Awkward....

 

Well the letter I was going to write in was the letter you just got. The computer decided to go nuts and sent it anyways.

But how is everyone!!! You all seem great if you are going to BYU games without me!!!! (nice jersey btw jessi) That kills me, just kills me. I only have one BYU shirt and for some reason, one is just not enough. I hope you are all loving it out in Utah and having an amazing time sharing and living the gospel!!!

This week has conflicted feelings... haha.

I'll start with the good news. We had three Baptisms!!!! It was so great. Friday we baptism .B. She is the daughter of the lady that asked us the first day I was in this area if she could hear about the church. As you can tell from the pictures, she was so dang happy. So so happy. We are working with her mom and dad right now. She has problems with her step dad and she didn't want to get taught at the same time as him. It was weird. The mom, S, is practically a member, she receives the Liahona now, she wants to go to the temple and buy stuff, and she wants to be a Sunday school teacher! It's nuts, only minus water right now!!! But we have to marry the mom and dad first. People here in Peru really have forgotten about the whole marriage thing. It is a real challenge for us missionaries. But don't you worry! They're gonna get baptized!!!

Saturday we had our Noche Blanca, and boy was it amazing. We had about 12 people be baptized and we had a service to which about 200 people attended. It was absolutely amazing. Completely spectacular. I got to baptize a brother and sister combo, H. and .I C.. These two are just awesome. I. wants to go on mission pronto and H. is just a cool kid. A cool cool kid. They too were so dang happy. 

I can't tell you how happy I feel at baptisms. I CANNOT stop smiling. It might sound a little wierd but I get like pumped up for baptisms. Like I feel like I'm at a Cougar B-ball game. I am just so excited and so happy that someone is coming unto Christ, having thier sins completely washed away, and making conevnants with the Lord. Es lo máximo. I love it so so much. And that's why I love being out here on the mission!!! I get to help people come unto Christ and recieve forgivness for everything they have ever done and recieve everlasting joy. How can I not be happy here!!! Even when we have crappy weeks or me and my comp don't get along, I still know what I am doing here is helping people and serving the Lord. I cannot be sad knowing that.

As for my week, it was a little bummer. We did not teach a lot because we were so focused on the baptism and getting interviews done for the converts and everything. It was a crazy week. But as I said, I cannot be sad here!!!! 

On wednesday President Erickson and the assistants came to our zone meeting and then left to work with us. We had one of the assistants with us, Elder M-B. Cool thing about him is that he's from Sandy! He went to Brighton and he totally knows M and a lot of other people I know! It's kind of cool. But there are transfers today and so I think that is why they came. To see who is going to be what. The mission is really having problems with obedience right now and a lot of changes are being made. I don't think anything will happen to me but I really want a kid, I want to train. But we will see!!!

But yeah! That's been my week!! Freaking awesome as always!!!! I hope y'all have an amazing week and get to smile the whole time!!! I love you so much and miss you guys!!!! Keep on keepin on and remember to ALWAYS come unto to Christ. 

Awkardly awesome: Un Borracho (a drunk) came up to me and my comp and talked to us for about fifteen mintues and at the end as he was leaving he turned to me and said "you know what? I really think that you are my son" I died, It was so awesome.

I love you so so much!!!!!

Poco a Poco

Elder McIff

El Libro de Mormon: Otro Testamento de Jesus Cristo

February 17, 2014

Bueno, I know that you are probably on the plane home right now or in central park or something but I do want to tell you something. I completely forgot that you went to freaking NYC!!!!! Seriously, I'm freaking dying right now. I miss that place so much but I am so happy that I got to go in June, it was the best trip ever!!! I really want to do that, NYC in the snow, just like the movies!!! If you guys don't come get me and we don't go to Machu Pichu, let's go to New York. But ah it looks like you had so much fun. I am so jealous! That is so cool that Sophie stopped by!!! so awesome to see her! I hope she is doing well! 

