Howdy from Tenn-- and Happy St. Patty's day!

March 17, 2013

Dear Family and friends,

     Happy St. Patricks Day!  And Happy Birthday to our grandson Peter tomorrow.  He will be 5.  Amazing!   He is such a cute kid and is growing up so fast.   I apologize for the long span since I last wrote our family email. Most of you already know I was in a coma from the last of November until the middle of December, during which I underwent 2 strokes, 1 heart attack, brain surgery, heart surgery and one cardiac arrest all within 5 days of each other.  I am very blessed to even be alive today and though I do not ask for sympathy, I do ask for your understanding.  These past few months have truly been a challenge for our family.  I personally have no memory of anything from the first of November on, which is sad because we have had many friends and family members who came out to visit and help me.   All 10 of our children and all 11 of our grandsons were here for Christmas and Grandpa McKee and Jim also came out but  I unfortunately have no memory of that at all.  When I came out of the coma in December, I used to write November as the date on everything.  I not only missed Thanksgiving Day this year, but Christmas and New Year’s Day, too.  I also missed my birthday, so I tell everyone that I am still a year younger!   They tell me that Aubrey got her drivers’ license, Destini sang a solo for a 50s concert at school and participated in Winter Olympics, Kiara hosted the play Oklahoma and handmade 10 signs for it, 2 Apostles came  to visit our mission along with other General Authorities and a whole host of other things happened “while I was sleeping”. Sometimes it’s hard to know what to believe but I’ll trust them. It seems like I missed many major activities but they tell me I was there for many of them.

   Right now I am doing pretty well.  I have an eye that isn’t working that I am seeing an eye doctor for.  I see double and sometimes even triple vision in my left eye, but Dr. Politser has no doubt that in time I will regain full eyesight in my eyes.  I also have a balance problem—it is very difficult to walk without running into something. My family has been so wonderful to help.  Jared and Brittany have been out here for 3 months helping me with his training  as a physical therapist and Michelle got here this week and she will be staying for a few weeks.  I am so grateful for my great husband and family who have supported me and fought for me during the past few months.

  It has been beautiful here in Brentwood during the past couple of days, but pretty cold the week previous.  Today we took our family out walking around Radnor Lake and it was just beautiful. The therapy walking out there is certainly better than my out patient therapy. Aubrey sang a solo ,the national anthem for the girls basketball game preparing for state,  Angie played in her first Rugby game Friday night and did a great job (that’s from an onlooker who knows absolutely nothing about Rugby, but I could see by the scoreboard that they won!).  We got the news last week and she, and Kylie, are both planning to go on missions in August.  That will be exciting for them AND for us. 

We all want to thank each of you for the love and support you have given our family in so many different ways., cards, letters, prayers, phone , calls, etc…….  We feel SO blessed 1) to have a second chance at life itself, 2) to have so many wonderful people in our lives who support us and love us and show it so valiantly!

Last transfer we received 25 new missionaries plus 6 new visa waiters.  We currently have 205 missionaries here in the great TNM.  We have 85 sisters and 120 Elders.  The look of our mission has certainly changed, but we have the greatest missionaries in the world.

Have a great week and remember our love and appreciation for each of you. Our testimonies are real and strong.  We have no doubt that the Lord is there and that He loves us and cares for us.  We also know that he hears and answers prayers.  

Loads of love,

President and Sister McKee,  Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, Bill & RaNae, Angie, Aubrey, Kiara, Destini, and Michelle

Angie, Aubrey, Kiara, Destini and Michelle

Yes! You Can--Receive ALL That Heavenly Father Has in Store For Us:

Dear Friends and Family,

Over the past few weeks we have been very involved with temple trips here for our missionaries. Twice a year our missionaries are invited to go to the temple since we have a temple in Nashville. The temple is small so this constitutes going to ten sessions so that each missionary can attend. The  temple is only open for a few hours each day and so we adjust around their schedule and bring the missionaries in from across the mission over five days. They love going to the temple. This gives a time for Sister McKee and I to talk to them about the temple and also remind them that we are here serving the living for this era in our lives and only on occasion can serve the dead. The temple always reminds me of family sealings and the blessing of being with our families forever and ever. I can’t even imagine eternity without our blessed families. Each of us have the wonderful opportunity to come to the temple and receive our endowments and seal families together for time and all eternity. Sometimes people will say to our missionaries, “but we can’t go in there.” Our answer to them is that EVERYONE can go in there. We must just prepare ourselves first much like we prepare ourselves to graduate from High School so that we can go to college. No one can go to college either unless they go through the proper preparation to go there and college is open to all if we prepare ourselves for it. The temple is the Lord’s university and it is essential that we prepare ourselves worthily before we make and keep those sacred covenants.

Sister McKee is still progressing every day. She is absolutely a walking miracle. At present we have several days now without nausea or severe headaches. This is so exciting for all of us as it changes her processing of life and her abilities to be out more. We never went anywhere in the past without a safety pan for nausea and our “peppermint” essential oil(thank you to those who sent those to us). She now goes longer periods without an upset stomach and even attended the temple twice last week. This was a miracle for all of us and such a blessing to be back in the temple again.

We visited the eye doctor on Tuesday and he tells us that she is still progressing and will in time be fitted with some type of glasses that may help her. Her eye moves about 80% now but because it is still off she is always plagued with double vision. She is playing the piano more while wearing a patch. Her right eye sees beautifully so with the patch she gets fairly independent. We do eye exercises with her 4-5 times a day.

On Monday our oldest daughter , Michelle flew in to stay for a few weeks. This is such a blessing, Jared and Brittany flew back home to Idaho with Ethan and Kason on Wednesday. This was a sad day for us as they have stayed long and been so helpful in therapy. Brittany received the news that her grandmother had passed away who we all love. We extend our sympathy to her family and want you to know of our deep love for you. I know that Brittany was very close to her grandmother and this will be difficult knowing that she was out here helping us while her grandmother was ill. We love and appreciate you and your family (Brittany) .Jared with his physical therapy back ground has taught us so much and done so much for his mother while staying here. We will always be grateful for the foundation that you have set with her healing. Early in Sister McKee’s healing Jared mentioned that we should never allow the brain to think that it cannot do something if there is a desire. For example, while in the hospital, if Sister McKee wanted to get out of bed, the medical model did not have the resources so she would not be allowed to get out of bed. We would stay by her night and day and make sure that if her brain wanted to do something that we assisted her instead of telling her that she could not do that. This allowed us each day to expand her brain and encourage it to follow through with the drive that was behind it. The medical model would think that unsafe because they could not always be there so they would put bells on her bed or even tie arms and legs down so that she would not get up and get hurt. As a family we made a commitment to always be there and ensure that whatever she could imagine she could do so that her brain would not be limited and so that she would feel that anything is possible. We have learned so much from this but most of all learned that it is working as Sister McKee is coming back quicker than most rehab patients. Interestingly enough though we are discovering that often the medical model does not always appreciate this and often focused in rehab on what she could not do instead of what she could do. I have found this so interesting though as I think about how we (the natural man) often focuses on what we cannot do instead of what we can do. It is so easy to focus on our limitations instead of our eternal potential and our God like abilities.

For example , Sister McKee has never wanted to use a walker while her brain is healing so we carefully planned to be at her side 100% of the time so that she can practice walking without a walker. This at first required constant support and now she walks freely with only an occasional nudge back on track. She brought her church shoes to practice walking in at rehab one day and they quickly told her that she could not do that., Well she has been doing that and doing it very nicely , she just wanted more safe practice with their support. As I witnessed them very often reminding her about what she could not do, I wondered in my mind how many times I had done that to myself or others and how debilitating that could be.

