Week 72 – Hope on. Journey on.

I figured I would start with some inspiring words in the title of this email.. we will see what I actually come up with for the week though! Okay, actually this week was pretty incredible. Thinking back week to week I can't imagine how we do fit soo many things into our schedules, how we can have so many experiences. Sometimes it gets weird when I sit there and think like am I really having any experiences that I can even remember? Then I realize that is crazy and I just gotta get things put in order.. Big enough intro?

Okay, so we did have the missionary department come up this last week! GUESS WHAT?! No ipads.. or Facebook. We are old school still. Who knows if we will get them though, we do know that it is technically still in testing phases and nobody knows.. the Prophet will have to make that decision after April I believe it is to what they want to do to expand. What did happen though was a large discussion on teaching skills. We are now using our teaching pamphlets in a much better way. We use them mostly for the pictures, well in at least one application, where we can teach the entire 1st lesson in 7 minutes or so and really begin to teach people, not lessons. It is neat to see how we can really begin to help others obtain salvation, rather than discussing information. We do all of this in an effort to help people feel the gift of the gospel. Interesting point is you can feel the power of the Holy Ghost, the power of the Atonement, the power of really the gospel of Jesus Christ, without being a member of the church.. however what we are truly offering is the Gift of each of those above mentioned topics. We are an instrument in bringing Salvation to God's children; we are part of the great and last cause of our Father. We are fulfilling His covenant to gather scattered and lost Israel. The question is, have we truly internalized our missionary purpose? What a meeting I tell you! In the same breath I feel to mention a neat fact. What day did the Angel Moroni appear to the Prophet Joseph and reveal to bring for the Book of Mormon?.. Okay don't think too hard.. Sept. 21. What is September 21? The Fall equinox, or otherwise known as beginning The Harvest Season.. hmm now there is some real crazy coincidences or this is the work of God. 

Oh! And one thing I thought was crazy cool, we are always taught and well okay at least believed that we are told we are called to a certain PLACE for a reason.. but really you are called to a specific PEOPLE. Did you know that some missionaries are called to a mission president rather than to a mission?  Maybe that makes sense. 

We did teach our friend Ulysses this week.. gosh I do love that man. Good lesson where after our training meeting we immediately went forward and applied the principles of using the pamphlet, honestly he was teaching himself. We are, I feel, as missionaries simply enabling others to be taught by the spirit. We are teaching in a way where we ask inspired questions to keep things moving, but they are really just being taught by the spirit at their own pace. It is a beautiful thing people. We taught lesson 1-the Message of the Restoration and ended with asking him to read the Book of Mormon and sincerely pray. We will see him this week. Life is good. 

One note that I feel to share is that this last week on exchanges I had the opportunity to dig back down into the sign language and teach a less-active girl who is really struggling. Interesting how the Lord will place you in a situation long beforehand that will allow you to then down the road be in a position to help someone else come to Christ in a way that no other could.  So grateful for that opportunity.

Well the work is Hastening. General Conference this weekend.. that is pretty much the most exciting thing since hearing that spring was coming. I'll talk to you soon!

Love, Elder McFall

Mission Department of the church - Myself, Brother Radford, Brother Donaldson, Elder Pitts.