July 11 2011 Letter

So...

     The work here is going great.  I love the members in the ward.  Transfers are coming up and I don't think that I am going anywhere...the mail man is being dumb again.  They aren't forwarding mail anymore so send it to my address that is on Beltline Rd.  Sometimes I really just don't like the postal service...

     So it has been super super hot here lately.  We have been in the hundreds for the past 3 weeks with over 70% humidity.  Slightly ridiculous.  All of my shirts are getting really nasty.  Like nasty nasty yellow pit stains.  I don't think that my garments are white anymore either.  Suprisingly I have not pooped my pants yet.  Most misisonaries say that they pooped themselves before their yearmark at least...well I am still going strong.

     Didn't really do anything for the 4th of July.  Just played some basketball like any other pday.  A member invited us over to play games and guitar for the day but we didn't get to go out there to play.  Mostly because my comp didn't want to....just waiting for the Lord to show me what I am supposed to learn from this experience.  I don't know...it's interesting.

     I sure do miss y'all a bunch.  I got a letter from Randy Klabacka the other day.  Do y'all hang out with them much anymore?  How are they?

     So dad jacked himself up again huh?  Sweet  What did he tear this time?  I love the cat bus story ha ha ha.  Oh man...  So Ryan is going to the encampment huh?  those were always so much fun.  He's going with Matt?  Tell Matt that he is a butt.  I have gotten one lousy letter from him the entire time that I have been out here.

     Kylie's husband is a baller.  Tell him that I say hi.  How are the Kochevar's doing?  Do you see them much?  You have to tell Kylie that they other day I saw this girl that looked just like her and I went up and was like, "Kylie!!!  Why are you in my mission?!?"  Then it wasn't her....yep.  That's the life of a misionary.

     Sorry that y'all aren't coming to the best city in Texas for your choir trip.  You'll be about 3 hours south of me...wiod huh?  Too bad you can't come see me! ha ha ha.  Our mission president is way awesome.  He is really humble about everything that he does.  reminds me a lot of his dad.  Like father like son I guess.
     I have been having some crazy dreams lately.  Like dreams about a bunch of futrue events and things happening.  They really kind of scare me.  They are super detailed and they aren't very happy.  REALLY wiod.  Most of them have y'all in them but then others are just about my friends.  Like I see each one of them and they are all grown with families and terrible things are happening to them.  Not much of a good night's rest.

     Really I am okay though. I really hope that I get to take a nap today.  I am beat.  These past 5 weeks have been killer.  The work is going great but I am steadily going insane.  Have a great week.  Talk to you next time.  BYE

LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Elder McNinch

August 1, 2011 Letter

   So you spoke in Sacrament meeting huh?  I had to speak last week on missionary work.  I decided before hand that I would just let the spirit guide my talk...yeah...not a good idea.  I don't even know what I said.  I got some compliments on it though so it couldn't have been that bad.  Elder Olvera did really well...probably because he prepared...wiod how that works.  How are the missionaries in our ward?  Are they weird?  Cool?  Apostate?  I never knew how many missionaries don't do what they are supposed to.  It's sad really.  We had this kid that just got home from his mission in our ward come out with us last night.  He feels so weird.  I don't know what I am going to do IF I come home.  I don't even think that I'd want to go out with the missionaries...it might make me cry.

     So...funny story for this week...  We went to go and see this man that apparently has moved into the ward from Africa.  Well, we are going there on specific assignment from the Bishop to figure out some confidential matters that I cannot express over email.  Anyways, we go to his apartment and he answers the door...WAY heavy accent.  Turns out that he is from Ghana, not that it really matters, I thought that he said Kenya.  His accent was just really hard to make out.  So we start talking to this man about his journey to America and why he came here.  He goes through the whole story and then proceeds to tell us that his son who was 25 years old was just burried last week.  My companion pipes in and says, " Well, congratulations!" I looked at him like...WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU THINKING!?  The African man was in complete shock and awe.  He repeated himself again saying that his son had been burried the week before and again comes my companion with," COOL!"  So I had to repeat what the African man was saying to which my companion's face went completely red..." I thought you said MARRIED!!!!  I AM SOO SOO SOO SOO SORRY!!!"  I was dying laughing.  That's probably one of the worst mix ups that I have ever seen.  I almost peed myself when we got to the car from how much we were laughing.