Well for my week, it was alright! Me and my comp both had colds for pretty much the entire week so we've been dying, haha, but we will get over it! It have been ridiculously hot this week. Its only been like 87 but with the humidity and pants shirt and tie, woof, it is rough. But we are pushing through! Trying to find as many teaching opportunities as we can just to stay out of the sun. We are managing it! I hope you are getting through with the snow and cold of the Great North!

This coming week we are going to have 4 baptisms!!! One on Friday and three on Saturday!! It has been amazing watching this kids grow in the gospel (they are all under 21 years old). They understand why this is important and why they need to join the church and be baptized. They may not be fully converted yet but as Elder Nelson explained to us, baptism is only the beginning. I am so happy they are all progressing nicely and growing in the church! We have also committed three other investigators to baptism! All for March 8th. It will be awesome!! Another trio! The work of salvation is really moving along here in San Felipe, Comas, Lima, Peru.

Another awesome thing that happened this past week is that I finished El Libro de Mormon!!!!! That's right!!! The Book of Mormon in SPANISH!!!! It took me about four months and it has been an incredible experience. I am absolutely convinced that the Book of Mormon is the Word of God and my testimony of the Book of Mormon has only been strengthened by reading it in Spanish. As I read and I didn't understand what a certain passage said, the Spirit testified unto me the truth or principle that was being taught. My Spanish has progressed so much from reading El Libro de Mormon. I love it so much, so so much. It has every answer to every question we might have in this life and it gives us the keys and doctrine to receive the salvation after this life. I can't express how much I love and need the Book of Mormon, I hope you guys are reading the Book of Mormon daily and receiving the blessing that comes from it. If not, you better start.

My week has been good and I am looking forward to this week, last week of the transfer! Crazy how fast time flies our here. I am out here in Peru for only like three minutes I feel like. But it the best thing ever and I don't want to be anywhere else right now!!!!

I love you guys so much and I hope you had an awesome trip in New York!!!!

Awkward: One of our investigators has a crush on my comp

Awesome: I forgot the key to our room in side and so my comp had to climb through a window that is basically the size of a 4x8. It was an amazing sight.

Todo está bien in Sion!!!!

Poco a Poco

I love you!!!!

Elder McIff

Oh, que pena me da....

February 10, 2014

Well goooooodddddmorrrrnnnninnnnnggggg!!!!!!

Haha how is everyone? I hope fantastically awesome! Because here in Peru I am fantastically Awesome!!!!! Seriously though, I am just smiley right now! I have a really bad case of the runs but I just can't help but smile because I am here in Peru serving these wonderful people!!! 

I can't tell you how awesome this mission is. I just can't. I come home just whipped, dead tired, every night but it doesn't matter because I know my Father will take care of me every step of the way. I don't even care if I am tired. I just keep putting one foot in front of the other and the Lord gives me the strength to carry on. It is the most wonderful thing ever.  

Right now our work is BOOMING. We are having so much success right now, and it is all thanks to the Lord. Again, investigators are coming out of the woodwork. We had 9 investigators in sacrament meeting yesterday and we are preparing four of them (possibly 5) to be baptized on the 21st and 22nd. Basically all of our investigators right now are young people, jovenes. Which is fine because this ward needs young men and young women. But the really cool thing is that on the 22nd we are having a massive baptism as a Zone and we going to baptize like 15 people in one night! We are calling it La Noche Blanca. All the missionaries are going to sing in a choir with Spanish and English songs and it will be amazing! Elder R. and I are going to bring 3, maybe 4, people to baptism this night!!! It will be freaking awesome!!!! I am so excited. I just can't wait!!!

One thing I have learned this week is that this is not our work, this is the Lord's work. We cannot take credit for anything we do in the mission. We are only tools in the hands of God. We are receive tons of referencias from the ward and every referencia we got is totally prepared to receive the gospel!! It as been so great. It's been really good for my comp. It has raised his excitement so much and we are really working hard. Almost every night we have to do splits with the elders quorum because we have so many appointments!!! It is the greatest thing ever!!!

