Email Received January 24, 2012

Hi Family,

Thanks, Mom, for the Idaho Spud candy bars.  I brought them to the Harters and gave them out. Everyone had the funniest expression on their face and the bars were a weird type of chocolate and gross. But I really enjoyed the Mentos and I am really sorry that I haven’t emailed in a while. I’m going to send lots and lots of pictures today just for you to enjoy. You should check on Garry if he has leprosy or something. [Garry recently had a light case of Chicken Pox]. You should put him in a bath of Oatmeal and then have him eat it. Fear Factor style.

Here’s a simplified version of what my 9 days of fun were. I love the scarf Its really vibrant.

Monday-Thursday: We went to see S. Seeley’s son, Mark. We taught him the Restoration on Monday and on Thursday we taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ and then we set him for baptism on Feb. 18 which is pretty cool. Other than that, me and E. McDermott from an exchange drove all over the area trying to get in touch with some people. They weren’t there and things fell thru, but it was fun being with another companion. We tracked near our branch president's house and this big black dog followed us and started barking at us when we went to a door and E. McDermott was freaking out. 

I took him to see one of my favorite less actives, the Millers. The dad is very active; it’s just the rest of the family that has trouble. He is the nicest guy on earth and he drills wells for a living. We also helped people in the old folks home to get to their church (not ours) to listen to the preacher.  He had confidence but no authority. I hated going back into that room wheeling a person who deserves the gospel, but is getting something less.

Friday-Saturday: We met with Oscar Parker who has founded some stuff here. He lives in the oldest house in Wakefied. It’s like a plantation house. We went to Lawerenceville for E. Carter to do a baptism interview. Also got my license finally and it will come in the mail soon. We went to an investigator’s house and he gave us ties to pick from and I got this really eccentric one.  Then we interviewed a guy named Woody. Me and the other elders played Horse and we would bounce it off the walls and do a spin or something off the floor or a podium. It was fun. Then we went to a Brunswick game where it was Brunswick vs. Greensville. It was full of black people and they would get up and start dancing when someone dunked it. It got awkward for us being squeezed into these tiny spots and one of the elders got sort of grinded on because he’s a bigger guy and had to spread his legs for the lady in front and she started dancing and it got weird. The Brunswicks won and they were really good. Erik should go to a game sometime. The cheerleaders there are like stomp the yard and the band is like Drumline by dancing a bunch. Greensville had one white cheerleader -  it was funny. When we went to bed we couldn’t sleep so around 12 at night we got up and had a DiGiornos pizza and it helped us fall asleep.

The next day, we went to Woody’s baptism.  He’s like a pro-fighter from all the martial arts he has learned and he was in the Army. Weird thing, when he got out of the Army, he and his buddy checked out a church called the Water Moccasin church. The halls had pictures of everyone that had died in the church and they were pretty young. Woody said that in the chapel, the preacher would grab out of two buckets two handfuls of Water Moccasins and spread them out in the crowd and if you live from the bite, then God has chosen you. And if you don’t then, that just happens.

Woody taught us some fighting moves and the baptism was awesome from the dunking to the testimony given by one of the members. Then we went to a place called Pinos and I stuffed myself with food. Then we went back to Wakefield and had dinner with Trey and Sheena. Turns out they both have opinions about their different religions, so that’s why they aren’t married. They want to be married by the pastor in their church but they can’t agree which one.  It is hard for them to change their faith away from the false teachings of other churches.

Sunday: We had lunch at the Fly’s and it was fun because they are all joke tellers. And we went to the Harter’s and got our transfer calls there. Elder Carter is going to Goochland area which is a new area for the last transfer. It’s west of Richmond. And I’m staying in Wakefield with my new companion, E. Kun. Don’t know if hes Asian or what, but it will be fun. Everyone is upset over E. Carter leaving since he has been here forever.

Monday- Wedsnesday (this week)- Monday, we played basketball and spent time with the elders in our zone up in Colonial Heights. E. Hopkins, one of the zone leaders, can really dunk. His two companions, E. Carpenter and E. Huskinson, are the best and they love my Office quotes. I think E. Huskinson wrote Tessa a letter. Then we went to the Harter’s with the Idaho Spuds and they had fun with that. Then we went to the Terry’s who are less active and tried to commit  S. Terry’s husband to baptism. We’ll see how it goes. Then we had banana splits at the Harter’s.

Tuesday, Elder Carter went on a packing spree and got it mostly all together. We helped the retirement home with Bingo by calling out the people’s numbers and helping them. Then B. Gruber took us on the ferry across the James River to a place called Berlissimo which is a pizza place and is like the old style pizzas and we had canolis and they were really good. I will send some pics of it.

Wedsnesday (today), we finished the packing and got on the tower to our church and it was really cool and we had to duck so people wouldn’t see us. The rest of the day will be E. Carter saying goodbye to the members and tomorrow will be transfers.

