Feliz Cumplianos!

Fire Cake, Yummmmmmmmmm!

My comp made me a homemade Nutella cake for my birthday

20 years old!!

Turns out I am writing today even though it’s not my p-day!  hahahahahahaha   We just got word yesterday that we have to write today-- super fun!  

Well, I’m not sure what to write about!  We talked like 3 days ago and nothing’s happened since then. hahahah   All is well, still.  This week we are thinking of making a trip to Ajusco on our prep day which will be Friday.  We want to hike Eagles Peak which is really famous and will let us see the whole, whole, whole city!  So we will see if it happens.  We are working hard and trying to find new investigators.  That’s the goal.

My birthday was awesome.  I got a few calls from friends here in the mission that remembered my b-day and the lady who we ate with didn’t know, but then my comp told her and she went and bought a cake. hahahaha   I feel bad about that, haha, and I also got a few presents from people in my district so it was real fun and I was happy people remembered.

Tonight I have my first district meeting with my new district and I’m real nervous, but hey I’ve been doing these meetings for over 6 months, so it’s not really anything new.  

All is well--just plugging along and trying to be a good boy.

LOVE you guys like crazy.   Keep up the awesomeness.

Love,

Elder McClure

From his Mission President's wife.

  The lake in my area - there's turtles.

Mi amigo, Elder Galindo (from Honduras).

Ho, Ho, Ho!!

Skype Call with Riley - A Great Christmas Gift!

Too fun!!!

WOW!  I apologize for not writing more on Monday!  I only had a minute to set a time for Skyping with my fam on Christmas day … which is today.  And yes, today is my p-day.  P-day on Christmas ... not bad … not bad.

I’m betting a few of you (mostly my fam) are dying to know where I am right now -- what my new area is like and who my new comp is.   Well, time to spill the beans.  My new area is called Hidalgo, in the Contreras Stake.  It’s a sweet area and the ward is the best ward in our mission with like 250 or so active people.

My new comp, Elder Cumbe, is from Equador and is a real sick-nasty awesome dude!  We get along super, super well and work good together.  He has 16 months in the mission so far and I’m so, so, so, so thankful that his accent isn’t bad.  I understand him real well!

My new district consists of my comp and I and 6 sister missionaries. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I’m not a fan. Sisters always bring trouble!  haha   But no, not really.  All these sisters are really nice and really cool and hopefully won’t be too much of a handful.

On Monday we had a mission Christmas party.  We had 3 zones there and I loved it! There was tons and tons of food and tons of sports and we watched Frozen … although it was in Español, which means it wasn’t nearly as good.  We also did a zone skit and I was a body guard for Santa and really didn’t do much, but it was really funny.  The talent show was incredible and President Mecham sang for us.  That was the only time I cried—but yes, I cried.

Yesterday my comp played guitar all morning and I sang (just in our house) and it was awesome.  I took videos and I’d love to share them, but I can’t until I get home in a year.  Then in the evening we went caroling with the zone in a huge shopping center and handed out like a million pass-along cards and 200 pamphlets of the Restoration.  It was so much fun and I took videos of that too.  It was truly a success which was cool because I didn’t think it would be.  Then at night we ate with a family and played a game involving freckles and drawing freckles on other people’s faces.  It was so funny and fun and we had permission to stay out late.   We got home at like 10:30ish--so fun!

This morning I woke up, tore open my package from the fam and then played music and sang in the shower till it was time to go to the chapel (which is like right down the street) to go play volleyball and eat hot dogs for like 6 hours with the zone!  SO FUN!  Now I’m here … waiting to Skype with my family--writing a bit and smiling real big.  I love this Christmas time and the spirit that’s here.  All the Mexicans are super nice during this time of year and everyone says “Feliz Navidad” to you in the streets!

Of course this is a time to think of and remember the Savior, what He did for us, and how, thanks to Him, each one of us has hope--hope to change, hope to be happy every moment and the hope to live again in the presence of our Heavenly Father. What a Blessing!  I love my Savior.  He’s my older brother and my best friend.  This time of year has made me reflect on my life and where I have been and where I am now.  Tomorrow is my 20th birthday.  How proud I am to say that I have dedicated the entirety of my last teen age year in my life to the service of my Lord.  This past year I have come to know Him.  I have grown closer to Him than ever before and because of that, I have grown in the most incredible ways. The mission is the most amazing experience any 18 or 19 year-old could dream of.  I am SO grateful for this opportunity to serve.

