Week 65

Hey Everybody! 
It's Elder McKeon and It is CHRISTMAS!!!!!! I love you all! 

This week has been amazing! We have been working hard! 

This week on Tuesday was our Christmas conference and man was that so much fun! We got to watch Moana and man was it amazing! Literally so good aahh, idk if it is cuz I'm a missionary that it was so good or if it was cuz it was just that good!! It beat out tangled I think! 

Then as a district we went out caroling and man was that really cool! It was fun to see the joy on peoples faces! 

On Sunday our investigator Karla came up to us and said "Okay Elders I am ready to get baptized" We were so in shock but she told us she is ready to do it so we are going to be working with her to get her and her family ready! 

Then today we went out with the English Elders to a beach house that their members are living in. We were able to go and walk on the BEACH!!! Literally the best Christmas Present I could get! - besides talking to my family!

Other than that it's been a pretty normal week here in the mission!

I love you all!

Elder McKeon

One week snow, next week beach! 

Week 64

My people!!! Elder McKeon here! 

This week was so awesome! 

Tuesday night I got a sick package from the ward family! Thank you to all that sent that out very grateful for that! 

Then on Wednesday we had interviews with President and that was also really good! That night we had a family that we were trying to contact and we had not been able to talk to them in forever. We had tried a bunch of times, so I looked at Elder Tuia and said OK this is the last time we try with them. So we walk up and they open the door and let us in. We had an amazing lesson with them. 

But the best part of the entire week was on Friday when we had our Branch Christmas party. We had so many investigators and less actives there and it was the best thing ever. We worked our butts off with the branch to get it all set up and get as many people there as we could. We ended up having almost 60 people at the activity and 20 of them were not members. It was insane!!!! Literally such a miracle! 

Sunday was amazing as always! Karla and her kids came to church and then a baptismal service as well. Then the best part of the whole week though (it was a really great week, so many best parts) was there was a church sing along thing and the primary kids were singing in it. We didn't know it but no one in the branch showed up except Karla and her 2 little kids to sing. So the 2 non member kids got up and sang with all the other kids and it was so sweet! 

Merry Christmas to you all! Christ was born and because of that we have the perfect example of how to live our lives! 

Love you all have a great week! 

Elder McKeon

Our District

Cleaning the church

Thanks for the Christmas package! Newhall ward rocks! 

Elder Chrsitmas! 

Week 63

Hi Y'all! 

Another great week here in Texas! The weeks just keep getting faster and faster! Feels like It was p-day yesterday! 

This week was odd! It was freezing cold everyday! So Cold that it actually snowed! Yes! Snow in Texas! I feel like I have just been a part of some of the craziest things to happen to Houston in a long time! Like for example the hurricane, then the Astros winning the World Series and now snow! I guess I am Texas's lucky charm!!! haha Well, except for the hurricane part... that wasn't very lucky, but it was an experience. haha 

This week we just went out and worked. Our investigator Karla and her family came to church again and they are doing amazing! They love learning and love church! We're super excited for them to be baptized! We're working on having them ready on the 30th of December so keep them in your prayers please! 

Friday night we had a sports night and we had a really awesome turn out from the branch. They brought so many of their friends! It was also a goodbye party for our branch mission leader who is moving to Guatemala to get married! Super sad he is leaving though. He was a huge help to us but he said we can still Skype him into lessons so were excited about that! Also, we did our first video chat lesson with our investigator Carlos and man was that weird but super awesome! He really loved it too! This technology is way cool and a huge help to missionary work! 

I love you all! Have a great week! 

Elder McKeon

A bunch of pictures from the snow

Week 62

Hi everyone! 

Another great week here! This week was filled with all kinds of miracles! One of the best weeks in the mission. 

This is the big miracle and the other miracles just all trickle down cuz of this one. So we got this referral from the other Elders. We called her and set up an appointment with her. We show up to the appointment a couple min late cuz of traffic. We get there and she said I was just about to call you cuz you were late. hahaha! Then we have an insanely spiritual lesson and she commits to be baptized and prepare for 30 of dec. Not only her but her 2 kids!  Then the whole family came to church and the branch brought them in as one of there own! The whole family loved church! We are going back to teach her other son on Tuesday cuz she wants him to be getting taught as well.

