Bum Bum Bummmmm!

March 2, 2015:

What a great week! First off, we had zone training this week and I had to give a talk and Hna Marsh had to give a thought. It was scary, but we did it! So cross that one off the bucket list!

Ummm it was a great week...and the best part was when one of our investigators, "R", taught us yesterday! He just moved here from Bolivia and his dad and step-mom are both members, but they didn't want to force him into anything. So we've been teaching him since December now (before I got here) and he's just super shy and doesn't talk much during lessons so we decided we had to force him to realize he had a testimony by teaching us. He was INCREDIBLE! Seriously the Spirit was so strong and afterwards his parents were shocked that this son who doesn't show emotion or talk much had a testimony strong enough to teach a lesson and know what he was talking about. I am so proud of him! PS Mom, he used your plan of salvation pictures and rocked it. He was really excited to teach with them:)

As to transfers.....bum...bum...BUMMMMMM! Hna Marsh and I are staying together!!! Yay!!!!!!!!! Annnd we will be parents! They´re going to add a little baby to the mix! We´re going to train! I´m so glad we get to do this together. We really didn't think President would pull us apart cause honestly, we are doing incredible things here - not to toot my own horn, but it´s true;) So instead of pulling us apart we will get to impart some of our greatness on a new little missionary who we will be receiving tomorrow. We don´t know who she will be yet, but I know she is going to be amazing. So that´s all for now folks!

5 Questions:

1.  What is the favorite part of your day?

     10.30 at night. We go to bed!! hahahha

2.  What is your companions favorite part of her day?

      She said "Honestly...10.30, when we go to bed. I´m a horrible missionary! Haha" It´s not because we hate the day. but the feelings of accomplishment when you fall into bed are the best:)

3.  When you feel discouraged, what is the best way you pick yourself up?

     Feeling discouraged....I go and I buy myself something yummmy. Sometimes you just need a little pastry:)

4.  I sent you a pedometer for Christmas.  Do you use it?  About how far do you walk each day?

     I used it in Alcalá! I need to put it on here cause it´s a smaller area here. But in Alcalá we walked about 7-12 miles every day.

5.  What do you do in church on Sundays?  Teach lessons, sing with primary, help with the youth?

     In church we teach lessons sometimes, when we have investigators we attend young women's sometimes, but mainly we stay in gospel principles with our investigators. We don´t really have a reason to go to the primary unless they would ask us for help. I wish they would! It would be such a fun change! 

Our Zone Leaders:

Zone Meeting:

Best thing ever this week!  We had some down time during medio dia.  There was a special running to get a pedicure done with fish!  Hahaha!  It was awesome! 

DAD!!!!  Lookie what I found!

"C" and us with Kous kous, a traditional Moroccan food that you eat from the same bowl. (Her husband is from Morocco)

Snow!!!  It´s started to warm up here. We´ve even been going with just little jackets during the afternoons. Looks like the summer is coming for us! 

More yummy Morracan food! We had scones mom! That´s the reason I took the pic! 

The mission is not boring, but we definitely do all we can to make it fun too! Weekly planning in our fort!

A member from Alcalá that I found in the streets when we went to the temple. Best thing ever is seeing the people you´ve left!

We went to go pick up the package you sent me in our pajamas just with our skirts on cause it was medio dia and we weren't changing;)

The pics one of the Hna´s in our zone drew for me. Her and I as missionaries saving the world. One in the outfits we wear on the top. The other on the outfits we were on the bottom.;)

I just can´t get over her amazing drawing skills! 

What I ate this week- Ceviche :) Basically raw fish in a citric marinade. It was delicious! 

More pics from Segovia!
The aqueduct:

Segovia!

We went to some big Jesus status cathedral thing with some other missionaries! It was pretty neat! 

My cute valentines present with my adorable compie!

Look dad! I found orange sticks! They don´t exist here, but they´re doing their best!

My old district in Alacala de Henares.

My last Hna, Hna Chavarria.

What A Week!

February 23, 2015:

Whew! What a week!!!!! Sooo this week we had the tour of the mission. Basically, a member of one of the quorums (Elder Dykes) came and spoke to the missionaries. So the missionaries from the islands were flown in and the missionaries from the north had to take the train down and whew! Just a ton to do! Because of the mission tour, leadership council, and "P"´S BAPTISM (WOOOOO!), it was a crazy week! We seriously only had two normal missionary days this week, so yesterday to make up for how crazy the week was we were able to accomplish our goal of 5 member lessons. Legit. Seriously. We had never had 5 member lessons before, but that was one thing we wanted to do on our transfer bucket list together. We were also able to visit a few menos activos as well. Hermana life;) hahah jk

Hmmm so "P" got baptized! I´m so excited for him! He is just the most wonderful man ever! (Sister Dykes spoke about the love we have for all our investigators. How we love each of them individually and then likened it to the President´s love for us. and our Savior´s love for us. It´s true. We are not just a number, we are "P" and McKenna and Rachel and Jeff. We are individuals to Him.) Anyways, yesterday in church he received the Holy Ghost.

It is so interesting to see the difference between a ward and a branch. I loved Alcalá will all of my heart, but it is so wonderful to see the interest and excitement and care every single member of the branch here has when an investigator attends church or when we have a baptism. Everybody knows and everybody loves them. And I love them for that. Having a branch makes it feel more like a family.

