Email received August 4, 2012

Hi Family!

I had a fun week this week which was full of work and weird things.

Not much to brag about Monday and Tuesday because we kept trying to see less actives and people who had said they were interested, but Wednesday was the start of a fun week.

On Wednesday, we volunteered at the food pantry again because it was a slow day for us plus the Spanish elders weren’t there to help out. So there was this one white guy there that was so weird – he was speaking in a high voice and also quoting the Family Guy show.  We think he was on drugs (and had probably been on drugs all his life) and the TV shows he watches just burn into his frazzled brain. This black lady was there and she would always comment if someone got something too big or went through the line twice and just got upset about anything like that. A free-for-all happened at the end of the day where all the stuff that no one has taken is up for grabs.  This one hispanic lady took all of the potatoes and the black lady was like, "Why don’t you just take the whole table!" and "I can’t even reach that!” and “She’s taking all the food!" Funny. Then one of the volunteers sort of passed out, fell backwards, and sat on a step dazed.  The black lady grabbed the volunteer under her arms, trying to drag her up saying, "I’m just going to take her up so she can’t sit down.” and “I was a nurse. I know what I’m doing!"  Just out of control.

After lunch, we had a lesson with Jordan Lee who turned to seek God after a bad accident and stumbled upon the mormon.org videos on youtube. Really intelligent kid and we taught him the Plan of Salvation. After the lesson we tried committing him to baptism, but he wanted to learn more and there obviously was no desire for baptism yet either. That night we brought Jacquan Joseph (sister Joseph’s son) with us when we went to teach Katrina about obedience and the law of chastity. Teaching the Law of Chastity was awkward (I kept smiling because I was nervous) because of Katrina's question about how would she find out what she would be working with when she’s married. Weird.

Thursday we mowed the lawn and then got Slurpees.  I paid for mine with all pennies to get rid of them. Then we went to the most ghetto super store ever to see if we could set up a booth to hand out cards. Literally ghetto! We went for a second to look at hats and right under them was a pile of bras and this shop sells knives in every which way like a comb knife or pen knife. I found a butterfly knife and it’s really cool (not girly!). Then we taught a short lesson about the priesthood to Blaine Franklin.

Friday was fun.  After zone meeting we ate at Cici’s Pizza and got stuffed then did a few things to get paperwork done. Then a little later our less active members, the Ballards, took us to a Chinese buffet and I was so full. Then we did a First Friday lemonade stand.  A lot of people go shopping downtown on the first Friday of every month so we set up a stand to give out cards and lemonade. A street side DJ was playing music and Elder Canova got pumped by dancing a little.  Down the street was a guy with a microphone shouting at the people, telling them to repent and that they are going to hell. People walking by told us we were much nicer and this one girl we talked to was so annoyed with the guy with the microphone that she took one of his pamphlets, ripped it up, and ate it in front of him. When we walked by, he said, “You can’t be saved by the Mormon bible!” and gave his opinion that we are saved by grace, not by works. We talked to a lot of people with Elder Corey there.

Saturday we had interviews with President Perry and he says he is going to stretch me out again and has received a lot of promptings about me. He loves my endless positive attitude and said Elder Canova really respects me. He always wants to know where my positive attitude comes from and even I don’t know. He told me that fighting the good fight takes more than giving up and he says I show discipleship through not ever giving up.  Also he commented that I never complain. His conversation really made me feel good about the work I’m doing. Later, we did farm work, which was basically painting a few walls and sanding them, too. We got free crazy bread using a card that gives us 10 free crazy breads sometimes.

Sunday, none of our investigators came to church, but we went to mission prep to help out after a while in English class.  The class got weird after the lady was explaining facts about Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War even though the people didn’t understand her. Our mission prep meeting was fun and I made a joke after the teacher was putting up questions to study.  One of them was about polygamy and said "Why did it start?" and I answered by asking, "Why was it taken away?" It was really funny but I need to hold off on that kind of humor, probably.

Well, that was my week and it was okay. I love you and have a fun week in the real world.

Love,

Elder McClure

Leadership! email received July 30, 2012

Hi Family!

I had a really fun week this week. Leadership training happened.  Elder Canova had to go but I didn't. So me and Elder Seegmiller  (another elder we live with and a zone leader) went out for most of the day and then we came back to the house to a group of 4 other missionaries that we had to take out and do missionary stuff with.