It was so awesome! Then at church we had a guy randomly walk in and say I got invited to church by one of my friends and so we talked with him and he loved church and wants to meet with us. 

On Friday night we set up a booth at the Christmas festival in Angleton and man was it awesome! We showed so many people the video and handed out pass along cards and it was so awesome!!!! 

Literally an amazing week. Elder Tuia and I are having a bunch of fun but mad can that boy eat. Literally eats more in one sitting than I do in one day! It is so awesome! 

I hope everyone is having an amazing Christmas season! Remember to go to mormon.org and check out the Light the World video! 

I love you all!

Elder McKeon 

 

Yes! A helicopter at the gas station.

Elder Tuia spilling our noodles all over the floor

Light the World booth at the Christmas Festival

Week 61

Man I've lost count of weeks! 
Time is just flying by! 

Well to begin Happy Thanksgiving to all! Crazy to believe it was my second Thanksgiving in the mission field. Last Thanksgiving we were fighting to find a meal appointment and then this year we had 2!!! The first one was with a member from the English ward and it was wonderful! Then we went and had dinner with one of the members from our Spanish ward. I really loved going to the English ward members house, but man did I just feel a little uncomfortable.  It was not my element. So thankful they invited us. After we went to the Hispanic family's trailer and man was I much happier and felt more in my element! 

Also I am officially a dad! (Which means I am training a new missionary) He is great and we have had a lot of fun together! This morning though he walked out in a Giants shirt so I had to throw on my Dodgers shirt to let everyone know that even though my trainee steps outside wearing garbage, we at least have some dignity in the family! Elder Tuia's from NorCal.  It is crazy cuz he was in Honduras for 11 months and then went home for 6 months or so and then he came back to this mission. He has a lot of things that he did in Honduras that we don't do here. So it is kind of harder to train him then it would be a newbie cuz I have to break him of all the old things he did and train him again with how we do missionary work here. I  can't mold him right off the bat I have to break the mold then re mold! If that is a thing! 

Funny thing! He snores louder than I do!! Good times!

I got a phone now! Thanks mom and dad! We are an electronic mission now. It's very exciting to be able to have so much LDS content at our finger tips! We can share so many videos and messages right away. Super cool!

Cool thing! One of Maddie's friends is in my district! Sister Calder. So funny! Small world!

We got a referral from the Sisters in our district and so we went by and we talked to the guy. He tells us how he wants a Book of Mormon but he only has 5 minutes to talk. So we do a quick Book of Mormon introduction with him and then after we do that, he goes on to tell us he wants us to send him versus and videos so he can read and watch the videos during the week! His name is Galos! 

Also we got our investigator Carlos on date for baptism for the 30 of Dec! In the middle of the lesson goes I know this church is of God and that the Book of Mormon is of God, so that's why I'm preparing to be baptized on the 30 of Dec. I was like Shoot heck Ya Carlos Lets go! 

So keep Carlos and Galos in your prayers! 

I love you all 

Elder McKeon

This is Elder Tuia and me

When your comp's sunglasses break, you take a goofy pic with them. I look like Napoleon Dynamite! I need a haircut!

Maddie's friend

Week 60

Hi Everyone! 

Another week here down! 60 weeks, really? You lose track!

 Sadly Elder Smith is being transferred today :( Super sad for him to be leaving. 
I will be Training though. Well half way training. The kid that is my new companion went out on a mission to Honduras and then went home and now he is coming back out to our mission. I will be retraining him cuz he has been home for a little bit. His name is Elder Tuia. 
I am excited for this new opportunity. 

Nothing new has been going on. This week was a struggle. We had so many opportunities to find new investigators but they all just fell through. It was super disappointing. 
We did our last house of mucking this week and other than that we just did a lot of walking around and talking to people. They were all nice. Everyone just was like, "I work at the plant and I work 13 days in a row and have 1 day off and today is that one day and I have all these things to do. I'm sorry I  don't have time." It's super disheartening. It will be better next week. 

