Week 59 - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a real Merry Christmas, didn't get fed too much like I did, and just enjoyed the season and the spirit that it brings. My second Christmas out as a missionary was a good one, one that I won't soon forget. I'll be honest, it terrifies me not knowing if I will truly be able to have Christ at the center of the season as I have. Yes, it is in my control, but as a missionary so many of those variables are taken away and you can just simply focus on what really matters. I hope you were all able to remember the true meaning of Christmas this year and be able to feel yourselves drawing closer to our Savior. We always talk about New Years Resolutions.. well I hope you all can make a new years resolution this year of a more spiritual sense. I think the whole, "Lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven" has brought on a new meaning. Think about it, when was the last time you set a goal to "Be more Healthy", "Manage Finances Better", "Take a Family Vacation", etc. etc. etc... I mean these are all righteous goals I think, they are going to help you become better, to do better, will probably even improve the quality of life you are living.. but think about that on an eternal perspective. When was the last time you set a goal to "Read my scriptures every day", "Be a full-tithe payer with the right attitude", "Come to really know my Savior", etc. etc. etc.. Which is better? This isn't tough to see on paper, but why is it then so difficult to apply this in our lives? 

This week was honestly a bit of a patience developer.. once again I think it is because I am holding myself to such a high standard..I just know that there are so many things to still accomplish, running out of time to do that though! We did find a new investigator, well technically two this week. They were a mother, son combo.. they are real nice. Jerome and Yolanda.. more Filipinos. Basically the mom, Yolanda, wants her son to understand Christ and believe in God.. but he won't listen to her so hopefully he will listen to us. So far so good.. we have started right from the start.. currently he is atheist, because in his mind he believes that way is easier. We are working on that, and it all starts with prayer.. we will get it. 

Ah. Abner.. too frustrating.. I am REALLY working on patience with this one. We had a solid lesson with him, ended up being able to get him on a solid commitment with his baptism for Feb. 22.. but here is the kicker.. we can't get him to actually come out to church. He says he wants to come to bad, and knows that is the missing piece.. he commits, we get him a ride.. then he has something come up each week right before. It has been mildly frustrating.. we are doing our best though! We are just trying to figure it of where he really is and how we can help him from where he is at. 

We, okay I say we but really is is the Spirit and Jesus Christ, got S. Lopez to come out to church this week.. she is the LA we have been just recently in touch with.. it was honestly a miracle of sorts how that has all occurred. The most neat part about it all, there is a Filipino family that is real solid that lives just around the block from her that can give her a ride to church every week.. I am just so happy we have been able to help her get back onto that path.. definitely helped me realize how important this gospel can be for our lives.. and just as Christ left the 99 to find the one.. that that one you can find that great joy when they return. So while we may have had a bit of a trying week when it comes to the ministry.. it is those moments where you are just filled with joy.. no other way to put that. 

I love you all! Have a real nice New Years! 2014.. Here we come! 

Love, Elder McFall

Week 58 - Maligayan Pasko!

Merry Christmas to you all!! I unfortunately won't be able to see you all via Skype on Wednesday, so I will just get you a little early! I hope you are all having a great holiday season and enjoying the Spirit of Christ that emanates through the activities we enjoy. It is definitely weird to be thinking that we are going to be together in a year from now for Christmas, even more strange to me to think this is my second Christmas away from home. This Christmas for me is definitely been different already.. just the whole season has felt different than it did last year. I think last year I was feeling of more of what it was going to be like my first Christmas away.. I had a lot of fears, anxiety, amongst the other feelings surrounding the season in its entirety. This year a lot of those feelings are gone, it is more along the lines of focusing on our Savior, focusing on the glad message that it allows us to enjoy in our lives. Lately my thoughts have been focused on what came because of the birth, rather than the birth itself.. even had a thought while teaching a lesson this week on the birth and life of our savior.. we look around us and we see how we need to be serving, we hear it over and over, but often times those opportunities to serve are never in a convenient or comfortable situation.. it was then that I realized this connection all the way to the Babe being born in the manger.. I don't imagine it was very comfortable for Mary to give birth among the sheep, goats, and cows. And then fast forward to all of Christ's life that he lived, ending (well at least his mortal ministry) on the cross near Golgotha, can you imagine that service to us being very comfortable and convenient? Now I realize that is easily answered, so then why is it so hard for us to realize that and act on it? 

