Con todo vuestro corazon alma, mente, y fuerza

Well this week was a H-A-R-D week. Haha for reals. It was a toughy. My companion and I have been working hard this week and we have had the fruits!!! It has been a lot of walking, knocking doors, and chasing people down to teach them. Haha. This week we really focused on finding new investigators and well we found them! We now have a few really good investigators and some old ones that came out of the woodwork! It was really good. One super cool story. So there is an investigator here the is super old. She has been an investigator since I was here six months ago. And well last week we visited her and she was super negative and had lost her testimony of the church and everything for some problems she had with the members and it made me super sad because she was really good. But this week we went and she had totally changed. She had some problems with her husband and she could only go to God to look for help and she said that she had received an answer to her prayers and that she was going to go to church on Sunday and she came!!!! It was super awesome. She was super happy and she was telling to all the members, "the prodigal daughter has returned!" Haha she's a little funny but we are going to help her get married and hopefully baptized before I go home!!! That is what I am working for right now, my last baptism.

Mom you letter was totally right, I am so so grateful for the hard work ethic that you and dad taught me. So many times in my mission I have remembered the hot days pulling weeds or hauling the lawn mower all over the lawn or just doing strange chores that dad gave me, I have just remembered putting my head down and doing it. So many times in my mission I have been exhausted and hot, and just dead and I have recieved strength to keep pushing from the example that you guys gave me and the things you taught me. I am very grateful for the things that you taught me. Hard work will always be a great characteristic that I will take from my mission and something that my patricartical blessing says that I would learn. 

I am tired and my legs hurt and are sore more than ever but the field is still white and it is still ready for the harvest. We are heloing the branch grow and helping many people come to church once again. It is a great time working in the work of the Lord and well there is still a lot of work left!

This week my companion and I are going to go to the Lima temple for the last time! I am going to buy you guys some really cool stuff from there! The Peruvians are really creative and they do a lot of cool things related to the church so I will see what I can find there! 

We are also going to have a zone conference tomorrow in which I will give my offical last testimony, it will be intense. How sad! But it will be okay because I won't be the only one. 

Thank you for everything guys!!! I love you so much!!!!!

Elder McIff

La carrera continua

Thank you so much for you letter mom, just what I needed, and the letter you sent me last week, it was inspired. I had a change. I was in Jose Galvez for just one change and they have sent me to another area for my last change. But not just any area, THE area. Haha. I have returned to la Zona Tahuantinsuyo but now I am in a different area. I am in a branch called Quiñones. But not any branch, THE branch. Haha. This branch is dying little by little and well I guess President trusts me a lot because it is probably the hardest area in the mission. Wow the Lord does not what me to rest. This whole week I have been singing "I'll go where you want me to go."

I just finished emailing president and he told me that I just need to work FURIOUSLY hard. Those words where the greatest things I have ever heard. My companion is Elder C. and he is having some difficulties with his work ethic and his conversion and well President wants me to give him the example of how a missionary should end his mission, so I feel honored! This next week will be much much better! You guys will have a much better report next week because well this week was kind of crappy haha but that's why there is always next week! 

I am reading the new testament right now and it is amazing!! I am finishing 1 John and I am learning a lot of things, mainly about the sacrifice of our lord Jesus Christ. One verse that I really like was 1 John 2:1-3. Jesus Christ was our savior and to know him and his glory we have to be obiedent and keep his commandments! I am really enjoying reading the bible and learning new things everyday! 

I hope you guys are growing your knowlegde of the gospel everyday by reading the scriptures and studying the word of the prophets. I am learning a lot by reading the Ensign (Liahona), You guys should read it always!!!! 

Thanks for everything you do for me and your works of encouragement!!!

You guys are gonna be my pit crew in this last lap, help me finish strong and fast!!!!

I love you guys so much and I hope everything is going great over there and you are enjoying summer!!!!!

KICK KICK KICK!!!!!!

Keep on keepin on!

Elder McIff

Jacob 5:62

Buenos Dias Familia!!!

So this week was a great week!!!! Like a really good week. Like super good. We had a baptism. We taught a ton of lessons. Members came with us everyday. We found a ton of new people. We are preparing another baptism on the 25th. Things are going good and they can be better!!!!

