Birthday week

Who had a birthday this week? This guy!

Hey mom!!! so I am responding directly to your letter because I am really short on time and I haven't been able to write you guys yet!!!

My life now is officially insane. You have to do a lot of things as a zone leader!!! And I am not used it!!! I had to write reports, informs, excel charts all this morning and it eats up my time to talk with you guys!!!! This week has been crazy.

And to add to it all, I turn twenty this week!!!!! WHAT IN THE WORLD HAS HAPPENED???? I am not a kid anymore and I don't like it one bit. not one bit. I hope I can have a good time this week and I hope I get your package! I still haven't gotten anything and I am still waiting! I heard there was a problem or somthing with my pacakge, I don't know. But I am hoping it's gotten here. 

In my area I am good!!! I am getting to know the members and the investigators trying to know the zone working hard to win their confidence and be their friends. I am feeling a bunch of stress and pressure right now. I won't lie, the social circle of the mission is worse than high school. The missionaries judge a lot and there are a lot of rumors. It' pretty bad but yeah. Thats how things happen. 

I don't know whats going on but WOW! Crazy stuff is going down. I hope I can get used to it soon. 

I love you guys a lot and I hope you have a great week! I have to sign off now but I hope you have a great birthday party for me!!!! and fun fact!! We're gonna be talking in like two weeks!!!! Wooooo!!!!! 

I love you so much!!!!!! Have a great week!!!!!!

Tu hijo!

Elder McIff

La sorpresa del siglo

Hey there Family!!!

Well this week has been a lot better than the last. My companion and I have been working hard to find new investigators and commit more people to baptism. The normal stuff. But one of the high lights of my week was thanksgiving!!!! We asked a sister in our ward that used to feed the missionaries to make us the thanksgiving feast. I was so awesome. We ate turkey, ham, ROLLS!, smashed potatoes, cake. It was so awesome. Super good.

But something else happened on thanksgiving. So I was on a work visit with the Zone Leader and we were working visiting and looking for people. We had had a pretty good day and it was like 8:30pm  and we were heading to our investigator who is preparing for baptism on the 13th. on the way I get a call from Elder Mariscal. He tells me "Elder, I have some news, the assistants called and Elder, you have an emergency transfer. They will be coming to get in you in a couple of hours. Go right now and pack your bags." I was in shock. I was like are you serious? Seriously? Oh no.... And then I broke down in tears in the middle of the street. It was the hardest thing I could ever hear. I had spent seven months with some of the most amazing people I have ever met and they call me and tell me that I have to leave them high and dry. It was the hardest thing I ever did. I said goodbye to the Espinoza family, my converts whose daughter is going to be baptized on the 13th, and I went and packed my bags.

Elder Hunt and Elder Romero arrived and helped me pack my stuff and then I called Elvis, my convert of gold, and said goodbye to him and after that I broke down and cried like a little girl. I loved that ward and I loved the members and everyone that was there. I am going to miss it so much and I am going to come back more that one time to visit them and be with them. they are the greatest. 

So the Assistants arrived and I said good bye to some members that came to our house, said goodbye to my compi, Ushi, put my bags in the car and we are off. The assistants informed me that my new companion is Elder Vidal and I am now the new Zone Leader of the Zona Tahuantisuyo!!!!! Wow, locaso. Fun fact, I knew Elder Vidal before, he was my first Zone Leader when I entered the field, and now, I am his companion as Zone Leader!!!! Crazy how small this world is. We are in the Tahuantisuyo stake in the Deseret ward. It is crazy I only have three days there now so I don't know many members but there was a baptism this Saturday and there is a baptism on the 13th as well. It is crazy. The ward is small, only attend like 70 to 80 members but we are going to work super hard to raise the attendance. 

But that was my thanksgiving!! Getting an emergency transfer and being Zone Leader!! Surprise!!!! Haha I have no clue what I am doing, but Elder Vidal has 22 months in the mission and 14 months as Zone Leader so he will help me out a ton. But AHHH!!! Haha talk about stress!!! 

Well that was my week!!! Just like any other!!! Haha. You know, normal. I hope you guys have a great week and hope you eat a lot of left over turkey and get ready for Christmas!!!! 