This week was a lot more busy than I had anticipated! We were able to meet with Taylor twice.. so that was really good. We are going to hand him over to the YSA soon though and try to get him going to that, get him wifed up hopefully! Okay and get a testimony...

We had our Christmas Conference this week, that was a great experience also. So we were there with about 130 other missionaries, and then Pres. and Sister Manion.. I love those two! They areally do become like your parents while you are out on your mission. It isn't something that you really begin to notice develop, until it's already done. Don't worry Mom & Dad you are not being replaced, just a substitute for a little while. No, in all seriousness the conference was real good.. had a few different trainings on somethings and ideas that I have been thinking about lately, but I think that extends to the whole zone.. inspired maybe? 

We met with Abner this week again right? man, too frustrating sometimes. We have this great lesson it seemed on the Restoration, he says you know I really do believe this.. It seems that you do have the prooff.. sometimes it feels like I am selling the gospel, but don't worry we always make sure they have a spiritual confirmation over anything else.. and he says, I know what you are saying is true. I just need to prove it to myself before I can be baptized. And to prove it I need to be going to church... Great! Wonderful! Super! Except, then he doesn't come to church even when he says he will be there no matter what! AH! We will work on it. 

One miracle that I feel needs to be told.. so when we started doing all this Filipino work we met this SUPER nice Filipina over at the Walmart while shopping on p-day.. she says come find me at my house here is my address.. so we have been trying every week for 2 months now.. and nothing. Finally this week we find her home and get to talk to her.. One thing leads to another and she starts crying and telling us how much she has been praying we will find her home and be able to talk to her.. her family doesn't really like the church and won't answer the door so she just needs to be home. She told us how much she has missed the church, that she doesn't have family support, she doesn't even know what ward she belongs to anymore. But because we were able to find her, we now have things on track, she just expressed her gratitude and love for the gospel and how much she misses it and how glad and grateful she was for us.. now call that a humbling experience. It definitely made me very aware of the real power of this gospel, and as Christ said.. "Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd".

Last but not least, we sang in Sacrament meeting! You missed out a real nice experience.. let's just say we had some angels singing with us because it got waaaay better than our practices before!!

Well, I hope you have a real Merry Christmas! I love you all!!!

Love, 

Elder McFall

Week 57 - Well, here it goes

To say this week was frustrating would probably not even do it justice. Good way to start right? You are all excited and full of energy now! But for some reason people refuse to answer the phone or the door.. they need to just slow down or something. it seems right now that people are all so caught up in the season, they are slowly pushing Christ further and further out of their everyday lives. The problem we are having right now is mostly coming from the time that is spent at work by the Filipinos.. they are picking up the pace with more and more expectations from back home. They are pretty much expected to supply for the family back home, the more they make, the more they send home. Kinda of  a vicious cycle. But because of that, they are picking up more shifts and in some cases more jobs to just cover their basics. We will see what happens in the future, hopefully it will improve once Christmas passes. 

Now to bring light to this email, we are seeing miracles with the Less-Actives we have been working with.. honestly they are feeling the love of our Savior more and more and beginning to understand the love our Heavenly Father has for them. We have been working with Rolando still, he has just come from a life of close depression, to now a life that he appears to be at greater peace and happiness, even though the things in life financially and physically may not be necessarily improving. He is seeing the Holy Ghost more evident and becoming more aware of those promptings. But also he is seeing that this gospel is not so much about being perfect, as obtaining perfection. This is a trial that many go through that I have come across, they feel either they aren't good enough to pray, or not free from sin so they cannot go to church, the list go on and on. It breaks my heart in all honesty. But it does not have to be so! Another lady we are working with is named Nora, she is so sweet to us and honestly just super nice. She has gone from great activity in the church, to what appeared to be complacency and acceptance of a lack thereof. Recently we have been seeing her weekly, and she said in our last visit how much she has been thinking about the gospel, how much she misses the blessings of weekly attendance and the temple.. we went on to talk about the Love of our Savior, to the divinity of his mission, and ultimately the opportunity we each have to turn a new leaf of sorts and begin wherever we are and commence on our path to discipleship.. I love being able to help these people, seems like they are helping me a lot more than I could ever do for them though! 

