10.26.15 A Crazy Week But No Time To Write About It

October, 26, 2015

Hey family and everyone that I love!! Right now I am in xela because my comp is becoming the new assistant to the president, he is super excited, I know that he is going to kill it!! So I am here in the church offices using the secretaries computer. Today we didn't have pday, so I only have 5 minutes to right, so i'm going fast!

                So my comp got the call, he is going to be an assistant, my new comp is elder Galicia who is a super sick guy from honduras who has just as much time as I do, he is a new zone leader so i will be training him, so excited!!

                This week our zone killed it! Everyone progressed really well in their areas and we found a ton of new families to teach that are super positive/ pilas!

               Got some wendy's today in Xela, so good

               Geronimo and Janet made huge steps this week, he finally said that he would read, he got over his pride and told us that he is going to read! His wife was so pumped that she started clapping!

               Esgar, a guy that we rarely can visit with due to his schedule, told us this week that he is going to read and pray everyday! We are excited because he wasn't even that positive, but now he is going to read and pray everyday, could be a miracle.

              We have to go, sorry guys, we are doing so good, I am happy, healthy, and working hard! I am loving the mission, I love when president smith teaches us and especially has meetings or talks with me, He is such a spiritual guy who is guided by the spirit always. Well, looks like i've got to shut off, tomorrow is changes, and by noon we will be back in Huehue working hard! Have faith and the Lord will bless you, show your faith and the Lord will bless you with what you want. Love you all, keep the faith!

Elder McLeod

10.19.15 Week 5 of "The Change"

October, 19, 2015

Hey everyone how's it going, hope you all had an awesome week! So this week was week 5 of the change, every change is 6 weeks for those who don't know, so changes are in a week from tomorrow. I think we aren't going to have changes, but my comp thinks that he is gone for sure, we will see what happens. This week was a good week with a lot of interesting things that happened.

           So before we had gone to visit eveline and carlos again, we heard from a member that they weren't very excited anymore and that they weren't interested, which kinda freaked us out. So we went and taught them the ultimate lesson, the secret weapon, temples and eternal marriages. Boom, they are back on the map and want to get married in the temple!!! They were stoked after the lesson and told us that they were going to ^^talk^^ more about it as a couple later, and then when eveline ended the visit with the prayer, she said in her prayer, God please help us so that we can become part of your...................... amen. THe thing is,before the lesson she had told us that she hadn't received her answer yet, but in the prayer she almost asked God for help so that they could join his true church!!! Needless to say, they came to church on Sunday for the full 3 hours, big blessing, and they are continuing to progress well.

          This week we did divisions with the assistants which was a blast! They are so smart and it was really cool getting to watch how they contact, teach certain lessons, plan, and do other things, it's always nice to be able to learn from them and always find ways to improve. Since we are more than 2 hours away from Xela, they both were with us in our area and ended up staying the night with us which was sick. This change we will be getting a new assistant because Elder Bryan, from payson Arizona is ending his mission, so we will see what happens.

           Jeffry came to church again this week which was awesome, he is a lot more friendly and comfortable with the members and in our principles of the gospel class. He even came with us to a baptism that the other ward was having in our chapel. He is progressing really well, his baptism is scheduled for this saturday but we are thinking that it might have to change. He hasn't received his answer yet, if anything 1 or two more weeks might be needed.

            This week Asusena and her boyfriend who is less active came to church, making it the 2nd week in a row!! THis week we taught her about eternal families also, and then she told us that she wants to be baptized!!! She received her answer and now wants to be baptized and enter the temple, but the problem is that we need to marry Mario, (her boyfriend), and her! But to make it a little bit more complicated, Mario is still married to some random lady, they both want to get divorced, but the process here in guatemala is ridiculously long........... so it might be 4 months they say............ but we will keep praying and teaching her.

