Yay for the Mission!

August 4th, 2014

Well family, this is it... the last one. 

There are not a lot of words that can describe my whole entire mission. Most of the words will never come close to explaining how incredible of a journey it has been. And it's not over yet!  

This week we travelled to Mendoza for my last leadership council. President Goates gave us ancients in the mission the chance to share our final testimony and what we have learned. 

I have a gigantic list, but you'll hear more about it later. Mostly, I have learned that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way to happiness in this life and the next. The Plan of Salvation is real and God gave it to us because He wants us to be happy. All of us. Our brothers and sisters who don't yet remember the plan they accepted are waiting for us to remind them. And we can remind them through keeping our covenants we make with our Heavenly Father. 

Jesus Christ lives. And His power is real. It is shown through worthy Priesthood holders and the faith of every one of God's children. He runs the church. He forgives. He loves. And it is through Him that the Plan of Happiness is possible. It is through Him that all of us can be made perfect. This is why we do what we do. This is why I do what I am doing.

Like Dad said, I have a new foundation. A foundation built on the undeniable testimony I have gained of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It wasn't easy to build. And it will never be a perfect foundation, but it's a start. And I have a whole life ahead of me to keep buildilng. 

I know these are just words, but they really are a part of me. And the experiences I've had here on the mission make those words real. I think I've grown a lot. Sadly, not in stature. But a couple of bad falls and dog bites really did me some good. I wouldn't say I've grown up, but grown. And that's it. 

This last week will be full of miracles I am sure of it! Thank you for the letters, the support, the prayers, and the love. It pushes me along and blesses the people of Argentina. 

I love you all and I wish you the best this week! See you soooon! 

Love love love, 

Hermana McKenna Lawrence 

Two weeks to go and there is so much to be done!

July 28, 2014

Hello for the second to last time! 

This week was incredible! Micaela was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! Her mom came to the baptism and later to church on Sunday to see her confirmed! Her mom is starting to support more and we've been able to teach her a couple of times, so that is a miracle! I have confidence that the whole family will follow soon :) 

Hermana Hill and I made brownies for the baptism and we had to carry them the 10 blocks to the chapel. We made more friends in those 10 blocks then we usually do in a day! Blondes and brownies... not such a good idea. 

I realized this week that even though I have little time, I have A LOT left to learn! And I'm gonna learn all that I can before I come home! There are so many more people to help, so many more testimonies to be shared and so many more Argentine lunches to be eaten. I am a servant of Jesus Christ and I will finish strong! 

I love you all! I hope everything is going well with school starting! I wish you all so much luck and I am praying for you every second! 

With much amor,

Hermana McKenna Lawrence 

Yay for Crazy Days!

July 21, 2014

Familia! 

This week has been great! I'm feeling better and working really hard! We had a couple of crazy days, but it's been going great! 

We worked so hard and were sure that 10 of our investigators were going to come to church on Sunday. They all said they would be coming and we had set it up with different members to invite each of them to sit with them and show them where their classes were. Well, nobody came. Not 1. And I was really sad. But during the Sacrament, I thought about how the Savior and how He invites us to be better all the time, and we always fall short. It doesn't feel good. But He suffered for that. He knows our hearts, and our desires and never gets mad when we don't do what we could've done, He just invites us to try harder. I realized how much I loved my investigators and how sad I was when they didn't do what I know will help them. The Lord loves them even more than I do, and always invites them again. So try again we will. 

Mikaela came with us to a baptism this weekend and was way excited! She didn't come to church because they went out of town, but she is excited and ready to be baptized this Saturday! So I'll send pictures of it next week! 

I hope your summer is going well! And good luck starting school these next couple of weeks! Thank you so much for your letters and prayers! I love you all so much! 

#2moreletters.. 

Love love love

Hermana Lawrence 

FELIZ CUMPLE CYDNIE!!!

June 9, 2014

I can't even believe that Cydnie is a teenager!!!! Congrats girl! I hope you have an amazing day and enjoy every second of it! 

It's so good to hear from you all this week! Not gonna lie, it was one of the harder weeks of my mission, but we perservered and are ready to keep working hard! We talked to everyone and their DOG this week, and everyone said no. Some people even ran away from us, but they are still children of God, and one day they will find the gospel. :) 

On the plus side, four of our investigators came to church! Even though we couldn't find them at all this week. So that was sweet! Maria the old lady we are teaching loved it! We had a lesson about baptism and afterwards she felt so bad that she had been baptized as a baby. She said 'I didn't know that was bad!' ha! But she is looking so hard for her answer, so I KNOW she will be baptized soon! Mikaela didn't come again this week.. and now she's headed to Cordoba for the week.. but we'll find her again! And Gonzalo and Daniela came to church so that was great! They are so prepared and will be married and baptized soon as well! 

Asi que, despite the hard times of the week, miracles are happening here in San Luis! And I love it!

I am so glad that you are doing well and I know the Lord will continue to bless us as we are serving Him! I'm so proud of my family and I am always praying for you!

Love you sooooo much! 

Hermana McKenna Lawrence 

Yay for San Luis!

May 26, 2014

Mis queridos, 

First of all, shoutouts: 

Good luck in your half marathon today!!!!! you'll all do so great! You have a fan in Argentina! 

Also, CARLIE BUSH! Congrats on your new baby!!!!!! I am so excited for you guys, you'll be amazing parents! You also have a fan in Argentina! 

