I Love My Hat!!

Perisur Mall with Elder Perez, a fellow missionary.

People say I look like Indiana Jones with my hat!

Well, I’ve sat here for a good long while now trying to think of something to share for the blog and you guys (the family).  I have no clue--nothing fun or good has happened that I can think of that’s worth mentioning.  It was just a week of hardly no work and lots of me sitting in a chair next to the door with my bag on my lap waiting for my comp to get ready so we could leave the house and preach the word.  But really that’s about all that happened.  Oh, and we went to the offices so my comp could get his passport and then pull money out of the bank.  Pres was there and saw me with my hat.  He just laughed at me for a few seconds.  I guess to him I looked pretty funny with a hat on.  Ha.  I’m doing good--just anxious to get preaching the word like I was made to do.  Sorry for not having anything to report on this week!  Let’s pray that this week is better!

Love you fam!

This kid is only 11 years old!!

I Just Feel Good - Real Good!

Second time to the Mexico City Temple!!

Mango-Man!

This is a twin-sized macho banana.  

Hey Y’all,

All be well herez in Mexicow.

So, first things first.  Supposedly our mission got permisión to wear hats to block out the sun ... and so today … I bought me an old man hat and I look good!  I should have pics of it sent your way by next week.  But I’m wearing it right now as I type and I just feel good--real good.  I look like Dad when he’s out doing yard work.  Ha.

This week was a good one especially because I got to go to the temple for a second time.  Like always...it was awesome!  We also had a stellar zone conference with Pres and we had a water balloon fight and I got me a little wet and I was wearing my suit.  But it’s all good--nothings damaged.  We as a mission are really trying to better the way we teach the day of rest.  That’s what the focus was at the zone conference and really it’s our biggest struggle … getting people to go to church.  Out of a ward of 700-900 members we only have like 90 that attend, which is rough.  We also had stake conference this week and all they talked about was missionary work (something I’m already doing) and getting married—ahhhh … scary stuff, scary stuff.  I’m just glad I still have lots of time left on the mish.  Haha.

Things are going slow in the área.  We just need to get over a little hump in the road, that’s all. But all is well.  We have changes in 2 weeks!  Time’s a flying!

Love you all

Zone Conference

My room.

Hello from Meyehualco!

With new companion, Elder Iglesias, at the internet cafe today.

So my new area’s pretty chill.  It’s a nice small ward (not in boundary lines but in members) and everyone seems to get along with everyone which is a big change and really nice.  We walk a lot.  I don’t know why we walk a lot, but man we do-- A LOT.  And man the cement really heats up here.  Sometimes I feel that my shoes are going to melt off my feet!  The space bar on this darn computer keeps sticking!  AHH!  It’s making me not want to write too much, haha.

We found 7 new people this week to teach.  7!   It was awesome.  And we have 9 people who all have a set baptismal date.  But the bad part is that we didn’t have anyone at church on Sunday.  My comp blames me.  He says it’s all the white guy’s fault.  So, ya I think I brought a little bad luck, but we are hoping to change things around this week.  But yes, we got plenty of work for the moment.

My comp goes home in 3 weeks and so we get to go to the temple on Wednesday!!  AGAIN for me!   WOOOOO!  I’m so excited!  And then we also have a Zone Conference on Friday with Pres and the assistants!  And then Stake conference on Sunday!  Go us!  Lots to do and not enough time to do it!  I love it!

My comp cuts hair … it’s pretty handy.  I saved me a good 40 pesos!  Everyone here in the ward is planning going away parties for my comp.  All I hear all day long is "I’m out of here in 4 weeks", "I’m out of here in 3 weeks and 6 days", "I’m out of here in 3 weeks, 5 days and a couple of hours," and so forth.  It’s hard, but fun.  Sending two missionaries home within one month is really hard on a missionary--especially me.  Our ward has no bishop and that complicates things, but we figure this Sunday at stake conference we will get a new one. 

Tomorrow we are eating fish.  I’m so excited!  It’ll be like the 2nd time in 2 years!   WOOOOOOOOO

All is well.  Back to work.

