Week 53 - Okay Okay this is a surprise!

Well I guess the surprise is you get emailed on Tuesday again, exciting eh?! We changed our p-day this week to have a temple p-day.. meaning I got to go attend the temple this morning for just the second time since I have been on my mission! Okay I will just come out and say this, whoever is reading this I hope you are doing all that you can to find your way to the temple. Whatever age you may be, the spirit you feel as you enter into the House of our Lord is simply incredible. There is a spirit that obviously pervades that edifice and it is something I wish I could experience more. If you aren't going consistently, do all you can to adjust your lives and get there. It will never be something you regret! So in a nutshell, it was a nice morning! 

Man, this week was crazy hectic though. So many different people and places calling for us.. at the same time I wish there were more people and places calling for us. The work is still picking up, which is nice! But not fast enough.. jeez. We saw Lisa & Allen 2x this last week, I loved it. I seriously love that family so much! It is the most rewarding thing to see a family begin to take hold of this pearl beyond price (the gospel).. it is something I definitely have taken for granted in my life, but when you are part of a family who begins to change their opinions and are doing this simply because they KNOW it will help their family grow closer, you can't help but think back and realize all the blessings you have received in your own family because of the gospel. The blessings are not often easy to spot and realize, but the more you study the doctrines, the more you realize the applications of such in actions. Although we may not be perfect in our families, as much as we wish we were, we know that because Christ has performed the Atonement to forgive us, we too must live in a pattern that reflects his life within our families, and when we fall short.. we just do better the next time! It is a beautiful cycle that the life of Christ teaches us.. which is also what I have been studying lately.. I would also recommend that!

We found a new investigator this week in the Tagalog work.. we will go back tomorrow.. her name is Lorie! Hopefully things will go well! She is open and it was funny because in our meeting with her it came down to her just saying, "okay so what is different about your church?" As a missionary we love that question.. makes life easy! Well easier..

We saw our good friend Roy this week! WHat a guy! He is still recovering but when we saw him he was like okay so I read that whole Restoration pamphlet, they talked about some book , where is this book?! So we talked about the Book of Mormon, he is excited so that is sweet! Gotta love the gospel! uhhh what else.. we saw this less active fellow and his wife.. I don't know why he is LA because his mission was sweet! But we were talking to him and had a super nice visit, at the end I even said the closing prayer, this was all in Tagalog though, it was pretty cool! My prayers are short and sweet, but It was a really cool feeling to say a prayer for someone in their native tongue. Definitely an experience you don't forget. I gotta keep getting better at that Tagalog stuff though..

As a follow up to some of the people that I taught in past areas, remember Madi up in Barrhead? She is now baptized. Remember Michael in Rocky Mountain House? Also now baptized. And another one in Barrhead is close.. it is cool to see those types of things happen. Right now as a missionary, I would say I do feel confident I have done what I can.. Our baptism averages are maybe 20 a month or so in the mission.. not super high. it is actually the lowest mission in regards to the averages for the rest of the region. One or two things I am most proud of would be what I have been able to obtain in regards to scriptural knowledge and testimony. The other off the top of my head is I feel I have become much more Christlike in my dealings with others, especially with other missionaries. There is a greenie missionary from Orem who I see myself in, and it has helped me to really see where I was to where I am now. I still have soo many things to learn, but honestly some of my greatest successes at this point have been personal, maybe that's selfish? ha I mean I haven't baptized many, but I have been a huge part it feels in fixing relations and attitudes in both Barrhead and Rocky in regards to the missionaries. I feel I was an integral part of helping them realize their role in this work of salvation. My struggles..., well they are many! I wish I did more of baptizing obviously.. I am still looking for that family! Looks like we might have one, we will just have to see! And I really want to be better about being Christlike. Interesting how strengths can also be some of your weaknesses.. 

My dear friends! I must go.. I am outta time today. But I will write more next week. I love you all very much! I am loving life right now. We have had like a couple blizzards this last couple week... haha that is okay though! Let the snow begin(: I'll talk to you all soon!!

 Love, Elder McFall