Tuesday I got to go over to fill out baptismal records for Josiya and Josetta Joseph to get them ready to be sent off. We also went to see a few other people for Elder Seegmiller but they weren’t home at the time. That night, me and another elder went to have dinner with the Denniss' while Elder Canova and another elder went tracting in the neighborhood around the house. They found a couple of people who were interested and later in the week we went to go see one of them.  The lady's husband came out and basically argued that by faith we are saved, works are not needed, only discipleship is needed.  He also thought that the purpose of the commandments is being saved through ourselves.  So, the guy was basically a moron due to all his self-contradiction and in the end I found him really annoying. 

We did service on a farm Wednesday and I fed apples to a pony named Elvis, mowed a lawn, and painted railing for a barn. That night, we went to the Hurley’s and they invited a friend named Big T.  Some of the elders we live with gave them the down low on us. He used Yokepants on Elder Canova and it was really funny. Brother Hurley told us all his stories about being in Australia and all the funny jokes they did.

Thursday was mostly me and Elder Seegmiller going down to VCU to see some potentials in these weird put together housing apartments and it was really fun.  We saw a couple of false churches that were really cool looking and awesomely designed but still false.  We happened to talk to a shirtless guy on the street and gave him a Book of Mormon which was really cool. We got back up with the other elders there and went down to the Campus sidewalk and offered free Tang to everyone. We got to talk to a lot of people and one of the elders Bible bashed with a few people. One guy came up and wanted to be baptized on the spot to save himself! I got rejected a lot of times by people when I tried to give them a card, but I did give a card to the minister of a church in view.

The coolest thing this week was having Josiya and Josetta baptized. It took Josetta 4 times because:  1. She didn’t go all the way under the water because she was scared, then 2. her arm, and then 4. done correctly. It was cool!  Afterward, we taught a guy named Jordan Lee and he is so cool and ready to learn. I’ll tell you more about him in a letter. We came back to see another baptism – a lady named Katie – by the other elders. When she came into the room she started crying.  It was cool.

Elder Canova and I were assigned talks to give in Sacrament Meeting on missionary work but Elder Canova took so much time giving his talk that I was only able to bear my testimony. I felt kind of bashed from that. However, Josiya's confirmation was really cool and it gave her knowledge and blessings for the future. We were also able to give Blaine Franklin the priesthood and we need to talk to him more on that later
this week.

Well, have a fun week and know that all the storms that come thru Virginia aren’t really serious and they are just a lot of thunder storms so no worries.

Love you all!

Elder McClure


 

Sweating my Face off in Belmont - email received July 23, 2012

Hi Family,

I’m doing great in Belmont after my first full week here and loving the area with all its many black people and other things that are more southern here than in the rest of the country. Me and Elder Canova are getting to be really good friends and he brings up a lot of comedian quotes which are funny. We are really good at teaching though Elder Canova likes to talk a lot. Fun though.

We didn't have a very key indicator filling week but we got to try our best. On Monday we played a board game called Settlers of Catan at a member’s house. Really fun game and I almost won. On Tuesday, we had to clean our apartment hardcore to get rid of any trace of bedbugs since people come in and out of it on a big level and leadership training is coming up so we will have 4 more elders living in the house for a bit. 8 elders in one house!

So we took all the furniture and put it on the driveway and put a tarp over all of it to heat it up really hot to kill the bedbugs.  Then we steam cleaned the mattresses and the carpet. Crazy stuff. Our mission president isn't feeling too good so we didn't get an interview with him.  Instead, we volunteered at a food pantry which we do every Wednesday because they desperately need our help. So they give away bags of food and Food Lion donates all the expired food that is still good to eat. We grab a thing or two for ourselves. But once everybody gets a turn, they all come and grab whatever is left including the stuff too gross to put out. This Hispanic lady emptied the rest of the bananas into her bag and left. Crazy. We also tried to see a lot of formers. Didn’t go so well after we didn’t have a lot of miles to spare.

On Thursday, I had a training on faith which I split up into assurance, basis, and foundation from Hebrews 11:1 footnote B. I did okay but nothing to brag about. We had a lesson with an investigator named Katrina and she was so cool. We taught her the second half of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Her baby was on the floor screeching away the whole time. Funny.

