Life In The Fast Lane

         HOOOOOOLLLLAAAA FAMILIA Y AMIGOS!!!

 Hows life treatin ya! Its been awhile since I haven’t written, I’m sure mom´s patience and faith were put to the test (Spencer knows me very well, 3 extra days of waiting to hear from him seemed like it was a year!!), but somehow we have all survived (I barely survived!!) And the good news is that I will be writing you in just a few days come Monday!!!

         

So it’s true, I just went to the Temple for the first time in 9 months!!! And it was AMAZING!  And now Saturday and Sunday are General Conference and then its p-day on Monday and then on Tuesday I have the meeting with all the other zone leaders in the mission and the Mission President and then ......... I get to go to the Temple again!!! HOOORAY!!! Life is pretty awesome right now!!!

Sooo, its been awhile and I’m not really sure where to start with my letter!!! But, I guess I’ll start off by saying that my ”imagine” of how it was going to be to be a zone leader was WAY OFF!!!! It’s a lot harder and crazier than I thought! Haha but I’m enjoying it, it really has been crazy, for the first time in my life I can’t just be all fun and games, I actually have to correct missionaries when they aren’t doing what is right.  I have always been aware of what I’m doing or saying but now I have had to actually take some missionaries aside and have a little ¨chat¨ and  it really isn’t easy or very fun.  It’s not like I want to be the bad guy, but as, my old pal Jordy Brown and I used to say… “A man´s gotta do what a man´s gotta do!!!”  Haha good times, Jord will get a laugh out of that one, but yeah that’s the way the cookie crumbles I guess!!!

So I have had to do splits with other missionaries a lot more, and my first one, I  got to be with a new Gringo, Elder Udall, who is only in his second transfer and struggling with Spanish!!! Let’s face it, I had a pretty tough time during the first months in the field, it was hard and frustrating!!!!  So it was great to be able to help him out, tell him what I have done to learn Spanish and how I got through it all! It really was so nuts, cause it was just like yesterday that I was in his shoes and boom I am going to have 11 months in the mission come Monday!!!  Now if that isn’t crazy I don’t know what is! (I am totally celebrating on Nov. 3^rd, when we hit the one yr mark!! I know the 2nd yr is going to go by fast but it is sort of a fast/slow type of thing?????? Missions are a very interesting and different type of experience that I know I would never have comprehended before I lived through it........ I don’t mean it in a bad way, it is a...............good/hard/wonderful/ frustrating/amazing /soul stretching rollercoaster of an experience that changes constantly.........???  =)!!!!!)

 My Spanish has really, really improved a lot.  I actually receive compliments, here and there!!! And the biggest news of all is I CAN ROLL MY TONGUE!!! HOOORRAY!!!  Remember when I was at home, trying to learn how to roll my “r’s”????  Well I was also trying for about 9 months here in Peru and then one night, I was in a planning session with Elder Contreras and I said, “parece que vamos a visitar la hermana Rosa a las tres…. And when I said, “Rosa” my tongue rolled and I trilled my R… .... I stopped, looked up and I did it again and again and then I did it for like 3 seconds and I just about lost my mind!!! Haha   I started running around like I’d won the World Series, shouting, “I CAN ROLL MY TONGUE, I CAN ROLL MY TONGUE!!!!” Haha  It was a Christmas Miracle in August!!!  So with my new ability (finally) I can actually speak some pretty good Spanish!!!  I remember dreaming of the day when I could freely speak Spanish and understand what everyone was saying, and while I was on splits with Elder Udall, the other gringo, I realized ......... that day had finally come!! Haha!! So, after a lot of practice and frustration, I can really speak Spanish!!! YAY!!! I also realized it again, when I understood the temple session in Spanish!  I remember when I was in the Peru MTC and we went to the temple, I had no idea what they were saying and now I get it all! Can anyone say the “Gift of Tongues”? 

