Email Received May 30, 2012

Hi Family,

Guess what? I’m being transferred! Guess where? Powatan, baby! They call it the Bachelor Pad because it is so cool. My companion is Elder Corey and he is the district leader so this is number 4. We are in the same district as the assistant to the president and from me being with district leaders, I feel that I might be one too some day. Pretty sweet.

I have been having a good week so far. My last Sunday in Wakefield I wore the revelator knot so I can feel cool. Not a lot of people at church due to the Memorial Day weekend. Pretty amazing. I am also sending home a big box full of books for me to use in college. I am sending more tomorrow.

Funny thing:  Elder Pickup is training a newbie and so that will be even less sleep lost from me being the one that knows EVERYTHING about our area. So I’m going to draft a document that tells everything about Wakefield so E. Pickup and the new companion have some help. Right now, I’m getting to see people for the last time before I go and people have really taken a liking to me more than I thought. Maybe because I’m a contrast to Elder Pickup’s robotic personality. I really care for these people and they have seen that from me.

I love you all and I need letters! No one has written me in over a week. Well I love you all and have a fun last week of school and if you’re out of school, go party till you drop. Have a good week!

Love, Elder McClure

Email Received May 21, 2012

Hi Family,

Not a very interesting week.  We went up to Petersburg to get our tires changed and we waited a while after to see if the Elders in that area needed us to do a baptismal interview. They wasted our time and that was annoying to the max.

On Saturday, we did a lot of traveling to see people and we taught a guy named Carton about prayer and he actually gave a good prayer and we gave him a priesthood blessing for his back, which is in pain.  We also taught a guy named Lorenzo who has been looking for the truth. He would talk really fast and stutter so it was a little annoying to Elder Pickup. Lorenzo wanted to know more about the Book of Mormon.

Sunday, most of the time at church centered around the priesthood.  It was hard to teach the gospel principles about the priesthood to some investigators. We had Linger Longer after church and then we went to a christening lunch thing after that so we ate a lot. Everything was pink and white at the christening and we were the only white guys there. Weird.

I am really excited that transfer calls are coming up. I’m not saying anything to jinx it.

I would have to say that the life of an elder is really about truth all the time and we learn stuff through the Spirit, just like the investigators do. I love your letters and the packages too.

I love you more than chips love dip.

Elder McClure

Email Entitled "Hello from No Man's Land" - Received May 7

Hi Family,

Well, this week was a fun one. On Monday I finally cut my hair and it looks pretty good.  We played frisbee with the Irwins which was really fun and we were able to get some exercise in.

Tuesday: It was pretty boring except we were able to give our investigator Loretta a blessing to give up cigarettes and to be able to have a witness of the Book of Mormon and she is so close but she still has to get to that last point to know if it’s true. She really wanted to pay an offering so that was cool. We just tried to see other people in Waverly and most weren’t there. So we went to the Gruber’s for dinner and got to see this old lamp that brother Gruber made out of an electric meter and a lamp - pretty cool.

Wednesday:  We were able to see S. Barrow and see if she had been able to get another job for herself. We were able to see the Millers after a missionary meeting. We just really need to prepare them to stay longer in church and help Jeremiah to be baptized.

Thursday, we did weekly planning and then we did an exchange with Petersburg so I got Elder Braunbeuger and Elder Pickup got Elder McDermott. I found out that Elder Braunberger was Elder Pickup’s old companion and he couldn’t handle him. He is really strict to the law and seems a little fake with people but he is going home after this transfer. When I was with him, he sort of wasted time and then we went out to teach and see people and the only people we really saw were David Warren and Matt at the Harters. When we taught him, I would teach something and then E.B. would teach something completely different.

Friday:  We went to zone meeting and didn’t do much after but had a great lesson with the Bayley’s (less active) daughter Sharee and her fiancée, Leron. We taught them the gospel of Jesus Christ and set them for baptism on June 2 but I think it’s just something to work towards because they are getting married on June 23 and Sharee is pregnant with a baby having medical problems.

Saturday:  We went to a conference with Elder Nelson of the 12 there and it was really cool and I got to shake his hand and I said just thank you to him. Some of the 70 were there and it was just really cool to be there. Elder Nelson taught us about how to be effective and he made a funny joke about the Chinese. The Lord loves the Chinese, that  is why he made a lot of them. He also did a Q and A. It was really good and he gave us a blessing for us and our families. After that, we got to see the Browns and Mr. Brown had fallen from an 8-foot ladder onto concrete, but was doing okay. I worry about him a lot and want him to come to church. We also saw Dorothy and when we asked if we could do anything for her, she said pray for me. I just said,  “Can we do that now with you?” and she said yes.  I said the prayer and it was really good.