In the past few days a handful of people have called my comp and me Angels.  I cannot tell you how much I love hearing that--not because I like "credit" or because I like being recognized, but because what a blessing it is to see how they have been blessed by the Lord through his humble servants and afterword recognize it!  WOW!  I do not claim any glory.  The glory is all His. I am simply a humble instrument in His hands, and heck, I love being an instrument.  For the rest of my life I will seek to be that instrument--the one that serves and sings and is happy every day of his life.  It is only possible to achieve if we live a Christ-like life and seek to do His will over our own.  I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.  He has called me here, to the Mexico Mexico City South Mission to serve his children and bring them unto Him. I am an instrument in His hands and I will do what He commands.  I glory in my Savior and I love Him with all my heart.

I hope and pray you all have had a wonderful Christmas morning and that in this new year each and every one of you can be an instrument in the hands of the Lord and help someone find their way back to Him.

I love you all,

Elder McClure

Late and Brief . . .

He doesn't really wear glasses.  Silly boy . . .

Riley didn't send much today and it came late this evening.  His Preparation Day was changed this week, but he didn't say when it will be.  He only had a moment on the internet to tell us this much:

"Right now I'm a little sick ... a cold I think.  But hopfully I can get over it.  We had our [mission Christmas] party today and it was a blast!!"

We plan to Skype on Christmas day. If Riley sends anything more, we'll update the blog.  

Just before his last haircut.

One Awesome Week!

One Year!

"I got a bunch of new ties, 5 pesos each."

Hey Everybody,

WOW, we are talking one AWESOME week!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOO!

Let me explain: First, its Christmas time. Wow I love it.

2nd, it was just an awesome week!!!!!!!!!!

At the beginning of the week my comp and I set a goal to teach 40 lessons. That’s the goal that the mission has for every companionship for every week, but let me tell you, it’s hard to get!  In fact I have never had 40 lessons in one week!!!!  But we set the goal with a lot of faith and a lot of good planning and then we went to work!  Tuesday we taught 9 lessons, and on Wednesday we went on splits and I taught 9 and Elder Miller taught 6.  By the end of the week the number of lessons per day had slowed down, but Sunday night we finished our 41st lesson and then called it a week!  WOW!  IT WAS AWESOME!!!!! 

Thursday was my hump day.  It was pretty fun!  We celebrated by going to Tianguis, which is like a swap meet or huge garage sale!  I bought 10 ties for 50 pesos and they gave me an extra just cuz they liked me!  WHAT A BARGAIN!  Then we went to a nice lady’s restaurant and she gave us cake and hot chocolate for freeeeeee!  It was like the best day ever! 

Sunday we didn’t have any investigadors at church but that’s only because we didn’t have church services!  Instead we all attended the temple dedication of the Tijuana Mexico Temple! It was soo incredible and it’s soo awesome to see Pres. Hinckley’s son as the new temple president!  His Spanish is pretty good! 

Last night I got a phone call saying that my time here in Jardines is just about up!  Tomorrow morning we have transfers and I’m headed off to a new area! Elder McNall of my district will be the new district leader and every one in my district is staying, except Hermana Gonzalez because she is finishing her mission tomorrow!  Super crazyyyyyyyyy!

Another highlight of the week for me was setting up the Christmas tree with my converts Rebeca, Fernanda and Sylvia!  We went to their house and helped them set up the tree and decorate it and it was exactly what I needed!  I felt right at home and I just really got going with the whole Christmas spirit!  What a wonderful family they are!

The work here has really exploded as we’ve taught much more lessons. I feel good leaving Elder Miller with what we have.  He will no doubt have much success and many baptisms in the next few months! 

POSOLE! My most favorite dish of Mexico.

My district in total.  We had a great district meeting!

Week 52 - Time is a Flyin'

Riley's ward at the Temple Visitors' Center.

My Mexican grandma, Delia.

Now it feels like Christmas!

Hey Friends,

Wow, it’s DICIEMBRE!!!!!!!!  I can’t believe it!  Time is a flying!