Love,

Elder McClure

Riley's companion and their apartment on the 3rd floor

A Big Weekend - Mother's Day Skype

Elder McClure, Santi (Santiago) who Riley thinks should marry Kacie, and Elder Crawford, going home tomorrow.

Loving our Skype time with Elder McClure

Three brothers - Brennan is with us by phone. Riley was TOTALLY surprised that Shawn was with us for the Skype call.

Agua

Talking to the Fam yesterday was incredibly wonderful!  The only sad part was that it was my last call home before I end my mission.  Time flies.

This last week was my last week with Elder Crawford.  He’s the man!  We really had a great time together and worked good together.  We finished off our time together with Megan’s baptism.  It was a sweet experience!  She’s a 15-year-old who we found while visiting a family that’s already members of the church.  She’s very shy and it was obvious it was hard for her to talk to us at first but in that first lesson with her I asked if she believed in God.  She said she wasn’t sure and so I invited her to pray about it in a very specific way and to tell me how it went the next time we visited her.  Well the next time I was at her house the first thing I did was ask her if she had done her homework.  She said yes.  I asked if she received an answer and she said yes.  She had a wonderful spiritual moment while praying to our Father in Heaven and the Holy Spirit testified to her that she really had a Father in Heaven who loves her and is watching over her.  After that experience she listened to us more intently.  She always did her homework that we gave her and she progressed very quickly towards baptism.  What a wonderful experience. 

So, now Elder Crawford is in the mission offices waiting for his parents to arrive in Mexico in just a couple of hours.  I had special changes today at 1pm and am now in a new stake with a new comp who is also about to go home.  He goes home at the end of this change and his name is Elder Iglesias and he’s from Honduras.  So life is real different now.  I’ve left the paradise of Hidalgo and I’m back in the Iztapalapa area.  I’m back in the Hood.  All is well.  I’m just a little sad from having to say goodbye to everyone in my old ward.  They were wonderful and so helpful and so full of faith.  I left many, many good, good friends and I’m already anxious to know when I will be able to see them again.  My comp here has told me that there’s a lot of work here to do.  We should be having many baptisms and that the members here are also great helpers in the work of the Lord.

All is well.  Happy Mother’s Day to all y’all mothers but especially to my mother who has taught me since my early years to be a Servant of the Lord. 

Elder McClure 

Saying good-bye to the Fam Palafox

More good-byes

Megan's baptism this past weekend.

Cookie Fun!!

Hey Y’all! 

It’s been a good week. I feel like it’s all been the same and really nothing’s changed all that much … but it’s been good.

We worked good and hard and taught 30 lessons and are hopeful to have a baptism this Saturday. Her name is Megan and she’s 15 and super awesome.  She’s very well prepared and has gained a strong testimony of the existence of God and His love for her.  I’ll try writing more about her next week, after an awesome baptismal service!  Hope all works out!

My comp and I got permission last Tuesday to go to the mission house and spend the night with all the other elders that were going home the next day!  It was soo fun!  We first had a really special testimony meeting in president’s house and then we all went to a buffet for lunch.  It had all-you-can-eat sushi, so I was pretty happy.  Then we spent the night at the yellow house—super awesome!  We had a huge feast of grilled meat and then stayed up till 4:30 sharing cool mission stories.  At 4:30 the van came to send these elders to the airport and my comp and I got to crash for 2 hours before getting up and going to our area and working for the day.  It was definitely crazy and all, but really worth it just sharing this last experience with these elders. I know almost all of them that went home and many are great friends. The hardest was saying good-bye to my good friend Elder Marsh who was my first district leader here in the mission and helped me out a bunch.

Any-who, all is well.  I’m happy and just getting ready to baptize again and help more people come unto Christ.  We are trying to work with the bishop more in our ward and get more help from the leaders in our area.  Right now we feel really alone in the missionary work and that’s just not OK.

All be well.  Can’t wait for Mother’s Day!  Ahhhhhhhh, Skyping with the fam.

Love,

Elder McClure