I met with the supervisor of the rehab unit and asked, “Do you think that Sister McKee can heal completely?” His response was, “Well now we need to be realistic here”. I asked him again and he remained silent. I realized at that point that the medical model often tells us to be more realistic and often limits our growth while in this fragile state. I contemplated a young child and how sometimes we tell them so many “cant’s or no’s” and then thought, if my child really wanted to do something or practice something , would I tell them “no” .  I immediately realized that part of Sister McKee’s frustration was that they were often telling her what she could not do instead of believing that she could heal fully and that she needed to focus on what she could do safely. Her PT has pushed her to go back to a walker  but this again will only limit her as we have set her life up to be safe.

I thought how our Heavenly Father has sent each of us down here on earth with no limitations to return back to Him. He has charted the course that we might return to Him . He has marked the path and then he has given us the promise that “all that He hath” will be given to us if we receive Him. D&C 84:38 And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom therefore ALL that my Father hath shall be given unto him.”  I wondered if I really believe that scripture. That ALL that my Father hath will be given unto me. I know that the Lord promises us complete and full healing. I know that we can all be whole through the atonement and that we can receive all of the blessings that HE has in store for us if we do not limit ourselves. I looked at Sister McKee’s vision of walking without a walker or practicing in her church shoes and realized that she sees herself with no limitations and trusts in the Lord and herself for complete healing. When the world tells us that we can’t , each of us have a huge responsibility to say to ourselves, “the Lord can” . All things are possible through Him and that He has promised us ALL.

A few weeks before we were leaving to come to Tennessee on the mission Sister McKee woke up in the night and said to me, “ Do you think we can really do this?” My reply was, “Of course we can’t , but the Lord can and somehow HE will use us to accomplish His work”.

Trust in the Lord , He has promised us His ALL. He will come through for us as we listen to Him and not to the world. The world will tell us things that we “can’t”, The Lord will tell us things that we “Can”.

We love you and thank you again for your faith , prayers and “cans” along the way. We feel that positive energy and that love. We acknowledge the Lord for performing this great miracle.

The William McKee family

Howdy From Tennessee...

To our Friends and family,

The last two weeks have been filled with excitement and very long days as we are seeing the wonderful results of President Monson’s revelation that invited 18 year old young men and 19 year old young women to fulfill full time missions. After a full week of Zone Conferences we prepared for transfers. We received 25 new missionaries last Monday and only 7 are going home. This is the pattern now that the number in our mission will be increased. We have over 200 missionaries now and will receive an additional 50 missionaries within the next few months. We will have 136 Sisters and 114 Elders besides our Senior couples. Again the mission will have a larger number of Sisters than Elders.

We went out to the airport to pick up the 25 missionaries Monday afternoon at 2:30. You can only imagine the sight of that many missionaries stepping off the plane and into the airport. Needless to say everyone was staring at them. I always pull the missionaries aside and say to them as they arrive. “Everyone is starring at you anyway, Go up and talk to them and tell them who you are and what you are doing here.” We have found so many wonderful investigators at the airport and like Sister McKee always says, “ There is such a light around all of you whenever we see you.” She is right you know. The spirit dwells around obedient missionaries. I wish I could have a video of this group trailing through the airport with their luggage. There is not another sight on earth like it and it always brings tears to my eyes when I see these young committed people to the gospel. They are a “light unto the world”. The real challenge for me is to get them all interviewed before nightfall so that the spirit can tell me where they are to serve.