This week was super killer!  Totally got my health back and we worked our bum-bums off and even had 8 lessons in one day.  Then, on Saturday we partied hard by private busing it to the temple with the Ward to see the Visitors' Center and take pics with all the Christmas lights! LOVE IT!

So umm, yeah we taught a ton and got our area up on its feet and then found some new investigadors and found one who is already a member!!!  Let me explain. This guy was baptized, has the priesthood menor (lesser or Aaronic Priesthood), patriarchal blessing, and has done baptisms in the temple and right now he’s technically not a member because some of his information has been lost!!!!!!  So we were asked by bishop to teach him the lessons and baptize him.  It’s pretty awesome.  It is safe to say he’s progressing. He even showed up to church yesterday to bless his month old baby.

The temple was amazing. There were about 2.3 billion people there so we weren’t able to enter and do baptisms, but the Visitors' Center was bomb and the lights just made my whole world light up.  It’s hard to feel the Christmas spirit here in the heat and feel of Mexico, but really at the temple ... it was Christmas and I loved every minute.  Also, like 8 of our investigators came with us to the temple and I got to hang out with Rebeca and Fernanda and a bunch of others, which is so fun to see how much they’ve grown in the gospel.

We got news that our misión Christmas party will be on the 18th and we will be playing sports, doing skits, and watching Frozen!  YAY!   If I stay in the area for the next cambio (transfer) then it’ll be the 18th.   If I get transferred next week I might have it on a different day-- all depends.  I’ll let you know.

An elder in our neighboring district went home this past week and so now there are only 3 elders in that district and so now they are part of mine.  Now I have a district of 9-- pretty exciting! My family just keeps on growing!

All is well, all is fun, all is spiritually uplifting and I’m lots less stressed with an area that is making some good progress!

YAY!  Love you all.

Switchin' it up for the pic.

Crazy puppy!

My companion, Elder Miller.

Great times at the Temple Visitors' Center.

Hot Dog & Cactus Soup for Thanksgiving Dinner!

Moto Taxi (motorcycle taxi) - super sketchy, but so fun and cheap.

Zone Conference on Thanksgiving Day.

SO, I’m hopin’ that Turkey Day was baller (the best) for y’all.  Here ... well ... let’s just say I had to remind my whole zone that it was Thanksgiving. We were at zone conference and like no one remembered and I was like “whatttt, come on.”   I love Thanksgiving, but yes, this year I celebrated with hot dog and cactus mixed with other funky stuff in a soup. Go Us!

This week was baller -- it really was.  Monday we visited Xochimilco, which was super fun, but I already talked about that.  Tuesday we did service and prepped the church for our Christmas activity of decorating the outside with lights.  It was a blast!  Then Wednesday I was sick with a cold, fever thing.   Thursday was zone conference and I listened to all my leaders talk about changes in the mission and how to better our missionary efforts.  Friday was all day with the zone leaders in their area doing intercambios (exchanges) and I had a blast doing that.  Saturday we had an area attack in another area so we helped with that.  It’s like we send the whole zone to one area to visit all the inactives and help them return to the church.  Saturday night we had our small Christmas program and my district sang at that and then lit up the front of the church with Christmas lights--super fun!  And Sunday, church and another area attack in another area.  So, fun it has been!

We also found 8 new investigadores this week and have 3 with a baptismal date, so we will see how it goes. Things are slowly pickin’ up.  I love visiting with old friends.  This is the perfect time of year.  There’s a lot of love and a lot of food and good things getting done.

So the biggest and greatest news I’ve got is this ... I’M GOING TO THE TEMPLE ON SATURDAY!!!!!!!   Let me explain.  The whole ward is renting buses and going to the Temple visitor center which is awesome cuz all our investigators are going to go too, and it’s gonna be a party. But on top of that, I GOT PERMISSION TO GO AND DO BAPTISMS FOR THE DEAD WITH MY CONVERTS  REBECCA,  FERNANDA  AND SILVIA!!!!!  YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAAYY!   I am soooo happy!  This is the greatest early Christmas present I could ask for!  Love it! 

Anywho, that’s my week.   Work is good, the ward is good, my health is improving ... life is good. Hope FOCO (Fort Collins) is doing good, too.  Enjoy the cold while you have it--I’m sweating sooo bad right now.

