where we need to go!

We trained in the trainer Trainee Meeting on Friday.  The topic we were given was the white handbook and "seizing the opportunity."  For those of you who don't know, the white Missionary Handbook is a little book of guidelines for missionaries to follow.  We talked about all of the opportunities and blessings that are presented to us as we follow the standards.  It's divinely inspired for our safety and protection, and is promised to help us magnify our calling.  I have such a strong testimony of that.  I have seen so many blessings from following the guidelines. 

Saturday, we tracted all morning, gave Annette a chapel tour, visited our investigator John, and had correlation with our Ward Mission Leader.  We run into a lot of people who have a hard time with addiction, and our Ward Mission Leader has struggled in the past.  But, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, he has overcome his addiction.  Now, he is married in the temple and has three beautiful kids.  He has a video on the Addiction Recovery Page on lds.org, "Meet McKay."  Check it out at: 

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-07-0050-meet-mckay?lang=eng

He shared with us a funny quote as well, "Satan is a spiritual retard."  We giggled, but it's true!!!

We had so many miracles and blessings.  We hit all of our goals for the week--Six new investigators, four who attended church, and one on date for baptism!  The Lord's hand is in everything in this work.  It is the best to be able to teach others about the restored Gospel and help them come closer to Christ.  I love being a missionary.  I love the Gospel and the happiness it brings.  God is real.  He lives and he loves us.  He is in all of our lives every day.  Look for Him, pray to Him.  Read His words and listen to His prophets.

"And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God.  For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness.  O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."  (Mosiah 2:41)

Love you and thank you for all that you do!  Have such a good week and enjoy school!  

Sister McKenna Lake
Anchorage Alaska Mission
Sister Jewel, Sister Cox, and Sister Lake were reunited for a quick reunion--surely do love my MTC homies.
 Sister Jewel and I FINALLY took the picture we have been trying to take our whole mission!!!  We're still praying we will get to serve in the Jewel Lake Ward together--anything's possible, right!?

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