On Saturday J. got baptized and it was an amazing experience. It started off a little rought but in the end it was awesome. We had planned with him to come and pick him up for the baptism at 6:15 and we were there at 6:15, and he wasn't at his house. So were waited patiently for a little bit and then when it was 6:40 and still didn't show up we started worrying. We starting praying super hard and asking the Lord to make him come. And to keep us calm, a young man that always visits with us, Jared, and I started singing hymns. It kept us calm until he got home, at 7:00!!! The baptism started at 7:00!!! So we called out mission leader and told him to wait for us and we finally got to the church, and there weren't any members.... Shoot.... Luckily there was another baptism of another ward at the same time and so we just waited until their baptism ended and we called a whole bunch of members and little by little they got to the chapel. Finally at like 8:15 started the baptism. It was a very special program and then J. and I got up to do the ordinance. We walk into the font, and it was like half full...... Definetly not enough water for someone to be baptized. We were like what the Heck!!! So we turn the water on and started filling buckets with water and we did that for like ten minutes and it still wasn't very deep but I just told J. to bend his knees a lot and I would push him really deep under water. Haha. And it worked! One time and it was perfect!!! He came out of the water and said I just feel clean!!! And we were talking in the bathroom and he told me that all his sins are gone and he has a new beginning. It was a great baptism and a great experience to be with him. It made me super happy.

Now, well today is tranfers. Do you know what that means? I am in my last transfer!!!!! What the heck!!!! But I loved your letter mom!!!! I testify of your words. In this transfer I have had a bunch of problems with my pride and accpeting the will of the Lord. Many times I have wanted things to go my way and they haven't gone that way and I would get really frustrated.  But your letter made me realize mom that I just need to eat up my pride and be patient and just accept the will of the Lord. Especially in this last transfer. I am really worried about who is going to me by companion but you made me realize that it doesn't matter I just have to work work and work. My companion shared a scripture with me that inspired me a lot. I is Jacob 5:62 and now is my motto. It says  "Wherefore, let us go to and labor with our might thislast time, for behold the end draweth nigh, and this is forthe last time that I shall prune my vineyard." I have to work with all my might this last time.

I hope everything is going well over there in Utah and you are having a great time and are happy!!!! I love you guys so much and well have a great week!!!!!

Keep on keeping on!!!!

Elder McIff

Bueno, y eso

Haha well this week was a normal week! Nothing much happened! We found new investigators, our investigators are progressing, and yeah! Everything is fine! Haha we've been working hard with my companion and I feel good here! This ward is awesome. I am pretty sure that every day this week we went out with the members to teach and they are helping us a ton! We are super grateful for them and little by little we are motivating the ward! I feel good here.

My companion is alright. Like we are getting a long well but sometime he makes jokes that get on my mind and well just patience.

J. is going to be baptized this week and we he really excited. His family is supporting him a lot and listening to us as well. YSA is helping him a lot because he doesn't have a lot of friends at all but now he does! It is awesome.

This week really was just normal! 4th of July was just a normal day, p-day was a normal day. everything just normal! haha. But it was good. I am really grateful for it and I am really grateful for my chance to serve the Lord with all I have!!! 

The other missionaries and members always make trunky jokes but I am just focused on working and doing what the Lord wants me to do. 

Something sad is that Elder Packer died this past week!!! He was my favorite apostle!!! We were at a members house and we opened lds.org to show them a video and on the front page it said, "Remembering Elder Boyd K Packer" I about died. I was so so sad. But I do know that this church is true and that the Lord is hastening his work and that he will now call younger more energized leaders to bring to pass his work. 

I am so grateful for the revelation and the true church. It brings us such peace and comfort. 

I know that this church is true and that everything that we do in the church is ordained by God. I thank Him for giving us this chance to progress and be happy here on earth.

I love you guys so much and I hope everything goes well for you guys!!!! Have fun with whatever you do! I still having received your letters!!!

Elder McIff

En el mundo, pero no del mundo

Hey Family!!!