Here in Peru and I am doing great. And I hope all of you guys are doing great too!!! Honestly, it kills me to see Jessi growing up and going to dances. I don't know how I feel about her going out on dates and dances, but I don't think I like it. But what can I do. Jessi is pretty and I am in Peru. There is nothing I can do about it!!! But I do like that she is getting out, making new friends, and enjoying the high school life! Sometimes I miss it. But then I remember I'm in Peru and that is sooooooo much better than high school.

Funny thing about Sean Covey, I actually know him pretty well. He speaks at LDC and I have gotten to talk with him many many times. He is truly an inspired man and is a great teacher. I am so glad you guys got to hear the spiritual side of him! I only the leadership, inspirational speaker side of him, But that is so cool that you got to hear from him!!! Those scriptures are bomb! 

Bueno, I hope you all have a wonderful week in the cold! Haha just kidding, I miss the cold. Sometimes its too hot here but we deal with it!!! But really I wish you an amazing week filled with smiles, laughs, and the spirit of God! I love you!!!!

Poco a Poco

Venid a Cristo (if you haven't watched the video on lds.org "Come unto Christ" you need to)

Love!!!!!

If the video doesn't load, check out:

https://www.lds.org/youth/video/come-unto-christ-2014-theme-song?lang=eng

Elder McIff

Los fines de semanas son locos

February 3, 2014

HOOOOOLLLLLLLAAAAAAA!!!!!

Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit, look who's here!

Haha I don't know why but I just thought of that I and I had to write it down! But hey there!!!! Sounds like you had an absolutely INSANE weekend! Man I am kind of jealous! But then I think oh wait, my weekend was nuts too... but more about that later. Last night I was dying because I knew that some place in draper Utah there was a family that was eatin' super bowl enchiladas and I was sitting at my desk eating a bowl of cereal and yogurt (we don't have a pensionist). But when I heard the score of the game this morning i felt better. But your weekend sounded super fun!!! It better be the same in two years! 

Bueno, my weekend was completely nuts. On Friday we had a major dilemma, the hermanas of our district have to find a house that same day because of stuff that I just have time to write about, and they had to move. So my companion and I booked it over to their area and started knocking doors (we're kind of good at that). And we found nothing so we had a problem. But we went back to our area anyways and went to work. All of our appointments we had fell... So pretty much we spent the whole day Friday walking. I was dead. Then Saturday came along and we got a call from the zone leaders saying that we had to book it over to there area (which is like 30 minutes away) and help them move out of their house because the landlord was kinking them out ( there is still persecution in this world). So we booked it over there and moved there house which took like four hours. Then while we were eating lunch we got a call from the Hermanas again saying that they were just going to switch rooms with elders in their area. So we chugged our way over to their area and helped them move there suitcases and stuff. So we finally get back to our area at about 5:30, shower, and head to an appointment. At about 8:00 we get a call from the Elders that switched with the Hermanas saying they can't stay in their house because they landlord got mad at them or something, I don't know. So we hauled back to there area again and tried to find a place for them to stay and eventually they ended up coming to our place and staying the night. And during all of this I was fasting. I have never been more tired and physically drained in my life.(we walk everywhere)

So that was my weekend. Nuts I know. But luckily I learned something really important. God really takes care of his servants. There were so many times this weekend when I thought, "how am I still walking? How am I still going?" And I realized that God was giving me his strength. He was with me every step of the way. And often times carrying me. I am so so grateful for that. I now know a little bit of how the apostles felt when Christ called them to preach and told them to take nothing but the clothes back and leave. That hit me so hard. I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father and i know he will provide for me. I just need to go out and work. 

Good news!!! We have five people for baptism this month and we are working on two more!!! The Lord and really provided for us and has showed us that this is his work and we are only his servants. He has people prepared and if we don't find them, they will find us!! Our investigators are really progressing and really liking the lessons. One of them has already read all of the Gospel Principles book!!! Super happy right now. But we need to find more because after we baptize them, we don't know what we are going to do. Haha. 