Crazy how Thanksgiving is already this week! Everyone have a grateful and wonderful week! 

No pictures this week cuz I don't have my camera. I didn't know I was gonna be staying at the mission office all day!

Love you all!

Elder McKeon

Week 59

Hey Y'all!!!!! 

Another greet week here in Texas! Time is flying by way to quickly! We're already on the Last week of this transfer! It feels like yesterday I just got to the area! This week was a rough one for us down here. We had a lot of great plans to find new investigators but all our plans fell through... Which was a huge bummer but we have great plans to find this upcoming week!  

Many of you you saw my post on Facebook and know that we are now a Facebook mission. We're also going to be getting smart phones in the next week or so! This is super awesome! So excited for the new things that are coming around in the mission. We do not know much about the rules and stuff yet.  We are having a huge zone conference when we get the phones and we will get all the details. I do know we will be using chat and Facebook video chat. Honestly I can start teaching people back home over video chat but there is a lot to come in the next little bit. 

New place is great, love it!

One of my investigator in Sunny Side has great news! I have been talking to the missionaries there. They're slowing down the teaching process bcuz they are teaching his dad now!  Which is really good and smart to do cuz he is 9 so we want him to know it all. Happy for the family to learn together.

We're still doing a lot of service helping people clean up their homes and their lives.  Also on Friday night we had a ward activity and that was way fun! We played musical chairs with all the little kids. It was super awesome! 
Other than that just a great week in the Field! The church is true! I love the work! 

I love you all!

Elder McKeon 

PS- Way to go Hart on the upset! I rep my Hart gear even here in Texas! 

Our branch president's truck and me haha 

selfie in the 18 wheeler

Week 58

Hi Everyone! 

This has been another crazy week here in Brazoria! 

Tuesday, we had Zone Conference so that was as always super great! We talked about one of my favorite scriptures 3 Nephi 5:13 Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life. 
That was super awesome! I love the Book pf Mormon. Right now I'm doing a study where I highlight every time it mentions the Savior and man is it awesome!

Then, on Wednesday, we got to help one of the Sister's recent converts paint her house. I love service, so that was fun! 

On Friday, we were able to go out and help clean up another house, which we all know how much! I really do love doing that! 

Saturday was a great day! All of Elder Smith and my plans fell through. We were sitting in a gas station parking lot and I had this feeling... let's go to Freeport. We had 2 referrals that lived there and 2 potential investigators. So off we went to Freeport. We try one of the referrals and set up an appointment with them. Then, we had this potential investigator.  We had tried them before, but we never got an answer. I said this is the last time we try their door. So we go up and knock the door and it opens! Before we can get hola out of our mouths, the lady tells us to come in and sit down. We start talking and this women and her husband have been taught by missionaries before. So I ask what do you remember of the message we share and she says, All of it! hahaha! I'm like, shoot okay, and she says, we were reading in the Book of Mormon, the first book is called Nephi right? So Elder Smith and I are super pumped about that! They remember it! Then she tells us how she wants us to come over and teach the whole family, mom, dad and 4 daughters! We are going back this week to have a lesson with the whole family! It is gonna be awesome! Super pumped!!

We also got a surprise text from President Friday morning telling us we were going to be moving on Monday. So we have been running around around trying to get everything done. My new address is 102 Oyster Bend Ln, Lake Jackson Tx 77566. We will be living with an older lady in the back part of her house. It's a really nice place.

It has been a crazy week! I love the work! It is the best! 
Oh also I got to drive in an 18 wheeler and let me tell you, that was awesome! Our branch President drives big rigs. We were at his house and he took us for a rid because he had to move one of the rigs from one place to another on his property. Man that was a cool experience! 

I love you all!

Have a great week!

Elder McKeon 

Video from Zone Conference:

https://www.facebook.com/THETHSM/videos/1968187196772594/

Zone Conference

When you're using deathly chemicals to clean the oven... 

When your moving so you have to eat with those things cuz everything else is packed .