Met with Lisa and Allen! A miracle! Okay that is a bit aggressive, but it had been too long. We talked about the Plan of Salvation, they had so many good questions. They know this is the right path, but things have just been hard for them as of late.. mostly due to the pressures of the season unfortunately. It has still been so rewarding to see someone who knows this will improve their family's lives, that this is a path that will lead to greater unity.. once again it feels that my testimony of this gospel just flourishes when I am teaching these type of prepared individuals. They are working on just making this a part of their everyday lives.. they are getting so close to just having things fall into place, hopefully it will continue to work out for them.. The problems have been real, the trials have been troubling, but seriously Satan oughta just back off.. Why do the hard things come to those who are trying so hard to do and be good?!

Well, we have Christmas Conference this week, it should be good! Definitely a good time of year to be representing the Lord. Hopefully you all will do all that you can to bring Christ into your Christmas.. What will you give Christ this year?

Love, Elder McFall

Week 56 – Well, here it is

Yikes, so bad news everyone, this week was sort of non-eventful. On the bright side enough happened that I decided to still write.. There were and are miracles occurring with our work.. I think often I just don't focus on those as much as I should. Patience is one of our biggest trials honestly, but really it is because these people do want the gospel and they are willing to learn that makes it so hard in my mind to accept the fact they aren't meeting with us regularly. We have seen some things develop over the last little while though, one of those miracles being with Rolando, he is a less-active guy. He has had a super difficult life, gone through a lot. He was in the military all throughout his time back in the Philippines, and since he got here he has gone through a divorce, etc. etc.. so we got to see him this week and it was one of those things where you can just feel how much he needs the gospel in his life again, and that he knows that for himself too. He has a testimony of the gospel, it is more like a small bush then a great oak though.. We got talking this last week and really he just wants us to spend as much time as we can with him, whenever we are in the area to come and share a message with him. He is really beginning on those steps of having that in his life, strangely you can even visibly see a difference. He is a good man!

We saw Roy this week, and it went well. Fortunately because of his accident he is at home rather than work, that is a blessing! We can see him as much as possible... but that isn't as much as we would hope just because of our schedule.. he is reading the Book of Mormon, which is good, however he isn't understanding it that well. His questions are actually really great, but what helps the situation move forward is he is willing to accept and act on our invitations and he does have an open heart and willing mind. The biggest thing with him is simply just understanding when we are not there... tried to give him the Book of Mormon in his native tongue, but he was having none of that! Looks like we just have to spend more time explaining stuff, I guess really that isn't the worst problem to have! 

Met with Abner.. still going there. Tough draw though. I mean he has this great desire to learn, feels that he has found the truth in the Baptist church though, not sure what happened there. Basically his real concern is just coming to church. he wants to be baptized, he wants this spiritual confirmation of the church and our teachings, just hasn't had that yet. In his mind, it is because he hasn't come to church regularly.. he must be a "regular" to know if it is true.. Well we will see what we can do.. The missionaries we are working with to get him there seem to be slightly incompetent...But we need the help because he is on the other side of the city.. we are on the very south end.. he is way north.. like a 30 minute drive.. don't worry though, the Lord will help us along. 

Still just spending time finding more of those Filipinos that are all over this city.. even if it is just Less actives and what not. We are doing what we can. It proves to be a wild time.. we have been working with Pres. Manion on this cause so we will see. Couple weeks back we got approval from SLC to get 4 Tagalog Speakers sent to the mish.. we will see what happens there! I could train in some foreign tongue.. or Elder Laceste will be Momma Hen!! Well I guess Papa Hen? We went up to St. Albert, which is just north of the city and if you remember the Uwazny family from back in Barrhead, they live there now.. so we stopped in there for lunch, it was a good time. So nice to see a familiar faces and to see those kids again! 

All in all, it is cold. Soooo I will try not to freeze. This week shouldn't be too bad though, today we are at like -12 or something with the wind chill, maybe a bit colder.. feels real nice though. Things are lookin sad! We will hopefully meet with more investigators this week!! I'll do my best. Go do something Christmas'y! Love you all!