President & Sister Mecham are bakers, by profession.  So, missionaries always get muffins!

Missionaries put up Christmas lights for a ward activity.

AHHHH STRESSSSS!!!!!!!!

We went to Xochimico today with our old friends that are still in Ajusco. They have canals there and it's super famous and real pretty.  We bought carnitas for lunch and had a grand old time.

The Monday night STRESSFULLLLLLL district meeting!!  

Hello family and friends!

It is Monday, the 23rd of Noviembre and today is a very special day.  Let me explain:

So, if all goes well and I don’t get super sick or get diabetes or break my face or some other bone ... I will be returning home from my mission 1 YEAR from today—exactly one year, baby.  Crazzzzy.  That is not to say that I have been one year in the mission already, because I haven’t (he went out on Dec 10) -- but one year from today is my release date.  Let’s all hope I don’t go home any sooner than one year because I really don’t want any of those bad things, especially breaking my face. 

Ok, this week has been a week!   Lots of hard work and lots of walking and wow this Iztapalapa sun is a killer!  We worked hard finding 3 new investigators and had 2 that attended church--not bad!   There’s always room for improvement, but hey, I’m happy.   The craziest thing that happened last week was our district meeting last Monday night.   I was already nervous as it was having the meeting with my new district (6 of us in total, 4 elders and 2 sisters).   Sisters scare me and this is the first time I’ve had to work with sisters in the mission.  So I was stressed.   After preparing a good lesson I felt a little more confident but still, real nervous!  We arrived at the church and outside waiting for us were our 2 sisters standing and chatting with the zone leaders.  They also share our building so I was like huh, that’s nice. After a quick chat with them it came to my attention that they planned to also be in my district meeting! AHH, STRESS!!   Then a district leader and his comp from a neighboring area showed up saying their whole district was sick and so they were crashing my meeting!   AHH STRESS!!   So now there are 10 of us all in this district meeting.   AHH STRESS!   But then just as we all get seated and are about to start the meeting, President and Sister Mecham walk in.   AHHHHH STRESS!!!!!!   Sooo, long story short, my first district meeting in Jardines and I had half the zone and all my leaders all sittin’ there watching me like a hawk.   AHHH STRESS!   Thank goodness I planned a good meeting!   Wow, what a stressor.   Anywho, it was rough, but I’m glad it’s over with.   Now I can breathe.

All is well.  I’m much less stressed.  My district is cool and we have a ton of plans and activities planned this week including a zone conference on Thanksgiving!   What a blessing!   I’m just so thankful!   I’m so grateful for all the emails I got this week from people I haven’t heard from in almost a year and for my family that is just so awesome in supporting me while I work my bum-bum off in the heat of Mexico.  I’m so thankful for the chance to be back here in Jardines, and help rescue a few people that have drifted away in the past 5 months.   This truly is the work of the Lord and with that in mind, nothing is impossible.

Thank you all for the support.   You are in my prayers.   Keep rocking.

My old district.

My new district.

Wow, What a Wowzer Week - Deja Vu

November 16, 2015

 

Good-bye to a friend in Ajusco!

Hey all,

Wow, what a wowzer it has been.  Changes were the weirdest thing everrrr.  Let me explain:

With both my comp and I leaving we had to put all our luggage in our branch president’s car so he could drive us down the mountain and then we took the bus to where our mission offices are. Weird, but it was ok. Just one more scary ride down the mountain ... and like I’ve said ... these rides are WAY better that Six Flags or Disneyland.  So we get to the offices/chapel and get seated and all and just get ready for the opening song and prayer before Prez talks to us and then we all find out where we are going.  Then as all that happens he reads out, "And in Jardines, Iztapalapa, we have Elder McClure as District leader and his comp will be Elder Miller."  It was like a WHA HUH QUE?!¡?!   I’m going back to where I started my mission and already spent 6 months of my mission??????  But yep, that’s how it is folks.  I thought it was a joke, but it ain’t. 

