My Joy is Full!!

My District!  My companion on the left.

July 20^th, 2015

2nd week in Ajusco and I do believe I’m acclimating real well!  So much has happened and soo much hasn’t happened this week that I think I might just be good to call it a post right now.

Nah . . . so first a little bit more info--my comp, Elder Sierra, is from Colombia . . . not Columbia. (Supposedly there is a difference.)   He has 17 months in the mission and is probably the skinniest kid I have ever met.  He’s buying special protein to help him gain weight ... I wish I had that problem!

Ajusco is high in altitude (9600 feet) and absolutely beautiful.  There are ponies and moomoos and sheep and grass and fields and even a little bike trail (if only we had bikes) and volcanos and hills (lots of hills) and really it is just the cutest little giant pueblo you ever did see!  My calves have never hurt so bad in my life and the bus ride down the mountain to get to the city is about as life-threatening as rafting class 1billion rapids!   I LOVE AJUSCO!

 This week we worked hard trying to build up our area.  The truth is that when I got here this area was dead.  Now we have a few investigatores and a few future-investigatores and this week looks promising!  I’m really learning how to talk to everyone and how to understand a Colombian accent.  In all my emails I got this week people said how my Spanish must be getting so much better with an all-Hispanic district.  Oh, how I wish you all were right!  HAH!   I haven’t learned one new thing of Spanish.  Sadly my whole district says I’m already good with Spanish and so they won’t help me.  Elder Galindo from Honduras is fluent in English and he won’t help me!  I asked him to correct me when needed and he was all "ehhh, you’re fine".   So yeah, my Spanish might go a little downhill but at least I have Elder Galindo to talk to in English every now and then, so I don’t forget the basics of English. 

Oh yeah, also this week I went with Elder Galindo in his area for intercambios and it was real fun because he knows a ton about American movies and he kept me entertained for a whole 24 hours with lines from movies and just funny American stuff that I’ve missed a lot.  Also this week both my comp and I were down with a cold which was a little rough, but now we are doing much better and ready to work. 

Hmmmm . . . what else?  I had my first interview with my new Prez this week and my whole idea of missionary work was changed!   That man is truly inspired!  I love him!  He taught me how to love the people and after loving them the rest falls into place.  It’s something I might possibly be lacking so I’m super grateful for this insight and help from Prez.  It was such a powerful interview, we were both crying and wow the Spirit was so strong.  This past week was a bit slow, but things are picking up here in Ajusco and I’m ready to give it all I’ve got.   Missionary work is so rewarding--so hard and stressful and painful at times, ya ya ya; but so so so rewarding.  Oh how I love it all . . .even when it’s hard.   When it’s hard I learn even more so really, always it’s a winning situation.  I’m grateful to be here in Ajusco serving and giving it all I got.

My joy is full!

Elder McClure

My Branch President's daughter and her friend.