Sunday: We got 4 of our investigators to church and we played the game the Valley of the Green Sheep and one of the younger boys couldn’t get it.

So that’s it. Have a good week and I love you.

Love,

Elder McClure

Email Entitled "Prison in Peanut Land" received April 30, 2012

Hey y’all (Virginia is getting to me),

Had an okay week.

Monday:  We went and did service for our favorite family, the Harters, like move mulch and feed stuff like chicks and rabbits. After we were done they had a really big birthday party for me and a cool cake and everyone was there. It was sweet.

Tuesday:  We got to have a lesson with our investigator Loretta, on the Book of Mormon and a little on the Word of Wisdom. She really enjoyed it and her granddaughter had beads in her hair and she had a fun time shaking her hair and making noise. We brought one of our senior missionaries with us to talk to Loretta. 

Wednesday:  We went with Brother Gruber to see a LA named B. Joyner and he is out of our area and is surrounded by garbage and hasn’t been seen in a while and is so humble that he won’t come to church because he has nothing good to wear.

The rest of the week was okay and we mostly tried to see people or tract areas that have a high amount of Baptists and Lutherans and all those people. One of our LA’s daughter is having trouble with her pregnancy. The fetus has a growth and doctors are finding it really hard to come up with a solution to make sure the baby will make it. Also one of our members lost her job. It’s just a bad situation but we are trying to keep our heads up and trying to help as best we can.

We were able yesterday to have Loretta at church and have a lesson with a guy named Leron who is pretty interested in what we have to say. We also talked to a group of black people about the Book of Mormon and one just wanted to know about it and he would every now and again do a little shuffle on the ground. He invited us to his church where they dance and sing and all that. Another guy we talked to was Hebrew and he was pretty chill. He gave us a handshake hug.  Well, I’ll have more fun next week.

Elder McClure out!!!

Email Received on April 16, 2012

Hi Family!

I had a fun and very trying week. We did have a lot of lessons and everyone we went to see was either too busy or just not there. The funniest thing that happened this week was that we went to a trailer park for a lesson and the lady we were supposed to teach was busy. So I was backing up the car to get out of the trailer park and a very fat and immodest woman opens her door screaming "Niya, Niya!" at the empty trailer park.  Then she saw us and gave us a glare and Elder Pickup threw up a little in his mouth. It was gross.

Two of our investigators, Loretta and Carton, had really good lessons. The lesson with Loretta was awesome because we brought Sister Harter and she was really great on hitting the need for prayer and changing your ways. We taught Loretta the Plan of Salvation out on her porch. So after the lesson she asked “How do we get to the Celestial kingdom?”  We gave her the answer:  The gospel of Jesus Christ. Then she said, “Oh, I need to give up smoking!”  S. Harter offered to take all her cigarettes and ash trays and everything and Loretta was okay with it. She gave them to us to throw away. Then S. Harter gave Loretta the cinnamon plan where you just use a lot of things with cinnamon and it helps get rid of the urge to smoke and Loretta was so willing to do it!!!!

Our lesson with Carton was good. We just pounded thru the Plan of Salvation and then committed him to baptism on May 19th. He just agreed but then asked if he and his live-in girlfriend would have to get married. They have been together for 26 years. Weird. We then met this senior couple named the Thompsons.  They had been in the branch when it was in the prime of its life. They told us all the fun stories about the branch.

Well, other than that we were able to get two big families (both in size and number) to take the discussions. They are the Bayleys and the Millers. It was awesome. Also we were able to have a branch council meeting yesterday. They mainly taught on missionary stuff. We love our senior missionaries cuz when we don’t have anything to do, we just go over and talk to them.

Funny thing, we were able to do service for the Harters today and I put their bunny on a leash and it got away when I was preoccupied and then I found it in the forest. Really lucky there.

Bad news:  I am not getting transferred. I had a really hard time accepting it and after a lot of tears just got back on the horse.

Love you,

Elder McClure

Birthday Letter to Tessa - She and Max have the same birthday, April 20.

Dearest Tessa!!

Happy B-day.  18 years ago you were born into the world when I had my 2^nd birthday party.  I love you and hope you are happy because I’m not there to steal any of the attention on our birthday.  I miss you and all your sassiness.  Be good and take care.

