May 30, 2011 Letter

SORRY!!!!

 

     The email last week wasn't working so that was poopy.  I printed out the email and sent it as a letter so hopefully you will get it soon.  The Texas mail is retarded though so I don't know.

     Well this week was awesome.  We had another baptism so that was nice.  The count is now at 16 baptisms for my mission thus far.  That's almost 2 a month, which is way sweet.  The family that we have next in line for baptism is the Gonzalez's .  They are so cool.  Right now we are really working on getting them some good friends in the ward.  They would get baptized today if they felt like they had a good set of friends so we're working on it.

     The work is going really well.  My companion is going home soon so it's been kinda weird hearing him talk about the luggage situation and what not.  I just have to worry about what I am going to say on the next door step.  None of that trunky stuff for me. (Trunky is a missionary word to describe thoughts of home)  My comp isn't that trunky at all right now...which is way nice.  We still are working really hard.

     So in regards to football for Ryan...pretty much he is probably going to have to pick choir or football in the end.  Trying to schedule both is a real pain.  I had a lot of friends who did it and I did too...but you have to be way disiplined with your studies.  I say that you give him a trial period.  If he keeps his grades up and can do football and choir...all power to the kid.  I think that he could do it but he'd have to sacrifice some time with his friends.  Probably would end up having a whole new set of friends actually.  Maybe this is a good idea...ha ha ha.  I don't know.  Pray about it.  That's what I tell all my investigators and it seems to work for them.

     So this sweet family invited us to a bbq today for food and games and sports and guitar...it's going to be super fun.  Their littlest girl Reese says that she is my girlfriend.  We were over there for a family night one night and we went on a walk.  While we were walking she reached over and held my hand...well actually it was just my index finger.  Ha ha ha....just so you know this little girl is three.  Okay well I have to go so bye.

 

love,

Elder McNinch

May 16, 2011 Letter

Hello Family,

 

I am doing very well.  I am still in Texas so that's good I guess, right?  So we just got done playing a game called Acquire at the ward mission leader's house.  Definately not my kind of game.  Bunch of numbers and stock trading...not a good time really.  More just a waste of a P day.  We are going to play golf with an investigator soon so that will be really fun.

 

We have been working with this investigator for about two weeks and he is kinda on the fence right now.  He wants to believe that the church is true and feels that what we say and teach makes sense...he just doesn't want to be wrong.  He doesn't want to commit to something that he is going to be ridiculed for if in the end it wasn't right.  Obviously we know that it is right and that he shouldn't have that worry but he doesn't.  So right now we are just doing everything that we can to build up his testimony.  This past Sunday didn't really help.  He had gotten the typical anti of "Y'all worship Joseph Smith."  To which of course we said that we do not and that he should continue coming to church so that he could understand that.  Well, Sunday came around and the opening hymn just happened to be "Praise to the Man".  Awesome.  Then two of the talks were given by members who talked about how they came from pioneer families who were related to, you guessed it, Joseph Smith, whom they felt so privelaged to have a distant tie to....AWESOME...Then to top it all off the closing hymn was "Joseph Smith's First Prayer".  This day just keeps getting better and better.  Then on top of Joseph Smith Sunday, the lesson in Gospel Priciples was on eternal marriage.  The teacher for whatever reason decided to teach about how eternal marriage was necessary for exaltation.  So instead of clarifying that we do not worship Joseph Smith it only made it worse and then for an added bonus threw in eternal marriage, exaltation, and man's potential to be like God.  Sweet...needless to say we have our hands full with what to teach this man.  We love him so much and we are so excited to see him and his family get baptized.  They all have a sincere desire but are just afraid that they don't understand enough.  I'll tell you more about them later. 

 

So I hope that Shannon does get back into Concert Choir.  You need to remind Mrs. D about the cd's I asked her to send to me.  Just go into the choir room one day and say that you are there on behalf of me.  Talk to her about the cd's I asked of her in my letter and see if you can get them and send them to me.  I would appreciate that very much.

 

Tell Shannon that I am very sorry for not being able to send her present this week.  I promise that it is coming....along with a letter =).  Tell her not to worry about being popular or having a ton of friends.  If you don't make enemies you automaticallly make friends.

I would have to agree with you mom, Vietnamese food is not very good.  I had some last week.  We walked in and there were shrines all over the house.  We weren't quite sure if they were members but...what the heck...I'm hungry.  So we sit down at the table and there it is...a plate of some kind of noodles with a rather large pile of eggs in the middle.  I don't know what kind of eggs or noodles they were and frankly...I don't want to know.  I cannot accurately describe how it tasted but I know that if I dipped it in the toilet it probably would have tasted a little bit better.

 

Well I will write you more next week...we had two baptisms this past weekend so I'll write you all about those next week.  Love you all very much and thank you for all your support.

 

love,

 

Elder McNinch

 

ps- Tell the children that they are not allowed to wear my shoes.  I don't mind the clothes SO much but I don't want them to wear out my shoes or my hoodies.  I would like to have nice things when I get back.  So tell Ryan that his big feet will have to find another home.  Tell them to save up money to buy shoes of their OWN!!!  That's what I had to do.

May 2, 2011 Letter

Hello,

 

My Easter was very nice.  I had a lot of really cool stories from that weekend...BUT none of them compare to what happened on Saturday last week.  I got to meet Elder Flukiger of the sixth quorum of the seventy, Elder Rasband of the presidency of the first quorum of the seventy, and (drum roll please)... ELDER DALLIN H. OAKS OF THE QUORUM OF THE 12 APOSTLES!!!  It was the coolest experience ever!!!  All of them had some pretty deep insights to talk about.  We got to take a huge picture with all of them and then got to shake each one of their hands.  When I got to Elder Oaks he looked at my name tag and grabbed it.  I was so worried that he was just going to take my tag from me...but he holds it and says, "Elder...how in the world do I say your name?"  Ha ha ha ha.  I love it.  So I talked with him for about ten seconds about the origins of our ever so weird last name and he said, "Well Elder, I am glad we got some good Scott-Irish blood in the Texas Dallas Mission." ....okay?....thanks Elder Oaks.  But really it was an amazing meeting.  One of the missionaries in my district recorded it so we are going to transpose it to text.  That will be sooooo cool!!!

 

Well so I don't know if I told you this but last week we had a baptism.  That was pretty awesome.  I am printing off pictures this week and hopefully will be able to send them in the next letter.  To answer a couple of your questions...

 

- yes I got the package and I lub it

- no I don't think that I would be able to go to the the BYU game Brent. My president likes me but not that much.  ha ha ha.

- Yes i will skype you.  It will be around 7:00 pm your time on Sunday night.  I don't know how all of that works but we will figure it all out.  Email me y'alls number again so I can call and figure it out next week.

-  Tell Shannon to stop being so weird and just do normal teenage things.  No more food fights.

- Tell everybody that I love them as well.  I miss all of you very much.  I will talk to you more next week.

 

LOVE,

 

Elder McNinch