But I won’t lie, I have no idea how to speak English!!!  The doctors for our area are from England and I was in the mission office Monday for interviews with President Ardila, (By the way my President is just AWESOME!  I mean, really, he is the MAN!)  and they asked me to translate what they were saying to a Latin missionary, since they don’t speak Spanish yet.  So, after translating for them, they started speaking to me in English and it took me a couple seconds to understand and respond!  I was really embarrassed! And then I couldn’t remember how to say “de donde es?”(where are you from?, that is what Marty said it means) in English…  I sat there for 3 seconds looking at the ground trying to remember…  I mean I’m guessing that in other missions that don’t have the rule of not ever, ever speaking English, they forget somewhat but we can’t speak in English at all and I really am forgetting it… AY CARAMBA!!!!!  But yeah I guess I’ll wait and worry about practicing English when I get ready to come home

So I love yall and I will be writing again on Monday... haha !!!
(I really deserve an email that soon, I think I totally earned it by waiting so impatiently for this email =)!!!!

Love ya and CHUA CHAU!!!

Elder Spencer Marty McGhie

Oh and I will tell you, for mom,  my room is behind a gate and on the 2nd floor, a family of members lives below and we eat breakfast with them every morning but lunch and dinner we have with another pensionista.  Both my pensionista are awesome!!!  My pensionista of lunch and dinner has 3 kids and they are 4, 9 and 11, and they sit at the computer all day, on facebook and they are constantly singing, high school musical (which reminds me of someone in particular, haha)!! The kids added me on facebook, so mom be sure to accept their friend requests please!!  So life is good in Santa Anita, and its actually really safe, I haven’t seen anything dangerous and it’s a nicer part of Lima!!! (I told him that I couldn’t sleep at night imagining this awful place in downtown Lima that he was living in and so I needed him to tell me about the place he lives so I could start sleeping again, my imagination is always much worse than reality!!)(I also told him I needed to know about his pensionista because once I feel good about where he is living and eating, then I dont worry anymore, well I always have to worry but it becomes a very small amount of worry =)!!!!



Spencer and his companion Elder Winterton
outside the Lima Peru Temple



I have no idea what he is pointing at???




Spencers new Zone in Lima





 

Life just got a little different and a lot more hecktic!!! :)

HHHHHOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAA FAMILIA Y AMIGOS!!!

Whats up people!!! Well I’ve got a crapload of stuff to tell ya and not a whole lot of time to tell ya!  So transfers have come and gone and im in LIMA NOW!!! AHHHH!!! Im so close to the CCM (the Peru MTC), I’m in Santa Anita in the area La Universal, and I’m like 20 minutes away from the CCM!!! I wanna see Bubba (Spencers friend, who is in the Peru MTC right now!) so bad I dont know how it would be possible but who knows, miracles do happen!  So life, my life has definetly taken a big turn and thing are pretty different now!!!!!! Haha  First of all, I was transferred to Lima, which is SO different than Huancayo or Huanuco… I mean, I got here Wednesday and I had to wait till Sunday to even see the sun… WOOF!  And well Lima has a lot more stuff, like the chapels are bigger and a lot more like the States, our Bishop is a CHAMPION and so that is very helpful!!  Also, probably the biggest change is MY COMP IS A GRINGO!!! HOOORAY!!! Its pretty great I mean we still only speak spanish but it is awesome!!! His name is Elder Brent Winterton from Salt Lake, he Graduated from Skyline High School and he has about 14 months in the mission.  Hes a great guy and we get along great. 