     I talked to my mission president about Brent taking us out to dinner.  He hasn't responded yet so I don't know.  Tyler is really far away so I don't know that that will happen but hey...it's worth a shot.  So I have now been in this area for about six months.  That is the longest that I have ever spent in any area of my misson.  The people here are awesome though.  Honestly if I left after this transfer I would kinda be upset.  The investigators that we are teaching are awesome.  We had 3 investigators at church yesterday and two of them were black.  Yeah, that's right!  One of them we have been teaching for a while now and the other we just started teaching maybe a week ago.  So funny though.  The guy that we have been teaching for a while was making sure that the new guy knew where all of the classes were and how to read the hymn lines and everything.  It was was awesome.  Then after Sacrament he asked us if he and his wife could make dinner for us one night this next week...uhh....YEAH!

     This was the third week in a row that my companion and I have had to teach in Gospel Principles and Elder's Quorum.  Pretty rough lessons if you ask me.  Especially in the Gospel Principles when it goes through the Restoration.  The line "...their creeds are an abomination in my sight" was tough to explain to a bunch of non members.  Luckily I had the talk that Elder Oaks just recently gave to our mission on my mind and so I paraphrased what he said.  Have to admit that I would much rather do that than have to teach the primary about Chastity again.

     This week went really well over all.  We talked to a lot of new people and set a lot of return appointments so that should yield in a lot more people to teach.  Other than that there isn't much else to say.  Tell Kasidy that she owes me a letter from DECEMBER!  Tell Jordan when he gets home that he is old.  Tell Ryan not to poop his pants this school year.  Tell Patrick that he is going to get married to this little girl in my ward because she is the cutest thing that I have ever seen.  Tell Dad that although taking pictures of mom when she is not ready for a picture is fun, taking them when she doesn't know you are is better.  Tell Shannon to stay off the sidewalks and stick to the streets (if she ever drives again).

 

LOVE Y'all,

 

Elder McNinch

 

2854 Beltline Road #293-T

Garland, Texas, 75044

July 18, 2011 Letter

HERRO!!!

 

     Chinese kids!  That's so cool!  Why didn't we ever do that when I lived there?  Man...so you went to go see a jumanji play?  Where in the world did they hold that?  The district at Green Valley Ranch?

     I am glad that ryan had a good time at high adventure.  Arrowhead is the best place ever!  Tell him to get the upper tombstone campsite.  It's definately the best one!  We went mountain boarding at the scout camp too but that was only because Shane Mitchie and Derek Dramise brought it.  There is a guy here in the 3rd ward that has a mountain board.  He uses it every Saturday.  He has this huge parachute kite that he takes to the park and he uses it like you would use a windsurfing board except that it is a parachute and a moutain board.  I want to try it out but...I am on a mission...and with the luck that runs in this family I would probably break something.

     Speaking of missionaries getting hurt...did you hear about the missionary in Guatemala?  The one that got mauled by a lion?  Ooooo man...that would suck.  The kid was being really stupid though....so yeah.

     Definately let me know how the dinner goes with the asian kids and the misisonaries.  I would love to see our family with a couple of asians.  Take a picture for me.  Send me some pics!!! and yes for my one year mark I would love some new g's at least...I will send you all of the sizes next week....I am running short on time right now...we have to do something fun for elder sinclair's last day here.  We are all betting that he is going super far out east.  Think that he is going to Oklahoma or to the Louisiana border.  So I made it past the transfers...I have a feeling that I am going to be here for a while.  At the end of this new transfer I will have been in this area for half of my time in the mission field...weird huh?