I love you all so much and thanks for the letters – I love them!

Elder McClure

Letter Recieved January 14, 2012

Hi Family!

Hey!  This isn’t one of those letters where I sum up my week, but it will have a little of Tuesday.  So how’s life in Idaho?  I need some juicy updates on my friends and family.  All the letters and packages I have gotten brighten my day!  I got a big package of cookies from Molly and Allison and they are great!

Two things I want to know extremely bad:  1.  How are the little cousins doing?   2. How is my lemon tree doing?  I know that these questions are easy to answer, but I need to know how my family is doing.  I miss you all a lot and most days I will look up at the ceiling and think of ya’ll and all the good times.  Two families here remind me how a mission helps and how missionaries in other areas are feeling.  One, the Harters.  They have a son, Jason, in Washington.  He has his ups and downs.  He baptized a lady, but he also had 15 rejections for lessons right after.  The second, the Irwins.  Their son, Jeff, went to Nevada and loved it.  He’s back, now.  He and his family went on a cool cruise for 5 days when he got back.  When I come back, what should we do that would be fun as a family?  [On our budget, a cruise down the Payette River.]

The mission is fun.  Basically, we spend a lot of time with the Harters.  We try to reinforce our less actives and are still trying.  We try a lot to get in touch with our investigators.  They all have two problems:  1. They are not around when we come by to teach a lesson.  2.  They can’t keep committed.  Good thing we got Mrs. Nan baptized, but it has been awhile since then.  I have to admit that this is the mission with a lot of perks and a lot of hardships.  The perks are free food at La Hacienda, the beautiful church, nice members, the beautiful countryside, and a pretty good apartment.  But the area is really big.  We don’t get a lot of people to church.  The stereotype of crappy house, but kick-butt car is very real here.

I’m always trying my hardest to do the work.  The cool thing is that everyone notices the fire of my passion for this work.  Well, Tuesday we got up, studied, and went with our Branch President to see some people but they weren’t there.  I love our members and President Irwin.  We went up to Surry to try and visit an investigator named David, but he was asleep.  We then went to La Hacienda.  I keep ordering fries because I don’t like Mexican rice, just Chinese rice.  Then we went to tract through an area and then went to the beach.  We helped someone move into a house that belongs to one of our investigators who is going to Waverly.  Then we went home and Sister Dayton had left us some banana bread.  E. Carter has become a better companion since we had our long talk.

I talked to Erik and he loved it.  I will try to get to talk to him more.  I love you all and I want you to know that Heavenly Father has a plan for us.  Please all of you write more letters to me!  I love them!

-Elder Max McClure

Email Received on January 9, 2012

Hi Family!

On Monday, we had the most lazy day that could ever exist in a mission. We had nothing to do because E. Carter isnt really creative with our time and we just stayed home. We went to Mrs. Nan's and we talked with her for a while and she fed us hamburger meat and beans yuck. Then she offered us these treats on the table for dessert but it came to her attention after we all ate one and Carter had two that they were dog treats. It wasn't bad but that is nasty. The main thing today was that we had an interview with the President Perry. So that was fun. He told me how mature I was and that he was grateful for me serving in Virginia. At the end, President Perry didnt fool around with me by joking where i would be transferred because its honestly where ever the lord needs me most.  We also had a lesson with an investigator named David and I explained to him the Joseph Smith story. And all he got out of it was that Joseph brought back the need of prayer. I think it went a little over his head.

Weds, nothing special. Thursday, Me and E. Carter tried to visit some people but we couldnt get a hold of them so we went tracting in the ghetto area behind the peanut factory and we found some people to invest some time into. Then Friday, We had a zone meeting and it was very good and afterward, we all went out to lunch. On the way out, a car full of people hits the edge of the exit ramp. Then we had an exchange with the zone leaders. I got to take Elder Carpenter to Wakefield and we tracted whenever we could. He said that I have a fiery passion about me for the work. I feel a little held back by Elder Carter and i want someone new so we arent as relaxed in the area which 10 months here can do for you. Elder Carpenter interviewed S. Seeley. On Saturday, We switched with our old companions and we got S. Seeley baptised. Elder Carter did it and kind of flung her into the water and when she came up she was very astonished.

The Harters now have 7 puppies from a dog that this man had them take care of. It could have been 12 but the vet made a mistake and now they are gunning for his license being taken away. The puppies are adorable. Tula should have puppies. These ones are German shepherds and they suck on your fingers when they are hungry. I got a picture but ill send it next time. Still breaking the camera in. On Sunday, We confirmed S. Seeley and we went to a members house that we hardly talk to. Its the Joines and they are a black and white couple. The man is small and white and the wife is big and black and has small dreds. They were hilarious and they loved my fun personality which hardly comes out because Elder Carter hogs the conversation and is bland and has the sarcastic jokes that only he laughs at. Today Im going to look for whale bones in this area and go to the Harters. If you ever really miss me, call her or listen to my ipod for comfort. Or sit on tessa. It worked for me. Well love you all and thanks for the package of my gs and I finally got a package of goodies from Allison and Molly. I love them to death. I already have so much candy I dont know what to do with it. Next email I will send the best sunset ever. I will also send the package to you. I love you all and please send more letters because I want to feel special at the post office. I like to show them off a lot.

bye yall,

Elder McClure

Letter Received January 5

Hey Family!

