Feels like Spring

Hey!  I am having a great week.  Here the ties are only 1 ketzal and they are all handmade.  That’s like 10 cents inAmerican dollars, okay more like 20 but I don’t like math. My goal is to have at least 300 ties when I get home. Hahah chiestie, maybe like 150. The food here has been really great until yesterday.   As I was cutting my meat I saw a dead worm in it! Hahahaha my biggest fear here is the flies. They lay larvas on you!   They get in your skin and then you have to suffocate them out with duct tape.  I hear you can feel them crawling in you.  Lucky for me I have not had this happen, but I did have a massive spider on my notebook.  As I was teaching a lesson I smashed it in my notebook!  Don’t worry I laminated it.  I’ll try to send him home.  I named him aragog like in Harry Potter. He is huge, like the size of my hand.  I went tracking with my Latino campenero this Monday, Elder Querz, he is way legit!! In 2 hours of tracking we placed 3 Books of Mormon.  One of them he made me do all the talking to practice my Spanish!! It was way cool.  We placed 15 pamphlets about the restoration of the gospel and plan of salvation.  We also got 7 peoples contact information for the
real missionaries that actually got called to this area. It’s weird realizing how much freedom we
don't have just because we are in a different country.  When we go to CRE, that’s where we go teach inactive members, we have 2 body guards in front and behind us.  It’s fun. Everyone here has shot guns and stuff. The ccm has cameras and guards everywhere. Last night a guy came in with a hat, sunglasses and was covering his face. He had a big coat on and he was asking us where we slept. The old me would have been scared but for some reason I wasn’t scared at all. I just thought the Nino was weird.  My roommates were scared!  They wanted to lock the door and close the windows. The weather here is amazing. It’s spring every day! It rains like every day, it’s
amazing.

Well I am having a great time!

Elder McKenna

Pictures from Provo MTC

Learning all the time!

To family:

Yeah, I need a copy of my patriarchal blessing.  That will be super helpful! When the things exploded I lost a lot of paper stuff and that was one of them.  My shoes ripped in half from all the calle futbol so I am going to buy new ones.

So I went the Guatemala temple this week.  We had to proselyte for an hour before going in because our wait was so long!! But it was a lot of fun.  I understood like 25% of what they were saying.  And yes mom my head does start to hurt really bad from all the learning. I don’t think Jacob had it as bad, because Jacob got to take it easy at the Provo mtc. At the mtc here no one speaks English. It’s either do or die!!! In Provo you could speak Spanish outside of your classes and at lunch, here it’s Spanish 24/7. It gets super frustrating only getting like 25% of what they’re saying and what’s going on.   I have 3 investigators. Laura, I don’t really know her last name because she speaks so fast!! I have to keep telling her “Mas expacio por favor apriendido esponeol” (Sorry can’t spell Spanish words) that means please slow down I’m learning Spanish. Hahaha! She is married and has 3 kids.  We just got her to commit to baptism first thing in September.  Her husband is never there. She has 3 kids and she reads the Book of Mormon to them. The other investigator is Palmira.  She is living with her boyfriend or spouse not really sure . . .  can’t understand language. She had an accident and can’t remember things that well.  I don’t think she will remember our last lesson we taught her. Hahaha no clue what to do with that. Noe is my difficult investigator.  He doesn’t believe in anything but he loves reading history books. He loves history!  He has a hard time paying attention to our lessons because I don’t think we are really finding his needs and what interests him. My companion really wants to teach lessons, but I feel like we need to become more of a friend and we can still teach him through history. I think he would love the history of Nephi going to the Americas and the history of Moroni and all he did.  I committed him to reading those stories.  He loves to read it but he doesn’t feel anything.  He needs to have faith. It’s hard because he doesn’t believe in anything, and he doesn’t seem to care to understand.  I am confused on what to do. Classes are 6 hours every day and it’s super hard because they are in Spanish.  If you don’t understand then you are pretty much dead.   My whole district took Spanish for five years
before the mtc so they practically speak it fluently.  They know all the conjugation’s and past and future participles. I use practically only present tenses and hope they understand when I am talking in past or future. Hahaha it’s frustrating being behind but its fine we all have our own gifts right? The mission president at this mtc is super cool. I go tracting for 3 hours on Monday with my Latino campenero. I feel sorry for him because I don’t understand what people say...  This week was a lot of fun though. Elder Lundberg was my companion because we had a 3 way companionship.  His companion went home so he was paired with us.  He just got switched to another companionship which is a bummer, because he is so funny.  And you’re not going to believe it but his smile is ten times bigger than mine!! It’s great!  Except he drools a lot but still he is the happiest kid I have ever met. I’m glad he is still in my district though.
I love all of my family and friends.  I pray for all of you!! I am having a great time not understanding people and teaching the gospel best I can in a language I can’t understand!! It’s an adventure every day even though I am sitting down all day!! I love you all!!!           

Daniel

Letter for Elder McKenna

If you would like to send Elder McKenna a letter while he is in the Guatemala MTC dearelder.com is a great way to do it.  All letters to the Guatemala MTC are free through dearelder and all you have to know is his name.  Get writing!