Love you all!!!!!!!!!! By the way Happy 8 Cumplemes to me!

Side Note:  Hermana McKenna didn't send any pics this week so I borrowed from Hermana Marsh's blog!

"P" 's Baptism:

Burgers at "B" and "E" 's:

P-Day:

Why Should People Go On Missions?

February 16, 2015

You know why people should go on missions? To gain appreciation for their families. My family is so normal and awesome. We meet so many people and families just...really messed up. It´s so nice to put into perspective how awesome your family is. Families that have the gospel have problems, but they aren't messed up. They can be fixed. The story behind that tangent is basically that the husband of one of the investigators invited us to his house for a FHE with his sister (our investigator). When we got to his house he came down and we started walking to his sisters house. Turns out his wife and daughter had left him 5 days earlier and boy was he wasted. Trying to hug us and he kept nudging us with his arm. Anyways you know how I am with touch. I don´t do it. So I moved behind him and yeah....just a messed up situation.  

Also "P" is GETTING BAPTIZED THIS WEEK! Wooo! And he´s pumped for it! I´m so excited for him! Honestly he is teaching us! Last Sunday he couldn't stay for all 3 hours of church and we kinda kept bugging him about why he couldn't stay. He finally broke and told us why. He was going to give hot chocolate to homeless people.....Tell me I don´t have the best investigator in the world. I´m mean I know it´s church, but ohhhh he´s so good! 

Also "J" GOT BAPTIZED YESTERDAY!!!! Even though "J" is back in Alcalá and I won't have any pictures with him. I will never forget when Hna Fowers and I first met him. I´m so glad that he feels prepared now...even though I wish he had felt that 4 weeks earlier so I could share that experience with him! 

Last week was great! We had an exchange with Hnas Kuhn and Davis last week and one with Hnas Valverde and Welcker this week so now I am done with exchanges unless something comes up! I love exchanges a ton, but boy I am so glad to work with Hna Marsh! Every time I come back from exchanges I am reminded how inspired our companionships are! We do work. 

Hmmma other news......We went to the temple this week! I. love. the. temple. Period. Best place ever! Also this week we have the tour of the mission and leadership training so I guess I lied! We'll have one more exchange cause I'll be going to the leadership thingy. With the baptism and tour and leadership thingy it's gonna make having lessons this week a little difficult, but we will overcome it! ;) Hahaha Just kidding I'm super pumped for what I'll be learning! Off to another adventure!

Besos!

Hna Finch

5 Questions:

Sorry about last week that was crazy! But now you´ll get some replies!

1.  In general what is the landscape like?  Desert, mountainous, green?

     Honestly when we went to Segovia the other day we had to travel over a mountain and it looked like we were traveling over bear valley except there were still houses. So all in all very similar to were we live just hotter. 

2.  How are your meal appointments in your new area?

     Meal appointments are about the same here. If we pass around a food calendar we get fed if not...nope! Hahaha I have a love hate relationship with getting fed at members houses. If we go, we get to enjoy great company and food, but if we stay at home I get to nap! Hahaha

3.  When will you be able to write a handwritten letter?  (Dad and Garrett's question)

     Have you guys not been getting my letters? I sent a big one for all of you, birthday notes for Kimber and Leighton, and a postcard for dad. I've been sending one every week. I'm trying to just write one member of the family each week so get ready for a little more love:)

(side note:  we did get a big letter to all the family last week!)

4.  How do you do your laundry?

     We have a washer and then...get this we hang out the window or we have a drying rack in our kitchen we use too. Nobody has driers, even the rich people. I just don´t think they believe in them.

 5.  What has been your most spiritual experience with Hermana Marsh?

      We got to go to the temple this week and when we were in the celestial room we just chatted about everything we knew. It was neat cause she told me everything her grandfather (Elder Nelson) told her about the temple. 

Dad-Have you gotten your postcard? Thank you for your mission story in one of your last letters! :)

Garrett- Wasssup my homie? Way to go at state! Now you know...next year I´ll be there cheering you on:) Time to win it all;) ¡si quieres!

Kimber-We're visiting a menos activa and she has a daughter your age. I feel like she is my you and I love talking with her. I can´t wait to talk with YOU when I get home!

Addy-I loved your prayer part mom told me about:) I too am grateful for teleportation. ;)

Leighton- You are forgetting me! I still love you though! And I do want to see you again and I miss you!

The aqueduct: 

The castle:

 

  

Shortest Email Yet!

February 9, 2015

Mom! I´m alive!!!! I'm so sorry! We went to Segovia today and got back late! I love you! I will email you a good long email next week! But just know that we are having miracles left and right. You guys must be saying some pretty powerful prayers! Hna Marsh and I are working harder than ever and "P" is getting baptized next week! I´m so grateful for you and Dad and your hardworking examples! I have never felt so rewarded for working so hard! I love you and am praying for you all! 

Seeing how that was the extent of Hermana McKenna's email this week, I pilfered some pics from google images of Segovia.  Beautiful!  No wonder she didn't have time to write more!  It's 94 km from Alcorcon and home to the Aquaduct of Segovia, the Alcazar of Segovia San Andres Gate and the Segovia Cathedral. 

Facebook Tags

February 2-8, 2014

Thanks to Megan Fowers (formerly known as Hermana) for these facebook tags of Hermana McKenna!  Aahhh!  Love that face!