57th Letter From Clifornia

I love Alma 7:11-12 its one of my favoite scriptures to use when I teach people about the atonement. Well this week was extremely interesting. I'll start with Monday night. We went to the family home evening for the singles ward and we sit through the lesson and start playing pass the pigs with some of the members. Rewind a little bit to the following week we were told that one of the members girlfriends(****) has been reading the Book of Mormon with her boyfriend (&&&&&) and the first councelor in the bishopric(Bro. Brundege)and she wanted to start taking the lessons. She is in the group that we are playing pass the pigs with. So Elder Kim starts talking to her about that and she tells us that she wants to get baptized!!! We have taught her three times already and she hasn't missed a beat.

Then #### baptism had a rough start but a great finish. We get there and the closet that has the water faucet is locked so we call our zone leaders and they come unlock it and start filling the font for us because we had to get to a lesson. So we get to the stake center and after a while I go in to check the level of the water and I move the closet door so I can get to the font, and it closes all the way and locks! We start pannicking, and eventually Elder Kim takes his suit off and jumps into the font and tries to unplug the drain. He cant find it, but lucklly the member of the Stake Presidencey gets there with a skelton key and unlocks it so we can get the font to drain to the appropriate level.

Love you more than having a cell phone in an emergency,
Elder McKenna

56th Letter From California

Trust me you are not getting old, the time is flying by for me to. It has been over a year since the Parks were baptized. They are doing better than I could have ever Hoped. Don't worry, the way I found out was totally legitimate. I was given permission by the member of the mission presidency that conducted Dan's interview to call him on the one year anniversary of his baptism which was Sunday. First of he has gotten married to Danelle's best friends aunt. He also confirmed her a member of the church on Sunday!!! Which means they can get sealed a year form now!!! and it looks like I will be able to go through the temple with him in the next few weeks here its great.

I did get the camera card and I can assure you it will be well used over the next month or so. Especially because it is looking like we will have another baptism form the singles ward in the next couple of weeks. The girls name is %%%%. She has already started reading the Book of Mormon and has been attending church for longer than Elder Kim and I have been assigned to the YSA ward. She straight up told us she wanted to be baptized @ FHE yesterday. We are going to be teaching her later tonight. Plus we think !!!!!! might start bringing +++++ to church in the next month or so (Football season ends in February)

Things have really been busy lately which is great. Last week we exceeded the weekly street contact standard for the first time since I have been in Poway and we are on track to do it again this week which is great. Its amazing how things have turned around here,

Love you more than kinderier eggs,
Elder McKenna

55th Letter From California

That is completely insane!!! I got a letter form Sis Archibald as well which I still need to find time to reply to (wish me luck) I am so glad that things are panning out with the pictures. [The ones deleted off his camera card]Elder Archibald (I cant call him by his first name it just feels wrong) is @ schoool right now but Utah State is only a few minutes away firm his home so he probably goes home on weekends.

We only have one more lesson to go to finish with *** and she will get baptized next week.I had a really great experience with my patriarcal blessing this week. As I was reading it this line caught my eye "You have been given special talents that the Lord expects you to develop IN His service." And it was just like now I get it this is all about growth. As long as I am still progressing I am ok, I am doing what the Lord wants me to do. I am really looking forwad to the package it sounds yummy, and I will have pleanty of use for the camera card in recent weeks.

love you more than cranberry oatmel cookies,
Elder McKenna

P.S. @last count I was at like 44 post cards

54th Letter From California

I think we should deffinately go back as a family.(to the Salt Lake Temple) Ok really cool epiphany. Next time we go to Salt Lake I will be able to help perform the baptisms because I am endowed now. I am glad that everyone is having so much fun doing geaniology I cant wait to start helping out when I get back.

This is pretty much crazy. Missy told me that she met one of the sister missionaries I served with in Fallbrook, Hermana Menke. I was blown away.

This week was absolutely amazing. We had nine lessons all of them with members present, and we set a baptism date!!! The girl that is getting baptized is @@@@@@@ @@@@. We finished the lesson in two weeks. We set the date for january 23 this is way exciting.

We are also teaching this lady named ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^. She is a friend of the Long family. We have taught her the Restoration and the Plan of Salvation up until the spirit world. It was kind of interesiting, she said that she had faith that God would take care of her after she died and she didn't want to know any more. We will eventually teach her more about that I am sure. She did come to church this week. It was fast and testimony meeting and it seemed like everyone talked about the imprtance of the temple and how much it ment to them to have their families sealed together for time and all eternity. It was perfect for ^^^^^^.

love you as much as I love having the work explode,
Elder McKenna