FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!!

Okay I am going to keep this letter short because I am going to talk to you on Wednesday!!!!

But this week was pretty good! We had a bunch of activities for Christmas so it was a little hard to get lessons and stuff but it was fun!!! We had the ward christmas party on saturday and it was a blast! The people here LOVE to dance it's crazy. I am sad because we can't dance and it was the biggest temptation. I wanted to dance so bad. But it was fun. The Elders sang a Christmas song and me and Elder Gringo sang Jingle Bells and everyone loved it. 

This weekend we also had a baptism!! We married the family on friday and then on saturday we baptized the wife. The husband was already a member but super inactive. But they want to go to the temple so they are on the right track!!! The problem here in Peru is there are tons of couples that aren't married but have like three or four kids. Getting married here is super super duper hard and just a pain in the butt. But the mission helps a ton with papers and money and everything works out. It was cool to see the change in them they are so happy right now! 

But one crazy thing happened. Right after the lady we baptized got confirmed on Sunday she started feeling super sick so they took her to the hospital. It turns out she had been pregnant for two months and didn't know it. Unfortunatley she lost the baby. It was just an insane occurance of events but she is going to be okay. She has two little girls already and I dont know if she could handle another. 

I got your package mom!!! HOLY CRAP THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Like for real, that was the best package ever. I love the 12 days of christmas. Best part of my day. It is so cool. You are the best. Thank you so much. And thank you for sending a package for my comp!!! I cant tell you how much he appreicates it. He literally has nothing. like everything he has, has been given to him. Everything. Thank you so much. You have given a 20 year old boy a reason to believe in Santa Claus. And I am being a good boy and I havent opened my presents yet. I am waiting but it is killing me. Thank you so much mom. Like for real. I can't describe it. You're the best. 

But that is all from me this week!!! I can't wait to see you on WEDNESDAY!!!!! WOOOOOO!!!!!! Can't wait. I love you so much!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

Poco a Poco

Love,

Elder McIff

Feliz Navidad! Feliz Cumpleaños! Feliz Vida!

Hey sweet family of mine!!! 

So this week for some reason I am feeling the spirit of Christmas like a ton!!! Like a bunch!! I don't know why but I am always singing Chirstmas carols. Its a little awkward because no one understands english. But I can't believe the snow there mom!!! That is ridiculous! I miss it... Chirstmas in the summer is just not Chirstmas. Its fake, or Bamba. But there are lights and christms trees at every house we go to so I guess it's okay!

I'm super glad that you are going to focus of Christ this season. I am doing the same thing. I realized it is the perfect season for missionary work because it is the season of Christ!!! I am just trying to keep the Spirit of Christ with me in this time. I love Christmas!!! 

This week was another rough one. My comp is now district leader and it is really a stretch for him. He really struggles with his memory and organization and it is really stressing him out. I am trying to help him but he doesn't trust me at all so it's difficult. But I am being patient with him and praying for him and doing all I can to help him out. Even if he doesn't want it. I hope that he can get the hang of it. It is also affecting our work. Our area is now half as small because we got some new missionaries (who are super cool btw, One american about to go home, and a brand new missionary from Ecuador) and now we have to find new ivestigators because right now we only have one. But my comp only wants to talk to members and less actives and I'm just like dude. We have to get inviestigators. Like we have to. And he just ignores me. Its a stuggle. But it is okay! I am trying my best to talk to people and serve the people!!

A cool thing that happened this week was the stake had a Peruvian cultural event!!! It was super awesome. All the wards had a different region of peru to represnt and they got all decked out in tradtional clothing then danced a dance from that region! It was super duper cool to learn more about Peru! Peru is such a cool place. Lima... not so much. It's kind of a hole... But the rest of Peru is Awesome!!!! I hope I get to visit it at the end of my mission! (wink wink).

But this week has been an interesting and trying one but I am learning paticene and learning to trust in my Lord! It is a good experience. 

Awkward: My comp was deathly sick yesterday so we just selpt all day

Awesome: I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!!

Poco a Poco

Love,

Elder McIff

Uhhh... My Spanish is sleeping today

My title should say it all. I AM TIRED! Haha woof, this week was a tough long one! But I'll tell you about it later!

