Nicole, Mérida, & the Plan

What does one write after their last full week as a missionary....I´m not entirely sure. I could tell you about my week:

-the Bishop bought us food every night in a last ditch effort to send me home fat

-for the anniversary of the Relief Society there was a stake activity and every ward danced a jarana. #IloveMexico #lajaranaeselbailedeYucatan 

Relief Society Anniversary: Barrio Quintero

Con mi terno.....just kidding it´s not mine.

-Nicole got baptized. And it was beautiful. I love that family that is on its way to being eternal. 

-I hit 18 months.

-The Bishop made me speak in sacrament meeting. #Ididn´tcry #maybeIwantedto

-Flaviano and his sister Lucía came to church again. #he´sgonesixtimes

-We taught a man named Alfredo. He came to church. And now he wants to get baptized as soon as possible. 

Zona Brisas

It was a great week. And it made me realize exactly how much I am going to miss this beautiful, hard, crazy, amazing experience that is the mission. I learned so much and I feel like I have lived a thousand lives beneath the Mérida sun. I can´t even begin to explain it all, but this is what I know:

I know that God lives. I know He is our Father, and that He loves us and knows us personally. I know that He has a plan for each one of us, and that His plan is perfect. I know that He can do more with us than we could ever do on our own. I know that Christ is our Savior and that His Atonement can rescue us from both the obscurity of sin and the darkness of trials and sorrows. I know that this Church is true. I know it was restored through a prophet of God, and that we have the fulness of the gospel of Christ. I know that I needed to come to Mérida to find the God´s plan for me, and I´m just begining to understand it. And I plan on searching out this plan for the rest of my life. 

I know these things to be true. I don´t know everything but I know enough. 

¡Vale la pena!

Hermana Wilson

Obispo Parra

Our daughter

My super cute daughters.

Juan, Flavian, & Alejandra

Zone Activity

Hey,

I have no time this week...soooo you´re getting a bullet point letter....again. (Love you all, I´m so sorry....haha)

They know me. (Hamburger with chile)

-we helped a man named Juan with his family history. With two birth certificates we found over 50 ordinances to do. He was so excited, and so were we. 

-we had a baptism...we had never really met her. The elders had taught her in a different ward and then called us up this week to tell her she was ready. #easiestbaptismever 

-we met a guy at lunch Saturday. His name is Flavian. He speaks  3 languages. He showed up all by himself at church Sunday.

-now the kitchen sink is leaking -_-

The Bishop with the Flower we gave him yesterday.

I studied Laman & Lemuel this week. I think their problem is that they let the circumstances determine their faith, their humility, and their obedience. Nephi was always constant and that´s why he turned out the way he is. Our faith needs to be steadfast in spite of whatever might come. 

Intercambios with Industrial (Hna Martinez & Hna Masson)

I love you! I am so happy. 

¡Vale la pena!

Hermana Wilson

Happy Birthday to the best dad ever! #you´resoold ;) 

Plumbers, Lions, & Happiness

Hola,

We had a good week, the Bishop was so excited that we stayed. He´s agreed to buy hamburgers for all three of us at least once a week. 

Hermana León is a doll. I think sometimes she gets a little overhwelmed with the whole two moms thing, but Hermana Rhondeau and I have decided that it is much better than being a single mom. #lifelessons

Also when something unexpected happens she shouts "momento de panico" or "momento de crisis". And she sleeps with gloves on. She´s a good kid.

Me, Hna Rhondeau, Hna Leon. On our kitchen floor. #timerpictures

In other news:

The plumber came last week to fix our low pressure sink.

He broke our sink. Our house was flooded every day this week. And then a different plumber came and fixed it. It was still broken. Then the dueño came. Still broken. Then I tried to fix it. #Iamnotaplumber (sorry Dad, should have learned more) Still broken. FINALLY, after a week of having a water fixture in our house (right under my hammock) they fixed it. 

And we went back to having a low pressure sink. -_-

Jonatan, Rebeca´s little brother, got baptized this week. We sang. In English. I thought all the little kids were going to lose it. #we´resocool #weknowenglish 

Jonatan´s Baptism

 It was really cold this week. Like sleep in a sweater with two shirts and three pairs of socks type of cold. I´m not entirely sure how that happens here in the Yucatan.  I´m suffering a lot. But we buy pan and hot chocolate to make ourselves feel better. 

What I am realizing right now, is that there is no joy like serving Heavenly Father and serving others. I don´t think I´ve ever been this happy before. And this is only a glimpse of how happy He wants us to be. His plan is the Plan of Salvation, the Plan of Happiness. And it is for all of His children. 

Love you all!

¡Vale la pena!

