Hey Mom! 

I really can't (believe that it has been a whole year). Like technically I have less than a year now which doesn't feel real to me.  Just amazing! 

 

Thank you so much for the package! I like that a lot haha. I'm actually thinking of making myself some goals for this last year or 11 months in my mission. Spanish goals, personal weight, all that stuff. My thoughts are like all in Spanish though. I never thought I would ever be able to learn it. Ever. The Lord has truly blessed me and given me the gift of tongues. 

I heard (about Kayla's mission call)! So many of us are speaking Spanish like it's crazy! I hope I can do the best I can with it. It has come a very long way haha. That's amazing that she is going there. I bet they were just so excited. Wow! Excited for Erin (Solomon, friends from Georgia, who is going to Jakarta Indonesia). That's super cool. I can't even imagine serving over there. I can't believe we have that many out! Plenty of missionary work to do. It's just super cool to see where everyone goes. 

I'm doing well honestly. It's going alright. The less actives are like literally avoiding us. Well! Some of them. Ha we are having success with like 2 families who have been coming back. One of them just took us out to eat the other night at a super good Mexican restaurant. Definitely found some solid investigators! So we found this new guy R who is pretty golden from what we can tell right now and will already be at church next Sunday. He told us that "well I gotta go to church if I actually want to learn." Good to hear! We actually had a great lesson with J. We watched the 20 minute restoration video with him and it helped him really see more clearly our message. He said he was going to watch the hour long one tonight because we downloaded the Gospel Library for him on his iPhone. Haha so he is great. He will be at church Sunday. Satan played dirty with us on getting people to church that is for sure. Y ended up having to cancel last week. We had some really bad storms and her daughter was freaking out so she had to stay with her but we are seeing her this Friday with Stubbs thank goodness. It definitely has helped. Things honestly are starting to pick up here and we are ready for the next transfer. Hard to believe this transfer is over. It flew! I'm going to miss some of my district cause Elder Parker is finishing the mission.  But nothing too crazy this week. Just slowly working with some new people. I think of the changes I've seen in all my converts here and it's amazing. Their whole countenance changes. 

Ha Philly was so much fun. I was back in my old area and we ate at Reading terminal station which was wonderful. It was a really fun trip. Bro. Fletcher is the best for taking us down and we got to see the temple. It is really coming along well since last time I saw it. That like 32 story building is going to be huge and then there will also be a chapel right there. Such an awesome spirit is just around that site.

Yeah next year I'll be back for a trip but I'll really have to think about that one. There is a lot to see up here where I am. This is the best mission. Like honestly I could not have asked for a better mission and mission president. As well as all of the missionaries here! Such as Elder Weisler (his best friend from Georgia). We are going to go play basketball with him today and his companion Elder Issertel. 

I do not know what I'm going to do when I'm home and just passing people but not talking to them. Especially the Hispanics. It will just be a weird feeling and with all the free time. There is a guy named D here who just got off his mission from Vegas and just does not know what to do with all the free time and things like that as well. But I love sharing the gospel and it is sad when we aren't and when people just reject it. That always hurts but you move on. You can not get discouraged as a missionary. That is the downfall. 

Poor Ryan! I can't even imagine not having AC. I'd die! Especially out here with this humidity and everything. Well I hope the work is going well out there. Still same ole Ryan! 

It is funny that you talk about that song (How Great Thou Art, my dad's favorite song) cause I love it and it has been in my mind so much recently. The Gospel is the best. It clears everything up and there is not so much confusion. It is ridiculous how much confusion there is with all the other churches. The Book of Mormon is truly the keystone that holds it all together.  I just love it and want to help everyone understand that. It will be interesting seeing the new apostles. I'm very excited for that because that is huge. It's a calling for eternity. Well I love you mom and I'll honestly see what I can do about pictures. Last week was just too hectic haha but I love you very much and will talk to you again soon! 

Love, 

Elder McArthur