Email Received March 26, 2012

Hey ya’ll,

This has been a big week for me and Elder Pickup. We first went to Leadership Training on Tuesday for the second time. During the 4 days, we were up in Richmond relearning the 8 principles of the gospel to help us improve teaching the people. There were a lot of things to be learned. The things that we touched on that really helped were Church attendance and Commitment. We really need more people to come to church. The commitment lesson was fun because we role played, giving hilarious commitments that we had to back up. Like:  “Will you dye your hair?” 

During that time, we stayed in an area really close to the building called Meadowbrook. It was a biking area so I borrowed Elder Buckley’s bike to use there. I had to bike twice to a place 30 minutes away to people who weren’t there, but the exercise was great. We talked to a lady named Janica and she was so close but then she just told us that it was not a good time in her life to accept the gospel. On one of the 30 minute trips, we did it in the rain and it rained hard. It also hailed and thundered above us. Every time we would go down a hill, we would have to go up it the same night.

The missionaries there lived in an apartment complex with most of their members,  which were a lot. At the end of our time there, we bore our testimonies, I gave the most powerful testimony where everyone could tell it was different and the power of the Holy Ghost was all through me. It felt so powerful, like how I imagine Nephi might have felt. One of the assistants told me I spoke like the Spirit was speaking directly through me.

Not much happened in our week after Training, but we got to see Dorothy again.  She is going through cancer treatment and she’s interested in the gospel.  We found this lady at the end of the block and we gave her and her friend Books of Mormon and the first discussion. Most importantly, we baptized David Warren which was done by our branch president, President Irwin. That was really cool!  I did his confirmation. He said that he felt overwhelmed (in a good way) and wanted to feel that way all the time.

Well, that was our week and today we had to give up going to Ultimate Frisbee for a tri-zone activity in Lawerenceville that used up all our miles. Later, we went to the Harter’s and Buster the parrot got on Elder Pickup’s head. Funny. We have been doing better and are still trying to use our time effectively.

Love you all and please keep writing!

Elder McClure

Email Received on March 12, 2012

Hi Family,

I remember that it was this month in 2008 when we bought the beautiful house that we live in today!

Last Monday, Elder Carter came back for a sleepover and we played charades at the Harter’s. Brother Harter did a funny impression of a crossdresser. The next day we had to say goodbye to Elder Carter forever. Elder Coon got transferred to Oak grove so I got yet another companion who is a district leader for the first time on his mission:  Elder Pickup. So Elder Coon and I wasted time by him packing and the failed amount of appointments that we have had.

On Thursday we went to transfers and there was an okay amount of people there and a few new people to train. Our vehicle and automotives guy is Elder Tolman and he’s in a wheelchair and he’s a pretty nice guy. Our new Assistant to the President is Elder Rogers who I have heard is a little prideful over his football career which is very weak, but he did become an assistant coach to the team he played on. So I get put with Elder Pickup(from Declo, Idaho which is in the country part). He has some manners about him but he is a bigger guy (basically fat) and in the car he has that fat guy smell about him so it’s getting a little unbearable. We didn’t do a lot over the past days because of failed appointments and other things.

A couple of big things that happened were that we taught Loretta on her porch and she lives next to a well-used road so lots of people saw the lesson.  We taught her the Gospel of Jesus Christ and invited her to be baptized. She said she would think about it. Then we tried to teach a black guy named Carton and he is interested but doesn’t know how to read hardly at all. Hard to go off what we taught last time. Half way through, Elder Pickup asked to use the bathroom so I had to stand in the guy’s living room looking at his stuff while he stood there quietly.  Then we went to the Fly’s to have dinner and they have 6 boys and all are very loud. One of them is in Malowi, Africa but they shut down that part of the mission because there was only a 1% retention of people baptized.

Then we visited a guy named Eldridge and I have not seen him in over a month so I was worried. I would always look at his house to see if he was there. So we stopped by and he had had 4 surgeries and is on dialysis which takes up 3 of his days. He was crying when we came by and said he missed us and he would always feel better when we would come by. I know that I was meant to be in Wakefield for one more transfer so he wouldn’t be overlooked. We went to the Joines, which is the big black lady and the small white man. Their kid Caleb likes me a lot and S. Joines always makes it known. She invited us to Easter Dinner and an Easter egg hunt where she has like 130 eggs hidden.