Hermana Wilson

Doodles of me & Hna Rhondeau. #canyouseetherings? 

Entrevistas, Cambios, & Camiones

So many things happened this week that I can´t really keep it all straight: #cuethebulletpoints

Rebeca

-We had interviews. It was my last one before the LAST one. It was kind of great...except President said he was going to split Hna Rhondeau up at changes. 

-We got lost on the bus again. This time coming back from StarMedica...we only ended up spending like two hours on the bus before we took a taxi home. #weandthebusesarenotfriends

Visiting the sick and afflicted

-Hermano Gonzalo got baptized....again! Backstory:

he got baptized as a teenager, his parents weren´t all that happy, they sent him away to be a priest, he preached in some christian churches, and finally made it back to the church....but we couldn´t find any record of his baptism...so he got baptized again!

Baptism of Gonzalo

It was really a beautiful baptism, and it was so amazing to see him make it all the way full circle and be able to start over again as a member of the true church. 

-And we had changes.....and......

WE´RE STAYING TOGETHER! In Quintero! To finish our missions. Also we´re training. So we have a daughter...together....her name is Hna Leon and she´s from Ecuador. We are so excited and we literally just kept giggling about it all night long. And I now can testify that Heavenly Father does answer prayers and that President must really love us. 

hammock shopping with the bishop and his wife

As a start my very last change all I can say is, that I am so so happy to be here. In the mission. In Quintero. With Hna Rhondeau & Hna Leon. In the service of the Lord. 

working with the young women

Maria del Socorro

Everything is just so great. 

Love you all!

¡Vale la pena!

Hermana Wilson

we always end up twinning with the APs without planning it. and then everyone asks us if we planned it and it gets uncomfortable...

New Years, Rebeca, & Don Pich

Hi!

So time is flying by here in the Yucatan. We finished a New Year (Two questions: 1. How did a whole year pass? and 2. Who told our neighbors that singing karaoke all night long was a good way to celebrate?), we had a lot of meetings, and we had a baptism!

Hermanita Rebeca got baptized, and it was so low stress that we almost couldn´t believe it. Haha. The Bishop did everything, so all we had to do was show up and sing a song. It was a really cute baptism, and I just loved watching Hna Rebeca get baptized. I saw her face right before she went under the water and she just looked up at the Bishop (who also baptized her, #reallydideverything) with just so much faith and light in her face. It was just kind of beautiful.

New Year´s was rather interesting. The elders sent us a reference that literally lives at the very edge of our area, and we went to find her and then tried to get one more lesson in before calling it a night....Bad plan. We got stuck in the semi-sketchy part of our area at night, on New Years. On the plus side we made it home safe and sound....we may have had to run down a bus to make it home, but we did it. 

Sandwichón..... -_- 

We also went to Don Pich´s baptism. He´s this little tiny, old man that the elders baptized, and he was just darling. He was so excited to get baptized and after he put on his purple tie with his plaid shirt and wanted a picture in between the two of us. He might be one of my new favorite people. 

Don Pich 

What I´m learning is that the world is full of beautiful moments and beautiful people. Heavenly Father created us to be have joy. 

¡Feliz año nuevo!

I love you all. 

¡Vale la pena!

Hermana Wilson

Hna Maria, Jonathan, & Hna Alicia

Changes, Rosa Isela, & Malecón

Hola!

So it actually happened...I got changed!! I´ve been sent back to Mérida with Han Rhondeau (My comp from the MTC!!!). Leaving Santa Lucía and all of the people I love there was SUPER hard, but I´ve also been praying to go with Hna Rhondeau for like the whole mission. #prayersdogetanswered

This, my last week in Campeche, was beautiful. It wasn´t perfect by any means but it was beautiful. We started out Tuesday going to the forts, and ended Sunday with the dedication of the Tijuana´s temple. In between:

-We had a baptism! Rosa Isela, the daughter of a less active member, got baptized. She was kind of nervous before but after she told us that she had been scared but that when they put her under the water that she just felt so good (even though they had to do it twice hah). She´s a doll.

Rosa Isela

-I got sick!! Just a nice little respiratory infection. The funny part was that the Dr. told me it´s because my body´s not used to the cold anymore... (We dropped to like 65 degrees in the night this last week #that´scoldincampeche) On the plus side, after some cough syrup, a few injections, and a blessing I am feeling much better. On the downside, I don´t know how I´m ever supposed to go home if my body is rejecting 65 degree weather.

-We had a zone missionary activity on the malecón! We went out in front of the Novia del Mar, put up a screen, watched Christmas videos #HaNacidoUnSalvador, sang carols, and contacted everyone in sight. It was beautiful and glorious and something I´ll never ever forget.

