Creemos en apóstoles y profetas-We believe in apostles and prophets

Hey there Family!!!!!

So it was so cool to hear all about your adventure in the DR and all the crazy things you got to do!! I hope you were able to communicate a little bit mom! I really want to go to central America, it would be so so cool! And it is already time for Girls Camp again?? I can't believe it. Crazy. But I know that you guys will have a blast and I can't believe that Jenni is going!!!! I am so dang old now.  I have Nine months in the Mission!!!!! Can you believe it! The time flies by so fast. So so fast. I basically have a little over a year left. That is so weird. Everyday I feel older and wise and more different than I was before my mission. I have changed so much in these nine months. I don't know if you can tell in the letters, but I have changed a bunch. I have a renewed faith in Christ, I am now more determined, and am now a little bit fatter. :) Haha but this is only the beginning. Great times are to come.

So I made a huge mistake in my last letter and I forgot to tell you guys something really really REALLY important. This week something really special happened. We had a visit from the apostle ELDER DALLIN H OAKS!!!!!!! Saturday he came and visited our mission with Elder Clayton and Elder Grow of the seventy. It was so so so cool!!!! My second apostle in my mission!! So awesome. It was a day filled with revelation and inspiration. I went into the conference asking God to teach me how to help my investigators progress and the entire theme of the conference was an answer to my prayer. All the speakers, President Erickson, Elder Clatyton, Elder Grow, And Elder Oaks, and their wives, all spoke on commitments and how we need to help our investigators keep the commitments that we give them. It was incredible. It was amazing to hear true prophets speak to us. I received new testimony that the church is true and that the Lord really has his servants, the apostles, seventy, the prophet on the Earth today. It was so amazing.

One thing I have to tell you, Elder Oaks is one of the funniest men I have met. I know he looks super duper serious and super spiritual in conference, but on Saturday, all he did was crack jokes! It was so funny!!!! He talked a lot about how God has given us a sense of Humor, we should use it! We should laugh!!! He said, "what else are we supposed to do when we see a Giraffe??" I died. I literally died. It was so dang funny. But besides being a comedian he shared some great council. He shared with us an experience when he shared his personal opinion on a certain doctrine and the spirit told to him that "You are not entitled to a personal opinion." As servants of God, we missionaries are not entitled to share our own personal views on doctrine or our personal opinions. It was a real game changer. I was really impressed and now I feel like I need to study my butt off to learn the doctrine and receive the revelation in order to answer the questions of my investigators. I know that God will give me his words. 

I know that Elder Oaks is a witness of Christ, but on Saturday he told us that we are all witnesses of Christ. We have the gift of the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost always testifies of Christ. Really, we are all witnesses of Christ. 

I know that this church is true and that it is guided by real servants of God who receive direct revelation from Jesus Christ. I am so proud to say that I am a Latter Day Saint and that I am part of the Church of Jesus Christ, our savior. I love him, and I serve him. 

I love you all so so much and I hope you all have an amazing week at Girls camp and wherever you are going!!!! Cuidense!!!!!

Les amo mucho mucho!!!!!

Poco a Poco

Elder McIff

Onward, ever onward!

Throwback Pday- wearing his dad's missionary tag and his grandpa's tie.

Happy Father's day!

How is everything going??? Mom that is so dang awesome that you are in the DR! completely nuts! I am glad that you are getting to see a little of Latin America! So cool. I bet The DR is the greatest! I want to visit other Latin American countries because I know they are all so different! I know you are having a great time out there!!! Just be careful that they don't rip you off. They do that a lot to me here. But I'm just like Oh no, esto no pasa conmigo. Soy Peruano. I fight a lot with the street vendors haha. But it's cool! I am having a good time down here in Peru. It is awesome that I get to know a whole different culture and a whole different people! But Mom, Grandma was never where I am right now. Haha. Only my Ward is called Valle Sagrado. I am in the city of San Juan de Lurigancho. The pits. Haha. There isn't a resort within 50 miles from where I'm at. Haha. Grandma whould never even dare to come where I am right now. Haha. I never wanted to tell you guys this, but it's freaking dangerous here. But it's not a big deal. The missionaries are friends with the gangsters and chorros so they don't mess with us. It's all good!!! Plus we have super blessings from the Lord. 