I love that you had a great time in Arizona! I'll be honest, I'm super trunked out right now! Haha but it's okay, I'll get over it! That is so hilarious what Jenni did. That kills me. Is she taller already? She looks like it! I'm sorry y'all got sick! That's no fun! But that happens everytime everyone gets together. I'm not surprised!! Happens everytime. I hope everything went well this week! I am super jealous. Tell Jill that in two years were having thanksgiving at her house again. If she says no just tell her that it will only be me. For some reason the computer cafe smells like turkey so I am DYING! haha. You should hear my Thanksgiving dinner. Thusday night I was on an exchange and the elder I was with doesn't have a pensionitsa that does dinner so we didn't have dinner! So what I did was bought like four panes (little bread rolls, super duper good) some ham, and some mayonaise, and thats what I had for my thanksgiving dinner! Super sad I know but it was super good for some reason!!!

Okay now for my week. WOOF! It was a long rough and tough journey. I don't think I have ever walked more in my life. To start the week, on Tuesday I went on slpits with Elder Carrolll and stayed in his area until Thursday. I returned one night to sleep in my own bed but that was it. And let me tell ya, his area is DEAD! We walked and walked and walked, pretty sure I did trek in a good two days. Luckily his area is completely flat. We hardly taught anything and contacted a lot but no one was really taking the bait. It was rough. But I kind of had a break down with him because I was just super frustrated with my comp and my Spanish and just everything and he made me realize that I just need to take things slow. In my blessing it says I will be a leader in my mission, so I've been trying to become a leader as fast as I can because honestly, I really really like it. But he mad me realize that I just need to take it slow and not try so hard. I've been promised. I don't need to worry about it. So now I am just taking it easy. 

But needless to say I am tired. I wake up tired and go to sleep exhausted. Its sooooo much fun. Haha just kids. But it will get better! Hopefully I get to rest today and gain back some energy. Things are getting better with my comp and I am just trying to be patient with him, even if he isn't patient with me. It will get better!!!

Last night though something super cool happened! I GOT TO PUT UP THE CHRISTMAS TREE!!!!! :))) The family we live with have a tradition that every first Sunday of December they have the elders come and put up Christmas decorations at their house. I honestly can't remeber the last time I was so giddy. I was a little too happy. It was so much fun. We had chirstmas music on and we put up and decorated the chirstmas tree and decoprated the whole house. I felt like I was at home! We couldn't remeber where stuff went, we ahd problems with lights, and Papi was getting frustrated with garland, just like dad!!! It was truly a tender mercy. I loved it so much. I was so happy. 

However I am still super super tired. Haha the one word to sum up this week is Tired. But it will get better!!!

Awkward: Is it awkward that I can't think of an awkard moment?

Awesome: We are getting two more Elders to our area tomorrow!!! Our area is getting slipt and so we are gonna get a lot more help. WOOHOO!!!

I hope you have a wonederful week!!! Get back to school!!! 

Poco a Poco

Love,

Elder McIff

Elder McIff and his beloved Christmas tree. 

Spider Elder??

Cosas estan despesando (I think that's right)

Hola otra vez!!!

So this week I will be honest was super slow. I guess all good things have to come to end right? We didn't have any baptisms and we speant the entire week finding new investigators, which we did! But it was tough. 

Your week sounded awesome! I am so proud of Jessi!!! She looked so happy and so grown up! I've been gone for two months and she already looks differenet! High school.... I will honest, I am super jealous of her Ansah jersey, but jokes on her because I'm gonna be rolling the in soccer jerseys when I get home!! Haha kids kids. I love that you went all out for her recognition night! I'm so  proud of her and you!

Okay so some news from this week, we have five new investigators! And boy are they awesome. I am finally getting my spanish teaching skills down and finally teaching with power and it shows. The difference in their countance at the end of the lesson from the begining is incredible!!! The power of the message of the restoration is real. They realize that there is something more out there other than  the catholic church. Everyone here is catholic here by the way. 

But some cool stories from this week! We knocked on this door of a guy we contacted like two weeks ago and he let us in and we asked him if he had any questions and he said he wanted to know why there were so many churches.... WE STRUCK GOLD!!! we immedietly started teaching the restoration and he was eating it all up! Also his brother came in right after we shared the joseph smith story and we were talking about the Book of Mormon and he was super interested! It was so awesome. The spirit was so strong ad I can't wait to teach him again! 

Another awesome thing happened yesterday. After lunch we were walking back to our room to change out of our suits and we past a house that Elder Ruiz and Elder Carroll (district leader) had contacted a couple days ago and I was like hey lets visit! SO we knock and the person they contacted wasn't there but we asked his sister if we could share a message with her and she was like of course! But I'm very catholic and won't change my religion but I want to hear what you have to say. So we come in and teach the restoration and she was super interested and had a ton of questions, which I answered, in spanish, by the way. At the lesson we gave her a Book of Mormon and Alma 7 to read and said we would be back to teach more! She said that she wouldn't change her religion but at the end of the lesson there was a definite difference. So I am hopeful!!!

