Hey Mom! 

Well it was a real great week. Our lessons are going up and finding a ton of people as well which has been great. It was just a great week. I will have to send you the video if you have not seen it of all of us missionaries getting caked. It is a tradition they have done for a long time with missionaries. Bishop really gets me! We also went on exchanges with the Assistants. I went with Elder Hansen. He is a lot like me actually. I went to his area which is in Philly. The whole YSA there and also in Valley Forge. We taught one of the most awesome guys who is a convert of like 2 months. His name is D.  He goes to Temple University here and is just awesome. He is preparing to receive his Patriarchal blessing. My singing has improved!  Well we sing every morning as a companionship and so it was always nice.  We had lots of great lessons this past one. Not really one particular person to keep updated on but just multiple who we have just found. We are getting lots of referrals because we have really just gained a great relationship with the ward. Our Bishop is awesome,  well on both (Spanish and English) sides. We are really trying to just find a good medium between the wards. Oh!  But everything here is great. Hopefully we can get some baptisms set up! It is funny I feel I have been able to improve at soccer haha. The bishop from the Camden ward comes and plays. Like I said he is a young guy so he is darn good. We are having lots of success with getting less actives and investigators to come. 

Yeah this transfer flew! I can not believe it at all. Too fast! I'm pushing the 14 months now. Just too hard to believe. 

I'm loving it in this area. Well I love you mom and talk to ya again real soon! 

Love, 

Elder McArthur 

                                                                   Getting caked!! 

                                                             Part of his zone. 

                                                           Philly temple as of August 24th

Hey Mom! 

Yeah I was thinking about that as well. In 2 days it will be a full year in the field. I am! So the oldest Spanish missionary now is Elder King and then me and Elder Hillstead are behind him. Well I guess Elder Morgan is until he goes home this transfer. That is so weird! Me and Elder Hillstead talked about that when we saw each other at transfers. Does not feel like it! I know Saryn will do awesome.  Tanner is going to have a very interesting experience for sure. Im excited for all of them because then I'll come home and here about all that is going on with them. Weird to think ill be home in less than a year though.

No! Ha we had a great week actually. Got 2 new investigators on both sides. One Spanish and another English. The English one is from Africa and he just got here a couple days ago. His wife and two daughters are members. He only knows a little about the church but is very interested so we are going to be working with him now, and also he is coming to play soccer on Saturday because we play Saturday's. Then this other girl is part of a Hispanic family that we are working with so we will see what happens there as well. Just finding lots of people and the ward has been great. We went Monday night to go visit this less active D who is in the hospital. He has actually only half of his foot amputated and so we went and sang a hymn to him and just talked. Well Bishop actually brought his whole family haha so it was great. Bishop Z is the bishop of the English and Sister Z told me I had a good voice and for Bishop to remember haha. I told her I really am not that great. I have improved on my mission though because I have served with two singers and one who is a professional. So that helps! Haha. We have also started basketball Wed. nights because there is this family the D's who bring a bunch of less active and non member kids to play. It is Bro. D and his son T. T is a pitcher and 1st baseman in baseball. He actually just went to Cooperstown and did all that! Awesome family. And then they have 2 older daughters my age and one Lizzy's age I believe. Great family. So we are excited for that. We did have one exchange this past week. I went with Elder Bjerrgaard is his name. You say it like Bear and then Guard haha. He is a good missionary.  We went out with an awesome member who I talked to for forever and he took us to Chick-Fil-A actually. I have had that like 3 times this week. So I would say it has been a good week. We also had a ward activity on the Spanish side, and it didn't turn out as well as we hoped with the amount of people that came but it still was ok. Yeah the Bishop there does feed us every Wed. We have not gone yet but he invited us as well. He is so awesome. Very young bishop though. He is like barely 30 and loves soccer. He is very good. We might go to Philly today or next week. Oh and also the Bishops daughter took us to this super awesome ice cream place called Sundaes. She had a guy friend with her so we were able to go. I'm trying to think if there is anything else. Just has been a great week. 

I only know missionary life now. The feeling of sitting down and watching TV is foreign to me now and listening to normal music. Colton seems like he is really preparing well to go on a mission. I'm sure he will be great just like Ryan. It is too hard for me to believe that Megan is going to be a freshmen. She is still like 10 years old to me. I hope her and Lizzy do great which I know they will.

I do like just listening to a talk. I have read so much though in my mission because I enjoy it a lot more now I feel. That is it is the only thing I can really do haha. But I've learned a lot that is for sure.

Well I definitely wrote a lot earlier! I have lots of pictures I need to send you off of my camera so I will have to figure out when today that I can do that. This transfer has flown by! Just so crazy. The weeks are coming and going. It is getting close to October again! Last Halloween I was with Elder Newbold and now he is home. Hard to believe. We definitely do have a lot of sisters and we just got one more from the Philippines actually. She was waiting on a VISA but finally made it here.  Well love you mom and I'll talk to ha again real soon! School started up just too quick I bet! 

Love, 

Elder McArthur 

Hey Mom! 

I know! Just flies. It's crazy how quick is has gone. Yesterday was that 13 month mark which is super weird. 