              Today we don't have a whole lot of time, so this email might be a little short. I attached a picture our zone below, we love all 14 of them!!! Best zone in the mission. I am learning a lot every day and my testimony is always growing, this week my testimony grew a little bit more on the subject of eternal families and temple marriages, It's crazy how true it is and how important it is too!!!! And it's all in the scriptures which is the best part, the family is the 2nd most important thing in the plan of God, 1 jesus christ, 2 eternal families. We can not be saved, (have exaltation), without our families, it's as simple as that! I feel like I am growing so much and preparing myself for the life that is ahead of me. Like they say, right now we are in the school of how to become Gods, and right now as a missionary I am applying for external scholarships!!! I love you guys so much, keep the faith, share the gospel, and write me back, that would be awesome=) Have an awesome week, the next time I right you I will know if I'll be having changes or not.

Love

ELder McLeod

ps. below is a picture of our monthly meeting with president, the assistants, and the hermana leaders

10.12.15 Top Of The World

October 12, 2015

Hey everybody hope you had an awesome week!!!! It's crazy to think that october is almost halfway over, it's almost halloween! My comp and I were talking about that the other day and he told me that we should dress up as jehovah's witnesses for halloween................ haha not gonna happen but it would be hilarious. This week we had a bunch of cool experiences, and like the title of the email says, we went to the top of the world.

             So Eveline is progressing really well, this sunday she came with us to stake conference and she really liked it!! Her husband had to work which was a bummer, but at least she came with her 2 boys and stayed the 2 hours with us, it was awesome. She is progressing really well, she struggles with her book of mormon study because of how busy she is with her 2 little boys, but we are helping her and I know that she will receive her answer

            Jeffrey is also progressing really well, he also came to stake conference with us which was great, he, like eveline, is having a little bit of trouble keeping up in his book of mormon study, but we get him pumped and ready to go every time we visit him, he seems really excited and he really wants to get his answer.

             This week one of our investigators cousins died, so we went to go and visit the family of his deceased cousin. His cousin was the only other member of the church in their whole family, so his 22 year old deceased cousin's mom has a lot of questions. We went and visited them, they are inactive catholics, and they are a family of 5!! We explained a little bit about the family and the importance of it in God's plan and they invited us over this week to teach them some more.

              On Saturday and Sunday our mission president came up to Huehue to teach in the stake conference sessions. Saturday he came up and taught the priesthood session which was awesome, he really called all of our youth to action, there might have been a little machete, but for the most part it was great.

               Today for Pday we went with our district to the mirador, up in the cuchumatones, the highest mountains in Guatemala. It took us like 45 minutes of just pure switchbacks in a microbus to get up to the huge old wooden cabin that stands right on the top overlooking all of the valley. When we got up there we could see our breath in the air! We could see all of Huehue, and even all the way to Xela! We could see the volcanos from Xela and the other mountains, it was super fun, it really was a breathtaking sight. like i said, on the sight there is this huge dilapidated cabin overlooking the valley, so of course we climbed up in it and took some pics! I attached some below.

                  My comp and I are doing really well. We are working hard, and we are teaching a lot of families, not just single people which is a huge blessing. Miraculously, we have been able to find a lot of them just by contacting in the street, we have really seen some of the fruits of our labors. THis week was another great week for us, but it's still going to be a long process here. Thank you all for your love and your prayers, hope you all have a great week.

With love,

Elder McLeod

10.5.15 Week of General Conference

October 5, 2015

Hey everyone hope you loved the weekend of conference!!!! Can't believe we got 3 new apostles, numbers 98 99 and 100 of all time, the interview with them was awesome (right after the saturday afternoon session), they are definitely nervous, but they will be great apostles  i'm sure.

              So this email won't be super long today so I might do some important bullet points.

  .    This week Cristy, Jeffrey, and Geronimo went to church/ conference!!! Surprisingly, Cristy loved it! We were so pumped, she even came to both of the saturday sessions! Oh ya, so of course my comp and I did the gringo room again which was amazing, we did it all of saturday and then on sunday we tried it in spanish in the chapel...................... long story short we went back to the gringo room, it's just a different conference in english.