But yeah this week was slow but good! I am finally teaching and conversing with people and it is really nice! Hopefully next week we will have more success! But I am having a great time and learning so much!!!!

Awkward: Me and my comp were preesnting in ward council and my fly was down the whole time....

Awesome: I ate shark!!!!!!

I love you and miss you!!!! 

Poco a Poco

Love,

Elder McIff

El Bueno, La Mal, y Bruce Willis

Hey Everyone!!!!

So it is Monday again!!! The day I smile the most because I get to hear from you!!!!  I'm dying for snow right now. For the past week it has just been super overcast, foggy, humid, and cold. Kind of depressing to be honest. It reminds me of March in Utah. Which makes me even more bummed out. Haha but I am trying to keep Utah out of my head! 

I hope the Cougs are killin it in basketball and the family is doing great! I haven't gotten any letters from my aunts and uncles yet. I would like to! I want to know what they are up to! 

Okay now for my week. It was pretty decent! Not as rocking as last week but still pretty good. We ran out of investigators because everyone we talk to gets baptized (totally kidding, absolutely jokes) but we had a hard time catching our investigators because they would bail on our appointments but we kept coming!!! We really focused on less actives this week which is a little harder than investigators because we have to explain to them why they still need to come to church and stuff. This is the problem with the people here. They are so receptive to the gospel and want to get baptized but three months later they are inactive because it is just another church to them. They don't realize the severity and seriousness of our church. Now, I don't know who's fault that is. Whether it is the missionaries or the members or what but it is really frustrating. THIS IS SALVATION PEOPLE!!!!! I want to just drive that into their heads. This is the most important thing they can do in their lives. And they just act like it is another church that they can just go to whenever they feel like. We were teaching this one lady and she was a less active and she hardly knew anything about the church!! She didn't even know what the priesthood was. I was in shock. After that lesson I made it my goal to not just baptize people, but to convert them. Not to just teach lessons, but to preach with the power of God. Not just reactivate people, but reactivate the Spirit of God in their hearts. 

So that was my rant for the week. Haha. BUT! I did baptize another person on Saturday! His name is Ruben and he's 11 and he was so prepared for the gospel. He is such a stud. He knew all the answers and kept all our commitments and was just golden. And he want to serve a mission just like us! He is a special little guy. His sister also got baptized and she is also super awesome. Their mother is also a less active and she was supportive of them but really doesn't want anything to do with the church. But we will keep trying!

This week was a roller coaster but it ended on a good note! I Gave a surprise message in sacrament metting yesterday which I think went pretty well! The Holy Ghost definitly helped me out on that one. And afterwards the stake president stood up and gave me props and explained to the congregation how much Spanish I have learned in three weeks. Which is a ton!!!

I am running out of time but a couple more things. There is a missionary in the ward that is serving in the Salt Lake City West mission! Crazy huh?? And also my companion fully believes that dad is Bruce Willis. Like 100%. It is so funny. 

Awkward: I had to baptize Ruben three times...

Awesome: I taught a whole scripture study class in spanish!!!

I love you all and can't wait to hear more!!!

Poco a Poco

Love, 

Elder McIff

I'm a real missionary now!!!

So this week was so awesome! Like super!!!! Yeah I'll be honest it is ridiculously hard but who said who said it wouldn't be? Okay I can't to tell you this later.... I BAPTIZED, ME PERSONALLY, SOMEONE!!!!! That's right I had my first baptism on Saturday. We were supposed to have three but unfotunately there were complications with two of them so they couldn't this week  but we had a 12 year old girl who we've been teaching switch to this week. She has been so excited about baptism that she wanted to get it done as soon as possible! And so we switched her to Saturday and she graciously allowed me, the hopeless gringo, baptize her! It was seriously amazing. There was an amazing spirit there and she seemed so happy! Unfortunately people don't really know how to smile all that much so you can't really tell but she bore her testimony and she was just so grateful and happy! Her name is A.C. and her mom is an inactive member so hopefully we can get her to start coming but I dont think so. But we will keep trying!!!

This week my spanish has really progressed and I have learned so much! It is no where near perfect but it's getting there! I can actually converse with my comp about stuff and we joke around and just have a great time! Unfortunately he never tells me what we are doing so I am constantly confused! But it okay. I'm just going with the flow. He's my trainer so I kind of have to listen right?? But it's okay.