But everything is freaking awesome here in Peru. It's hot, but we deal with it. I'm hungry, but I deal with it. People are mean, but we deal with it. We just deal with it (shout out to Dad). But I am loving it here and learning A TON!!!!

I love you guys so much and I hope you are all having a great time in the legendary state of Utah!!! (its kind of a big deal here in Peru for the members)

Poco a Poco

Love!!!!!

Elder McIff

They had a water balloon fight.  I was hoping it would cool him off but he said the water was hot.

It looks like they had fun anyways.

Whew....

January 27, 2014

Hey my wonderful family!!!! I hope you are all doing well!!! I know I am!!! 

So that's what I have to say after this week. A big tired sigh... Haha. It's been a long week. But a little about my comp! He's from Paraguay, He is the district leader.

I want to leave everything out on the table.This week I read that in your two years as a missionary you really only have 6 months of proselyting time. That is nothing!!! So that really motivated me to get out there and put it all out there, leave it all on the field (or in the dirt here in the beautiful desert of Lima). Christ taught that if we lose ourselves in him, we shall find eternal life. I don't know about you but eternal salvation seems pretty nice to me! I don't know, this week has really been a motivating week for me and I just can't wait until he realizes that and starts putting it to the pavement! But for now I will keep learning to have patience and do the best I can!!!

So funny thing happened this week. We had a baptism service!!! But not a baptism... haha. We were going to baptize these two little boys of a family that reactivated and who are just stellar! The program was all nice and spiritual and then it came to the baptisms. The boy entered the font, put his foot in the water, and started to cry. He had never been to a pool before and in that moment got  suuupppperrrr scared. Like hysterical. It was bad. His dad was waiting for him in the font and he was as stiff as a tree, he would not move. I felt so bad. The poor kid was terrified. I feel bad but we are going to keep working with him and keep teaching him. It was so sad...

But really nothing really super special happened this week! Really chill and slow. I am hoping to have more success this week!!! On Thursday we have interviews with President Erickson and so I am pretty excited! I kind of want a promotion. I want to be district leader or a trainer or something! Junior companion is great and all but it's kind of boring at times!!

Awkward: I had an awkward but I can't remember it!!!

Awesome: Two Jehovah's Witnesses knocked on our door this week. You should have seen there faces when I opened the door. Priceless. 2: My comp told me that two nights ago I was talking in my sleep and I was teaching! In Spanish!!!

I hope all of you have a wonderful week this week and remember to strive to come closer to Christ every single day. He loves you and he is supporting you every step you take. I know that he loves us and he gave everything for us. We should try to give everything for him.

I love  you so much and I wish you the best week of your lives!!!!

Venid a Cristo

Poco a Poco

Love,

Elder McIff

San Felipe San Felipe!!! Sube Sube Sube!!!

January 20, 2014

Well hey there my wonderful family!!! How are all of you doing this week?? I know that all of you are just fantastic!!! I know I am!!! I don't know but right now I am just FREAKING HAPPY!!!! I can't keep a smile off my face. i don't know why, but I love it.

To explain my letter title a little bit, I have a new area!!! Yes I got transferred this week and know I am in the Zone San Felipe Area San Felipe. It is a whole different world here. I went from the poor of the poor to an area where sometimes I feel like they have more money than I do. It is totally different. The houses are nice, the cars are nice, the clothes are nice, and I saw an iPhone. It's crazy. But the area is super duper tiny and super duper flat. I can literally stand on one edge of my area and see the other down the street. It's nuts. 

The ward is a little small, there weren't a lot of members at church yesterday but that's okay because me and my new comp, Elder R, are working like mad men with less actives, and having success!! We are finding people daily and people are finding us! Seriously. My second day in the area this lady came up to us and was like, um how can I hear about your church? Well perfect! So we went to her house on Thursday and taught The Gospel of Jesus Christ and when we taught baptism the father of the family asked us, so um when can me and family get baptized? JACK POT! But wait there's more! WE went to a reference and we were just talking to the family and getting to know them a little bit and the same thing happened! The mom asked, When can my family get baptized? 

