Michael making beautiful music

Letter from a member

Hi Anne,

We have loved having your son here in our ward. He came in just after we moved here from Utah, so we were both new to the ward. You have definitely raised a great young man and we are glad to have worked with him.

I do have a video of him playing and singing to my kids. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQv00NkzFwE

If you look at my videos on youtube you can see another one with his former companion Elder Hall doing the same thing. I wish I had thought of doing videos earlier and posting them, cause I will do it from now on for all the missionaries (gives the families a chance to see their kid in action).

I hope you enjoy.

On a side note... Look for a new family in your ward by the names of Joseph and Jenn Watson. They are dear friends of ours from Provo and I am under the impression that they are in your ward. Tell them hello from us if you meet them.

Thanks!

September 19, 2011 Letter

Hello,

So I saw brother Woodrum just the other day. We were going to our stake president report and he was in the meeting just before we were called in. I saw him down the hallway and was like, "Brother WOODRUM!!!". He was so stunned. It was pretty funny. I should be going into his ward for exchanges soon so I will definitely send you some pictures.

I am so glad that Bobby served a mission. What is he doing with his life now? Going to school? Married? Speaking of marriage...has Jake tied the knot with that model chick that he was dating yet? I am dying to know. Everyone and their dog is getting married. Jordan Reese is married, Megan Reed is married, and there's like 4 other people from high school that are engaged. Crazy stuff.

Y'all will definitely have to tell me how your Houston trip went. I am excited to hear how many referrals will be given out. That is always my favorite statistic. I'll will probably end up getting some of those referrals here too. That would be so cool.

So my Walmart bike is shot...go figure. It's pedal will no longer attach to the bike. The whole thread is stripped. I called the warranty place and they asked me all sorts of questions and I really didn't know how to answer. Then we got to the point in the conversation where I had to give them my address and I was just about to be transferred so I didn't know where I was going so I just told the lady that I'll cancel this one and just return the bike when I get to my new area. She said fine and hung up the phone. Well...apparently she didn't because I just got a check in the mail for $160...uh...yeah. This is going to take a while to resolve.

Other than that everything here is just groovy. I love being here in Frisco. We are currently teaching two couples, and two families (one of 4 and one of 5). It is the greatest thing ever. Turns out if you do a little service, people are a lot more willing to listen to you...wiod. It's like that's what missionaries are supposed to do or something.

I am really trying to figure out how I want to highlight my scriptures. You think that being out this long I would have already figured that out...but I haven't. I have been too scared to highlight anything because it is all soo good. So I did a test chapter highlighting different pieces of doctrine for the different lessons in different colors...not such a good idea. Second Nephi 2 is now just one big blotch of color. I am convinced that is one of the best chapters ever written in any book. Lehi's testimony at the end is so powerful. He sums up everything that he has said into the last 3 verses to create the perfect testimony to his family. Not to mention his precursor to the whole oratory in the first 8 or so verses. (I'm at the library without my scriptures otherwise I would reference directly).

To sum up this past week into one word it would MEETINGS. We had like 3 or 4 meetings throughout the week and they were all in Dallas. That burnt up so many of our miles we are like scrapping to conserve for the rest of the month. I really did enjoy all of the meetings though. I took a lot of notes so they must have been good. I think that President Durrant is probably the most charitable being on the face of this whole Earth. Everything that he does, he does with love. At first I was really opposed to this whole lovey dovey missionary bonding thing. Just go out and work already!!! But it's kind of growing on me. It's kind of sad really. I thought that Texas was supposed to make me really rough and tough...really it's just made me the big boob that cries at every testimony meeting. Anyways... I love the Lord and I love His work. I am as happy as I have ever been and more. This church is TRUTH because it is His.

Love,

Elder Michael McNinch

September 12, 2011 Letter

HELLO,

Umm...why in the world is Ryan so large in all of those pictures? The kid is HUGE! Man, y'all are lucky that you get to go play in the water. I took a bath the other day just to make it feel like I was swimming. Really all that it did was make me feel weird so I drained the water and took a shower.

So yeah...the Barnhouse's are very well off. What is interesting to note is that their house is one of the smaller size homes in Frisco...uh huh...yeah...I'm talking huge homes. Mammoth homes. Tracting here is the most interesting experience. The humble people here still make 6 figures. It's slightly ridiculous. The people are awesome though. I really haven't found any rude people yet...at least no more than any of my other areas. I think that Frisco will end up being the best area in the mission.

Speaking of areas in the mission...did Brent catch the names of the two Elders that he ran into? I know a lot of the missionaries that are out east right now so it would be interesting to know who he was talking to. I'm sure at some future conference I'll have them come up to me and say something.