I am so thankful for my area. It is super hilly and poor but it is such a good area. Every one is so nice and accepting so its easy. I went on two splits with the District and Zone leaders and there areas are so much harder. The people have more money and are a little pridefull so they never accept messages. So I am definitely thankful!!!! 

I am having such great time. It's hard and I get discouraged a lot but by the end of the day I end up with a smile on my face because I know that the Lord is carrying me every step of the way and I owe everthing to him. I just have to keep pushing forward and keep a positive attitude. K.B. sent me an awesome letter last week which had an awesome quote from Jeffery R. Holland of course. It is the best missionary pep talk ever. Get's me pumped. 

I did get your package though!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH! It was seriously the best thing ever!! I loved it! I was a littel taken aback when I found skeletons and ghosts in it but I loved it anyways!!! I gave some of the decorations to our pensionista and she loved them! She doesn't have a lot so she thought they were the greatest thing ever! And I gave her little boy the little hand car things and the glowsticks and he was just going crazy! Plus I loved the candy of course. And so did my comp! Thank you so much. I really wish you could send more but oh well... Please send letters though! Like for my birthday and Christmas. I would like something physical. Haha. But yes I can get everything I need here. Hopefully... I brought the only i'pod cord in our house that doesn't work so... yeah. .

But this wek was great and I am having an amazing time!!! Jessi looked so pretty and I'm so glad she had a good time! Seeing her big group made me kind of miss high school! Dances were the best!! But it's okay!! I hope everyone is doing great and you are handling life with out me! I love you so much!!!!

Awkward- I Was eating some fish and I wanted to say i like fish! So I said Me gusta pecado! Now, the word for fish is pescado. Pecado means sin. I said I like sin. Smooth I know. But luckily it was just at home. 

Awesome.- I BAPTIZED SOMEONE!!!!!!

Poco a Poco

Love,

Elder McIff

First Week in the Mission Field!!!

Well first week in the feild is almost over!!! It has been absolultley crazy. My trainer is Elder R. from Iquitos Peru and he is great! My area is the ward La Habana in the Carabayllo stake. It is so awesome here!!! I don't really know where to start!!! But it's been a definite learning experience.

First off, I don't know how to speak spanish. I can understand mostly everything based off of context and just their body language and stuff but when they ask me a question I just smile and nod. I can answer some questions, like about my family and the US but anything else is a struggle. Especailly with my companion. He's from the jungle so he has a really thick accent and speaks super fast so I have to ask him to repeat things like three times and I feel like he is getting really impatient with me. But he is a worker. Holy heck. I am so dang tired at the end of the day. Our area is pretty much San Francisco on steriods. It is built right on the side of the mountain and the hills and ridiculously steep and ridiculously long. My legs are getting ripped. And when you think of where I am just think of Mars. NOTHING grows. It's incredible. It is so dry and dusty here. I am dirty 24/7. But it is a good fun dirty.

Me and my companion have worked our butts off. I don't remember the numbers but appartently they were good! My comp keeps raving about them. We taught so many lessons and contacted a ton. The people are super receptive here! They are all super nice and EVERYONE believes in Jesus Chirst and God. That makes it a lot easier. But I am so stoked because we have two baptisms on saturday and then next week we have three! I'm not taking credit for the one this week because they were before I came but next week I gonna take credit for the three because we've taught all the lessons while I've been here. So three already!!!! But it's not about the numbers. I've got to keep telling myself that. 

The first few days were super hard and I got super discouaged because I couldn't understand anything and I thought I was absolutely useless. But I started talking and everything has gotten better. One thing I want to share is that the people here are so dang poor but so dang happy. It is the coolest thing but a little unerving. But super cool! I don't know. Everyone lives in tin shacks and has a plasma tv in the middle of their dirt. Its really wierd but I guess they have different priorities here!!! But don't worry mom, i don't live in a tin shack. We live with a member family who is also our pensionista and they are all great!!! They are super nice and make super good food. It's always rice and chicken or beef but I like it! Also thier portions are massive!!! Like you thought Americans ate a lot, come to Peru!! These guys can eat for days!!!

I am having a great time and I am feeling the blessings of God everyday and I thank you so much for your prayers!!! They have definitely helped! 

You sound great back home! It sounds like you are having so much fun!!! I hope the ward is doing awesome and Jessi and Jenni are doing awesome!!! I actually don't know if I got the package, no one has said anyhting but based on the letter I sent you I don't think so... But I hope I get your letters!!! 

Awkward: I keep using the feminine form of spanish and calling myself a girl

Awesome: I am starting to teaching parts of lessons and its going really well!!!!

