Me and Elder Hasvold sure have had a blast here and have even got down a sweet British Accent... in English AND in Spanish! We just pass time working and laughing. He has taught me a great lesson to work hard and to always be hopeful of the future. Here are a few pictures that I liked from Zone Leader Counsel... A bunch just got called from our group, like Elder Bushnell, and we snagged a picture with the Zone Leaders from our group. After the next change, January, I will be one of the oldest Zone Leaders... weird. Also, all the leaders wear their nice ties at Counsel... well we decided to wear our nastiest ones and we got a good laugh out of Pres. Amaya. There's a picture of Elder Hasvold and I with our nasty ties.
Well I told Mase I'd relate a crazy story about boogers, sickness and drool... here is my week...
So there was this lady with 3 little kids trying to drag a propane tank up to get it changed. We offered to help and ran it over. It was light, but with the gas it got pretty heavy to return. We took it back for her and joked the whole time about falling on the slopes with the tank. We get to the final slope before her house and Elder Hasvold took a big turf and the propane tank AND his companion on the other end came with him! I saved myself, like the tree cat I am, yet I was laughing so hard cause it was so funny that I about fell over and noticed a huge string of drool from my lips! Well that was really embarrassing... there went a nice contact opportunity.
Then at the end of the week there was this old lady with a deformed hand and walked with a nasty limp and cane. We offered to take her heavy bag and help her up home... turns out her home was a long way up. We got up to her house and I faced a huge culture shock as we saw a little coffin-shaped cart up on a rock with a table next to it. THAT was her house! She climbed that rock faster and better than we did haha, but what a house! She lives in this little bed on top of a rock, covered only by a tin roof. She lives off a piece of bread, an apple, and milk every day and 7 dogs. She was a little crazy as she showed us goose skulls and animal bones that she collects and so we got out of there quick. On the way down, after this old, gimp lady climbed that like a mountain goat, Elder McGinn took a big doozy and turfed it big time in dirt and gravel! That and a few other crazy experiences made that day just wonderful, let me tell you. The key is to simply enjoy life, laugh at yourself, and have fun the right way.
Let's end on a spiritual note... We had Zone Counsel and I was SO happy to find out that the 4 people we had been preparing for baptism in Manta got baptized as I took off! Oh what a great feeling to see the work progress in sectors or with companions that you've had. We've been trying to clean and raise a program here in this ward I'm in and things are getting cooking! We've found many new people to teach, seeking the chosen and prepared ones, and we should have one rocking month in November, hopefully we'll get this sector that hasn't baptized in months to be a Weekly Baptizing Ward... that's how it's looking now.
I want to share a sweet story about how the spirit truly guides those who listen and that God does so to touch each of His children individually. So we've been trying to get this ward up and running again and it's been tough. The other day we had no one at 11am yet the image of a member's house stuck in my companion's mind. He couldn't even remember their name, yet described where and we put them down. We had no clue why. When we got there the next day the family was surprised and let us in to share something with them, it was a struggle to get in, you could tell they were stressed. After conversing the mother finally asked 'So is there anything we can do for you Elders?' I said we felt the need to come share something with the family and she just broke into tears. The other day she had been upset with God and was even doubting their temple sealing and her activity in the church. She was simply pleading for an answer and we happened to show up. The hope we gave them, guided by the Spirit, was so uplifting and so beautiful! They committed to go to a sealing session together and remember WHY they got sealed years ago. She came to church AND invited us to lunch in this coming week. It was so beautiful to see how God guided us to His children in need through simply actions and how an eternal family has been given an extra push on their way. Do ALL you can to have the spirit and follow the smallest impressions! Do ALL you can to smile and be patient in your family relations for they will be eternal if you do your part here on earth! Keep the eternal perspective in mind, it is so beautiful and so worth whatever sacrifice or trial!
We've having a blast out here, it is the last P Day with Elder Hasvold, we enjoyed Subway today. He will be flying home on Tuesday, so I am about positive I'll have a new companion next week! 3 in one transfer! I love the Work, I love the Lord, I love you ALL.
Elder McGinn
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