Even with the best laid plans there were two Sisters and two Elders that had their flights over booked and they did not come in with the group. There planes would arrive from four different areas at four different times. One even had his luggage on a different plane than he had flown so we ended up going to the airport several times during the evening. The last to arrive came at 11:00 pm at night. I drove out to pick him up because I always want my missionaries to be met by their Mission President at the airport and because I wanted my other missionaries to get some rest as all of us would be up again at 5:00am the next morning. Of course they lost his luggage so by the time we filed a claim we arrived back home after midnight. We call it sleeping fast when you only have a few hours to sleep so that night I slept fast and told the Elder to do so as well. He had been up since 3:00 am from the MTC . Even though we have a large mission van that transports 12 people we do not have enough transportation for a group this size so we had to call up three Senior couples to come in and drive missionaries to their trainings. On Tuesday we leave the Mission Home at 7:15 and travel to the Franklin Stake Center for training. This time 8 of the Sisters had to stay at a member neighbor’s home as we only had one bathroom for 18 Sisters. After we car-a-vanned to the Stake Center we were blessed to train and hold transfer meeting. What an incredible sight to see 25 new missionaries lined up across the cultural hall floor with 25 new trainers at their sides.  We are truly experiencing a “marvelous work and a wonder” . The world will never be the same again. These new missionaries are prepared and such a blessing to us here in the field.

Sister McKee Teaching The Missionaries about "Vision"

Sister McKee teaching about having unity has companionship's.

Janet, JoLynn, President and Sister McKee at Zone Conference

Sister McKee came out to the transfer meeting with Jared at 11:30 and shared her testimony with the Elders. She has energy to do small moments with the missionaries and then must go home again to rest. Some days she is extremely strong and we are all in awe for example like the video of her teaching the YW how to lead music in  our home for mutual we have attached to this email and other days the pain is so bad and the nausea that she will remain in bed most of the day. She can stand without assistance and can walk but one ever knows when she will fall over with no real warning so we always have someone at her side 24 hours of the day. She will go sometimes three days without losing her food but often feels like her food will constantly come up. As we work with her to focus on a focal point and use peppermint (essential oil) we have been successful most of the time to help her keep her food down. She was able to go through the temple for the first time last Friday but she had to come home and rest for 5 hours afterward because of the energy that it takes to do this.

After the transfer meeting  I interview the missionaries going home. We are always sad to see them go home. Our zone leader and Facebook assistant is going home this transfer and another special missionary went home this time who had lost his father while serving in the mission field. He was a wonderful example of faith as he continued to serve while going through this tragedy. He flew home and spoke at the funeral and then flew back to the mission field. We took them all through the temple, had dinner, testimony meeting  and mission slide show with them and then took them all to the airport at 5:00 am the next day.

President and Sister McKee at transfer meeting

On Friday we started a new round of temple experiences for our missionaries as each will have the opportunity to go through the temple 2-3 times a year. We will take them in groups of 25 through the temple for the next two weeks on Wednesday and Friday with each day serving about 50 in two separate sessions. We love to attend the temple with them. Sister McKee was only able to make it to one session but each day she becomes a bit stronger.

One week ago on Saturday we were blessed to have Elder Dallin Oaks and Elder Richard Maynes speak to our missionaries. They each shook their hands and taught them for over an hour. We were all so touched by their visit and want you to know that the spirit testified to each of us of their divine callings. Sister McKee was able to attend and shared her testimony. She also played for the girls to sing which was a miracle. She has to play with a patch over one eye as her left eye still does not work well. Everything is double vision from that eye. All 200 of our missionaries were in attendance. There were over 30 missionaries who had never met Sister McKee before and as they came through the line to shake hands tears filled many of our eyes. Sister McKee sat in a chair next to me and greeted all 200. Her life truly is a miracle. All of the missionaries were so excited to see her. I told her afterward that I am afraid she might have been upstaging an Apostle for some. They do love her so much.

Elder Oaks taught so man powerful principles. He encouraged the missionaries to keep their lines in the water at all times as he used an analogy of taking his grandchildren fishing. The message was clear for them as they are now “fishers of men”. He talked about the Priesthood and reminded us all that the men are not the Priesthood. He used an example of sometimes at church we will say. The Priesthood go into this room and the Sisters go into this room. He reminded us that the Priesthood goes with the men and the Priesthood goes with the Sisters into another room as well. We as men happen to be holding the handle of the umbrella of the Priesthood. It is over all.