I am having a blast!!!

I love you!!!!

Poco a Poco

Love,

Elder McIff

Estoy iendo a una Aventura!!​!!

HI!

Well this was my last week at the CCM. And honestly I am glad. I've been getting cabin fever and a little trunky the past few days because I just want to get out there!! My Spanish isn't perfect but I can hold my own. It's super good that I am at the CCM because all the teachers are from Lima and so they teach us the Spanish that is spoken here! I have been really progressing and I can't wait to learn more! On saturday we are going proselyting again, in my mission again! So if I am trunky now... wait till Sunday. I am going to be biting at the bits! I just can't wait to teach the incredible people here and share a message that will make them so much happier than they already are! I was told that my mission is the smallest area wise but the biggest population wise. I think there are about 1,000,000 people in my mission! Crazy huh??? And i heard its the poorest, even better. I am so excited to be actually doing missionary work! I was so excited to leave on my mission but then I go to the CCM and realized that this is just a six week long mission prep calls and my real mission starts on Tuesday! But I have grown so much here. I have learned more than I could have ever hoped for and there is still truckloads to learn. I have loved it here. The food is amazing, the rooms are nice, the teachers are incredible, and everyone is just happy to be out here serving the Lord!!! I can't wait to get to the field!

 

That is so cool that your doing a missionary month! And I love that the bishop gave you a B.O.M. challenge! Tell this to the kids, I am on track to finsih the Book of Mormon on Monday and I started about two and half weeks ago with only about one to two hours of reading a day. They can totally finish it by Christmas!!! I believe in them!!! I really hope the ward is improving and getting excited about missionary work! Have there been any more mission calls? I love here abour them. A friend from school got called to my mission! Unfortunately she's a girl so we won't be comps but that will mean I will have at least four people in the mission that I know besides my district here in the CCM! (we're all going to Lima North btw, except 2). Tell the youth that any Chirstlike deed is missionary work! And if you can find the talk Elder Bednar gave in 2011 on Christmas. It is incredible.

 

I cannot tell you how excited I am to go to the field!!! It will be the absolute greatest thing ever!!! I cannot wait!

 

Awkward: (from like two weeks ago) I super kicked the soccer ball over these 50 foot high nets and over the fence of the CCM into the street. It was pretty awksome...

 

Awesome: Just being here on a mission! We don't do much here at the CCM so my awesome moments are lacking... But! I did get a SWEET Lima club jersey today!!!

 

I miss you all and I can't wait to tell you all about the field and the amazing people of Lima!!!

 

I love you!!!!

You are always in my prayers

 

Poco a Poco

 

Love,

 

Elder McIff

 Elder McIff in front of the CCM

 Elder McIff in his vicuna tie

 Elder McIff and his district in the CCM

 

 

El Primer Mez

I am so happy you enjoyed conference because I definetly did!!! Seriously I have never gotten more out of a General Conference than ever before!!! It was so amazing! Like Oh my goodness! all the talks were completely amazing. I especailly like Elder Uchtdorf's, Elder Holland's, and I absolutely LOVED President Monson's talk on Saunday. Oh my goodness. I loved how the entire conference was about missionary work and enduring to the end. It felt like I had just gone to a motivational speaker confernece. Elder Holland's talk especailly pumped me up. I love seeing that tender side of him. He was so sincere and so loving. I think it was really good for all the missionaries to hear. I know a lot of them needed a boost and pep-talk. I loved his quote "If the bitter cup does not pass, drink it, and look to better days." I loved that!!! That is what is all about. Keep hoping for the best. Keep on Keepin On. Or in the words of Dad "Deal With It." During that whole talk I kept thinking about Lord of The Rings when Sam and Frodo are in Mount Doom and Frodo is hanging over the edge and Sam is reaching for him yelling " DON'T YOU LET GO, DON'T YOU LET GO!!!". Lord of The Rings is full of the wisest sentiments. Elder Uchtdorf's talk in Priesthood was also another enduring to the end, motivational talks. Go a watch it because it is so good. His main message was " You can do it, NOW." That was so powerful and I know that so many missionaries were motivated by that. It was so good!!! I also thought of Batman that whole talk too. Thomas Wayne says to Bruce, "Bruce, Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up." Another movie that is so very wise.