Also I got a new assignment, I’m a Zone Leader.  And its a lot harder than I thought! Haha  I mean, I got here and the zone is well.... pretty much struggling ALOT!  So in my first zone conference I kinda had to lay the hammer down… ummm.... because the zone leader before me, he kinda had the attitude that numbers dont really matter, so if we dont reach our goal each week, dont worry bout it!! He claims that numbers didnt matter because they were all working… AY CARUMBA!!!! Yeah its true, numbers arent everything, but they are what show if your even working or not!!!!!  So I dont think the zone was to thrilled when I told them we are going to take a new direction adn change ALOT of things… But thats the way its gotta be!!!!  So, I wont lie, its kinda hard being zone leaders, I mean I’m just used to kinda being everyones friend and taking it easy… but that isnt really possible in my new role… Sweet Death I need some help!!! So Dad I will be waiting anxiously for your next email filled with lots of advice and tips for me!!! Also my new pensionista is the BEST!!! Lima is really different becasue people here actually have stuff! Like  they own computers and I dunno just stuff! Its alot more like the States here, but still pretty different haha!!!I would much rather be in Provincia (The Provinces are the areas outside of Lima, like the places he had been in before), but I will stay positive and just enjoy what I got!  So, I really do miss Huancayo and my area, my companion Elder Contreras and my Pensionista, also I miss just being able to work and not have to worry about 16 other missionaries and a bunch of stress, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles!!!  Oh and Tuesday as my last lunch there in Huancayo and  my Pensionista made me GUINEY PIG!!! HAHA   We asked for it and it was well… rather interesting, tastes like chicken!!!  The picture with my old pensionista in Huancayo, I am holding a plate of GUINEY PIG also a few pictures of my last zone meeting and district meeting in Huancayo, so they have these crackers here and the brand name is KRAPS!!! Haha   I couldn’t resist, so we had Kraps with Peanut Butter in my last district meeting.

 We had a baptism yesterday, here in Lima and we also got to hear President Monson, Elder Christopherson and Julie Beck (Tell her I was waiting for my shout out… haha) speak to all of Peru in a Peru wide Stake Conference! It was pretty cool.  So life is great but crazy!!!!  I am going to write yall some letters, sorry I have been slacking, I hope you don’t feel like I have forgotten about yall but life just gets more and more busy here!!!!!   I will try to do better! I,m anxious to hear about Liney, my Catholic sister! HAHAHA  and I will pray for you that you wont become a nun!!!!  I LOVE YA!!!!   And, PLEASE, remember in yours prayers that there are 2 gringos in downtown Lima, running around preaching the Gospel  like mad! LOVE YA!!

CHAU CHAU!!!

Elder Spencer Marty McGhie!

The paragraph below came in a separate email that Spencer mailed first for Ainsley since he kind of forgot her birthday last Monday =)!!!

Ainsley, Im a horrible person... when i logged off my computer last week for internet i walked down to print out my emails and all was well, then i stopped, smacked my forehead and yelled OH FLIP!!! MY comp asked me what happened, I told him, its my sisters birthday an i forgot to tell her happy birthday! I really did feel horrible... So today before i write my president or send pictures i have to wish you a VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, Late but Sincere,
HAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPPPPYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY BIRTHDAY AINS!!! YOUUUUURRRR OLD!! hahahaha!!! And by the way i did sing to you Tuesday morning! So now i will go and write my pres and upload my pics and write my letter! IM SOSOSO SORRY!!! LOVE YA!!!

Then after Spencer’s apology to Ainsley and his regular email and  then 2 emails with pictures in them, we got another email and the subject line said: OH CRAP!! So, here is what that short email said.........

I forgot to tell you that mom, you wont get an email this next Monday. You have to wait till Thursday!!! SORRY but we are going to the temple on Thursday and dont have p-day  on Monday!!! BYEE! (This totally made me laugh because I think he had finished everything else and realized that if he didnt let me know I wasnt going to hear from him until Thursday, I would freak out on Monday and send him about 100 emails asking him where he is and then I would make Marty call the mission office and find out what was going on!!!!! But at least this time he told me before hand, so he is learning !!!!!) 



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Elder McGhie and Elder Smith eating the Kraps crackers =)!!



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Spencer and his new companion, Elder Witherton in Lima!!!



Singing In The Rain and This Is Peru !!

Hola everyone, I sort of totally forgot to send Spencer’s email out this week……..I think my mind just decides it needs a break sometimes and it goes to Peru to hang out with Spencer???? =)!!  So we have another short email this week, but I guess that means he is working hard or maybe he is having way too much fun!!!!!!??? J

I hope this email finds all of you happy and doing great!!  Thanks for being so wonderful!!!

