June 27, 2011 Letter

Dear Family,

 

     You went to the "M" casino?  Was it cool?  Never been there before.  Mom, just so you know there will probably be a lot of elders coming to stay with us after the mission.  Especially Elder Sinclair.  So just be ready.  He says that he is going to marry Aria Jackson...you know Gladys Knight's granddaughter?  I think it is so funny.  I was showing him Henderson and Las Vegas on the maps on LDS.org and he couldn't wrap his mind around how big the houses were in Legacy Estates.  He's probably one of the funniest Elders that I have met thus far on the mission.

     So this past week has been kinda crazy.  We had what was called Jubilee on Saturday.  Weird because they took like 60 or so missionaries out of their areas to perform in 3 shows.  Apparently it was like a giant roadshow.  It had clips of the youth's testimonies and different dances and what not.  It was a way cool experience.  I felt super apostate because I wasn't out knocking on doors all day and instead I was sitting in a chair watching the Jubilee...but that is what the mission president asked for so it's whatever.  The part that we played as missionaries was pretty awesome.  They had us placed at the tops of each of the sections in this big place like the Thomas and Mack Center.  The youth started to sing this song about Joseph Smith and then about halfway through we come in with Praise to the Man and walk down the stairs to the center arena.  We had flags from all the different countries around the world and we unveiled them at a certain point in the song.  You should look it up on youtube and see if there is any footage of it.  Look up Texas sized Jubilee.  I am sure you will find something on it.

     Yes I am staying in shape.  I play tennis and basketball.  I suck at both but I would much rather play basketball than play tennis.  I don't really know how I have gained 10 pounds but it's not like I'm fat or anything.  I don't know where all the fat is being stored but...my pants still fit...and so do my suits...so I don't know...

     So fun fact...Elder Marr just got back from his mission.  He is the son of the members that Elder Sinclair lives with.  Turns out that he, Elder Marr, served in the Tacoma Washington mission.  The same mission as Jimmy Lewis.  CRAZY!!!  He has all these pictures that he was going through and I was just like...holy crap!  That's jimmy!!! He went to my high school!!!  AHH!!!

     Tia Zwick is home?!?  I sang at her farewell!  That's nuts!  Did you see Ashley Zwick there?  Man time is flying by.  I turn eleven months tomorrow...so weird.  How much longer is Jordan Miller on his mission?  Jordan Seegmiller comes home soon too....CRAZY HUH?!?  Well...I love you all very much.  I promise that I will write more next week I promise.

 

Love,

 

Elder McNinch  XoooXXxxOOoxoxoOOXX  (Quote:  "Big hug, little kiss, big kiss, little hug....")

 

ps:  the quote that you gave me was liar liar.

Father's Day 2011- Letter

HELLO!!!!

 

     So my new companion likes to play tennis...yep...

This transfer is going to be interesting.  We elevatored the area pretty hard on this last transfer. (means that we baptize everyone in our teaching pool and have to start from the ground up instead of an escalator that just keeps going.)  We have set three baptismal dates in this past week so everything is going well.  We're trying our best to get everything in the zone back in order.  Elder Sinclair and Elder Littlefield in the area right next to ours is my only sanity right now.  So I am supposed to be "training" my new comp on how to be a Zone Leader but it's not really working....it's whatever.

     So we found this guy the other day, his name is Mike Penny.  He is going to get baptized on the 23rd of July.  I am so excited for this guy.  He told us that he was prepared and that he knew that the Lord had sent us to him....yeah...legit.  Other than that there really isn't much to report on.  The families in the ward here are awesome.  Definately people that we will have to come back to visit some day.  The ward mission leader here is like my third grandpa.  So tight.

     The farting doggie story is hilarious.  It kinda reminded me of a door contact the other day.  I love it when people try to slam the door and then their dog is in the way. So they have already said some really rude comment and they thought that they would have the slammed door effect behind their rude comment but then their dog is in the way and they don't want to hurt their precious dog so they are trying to come up with some other rude thing to say whilst trying to get their dog out of the way so they can slam the door.  It has happened so many times now that I can't help but laugh while I walk away.

     You should really tell Shannon that she needs to stay out of trouble.  That school is not good.  Anyways.  Just tell her to get her testimony back and marry some hot shot return missionary so that she can have a good life.  I know that is what you want for her anyway.  Just tell her that I approve of your message.

     So the little Ver Hoef girl (my girlfriend as she calls herself) just comes up to me at church and will hold my hand.  It is probably one of the most funny things that I have ever seen.  She'll be sitting in the front row of the chapel and see me walk in and come and sit next to me.  Anytime that she sees me in the hallway she has to come up and hold my pinky (pinkie? sp?).  The Stake President saw it happen the other day and was like...uh...Elder McNinch...do we need to talk?  Ha ha ha.  Oh man.  That family is hilarious.

     So yesterday was father's day.  So...I would like to wish Father a belated happy father's day and add that I think that it is dumb that you can only call home on Mother's Day.  Thank you dad for being such a good example to me.  A lot of what I am doing as a Zone Leader are things that you have taught me how to do and for that I am really greatful.  So this past Sunday we had three investigators at church and I got a Snicker's bar.  That pretty much sums up the greatest day of church on my mission.  One of the young women who were handing out the Snicker's for all the dad's came up and said..."You want a family some day right?"  To which I replied...yes?...She said...okay good...happy future father's day.  I was glad that it was just that and that it wasn't more awkward.  Frankly when she asked the question I was like....please please do not say anything weird.  I really don't want to have to avoid you and your family in the hallway.