 

My favorite talk of Conference though was President Monson's Sunday Morning talk. It was so inspired, and so sincere, and you could feel that Spirit for miles. I loved how he talked about his wife and how he knows that he will see her again and that every thing will be alright. It was so tender! I also loved his story about Brother Bramms. It made me realize that no matter how hard thingss get and no matter how many trials are set upon us, If we count our blessings and remember that Jesus Christ knows everything we are going through, we will overcome. I loved the poem that he shared about that trees. The winds will blow and the storm will rage but the tree's will grow ever taller. The last line of the poem says it all, "In trees and men, good timbers GROW." Our trials in life are all for our benefit. They will make us stronger, they will make us wiser, and they will bring us closer to our Savior Jesus Christ if we just remember to lean on his grace. He knows exactly what all of are gong through and are feeling, and he knows exactly how to help us. An awesome scripture my companion shared with Ether 12:27. We are teaching an investigator who's son has a heart problem and is confused on why his son is sick and why he is dying. So we shared that scripture and shared President Monson's talk and it really impacted him and he realized why he is having his trial. The Atonment of Jesus Christ is amazing and through him we can do everything.

 

In other news, Elder U and I are now Zone Leaders!!! Our zone is all of the North American Missionaries in the CCM. We don't really have a lot of responsibilities and really all we do is comfort elders that are having a rough time. But its really good!!! I'm really blessed. We got a new shipment of Missionaries to the CCM today and so far they are great! I can' t wait to get to know them. Also my spanish is really coming along, as always!!!

 

Awkward: Our district got punked into thinking that we had broken a serious rule and that we were all going home. It ended up being this huge joke just to give us this dinky Christmas tree!!!

Awesome: Me and another Elder saved an Elder in my district's life!!! He was choking on his food and I was the first to notice so I hopped up and started giving him the Heimlich and I couldn't get it out so this other elder came in and just gave him the biggest squeeze in the world and sent the meat flying out of his throat. It was insane!!!!!

 

I have been here a month and it feels like it has flown by!!! And I only have like 12 days left!! I leave the CCM on Oct 22nd. I am so excited!!!!!!!!

 

I hope you have an amazing week!!!!!

I love you!!!!

 

Poco a Poco

 

Love,

 

Elder McIff

El Espiritu es el poder de conversión

HI !!!

 

I don't know why but for some reason I was super super super excited that I got to write today!!! I've been missing you!! But don't worry the CCM works us so hard that I don't have time to be sad!! Dont worry I am having an amazing week this week. Everything is going so well! The food is amazing and the all the Latinos are all just so nice and inviting and HILARIOUS! Ah they kill me! But everything here at the CCM is fantastic and worderful and amazing and hard and easy and every other adjective in the book. I am having so much fun. I am learning more spanish day by day and more about the gospel hour by hour. If I'm honest, my spanish is fantasic. Just kidding. It's bad. But 100 fold of what it used to be. Everything here in the CCM is for your growth. There are a ton of rules but I understand that they are for our good and they help us become cloer to Christ and help us prepare to preach His Gospel.

 

This week was a week where I really grew spiritually. I feel so close to Christ and I am striving to become like him more and more each day. I finished the Book of Mormon for just the second time in my life.I know that every word in is true. It truly testifies that Jesus Chirst lives and he loves every single one of us. That is something major I learned this week. Jesus gave his all so that we could have all he has. His love for us is endless and his Atonement is endless. All of our sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ and through his ever lasting atonement. This week we had a devotional and the speaker gave a list of points to help missionaries and one of them was Be Clean. I don't why but I felt an overwhelming call to repentance. So that night I prayed so long and so hard that I kind of felt like Enos, but on a much smaller scale because that guy was a stud. But after I prayed and asked for forgivness I felt an overflow of the Spirit and of peace the next day. The Atonement is real and Jesus and our Heavenly Father loves us more than we could ever imagine. And I am so honored to be chosen to go and preach his this wonderful message to the people of Peru.

 

In other news this week: We went to the temple this morning and got to go out and shop around the town for a little bit which was fun. I also listened to part of the temple session in spanish and totally got what they were saying! (más o menos) I love the spanish languange and I am so happy I am learning it. I used to think it was a lazy language and wasn't really pretty but I realized if you speak it right it is a BEAUTIFUL language. Esspecially in the B.O.M.. I am learning so much and so fast too! I've only been here three weeks and I'm pretty confidiant about hold my own in the spanish world! That's the gift of tounges for ya!

 

One awesome thing that happened this week was our teacher Hermano Meza taught us about using the Book of Mormon while teaching and the way he taught it was completely amazing. He had us give him a scenario of an invistigator. The investigator was a single dad with two kids and he was unemployed. Right after we gave him the scenario he started teaching us as the investigator. And without any preperation or any notes or anything he whips our this incredible scripture that works perfectly for the man. It blew me away and then he shared a story of when he was in the same situation!! It blew me away. He taught with such power and spirit that I would have been baptized then and there! That experiecne really made me want to read and study the scriptures even more. So I have a goal to finish the Book of Mormon again before I leave the CCM.

