November 22, 2010 Letter

Dear everyone,

       Okay...so this week was interesting.  My companion and I were sick...aka not fun.  Being sick on a mission is like being grounded as a kid.  The rule is that if you have thrown up or have a fever you cannot go out for 12 hours.  We were up in the morning ready to go, check Elder Lyman's temperature...and we can't leave.  Grand.  We're getting over it now though...so that is good.

     In other news, I tried to wax my face last night as to avoid shaving for a couple of weeks...yeah that didn't work out.  I guess the hair is just too short or something...whatever...dumb wax.

     My money...okay so we have this magic card called the JP card.  We are alotted $140 a month for groceries and stuff.  The 140 is what's left from the 400 that is paid by us.  The rest of the money is used for housing and what not, but I don't have to deal with that...so I don't.  Basically when I spend money on my account it's only when I have spent too much money on groceries and crap, or when my card doesn't work.  That happens all the time.

     My companion is from Riverside, California.  He likes everything that I like and hates everything that I hate.  Country music included. =)  For thanksgiving we're eating with 4 different families.  I think that I am going to explode.  Oh and people here don't call it stuffing.  They call it dressing.  When you say stuffing they have no idea what you are talking about.

     Glad to know that everything is going well at home.  Everything out here is finally picking up.  We have 3 new investigators and are committing them to baptism this week.  Wish us luck!

     So I am finally getting into the Book of Mormon.  Remember how I hated reading?  Not anymore!  I'm getting the chronology of the BOM down now so everything finally is making sense to me.  I seriously cannot stop reading.  It fascinates me that I could be so intrigued by a...book. Never before, but now it is amazing.  By then end of my mission I want to be able to give a summary in my own words of the chronological events that take place throughout the Book of Mormon.  It's a lofty goal but it is really fun to piece together....sorry I am a nerd.

    Oh Harry Potter.  I seriously only watch that to watch Dobby.  He's so funny.  Oh!  The other night I did my Smegal impression for Elder Lyman.  He didn't really like it because all of the lights were off and he couldn't see me.  Anyways...the work is good.  The church is true.

Love ya,

-Elder McNinch

November 1, 2010 Letter AND PICTURES!!!!!

Heeeellllllloooooo!!! LA LA LA!  (Seinfeld quote)

So this week I will send you my memory card after this next baptism on Saturday.  This lady is so pumped for her baptism it is hilarious.  She is like 60 and calls us everyday to make sure that everything that she wanted on the program is there.  So funny!  The baptisms of the little girls went awesome.  They were SO nervous.  The oldest girl (12) was like, "Elder McNinch!  My hands are sweating!"  Ha ha ha silly girl, JUST GET IN THE WATER!  Just playin...but really...  I had to confirm two of the girls in Sacrament Meeting!  So scary!  That is the most terrifying experience of my life.

 Tell Brother Meeks that there is this guy here that reminds me so much of him.  Like if I close my eyes I could swear that he was Brother Meeks.  Tell him also that I had a dream that Danielle came back to church and married a returned missionary.  Don't ask me why I had a dream about her but yeah...weird...WIOD!

     Tell the Lee's that their daughter sent me a poster with her picture on it.  The poster said "Boyfriend Needed!  Call Tatum!"  Ha ha ha.  She had her number typed up on the little pull off tabs and everything too!  HA HA HA.

Yes I enjoyed the package but...there wasn't my 4x4 cube in it.  The one that is in my big bible box.  I wants it!  (Lord of the Rings quote: Golum) Everything else was super though.  I have enough candy now to last me til next year.  So we were teaching this lady on her doorstep yesterday (Halloween night) and tick or treaters kept coming up and were about to ask for some candy when their parents swooped in and said,"Let's go hunny, those are the Mormons."  HA HA HA.  So great.  I also got my first, "My mom said to tell you that she isn't here"  this week.  So funny!

So yes I got to go to the trunk or treat.  We picked up 3 families as investigators.  That is 12 new investigators!  Trunk or treats here are so different.  They pull up, open the trunk, trick or treat for like 10 minutes, then peace out.  No chilli, no booths, just 10 minutes in the parking lot and then they're outta there.  So weird.  Texas is just weird.

Yes I played at the baptism.  The mom was stunned that I sang too.  I don't get why people are surprised when someone starts singing AND playing.  Like they just expected me to sit up there and strum away to entertain them.  Weird.  So this crazy in the Melissa ward is trying to get me to sing in Sacrament now.  That was a dumb idea.  It was really cool though.  The mom of the three girls (only non-member of the family now) cried after the song.

     

So yes all is well.  I love being a missionary.  It is so fun.  Tell Natalie Timpson to write me and McCall Magness to write me back!  She hasn't written me back from the MTC!

Love Y'all,

Elder Michael Syl McNinch

I'm sure there is a story behind all this, but I don't know what!!!

I'll bet it's funny, too!