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