 

Well! Haha there is not much to tell. We both came down with a pretty bad bug and were in for a few days. It was not good. So we are ready for this week because we are both better. But it was still an ok week. Our Zone did super great this week! We did have Zone training this past Thursday which was our first time giving that. We have it every month once a month and the whole zone comes together and the Zone leaders give the training. It is always good and we felt real good about it. We got lots of real good feedback and everything, and I actually have some pictures to send from it. So I will send you those. We also had a really good end of the week cause we helped out 2nd counselor in the bishopric move as well. Bishop drove us and we are really getting to know the ward and help out a lot as well. So lots that is going on for sure. On both sides. Spanish and English. We are just trying to meet with everyone to see what all we can do and so far it is going well. We also have a few exchanges coming up again. Those are always the best. But it hasn't been too bad because there are lots of Hispanics here. We do seek out both. We also had a Priesthood Stake meeting last night. I ended up doing some of the translating but there was another guy there who spoke very very well and did a lot of it which helped. We talk so fast in English! We think that Hispanics speak fast but we really do. I was trying to translate this one kid and gosh he was just ripping through his talk. Then when they start reading scriptures is where it all goes downhill. We also visited this man who is a less active in the hospital. He is actually going to lose one of his legs from diabetes. It is really sad actually but we had a great message with him and we are going to see him tonight with Bishop and his family. Our bishop is awesome. His name is Bishop Z. He is actually a convert of 28 years I believe as well. So that is what we are going to do. But that is all that has kind of gone on! 

 That is so awesome that he (Elder White aka Ryan) is a Zone leader too. I am sure he is an awesome missionary. No doubt. A very big missionary. Haha we have a kid though in our mission who plays basketball for BYU. He is 6'11". His name is Elder Andrus. Funny! But so huge. 

 

Sorry these are short but we played basketball today! 

Well happy late anniversary!

Well I gotta get going momma but I love you! I'll send a couple pictures! Love you! 

Love, 

Elder McArthur  

 

                                              Camden, NJ missionaries view of Philly.

                                                    A zone selfie!

Hey Mom! 

Well P-day has rolled around again. That is crazy.

It has been busier for sure haha. Just more responsibility and meeting. We are hanging in there!  Yea of course we still proselyte a lot. We do go about 6 hours or so. It is long but I enjoy it for sure! Yea so Elder Riley is a cool guy and likes to water ski and all that stuff haha which he has the feet for it! I told him that. He is a little shorter than me but wears a size 15 shoe! Bigger than Ryan. We get along just fine. He is the oldest I believe in his family and a great missionary. He went to BYUI before coming out and worked. He actually goes home 1 transfer before me because he came out 2 transfers before me.  Everything is going well. We had a good week. Found a couple new people and trying to get things set up. No main focus right now on anyone per se, but it is getting there. We had a great Conference Call with all the Cherry Hill stake the other night on how we can better do missionary work basically. We gave some training on it. The mission Presidency was on it and everything. It went real well. Also, the exchange in Camden was so much fun! I want to serve there so bad. The members are so wonderful, and we do work with part of them so I'll definitely be back over that way. It was a great exchange. I went with a Elder Knuth. He is from San Fran and came in in the same group as Elder Wasden. He is a good Elder for sure. I would love to serve with him. We did have that dinner at Bishops and the Branch President of the English Branch even though he is Puerto Rican. But he speaks English without an accent cause he has been here since he was 8. Awesome guys. They married twin sisters actually haha. So it has been a real good week. I got to get to know them better. Then we had a ward BBQ this past Saturday which went well. We got some investigators and people brought lots of friends. It was a great turnout but I think I got food poisoning or something. So today we are taking it easy cause Elder Riley has it as well. MLC which is missionary leadership council was Friday which went awesome as well. That is just for the Zone leaders and Sister trainer leaders so I saw Elder Weisler(Jake) again. They miss having me in their Zone. That was real long. It is cool cause we cross the Benjamin Franklin bridge and drive through Philly. So that is always fun. So a lot went on this past week! I'm excited to be here, and hope I stay a while. They feed us pretty well here as well. But that is what is going on! I have a cools picture to send you as well because the Camden Elders live in a nice apartment and you have a view of the Philly Skykine from it.

Yeah! It was so much fun. We talked to some very interesting people. The drug scene there is so bad. There are actually two apartment complexes where we are basically not allowed to go. Supposedly the life expectancy if you live in them is 5-6 months. I can't remember the name right now of them but it is a scary place for sure.

 

Well I'm excited for all of them (all his friends leaving on their missions in the next few months). The mission has been great.  Next time I'll see everyone will be at the end of my mission! It's hard to believe it is less than a year though and that it is August. I do not know where the time goes! 

I feel like summer just started for everyone! Now it is coming to an end. Goodness! I am even not wanting it to end for them haha. I feel I will do so much better next year fore sure. 

 

I'm excited to hear who they (new apostles) will be! Elder Hopkin definitely has the updates on him (Elder Scott) cause well it's his great uncle haha. Well I love you mom and talk to ya again soon! If you get pictures please send them! 

Love, 

Elder McArthur