     Well that is pretty much what is going on here in Texas.  It is super hot.  I really don't even care about how much I sweat anymore.  I will have to send you some pictures of my socks.  When we get back from tracting everyday I have salt rings all around my legs.  Nasty.  I am sure people at the doors are just like...what in the world are you doing on my porch?!  They probably have more choice words than that but...yeah.  I hope all is going well at home.  I love y'all very much and I miss you even more.

 

Love,

 

Elder McNinch

Hello Hello,

    So this week was kind of a bummer.  I have been helping my companion pack his stuff and get ready to go home.  Kinda really sad actually.  Like it's really weird.  I keep getting scared that it is me going home...but it's not...I still have a LOT of time left.  So weird.  We've kind of been out of it for the last couple of days because we had to get everything ready for the Stake President Report...you know?...the guy that is the ex chief of police for Dallas?...yeah...that one.  Well, so they had the meeting scheduled for Sunday the 12th and then they gave us a call on Friday and said that it had to be this Sunday at 2:00 pm which is right in the middle of our block....awesome...Well to make a long story short...we forgot that it was at two.  We had to have both the mission president and the stake president come and hunt us down in Sacrament to bring us to the meeting...not good.

     On a more funny note, the missionaries in my zone bought a remote control helicopter that shoots little missles.  Every P-day we fly it around the house and shoot each other when we are taking a naps...it's great fun.

     Shannon has to go to summer school?!? SHOCKER! Ha ha ha...just kidding Shannon...kinda... Did y'all get the package that I sent?  I had a bunch of pictures in there that I thought that y'all would enjoy.  Dad is going to enjoy the "No Dumping" sign one especially.  So have you gotten all the pictures that I have been sending in the emails?  I hope so...cuz I sent the Elder Oaks pictures to you.  I attached some more pictures to this email that y'all won't miss me so much.

     The BBQ was awesome.  The investigator that we invited didn't show but that's okay because I got to play the guitar for like 2 hours straight.  "My fingers hurt."  But really they do.  I am slowly getting my caluses back.  The food at the BBQ was way way way good.  We had this black guy in the ward make us some BBQ ribs and chicken....ooooo baby....so good.  Leave it to a black man to know how to cook some ribs and chicken.  Speaking of chicken...a couple of weeks ago it was Elder Hall's birthday.  We wanted to go to some place that we had never eaten before...ya know....kind of expand our horizons outside the dollar menus.  We found the perfect place.... Big Mamma's Chicken and Waffles.  Oh yes.  Have y'all ever had chicken and waffles before?  For some reason it is to DIE for!  I think that the best part of the meal was that it came with a side order of watermelon and kool-aid....not kidding.  Best kool-aid that I have ever had.  We got to take a picture with big mamma too...I think that I sent that in the package so definately look for that on the memory card.

     I am so pumped for David to go on his mission.  You'll have to give me his address so that I can write him a letter or two.  Tell Lisa that the good Colorado cowboys will take good care of her boy.  He'll be a mountain man before you know it.

     OOOOO man it is getting hot here....yesterday it was 98 with 70 percent humidity.  Yeah...not cool.  I am so lucky that I have a car right now....I think that if I didn't I would kill myself.

     Unfortunately the Gonzalez's have not been baptized yet...we are still working with them but things are just really hard for the dad right now.  He stopped reading the Book of Mormon and things just went downhill from there.  It is crazy to see people's attitude change completely when they stop reading.  Like while he was reading and praying he was making awesome progress.  Even defending his faith at work. which is not something that he used to do.  Now he's just questioning everything...so we're now back to square one but that's okay...he'll get there someday....

     So I have decided that mesquitos are God's ugliest creation.  I have about 15 bites on each of my legs.  Then on top of that chigger season is here now so we have to watch out for them too.  If you don't know what those are, look them up.  Nasty Texas bugs.

     Anywho...So you didn't answer any of the questions that I had...about the guitar or my shoes...please answer!  Ummm....so...Teenie called you huh? that's weird...why?...like...what did she say?  You can give her the mission address and my normal email.  The mission address is on facebook anyway and my normal email is linked with my church email so I can pick and choose which ones I receive...ha ha ha.  Built in insurance policy for weird people that I meet out here.  Ha ha ha.

     Okay so this week overall was pretty fun.  We meet with this one family in the ward every Sunday for family night.  They have the cutest little girls in the world.  I told you about them a couple of times.  The little girl who says...Toot, I fart in your face.  The pictures that I sent you are with those little girls.  They are so fun.  The pictures that we took are called shake face pictures....THEY ARE SO FUN!  TRY IT!!!  Just shake your face back and forth when they are taking the picture and you get some good looking faces.  Ha ha ha.

 

 

     Oh dear, well I love y'all a lot and I will be talking to you later.  Tell all of our family that I say hello....I don't even know who you send this email too so just let me know.  Anyways...okay...big gulps huh...well...see you later.

 

Love,

 

Elder McNinch