Elder McGhie's experiences as a missionary in Peru.

August 1, 2011

Life in the Fast Lane


HOOLA mi estimada familia! Y las buenas nuevas que NO ESTOY MUERTO!!!  (Translation by Marty: Hello my dear family!  And the good news is I am not dead!! – this is because we didn’t hear from him on Monday)  Haha you guys just kill me sometimes.  So I’m here in the office and I was talking with Elder Poindexter and he tells me that he just received an email from you guys wondering what was going on.  Haha I couldn’t help but laugh and i was pretty sure that he was going to get an email from ya... Se LLAMA LA FE people!  (It is CALLED FAITH people)  But anyways, so yeah I’m here in Lima until tomorrow.  Today we have had a Capacitacion (I don’t know how to say that in English) Training Meeting or something? But anyways so we are here in Lima and we are going to have another meeting in about a half hour.  The Church has a new program for the trainers and the new guys, and it looks pretty awesome.  The Church is just really amazing with all the manuals and instructions.  If you look at the Church from all the different points of view of all the world it really is a marvelous work and a wonder.  To think that I have my buddies that are all across the world speaking a bunch of different languages and in all types of cultures, but the message is exactly the same and very simple.  That God is our loving Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ has made it possible through God’s Great Plan, that we can return to live with him again someday.  And that once again God speaks through prophets as we see throughout the entire history of time.  It really just blows my mind that for example Dayton is on the other side of the world speaking an entire different language and culture, but it is the same scriptures, and the same manual Preach My Gospel with the same handouts and everything!!! It really is amazing! I’m so grateful for this time the Lord has given me to serve him in his vineyard and have my eyes opened to this Marvelous Work and a Wonder.  I challenge all the youth that are sure or not sure if they should serve a mission, to get on their knees tonight (not kneeling down on your bed but on the floor) and to pray out loud and just asked our Heavenly Father if you should be a missionary.  I promise without one ounce of doubt in my mind that he will answer, and the answer will be yes.  I don’t care if your 10, 15 or 25.  What your problems are or even if you’re inactive, if you could do me a big favor for your old pal Spence and just ask him.  I know he will answer. 

Well to tell you about this week, I have really learned a lot about myself and the power of the Lord.  We baptized a grand total of 0 people this change.  I never ever, ever imagined I would blank for a whole change... I was discouraged and down, and just one day it hit me.  I don’t have Charity.  I was praying for it every night before begging for help to Love every person I pass on the street as my brother or sister and I was just preaching with Authority and practically running around the street talking with everyone.  And it dawned on me that I had lost a little of the fire, that desire to help everyone.  Very humbly I got down on my knees and just talked with my Father in Heaven, asked him to forgive me and asked for help to find that burning desire to contact the whole world.  And the next day I just went crazy, contacting the whole world.  It didn’t matter who they were, they were going to hear about this great message.  One lady decided to lean out of the top of her roof instead of answer the door to say, nope sorry I’m Catholic, haha but she wasn’t getting away that easy.  I just decided well what’s the difference if she is right in front of my face or 4 stories up, - I’ll just have talk a little bit louder.  I mean the Lord blessed me with a pretty loud voice, I’m sure my friends and fam can testify to the gift I inherited from my mom screaming in the house and about 15 years of BYU football games with the old man.  So she heard the message loud and clear.  And at the end of the day we got back to the apartment, I could hardly speak my voice was just shot, but I took a deep breath and I just felt good knowing that I did what I could for the Lord that day.  The key to the mission is not baptisms and numbers -  it’s doing all possible for the Lord.  The baptisms will come, I’m not worried about it.  The hard work, hiking up mini mountains to knock doors, not eating dinner cause there just aint time for that nonsense sometimes.   And that’s when I feel the best, when I just forget I’m tired, that I look kinda stupid screaming at the top of my lungs to invite people to join us Sunday, when I forget myself and go to work.  Because this is not my time.  It is His.  I know this Church is true without a shadow of a doubt because when I was 12 years old, I read Moroni 10:3-5 and I got on my knees and I asked.  And God answered my prayers, and because of that moment and the best family a kid could ask for, I am here in Lima Peru, as a 19 year old kid, speaking Spanish, and loving every minute of it.  I already have 9 months in the mission, time is short and running out.  It’s time to get back out there and spread the Good News.  I love ya fam with all I got, and can’t thank you enough for all you have done for me.  May the Lord be with you wherever you go. 
Elder Spencer MARTY McGhie... aka Gringito
Ps mom, you are now officially my Momita.... =) Means little mom... LOVE YOU! CHAU!

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