So I’m STILL with my comp Elder Miller, I’m BACK in my old area, I’m REOPENING an area (which means we came to nothing) and there are SISTERS in my District!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It’s been quite the stressor.  So we took 2 trips in a taxi getting all our stuff to Iztapalapa and our house was ransacked/trashed so we had fun cleaning all that up.  Iztapalapa is the most dangerous city in our mission, and they put sisters in the test run to see if they’ll be OK there because we are receiving tons of sisters and they don’t have anywhere to put them.  So they are trying it out here in my ward and I’m supposed to look out for them and show them around cuz supposedly I know the area--super crazy. 

It’s been a real stressor, but it’s been fun to see all my old converts! Everyone at church saw me and just started laughing ... cuz I’m back.  So really I don’t know.  It’s just been super, super crazy and I’m not sure how it’s all going to work out.  That's been my week -- crazyyyyyy.  The good news is that I was able to contact 2 old investigadors of mine and they both went to church yesterday!   Soooo, pretty awesome!  I love investigadors at church!

Also, yesterday at church was the Primary program for our ward!  Oh man, just have to throw in here how it made me miss my Primary class soooo much!  It was just about a year ago when I was able to be up on the stand with my class singing them great songs and just feeling like a kid again!  Primary programs are the BEST! 

But yeah, that’s about it.  Jardines again baby.  Here I go!

The Covenant Path (that leads back to God)

The Covenant Path (for all you  English speakers)

Farewell Ajusco!

November 9, 2015

My district . . . until tomorrow morning!

Note:  Gonna have to say sorry ... this computer won’t download pictures.  Don’t know why, the USB inlet must not be working.  Sorrrryyyyyyyyy

LOVE YOU

Hey guys, 

Wow.  Emotions are high.  Why is leaving an area so exciting but so sad at the same time?  To leave the hills and cows and sheep and grass ... my time here feels so short.  How can I go?  Really I am excited to see who my next comp will be and my new area and ward—back to the city.   But the more and more I think about it ... I’m gonna miss this Ajuscan place.  I love it here. The people are a little crazy, but hey, I’ve been told I’m a little crazy by a number of people myself--so what’s the difference.  I love Ajusco.  Don’t wanna go, but hey, the Lord’s in charge. I’m just his simple servant.

Ending this cambio (transfer) has been really fun.  The energy in the branch and the respect towards us missionaries has exploded.  We joke so much with the members.  They are now willing to work with us to visit our people.  They want to feed us every day.  It’s just great.  What a transformation I have seen here.  It’s not perfect ... but it’s good and I can work with good. 

My area is being whitewashed (all four missionaries are leaving Ajusco).  We don’t know why.  I don’t know why my son, Elder Miller, isn’t staying but maybe it’s because they are changing us out with sisters--who knows.  So tomorrow morning at 7:00 we make our journey for the last time down the mountains to cambios where we meet our new comps and go to our new areas.

My heart is full, really it is. Charity has played a huge part in my life recently--charity towards my comp, my district, the members, my investigators, my leaders.  It’s funny how it works.  It comes so naturally.  How lucky I am to be a missionary at this time. There’s nothing else I’d rather be doing. 

We’ve been having fun and working hard.  My comp got a gingerbread house from his parents and doesn’t have room to take it to his new area so we made it and have devoured many, many, many chocolates that his parents also sent him.  We cooked today with the other elders and we’ve sung a lot recently.  We are just doing so good.  My last district meeting tonight will be hard--many tears will be shed, many testimonies borne and a whole lot of manly missionary hugs. I’m going to miss Elder Jarrett and Elder Mayoral and Elder Miller so much.  What great guys!

All is wel l... just a little emotional.  For sure I’ll let you know where I’m at in a week from now with my new comp, and preachin’ the word in a new area. 

I love my mission.

Elder McClure

"Now, That's the Power of the Mission!"

November 2, 2015

HELLO!

Wow, I love me them weeks that keep flying and keep rocking!!!  So today our Mexican friend made us this weird dish that consists of ground beef that isn’t cooked with heat but cooked with lemon juice ... so pretty much I ate a bunch of lemon tasting raw meat.  It was nasty and so we were talking and laughing how we might end up back in the hospital and then we realized that we went to the hospital September 15, and now it’s NOVEMBER!  WOW, time flies!  But really I could end up back in the hospital ... the food was nasty.  Say an extra prayer for me, would ya?