Also speaking of areas in the mission...I have found that in each of my areas I have had some crazy connection to the people that are there. Whether it was Dad's ex girlfriend, Sister Jones brother in law, Rex Lewis' cousin, Robert Honeycutt's sister, etc. Well...I found one in Frisco not but a week since being here. LYNN L. WOODRUM!!! Ha ha ha! I was going over the names of the high council representatives for each of the units in the stake that we cover and I saw that name. Lynn L. Woodrum. I was like...NO WAY! That's crazy! It couldn't be him! Well, I called him that night to talk to him about the Colony 1st ward and low and behold it was THE LYNN L. WOODRUM former member of the wonderful Quail Ridge Ward. He was blown away. First off that I even remembered him and secondly that I was on my mission. He was like, " What are you doing out here boy!?!" Ha ha ha. We had a good laugh about it for a minute or two and then he invited me over for dinner when we go on exchange with the Elders that are in his ward. Ha ha ha. I just thought that that was the craziest thing ever. I FOUND THE WOODRUMS! So I will definitely have to send y'all a picture when I go over there.

This week has been kinda crazy. We have been running around trying to gather all of the information for this stake report. We were supposed to report to the Stake President this past Sunday but it got canceled. Guess when we found out that it was canceled? Saturday night, after we had spent about 10 hours throughout the week working on it and putting into the new format that the mission president gave to us. Awesome huh? So this week we thought would have been a lot better but we have 3 MEETINGS THIS WEEK!!!! We have a leadership training, then a district training (we have to train), then we have a specialized training for all of Dallas and the surrounding areas in the mission. So yeah...each of the meetings are necessary it just takes a lot of the time away from the work. Kind of stresses me out. Anyways...

We found 5 new investigators this week so we are doing really well. We are steadily picking up the area and the zone so we are excited to see progress. Other than that we are having the most fun of our lives. I really never thought that I would have this much fun working in my entire life. So...funny moment of the week. My companion is Elder Jordan Jones of Kanab, Utah. He is the most awesome and Christ like companion that I have ever had. We got this referral from the temple saying that this less active girl (28years old) needed a blessing. I was on exchange for the blessing so that is a whole other story. We go back a couple of days after the blessing to follow up with her. She has had a super hard life and is really trying to overcome a lot of things. So we dropped off this church care package. It had a Book of Mormon, Finding Faith in Christ DVD, and an addiction recovery program. Whilst jotting down her information my companion was making small talk. The conversation went a little something like this:

 

Elder Jones- "So where do you work again?"

Girl- "Umm...I'm actually retired." ....remember she's 28...my mind- "WHAT?"

Elder Jones- "Okay so...where did you used to work?"

Girl- "Well I was a dancer."... about 0.5 seconds after she said that my mind went, "Oh no! Not good!" But...the innocent Elder Jones didn't quite understand still so he proceeded...

Elder Jones- "REALLY?! What kind of dancing did you do?" my mind- "Oh dear...this is going to be awkward."

Girl- "...the bad kind"

-PAUSE-

-Shock and awe-

Elder Jones- "So here is your Book of Mormon, Elder McNinch, what would be a good chapter for her to read?"

 

Ha ha ha it was one the greatest most awkward experiences of my mission. It was something that I will never forget.

Bottom line is that Frisco is awesome. I love my mission. I love Elder Jones. I love the Barnhouse family. I have to sing at the specialized training on Friday. Nervous as all get out (quotting PaPaw). I will have to tell you how it goes. I love y'all very much and I cannot wait until you send me more pictures.

Peace, Love, and Church

-Elder McNinch

September 5, 2011 Letter

Hello from Frisco,

Yes, I am in the wonderful city of Frisco Texas. Home of the richest of the rich. The other day my companion and I were coming home from a long day and stopped to talk to some kids that are in the alley behind the house of the member we live with. They were just sitting around "waiting for their night to start". We started talking to them and come to find out that one of their names is Michael Irving. I was like, "No way man! Like the football player!?" He simply said, "Yeah...that's my dad." Ha ha ha. Yep...I met MIchael Irving's son Michael Irving. Ha ha ha. Hopefully we can start teaching him soon. That would be way fun.

So yes I am in Frisky Frisco the Disco Texas. It is awesome. It is just starting to cool down here and that has been wonderful. We might actually go outside today...YAY! So my new companion is Elder Jordan Jones. He is from Knab, UT and he is hilarious. I love this kid to death. We have so much fun together. Funny story actually. Elder Jones got transferred here last transfer, so when he was coming back into the city from being out east, he stayed at my apartment in Garland. So I pretty much already knew him and everything which was way nice. He plays basketball, baseball, and football so we get along just fine.