Several of our missionaries brought investigators with them to this meeting and they committed to “follow the Savior and be baptized by one holding the proper Priesthood authority” during and after the meeting. Elder Dallin H. Oaks stated in Preach My Gospel Pg. 9 “ We do not preach and teach in order to bring people in the Church or to increase the membership of the Church. We do not preach and teach just to persuade people to live better lives… We invite all to come unto Christ by repentance and baptism and confirmation in order to open the doors of the Celestial Kingdom to the sons and daughters of God. No one else can do this.”

We are so blessed to have a living prophet on the earth today and Apostles that travel the earth bearing witness of the Savior. Elder Christofferson told us in his last visit that as missionaries , we are his companions to spread the message of the gospel throughout the whole world.  All who have ears to hear will hear the message.

President and Sister McKee with ICU Nurse, Carolynn, after Church 

Many of our missionaries commented on this wonderful day. I have included two paragraphs from two missionaries that wrote to me this week:

 “The Elder Oaks Visit was AWESOME!!! A miracle followed right afterward: The investigator we brought (Stanton) sat next to us and listened quietly. Your testimony in particular struck him hard. I felt impressed to commit him right then and there and turned to him when it was over and asked: "Do you think he is a man of God?" (referring to both you and the general authorities present) "Yes, definitely" "Will you be baptized by proper authority?" "Yes I'll do that" "Does next Saturday work for you?" "Ya, that'll be awesome". What better way to set a date? He's especially excited about the priesthood so he can bless his family and were aiming toward the temple so they can be sealed. Man Missionary work is so COOL!!!”

“We were able to bring our Catholic investigators to the Elder Oaks visit.  We arrived early (the first ones there) so we took a brief tour of the building.  That was incredible.  They loved the Young Women's Theme and the role of the Relief Society.  They enjoyed meeting the 196 missionaries in attendance.  Most important, they were inspired shaking Elder Oaks hand and the messages that were shared.  They told us they came with some questions and left with a lot more.  We have a follow up visit tonight.”  

We continue to climb the mountain , one foot after another and hope that all of you will do this as well headed in the direction of the Savior.

Today is Sunday and has not been a great day for Sister McKee. She is having severe pains again and had to be in bed most of the day an unable to attend church. We will try again next week and like all of you will do our very best to do what the Lord has called us to do. We are so blessed again to have our children with us supporting us so that we can fulfill this mission. We have included today some incredible highlights of Sister McKee on a high energy day and hope you enjoy them. She has come so far and is doing so much. We love you and thank you again for your faith and prayers. Like Nephi “We will go and do what the Lord has commanded” .

With love and appreciation,

The William McKee family

Howdy from Tennessee! -- Missionary Work and the Atonement

Dear family and Friends,

We had a very busy week last week with zone conferences and now are preparing for transfers next week. I traveled the mission training for Zone Conferences while Jared took Sister McKee to therapy. We are grateful again that Jared and Brittany could be here to allow me to go and train throughout the mission. We also received a wonderful visit this week from Sister McKee’s two sisters, Jolyn Jex(Tremonton)  and Janet Johnson(Preston). I know that this was a big boost for Sister McKee and our family. How we love our family.  We received two new Temple Square Sisters that will come to the field and serve in what the call “outbound” for a portion of their missions. They are Sister Thulasidass and Sister Felsted. Sister Thulasidass is from India and joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints five years ago. She is a former Hindu and believed strongly in reincarnation until she was taught by the missionaries and prayed an received an answer that the Book of Mormon is true. She is 33 years old and a pharmacist. Her spirit radiated as she bore humble testimony about her conversion. They have recently created their first Stake(a congregation of around 3,000 people) in India. Sister Thulasidass is a wonderful example of a strong convert to the church. She knows that it is true and has sacrificed all to come to the mission field. She is the only member in her family and because of her culture she had to wait 9 months for her mother to give her permission to come on a mission. Where there are many church members we often take our membership and our opportunity to serve for granted.