Carrie                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               P.S. ……..On Oct 3^rd Spencer will have been on his mission for 11 months!!!  We are almost to the one year mark!!!!  I can’t wait to start counting down!!) =)

Hola familia y amigos

So how bout them cougz!! That’s a bummer that they lost, I only saw the score, I will read the details after this and well mom, I  have no clue if I’m getting transferred.  A lot of the other missionaries have told me they think I’m going but, I have no idea!!!  The package was AWESOME! I love it all i have been eating all the teddy grahams with my cake frosting! It’s like manna from Heaven!!!!  and all the little funny things made me laugh and yes I felt very loved!!! I hung some of the posters up in my room and everything!!!  So i got a lot to tell you guys and very short time to do it!!!

    So this week was absolutely NUTS!!!  With the good news that Hermano Tomas got baptized!!! HHOOOOORAY!!! After 78 missionaries the Lord finally touched his heart and it just so happens that I was here to see it happen and be the missionary to teach him!!! It was so great and it is all thanks to the Heavenly Father... We had to fight and fight and fight to get Hermano Tomas to that baptismal font, but it was so worth it!!! He has changed incredibly and in 1 year he’s going to the Temple with his wife and daughter!!! To be sealed for Time and All Eternity.  What a miracle this life really is!!! Sometimes i just can’t even comprehend how perfect God´s Plan is!!! Well it’s PERFECT!!! Haha, so that was awesome.  But on the not so awesome news, the twins just totally got freaked out and bailed on the baptism thanks to the 1st counselor in our ward.... WOOF! We had a Family Night with them, and we taught the Sabbath Day and Tithing.  And all was just fine and dandy till the 1st counselor started to get really fired up and it ended with him practically yelling that there is one true church and the rest are led by the DEVIL HIMSELF! I almost fell off my chair!  HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE THAT THE 1ST COUNSELOR IN THE BISHOPRIC, DOES THAT IN A LESSON WITH 2 PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT LDS!!! I just shook my head and said T.I.P.... This is Peru, what can ya do? So, that completely freaked them out, and then their neighbors told them that if they get baptized they have to pay all they own to the church and oh my goodness!!!! Haha, But, we worked with them and now they know that the 1^st counselor got a little carried away and was totally wrong in what he said and so was their neighbor!!!! It looks like they will get baptized the 24th of this month and that will be awesome and all (If I’m here!) haha but yeah so that was an adventure!!   So the next day I was just a little down and then the rain came down like mad!!!  It was about 6 in the evening and it rained like I have never seen before!  Oh, remember that time we were in Nauvoo, it rained harder than that!  And it just made me so happy!!! My companion asked me if we should go back to the apartment and wait it out, I laughed out loud and said, HECK NO BABY! This is when we show how important this message is, that not if even an absolute down pour will stop this message from getting out!!! It rained for a solid 3 hours like that and I was so happy! We contacted like crazy FOOLS!! Everyone told me we were nuts but it was awesome! I was singing, called to serve the whole time and it really just made me so happy! I love this work and how great it is!! Sorry this is really short but I will do better next week!!!
BYE!!! LOVE YOU!!!
Elder Spencer Marty McGhie!!!!

About the attached pictures:

Hermano Tomas and his family at his baptism, last p day we played legit soccer with my AWESOME New soccer ball, and us celebrating after the baptism! Don’t worry I only use those glasses in the apartment as a joke... but if one day I need glasses I will be rollin like that!!!






THE EPIC BATTLE CONTINUES!

This is not a very long email !!!  I am not really happy about that and also the sun is NOT SHINING TODAY either!!!  Carrie

COUGAR NATION LIVES!! TAKE THAT SEC!!!! HAHAHA!!