Well, this week I grew. Sadly, not in stature.. but I feel a little bit more spiritually "filled". 

San Luis is almost like a different country than Mendoza! The food, the people, the buildings, the streets, the dogs.. ALL DIFFERENT. But the good news is, I LOVE IT HERE! 

We have a pretty big ward here and they are all unified in building each other up and expanding God's kingdom. I hope one day to raise a family like the ones found here in San Luis. Everyone learns from each other, seeks to help and love each other, and they just have fun! They all have so much faith and show it in every little decision they make. 

I've been studying this week a talk by President Eyring called "Mountains to Climb". He talks about building our foundation of faith so that when the mountains come, we will have the strength to climb them. Like Nephi says, "I know that the Lord giveth no commandment unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." He always prepares a way. We may not understand that way as much as He does, but with faith, we won't need to understand. 

President Eyring says that the way to build our foundation of faith is 1. the base - our personal integrity, choosing the right in every decision placed before us, and 2. the rest- the Gospel of Jesus Christ and all of the Priesthood ordinance and coventants that come with it. 

The members of the Pringles ward are STRONG. And from what I've seen, it is because they are constantly righteous and constantly remember their covenants and seek to help others make and keep those sacred covenants. 

This all makes sense in my head, sorry. But that's what I'm learning from my time here in San Luis. My faith is growing and we are seeing miracles! 

Right now we are teaching a girl named Mikaela. Her parents raised her in the Catholic church, but she never felt close to God there. The Elders stopped her on the street last week and invited her to church. She came and she loved it! Now she is praying and reading the Book of Mormon and she is excited to have a relationship with her Heavenly Father. I know He is listenting to her. She has a baptismal date for the 7th of June! 

Yesterday was the Argentine Independence Day, so we got together with the ward for a Locro on Saturday. If you look it up, you'll know how excited I was to eat it.. 

Today we are headed over to Mendoza because tomorrow we have our last leader's meeting with President Avila before he leaves! Que triste! 

But I know this week will be even more full of miracles and learning! Because I still have MUCHO TIEMPO to work hard! 

I love you all and I hope things are going well! You're in my prayers! 

Hermana McKenna Lawrence

2 Ne 31:20  

Yay for Transfers!

May 19, 2014

I'm running out of creative titles.. 

So I'm leaving my area! And I will die in.... San Luis! My area is called Pringles but its pronounced "preen-glaze". Am I craving American chips? Yes. I leave on Wendesday and I'm so excited! 

My new companion will be Hermana Lybbert! She came with me to California back in the day. She's from Washinton and went to BYU Idaho. She's super sweet and I'm super excited to get to know her and learn from her. This transfer will only be four weeks long and then comes the 8 week transfer to welcome in the new mission president. And then I'll be home! Crazy! 

It is going way too fast! The week was unbelivably fast! For P-day we went and toured a winery. ha! It was cool. But I probs won't ever do it again. It smelled way bad like drunk people. But it was cool to see how they make wine. Made me never want to drink it so that's good! ha. 

We had zone meeting this week and then a talent show in our branch. Hermana Barney and I did a special presentation of "chin heads". Everyone loved it! I'll send the video soon when I have a better computer in San Luis! Woohoo! It was a lot of fun. 

Today we're going hiking, so you'll get lots of cool pictures next week! 

Sadly, I have to leave, but David Olivera is getting baptized next week! A miracle happened with him this week. He still was waiting for his answer and wanted to know that God loved him before he got baptized. So we promised him that that night, if he knelt down and prayed and then waited a little to listen for his answer, he would feel it. He said he prayed and then woke up at 2 in the morning because he couldn't sleep. He went downstairs and saw a man dressed in white. The man told him that God loved him and had a special purpose for him. He felt peace and told us that he wanted to get baptized as soon as possible. Sweet huh! He is way excited! I'm sad I'll miss it, but I know it will be beautiful! 

Well, I love you all and I hope all is going well! I am praying for you always! 

Good luck with everything this week! 

Hermana McKenna Lawrence 

Yay for Exchanges!

This week was way great! Full of more meetings and more learning and more work and more fun! 

We went up to Tunuyan, the area of the other sisters in our zone, and did exchanges! It was super fun and we saw a ton of miracles! 

Right now, in our area, we are focusing on the Olivera Family. They are Jehovah´s Witnesses, but they are not attending right now. The dad, David, is the most interested and we are sure he will be baptized really soon! He came to church by himself this week, but we are working on getting the family more involved. They'll come around soon! They have 3 of the cutest little boys ever and they are our best friends! Alejandro (8), Neuel (4), and Diago (2)! 

I am getting way excited to talk to you on Sunday! 

And this next week we will have a lot more time to stay in our area. So we will work really hard and teach everyone and their dog about the Gospel! 

I feel like I learn the same thing every week, but deeper. ha. This week I learned again that the Gospel really is soooo simple! All God asks us to do is keep His commandments and everything will turn out the way it's supposed to. Our Father in Heaven loves us, so He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to be our perfect example. And if we follow Him, we will be happy. Being an instrument in the Lord's hands makes me the most happiest I have ever been, and I know that will stay true forever. 

I still love being a missionary! 

I am continually grateful for your love and prayers! 

And I love you all so much! 

Hermana McKenna Lawrence