This is the first time that I have ever lived with a member family on my mission. Their name is the Barnhouse family. Yes I know...interesting name,,,but they are absolutely awesome. Brother Barnhouse reminds me a lot of Rick Magness, So funny. Sister Barnhouse is an amazing cook. OH DEAR is she a good cook. She made us homemade waffles today...I about passed out. HUGE WAFFLE!!! Strawberries, homemade syrup, you name it...it was on my waffle. I am so full right now. I think that her cooking is going to push me up and over the 180 limit. That is my record weight for the mission thus far but I am pretty sure that she could help me break it. I am especially prone to gain weight now that I am not running in the morning. Elder Jones has a wicked nasty ingrown toenail and yeah...can't run. Not for a week or so at least...we'll see.

Really I am just so excited to be in this new area. A lot of people in the mission think that this area is cursed or something. Just because tracting into really rich people all day doesn't yield much doesn't mean that the area is cursed. It just means that you are dumb for trying the same thing that hasn't worked over and over again. Even then I don't really understand because Elder Jones and I have only tracted like 12 hours total this past week and we found 6 new investigators...so I am not really understanding the Frisco curse. Whatever. Elder Jones and I will baptize everyone in sight and the rest of our Zone can sit around and say that they can't do any work here.

So Ryan started sem sem huh? Gotta love it. Sister Kochevar is his teacher?!? Lucky punk. She is so awesome. You have to tell her that I say hi. Speaking of the Kochevar's...you never gave me an update on how they are doing. How's Casey? Engaged? I bet she is! So Shannon didn't go to all of her summer school...wow..surprise surprise. Shannie...you just need to focus on it. Focus hard on school...graduate...then get married to a sweet return missionary that makes ballin' money. That's the plan for you Shannie. I'll help you. I know a lot of sweet missionaries that would be willing to take you out on a date when they get home. Nice clean cut guys with sweet parts in their hair. OH YEAH!

So I found that you miss movies more when you live with a member that can watch movies whenever they want. Kind of tempting but... not really. The Barnhouse's have a 14 year old boy and he is a nut. I love that kid. He reminds me a lot of Ryan. Running at about a million miles an hour at a time. Ooo man. Good times.

Well that's about it I will leave my address for you at the bottom and yeah..."I love you so much." (preceeding quote: "John?...where are you going?")

-Elder McNinch

ps- address is:

5130 Carnegie Drive

Frisco, Texas, 75034

as far as g's go...it would be nice to have at least 3 more pair beacause their are more than 5 days in the week and I need one pair to wear while I am washing. =)

August 29, 2011 Letter

Hello,

Ryan...don't you worry buddy. I have had something for your birthday for like 6 months man...I just didn't send it because I didn't know if I was getting transferred or not. The mail is being stupid again. SO DON'T WORRY!!! Your big brudda gots yo back. I know how the forgotten birthday feels.
So...about transfers...I am being transferred. They said that I will be staying as a Zone Leader but just be in a different area...guess we'll see where the Lord calls me. Obviously I do not know where I am being transferred to so I have no idea what my address is yet. Transfers make everything crazy. I have been here so long it feels like I am leaving home again. All the members in the ward are so awesome. At least I am leaving with a bang. We found a ton of potential investigators and set a baptismal date for a man that we have been working with since I got here. Unfortunately I will not be able to see him baptized but you best believe that I will be getting some pictures of it. I will definitely miss the missionaries that are in my zone. I love each one of them. We're most likely going to have like 10 or 11 return missionaries staying with us when I get home...just letting you know.
So you finally got dad on camera huh? HA HA HA That is so great. Could you send me a clip? I would love to see that. I don't think that I get very loopy after surgery. Guess that you would have to ask Olivia O'keefe about that one. I am pretty sure that I saw her the other day too. She said that she would be moving to Texas shortly after I left so...I don't know if it was her for sure but...it looked a lot like her.
Speaking of recording things, last night we went to the Ver Hoef's and Brother Ver Hoef recorded me and the girls singing Come Thou Fount. It was really fun. I think that he posted it on Youtube so you can go and watch it if you would like.  They are easily THE coolest family that I have met on my mission.
Shannon's friend moved in?! What the?! Replacing me already huh? And with a GIRL nonetheless!!! Ha ha ha just playing. Well now I need a picture of all of you. It's like a new addition to the family...I would like to know what my new sister looks like.
Did you ask Ms. D if she had gotten that choir music for me yet? I would really like those. I am kind of getting tired of listening to the same thing over and over. So please ask her the next time that you are in there if Matt gave her the letter I sent in December and if she needs a new list of the music that I would like.
.....okay...gotta pack...BYE!

Love,

Elder Michael McNinch