Well I had a really good week this week!!! Even though that news of gay marriage ruins it a little bit, but it really isn't something that surprises me. I remember that just before I left on the mission the supreme court made a similar decision and I put up on Facebook that I was afraid of what the country would be like when I got back and I had all reason to be afraid. But you know, if there is something that I have learned on the mission it is "be in the world, but not of the world". When we really keep the commandments of our God and we "elevate every thought" to him, the things that happen here in this world have little significance compared to the eternal perspective of things. I know that there is an eternal marriage that can bind us together forever. Something much more than a marriage between a man and another man. 

It's sad that our society is reaching this point but that's even more reason to come unto Christ and find in him "peace that passes all understanding". One of my favorite phrases of scripture used many times by Jesus Christ is "fear not little flock". We as members of the Church are that little flock and as the world around us gets darker and darker, I find peace in the fact that Christ is our pastor and we his flock. I know he lives and as we come unto him we will find great peace and comfort as we live his gospel. 

One scripture that came to my mind was 2 Nephi 4:34-35 - "34 O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm. 35 Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not a miss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen." We have to keep our faith in Christ always and trust in him forever.

This week was a really good one. We now have a ton of investigators and less actives that we are teaching and we are planning on have three baptisms this week, if not more. I feel really good here and I am really happy to be working here. I am pretty sure that this is the perfect area. It was rich parts, it has poor parts, it has flat streets, huge hills, it is big, and there is a ton of people. Across the street there is a huge mall, it is close to the stake center, it has a ton of good restaurants. The ward is super awesome and they always leave with us to do visits. There is A TON of RMs that do splits with us and it is super awesome. I am happy here. Really happy. 

J. is progressing well. He shared his testimony with us the other day and it was super powerful. He knows that the church is true and he is changing so much. He went to the church for the first time yesterday and he really liked it! He is a really shy guy and the members made him feel really good! 

We had a few other investigators come to church and many less actives! I was pretty happy yesterday! I am happy that the members don't think I am trunky and I only came here to die and finish my mission. I came to work!!!!! 

I want to finish well! I had an interview with President this week and he told my that he has seen my progress and he is happy with my work and trusts that I will finish well. He put me with Elder Peralta to help him out and help him be a leader so he can help out the mission when our group is gone. My group and the group before me are or were the leaders of the mission and know we are leaving and President is a little worried about that but the mission will keep having success!!!! 

I am happy here in the mission working hard to finish hard!

I love you guys!!! Hope you have a great week and everything goes well in Montana mom!!!

Keep on keepin on!!!

Elder McIff

I love to see the temple, I'm going there someday

Hey family!!!!!

So this week was a special one. We worked really hard and we area now seeing the fruits! We have an investigator that is going to be baptize on July 11th. His name is J. R. and He is awesome!! He is one of those 30 year old nerdy lives with  his mom kind of but he has a great desire to follow Christ!!! I wants to be good and keep the commandments and return to live with our Heavenly Father. We taught him the Law of Chasity this week and one thing that he told me really impressed me. He said that the law of Chasity was "hard to keep, but I have to do it, to be pure, to be with Him" pointing at a picture of Christ in a white rope. It was an amazing statement by him. He makes us so happy and we area so grateful for him. 

We have other investigators that are really great and well we hope that this week they will be able to progress and receive more blessings form the gospel. He have been working really hard this week and we are seeing the fruits. We are helping a lot of people come to church and helping a lot of people come BACK to church. One thing that I am learning here is how to help less actives come back to church and I am growing a new love for them. I am grateful for the chance to help and serve this ward and these families. 

Referring to my letter last week things are getting better. I am focusing more and trying to be more righteous and more reverent. the thing is that I get along really well with my companion and he is a really funny guy and sometimes we end up just joking around and losing our concentration. But I am trying to stop that and help him focus on the task at hand, and to myself as well. 

This Sunday was a very special Sunday in Peru. The Peru Trujillo temple was dedicated. It was dedicated on Sunday in three wonderful sessions. It is the second temple in Peru and it is a great blessing for the people here and now many more people area going to be able to receive these blessings. There are more then half a million members in Peru and they are now so so happy to have another temple in their country. People had to travel days to get to Lima to receive ordinances and do them on behalf of their dead. Now there is one in the North of the country for so many faithful members of the church. 

