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