hello, olaha, hi

HELLO! Thank you for the amazing E-mails and for the love and prayers! And
before anything else is said I have to ask why my father and sister were put on
trial before a jury of 8… It’s great that we won the case but I DIDN’T KNOW
ANYTHING ABOUT THIS and it sounds pretty intense! Please send some more
information regarding this Alma, Amuleck, and Zezrom sounding case :).

Things back home are going really well, like always, Chynna and Kai dominated
their football games, Mom now has the same sickness that Irelynn had when she
was up at the cabin (sharing is caring), Jen and dad’s business is going well,
and yet again I have been assigned to get a Christmas present for a member of
the family… But I probably won’t have time to find something! So please
rearrange the gift giving so that you are all buying for each other and not for
me so that one family won’t be left out because of my lack of gift giving. And
the most insane news of all Jaryn is COMING HOME! He’ll be home with in the
next few weeks and I am amazed by how quickly the time goes. I recently read a
poem which has become one of my favourites and a drive for me to accomplish all
that I can before my return home… (It was found on the outside of a sundial)

The shadow by my finger cast
Divides the future from the past
In darkness and beyond thy power
Lies the unborn hour
Behind its unreturning line
In darkness and no longer thine
One hour alone is in thy hands
The now on which the shadow stands

It seems like every day slips through my fingers and I can’t truly grasp all
that I want, try as I may I can’t slow it down and every day seems to go faster
then the next! But anyhow I am excited to be a servant of the most high God and
in hopes that I may say what Paul has said ‘I have fought the good fight, I have
finished my course, I have kept the Faith’ I push forward every day striving to
make each hour one which will carry no regrets! In answer to some questions
that were asked… Yes, I am feeling very healthy and my companion is feeling just
fine… The hardest thing for me to get use to when I came over here was to drive
on the wrong side of the road and for the car steering wheels to be on the right
rather than the left.

Well, I don’t seem to have as much time today as I would have liked, we are
going to Rosendale valley to play some volleyball as a zone this P-Day so I will
have to make this pretty quick. This past week has been one full of miracles as
the weeks of service always are but one thing in particular stands out to me and
I feel to share it with you. Louis Villing has been struggling with some
problems in his life including work, girls, and family. The past few weeks
leading up to his baptism have been very difficult (we even had to move his
baptism date back a week because he was having such a difficult time with giving
up smoking with all the stress he was facing) and Louis was beginning to feel a
bit discouraged. Last Wednesday we had the opportunity to teach Louis and all
we talked about was baptism; its importance and the blessings that come from it.
It was a powerful lesson, the Spirit was very strong, and Louis felt it and
recognized it! The next day Louis (who was smoking 50 cigarettes a day) stopped
smoking cold turkey, throwing away his cigarettes and has now gone about 6 days
without smoking even one! He is feeling strong and confident and we are certain
that he will be able to conquer his addiction and be prepared to be baptized on
October 24, 2009! It’s so exciting to be a missionary and to see people make
sacrifices that seem beyond possible, all because they have felt the Spirit and
know that it is true! The gospel is true, The Book of Mormon is from God, the
Spirit and it’s promptings are real, Joseph Smith was the man chosen to bring
the truth out of darkness, and Thomas S. Monson is a current prophet today
guiding this church under the supervision of our Savoir, and most important of
all Jesus Christ does live and he has performed the atoning sacrifice that makes
it possible for all of us to find strength and comfort even when we feel that
there is none available. I love you all so much and pray for your safety and
comfort every day.

The weak servant of an empowering God,
Elder McKenna

PS. The document attached to this E-mail is one that I would really appreciate
if all of us were able to participate in… So everyone give it a look and then
E-mail me saying if you will be involved or not :).
Schedule
We will study each attribute for one (1) week, from one P-Day to the next. Thus, you will be writing your family and the President about what you have learned. Please follow the schedule below:

26 Oct – 1 Nov Faith in Jesus Christ
2 Nov – 8 Nov Hope
9 Nov – 15 Nov Charity and Love
16 Nov – 22 Nov Virtue
23 Nov – 29 Nov Knowledge
30 Nov – 6 Dec Patience
7 Dec – 13 Dec Humility
14 Dec – 20 Dec Diligence
21 Dec – 27 Dec Obedience


“…what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.” 3 Nephi 27:27