Presidente Utchdorf, Elder Bednar, and Elder Teh of the seventy came to dedicate the temple. They gave many messages but some things really impressed me. President Utchdorf said that the temple should be the central part of our lives, that we should be focused on it continually. He said "We shouldn't have two lives, normal life and temple life. There shouldn't be a difference. Normal life should be Temple Life." It was a great message. he said that we should always carry our temple recommend with us and it should NEVER expire. NEVER. 

Elder Bednar talked about doing the work for OUR dead. He talked about that it is nice to go to the temple and to work for the dead but when we go we should do the work for OUR dead, not for the dead but for Our dead. HE said OUR dead about thirty times. He emphasized the importance of looking for our family names and bringing them to the temple to do work for OUR dead. In the mission I have learned a bunch about Family history and well I know that our family tree and is missing a lot of names! We have to go find them!!! 

It was a really good week but my time is running short so I hope to hear from you soon and I hope you have a great week!!!! 

I love you so much and thank you for everything that you do for me and all the missionaries everywhere!!!!

Keep on Keepin on!!!!

Elder McIff

There ain't no rest for the wicked (and even less for the righteous)

Hey there family!!!!!

So this week I has been a test. It has been a really tough week. It started off well but then it just went down hill. haha. But we worked hard and had some investigators come to church and we are gaining more confidence with the members and we are having a good time. I really starting to like the ward and really starting to love the people here. My Zone leaders are bugging me a little but hey what I can I do. Just go to work!!!!

Right now I really just want to focus on keeping my mind focused one the work and on Christ. Which is a little hard that I don't have so many responsibilities. I find my self sometimes bored with nothing to do and my mind wanders to home, BYU and what I am going to to when I get back and it is pretty bad. I feel kind of bad. I am not sure what to do to fix it. I want to work hard and so everything that the Lord wants me to do. I need to find solutions.

But Hey what are you going to do for summer?? Any plans any crazy trips without me? I hope not!!! 

But well this week I am really going to focus on the obedience and the consecration. 

Here I am hoping for words of motivation and love!!!!!

I love you guys!!!!!!! Have a great week!!!!!!! I am going to do my best to have a great week for the Lord!!!!

With lots of Love,

Elder McIff 

Jose Galvez, Independencia

Good Morning!!!!!!

Well it is a great morning here in Independencia, Lima. Its a balmy 65 degrees with about 70% humidity. There is an overcast sky with no chance of sun for four months. Welcome to winter in Lima!!!!

Well Family I have left Los Angeles, it was a great area and a great ward and I left a ton of memories and friends there. I really enjoyed my time there and well like I said, I feel like I did the work that my father in Heaven wanted me to do. I am really happy for the chance to serve as Zone leader there. Now I am here in Independencia, my ward in called Jose Galvez. My companion's name is Elder Peralta, he is District leader here and do you know that that means......... I'm junior companion!!!!!! Haha. After more than six months of serving as Zone Leader the Lord has blessed me with the assignment of Junior Companion. It is great. Haha. I am actually really grateful for this opportunity because now I can put all my energy, knowledge and experience into my area and the people. I now can focus 100% on my area and the people here. I am so happy. My companion is super awesome. He is from the south of Peru and has like 14 months in the mission. It's kind of cool because we were in the same zone once when he started his mission so I know him a little bit. He is super cool, funny, works hard, and is obedient. I am really grateful to be his companion. I am happy that I have the chance to help him and share my knowledge and help him progress. My goal is that he can be Zone Leader after this change.

We are working really hard here in Jose Galvez. It is a great ward. It is in a place that is a lot more developed and civilized. In my area there is the biggest mall in Lima, so that's pretty cool. The people that live in the rich part of my area are a little hard but if you go more up in the hills you can find really good people. This week we focused a lot of finding people and growing our group of investigators. I am super excited to be here and working hard and in peace. As Zone leader it was hard sometimes to focus on my area but know I am 100% focused on my area. I am really happy here and just excited to get to work. We didn't have any investigators come to church this week but little by little we are going to help this area progress. I am excited. 

