South of the Border Fever!!

 May 25, 2015

Hello from Mexico!  I firstly want to say that I’m sorry, but I’m not going to write a big email today.  I have a fever and I feel very poorly and I don’t have much energy;  but I figured I still needed to get here to the internet cafe and write you guys so you don’t think I’m dead!   I’m doing great.   My week was great and cambios (transfers) are tomorrow;  but I’m not leaving.  Elder Marsh is, though.  So, I’m kinda bummed but it’s all good.   I got 6 more weeks in this area and then I’ll finish the training and leave this area!  I’m sure it’ll fly by!   Technically, this is my 6 month mark on the mish, but I don’t count the CCM, so really I have 4.5! 

But yeah, I ate a lot of tacos this week (probably why I’m sick) and we caught a caterpillar, but I’m pretty sure it’s dead now.  The other elders in our ward had a baptism Saturday so this Sunday we had 3 people get confirmed.   It was sooo great!   Yeah, life’s real good and time is flying by!  This place is a desert, so it gets chilly at night, but in the sun during the day it’s so hot I wanna die.   Even if it says it’s only like 85 ... it’s hot and we walk a tonnnnnn!   But yeah, all is well and Elder Walker is coming along just fine with his Spanish!   Can’t believe we are half way done with his training!

The temple looks so beautiful and rich!!!  (We sent him pictures of the under-construction Fort Collins Colorado Temple.)  My heck! I can’t wait to go there someday!

Keep me in your prayers so I can get better fast!   I don’t like being sick ... I just wanna work!   Is that too much to ask for?!

Love you guys!  Keep it up and parents ... good luck with Nauvoo!   So jealous I’m not there, but man I’ll be with you guys in spirit!

Elder McClure

Ba, Ba Baptism!!

BAPTSIMS!  What, what, what ... what a wonderful day!

Por Fin!  (At last!)

Another week come and gone!  Time’s flying by so fast!  I’m almost half way done being a dad (senior companion) and I just can’t believe it!   We’ve had a ton of success this week with a ton of powerful lessons and yesterday (Sunday), the baptism of Pedro and Sacnite!  Oh man, we are just doing so swell. I’m loving it so, so much!

This week we “got destroyed with rain” as my comp likes to say it!  It rained every day and it was very refreshing!  I love the rain!  In reality it just smears all the trash and grossness around, but I like to think of it as like, hey this place isn’t as dirty as it used to be!  We have 3 or 4 investigators progressing really well right now and lessons that are wow so good.   Sooooo good that we got tears fallin’ and all!  Also, we started teaching a family of a mom, dad and 3 daughters and they own a taqueria, and so after we teach them they give us free tacos and wowwie, wow, wow I sure do love tacos! 

Pedro and Sacnite were baptized on Sunday and it was so cool to baptize a family!!!  They don’t have kids yet, but man, still a family.  I baptized Sacnite and my comp baptized Pedro!  It was so great to have both of us be able to baptize!  We had a ton of support from the ward and the service was one of the best I’ve ever seen!  And the water was a solid lukewarm, so I can’t even complain!  These past few weeks I’ve learned a lot about keeping the end in mind.  That’s hard to do, not something I like to do really, but with this situation at hand I absolutely love it!  The thought that I can go to the Temple sealing of Pédro and Sacnite in a year from today makes me just about the happiest person in the whole wide world!  Also this week I’ve been studying in the Book of Alma a lot and just like how it talks in Alma 29 verse 10, I can see so much more of the blessings in my own life and I watch people like Pedro and Sacnite make these covenants con (with) God!   It’s truly spectacular and I really am so, so blessed.  The mission’s the best.

Also this week we bought a house plant to help liven up the place!  I figure the Spirit will be more present if we have more life in that small little casa of ours!