     Wow...so brother savage came over?  How was that?  I miss that guy.  You should tell them that I say hi.  Have y'all seen Natalie at church or anything?  Does she even talk to you?  Ha ha ha oh dear...we'll see how this next year goes with the letters.

     My dreams are just getting more weird...last night that I had I really weird dream.  About some girl in the ward that was chasing my through the hallways of the church and I had a gimp leg and couldn't run very fast away from her...scary stuff...I couldn't find my companion anywhere.

     So the area is doing great.  The ward is really stepping up to the plate.  We are going to have some sweet success here soon.  I just hope that I don't go insane before we reach that point.  I have been here for a long time and so it is really hard to tract somewhere that I haven't already tracted.  Weird cuz I've never had that problem in my whole mission.

     Tell sister Walton that we have a missionary in this mission that is from Uruguay.  His name is Luis Martin Cabrera.  Okay well nothing much to report on this week.  At the end of the month I will probably be sending home a memory card full of pictures!  You should be proud....okay love you much...BYE!

 

-Elder McNinch

July 4th, 2011 Letter

Hello,

 

     So this past week has been pretty interesting.  So we got our new mission president on Wednesday.  President Devin G Durrant.  He is awesome.  His dad is George Durrant in the Cedar Hills 4th ward.  Pretty crazy.  He is 6'7"...yeah... I went to go and give him a hug the other day and I came up to his waist.  He is like the gentle giant.  There should be some pictures posted to facebook sometime.  Although I don't know if Sister Durrant is taking over the Facebook thing....we'll see.

     Glad to hear that Shannon is doing better.  Tell her that I am really proud of her.  She is my favorite sister.  Tell her that I greatly enjoyed her summer package...although I don't know what I am going to do with a watergun without a plug in the back.  I think that my favorite part of the package was the pineapple glasses.

     Oh good ol' games of Sorry.  I love that game.  Remember when we would play pokemon sorry?  Ha ha ha.  Oh dear.  Do y'all still play the lawn golf game?  I miss that game.  The Elders in my district are soo cool.  Elder Sinclair, and Elder Littlefield are like best friends.  Elder Sinclair is not my companion but I hope that he is sometime.  Elder Sinclair is from Rocklin California.  It's right by Sacramento.  He is probably the funniest Elder in the mission.  Elder Littlefield is from Beaver Utah.  He is known in the mission for reaceiving the most wedding invitations.  He has gotten 35 so far and he still has like 6 months left.  Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.  I think that is the funniest thing ever.  So on preparation days we just go to Elder Sinclair and Littlefield's house to play games and basketball and what not.  They live with a member so it is way nice.  The family that they live with is the Marr's.  They are so funny.  Sister Marr is like the epidomy of a mission mom.  I love it.

     Well so today is the 4th of July...what does that mean to people in Texas?...nothing.  Ha ha ha.  They have city ordinances that do not allow you to light off any type of fireworks and there are like 3 or 4 shows that are happening but they are all in the Fort Worthless mission...so obviously we cannot go there.  The 4th is going to be filled with a bunch of basketball at the church and then later on tonight we are going to the Mauthe's for dinner.  They are one of the coolest families in the ward.  They saw that we didn't have anyone on the meal calendar for like 3 days of the month so they just signed up to feed us dinner all three of those days.  So sweet.

     Yes mom I hit my year mark soon...don't talk about it...it's a sensitive subject.  It's so weird to think about.  It has gone by so fast.  It seems like it was just yesterday when I was out in Longview eating squirrel with the Hernsbergers.  Texas is the craziest place that I have ever lived...but I love the people here.  They are insane...but I love them.

     I miss g-pa Syl and g-ma Donna.  How are they holding up?  We sure will make a trip up there when I get back.  All of my mission friends want to meet the famous Syl.  So funny.  Ask dad about that one time that we were lighting fireworks off there and Jake tipped the tube over and the firework blew up in our faces.  Ha ha ha.  Oh man good times....well I am going to go get beat on the basketball court now so I will talk to y'all later.

 

BYE!!!

 

-Elder McNinch

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