Elder Smith's aunt sent him that magnet. The fridge is a cool place for the name tags too!

Branch President's trucking company 

The road while were on the big rig

Week 57

Hi Everyone!!! 

Happy Halloween eve! Hope you all have a great day tomorrow! I am going to be dressing up as a missionary! Good costume, right?! Probably the best costume you could think of! 

Another good week here in Brazoria! This week we spent a lot of time finding. Some of the days went by really, really fast and then some of them went by super slow! But man do I love being out doing the Lord's work! It is so much fun to just go out and talk to people and just see what they believe. Sometimes the people are really mean and other times they are super nice. We are trying to build the branch so we are just working our butts off! We also are still mucking out houses down in this area. Happy to be able to help these people. We do the muck work about 2 times each week. 

Yesterday was fast and testimony meeting and it was great because there was no silience during that meeting. It was a pretty awesome thing to see. We had less than 20 people in the Brach at church. I was nervous we would just sit there for a long time but man the Spirit was there and not a moment of silence in the room.

Cool experience we had this week was we were walking around in a trailer park and we saw this guy moving cement slabs into his work van, so we ran over and asked him if he needed help. He was first blown away that 2 white kids were speaking to him in Spanish and that we offered to help. So we helped him move the blocks and then started talking with him and shared part of the message of the Restoration with him. We are going back this week to have a lesson with him. It shows how just a simple act of kindness can help in all aspects, not in just missionary work! 

Guys guess what... my investigator from Sunny Side Toni is getting baptized next week most likely so I'll get to go back and see his baptism!!!!!!! Back to Sunny Side...my home! I'm so happy!

Another cool thing is President Hall announced that our mission will be getting smart phones!!!! It is gonna be so awesome!!! Our mission is going to be a Facebook mission as well! Lots of crazy changes going on in the Lord's work and I am way excited to be apart of it! 
Pray all is well with everyone! 

Have a great week! 

Love you

Elder McKeon 

We decided to wear matching ties to district council! hahaha

A selfie from english class - the girls are foreign exchange students from Spain so we are helping them with their English. They had a halloween party right before class so that's why they look like that!  

Week 56

Hi Everyone!

Another great week here in Brazoria! Man this area is insane! So big and so different in every town! We have everything in this area from busy areas, to middle of nowhere, to small towns! I really like it! 

We found 2 new investigators this week and we were super excited! We knocked on a door and this kid opened the door. He was like, come back tomorrow and so we did. The kid was waiting for us at the door and opened it before we could knock! It was SO amazing. His name is Rodrigo and we are teaching his little brother Diego AND we have an appointment to see the whole family this week!  We are so excited for them! 

Other than that we did a lot of outside tracting and talking to people. It was so much fun! Elder Smith and I are doing a really good job at learning the area, so it is making it all much easier! 

Also... I was called as the 2nd counselor in the Elders Quorum Presidency. That should be way fun! I play the organ in the branch as well... we have a recorded organ, so I just push some buttons and the music plays. In a small (really small) branch there is a lot to do! 

Go dodgers! I need to whisper that because I am in Houston!!! 

 

Love you all!

Elder McKeon 

 

 me in my lava lava cuz I was tired of pants HAHAHA!!

goofy pics of Elder Smith and I

Driving around trying to find the one!

Week 55

My people what is happening!

Crazy changes with my new area. For starters this area is the biggest area in the mission! We cover over 12 towns, ya 12 towns! Our area covers 3 English ward boundaries. It is insane! The best part of it all is Elder Smith has only been here for 4 weeks and those 4 weeks were spent doing service. We both pretty much have the same amount of knowledge of the area. In mission terms were basically white washing (which means 2 new missionaries in an area with no knowledge of it) Elder Smith is awesome. 

 This last week has been hard! We are trying to learn the area as we go teaching people! We are in a branch of about 20 people, ya only 20 people!!! We cover a massive area. So we are gonna be working hard. 

This week was Stake Conference which was really cool! We got a call on Wednesday for us to translate conference and I'm like, holy cow, that is gonna be hard. So we practiced and then we show up and the people go, oh we do not need you to do it. Well okay but we were there if we needed to do it! 

