McKenna in Japan!: Lots of pictures this week!

Flags for Boys Day in Okinawa!

Traditional Okinawan hat!

Sister Kawamura and I

A lesson and cookies!

Jen gave our new member, Kelly, a set of scriptures! Very cool!

This week was remarkable! The transfer is almost coming to an end, but I feel like it just started! I'm about to hit my year mark and I don't know where the time has gone. I spoke with a missionary who is going home soon and asked her what she was thinking about it. She replied that she "wishes she would have worked harder..." That broke my heart! I am determined that I will not do that. I don't have any regrets about my mission and I don't plan on having any. I'm excited to work hard (and be obedient) until the moment I'm released.

Being in the same area for so long has some advantages. I LOVE these people. I know them really well. And since we work so closely with the military it's nice to understand what's going on and who has deployed and who is leaving off island soon. There are also some downsides though too. I've been to every spot on this island :) Hence the pictures I sent from the aquarium was the third time I've been there :). But I did give Olsen Shimai a pretty good tour. I'm considering working there after the mission :)

Sister Olsen and I at the Aquarium! I am a good tour guide now!

Just like the tourists!

The dolphin was so close I could have touched it!

Sister Olsen, Sister Kawamura and I at the aquarium.

Our zone after missing the bus!

At the Aquarium with the Elders from our zone.

Our investigators are doing really well. We are constantly working hard to find new investigators, but we have had a terrible time finding people on the streets and while knocking doors. No one waits two seconds before they "Kekko" us. But it was extremely exciting that we had a baptism this week! Rhea was baptized this Saturday and it was a really remarkable experience for her and for all of us that attended. Rhea came to Japan about three months ago to visit her sister. Her sister's husband had just deployed so she came to help out with her niece and nephews. Occasionally she would come to church with her sister. I asked a member to invite her to Sunday school and Relief Society (women's group at church) and Rhea came. She loved it! She said, "You Mormons just explain things so well!" :) She's so funny. I asked her if she wanted to learn more about what the church was about and she agreed. We were able to teach her for the last month and a half and it has been remarkable to watch her learn and grow. Rhea's sister told me the other day that when she walked by Rhea's room she saw her reading her Book of Mormon! Rhea really likes church and I LOVE her! She's an incredible example. My favorite lesson with Rhea was when we taught her about the gospel of Jesus Christ and invited her to be baptized. She was so excited to say "Yes!" After the lesson when she went to go tell her sister they were both so happy that they started to cry. Pretty soon there was four crying sisters in the room :) I couldn't help it! Rhea's baptism went really well. Afterwards she was just beaming! She kept saying I'm so happy! I'm so happy! We are so sad to see her leave soon to go back home, but I really feel like she came to Okinawa to find the gospel. President Hernandez confirmed her in sacrament meeting and it was one of the neatest blessings I've ever heard. It specifically told her some really remarkable things, like how as she lives the gospel she will be sealed in the temple with her family, be a light to those around her, be able to play a role in the hastening of the work and that through her Rhea's family and friends will come to learn of the gospel. Although I am so sad to see her leave Japan, I know that she has a lot of work to do back home :)

A happy baptism day!

Rhea and her family!

Our other investigators are doing well. Some of them came to Rhea's baptism and really loved how they felt there. One of our investigators just left for a short deployment and another investigator just returned! The military environment sure makes things interesting here. The members are helping us a lot and making our investigators feel included. I was sitting in church yesterday and counting my many blessings. Andrew and Justien are expecting a baby! They were sitting next to us as we heard another one of our recent converts share her sweet testimony. This work really is true. God lives! He loves us and he knows us. And through this gospel good people are made better and families are strengthened. I love it! I am so blessed :)