This Sunday was a little chaotic from Daylight Savings and the flu that’s going around again. There weren’t any investigators at church and only 3/4 of members were in attendance. I had to teach Gospel Principals on Adam and Eve. I did okay but B. Fly really helped out.

Today (Monday) we just went shopping and then to the Harter’s. I got the package and loved it.

I have been having a bad couple of days from adjusting to a new comp. I have been yearning for every word from you all and I feel helpless when I miss your emails or don’t get a letter. I have trying to keep my spirits up but there is a lot of weight bearing down on me from being in Wakefield one more transfer when I have met all the people Elder Carter would just visit and potientials and formers me and Elder Coon have been seeing. My birthday is coming up - oh I mean OUR birthday is coming up (Tessa). Now you won’t have to share it with this goober. Have a fun week!

Love,

Elder McClure

Email Received February 27, 2012

Hi Family,

This week was a weird one. On Monday, we had a Nerf war with other Elders and the Fly boys; everything was fun!  So Tuesday, we spent it going to see some people in Wakefield who weren’t there, then we went this lady whose house was up this eerie road and the rocks tore up the car like crazy. Then we had a lesson with a former named Ray and we committed him to read the Book of Mormon and I bore my testimony about the Book of Mormon and he said that he would take any time he could to read it.

On Wednesday, we went to see this lady at a thrift store named the Frik and Frak but we had to reschedule because she was working. (I found the perfect gift for Tessa on her B-day.) Then we went to see a bunch of other people that fluffed out on us which is basically saying they have better things to do than hang around for a lesson. Then we went to see my favorite less active family, the Millers.  Their son and his wife moved out because their dogs drove everyone to the edge.

Thursday, we went to a District meeting and I taught on Diligence and used the lifeguard CPR I know as part of it and also used the Preach My Gospel manual and scriptures to tie into it. It was pretty good. Then we did an exchange with Lawerenceville and it was the greenie named Elder Baldwin that came with me. So we went to teach a Restoration lesson with a lady named Loretta and she loved it and wanted really bad to know the truth about our religion. She has a busy schedule so we don’t have regular appointments with her. Elder Baldwin did a good job and I did good letting him talk. So after that we did a lot of tracting where we found a former, Gracie, and a lady named Angela who works at Golden Corral.  We also visited a guy named Emmanuel who had our phone number and had called. So then we went to la Hacienda and Elder Baldwin ate really fast!  He said he eats fast because he was a firefighter before coming on a mission and they have to eat fast. We didn’t have any other standing appointments. 

Friday, there was a tornado scare and it was really windy! I took Elder Baldwin to the church tower to see the weather. Then we got to tract Wakefield and we stumbled on this guy who rejected our message and tried to get us to forget it and be saved by believing in Jesus Christ but no real doctrine. Then his wife rambled on about that men are liars and about Obama and being saved.  It was really scary because I was the older missionary and Elder Baldwin didn’t talk a lot. Then we tried to waste time till 3 pm so we went to see a lady in Dendron. Not there. Then we did more stuff in Waverly and talked to a guy with a retarded dog (honestly, it was retarded; they told us it had been dropped on its head as a puppy) and his other dog threw up in front of us. Then we exchanged back in Petersburg. Elder Coon and I went to see David, our Baptismal Date, who wasn’t there or didn’t answer. Before that we saw a snapping turtle in the middle of the road and Elder Coon picked it up to get it out of the road and it bit him and cut his finger really bad.

Saturday, all of our appointments fell thru and one of them was on house arrest so we knew he was home!  He even locked out his wife so as not to see us!  We ate at an Italian restaurant and then drove to David’s.  He was home but just didn’t answer. Waste of miles. Then we tried to see Larry Brown and he wasn’t even home and he could have called us. Bad day.

Sunday we went with the Grubers to a Conference from Salt Lake for the whole South Eastern Shore. Elder Richard Scott talked about giving women appreciation and to treasure them. It was crazy to hear cuz after that we met again with this lady, Teri, who gave us a 20 minute version of her life where her father, husband, and boyfriend all beat her up and were really mean to her.  She has had the worst life in the world because of those men. We invited her to read the BoM and pamphlets and she was really interested. Then we went to the Dayton’s for dinner and their son Zack was screaming most of the time and was so bad.

Monday got a package from Mom and loved it. Had to open it immediately! E. Coon got a whole set of Encyclopedia.  We went to the Harter’s to email and here we are.

Love you all,

Elder McClure