Hermana McKin

¡Hola Familia y Amigos! Hahahahaha I love the movie Megamind and for some reason this week I was walking around and that quote popped into my head. That's pretty much missionary work in a nutshell for ya.  This week was another week of ups and downs. Sometimes it feels like the downs are taking over the ups but I realized this week that the things I was getting caught up on are things that a progressing missionary worries about!....so hopefully that means I'm growing. This really is the whole "refiner's fire" story. Satan worked reallllllyyyyy hard on me this week and once I realized it was Him trying to kick me down, I kicked back...hard. Hermana V. and I did a lot of good work this week. We've got some awesome investigators who are working towards baptism. This week we had a girl named Fiama (she's 14!) attend church all by herself! She was a miracle for Hermana V. and I for sure. Her story is super long but basically she worked with the miss...

¡Hello Amigos y Familia! So there are these workouts in every apartment called "Insanity Workouts" and towards the end of one ab workout the teacher yells that phrase. Sometimes I'll be walking around, really drained, really sweaty, and really not knowledgeable in Spanish, and I'll think about him yelling "It's! Ok! If! You! Want! To! Die! It's! Ok! If! You! Want! To! Max! Out!" I feel it.  So I kind of forgot everything that happened this week and realized as I sat down to write this that Christmas happened! I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas! I spent my Christmas......drumroll......in my APARTMENT! After talking to our families, Hermana V. and I went back to our apartment to lay low until our dinner with the Bishop and his family. We weren't allowed to proselyte or contact on Christmas, mostly because everyone is hungover and sleeping, so I was really looking forward to dinner with the Bishop. His family is going through some real...

¡Hola Familia y Amigos! Before I get into the moment that justttttt about broke me (but also left me laughing) I want to wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS! Or as they say here, although I have yet to actually hear it from anyone, Feliz Navidad. It's actually kinda sad here. You wouldn't tell the people in Santiago del Estero celebrate Christmas if you walked around the streets. No decorations, no lights, no snow......yup. But I think that actually might be more of a blessing for me than I realize. Hermana V. is feeling it pretty bad. Her family is celebrating Christmas about 3 hours away from us....in our mission. Also she has yet to receive her Christmas package. She's holding it together pretty well but I think some hugs are down the road. It's a good thing there's no language barrier when it comes to hugs. Why can't it just be January already haha My story: Because I'm officially in my second transfer of training (whoop whoop) I'm in charge ...

¡Hola Friends and Family! We're OFFICIALLY in my second out transfer here in the field. Still with Hermana V. because I'm a baby and am in training but in 6 more weeks I'll be the real deal. I am not ready to be out of training but at the same time I'm ready to get this ball ACTUALLY rolling. My Spanish skills however, beg to differ. This week was my first really hard week in the field and WOW did I let it get to me! I think I thought I knew where my limit was, but Heavenly Father knows us better than we know ourselves and doesn't give us anything we can't handle. ENTONCES, He knows my limit and will take care of me these next 15 (woah 15) months.  But here's some fun stuff: Hermana V. and I were talking to this lady named Maria about faith this week. She's pretty old and has a lot of health problems, like not being able to walk. She just sits in a plastic chair outside of her house and watches the street. For the majority of our little l...

¡Hola Amigos y Familia! If you know you know. This week went by reallllllyyyyy slow not going to lie. Patience is a virtue....I lack. I'm working on it.  Last week after p-day I had "divisiones" with a Hermana Cappa! There are two Hermana Cappas and they're over the whole Santiago Centro Zone. Hermana V. and I said goodbye for 24 hours to go on splits with the Hermana Cappas. Tender mercy, I was assigned to a gringa! She's actually going home this week so that kind of stunk (#trunky) BUT she was able to answer a lot (and I had a LOT) of questions. We went and did something called a "Tormenta Blanca" which basically means a group of elders and hermanas go to an area and help out the elders or hermanas assigned to that area. We went to an area in my zone called "Frias" which was a 3 hour bus ride away. SO, we woke up at 3:30am to catch the bus and started working right after we stepped off. Hermana Hemingway and I found a LOT of peopl...

¡Hola Amigos y Familia! Let me explain. As it is now December, and one of the BEST times of the year, I was asked to start playing Christmas hymns in sacrament meeting. Well, I spent very little time (actually none. I spent no time) practicing this week. I really don't think it could have gone any worse haha. I did not "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" and "Angels We Have Heard on High" the justice they deserve. The walk I made from the piano to the pew after the sacrament hymn was one of great....verguenza. Now onto the other thing I murdered. Everyone who's served in South or Central America has some story about bugs, but it never crossed my mind that I would have one. The other day, I got out of the shower and felt something fall on my foot. I didn't have my contacts in or my glasses on so all I saw was this black blob. But then it MOVED and I REALIZED it was a COCKROACH! Horrible horrible horrible moment. Poor Hermana V. was on the other side of ...

¡Hello Friends and Family! I am not going to lie when I say that this week was absolutely brutal for me. REALLY understanding the whole "refiner's fire" story now. But another week down so that's good.  I really am trying to do my best to respond to emails! I read EVERY email I receive but am getting a little behind on responding so I apologize. Love you ALL! Thank you for writing and supporting me.  This week was a blur. They all have been. It really is true what they say, "the days feel like weeks but the weeks feel like days." Except this week. This week felt like 15 years ahahahaha.  The ward Hermana V. and I are serving in is pretty messed up. There are a lotttt of problems so I think we're going to try and work a lot through members. Except one of our lunches this week (with members. all our lunches are with members) was four hours and I was starting to get a little drained out to say the least. But I don't know castellano so I ...