 

I am so excited to conference too!!! Like overly excited!!!! And we get to watch it in english!!! Ah I feel like I'm going to watch football. I'm that excited!!!!

 

So awkward and awesome!

Awkward: I had a miserable cold ALL week!!!! But I am all better!!! :)

Awesome: I bore my testimony and gave the closing prayer on Sunday in Sacrament ALL in spanish!! (minus a few phrases)

 

 

I love you !!! I cant wait to hear more from you!!!

 

Poco a Poco

 

Love,

 

Elder McIff

 

 

El Poder de la Oraccion

Buenas Tardes!!!!!

 

Hey there!!!! So another week as flown by and i have been our for two weeks now!!! It is crazy how fast time flies here. It blows me away. But this past week has been a super good one!!! I have leared so much and have been studying my butt off!!! It's insane how much you learn when you just sit down and study the scriptures for four hours a day. I didn't know I could learn so much about the gospel! I have especially focused this week on the Plan of Salvation and God's plan for us. It is amazing!! everything is already laid out for us, we just have to be faithful and keep God's commandments. Read Genesis 1-3 and Moses with empahisis on on God's plan for us. You will learn so much!

 

Okay so some crazy things happened this week. First off, on Saturday we went and prosilited, like actual going into the feild and preaching the word of God to people who knew nothing of the gospel, in spanish!!! And we actually went to my mission!! That was super cool. The people here in Lima have abosolutely nothing and they seem to be as happy as they can be!!! In the area we went to all the houses were hand made out of bricks and cement right out the mountain slopes and most didn't have a roof. It was so eye opening to see my mission field and see the people that lived there. They werte so happy! It blew me away. Another thing that blew me away was the fact that I have so much spanish to learn. Like I could not understand a thing. But that's why im at the CCM! An awesome experience I had was that we were teaching this really old lady in her home and of course I couldn't understand a thing. So the lesson went on and the two missionaries i was with were just chatting along with this lady until they both looked at me and pointed and the lady. I had no clue what was going on until ont of them them, bendiciones. Which means blessing! I thought they wanted me to give the blessing but they just wanted to know if we should give her one so I said "¡Claro!" So there in this little timy house we gave her a blessing. Even though I couldn't understand a thing I could feel the spirit so strong. Definite highlight of my week.

 

Another awesome expericence I had was teaching this week. We got an new investigator, Victor, (who is our teacher) and me and my companion had no clue what to teach him. So when we were planning we started with a prayer and just got to work. We had no clue what to teach but the topic of prayer kept sticking out in my mind so I told him that's what we should teach. And that's exactly what he needed! He had been having trouble with his family and we told him that prayer would help him and his family so much and I think he really liked the message! I know I did! And also when we were teaching, spanish just flowed so smoothly from my mouth and I think it actually made sense! I always speak best in lessons. I guess that's that power of prayer and the Holy Ghost for ya! I have never prayed more in my life than here at the CCM and boy does it work. (Moroni 7:48)

 

Okay so before I get off I will share an awkward and an awesome

Awkward: A bird pooped in my scriptures!!!! I was just reading outside and i looked up for a second and i looked back down and there was bird poop all over the story of Ammon and King Lamoni!!!

Awesome: WE HAD AN EARTHQUAKE!!!! It was so sweet!!!! It wasn't anything big but you could definitely feel it and it lasted for a good 45 seconds! Super cool.

 

I love you all and I want you to know that I am having an amazing time!!!

 

Unfortunately I learned the scored of the football game on sunday so all week I have been getting flack from this one Elder. It really sucks. I'm sending pictures!!! I love you so much!!!!

 

Poco a Poco

 

Love,

 

Elder McIff

 

Poco a Poco

BUENAS TARDES!!!!!!!!

 

It's finally P-Day!!!!! Thursday is our districts P-Day so look out! This has been the longest wait. I have been dying to hear from you!!! But I will tell you right now that I am having an amazing time. This place is so cool. The CCM is really really small but the spirit is really big. There is so much love and you can feel it everywhere you go. It is remarkable. It is about 40% North American and 60% latino but we all get along so great. We have all picked up spanish really fast so we can all communicate really well and it is so much fun. The Latinos are a woot.