  .  This week we had interviews with President Smith, it went great. He is so happy about the progress our zone has made in this past change, it went from the worst zone that's wise to actually leading the mission!!!!! We were so pumped, our zone is killing it!

     . This week Jeffrey accepted a baptismal date for the 24th of October! We are excited for him, he has attended church 2 weeks in a row  now so he is progressing really well!

      . Oh ya and this week I completed a year!!! It was an awesome year, but there are SO many more miracles to come! (pic below)

      . So due to the crazy rain/flash flood storms we have had, we finally have enough water to have running water showers! What a blessing, something that we take for granted in the states, but here it is a miracle in itself.

       .  My knee has been healing well, it's going to be a long recovery, but at least it isn't hurting as much. I've been doing everything right, I even ice it with a tin bag of refried beans that I freeze in the freezer during the day!

         .  Oh ya, Eveline had a miracle experience happen to her this week, she is still in shock, and haha I am sure she knows the church is true now. Savin it for the homecoming talk sorry=) Her and her husband are progressing well, they love the church, and they love what we teach them!! This week I took a picture of my comp. and their kid Charlie, literally the cutest kid ever, 2 years old!

                  This week was a great week, not just for my comp and I, but for our zone as a whole. Conference was such a blessing like always, even though president monson is having a hard time standing up there, he is powerful like always. This week I watched the movie of President Monson called. On the Lord's Errand. Wow that guy has such an amazing life!!! If you haven't seen it, I recommend that you see it so that you will be able to understand a little bit more who President Monson it. The mission is awesome, I love it, I love you guys too, Thanks to those of you who emailed me this week, I honestly love hearing from you guys, it makes my day. Have a great week!!

Love,

Elder McLeod

9.28.15 Another Week In Paradise

September 28, 2015

Literally where I am is paradise right now, haha the members give us so much food and it is the best food i've ever had in the mission, but every day=) I love our area, it is improving little by little, this week we had some pretty big breaks!

         Ok so This guy named Jeffrey is 19 years old, he works for a member in his taco stand, this kid is a stud, pro chef and soccer player! The member family has been trying to get him to go to church forever now, but without success. So, this week when we went to go and teach him for the first time without the members present, we just said, ¨¨ look, I wouldn't go to a church that I know nothing about, don't worry about it. So, we are going to explain to you what we believe in and what is the mormon church, and then if you feel like you should come, you are invited.¨¨ Well long story short, he came to church on Sunday!!! It was awesome, he loved it, and is reading the book of mormon! He is super positive, we are thinking about a Mid october Baptism if he keeps progressing like he is.

            Ok so we have been teaching this crazy lady for about 2 weeks now, but this week we had some serious breakthroughs with her!!! She actually told us her name, she wouldn't tell it to us before, she is super reserved/ different. So she told us her name, and this morning after we taught her, she offered her first prayer in front of us!!! It Was huge, she has NEVER prayed in front of us before, this was a big step for her. It was a small and simple prayer, but we were so happy afterwards. THis week she wants to go to church, but first she wants to get to know the bishop, don't know why, but she is super insecure so if she has to meet our awesome bishop first before she comes on sunday, so be it.

           Eveline and Carlos are progressing really well, the problem is that This sunday they bailed on us with the whole church thing, and they did it while we were standing in the door of the church building waiting for them............... we were super bummed, But at least they are reading and praying and can't wait for us to go visit them again shortly.

            Haha so i've got something crazy to tell ya, so a couple of nights ago, I walked out of our bedroom to go turn all the lights off, when out of the corner of my eye in one of the smaller study rooms, I saw a dark shadow move.............. So I flicked the light on and found a HUGE rat!!! So nasty, so I shut the door and put a blanket on the bottom crack of the door to trap it inside. I called my comp over, and we planned out how we were going to get rid of it. Long story short, we filmed what is the funniest 4 minutes of my life! All you can see is a rat flying around the room (by ground and sometimes by air) and us running around with a broom and a dustpan (the only things we thought to go grab at the time). It was hilarious, and in the end we got the situation taken care of. (picture at the bottom)

              This week was an awesome week, even though our family bailed on us for church, 3 other people came which was super great=) I am doing good, I am healthy, my knee is starting the healing process, and the mission life is good. Love you all, miss you guys, have an awesome first week of October and general conference!!

