September 18, 2017
Well the rains have started to come and man are they strong hahaha floods everywhere within seconds
Sid is MIA, but Arnold still hangs out with us. We also have a new friend, Fil-A (hahaha Chick-fil A)
Found a less active member Hermano Santiago while we were contacting. Super nice funny dude. Called us "los soldados en Cristo" and said we were "bien guapo" haha made my day:)
Had a multi zone conference the missionaries from Guayaramerin. Great to see some friends- got a Gucci tie from my homie Elder Barrett that just ended his mission! President Cabezas gave a lesson about revelation. During his lesson I was reminded that we are each entitled to personal revelation because we are children of God. Usually I recieve revelation by reading the scriptures. Something I found in my personal study this week: Doctrine and Covenants 88:21, 22, 32
21 And they who are not sanctified through the law which I have given unto you, even the law of Christ, must inheritanother kingdom, even that of a terrestrial kingdom, or that of a telestial kingdom.
22 For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory.
32 And they who remain shall also be quickened; nevertheless, they shall return again to their own place, to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received.
This life is a probationary state to prepare to stand before God. At the end of our lives we will be judged for what we've done and who we have become. It will be a perfect judgement, and we will be rewarded accordingly. These verses reminded me of a quote by Abraham Lincoln-
"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."
God won't force you to be happy. He won't force you to live the gospel. He loves us too much to take away our agency. So really its our choice. We decide where we and how happy are going to be. CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY. CHOOSE CHRIST.
I love and miss you all so much. You are always in my prayers.
Les extraño,
Elder McClune
September 11, 2017
Can you guessed what I did this week? Yup, more norias. This time was legit up to my thighs in mud hahaha. Man it smelled awful. Might apply for"Dirty Jobs" haha
This lil bugga kept trying to bite me while I was holding him. I'm gonna call him Miel. At first I thought he was like King Julian's cousin es un tejon- a badger!! (miel= honey, honey badger hahaha)
Had an intercambio with Elder Marispini,my homie from Arizona. Super hot so we went to the venta to buy a Sprite. Buttttttt we didn't have any cups. So we had to drink out of plastic bags. Yeehah for Bolivian ingenuity
With all of the norias that I've done here in Riberalta made me think of this passage from John 4:
6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
There are so many people in the world that are lost; thirsting for the truth and the light. Jesus is the living water. If we come unto Him, we will never thirst. And if keep His commandments, he will bless us with eternal life- to live with God and our families for eternity. I am so blessed to know His plan, and to share it with Bolivia.
Sorry that I don't have enough time to reply to everyone, but thank you for your love and support. Love and miss you all
Elder McClune
September 4, 2017
Can you guessed what I did this week? Yup, more norias. This time was legit up to my thighs in mud hahaha. Man it smelled awful. Might apply for"Dirty Jobs" haha
This lil bugga kept trying to bite me while I was holding him. I'm gonna call him Miel. At first I thought he was like King Julian's cousin es un tejon- a badger!! (miel= honey, honey badger hahaha)
Had an intercambio with Elder Marispini,my homie from Arizona. Super hot so we went to the venta to buy a Sprite. Buttttttt we didn't have any cups. So we had to drink out of plastic bags. Yeehah for Bolivian ingenuity
With all of the norias that I've done here in Riberalta made me think of this passage from John 4:6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
There are so many people in the world that are lost; thirsting for the truth and the light. Jesus is the living water. If we come unto Him, we will never thirst. And if keep His commandments, he will bless us with eternal life- to live with God and our families for eternity. I am so blessed to know His plan, and to share it with Bolivia.
Sorry that I don't have enough time to reply to everyone, but thank you for your love and support. Love and miss you all
Elder McClune
August 28, 2017
Sorry, no time and I type like a chicken)
Ate monkey this week!
Lots of service projects this week, cleaning norias, making roads, fixing gates and fences etc. Got some beautiful bruises and blisters hahaha
Hermana Blanca was baptized! So happy for her, its been a long and tough journey, but I know that God will bless her for it.
I had read this passage many times before but I learned something new from it
15 ¶ And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
16 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
18 He said, Bring them hither to me.
19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.
At times we may feel like those disciples. We have some huge task, like feeding 5000 people- and we only have 5 loaves and 2 fishes. Not exactly the ideal situation. But if we will offer all that we have-all that we are to God, He will take it and make miracles.
Love and miss you all
Elder McClune
August 21, 2017
Cambios! I'm blessed with another 6 weeks here in Riberalta. Elder Bariere got sent back to Santa Cruz:/ Miss that crazy Chileno. My new comp is Elder Maccerhua, de Peru. Hes pretty chill, a wizard with the violin.
Did more service projects- we usually have one every morning. Got some gnarly blisters to show it haha
I was blessed with the opportunity to baptize Hermano Carlos Siles Porcel.
Right now we're teaching an Hermano that says that he believes in God and that he wants to follow Christ. But he refuses to change. Reminded me of this scripture in 2 Corinthians 5:17:
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
We cannot testify of Christ or claim to be Christians if we are not willing to change some things in our lives. Our faith should lead us to action; it should lead us to change to become a new creature in Christ. Through Christ and his Atonement, we can be better; we can be happier.
Love and miss you all,
Elder McClune
August 14, 2017
Sorry ran out of time again haha
Had a super busy week.
Every week we have an activity called noche de hermanamiento. We play games and share a lesson. I've been using a lot of games from ASB and Natural helpers haha. I lost one of the games and for the penalty I had to eat un diento de ajo (clove of garlic) Dude I was legit about to cry it burned my mouth so bad. I couldnt get the taste of garlic out of my mouth for a full day, Reminded me of garlic fries from Safeco Field, just x100000000 times strongers hahaha
Listened to Elder Cook and some other speakers during a broadcast for Bolivia and Peru. Awesome messages
Man this cambio has flown by. Time just keeps passing faster and faster. I hope that I get to stay in Riberalta but we'll see what happens.
Before I left my Dad told me to work hard and to love the people. When I first started my mission he sent me a picture of Jesus helping a lame man stand with the caption "LIFT"
Hebrews 12:12 12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees
This last we talked to a lot of our investigators about their lives, and trials that they were going through. My heart aches for them because I just want to solve all of their problems, to take away their pain. But on my own I can't. I love this passage in Acts chapter 3;
Acts 3:6-7
6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such asI have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazarethrise up and walk.
7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up:and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
I can't fix everyones problems. But I can give them the most important and valuable thing in the world; the true gospel of Jesus Christ. I testify that it is only through living the gospel that we can be truly happy.
Love and miss you all. Thank you for your love and support:)
Les extraño artisimo!
Elder McClune
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