This morning we got up super early and hiked a hill that overlooks the city!  It’s huge – not the hill – the city!  We were able to see the sunrise and it was so beautiful!  For the first time in 4 months I was able to walk on actual dirt, with trees around me and life and not cement ... I am one happy boy!   In order to get to the hill we took a bus for a long time and then we fit 7 people in a tiny taxi.   With this I was on Elder Marsh’s lap in the front seat and there’s a lot of speed bumps here and man that was one of the worst car rides of my life!  But hey, we totally saved on $! 

We don’t have any baptisms planned for this week, but Hermana Fernanda should be coming up in about 3 Saturdays from now!  Super stoked for the work!  I love seeing the change that comes from this glorious gospel!

Elder McClure

Service to other missionaries!

Miracles Happen!

Skyping with Riley!

Don’t have a ton of time to write, but I would like to share a little somethin’ that happened this past week.

Before I share though ... let me SHOUT OUT to my great fantastic Beautiful and very patient mother with the knowledge that yesterday was the greatest day of them all! EL DIA DE LA MADRE

Skyping my family was just about the greatest present I could have had this past week, but as I think, there’s also something else that I learned that was just about as amazing.  I’m talking miracles.  Miracles are hard to grasp.  They seem rare and I’m sure that if you looked closer ... or maybe stood farther back and had a better perspective of life, maybe they wouldn’t be so hard to see ... but either way, this week I have witnessed a miracle.

About 2 weeks ago we were teaching a lesson to 2 of our investigators, Pedro and Sacnite, (who will soon be 2 of our converts) about the priesthood and the power behind this authority that we have on the earth.  During the lesson we brought up administering to people, giving priesthood blessings, if they ask;  and at this comment Sacnite asked if her mother could have a priesthood blessing and that her mother had been asking if that’s something we could give her as missionaries.  We agreed of course and her mother came upstairs and explained to us a little of why she needed this blessing.  Her sister’s child had been abducted and the ransom fee was 1,000,000 American dollars.  She was a mess and very emotional and obviously worried about her sister and family, so we readily gave her a priesthood blessing of comfort to help her in this very, very difficult time.

In the blessing I had a very strong prompting to tell Sacnite’s mother that everything would be OK.  I didn’t know what that meant, and I didn’t really want to say it because I didn’t want to say something that strong!  Heck, I don’t even know Spanish, but I said it.  I said it 3 times in a row. Afterward, she thanked us deeply and told us she felt much peace during the blessing.

So back to this week, this week we had another lesson with Pedro and Sacnite and they told us the news that the abducted girl was rescued and was safe and sound, without any harm.  What a miracle!  How incredible!  This is Mexico ... the police don’t even help with situations like this.  The probability of her being brought home was slim.  But somehow, without having to pay 1 million dollars this young girl was saved and is home, safe now.  What a testimony builder that is for me ... and also their whole family as they witnessed this blessing that we gave and then this miracle happening just a few days after.   I have a testimony of the Priesthood!   Through our worthiness, obedience and faith we can witness miracles.  I’m so grateful for this gift that God has given us in this life, this ability to call upon the powers of heaven to bless others.   I know God lives.  He loves us. He’s watching over us and He wants to help us.  Miracles happen. 

With much love,

Elder McClure

 

We were loving it!

Super Wowzers Excited!

Elder Marsh, Elder McClure, Fernanda, Sylvia, Rebecca, Elder Jarrett & Elder Walker

May 4, 2015

I really wanna say something really cool or funny or just plain awesome to start off my letter home, but nothing’s coming to mind ... all I can think is that I’m Skyping home in 5 days!!!! Wooooo and hearing about my Big Boy Matt’s Mission call has got me super wowzers excited! Oh man.  [Matt Hanks was called to serve a mission in Singapore, leaving in July.]