Hey fam and friends,

Well I won’t lie, the first thing I did was go to see how my cougz did and what a tale! The “come back kids” strike again! That’s some great stuff…  I just have to tell myself that this is the only full season of Cougar Football I have to miss for my whole live…. I can do this! Haha! FOR THE LORD!  The Lord knows that I would never give up a full year of football for anyone else but him and the fam…  So like they always say, sacrifice, brings blessing… right?! Haha

Well I have had quite the week here in Huancayo, La Florida to say the least.  Started off with my package arriving! HHHOOOORRRAYYY!!! It was beyond awesome to get the package! I haven’t finished the tape up yet or fiddled with the electronic voice sender, so you’ll have to wait till next week to get to hear my wonderful voice!!!So, I will respond to some questions that were asked me on the tape you sent… Elder Contreras is the 3rd new elder I am training, It also sounds like Ferrari Color is killin it!!! HOW BOUT EM BRAVES BABY!!!   Also people always ask me what I studied or what I’m going to do with my life afterwards and I was thinking the other night and have no clue! So when you talked about sales it was like an answer to my hidden prayer dad (really Marty?, Spencer doesn’t need to be worrying about what career he is going to have later in his life???  He hasn’t even been to college yet???)!!! So I only listened to the part of the tape you sent where  Dad and Natalee were talking and also mom screaming in the background at me for not emailing her….haha classic!  (Well he didn’t send an email to us until like 2pm on Tuesday, yes I need to have more faith but so I am not perfect!!!???).

So I will tell ya about the week and how it went down!!  First off  this week could be one of the most incredible weeks of my life!!!  I know that numbers don’t matter and all but I would just like to share with you some of the miracle we saw this last week…. We found 26 New Investigators; we invited 28 people to be baptized and had 11 investigators in Sacrament Meeting!!!!  It was UNREAL!!!!! We didn’t do anything special or change something, we just worked like always and the Lord blessed us unbelievably!!!  We have 3 baptisms this coming Saturday!  2 twin sisters and the Hermano Thomas who has talked to about 80 missionaries and well the Lord prepared him just in the right time that I got here!!! So we have been fighting against satan pretty hard to get those baptism dates set and accepted, every lesson with those 3 has just been a crazy royal battle!!! I can honestly say that I have never taught better and clearer than this week, the Spirit was so strong in the lessons and it was like revelation was flowing out of my mouth!!!  You better bet that this coming week will be a battle and a half, but we have the Holy Ghost and the Lord on our side!!! It says in all the mission calls that if we serve and obey we will become Defenders of the Truth, and this week I just felt like exactly that!!! It was sososososo AWESOME! So I’m pretty excited to get to work this week and Defend my beliefs and the Truth.  So time is really short today, sorry but I thank all of you for your prayers, letters and everything!!!
LOVE YA!
Elder McGhie

Ps I’m going to send a package home with gifts and all that this next week, through that Peruvian dad and daughter thing! SO GET EXCITED!

CHAU CHAU!

Pss Mom, I sleep like a little lamb every night…the cold? UNFASED!!! And I want a letter and pictures from COLLIN! He’s my little brother for goodness sake  and Caroline, Keep It up in Seminary! Brother Boyer eh? He is pretty cool and funny!  Have fun at Indian Hills and remember…NO BOYS!!! Haha! Oh and Ainsley, I loved your letter last week, thanks a bunch for telling me what was up, it’s nice to hear about it all, I mean I like hearing all the good stuff and all but the real story is great sometimes as well!!!

LOVE YA! BYE!!!

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The Mystery of Spencer's Sister Ainsley And Her Enrolling in Culinary School????

Spencers big sister Ainsley graduated from BYU with a degree in Accounting!!  Now she is going to Culinary School to become a Pastry Chef..............I know, it doesnt quite go together???  I cant really wrap my mind around it :)!!!  Here she is in her Culinary School Uniform, but she is missing the hat. She does have to wear her Chefs Hat when she is cooking in the kitchen!!!  (Her pants are black and white checkered, cute huh!! :)!!!!!