Sister McKee attended sacrament meeting last Sunday again with our family. Aubrey 15 had been asked to sing so Sister McKee had prepared during the week and accompanied her. She was able to do this by patching one of her eyes so that she did not see double. (We call her the pirate now). You can only imagine as we all experienced this miracle. There was not a dry eye in the congregation. She and Aubrey did a superb job and created such a beautiful spirit for the meeting. One of our favorite ICU nurses ,Carolyn, called Jared about one hour before to find out what the McKees were doing today. Jared told her we were going to church and invited her to come along. She was relaxing in pajamas on the patio at 12:00 noon and changed and made it to church sitting with Sister McKee on our row. As we all partook of the sacrament together and I watched Nurse(Sister) Carolyn who was attending sacrament services for the first time, put her arms around Sister McKee and expressed unconditional joy and love for her, I wept inside and out with joy that she had also become a “type of Christ” . I had watched those hands so many times nursing Sister McKee, turning her in bed, changing a trach, siphoning fluids out of her lungs, giving her medication, adjusting her laser, monitoring respirator tubes, feeding tubes, brain drainage tubes, IVs, bathing, changing, assisting in every area and so much more, and today they were holding Sister McKee with joy and rejoicing as we shared a spiritual time together partaking of the sacrament. I know that there are no accidents and that Carolyn is truly our Sister and was meant to find this gospel and connection to our family. We love you Carolyn and will always be grateful to you. You are not just a nurse , you are a Sister and one of the most unconditional loving people that we know. You refresh our hearts knowing that you are not just doing a job. You are loving people. We hope that you will come back often to church with us and experience the joy that is there. We are all so grateful that you helped to save Sister McKee’s life and that we could enjoy that special Sabbath Day because of your special care.

Each of us have hands to lift up the weary, care for the feeble, served a neighbor, friend or someone we haven’t met yet. The Savior has said, “If ye have done it unto the least of these, ye have done it unto me”. Our hands are the hands that the Lord has to use. What we do with our hands in serving others will be recorded in the heavens. What we do with our hearts as well will be recorded in the heavens.  Sister McKee surprised me as well and showed up for an hour at our zone conference in on Tuesday in Franklin. Jared, Angie, Brittany were on their way to take Jolyn and Janet back to the airport to fly home. Of course the missionaries were elated. She stood up and gave the most beautiful ten minute talk and testimony. She said, “ You can see that my eyes are not synchronized.  They do not want to go together in exactly the way that they should go. This caused me many challenges and I cannot begin to accomplish what I need to do as they do not work together. This will happen in your companionships if you do not work together and be synchronized in this work. You must be a team and work together like two eyes to accomplish what the Lord has called you to do. The eyes are the windows to the soul.” As she bore humble testimony about her experiences and her challenges and the truthfulness of the gospel , there were few dry eyes in the room again. I always said that she probably went to Celestial Boot Camp while in her coma and now I will never keep up with her.

As far as the family goes, Aubrey now has her drivers permit and drives me many places. Kiara will be registering for High School this week for next year. Destini is still reading many books each week and Angie just went out with the missionaries again and will soon be graduating from High School. They have all been such a blessing during this challenge as they somehow kept up with school. Angie is also preparing to go on a Service Exchange to Figi this summer.

The Lord has blessed us so much. Our missionaries continue to work hard and remain faithful. They baptized 17 people into the gospel of Jesus Christ last Saturday. We acknowledge the Lord in all things.

During Zone conferences , we focused on the Atonement , knowing that unless our investigators understood it they would never get baptized. We need to understand it as well to make sure that we teach with exact clarity to those coming unto Christ. I have enclosed a video clip that we shared with the missionaries that reminded me as well that we will all go through that refiners fire. This life experience is full of challenges and difficulties that will require us to “Become  like Him”. As we turn to Him, Remember Him and allow the Atonement to work in our lives we will make steps to become more like Him.  We love each of you and hope that this clip of living Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ will bless your life as it has blessed ours.