Love, Elder McFall

Notice the new suit -   let's say it was a killer deal... $400 dollar suit or so for $70.. I had to do it! ha I need to move away from all these stores here.. I think my shopping has gotten worse..

Week 55 – Hearts Full of Thanksgiving

Sounds like that could be on some Hallmark card. I am really getting good with those subject lines. Not really, but hopefully you all had a great Thanksgiving. When I really got thinking of things and what I was grateful for, now the list could go on for days it seems. I tried to decide on one thing that I could write again this week and tell you all I am grateful for. I could pull the cliché and say the gospel, or my mission, or my testimony, my family!, friends, the list goes on… but when it comes down to it, I think one of the things I am most grateful for is probably my trials. Trials come with all of the other things I am grateful for also, but really I decided trials simply because without them I would not be anywhere near where I am now in my life. Whatever the trials I went through to get onto my mission or trials on my mission here or there, they have taught me valuable lessons. Let us broaden our look on this, if it weren't for the trials the Savior went through, we wouldn't understand the lessons he has taught us. The whole Atonement was a trial, and the world has learned numerous, if not countless, lessons from that infinite act. So to cut things off there, Trials are what I am grateful for this year. Hopefully we all can do better about showing our gratitude by our actions rather than simply word.

The work is a bit frustrating at times. Simply put, we just cannot meet consistently with our investigators; that is our whole problem right now. I have said it, but I don't think it is so much the lack of desire, in fact I couldn't say that is much of the problem at all, it is just a huge culture thing. Filipinos all work 2-3 jobs and send most of that money back home to the family and stuff back home. So it isn't that they don't want to meet, simply they just don't have the time. On the ones we did meet though we have really been working hard on getting them fellowship and getting members at every lesson possible. That has been a huge push here in the mission. The investigators really do progress so much better with a solid person doing some fellowship, and it allows us to get things truly developing into something more. This week we were able to see Lorie. She is still looking into things, but we aren't sure if it is just because she is bored. Her situation is better with not working though, her husband works either oil or gas and is a Canadian so she doesn't have to work.. so she is home. We are really pushing to figure out if she has that real desire; looking for that broken heart and contrite spirit. The lessons do go well though and she has still just been trying to take things as a factual experience rather than go to the ultimate source and ask our Father in Heaven.. we will see. Her big question this week was, "if there is a prophet on the earth, why doesn't everyone know about this??" Pretty much it came down to us saying, we are working on it!!! So we shall see! 

Ivy is still going really well. We brought her a fellowshipper and everything which should also help. She is still very accepting of things and seems to want to know for herself.. she just needs to come to church! The lesson was a one that the spirit definitely attended. She really has been curious about the Prophet Joseph and it seems to be going well there though. She doesn't deny the occurrence, well at least the probability, so that is a step in the right direction.. just needs the spirit to confirm that truth. 

Picked up a couple new investigators this week.. one is Perlyn, and she has been taught in the past and lives with a member up near downtown. She is also looking at this as more of a learning experience to "understand your religion" but we are working on getting that to be more of a I want to know the truth type of experience.. we don't shy away from boldness with these people though! A big problem with our work is they look at this as just a change of religions rather than the whole coming from false doctrine to the truth, to put it bluntly, so we just try to get them to change their outlook and understand our purpose.. we will see how that develops.. the other new investigator is a man named Abner.. he sure is a nice guy.. has met with the missionaries for about a year.. and has been loving it but honestly it seems like his biggest concern is not having a solid ride to church each week.. he feels the "Baptist is truth" so we are working on that one.. ha we will see what happens. We are still kinda team teaching him with the elders that have been teaching him as he is on the complete opposite side of the city.. so about 30 minutes or so with no traffic.. working on it! 