Elder McLeod

9.21.15 Generator Powered Church Buildings

September 21, 2015

Hey family, friends, and everyone else that I love I hope you had an awesome week!!! We are already in week 3 of september, so that means that High School football is about half way over, man the seasons go by too fast, and so does the mission!

             Ok so this week Eveline made huge progress!!! A member family invited her over for FHE which she really liked........... like a lot......... but her husband is still kinda anti mormon. So, we had an awesome lesson with her and a member that is young and has a baby also, the spirit was strong, and she accepted to go to church! So when we went to go pick her up sunday morning, she was ready to go with her coat in hand, but her husband wasn't there. She said, to our surprise, ¨my husband is just finishing getting ready, go and we will catch up in our car.¨so, a little stressed out, we went without them. They arrived after the sacrament finished up, and we brought them in to sit with us like halfway up the benches in the middle. They really like the meeting and the organization! Their kids loved primary afterwards, and they really enjoyed our gospel principles class that we taught!!! They had to leave after the 2nd hour, but when we tried to put an appointment with Eveline, her husband said, ¨why at 3 pm, I won't be able to be there, why don't we do it at 11 am so that I can be there.¨It was a miracle!! I think they both were really intrigued by our service and how the members interacted with them. The members were on the ball, we ran around before the meeting assigning people to go and talk with them and shake hands and become friends=) Haha, usually the members here don't take the initiative too often, so we were running around making assignments So that they HAD to go and talk to our investigators!=)

                 This week we got caught in the rain a couple of times, haha The rain here is so cold, but usually the weather is so hot so the change is nice.

                 Oh ya, so with all of the storms and stuff, Sunday morning the power went out all over HueHue. So, our first sunday with our new family in church for the first time was going to be a disaster, but, some pilas members decided to bring a gas generator and hook it up to the church building!!! (didn't know that was possible), but it is, so we had half of the lights on in the chapel, and the microphone worked liked 95% of the time, it was a miracle!!!!

              Ok so quick surprise, about 5 weeks ago I hurt my knee,  but I didn't think much of it. So we've been working like normal for 5 weeks now......... but it's still been hurting. So the mission sent me into the doctor today in the morning, and what do you know, it turns out that I slightly tore a ligament in my right knee. Its nothing serious, but all of the pictures you see of me in the near future will include my robotic looking knee brace that I will have to wear for a while. I am SUPER lucky that it was nothing super serious, I know that I am being watched over by guardian angels!

             Things in our area are really starting to pick up, we are getting really excited about all of the stuff that has been happening recently, the future has big things in store for this area!!! Our zone, even though it is fairly new, has been killing it lately!!! It has been so cool doing interviews and getting to meet people for other areas in our zone that have true testimonies of the true church of christ. Honestly that is one of my favorite parts about the mission, is doing baptism interviews for other areas and getting to listen to the testimonies of people who recently have received answers that this church is true. They are always so strong and spiritual, it is the best!

                This week was one of the best weeks we have had here so far in Calvario! We are loving the mission, it is honestly the coolest experience!! Until next week!

Sincerely,

Elder mcLeod

9.11.15 Week of 9/11

September 11, 2015

Wow my first of 2 9/11 holidays has past in the mission. Every missionary will have 2 of every holiday in his mission because his mission is pretty much 2 years exactly, it's weird to be able to say that by next 9/11 I will have my flight plan........... ehhhhh not going to think about that  AL ALL. The time is flying by, in 2 weeks i will be hitting 1 year, but it seems like just last week that I got to the provo MTC, weird stuff. Well I hope you guys all had a great week like I did, honestly we didn't have a ton that happened, but the stuff that did happen was really cool.