Love, President and Sister McKee, Jared, Brittany, Ethan, Kason, Angie, Aubrey, Kiara, and Destini

Balance

Dear Friends and Family, 

One of our good missionaries that returned home several months ago called me this last week. After inquiring about his successes in life and the wonderful opportunities that lie before him he said,” I still haven’t quite figured out the “balance” that you and I talked about before I left the mission field.  He is making so many healthy and spiritual choices and still felt this loss of balance somehow even though he was balancing all “great” things. My heart shifted back to Sister McKee again as I thought, “That is exactly what we are working on after all these weeks in the hospital, BALANCE.” This is the thing that I talk to our missionaries over and over about and now it is the biggest issue for Sister McKee. We smile as we walk down that long hallway together as she cannot walk alone. She will walk very straight for a moment and then in seconds her body starts to weave with all sense of balance completely gone and without the proper support she would topple into a wall or any other unforeseen object. We have formed quite a strong team in supporting her, making sure that she never goes anywhere with out a “spotter” so that she will always be in “balance”. In this way she can function quite well as long as energy lasts and go and do a few things.

I have been thinking how important it is to stay “Balanced” in life with all of the many commitments that come our way. We each have so many demands and so much expected from us wherever we turn. The world , if we allow it, can quickly throw us “out of balance” even with many great things. I am learning to trust in the Savior more and to allow the spirit to let me know what the proper “balance” is. What are those eternal priorities and what can take the back stage for a while. Each of us are at different stages in life and each day sometimes moves us to a different balance. In reflecting on this to the missionaries I used the analogy of a bucket of water. We are each carrying a bucket of water up and down the hills of life. The bucket itself symbolizes the Lord’s commandments or the standard of excellence that He expects of us all. It forms a solid structure and within that bucket we each are sloshing around a bit but with wisdom we can maintain a moving “Balance”and stay within the  boundaries that the Lord has set so that we get to our destination safely. If we get too “out of balance” we will spill out of the bucket or actually over turn our bucket and the water will go outside of the boundaries that the Lord has set.

In Jacob 6:12 the Lord states,” Oh be wise , what can I say more”. It is so important that we listen to the spirit and “Be wise” as we seek our “Balance” every day. Maybe our balance will require a support person for a period. Maybe it will require a moment of meditation and prayer. Maybe it will require more service for someone or maybe it will require a quiet night at home but we each know (the spirit tells us) what we need to be doing to “keep in balance”. We have certainly been out of balance these last few months but within that realm have found some way while depending on the Lord to capture a “balance” within an “out of balance” setting so that we could keep all of our water in the bucket as we sloshed up and down the hills. King Benjamin taught the people in Mosiah 2:17 to learn wisdom and later in Alma the Lord taught us to “Learn wisdom in thy youth. As we do this we will listen to the spirit and act according to the Lord’s counsel and “Balance” and then we will build our “house upon a rock” like the wise man in lll Nephi 4:24, 25

As we build our houses upon the “Rock” of the Savior, He promises us that He will help us maintain our “BALANCE” in life so that we can return to Him safely on that journey. As we practice the “Balance” of walking , nausea, headaches, family schedules, 170  missionaries(with 80 more on the horizon) and full time missions……..(you can finish the list for your own lives) , we are beginning to understand the Lord’s hand in the incredible journey. Each challenge is custom made for each of us personally and each day creates another opportunity for growth and “new balance”. The thing that gets in our way and probably yours at times is : always trying to do it our way instead of the Lord’s way. He knows what we will go through and He has a plan for our “Balance” as we put our hand in His. This is the faith part. This is the time to trust the Lord and to know that “all will be well”. He said when He left this earth,”Peace I leave with you , My peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled , neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