Also I hope you guys have seen the awesome things that the church is doing for Christmas. I hope you've seen "He is the Gift" and you have shared it on facebook, twitter, insta, youtube, hulu, redbox, Walmart, chevron, and wherever you can!! #sharethegift These people need to know about Christ!!! Here in the mission we are giving out little cards about "He is the Gift" and telling everyone to watch the video and visit the Chruch!! CHRISTMAS!!!!! WOOOOOO!!!!!!!

I love you guys so much and I hope that you have an awesome week!!!

GO COUGARS!!!! GO CHIRSTMAS!!!!! WOOOO!!!!!

Poco a Poco!!!

Elder McIff

Hey!

Well mom I think this letter is going to be pretty short. This week has been a really rough one. We have lost a lot of investigators and the new ones that we find we can never find again. I am in a funk. Really frustrated, discouraged, and confused. I am working the same as always, how I have always had success, but, now we aren't having success. I don't know. I am just in a funk and in a rut. I don't know what to do. 

And I want to hear from you!!!! I am sorry if my letter was short this week but there is just not much to write and I am short on time. We are going to visit Lima today for P-day!!! Visit museums and stuff in the city!!!! I hope to hear from you fast!!!!!

Sorry for the short letter!!!!

Tu hijo,

Elder McIff

Soy Su testigo y doy testimonio de El

Hey there guys!!!!

This week was a pretty good one!!! I am so sorry that it is getting cold over there in Utah, it is getting really hot here!!!!! I am starting to sweat again, and I don't know if i like it. Haha. But I am still here in Valle Sagrado climbing the hills and preaching the word. I am working hard here with Elder Ushiñahua (Elder Ushi) finding new people to teach and helping people come unto Christ!!! I am really really glad to be here still working in Valle Sagrado but I will be honest, it is getting hard. I have already visited pretty much everywhere and now I have to go to the dark dusty corners of my area to find new people, But we are finding them!!!

This week something really cool happened. Last week one of out investigators, B. was baptized and this week her sister committed to baptism!!! It was a super suprise because she always said she was catholic and she really believed in her things and everything and she was a little hard. But on Thursday I was visiting with Elder Hunt working in his area and Elder Ushiñahua was working in my area with the Zone Leader Elder Mariscal. So we get back home and Elder Mariscal tells me he has a surprise for me but my comp is going to tell me. And so Elder Ushiñahua tells me that M. had committed to be baptized and she said that she knew that the church was true all along she just wanted to test it out and see how it was. For like two months she knew it was true and didn't say anything!!! I was dying. And the coolest thing is that she's gonna be baptized on December 13th!!! My Birthday!! Woo!!!! Two years in a row with baptisms on my birthday!!!! I am super excited!!!

It was a great blessing that she accepted baptism. And this week I received another great blessing. I FINISHED THE BOOK OF MORMON IN SPANISH AGAIN!!!! For the third time on my mission and the second time this year I finished El Libro de Mormon. I finished it Sunday morning before church and well it was awesome!!! I absolutely love reading the Book of Mormon. Every time I read I receive more and more testimony that Christ lives, Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that the Church is true. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon. I try to help my investigators understand that the Book of Mormon is the keystone to our religion and without it we would be nothing. This week I gave a training to my district teaching how the Book of Mormon can be used to teach every principle of the gospel and how an investigator can come to a full knowledge of the gospel only if he reads the Book of Mormon. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God and no one can tell me other wise. The spirit of the Lord has testified to me that is true and I know that nothing in this world can prove that that is wrong. I testify of the Book of Mormon and I testify of the Lord Jesus Christ, that they are real and true. I know that this church is true and living and it is thanks to the Book of Mormon that I know these things. I thank God for giving me this amazing testimony of His love for us and His plan that he has prepared for every one of his children. I know it is true.

Read the Book of Mormon. Read it, study it, ponder it, pray to know if it true. I know that you will receive an answer that is is true. 

I love you guys so much and hope you have a great week in the cold!!! I hope to hear from you soon!!!! 

Les amo!!!!!

Su hijo

Elder McIff