We had weekly planning on Friday and Elder Canova told me at the end (usually happens called companion inventory to share your companions strengths) he said I’m very into the work and very positive and love the members and I’m sincere. He also told me that the reason I try to help others is so they don’t have to go thru what I’ve been through. Really cool. We also got to help rake up this family's lawn that are a good friend to one of our members. They are the Wilkens and they are going thru a tough time with their baby having cerebral palsy and they are just the best. We couldn't finish all the way from Elder Canova raking a hornet nest underground which gave him a few stings.

Well yesterday, we finally got to get Sister Joseph and her daughter Josyia to have a baptismal interview which was really cool. They passed and we got to see the pioneer broadcast which was the Welsh opera singer and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing different songs. Favorite was the one from Carmen. Well I’m doing good and not fat. I just filled in and going to get buff soon.

Love you,

Elder Max

Belmont, Hey! email received July 16, 2012

Hi Family,

Well, fun time! I got transferred and everyone in Powhatan was a little shocked with me leaving and Sister Wilton was going to miss me lots and she keeps saying she wants to adopt me, but you probably won’t let that happen. She sneaked a hug from me by surprise. Elder Corey enjoyed being my companion and said I was one of the better ones from my positive attitude. He really enjoyed that. He even taught me the song "Scar Tissue" by Red Hot Chili Peppers. I want to learn more of their music but I’ll do that more when I get home. Elder Corey is training a new guy named Elder Starks and he is a little on the short side.

My new companion is Elder Canova. He is a really funny guy and is always himself with the members and investigators. It’s pretty cool. I haven’t had someone near that since Elder Carter. I’m the senior companion since E. Canova is only 3 months out. I keep getting asked how long I’ve been out - I am close to a year! Scary. I’m also almost done studying out of Preach my Gospel so soon I can go into my more defined studies.

My first couple of days here were cool from seeing all the black people down here. They just have an attitude for life!  We had a baptism last Saturday, a guy named Blaine Franklin.  He’s pretty cool and quiet. He arm wrestled Elder Canova and they were equally strong so it was a tie. Where we live isn't even in our area so we have to drive to our area to work. We also live with the Midlothian zone leaders. They are so cool and they have me announce people getting baptized to the zone. Elder Canova can play the guitar and he played the song “3 Crosses” for some less actives named the Ballards.  The husband was a member of the Seventy but then he got offended so he and his wife left the church.  At first they wouldn’t even talk religion in their house but now they're better and we talked about missionaries and stuff like that.

The weather here is off and on stormy with lightening and rain. There was a flood warning. Really crazy, but we are doing fine. I love it here because there is always something to do.  I am going to get so fat here. We got free food from this food pantry place that gives away expired grocery store food like pastries and bread. When I came here, the dinner calendar wasn’t half full but then the bishop got up at sacrament meeting and talked about it. Now we have every day full with someone to feed us. I’ll try to exercise but this might be hard.

Well, I love you and am always praying for you. Enjoy the summer and get a nice tan from it.

Love,

Elder McClure

Pushing Against a Rock - Email received July 9

Hi Family,

Well, this week was a bummer from the heat – it has been just absolutely terrible and we kept having to find ways to get out of the heat. We actually had an ice cream binge at this investigator’s house.  He bought us a bunch of ice cream to eat and I think I ate 16 cartons of the stuff this week. This week we went to see members mostly and some investigators,  but they weren’t there. We got dropped by this guy that seemed semi- interested earlier, but the last time we stopped by he just came out and said that they are practicing Lutherans. He said it while shirtless and wearing swimming shorts. Get off your false church, guy!

The rest of the week involved two games of basketball and some deep cleaning of our apartment for an inspection. Elder Corey is now so into BMX that every time we go to Mike Vincent’s house (a member with a lot of BMX bikes), he tries wheelies and bunny hops. I think it’s a stress releaser for him – we’ve experienced a lot of rejection and negative things happening recently. Anyway, we were able to see Mike Vincent and talk more about his past. He is still trying all that he can to get his eyesight back. I really want to help him but he has to ask for the blessing and have faith in God.

I was also able to attend the baptism of one of my old investigators from Wakefield. It was amazing! It was Loretta and I was so happy and got her address to write her. I also found out that some terrible things have happened in Wakefield since I left:  the Bayley’s daughter lost her 5 month pregnancy, S. Gruber got her ankle broken and had to crawl on it, and the Millers are going thru some marital issues. I wish I could be around to help pick up the pieces.