Sister McKee and I attended church today with our family for the first time since November. It was a glorious day. As we participated in the sacrament and utilized the atonement one more time I thank the Lord again for the “balance” that He provided for each one of us by removing our sins and weaknesses. Sister McKee is going to out patient therapy three days a week and meeting often with an eye doctor to assist her left eye to move into position. It is about half way there. Because our son Michael was here last week I was able to train at our Zone Leader Council which we held at the Mission Home. Sister McKee came out and ate lunch with our missionaries . Michael went home on Friday and Jared and Brittany are here now to support us. I also held a training for 80 of our missionaries who are new in the field with their trainers on Thursday. We are so grateful for all of our children and their support so that we could continue on in our missionary service. Jared and Angie were even asked to speak in church today. Thank you again to all of you for your love, prayers and support. We do feel your prayers and know that even though Sister McKee is home that she has a huge mountain to climb. We will do our best to “balance” that water in the bucket as we carry it over the tops of mountains and encourage you’all to follow the spirit an do the same. We love you.

Finishing Mom's Bread

Mom at the Green Hills Ward Volleyball game

The William McKee Family  

I'm Home!!!!!

Dear Family and Friends,

    Hooray! i'm home from the hospital and am so excited to be here!  i'm not healed all of the way yet, but I can certainly recognize the hand of the Lord in my progress.  I still have to go back to Physical Therapy for 3 x a week until I get it all together.   My eyes are doing better and I can almost walk by myself all the way through our house with my walker without ending up in a heap in some corner.  I'm so grateful for my family who watches out for me.  Jared and Brittany were here for a couple of weeks and Mike has been here for the past couple of weeks.  They have both been so awesome in supporting me.  Also, did I mention I have the greatest husband in the world?  

Thank you for all the warm and loving letters we have received from you all.  You certainly know how to give encouragement and love!  !!! Today the family is heading to church, I wish I were going too, but hopefully by next week I will be able to go for the full time.  

      

We certainly love you'all and miss you a ton.  And we are  certainly grateful for your  love and support
Please keep praying for me and I will continue to pray for each of you!   Last week we received  22 more missionaries and next transfer we are getting 25. This mission is growing and the work is continuing on just as it should be, Pray to have our own missionary experiences---it will change you life!!!  This is my first post in 78 days.  It's good to be home!!!!

"After much tribulation come the blessings"

Kiara made this sweet sign for Mom

Dear Friends and Family,

(D&C 58:3,4)

“Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet , cut is nigh at hand.”

We are home and feel so blessed in every way. We recently had our good friend Reverend Tom Albin from the Methodist Church come and speak to our missionaries during a transfer meeting. Sister McKee and I have been meeting with him over the last few months while he has worked to duplicate our missionary program. (By the way he asked one day how we motivate the missionaries to want to do so much. I replied , They are motivated because they know that they have been called by a living prophet , and that is very difficult to duplicate. He smiled and winked and said, “You have a point there.”)

Anyway in his presentation to our missionaries , he complimented them on their dedicated efforts to go out and do something that showed what they believed in. He complimented them for coming out two years and serving in such a dedicated manner. He then taught them that over the next two years they would experience something that was greater than knowledge. He explained that their experience here teaching and inviting others to Christ would be impossible to describe but that they would feel it. It would be absolutely greater than knowledge to them and extremely important for them throughout their whole life. They would reflect on what they had felt over and over. I knew that he was absolutely right. As we experience certain feelings in  life by going through certain challenges our knowledge grows but it is a feeling that is greater than knowledge itself. It comes from the heart.

Over the last 70 days we have and continue to experience something that is greater than knowledge. We wish that we could describe it to you and it would be impossible. What we can say is that we know, that the Savior is in charge, that this is His work , and that He loves us so much but will never take our agency away or our will to choose how to process or handle each situation. As we practice handling each situation the way that the Lord would handle it , our hearts are taught something , “greater than knowledge”, and we will never be the same again.

We love you all and count our relationship with you as heartfelt and something “greater than knowledge” itself. Thank you again for your prayers and your love and your faith.

William McKee family