Today we are going to Lima for the last time in my mission. They told us on Thursday that we were going to day so sorry that I didn't give you anytime to think of stuff that you wanted but I will look and get what I can. In Lima there is all the cheap stuff but if I can't get everything today little bit little I will buy stuff here in my area. Like I said the biggest mall in Lima is in my area so I can definitely buy stuff there. 

But apparently the time has gone out here. Everyone in leaving so well I will talk to you next week with pictures from Lima!!!!!

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!! HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!! BE HAPPY!!!!! :)

The goal is be happy always :)

Elder McIff

El fin comienza (And I totally don't mean to be trunky)

Hey Family!!!!!

How are y'all doing?? I am doing great!! This week has been an excellent week! We had J. baptism on Friday and then his baptism on Saturday with P. and O!!!!! WooOooooo!!!!! It was great. But a little sad at the same time. We had the baptism in the morning and NO ONE came. Only the ward mission leader, the relief society president, and the second counselor of the bishopric. I was pretty sad. But the important thing is that they got baptized!!!! On Sunday I confirmed P. and J. and now they three are official members of the True Church!!!! Happy times!!!

But there is other news as well. I have a transfer!!!! I have finished three months in this area and now I am leaving. It's a little sad because I liked Los Angeles but I feel like I did all the work I needed to do and now I'm headed out to finish my mission in my last area. I have less than three months left. I am one of the oldies in the mission now. I don't know what is gonna happen with me. I am pretty sure I'm not going to be zone leader anymore, I'm tired of it. haha. But who knows?? I just want to die in peace. That's all I want. But we'll see what will happen tomorrow!! 

Hey!!!! I got your package!!!! It was so awesome!!!! Thank you so much!!!!! Just what I needed!!! CANDY!!!!!!!! AND CLIFF BARS!!!!!!! WOOOOOO!!!!!!! Thank you thank you thank you!! :) Now with all the food I have and all the exercise that I am doing I am in pretty good shape. And it is just going to get better. :) I am NOT going to come home fat!! I refuse!!!!! 

Ummmmm well I am not sure if you guys know, because apparently no one here knew, but I just found out the Elder Perry died!!! Literally like a minute ago! So sad!!! But and the same time I am in peace. It is a weird feeling but how sad!!!! What's even sadder is the he died two days ago and I am just finding out! But I know where he is and he is well. The good thing is that the Church keeps on, The Prophet will receive divine revelation and we will have a new apostle. The truth moves on!!!

Well that has been my week and I hope you week has been good!!!! I will talk to you guys next week!!! 

Love you!!!!!

Elder McIff 

Sorpresa!!!

Hey Family!!!!

Haha so today we are writing because on Monday we are going to have another mission wide soccer tournament on Monday and we have be there really early!!!! It is going to be super sweet!!! I'll send you pictures!! (I charged my camera) haha. 

But this week has been a good one!!! We've been working pretty hard and well everything is going well. We were able to finish all the papers for J.s marriage on Tuesday and they are going to get married next Friday! I am a little bummed that his family doesn't want to get baptized but with time they will. J. is super cool. Really excited about the gospel. He's gone to the temple to visit, he has a ton of church videos and he is learning a lot! He talks a ton!!! But he's a good guy. 

The other family that we are teaching, P. and O. are progressing a ton as well. they are really excited for their baptism. They are super humble and really really good. P. knows a ton about the bible so the lessons are pretty fun. 

This week we have found some new families and we are really happy about that. We were lacking in investigators but now we have a good number of really good people. But we have to keep finding more! In our area there aren't a lot of members, less actives, or recent converts so we work a ton with investigators. And most of them are contacts. But something cool is that when we contact someone they know a member of the church someway or another, that makes me really happy, and our work a lot easier! When the investigator has learned or heard even a little about he church they are a lot more receptive and willing to listen. Its super nice. 

I am really excited, tomorrow we are going to take a family of five to church tomorrow! They are neighbors of P. and O.and we contacted them this week and taught them and they were like yeah! We'll go to church! So Its going to be awesome. I am excited to see this family progress. 

But everything thing is good here in Peru. Just working hard and doing my best to do what the Lord wants!!! I'm happy. :)

Hope you have a great week and have fun in Mesa!!!

Love you guys!!!!