This week in our area was pretty cool! We taught a lot and found a much of new less actives to teach! Which was really cool. I really like teaching less actives. My favorite parable is of the Prodigal son and I just love being a part of that process!!! It is the greatest!!! 

Me and my comp are having a little trouble getting along. He is super rebellious and pretty immature and so he doesn't like to do things the way they should be done so I am getting a little frustrated with him. Because I will be honest, obedience is like one of the most important things for me and when other people aren't obedient  kind of bugs me. But I know that everyone has there agency and that the Lord guides them in the way they should act. 

But everything is cool out here in Peru! (and when I say cool I mean it, it is dang cold here) Think of Santa Rosa in morning in the Spring when it was super foggy, cold and wet, that's how it is here all day. haha. It is kind of rough. But it's coo because I'm not sweating anymore. Haha. 

Guys, I want to tell you that God lives and loves us ssssoooooooooo much. He wants us to be happy, that is his plan. So we should just be happy! An Elder yesterday said that if we aren't happy, we aren't following the plan of God and so we should just slap a smile on our face and carry on! I know that we always pass through hard times but I know that we will overcome those challenges and be happy throughout our lives. God Loves us immensely and he wants everything to go right for us. We just have to follow him. 

I love you guys so much and hope you are having a great time in Utah and the DR!!! 

Awesome: Emily got here call!!!! Que chevere!!!!

Awkward: I had like an allergic reaction to chile and I think I broke my toe playing soccer. haha.

I love you guys so much and have an amazing week!!!!

Mucho Mucho mucho amor!!!

Elder McIff

Oh sed prudentes, que más puedo decir? O Be Wise, who can say?

Two different views of Elder McIff's new area.  I like the one at night better.

How are you guys?? I know that you are doing greeaaaaattttt!!! (tony the tiger style) Hows the home, the dog, the garage, my car, my sisters, my cousins, my friends? I know that they are all doing fantastic. I am so happy to talk to you guys today!!! This week has been a pretty good week! 

This week I have really been focusing in on the spirit and obedience. Opening an area you need to rely on the spirit and rely on the tender mercies of the Lord. We have had some pretty cool experiences this week with just walking blind and trusting in the Lord to guide where we needed to go. On friday we decided to go to a part of our area that is super far away and super high up in the mountains. But I knew that we needed to go to that area. So we walked, and walked, and walked, until we got to the area where the Lord had indicated. 

And from there we started knocking doors and climbing more hills looking for people. And then we saw a lady on the other side of the hill cleaning her house, and my comp said " Hey! let's go talk with her." So we went over and started talking with her and right away she called us Elders (never happens by the way) and told us to come into her house. We ask her how she knew we were called Elders and she said " Oh, I'm a member." When she said that wow, I almost lost it. It turns out that she moved here to Lima from the jungle and know she is living here with her NINE children and husband. Only a few of her kids are baptized and her husband no and she promised to come to church next week. Coolest thing ever. In a place that reminds me a lot of the hills in Lord of the Rings with Frodo and Sam, the Lord guided us to a family that truly needed to her the word of the Lord and needed to be saved. I am so grateful for that. So so grateful. And we continue to have experiences like that everyday.

I have been striving so hard to recieve the Holy Ghost and to recieve revelation to know where to go and who to teach. It takes all my diligence, faith, and obedience to recieve those blessings. I am so grateful to the Lord. And I am trying to teach these same priciples to my companion, but he is a little rebellious and he is a little hard to convince, but I know that he will realize the importance of these things. I know that the Holy Ghost will guide me in what I should do and will tell me everything I should do. If I am obedient. D&C 130:20-21

I know that God lives and I know that he loves me and wants me to return to his presence. I know that he will help me to do whatever he expects of me because he loves me and he loves his children.

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

Keep on Keepin on

Poco a Poco

Con MUCHO AMOR

Elder McIff