Well, we had us a baptism this past weekend!  Hermana Silvia was baptized in just about the coldest water I’ve ever felt!  We got in and, oh man . . . it was cold!  And as I pulled her up out of the water she was like "AHHH, FRIO, FRIO, FRIO" really loud and it was hilarious!  Afterword she was talking about it and, oh man, she makes me laugh. She reminds me a little of you, Mom ... she’s just so funny and she has many mannerisms like you. It’s great.   I love visiting her!  Then on Sunday, she showed up way, way, way late to Sacrament Meeting and I was so worried she wasn’t going to show!   I’d have to baptize her again, later on in that cold, cold water!

Fernanda (Silvia’s daughter and Rebecca’s sister) is up next for us to baptize!  She’s up in 2 or 3 weeks and we are so excited to have baptized almost a whole family!  They’ve all changed so much in good ways and we love teaching them.  They help us with the language and we help them with the gospel! 

Also, Pedro and Sacnite just found new work and we are SOOOO EXCITED!!!   They can finally go to church now and progress a little more and be baptized in just a bit! 

We have MANY new investigators and we are teaching a whole family!!!! (the best)   They own a taco shop!   WOOO, FREE  TACOS!  hahah   They gave us free tacos last Saturday night .... like ... Fast Sunday night ... that was the hardest thing to accept as we were fasting.   But all is well, we gave it to Pedro and Sacnite as a gift and they really liked it, I think!

All is well.   We are plugging along and learning a lot!   Healthy ... happy ... and teaching like crazy!

Elder McClure, Over and Out

The Best and the Worst!!

Sylvia (Rebecca's mom) who will be baptized and her dog who is reading the Book of Mormon.

April 27, 2015

Mother’s Day is almost here!!!!!   Wooohooooooo

No, I’m not counting down the days....   .....

As a missionary I must not lie.....

I’m totally counting down the days.

But I’m still focused real good on the obra (work) -- real good.   We are working so hard and having a ton of lessons and we are going to be having a baptism for Hermana Silvia (Rebecca’s mom) this week, and oh man we are just doing great!   As the pops (leader) I still have a lot of pressure with teaching and leading and finding house (which is nearly impossible here) and all that jazz.   On top of that is teaching Elder Walker all that he needs to know.   Really the hardest part is still the language, but it’s coming along ... slowly!   We had a bunch of success this week and yesterday (Sunday) in the evening we had 2 crazy, crazy lessons!  The first was one of the most spiritual lessons I’d ever had!   All 4 of us in the room were crying as we taught this man how to pray.   He was just crying and pouring out his heart and it was just incredible!   Oh, how powerful -- definitely one of those lessons where you walk out and just want to yell with all your might "BEHOLD THE POWER OF GOD"!

But then after that we went to the absolute worst lesson I’ve ever had.   It was a situation where each person didn’t want to be there and it was so awkward and we couldn’t leave, but oh how we wanted to and I couldn’t understand anything (because there was no Spirit there) and oh how horrible.   Last night I crashed, I was so, so wiped out.

I introduced a food called tortas to my comp.   They are like sandwiches, but really, really, really bad for you sandwiches and ya ... my comp is hooked.   He loves them so much and I’m afraid we might be eating them quite often this cambio (transfer).  This week I tried grasshopper for the first time -- quite delicious really!  Yum--a nice little crunch and everything!   I’m just happy they weren’t alive!

We had almost 10 first-lesson lessons this week which was good because we have new investigators, but super stressful too, because that first lessons means everything--whether you make it or break it!   I’m hoping we don’t have any more of those for a while!

Still plugging along healthy!  All is well, all is well.  I think Elder Walker and I are going to sing a duet at the baptism ... we´ll see how it goes!

I’m giving a talk in 2 weeks, a 20 min talk in Spanish.  Yup. I know the “in Spanish" part is a given but oh man, it’s still daunting.   Wish me luck. 

Elder McClure, Over and Out

Grasshopper . . . quite delicious, really!  

Another Colorado BIG BOY!

My New Comp, Elder Walker from Cortez, CO

I love this crummy city!