So much has happened and I just love it all.  I can’t tell you how many ghost stories I’ve heard this week. Mexicans really are into their dreams and just weird stuff, especially with Day of the Dead and all.  Did you know their Halloween lasts 3 days?  Way too long in my opinion.  That’s 3 days of us running-from-drunk-guys too many.  One thing I’ve learned about little pueblos or little towns like Ajusco is that most people are very set in their ways.  It’s hard for them to change.  I don’t know why that is, but I’ve met some very hard to help people while being up here.  Nevertheless, I absolutely love it up here.  I can breathe and I can wake up in the morning and see sheep right outside my window and smell the fresh poop smell drifting through the cracked window.  Really life doesn’t get any better than this!

So that piñata we had ... ya, we broke it.  We beat it silly and it was sooo much fun.  I have a 10 min. video of it that I’d love to send home, but videos don’t send ... sad stuff. 

We didn’t get to meet with our investigator this week and he didn’t come to church.  I’m pretty bummed, but there’s not a whole lot I can do.  I’ve done what I can.  Now it’s up to him. 

Oh, I totally needed new shower sandals ... sooo I totally got the sickest shoes for 9 bucks!!!  They are like Crocs, but better and super stylish.  I fit in here too well.   I’m pretty much Mexican. 

Anywho, that’s my week for ya.  Life’s going good--no real complaints, just happiness.  Now, that’s the power of the mission!

Sheep outside my window.

Eating raw meat with lemon juice.

My new sick shower shoes!

Transforming Ajusco

October 26, 2015

 

Man this week has been a week, let me tell ya--like a whole week, nothing more,... and nothing less.  I feel weeked out.  Good thing it’s Monday and it’s a new week!

What happened this week?  Hmm ... I’d say a lot, but really man my mission brain is making every week and day seem the same and just like it’s missionary work and then before you know it you’re writing home again and you’re all like well ... it’s been another week.  Yup, a week it has been.

Ahh, week 11 with my son Elder Miller!  If you didn’t know, training takes 12 weeks ... sooo ... ya week 11 is a big week.  He is in charge of all planning for the week and also pretty much he’s like senior comp.  It’s pretty nice, really.  I’m just gonna sit me back and see how he does.  I’m sure he´ll do fine. He’s a smart kid.  But man another training almost done.  It’s funny to see I’ve been out almost a year and only had one 6 week change where I wasn’t training or being trained. Wow.

I bought me some sick new kicks this week--just in time for the rain!  They are Flexi brand and are super sick.  Paying 650 pesos was one of the hardest things to do in my entire life, but then after I did the math and found really I only spent 43 bucks and got a sick pair of shoes and I’m rocking them.

Thank goodness this hurricane thing didn’t hit us all at.  We got some rain and some cool fog, but that’s it.  All is safe and sound.

My comp had to go to immigration again this week, so I spent all of Thursday chillin’ in the offices chattin’ with the office elders.  Man them office elders have a boring life.  After about 2 hours I was going insane.  This time there was no puzzle for me to do and Prez was at conferences, so really man, bored I was.

Our investigator Antonio is pluggin’ along!  He’s got 5 weeks in the chapel which makes him dunkin’ ready, but we still have a lot to teach and he won’t commit to a date.  It’s hard and frustrating, but hey I’m just glad I have someone to teach.

After spending almost 3 changes in this mountainous town I’ve felt a little down with seeing how little I’ve done--not one baptism, few lessons every week ... the whole shabang.  But really, this week I’ve been able to see with new eyes and from a different view and wow, how blessed I have been!  When I got here the missionaries had no relationship with the branch.  There was just a lot of fighting with the leaders and really just bad feelings all around.  Now we are finally involving the members in the work, people actually kind of respect us, we have ward councils, and we have a ward mission leader.  Things are actually happening.  Maybe I wasn’t good for the baptisms up here in Ajusco, but I’m so grateful to have played a small role in helping transform the branch. That right there is worth 4.5 months of my life, for all service is good in the eyes of God.

Elder Jarrett’s B-day was this week.  My comp and I went all out with a Mexican piñada.  Still haven’t broken it, but yeah ... it’s pretty sweet.  We know how to party here in Mexico.

All is well.  I’m safe and happy and hittin’ the pavement ... well dirt ... hard with them new shoes I gots myself.

Elder McClure

Lovin’ it