Guatemala!

I made it to Guatemala safely I love it here.  It feels like spring every day! I only can send letters on Saturday but I don’t really understand the system here, so sorry if don’t get my letters in good condition. The kids here, the Latinos, are so good at calle futbol.  I love it!!! So not only is my Spanish improving, muy mal, but my futbol skills are muy mal compared to theirs.  They all want me on their team because I’m white. I said Latinos because <natives> is offensive here!! My miestro (teacher) went to Peru on his mission and his el libro de Mormons cover is a real cheetah skin.  It’s so legit!!! The weather is so nice.  It rains every day but it feels so good! I got two El Salvador bags! I’ll be sending home.  Jenn don’t worry yours is in purple!! I got an El Salvador tie with the temple on it.  So sweet!!! Saturdays are pdays for me.  The system here is a bit different then the Provo ccm. We’re not allowed to sit with girls during eating times.  I don’t know why.  Maybe some boys and girls were feeding each other. I don’t know!!! The food here is so much better then in Provo.  They have a legit chef and he makes the best food!!! I don’t even know what I’m eating but it’s so good! Questionable but good. I don’t understand what the Latinos here are saying.  I might get 2% of what they’re saying and they probably only get 1% of what I’m saying because me Espanola as muy mal y gringo!! But when we're on the soccer field I really feel like we connect!  Still my biggest problem is the language, but I’m not worried about it because last night I had a dream and 1/10 of it was in Spanish.  Did I have a clue what my dream was about? Nope!! Ha but it was in Spanish.  So that was exciting! If you’re dreaming in Spanish then you’re doing something right hahaha ¿right? Sorry I know my grammar sucks but like I said this is a Spanish keyboard I don’t really know how to capitalize, space or enter on here!! So any ways I’ll be sending some stuff home!! I love you all I am having a blast!! God has blessed me so much!! I love it here!!!!! I hope you guys are all doing okay please let me know how you are doing.

 I love you all.  I’m having a great time.  The people here are amazing.  I have come to love them so much in past couple days.  Even though I have no clue what they or I am saying!! Hahaha love you all.

7/26/2012

To family,

 No I haven't received the martinelles yet bummer =( Thanks so much for all the letters Jenn!! I hope I can get your letter for the prank on Elder Knox before I leave!! I am sending a package home with pictures so you guys can all look at that. Dad my watch broke so I had to buy a new one and I have to pay 71 dollars for my shot today!! =( Mom great job hiking!!

Ryan! Dude one of the kids in my zone is just like SpongeBob!!!! He is going to be the best missionary ever!! He has this great spirit about him and he sounds just like SpongeBob and acts just like him! I’ll be sending a pic home of the two of us! He already left to the field.  He went to New York Spanish speaking mish!! He is so funny! There is this kid in our zone who is an amazing beat boxer. He can hum a song and beat box and talk all at the same time.  Elder Nelson (SpongeBob) was like here I’ll rap and he started doing opera!!! He wants to be a music teacher but he actually was way good at opera.

So this week has been so spiritual. I love it!!!! Sundays are the best.  Every Sunday we all prepare a talk to give in sacrament meeting in Spanish! Only two people are chosen to give the talk. Then we go have a temple walk. Which I don’t think I am aloud to tell what time my temple walk is because then people would come to see us.   It really distracts from the spirit and what we are trying to do for the next two years. Today is my pday.  I just got back from a temple session.  I did my first sealing session.  It was incredible!!!! =) Sorry my English is bad from all this Spanish speaking (un chieste).   My English was always bad.

Today I volunteered my companion and I to teach next Sunday in our priesthood session.  It’s on hope charity and love!! Which I think is so amazing. So in my gospel journal I decided to choose an attribute of Christ each week and work hard the whole week to become more like Christ in that attribute! This week I chose hope.  My favorite scripture is Moroni: 7: 40-48. I believe it is 48 that is my favorite but it might be 41 because it talks about why we need to have hope.  Any ways I advise you all to read it.  I love it!!!

So last night I had a way cool experience.   I was praying for like a good 20 min and was trying to be very sincere, fervent and calling out to our Father in Heaven.   I don’t really remember what I was saying but I was filled with the spirit so strongly.  I couldn’t really even think.  I know this experience sounds weird but it was so incredible!!! =) Plus it’s hard to pray in Spanish for 1 min when you know so little.  Yes we are to pray in Spanish and no Jenn I am not gringo in my Spanish if you wanted to know. Okay maybe a little, but they help you with it. What makes me feel better is that there is another guy here that is tone deaf and the language he has to speak has 13 different tones. So at least I was blessed with only being a gringo Spanish speaker.

So I am sending some packages out from the Provo mtc with pictures if they will let me develop them. As of this upcoming Monday I’ll be in Guatemala so don’t send things to this mtc after this upcoming Monday.