April 20, 2015

Hey ya,

Elder McClure here just living it up in the hottest city there is!   My new comp is really awesome!  His name is Elder Walker and he’s from 4 Corners, Colorado!  Yup that’s right--we 2 Coloradans living life in royal DF (District Federal)!   He’s 6’ 3” and 215 lbs!   We are talking BIG BOY!  haha   He fits right in with us big boys.  haha   I’m sure proud to be the dad of such a big strong young man!

We had much success this week, teaching 32 lessons and learning how to live with each other which can always be a struggle at first.  But we are good and have rocked our time together so far!   He likes to skydive and lives on a farm and drives tractors and had like 3 cars in high school, and it’s safe to say he’s a bit redneck, if you know what I mean.  Haha   We get along fine and really sometimes it’s hard to do my additional study that I like to do because we talk so much, just about random stuff.

Hermana Silvia is set to be baptized in 2 Saturdays and we are super, super excited for this date! Man oh man!   We also have encountered a few new investigators ... one being the family that lives right above us!  We have lots of work to do and we are pumped to get pumpin’!

This week has been a stressor for sure, but really I did good!  The sad part is I was so stressed that I didn’t capture any super funny moments that I could write home about!  Just work, work, work!

Yesterday we had the chance to give 3 priesthood blessings, in one day!   Wow!   We are talking 3!   That’s a lot!   My little Elder McClure self has a hard time handling stuff like that!   That’s waaayyy too much spiritual POW for one day!   But really, what a blessing it was for us to do!   I love being able to truly help people.  It brings such joy and it’s always just a constant reminder of why I’m here and how much I love this crummy city!

Elder McClure is tired and needs a nap and wishes he could take one, but P-day is just about up! Entonces

Elder McClure is out!

Love ya

Pedro & Sacnite with Elder Davis

My last district.  Elder Brown went home. Elder Davis transferred.

Holy Cow! I'm a Trainer Now!

Pineapple Ice Cream inside a Pineapple

People we are teaching.

April 13, 2015

Wow another week has come and gone!    Time just flies--I can’t believe it!  This week has been a week of wrapping up things and goodbyes! 

As of yesterday I finished my training and now I am a beautiful, normal missionary who doesn’t need any special help because I should know everything!   I’m very happy my training is over though, because really you’re just kinda treated like a dummy for those first 12 weeks.   I have completely enjoyed these past 12 weeks with my comp, Elder Davis, and we have had a ton of success together!   Why?   Because we have been exactly obedient and because we have worked our booties off every second of these 12 weeks.   I have no regrets.

I had my evaluation this week and my comp and I were selected to practice with the PRESIDENT!   I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous in my whole life!  I was so scared I have no clue what I said or how it went, but afterward President commented on my Spanish and how good it was and then after we walked away my comp was like, "Holy cow, Elder Mcclure!  We killed it!"  So what a surprise that was for me!  I thought it probably had gone quite horribly, but then again what do I know ... I was not completely all there through it.

Also a bit ago I got bit by a dog ... not bad enough to bleed, but it sure made me a bit angry and for a sec I didn’t think "what would Jesus do" and almost booted that thing out of Mexico.  It was a little mid-sized black dog and it seemed so harmless until at the last second it turned and snapped ... kinda like Satan right?  So since then I’ve been threatening every dog that gets close to me and my leg is ready to boot at any moment!

Fast Sundays are by far the hardest days here on the mission ... It’s one thing to fast, but when its 95 degrees and you’re walking miles and miles and miles ... it gets to the point of dangerous.  Thankfully we are blessed and I feel so much closer to the Lord when I fast.   Fasting is so necessary.   I don’t know what I’d do without it.   I desperately need those blessing that come from fasting.

We got word that my comp is headed for a different area tomorrow and that’s kinda sad to see him leave but we’ve had a killer time together and I’m excited to do the same with my next comp -- whoever he is.

Elder Riley McClure

Mexico City South Mission

Out of training and ready to work!

 

Lots of good times with Elder Davis.