The bracelet [Max gave Tessa a Pandora bracelet with 8 charms on it] is a symbol of our years as brother and sister.  The 8^th band is what holds it all together.  Wear it whenever and remember me through it. 

Advice:

-Date return missionaries.

-Wrestling is not your thing.

-Cakes taste delicious.  Make me some.

-Stay out of my room.

-Trix are for kids, not you.

-You are not Mahana, but still a 10 cow wife.

-I love you.

-Help Erik.

-Andy is mine.  Stay back.  [Andalyn is their cute, little cousin who is very attached to Max.]

-Only attractive people work at Coldstone.  [Tessa just got a job at Coldstone.]

-Be special.

Email Received April 9, 2012 entitled The Champion Remains Strong :)

Well, this was a fun week for me.

Monday: We just did the usual - just sat around. I wrote like 6 letters to my friends that don’t write me back.  Lame!  We also got to meet with an excommunicated member who has problems with authority. He said the tearing of the veil was a symbol that everyone should get to go in the Holy of Holies. Weird.

Tuesday:  Pretty exciting, we got to do service for the Harters, like moving rocks and raking up grass. When picking up the rocks, I had to wedge a lever under them and I felt like Joseph Smith but that rock must have been really heavy. No ancient books under the rocks I lifted.  Ha ha!  Found a frog though. Then we went to Petersburg to have an interview with our mission president.  He questioned me about my upbeat attitude. I told him that I had to withstand some bullying and I came out on top. He said he put me in Leadership training for a reason and that I will be transferred and that I might train. He said he was going to stretch me, so I may become a trainer soon. Oh well, just hope I don’t get shotgunned into an area.

Then we came back to the Harters’ to show Carton and Loretta a video on finding faith in Christ. Then we went  to the Grubers’ and they gave us cool treats for Easter.

Wednesday:  We went all over Wakefield and Waverly to see people and then went to the Millers’ to teach Brother Miller’s grandson, Jeremiah. He’s 8 and by helping him to baptism, their family has been coming to church and I’m really excited that they are all coming.

Thursday. We went up to Petersburg to do an exchange with Lawerenceville elders. Didn’t do much but waste miles from all of our appointments cancelling or not there. We went to La Ha for lunch and then later for dessert. We went to the Harters’ and ate stuff. They found eagle eggs and they are about to hatch!  Amazing!  We were able to find out that the less actives, the Baileys, across from our apartment don’t have home teachers. That was sad. So everyone do your home teaching!!!

Friday: We surprisingly got our Senior missionaries. They are the Hoskins and we were in Colonial Heights at the time.  Pretty weird. We had a zone meeting and then later we spent a fun time with the Hopewell Elders in the Hopewell building getting ready for a baptism. We were quoting Zoolander and it was funny. Merman.....Merman!!!!!  We played a little basketball and the ball happened to fall in the baptismal font by accident. We then got to see Mckensie Harter be baptized.  Jeff came as well as most of the active members and Cierra (she really wants to be baptized, but her parents won’t let her.  I feel bad for her).

Saturday: Taught Carton the Restoration, but it’s hard because he isn’t able to read. We went to the Harters’ egg hunt and they had so many eggs I just started to throw them. Elder Pickup wasn’t too excited when I started grabbing the leftover candy but you just got to be a kid again sometime. We watched the new “He Is Risen” DVD and it was pretty good but I still think the movie was a better representation of the story. Later that night we helped the Daytons move a couch into the senior missionaries house and we got the big couch half way thru the door then had to screw off the legs to get the rest through.

Sunday: Felt good and had a good Sacrament Meeting. Past senior missionaries came to sit by us and one of them, B. Thompson, makes bikes and he gave me a card to help me find a bike at a good price.  Then we had to teach the Gospel Principles class with help from the senior missionaries. We had a good discussion on the Resurrection and why we are buried and not cremated. After that, we gave a blessing to a member and hauled chairs and tables to a member’s house to set up for another Easter egg hunt. Had fun and talked to the Joines. Elder Pickup still felt disappointed by me getting the leftover Easter candy on the ground.  Give it a rest, guy!  There was like a whole bunch of candy on the ground and I can’t have one? Forget about it. Then we got to talk to a guy named Percy who is kind of hardwired Baptist so he gets on his soap box talking to us. Then we saw a guy named Aaron and he shows real potential.  He read the testimony of the witnesses part of the Book of Mormon and enjoyed it.

Have a good week!

Love,

Elder McClure