I may have left a big part of my heart in Campeche but I am so excited to get to work here in Mérida with Hna Rhondeau. There is much to do. I love you all!

¡Vale la pena!

Hermana Wilson

(Sorry for the lack of photos...this computer is sllllooooowwww)

Flash, Dash, & Machete

Hola! 

So today is going to be a fly by email because we had four hours of family history training in the morning (I´m offically certified now though...it´s only taken like a 9 months)...and we´re going to Mérida for a surprise meeting with President tomorrow! And I also have to go take pictures for immigration; because I´ve been in Mexico for a whole year! (When I told my comp that she asked how I survived...)

So basically I have no time. 

This week: 

-It was Halloween. Almost no one celebrates it here. I did pass out the spider rings you sent me Mom. #gringoholidays

-Carolina, our not-investigator-investigator (we taught her but she technically belongs to the elders), got baptized! It was one of the most interesting and memorable baptisms ever, and I have no pictures because she didn´t want to take any. 

-We did service! Which means I got to use a machete! Not to brag or anything but I totally have a machete blister now.

I´m pretty sure other things happened but I´m just about out of time. And this computer is not my friend so there will not be any pictures this week... :( Sorry! Just know I´m happy and healthy and loving life here in Mexico. 

¡Vale la pena!

Hermana Wilson

White, Temples, & Mexico

¡Que tal!

This week was one of those crazy, not normal weeks again (I feel like I say that a lot-anyone besides me feel like crazy has become the new normal??). And it was so crazy that I´m going to bullet-point this letter:

-We had 8 Principios which is like a multi-zone training meeting every morning for like a week. The best part was getting up at 4 in the morning to go make pancakes for everyone with the zone leaders. Just so you all know, elders eat a lot of pancakes. And don´t have all that great hygiene skills if they aren´t reminded. 

Foto Zona Campeche

-President showed up and anounced that we were going to have BAPTISMS (that´s literally what we said "vamos a bautizar gente"), and that meant we spent the rest of the week tracking down every possibility and getting them interviewed. Then we had a giant Tarde Blanca and a lot of people got baptized. One of our part member family investigators named America got baptized. She´s a doll. (Also check out the gringas baptizing America, my comp even wore red, white, and blue...jajaja) It was so cool to see all kinds of people from all walks of life decide to follow Christ and get baptized. We literally had people there from 9 to 95. It was pretty awesome. 

Baptism of America!...which in real English would be America´s Baptism...

-We had divisions and I was staying in the area with Hna Vega...but my comp took the phone with her...and we figured it out when President took us home...that was embarrassing. But on the plus side, he then decided to take us out for ice cream. He´s a great person. 

-My companion got a zit on her eye...(I think it´s actually called a stye??) and I totally did surgery on it and a bunch of green gunk came out. She also lost her voice which makes singing hymns a lot more entertaining. 

-I discovered that I could have a future in hege trimming. Although I recommend wearing long sleeves because plants make you itchy. 

-The Mexico City Temple got rededicated and it was just amazing. We got to go to the cultural celebration Saturday night (I officially have decided I want to be Mexican), and then the dedication Sunday (which took the place of normal services. (Oh and Mexico has its independence day tomorrow woo for Mexico!!)

-And then we got to go the Temple today!!!! (Hence why I´m writing on a Tuesday...) And it was as great as ever. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the temple. 

Misión México Mérida

Reunited and it feels so good! 

She bought me a little baby cake...and a candle... I love her

I am loving life. The mission is the hardest thing I have ever done, but also the best, I see miracles and I am so so so happy. What else could I ask for?? 

¡Vale la pena!

Hermana Wilson

Mi mama Campechana Hna Fatima

We´re basically pirates...

Sunshine, Shadows, & Rain

Querida familia, 

This was a week full of sunshine and shadows and full out rain storms; and I mean that both literally and symbolically. 

First the sunshine:

-It was incredibly hot this week. I thought we were just about wrapping up the hot season, but it hit us with a bang this week. I got burnt..again. And have discovered that my thumbs have sun damage...how that happens I´m not quite sure.

-Hna Monse, a YSA in our ward who accompanies us a lot, got her mission call this week! She is going to serve in Chile with a special assignment to work as the mission nurse while she´s there too. She is going to be amazing, and watching her open her call reminded me of how I felt when I opened mine almost a year and a half ago; how incredibly honored and excited I was to serve the Lord in Mexico. #stillfeelthatway

-We watched Meet the Mormons for a ward mission activity. It was glorious. We had investigators and recent converts show up, we ate hot dogs, and I just love that movie. And I didn´t cry this time...even though they made me speak after about my experience as a missionary. #that´scalledcheating And again I was reminded of how incredibly blessed I am to be here and be a missionary. 