Also everyone in this area compliments me on my Spanish! One of our less actives who is from Puerto Rico was talking with me and she said Are you from Mexico City? I was like no I'm American. Then she goes "oh well you look like you are from Mexico" and then says how my Spanish was so good she thought I was from Mexico. That is a good feeling! 

The hard part about this area is that everyone here works in the massive chemical plants. They all come and work for a little bit and then they leave. Its hard to find people to teach because most of them are not here long enough to be taught so that is a struggle. We're gonna continue working hard though! Excited for this new adventure.

Love you all! 

Elder McKeon 

guacamole elder smith and i made

Hermana Cardosa and I before she left to go back home!  

Me and Elder Smith

Week 54

Hi everyone! 

Man has this been a fun week! But first off I will be getting transferred. I am super sad to be leaving.  I have loved this area and the ward. I really enjoy the missionaries I have around me and the members. We have worked along side each other in some not great circumstances. Plus, we just started getting the area on the upward motion and now I am heading out. I really do not want to leave this area but I guess the Lord needs me elsewhere.
I will be going to the country. I'm going to this area called Brazoria! I don't know a lot about it or anything. haha! From what I hear it's more country than where I am now! It should be an exciting change since I have been in the city most of my mission! My companion is Elder Smith. I don't know him but a lot of my elders have served around him and said he is awesome. I am way excited! 

But, man this week was fun and great!  We taught Toni 2 times this week and he is on date to be baptized on November 11th. Then Arturo's baby was blessed in church on Sunday. That was even more awesome! Happy that he is getting baptized too!

This week Sister Hall took our district to lunch bcuz, like I said last week, we won the PMG challenge. We went to this burrito place that was sooo good!
On Saturday we had a ward activity and, oh man, was that insane! It was fiesta de hispanidad, so it was basically a celebration of being hispanic. They had all this crazy (some delicious, some Not so delicious) food and these dances and a fashion show showing off the fancy dresses from their state in Mexico! We also had a bunch of the ward members up there singing and it was just so awesome!

Also I met my minnie me. His name is Javier and his dad is one of the Sisters investigators. I met him at the ward activity and he is the man. He looks exactly how i did when i was 7!

Such a good week! A good week to leave on! I love the work and the people I have served here in Sunny side!!

Love you all 

Elder McKeon

When you become friends with dogs in the street they follow you for the rest of the day ​​​

One of my favorite families in this area John and Carolina. They are the family that got me food and insulin during the hurricane. So grateful to them.

 My District ( one of my favorite districts, so sad to leave) 

Pictures with the Bishop's family

Arturo and me! Happy that he is getting baptized.

 

The ward party!

Some young men in the ward Ben and Chris 

Week 53

Hey Everyone!

 Another great week in the mission! This week I hit my year mark and man, was that a weird feeling! It has been a whole year since I left the grand homestead in Southern California! It's kind of felt like one blink of the eye and when I opened the year was gone. Man, I love the mission! 

So this week Elder Cass and I were working on talking to everyone! Man, was that a blessing in disguise for us. So we were walking the street and we hear some ladies talking behind this wall. We walk over and start talking to them. It turns out they are members who moved here from Mexico and didn't know where the church was. So we set up an appointment for us to come back. When we went back the less active member named Angelica brings out her 9 year old son and goes "he wants to be baptized." We were like well, we can help with that! Such an awesome miracle! 

Then we had zone conference this week, which was amazing!!! I won our district a lunch with President and Sister Hall! We were doing a PMG Jeopardy and the last question was worth 1000 points and ya boy got it right!!! 

Thank you to everyone that sent me a video! I loved them! I love you all! So great to see so many faces. Everyone has grown up! So happy for the support you show me!

How was every one's General Conference weekend? Mine was absolutely amazing! The spirit hit me so hard on so many talks! I loved Elder Callister's talk on the Book of Mormon! 

Have a great week! 

I love you all! 

Elder McKeon 

two kids from a family in the ward

me playing with some dogs 

Elder Hall and I - Yellow vests!