Reynolds, MaKenna

Well hello. I figured I'd start on my email a little bit earlier because of the disaster that was last weeks email. I was almost not able to send it so I'm going to be more diligent about it now. We're teaching a new person! We met him while he was playing basketball and he said he wanted to get closer to God and Jesus Christ and on thursday we had our first appointment with him. And this is one of the things i've been really enjoying about my mission so far is to see the principles click in their minds. This man gobbled up everything we had to say. It was incredible. We committed him to start reading the book of Mormon, we showed him a few chapters in 3 Nephi 11-16 where Christ was on the earth and ministered to the people of the americas. We were driving out and we say him reading it as he was walking. It brought me and my companion Sister Taylor a lot of joy. It hasn't been all joyful though. Thursday was a rough day. I was feeling kind of homesick and anxious ...

Well, here I am writing my email in the car at the end of preparation day because I keep forgetting. Anyhow, I'm a big girl missionary now in the field. Ventura better be ready for me, because I'm already here.  I feel like they give the pamphlet adjusting to missionary life in the mtc and they really don't prepare you for the actual adjusting part. Cuz it stinks. No one tells you that so much social interaction as well as the spirit speaking to you is so draining. I've just been exhausted but also happy at the same time. That makes no sense to me but so far I'm finding this work so fulfilling.  On my second day here me and my cool companion sister Taylor went to study in a park. There was a dude throwing baseballs in the park and we felt the strong pull to say hi so we did. He taught us how to pitch a baseball, and we started a little conversation on religion. He didn't seem interested so we sat at the Pavillion to study. A few minutes later, he came over and s...

Hello and welcome to my second email. I'm not good at writing these as I've come to find out, but I'm trying my best. By the way, ive fixed all my contacts so yall are on my list. So hopefully all you who didnt get the last one will get this one. I thank all of you that have responded to me last time. It makes me feel loved. I may not respond to all of them, but I'm trying my best to read each one at the very least.  This week has been a lot. I remember we did a service project on Tuesday, and we helped the groundskeepers tear out all the flowers in the flower beds so they can plant new ones. It was super sad to me because of how beautiful the plants were and how well they were doing. It reminded me of a talk, actually. "As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten” by Elder Todd Christofferson. He told a story of a gardener taking care of his property. He cut down the overgrown bush, and it asked how can you do this to me. He wanted it to be a bush, and not a tree. Jus...

Hello Everyone! I have no clue what to write on this so I'm just going to go for it.  So, I arrived at the MTC just this last Wednesday. It's been crazy. Wednesday evening was full of devotionals and classes welcoming everyone in. In class I met everyone in my district I've been in class with the last week and a half. They're even better in person just saying. It's one thing to talk to a screen but it's another to talk in person. A little scary at first but everyone has made it easy to get over it though so that's good. They're on this list so, thank you.  If someone says someone can't change in a week, I call bullcrap. I think I've learned more about people this last few days than I have in the last year. It's crazy. Y'all know I'm not a people person, so honestly that's amazing. The spirit here is strong. I feel like I've been hit with a spiritual mallet. Not a small one either, like bigger than Kirby's big wooden hammer...