Couple thoughts I would just like to share with ya from Sacrament yesterday and church really.. It was a good one I tell ya. It just got me thinking, especially since the Thanksgiving time of the year for me it was a lot just how grateful I am for the Savior in my life. For his teachings, for his ever perfect example. A couple of His names that have stuck out to me lately have been the Great Physician and the Good Shepherd, simply because I have felt his awareness, his infinite and personal love me for, but also his ability to lift up and help me overcome those trials I have been experiencing, however great or small. I am so grateful for the scriptures that so eloquently describe his selfless act of the Atonement. In the last while I have been studying the Life of Christ, the way he taught, the way he interacted with the people, and the way he spoke to the people. It has been eye opening to say the least. You may think you know the Savior, however that journey is one that I believe is endless. It excites me to be able to still have the time to study His life more and understand Him more.. to become very well acquainted with my Redeemer. Hopefully you are all doing the same! 

Well, I'll be honest.. I am not wanting to type anymore today.. haha but know I love you all! Have a real nice week! It is gonna be a blizzard again this week no big deal.  Life is good. Love ya!

Love, Elder McFall

Week 54 - Happy Thanksgiving

Okay so last week I said I would give you a little more to read this week, well I am going to try to keep up with that promise  but surely I can't tell at this point. Let's just start off by saying this week was full of crazy disappointments that made me just a bit bitter.. trial of my faith you might say! All in all, things weren't that bad, I just feel that lately I have set the bar so high for myself and my companion, mostly because I know we can do it. The other reason mostly due to the fact is we have this culture in our zone now, because of things we have now done, that we cannot expect more from those within our zone if we are not first doing it. We want them to find new investigators? We better be finding new investigators! We want them teaching more lessons with members, you better hope we are teaching those members! So on so forth! All in all, it was a good week, but not as good as we would hope.. more of the routine type. 

Good news though! Found another investigator this week, another one of those Filipinos! It was pretty good though. We were going through some potentials we had and we tried this one lady on there. It has been snowing like crazy (surprise right?) So while she answered and Elder Laceste talked I just shoveled the walkway and everything.. good plan eh? So we ended up getting invited in and shared most of the first part of the first lesson. Her name is Ivy p.s.... but anyways, she seems interested and wants to really learn more of why we had a restoration of a church. She goes to some Christian church.. that isn't true.. she doesn't necessarily know that yet though. She feels there should be a prophet and apostles here today, how wonderful it was to bear testimony that there is a living prophet, who has been called by a loving God who is very aware of the problems we face. To testify that our message is true, and that it truly will bring her lasting happiness. To feel that spirit enter the room.. now let's just hope she felt that same thing and recognized it as such. 

Saw our pal Roy this week.. still recovering from that real bad concussion. He is doing really well though. We only saw him the one time and just read the Book of Mormon with him, which he enjoyed. We have been hesitant about a Baptismal date just due to the fact he is recovering.. we are going to get him on that soon though so he will really begin to take things more seriously. I do think he would be farther along if it weren't for his wifey.. We just haven't really had the chance to meet with her and get her interested in the message.. we are working hard on that one though! 

One of the other really great lessons we were able to have was with a less-active fellow I have mentioned before.. named Rolando. He is a super nice guy, but man has life been tough. He was a military man back in old country (Philippines) and then he came here and since he has gotten divorced and so on.. But basically he just needs more hope! He is a really funny guy and loves our visits but hasn't really been coming to church, yesterday we just got talking and really figured out why.. he feels as though we need to be perfect to be there. This got me thinking, and this is really such a dilemma for so many people! They feel as though we must be perfect, but they just do not understand the purpose of the gospel. I love one of the titles given to Christ, that is The Great Physician, for truly He is just that. When we turn to him, surely we will be healed. No matter our circumstance, no matter our level of spirituality, when we turn to Him, and follow his call to "Follow thou me" or the call to "Come unto Christ" to name just two phrases we can say.. The whole point of this is to say we can be forgiven, how grateful I am for a Heavenly Father who wants to forgive me, and for a savior who has provided the way, for he literally is The Way. I just wish everyone I ever saw not just read this, not just agreed, but took this to heart and found the true application and found true healing we seek in our Savior.

Well family and friends.. Have a real nice Thanksgiving! Watch some football for me! Hopefully the cowboys win... if they are even playing? Enjoy the holiday spirit that comes with it! Go buy something cool at black Friday! I love you all! Talk to you soon!

Love, Elder McFall

Just last week in front of the temple here.. good stuff. Honestly so cold though! 

The weather outside is frightful.

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