 

There is so much i want to tell you but I don't even know where to begin!!!! I'll start by just telling you a normal day here in the CCM. We wake up at 6:30, eat breakfast at 7. Then we either study for an hour or we have spanish class. We have class until about 12:00 and then we go to lunch. After lunch we have personal study for an hour then recreation! Recreation is so much fun because there is a huge turf soccer feild at the CCM and so we just play futbol for an hour with the Latinos which is just a dream. It is so much fun. After Rec we study some more and more and then go to dinner. The food here by the way is ridiculously good. Like it's unreal. Some of the food is a little weird and it take awhile to get used to but its so good. Although three-quarters of your meal is rice i wouldnt want anything else. I will admit, I have put on a few pounds, but don't worry! Me and my companion are going to start running. After dinner we teach an investigator. Yes, an INVESTIGATOR. IN SPANISH. Its super difficult. But luckily the investigator is just our teacher so were not messing up someone's salvation. And then after that we have some coaching which really helps and is usually the spiritual highlight of the day. It is a very long day filled with scriptures, rice, and a language I don't understand.

 

Okay, maybe I'm not giving myself enough credit. I am actually picking up spanish really well. We have an excellent spanish teacher and when you spend all day in classroom doing nothing but Spanish, you pick it up nicely. But really though, it is all the Spirit, at least when we are teaching. When we are teaching it is really hard for me to understand what the investigator is saying but somehow I know exactly how to respond. It is so cool. I am learning so much here.

 

The main thing I have learned is humility. Before I came every told me, and I told myself, that I would be an amazing missionary, and that went a little to my head. The CCM has humbled me so much. It's crazy. I've learned that I don't now any spanish and I know a whole lot less about the gospel than I thought I did. But Tuesday night I humbled myself to the Lord and said to him, "Okay! I'm yours! You know a whole lot more than I do! Please show me the way." and that is what I have been striving to do this whole week is humble my self and leave all my trust in the Lord. He is the only way I can be successful and without his help I will just be miserable. Just like Ammon said "as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself but I will boast of God, for in his strength I can do all things" (Alma 26:12).

 

Oh! I also got to go to the temple today which was so amazing!!!!! It is so tiny but it is so beautiful. It was so cool to be there and see that The Church is the same all throughout the world. I loved it. It was all in spanish but luckily they had english headsets for us. I am so happy we got to go. We also got to walk around Lima!!!! This city is crazy. It is absolutely massive and jam packed. there are cars and people everywhere. Its so awesome. But you have to be careful becasue the cars do not stop´for anything so its a little dangerous but fun!!!

 

One last thing before I go. My subject. Poco a Poco. It means little by little and it is my theme for my mission. The first couple of days were really hard and really discouraging because I was trying to learn everything at once and trying to be the best I can be but it just was not working and I was having a really hard time. But then I remembered a sister gave out district some advice Thursday night and she said take everything Poco a Poco, little by little and that has changed everything. Thomas S. Monson said "Life by the yard is hard, Life by the inch is a cinch."

 

I love you so much and I wish I had more time because there is so much I want to tell you!!!! But I miss you and loved hearing from you!!!!

 

HASTA LUEGO!!!!

 

Love,

 

Elder McIff

I Made It!!!

Hola mi familia!!!!!

 

So I am officailly in Lima, Peru!!! We arrived here in Lima around 9:30 and we got to the MTC around midnight. It was the longest flight of my life. I had nothing to do but read my scriptures and I can only do that for so long. From Salt Lake there were about ten of us and then we met up with 10 more missionaries so walking through the Lima airport was a sight. The missionaries are all very nice and quite old to be honest. I am one of the youngest Elders! This is all so crazy.

 

My companion is Elder Uibel and he is from Calgary. He is a nice guy but we haven't talked much. This morning was kind of funny though. So missionaries are suposed to wake up 6:30 right? So that's what me and my companion did! We got up got all ready and headed down to breakfast. We kept getting all these wierd looks and eventually an American Elder comes up to us and is like "Elders, what are you doing?". Apparently we were allowed to sleep until 9:00!!!!!! We obviously didnt get that memo. So me and my companion went back to sleep for another two hours. I am so tired. SO TIRED. I can't even think straight. And with the language barrier I am just useless. But today is just orientation and getting us situated so hopefully I won't have to do some major thinking. I really hope I can get the hang of all this. It will be hard, but it will be worth it!!!

 

I only had like twenty minutes to write so I just wanted to say I am okay!!!! I don't enough time to answer all your questions mom but your boy is doing just fine! I love you all so much and I can't wait to hear more from you!!!!

 

Love you!!!!

 

Elder McIff