             This last week we had our monthly meeting with president in Xela. This meeting goes from 9 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon, and it is PURE REVELATION!!! Haha not kidding, our mission president could secretly be one of the 2 new apostles that will be announced in 2 weeks, wouldn't be surprised. Ya so I love that meeting that we have with him because what he talks about for hours and hours never gets even slightly boring, what he talks about he usually receives through study prayer and fasting at like 3 or 4 in the morning, you can literally feel that power when you enter the room! They always give amazing lunches too which is a nice bonus on top of the spiritual overhaul that always occurs.

             This week we visited Eveline and she is reading the book of mormon!!! So pumped for her, she didn't read a ton, but what she did read she liked. She forgot to do her personal prayers to see if it is true, but she said that by the next time we visit her she will have read and prayed for a couple of days in a row. The other ward that meets in our building had a baptism this week, so we invited Eveline to come, and she came!!! It was great experience for her to see what the baptisms are like and also how our church building/ members are.

            So we returned this week to visit a young family named Santiago and Vivian. We have visited them like 3 times, and every time it seems like only the husband has been paying attention or taking interest in what we are teaching. BUT, something crazy happened this week. So we went back to go teach some more and see how their book of mormon reading went. Santiago had read the introduction of the book of mormon and had some awesome questions that we were able to answer. But as we were finishing up, I turned to the wife and asked her if she had had the chance to read a little bit. Her response blew my mind. She responded and said that she had read chapter 11 of 3rd nephi, the chapter when Christ comes to the americas. She said, ¨oh ya, so this chapter talks about when christ came and visited the nephites and then gave Nephi the power to baptize.¨That was when my comp and I just looked at each other, both minds blown!! Haha We didn't even think that she had been paying attention in the earlier lessons, but apparently she is more ambitious than her husband! They are progressing well and we will see if this sunday they will come to church with us.

               After lunch on Sunday when we were going home to drop off our suit coats, we had a cool experience in the street. Some random little old grandma walked up to us and said that she needed to talk to us, that she had lots of questions and that she wanted to talk to us the next day, (today). We of course said ok, but when we tried to ask her for her name and number she just said that she would tell us that stuff tomorrow in the morning, we just needed to meet her at a random street corner at 10 o'clock this morning. Haha super weird, but we said yes out of curiosity. So this morning we went to the random street corner to wait for her, and what do you know, she arrived not 2 minutes later super excited to see us! We walked over to her house where she had three little plastic stools set out in the front yard. We sat down and began addressing the questions that she had, she was taking notes on a little scrap of paper that she had!! We ended up teaching her for 2.5 hours no joke!! Longest lesson of my life, from 10 to 12.30, but it was a crazy awesome lesson. She asked us to come back tomorrow the 15th and we said yes, she really wants to visit with us!! She is a single old little grandma that lives by herself, super nice but weird lady, we will see what happens.

               So we have been teaching Glendy lately, she is a single mom with three kids and she is super poor, and only 24 years old! Last night was a huge night for us because we were able to visit her and we challenged her to be baptized............................. and she accepted!!! She accepted to pray and ask god if our church is true every night until she receives and answer. She told us in the beginning that she didn't like the mormon church cuz we can't drink coffee, but at the end she said that if God tells her that the mormon church is the right church, she will give it up for good. Now it all comes down to her prayers and diligence in going to church/ reading the book of mormon, we will see what happens this upcoming week.

              I guess i kinda lied, this week a lot of really good things happened to us, it was probably the best week that we have had here in Calvario so far! We are super excited to work here and see what happens, we understand that it is tough, but this week definitely gave us a boost knowing that there are some people who are willing to progress. This week i learned a lot personally what I need to improve on which is good. I know that if i can change my weaknesses to strengths that miracles will happen, it's a process. Love you all and hope that you all have an awesome week! Email me if you've got a second, I always love hearing from you!

Love,

Elder McLeod

ps. tomorrow morning at 4 I will be on a bus to Xela, tomorrow are changes, but I will lot be having changes. We always have to go down to pick up the new members of our zone every time there are changes.