I just want you all to know I love it here!!! I am so grateful for the opportunity to be here.  I really do just love it here.  We have a devotional every Sunday and this last one was on Pioneers of course. They were talking about the faith of the Pioneers and how they came unto Christ.  I always thought the Pioneers were so incredible to have so much faith to just leave everything behind for our Lord and Savior!!! When we were in the devotional it made me think of why can't I have that? Why can’t I be a Pioneer today!! It made me think of D&C 4:4 and to come unto Christ and to bring everyone to our Savior. To be strong like the Pioneers who devoted themselves to him. If I devote myself to Christ and be strong like the Pioneers I can be the very best instrument the Lord needs me to be!!! I am honored to be a missionary and an instrument to the lord and I don’t want to leave this place!! I know I haven’t brought any investigators closer to our Heavenly Father yet or baptized any one yet, but here at the CCM (MTC) I have watched videos on it. So I am already kind of a pro at it. Joke but really watching those videos on district 2 and how they changed people’s lives and brought them to their Heavenly Father is incredible!! I can’t wait to be out in the field.  Those videos give me a spiritual high.  I just want out of the CCM to be out there!!

I can’t wait to be at the Guatemala CCM.  I think we get to go tracting and get to go into the city, the real world!! I mean yeah I won’t understand one person and they probably won’t understand me but I can’t wait to teach people what I know to be true and to build that relationship with their God!! They don’t have to understand me, they just have to understand the spirit; it does practically all the teaching!! But yes Spanish does help, trust me!! I said I was embarrassed in one of my classes and apparently that sounds close to the Spanish word to be pregnant.  So I said I am pregnant.

I really am glad to be going to Guatemala. I think it will help me learn Spanish faster because I have to be able to understand what is going on there!!

I want you all to know I love you!! I pray for all of you and you all mean a lot to me!!

Elder Daniel McKenna

7/19/2012

Hey! The CCM (MTC in spanish) is great. The past 7 days have been amazing. My whole life has just flipped around for the better.  I know I am not the best I can be at all because I still have two years left to grow even bigger. I don't know why people don't like the CCM, it's so spiritual and it is just so fun!! My companion is Elder Hansen your not going to believe this but he is just like my brother Jacob except he is 10 times slower and talks 10 times less. Most relaxed kid I know. The other day he was telling a story about animals and this was his story. "My mom took in a stray cat once." That's all he said to me like that whole day and when I asked him to finish his story he was like "thats all I had to say." He is way cool though. My other roommates are Elder Foster, y Elder Lythgoe!! He is my favorite.  We do splits all the time together.  He is super funny and chill!! He was a temple worker in the san diego temple.  How sick is that?

My district is way sweet.  Everyone is way chill!!! Elder Passamore is from Cali and he is the biggest Cali bro surfer. He has been in the Volcom house and everything! Big surfer!! He is so funny and knows the gospel well!! Then there is Elder Rindlessbacher (love that name) he is my favorite. He has such a strong testimony. He came here two years ago and had to return home early. He came back again a couple weeks ago and on the first week he broke his leg. So he had to be here another 3 weeks, but then he got another missionary call from President Monson saying that he is now in a spanish speaking mission. He just got moved to this district and is in here for another like 7 weeks!! He is a little older, but I really admire him because you can just tell he wants to be here and he really has the strongest testimony ever. You just know he loves the gospel and loves it here.

So spanish blows! I have taught 4 lessons to my investigator Ana in spanish. First lesson sucked. I didn't understand a word she said and I didnt understand a word I said!!! Second lesson went a little better. I asked her to be baptised, wish I did it on my first lesson, but got rejected.  To be honest even though she's a real member pertending to be an investagator of the church I was sad to hear her say no. Then 3rd lesson we taught her how to pray because she would just randomly stand up walk into the corner of the room and start praying.  Honestly weirdest, funniest, thing I have ever seen. The first time I prayed to start the lesson she just stood up and did that. When I finished my prayer she just kept going for like 20 min. I didn't even know what to do because I was happy she was praying. She would pray to the trinity though, which a lot of catholics do. We fixed all that. She prays good now, like normal. Our 4th lesson we gave her a Book of Mormon and she said she would pray about it to see if she should, but she commited to at least reading 1 verse =) It doesn't sound like a lot but it really is a lot coming from her!!!  It's a little frustrating when teaching because I'll feel the spirit to say something and my companion will just say no in the middle of saying something, because he is scared that we wont know how to answer her question in spanish or something. It totally takes the spirit away. It's really frustrating!!

If there is one thing I have learned here it's - we are not here for us!! We are here for our investigators. Everything we do is for them and their needs!! I mean yeah we may not be able to communicate that well, but we need to know her or his needs to help them get a better relationship with their Father in Heaven!! It is frustrating some times not being able to understand them 100 percent, but thats why all my efforts go to the investigator.  Personal study I study doctorine and scriptures that will help Ana get closer to Heavenly Father. When I'm doing language study I study the vocabulary I will be using in my next lesson to help her. That's why I am here. I'm not here to just increase the members of this church. I am here so that we can bring people closer to their Father in Heaven so they can live with him again!!

The other day we were practicing and I was teaching my companion, pretending to be an investigator (germon). I was bearing my testimony on why we should be baptized and how much our Heavenly Father loves us! As I was doing this the spirit just hit me and I thought of my family and friends and how much I love them. I want them to be able to live with our Father in Heaven too!

Elder Daniel McKenna