Sister McKenna Watts - Chicago Illinois Mission: Week 28

Hello amazing family and friends. :)

I LOVE YOU. Seriously. I think I have the most incredible support system in the whole world. I wish I had the words to say how much you all mean to me. I guess I am just so grateful for all of you. :) Thank you!!

This was a really fun week. Sister Boyd and I are working really hard and are doing our best to show Heavenly Father how much we want to assist Him in His work. We are trying our hardest to be diligent, obedient and giving everything we have to The Lord. And we are loving it. :)

We had two experiences this week that just made me so grateful for the testimony that I have and for the peace that we can find in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sister Boyd and I decided to do our Weekly Planning this week outside at the park this week, so we could talk to people who were here while we planned. There was this old man who brought his grand kids to come and play. :) He ended up coming over and talking with us for awhile. He is pretty involved in his religion and wasn't totally interested in learning more about we had to say. But, he has friends who are members of the church so he knew a little bit about what we believed. :) We had a lot of fun talking with him and we had a pretty neat conversation. We started talking about the Book of Mormon and about Joseph Smith. He straight out looked at me and asked "now, do you really believe all that?" I looked at him and with the biggest smile and with total confidence said "I do." :) I absolutely and completely do. I don't know if I have ever been asked that point blank if I believed the things that I was teaching, but I do. :) I know it and and I love it with all of my heart. I know that the spirit was there in that little moment when we got to testify to him.

Last Monday one of the members of our ward passed away. She was such a sweet lady and made me feel very loved and welcome in the two weeks that I knew her. Sister Boyd and I were asked to say the prayers at her funeral and then to help with a little luncheon we were having at the church afterwards. They ended up asking me to play the piano while they all ate their lunch. :) It was a really special and incredible moment for me. Sister Leonard was the only member in her family. Most of the people who were at the luncheon and the funeral had a lot of questions and were feeling so sad about what had happened. As I played the piano for them I watched them all just sit together and just cry. They were so sad and so distraught to not have sister Leonard with them. I absolutely know that it is ok to cry, and that they need this time to grieve. But as I sat and watched them be totally sad I was so grateful for the peace and comfort that the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation brings. I know that I will be with my family forever and I can't imagine anything better. :) I know hat making and keeping our Sacred covenants brings peace in this life and absolute JOY in the life to come. I was just very filled with gratitude to me Savior for making it possible for us to return to live with him again. Sister Leonard is happy, I know it. :) I love Gods plan for us.

I just love the Gospel. I had a really neat moment this week when I was reading the Book of Mormon. :) We aren't teaching a whole lot right now, and we are spending most of our time trying to find those that Heavenly Father is preparing to hear the gospel. We are out knocking a lot of doors, talking to a bunch of people, and trying our best to be where God needs us. I found a lot of comfort in a scripture that I read this week while I was studying. It's where Alma the younger leaves to go be a missionary. :) He is serving in an area that is a little bit slow, where the people aren't very receptive to him and the special message that God has called him to share. Alma feels pretty down and is feeling a little bit sad. The scriptures say that he was "weighed down with sorrow". But I absolutely love what Alma is told when he is in the middle of feeling this anguish. :) "Blessed art thou, Alma; therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou hast been faithful in keeping the commandments of God from the time which thou receivedst thy first message from him." I LOVE THAT. We have great reason to rejoice. I am so grateful that I am here serving as a missionary. I love being a special representative of Christ. This work has brought me so much happiness and I am so happy to be serving here. :) I know that God is aware of each of us and he loves us more than we could ever imagine.

He knows what we are going through and he wants us to be happy. :) I am so excited for this week!! We are having a member of the 70 who is coming to tour our mission. We are having a full mission conference all day on Friday and it is going to be so fun. :) I can't wait. It is going to be so much fun getting to see everyone again and to get to learn some really awesome things. :) It's going to be great.

I love you all so much. :) Thank you for the prayers, support and love. You are all AMAZING. I appreciate who you are so much. Thanks for your examples. :) Love Sister Watts. :)