Well do I ever have to tell you about worlds colliding and the biggest temptation in the WORLD!
We ran to visit a less active family that just lost their father/husband the other month. We got talking about this man's job, he works with satellite, with ESPN, FOX, all of it, and got talking about sports. THEN he stopped... turned to me... and said 'Wait a minute, you're from Utah right? Isn't there a school of Mormons?' Yeah, BYU... why? Then Elder McGinn was faced with the biggest temptation of his life. HE WAS WATCHING THE BYU SDSU GAME THAT DAD AND CAM WERE AT RIGHT THEN AND THERE AND CAME OUTSIDE TO VISIT WITH US DURING A COMMERCIAL!!! It's been fun following the sports, but wow they have never hit me until that moment, and what hurt worse was that he was simply 'passing time' cause basketball doesn't really interest him all that much. What a darn rat. Haha, but I put a little 'Go Cougs' in my heart, thought of you all, and kept walking through the mud and the rain!
Haha, here's for my week. It's still hot as ever and even worse after a rain storm. When it rains... pull out your inflatable boats haha, cause it really pours. Thanks to Ecco and Gortex, my shoes are great. My companion´s... we're off to fix his shoes that changed colors and the other pair that came off the sole.
Here's how the week goes, it rains really hard and is really muddy cause most of the roads are dirt. The next day, the dirt is so so dry and it looks like it had never rained. The next day is normal and wonderful, but the rain builds up for the next day.
Ah and to Allie´s question, we had a dish called güatita the other day with an awesome meat called Mondongo. It was rice, potatoes, and cow stomach with a peanut sauce. That was a ride, and tasted pretty good! You just forget what they told you it was and all is fine.
On Tuesday we had a ton of laughs. It was raining like crazy, we visited a recent convert and helped her fix up her tarp porch covering that was sagging with pockets of water. As my companion and I counted to 3 to run the water out and fix up her covering, water defied the laws of gravity and went LEFT not down. We heard a scream and in a matter of seconds our recent convert was soaked from head to foot! Hahaha.
Then in the evening we went to visit another recent convert and I put in practice my limberness as a Tree Cat. There were friends over, studying for college, it is culture in South America to greet with a kiss on the cheek and Elder McGinn seemed to be oblivious to that one. A girl shook my hand and leaned in as my instant reflexes kicked in and I jumped back with a surprised and disgusted look on my face! Haha, I've never seen someone's face go white to red so quickly. It's a good thing my arms were longer than her brain that night, if you catch my drift.
Ah and to end the funny stuff, I should get on to the missionary work, but one more thing. I truly felt like the Humble Bumble who helps put the star on the Christmas Tree this Sunday. The 1st Counselor in the Bishopric came over and asked a great favor, if I could stand up on the benches and stick the clock back up on the wall that had fallen. All watched in awe as I climbed the bench in the back and my long arms hooked up the clock again. I know it's stupid, but the first thing that popped into my head was the Humble Bumble haha.
Okay, off to the work. This week was a rougher one. We had a baptism, which was great! Erica Garcia, 17 yrs old from a Less Active family that is reactivating! That was a joy to see. Other than that, literally every single one of our progressing investigators told us 'no more,' or took off on vacation (their in 'summer break' right now). That really stank, but taught us an important lesson. That is not who the Lord wants, let's find the people He is preparing! The next day we had 13 contacts in 2ish hours knocking doors, we have been working with the members and got 12 References to go visit, and I really have been blessed with this opportunity to be a trainer cause Elder Molina has so much excitement to get working and get teaching!
We have almost no one that we are teaching, we're in the hunt right now but there is a key to life here, there is ALWAYS something to do and it is ALWAYS CORRECT if it is done in the Lord. Seek His guidance, seek His hand, He slapped us without investigators, but He really didn't slap us this week, more He turned our heads to where He wants us to work. The Lord works in mysterious ways, are we humble enough to take His hand? His advice? His abrupt changes that ALWAYS lead for the better?
We do have an investigator and her husband that are progressing. We have Family Night with them tonight and she surprised us the other night by telling us she had read more than what we left her in the Book of Mormon! That was music to our ears. She has a brother on a mission in Quito and she is really interested in the gospel and what her brother is doing. We're really excited for this one and the work is on!
There is always something to do, this week is fishing, hunting, contacting, getting references, but OH what a joy to be in the service of the Lord! I couldn't have asked for a better moment in my life, being a missionary, trusting in the Lord, promising miracles and seeing them take place AS THE PEOPLE ACT: Act, you'll be amazed, be acted upon... that's simply life. LIFE is to be acted upon, LIVE is to make your decisions. Any missionary can pass through 2 years, just like any person can pass through life. But the key is living, making, acting, creating and I promise you the Lord is on your side.
I love you all, I am so happy and there is no better thing to do than serve the Lord with a smile. Trust in the Lord and He will guide you! Trust... means act in the faith.
Elder McGinn
I attached a picture of my half-eaten plate of food cause it was EXACTLY what the Perry's gave us that night before coming to Ecuador!
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