-Hno Angel got baptized! He has been listening to the missionaries off and on for a year and went from being a full-out alcoholic to a respectable single-dad just trying to do his best. The baptism was great and we even had sister missionaries from Temple Square present...through SKYPE. (hah They´ve been helping to teach Angel through mormon.org and wanted to see the baptism) 

Elder Cadena, Hno Angel, Hna Mejía, Me

And now for the shadows:

-We had to quit teaching two of our investigators this week because they can´t progress. Jesus is 11 and needs his grandma´s permission to go to church and she won´t give it. His great-grandmother, Trinidad, was also listening to us, but she´s 97 and can´t go to church either by herself...It about broke my heart because Trinidad told us that she just feels so good when we visit, satisfied, and she likes how we explain the scriptures...And now we´re not going to be able to keep teaching her. 

-We had an intense talk with an investigator named Elias this week. He is not a member, but his wife and kids are (less-active) recent converts. They have sooo many problems, and Elias has a lot of anger towards God. He told us he´s never really been happy, and the only good things he´s had in his life God has taken away. I couldn´t do anything, but look him in the eye and testify of the Atonement, and in that moment it was completely real for me. I could understand some small part of what Christ did, and how he felt, because I could feel Elias´s sorrow and I just wanted to take it from him. I couldn´t take it, but I was able to tell him who can. 

I know my Savior lives. I know He suffered for every single one of us in that Garden, and that He did it for each one of us as individuals. I know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ everything that is unfair in this life will be made right, and that in the meantime we can receive strength and comfort through Him.  And even when the trials come pouring down like rain, He is there to pick us up and lift us higher. 

Wishing you a week of sunshine with just enough shadows to appreciate it...

¡Vale la pena!

Hermana Wilson

Araceli, Nine, & Glory

Hola!! 

So I have been in Campeche for four weeks now and...I still love it. This week:

My view of Campeche from the Ciber

We had the most successful P-day of my mission last Monday. We cleaned, washed clothes, studies, wrote, bought food, went shopping, FOUND ATTRACTIVE MODEST CLOTHING, ate Chinese food with the Bishop and the Elders (#firstchinesefoodin9months), and had time for a 15 minute nap. Woo. #winning

Chopsticks! 

Chinese food with the Bishop & the Elders #selfie

La Iglesia de San Roman

I went to work with Hna Schmit in Siglo XXI this week. I kind of just loved listening her talk in perfect Spanish and then perfect English and back again. (Her mom is from Argentina) I just love this beautiful language. And Hna Schmit. 

We had a Noche de Hogar with the Marquez familia and it was a cultural night. My comp taught us how to make pupusas...it´s like a ball of masa filled with stuff (beans, cheese, jam, groud beef...whatever) and then fried. (Good news for my family: I learned how to make them!) and I drank root beer. haha #Ihavenoculture

We made pupusas...it´s a Guatamalan thing 

La Familia Marquez

I also hit 9 months this week....which is half of my mission! I literally cannot believe it. I still feel like I´m just starting out this Mexican Adventure thing, and it´s literally flying by. Sometimes I feel like I´m just starting out, and then there are times when I can´t really remember how normal life was...hah. But I am literally loving every single minute of it. 

9 Months! 

And.....Hna Araceli got baptized! She was an investigator that we inherited from the elders but we taught her all of the lessons, and I just love her. It was kind of a scramble to finish all her lessons but we did it! haha We had her interview Friday night (and I got EATEN ALIVE by mosquitos), her baptism Saturday, and her confirmation Sunday. She´s one of the those rough around the edges with a huge heart type. And her baptism was the just the best. She shared her testimony after the ordinance and just cried because she knows that this church is true and it really has changed her life. #itdoesn´tgetanybetterthanthat 

Araceli´s Baptism! 

Elder Martinez, Elder Parrott, Araceli, Hna Torres, Hna Wilson, Hna Ligia, & her kids

Araceli´s Confirmation! 

#selfie

Me, Araceli, Hna Torres

I thought a lot this week about what it is that is so special about the mission and here is what I realized:The greatest glory I could ever find is to be a tool in the Hands of the Lord for the Salvation of other people.
My greatest glory is to be so used up that I am nothing more than what He wants me to be. 

We get asked a lot why we don´t use our names...And I know there are several reasons, but really for me, it´s because what I, McKenna, want to do really doesn´t matter. I am here to serve others and to serve my Savior.

And that is my greatest glory. 

I love you all!! More than you know!! 

¡Vale la pena!

Hermana Wilson

Hna Hoggan, Hna Torres, ME, Hna Velasquez

La familia Perez....with a LOT of fish.