I’m being transferred to Belmont this week and that area already has 4 people about to be baptized. Really cool!  My soon-to-be companion, Elder Canova, is a fun talented guy.

Well, I love you and have a good week and stay strong.

Hot, Hot, Hot! Email received July 2, 2012

Hi Family,

Well, this wasn’t a very exciting week for me but we were able to get a lot done. We had a fun member with us for half the day doing missionary work. His name is Brother Fitzhugh who has been a mission president and a missionary and other things so it was really cool with him coming along. We were able to save on miles and be able to teach a lesson to this lady named Morgan with her two kids and Elder Corey and Brother Fitzhugh were just running off throwing scripture knowledge and a little too much meat than milk. And Brother Fitzhugh fell down when we were walking down these steps and he was able to roll his body just perfectly so that it didn’t hurt him. It looked like in the movies.

It was so hot on Wednesday that we just stayed inside as long as possible to be effective/cool. We fasted for the day to give Sister Wilton a blessing and also to give her support for her upcoming surgery on her knee. Sister Wilton was really nice and cut my hair.

Thursday: We had a district meeting on Faith. And we had a potluck kind of deal after and we just brought leftovers from our fridge. Then we went to see Mike Vincent for a lesson and he still believes in the church and remembers everything from being taught before. He just has problems due to his blindness. After our discussion, Elder Corey did some tricks on these really nice BMX bikes Mike has.

Main events of the rest of the week: The power went out from a crazy tornado storm but we kept power which was pretty sweet. We actually cooked food and fed Sister Wilton for once and she really enjoyed it and was really happy from it. I did an exchange with the Assistants but most of it was driving a long distance to give an elder some medicine that we’ve been keeping it our fridge because it needs to be refrigerated.

On Sunday, the church didn’t have power for the AC and it was so hot that we just didn’t have Sacrament Meeting.  However, we were able to teach a progressing investigator named Hunter a lesson which was really good for him. He is still headed towards getting baptized, only later in life rather than now.  We also brought a member, David Noe, to a lesson with Hali, our investigator, and they were both so healthy and on these fitness programs that they clicked really good.  David even brought it out in the open and said, “Why don’t we just get married then?”  It was funny. It was like being on a double date but Elder Corey was my date as a friend and the other two were just really into each other.

Monday:  We had a fun mountain biking trip today at Bell Isle in the James River. It was so much fun. I got to get better at biking on the skills park. One of the Elders with us
tried the biggest jump and went too slow so his back tire went up and he was ultimately cup checked as the bike rolled down on the front tire. I fell when I went too slow over a lower rock so I went body first into the rock but I caught myself pretty well and the bike was mostly okay and I fixed it after. We rode to this beach that overlooked the James River Bridge and downtown Richmond. I have a picture of me holding my bike up behind it.  We had a bunch of fun till the elder that got cup checked's bike tire just fell apart. But we were able to get everyone back to the car. I also found out I got a bunch of chigger bites on my foot and thought they were bed bugs. We spent the rest of the day with the zone leaders and assistants.

Well, have a fun week and try to stay cool.

Love,

Elder McClure

 

Hey Hey - Email Received June 25

Hi Family,

Well, I hope you enjoy this email. So this week was so boring and terrible from the fact that we had to stay inside or do things around the heat which got really bad last week.  So we tracted less than usual, but we still did a lot of tracting, and we were also able to get some referrals from our members to see some people.  Elder Corey is still freaking out about dogs and how one is going to get him some day.

I've been practicing the guitar and getting better. Elder Corey says you get the ladies by playing the guitar. Well the grossest thing we did this week was cleaning out the fridge of all the expired stuff and there was a big, gross bag full of different far-over-freezer-burned chicken. Nasty.

Well, this week we don’t have anything really planned but the next week we are going to mountain bike at Bell Isle in the James River and it’s going to be sweet. Oh, we also talked to a Less Active who used to be in the Navy Seals and he told us for like 2 hours about his life before and also his time in there. Like hand to hand combat, how to kill people really quick, and also the sniper shots he has taken. If anyone invades the South they got another think coming from all these veterans.

Well, take care and have a good time this week on the outside.

Love,

Elder McClure