Flooding, Baptisms, Ichiro, and Heavenly Father's love

February 20, 2017

Computer won't let me upload photos sorry:/

Elder Silva has been pretty sick so not much happened this last week. I've been pounding Tang and guava to stock up on Vitamin C. Its been raining a ton.

This weekend is a celebration called Carnaval. Its pretty wild from what I've heard. We aren't going to leave the house because they throw paint and other stuff. With our white shirts we'd be like walking canvases hahaha. Yeah so P-day for us is this Saturday! Cambios (Cambios means transfers.  Each missionary is assigned to a companion and area for six weeks. At six weeks assignments are subject to change according to the direction of the Mission President) next week.

One of my favorite scriptures that I came across again while reading the Book of Mormon: 

Helaman 5:12

12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

Con amor,

Elder McClune

February 13, 2017

Visited this huge market. It covered like 5 different streets and they had everything from BYU and Seahawks gear to tasers and tear gas hahaha. I ended up buying a Mariners-Ichiro shirt for 30 Bs (about $4). How could I say no to my childhood hero??

Saturday morning it was raining super hard, I woke up to the house flooding. Got up to about 3 inches throughout the entire house haha

Saturday was Aldo's baptism. Aldo is from Peru, but he is studying to be an architect at UCEBOL, the university in my area. To be honest when we first started teaching him it was rough. My Spanish wasn't that good and he talks like an Italian- so I could hardly understand him. But the Spirit helped us understand one another. Its been really special to watch his faith grow. I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity and privilege to be the one to baptize him

Little quote that I found during my personal study that I love:

"God's love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there." -President Thomas S. Monson

Just a little reminder from the prophet that God will always love us!

Con amor,

Elder McClune ​

Hard work and blessings!

February 6, 2017

This last week was probably the most successful of my mission so far. We worked out butts off. I gave my first blessing in Spanish. Elder Silva were on fire with contacting, got a lot of references, taught some incredible lessons, and Im having my first baptism this Saturday!!

Elder Silva were waiting for the bus the other day when this guy started yelling at us in what Im guessing was Quechua. Then he ran over and hit me! Elder Silva and I crossed the street cuz he starting throwing rocks at us. I dont know if he was drunk, crazy or what. Elder silva thinks he had a devil haha.

Love and miss you all!

Con amor,

Elder McClune

 

January 30, 2017:

Well unfortunately no pictures this week, the computer that I'm usnig is super sketch.

Found an avacado the size of my head, sorry you'll have to wait for a pic.

Tried gigote de carne, super rico. Its kinda not really like pulled porked with bananas hahaha

Pretty sure Bolivia has the most variety of fruit in the entire world. Since I've been here I've tried 2 types of mangoes, 3 types of bananas, . They also have like 100 types of potatoes, no joke. Favorite so far is yuca.

They use every part of cow and chickens down here. Like every part, stomach, tongue, feet you name it. Look up churiqui de pollo. Yup, I've eaten that.

We had the opportunity to hear from Elder Quinton L. Cook, an Apostle. I got to shake his hand!! Everything that he said was incredible, but something that stood out to me was that yeah we were missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but more accurately and importantly, we were witnesses of Jesus Christ.

Love and miss everyone. As always you're in my prayers.

Con amor,

Elder McClune