It's been so awesome. I am convinced I have been sent here for a reason There are people here waiting for me and they have been waiting so long that they can't wait for us to come to them!!! Its been great. 

In response to your dilemma in the ward, I suggest you have an activity all about Christ. The life of Christ, the Atonement, The resurrection, and all things Jesus. One thing I have been learning these past for months is that we need to devoted 100% to him, because he is 100% devoted to us. I watched a video this week that made me cry. It was the last talk that Elder Bruce R. McConkie before he died and it was one of the most beautiful talks I have heard. It made me realize that I need to be 20000000% devoted to Christ in all I do. He gave his all for me and I must give my all for him. He is my Redeemer, He is my Savior, He is my Master, and He is my Brother. I cant express my feelings for Our Saviour. I can only plead every single person to come unto him. Plead, exhort, beg, because only through him can we receive true happiness, joy, and peace.

I hope that the ward realizes this and realizes that THIS IS SALVATION PEOPLE!!! I am so happy that you are keeping strong and pressing forward and trying to bring a change to our ward. You are so Awesome mom!!!!

Anyways, I hope you have an amazing week and this week you can come closer to Christ. I love you so much and I love that you are Hastening His work in little old Draper!!!!

Awkward: We live right across the street from a park and apparently every couple in Lima wants to come to this park and display their affection to us. It is soooooo awesome.....

Awesome: I met a lady in our ward that lives in Pepperwood!!!! Crazy crazy crazy!!!!

I love you all so much and I can't wait to hear from you again!!!!

Poco a Poco

Love, 

Elder McIff

Venid a Cristo

January 13, 2014

This week has been on of the hardest yet and I am just so grateful for our saviour. I don't think I have read, prayed, and pondered more in my life. I will tell you one thing, a mission really is a testimony tester. It super easy to say you have a testimony and that you believe and know when everyone you know believes and knows the same things, but when people tell you every single day you are wrong, it takes a toll. 

But don't worry I am pressing forward, and keeping my fatih firmly in Christ. Just this morning I was reading Our Search for Happiness by Elder Ballard and I was over come by a feeling a peace and love. A feeling that no matter what I have a brother, a friend, that knows exacly what I am going through and knows exactly how to help me. This is who Christ is to me. No matter what, NO MATTER WHAT, we can go and find the peace that he offers. It is in the scriptures, it is in the words of the prophets, it is in the charity of a young boy giving his apple, the only thing he has to eat, to his little sister. The Spirit of Christ is in every single of us, it testifies of truth and it testifies of the love he has for us. I know he lives and he walks beside me everyday. I hope you share with letter with the ward. I implore them to come unto Christ, Venid a Cristo, and partake of his love and his joy. His love is eternal, and it will never fail. On my agenda I have a picture of Chirst with the words Nunca Solos. We are never alone. We must never lose hope and always keep the faith. 

Thank you so much for your letter mom. I love that talk my Elder Holland. We watched it in Mission Prep and in the CMM. It is a real truth. Salvaiton isn't easy, so we must work even harder to bring people unto salvation. I love that you are getting Jack's emails. I never have time to read them but I know that he is doing great and I have talked a little bit with his family. He is a great missionary doing a great job in the Philipines.

I hope dad is feeling better!!! Just this week I was think about my surgery and I was like dang, I kind of want that again that was kind of nice! But that is only because I have been so dang tired!!!! But its okay! I am doing the Lord's work and he is carrying me every bit of the way. 

Our investigators are little, we only have one that is progressing and has a baptismal date. I don't know why but ever since our area got split we just can't get people to commit to baptism!! It's really frustrating. But its okay! I am pressing forward! Sigiendo Adelante!!! 

Sorry I forgot to write down my awkard and awesome this week...

We went to Chilis this week!!!!

Keep the faith and try your hardest to bring others to Christ!!! I know you are doing an amazing job!!!!

Poco a Poco

Love,

Elder McIff