Crazy bus ride!

APRIL 6th LETTER

Well Hello family and friends,
        So this last week was just a little bit crazy! Tuesday we had to go to Xela for changes in the morning. So we got up at like 5, got on the bus which came late at 6 45 and got to Xela at about 9:15. From there I dropped my companion off, talked with some of my old comps and zone leaders, then I got to go and hang out in Xela for half the day with Elder Dalton from Bountiful Utah who will be finishing his mission next month. We had to wait for the newbies to come so we decided to go to the Zoo. It was super cool... I mean there were a total of like 10 animals, but still who doesn't love the Zoo. I’ll send some sweet pictures. but, at like 4 I met my new companion, Elder Tejada from the Dominican Republic,  and we got all of his stuff and headed back to Chichicastenango in a bus.

      Let me just tell you ths bus ride was the worst bus ride of my entire life. First off all, of the buses here just suck... They drive crazy fast and they fit like 10 people to the row. so imagine a school bus filled to the brim with crazy Guatemalan people and one single 6 foot 3 white guy who doesn't fit. We got going and the bus broke down .... So we waited for about 30 minutes for them to jerry rig it and got going again. But, it broke down....again! So they jerry rigged it a little bit better and we were back on the open, windy road trying to make up for lost time when the little Guatemalan kid next to me threw up. But that didn't stop us, we kept chugging along with throw up on the ground and all. Eventually we made it to Chichi and to our house where we left my comps stuff and got to work. WORST CHANGE DAY EVER. Haha.

     But, besides that the week was good. We got to go and watch conference and actually had a family that we are teaching come on Sunday and stay for both the sessions. That was exciting. My favorite talk was by Elder Renlund in the Saturday afternoon session. I really loved it. My favorite thing was: “God cares about who we are and what we are becoming, not who we once were. He cares that we keep trying. Remember, no failure ever need be final”.

      Also, I really liked what Elder D Todd Christofferson said, “No one is predestined to receive less than what our Heavenly Father has to offer them”

      But, besides conference and changes..Nothing too exciting happened. We are working hard and are looking forward to having a baptism this coming Friday. It should be a great day.

      I love you guys and I hope that you have enjoyed the email and made the decision to rent a car if you ever come to Guatemala, public transportation is a joke!

Love,
Elder McLain

APRIL 13th LETTER

Heyyyy what’s up everybody! How’s the USA treating all of you guys? When you live here, everyone talks about the states like it’s heaven to live there. so be grateful everybody you are living in Heaven. This last week was really good! Rigoberto got baptized on Friday! So that was awesome. We also had the chance to have interviews with President Smith last week. He’s such a cool guy. I always seem to learn something new every time I talk to him.

As for the area here in Chihci everything is chilero. We are going to be having a baptism next Friday! It’s awesome. Her name is Caren and we have been teaching her since I got here. She came to church on Sunday and only need to come one more time to be ready to be baptized! She put the date and everything so we just have to do our job and help her prepare to make a sacred covenant with God. I'm excited to see her in all white! It’s gonna be a great day.

In church yesterday it was testimony meeting and I realized how important it is to have a testimony of this gospel. Really the church is true. Its as simple as that. I think we all know it, sometimes we just don’t live it. I encourage you all to be Mormon during the week, not just when you go to church. And when you mess up, fix it. Christ’s Atoning sacrifice has no limits. 

Well I love you guys and I love hearing from you. I'm sorry if I don’t always respond. Time goes by super fast and before I know it it’s time to go....

Love Elder McLain