Really bored and wanted you to know how I’m doing.  Well, to quote specifics, I loved all the Christmas stuff people sent me.  The candy amount sort of excelled from all the packages and I was a little afraid of getting diabetes.  Well, I went over the calling time on Christmas, but it was worth it even though I had to call from a bathroom.  I love you all and here is how my week went:

Monday

We went over to the Harter’s early to meet up with the Elders in Petersburg.  We played pool mostly while children were everywhere from the families who had come down to visit.  Then we did an exchange where we and E. McDermott changes areas so I went to Petersburg with E. Smith.  The most fun thing we did after we got dressed in our suits was we went over to a lady named B.B.’s apartment.  So it was her and a member from church and their little one named Maryan.  So started by climbing these stairs to her apartment and it was pitch black.  She suddenly opened the door and screamed.  It was funny!  We had dinner and talked about stuff. One of B.B.’s friends came over and she is really funny.  So BB got out her electric keyboard and goes with the instrumental tab and hits all the keys and starts chanting like African music, but she was being funny.  Then she offered us these cool Army coats, but she needed to get them from a friend.  Then we went back to the apartment and slept.

Tuesday

We got up and had study time and E. Smith made it really fun.  We went to Colonial Heights for Buffalo Wild Wings.  I got a medium of boneless wings and they were a little spicy.  We went to JC Penney for a tie rack and there was an electronic one for 20 bucks, but it was huge so I got a smaller one.  I also bought a purple-bluish tie from Sears.  Then we went to a place called the Ghetto Shop and its run by a lady named Mrs. Lee.  I bought a cool VA hat there and it’s really cool looking.  Then we went to this trailer and the lady wasn’t there.  It was raining hard by then.  We got hot chocolate and then went to Chad’s.  He’s a wounded soldier.  He had a lot of questions concerning dinosaurs and UFOs.  E. Smith said that dinosaurs were for fossil fuels for our use.  Funny, right?  Then we went back to Wakefield and I was so annoyed with E. Carter and we had a long talk and learned more about each other.

Wednesday

We did more tracting today.  We went to the Harter’s after a really good lesson with a lady named Michelle.  She wants to quit smoking and is really open to our beliefs.  We taught the Plan of Salvation.  At the Harter’s, E. Carter emailed his family.  Then I emailed you all.  We then went to a city called Claremont.  Some elders call it Outer Darkness.  We couldn’t find any referrals or members there and we accidentally knocked on a pastor’s door and his house was the richest on the block.  We went back to the Harter’s and hung out and played pool for the remainder of the day.  V. Harter’s pregnant dog had its puppies. 

Thursday

We had a district meeting that day.  So I was training today (which is like giving a lesson).  The meeting started with E. McDermott bearing his testimony.  I gave the lesson on a talk by E. Carmack of the Seventy.  It was on increasing faith.  I talked about the parable Jesus gives on a master and his servant.  It is basically that throughout all we do on the Earth, we are still in debt to Heavenly Father.  That we must trust in him.  After, E. Buckley taught on repentance.  Then we went over our numbers for the weeks and also talked about miracles.  Our example was a lesson with Michelle and a lady we found tracting named Shawanda.  They both had been to church before.  Then we went to Pizza Hut.  When we went back to the church building, the ride for the Lawrenceville area had a flying squirrel and it was cute.  Then the zone leaders took us home and there was this funny riddle called the Valley of the Green Sheep.  It basically is where the only things in the valley are things with double letters (like sheep).  Then we went to Mrs. Nan’s and burned the remainder of the leaves.  I took a picture of the sunset.

Friday

Got up to do situps and felt really sick and hurt my abs.  Then we planned for the week.  Then we went and did a little teaching and found a couple of people.  The first said they were Methodist and the other was interested in the message.  She has a husband who had had a stroke, a daughter who has brain cancer, and a son who is losing his sight.  Then we went to the Virginia Diner and it wasn’t really all that.  I got Mom and Dad cool gifts.  We finally saw the ghetto part of town.  Now I’m sitting on my bed trying to get over stomach pains.

I love you all and want to say Happy New Year!  This letter is from the last of 2011 to the first of 2012.  Well, I’m going to spend New Year’s at the Harter’s and play games.  I’ll update you in an email and send all of my cool pics. 

Elder Max McClure