Christmas In Peru and Spencer got very FRUSTRATED!!!???

¡¡¡FELIZ NAVIDAD MI ESTIMADA FAMILIA Y

QUERIDOS AMIGOS!!!

Here is a 2 word summary of Christmas in Peru...  Beer and Fireworks!  Haha oh how I love PERU!  So Christmas was great I really enjoyed it.  I just cant believe that I have already had my 2 Christmases on my Mission!!!  And the next one I will be home!!  That is just SO WEIRD!  It was AWESOME to skype with you guys.  Thanks SO much, it was great to see your faces and talk to yall!!!  I hope you enjoyed it as much as me!

Thanks SO much for the gifts, I took pictures of them all and my new suit, the Christmas Tree that Ainsley made all decorated with the little cards and all that stuff...

Hi, this is me Carrie......HERE COMES THE FRUSTRATING PART AND THEN HE RUNS OUT OF TIME AND HAS TO GO??? OH WELL THERE IS ALWAYS NEXT WEEK =)!!!!!

BUT I cant seem to get a FREAKING computer that can read a USB or camera card.  Its SO ANNOYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Sorry to say the least I'm a little frustrated cause I had a ton of pics from Christmas and a voice recording for Liney for her Birthday but of all the flippin computers I get stuck with.... 2 computers that don't work!!!  I mean honestly.... Sorry that is me venting.  Sorry this email is nothing, probably would be better if you dont put it on the blog this week cause this email is lame!! And my time is running out cause I had to let my zone go first on all the computers and then had to change my computer and well pretty much I got ripped off! YAY! Alright I hope your doing well and I'll try to find a computer that works next week see ya later!

And that was the whole email.............????  However he did write Caroline a very nice and funny email for her birthday but she doesnt want to share it on this blog........so I am going to put some pictures on of a p-day at the zoo and some others that I dont know where they go but they all happened in December 2011!!  Sorry, it was great to see him and talk to him on the 24th and he was happy then, so I think he just was frustrated and he totally ran out of time!!  He is still a cute and wonderful missionary....just goes to show you that...even though Caroline says that, I think Spencer is PERFECT, my Cute Spencer isnt quite perfect yet!! =) Anyway, I hope you all had a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS =)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Carrie =)

Oops, I just saw this???? ....Spencer left this email for his Dad sometime before he left the internet cafe ......?????????????????? I guess he momentarily forgot that he has a mom too???? =) =) =) But I still love him!! =) Carrie (again)! =)

Hey Dad, I forgot to tell you that the shoes you sent me are AWESOME!!! They are beasts and I love them SO MUCH!  I wore them to church yesterday, but I am going to save them till 2012 so for 1 more week I'm going to destroy my already destroyed shoes and send you pics.. .hopefully!!! Sorry I was a little frustrated in my email to you guys cause I let everyone go first and then I got ripped off using terrible computers, but hey thats how the cookie crumbles... love yall! BYE!



A Baptism that looks like it was on Christmas
Eve but I am not sure who the cute young girl is???



Spencer and his companion Elder Vilca
at the Zoo!!!!!! =)




The Whole Zone at the Zoo!! 




Spencer and a pretend LLAMA!!!=)



I am not sure what this is...... but I think the whole Zone is
eating dinner together or lunch?????

Pictures from Skyping with Spencer, he is sort of a nerd but we love him anyway :)

We got to skype with Spencer in the morning of December 24th!! It was so fun to see him.  We had problems with him hearing us and sometimes we couldnt hear him??  It was very noisey in the Internet Cafe and that was part of the problem of hearing but I didnt care, I was happy just to look at him and watch him talk!!  I forgot how funny he is when he talks, he makes goofy faces and he just is a funny guy!! =)

He made us all laugh and we took the computer around so he could see the dogs and most of our cats........he loved that!!  His cute companion that doesnt speak English kept saying, "I like tie", because we sent ties for Spencer to give to everyone in his zone.........oh and the sisters got scarfs......fashion type not cold weather ones since it is really hot in Lima now!!=)


Here are a few pictures of him skyping with us, his hair is like buzzed off  (not my favorite hair style??)but he is still my cute and funny Spencer!!!  It was the best Christmas present ever!!=)

Yes, he is weird !! :)

We couldnt hear him cause it was so noisy, the cute litte
guy with him is his companion!! :)

He is Waving BYE !!

“FELIZ NAVIDAD!”

HOLA FAMILA Y AMIGOS!
Can you believe it….. one year ago I was in the MTC celebrating my first Christmas away from home and in a blink of an eye, Here I am with almost 14 months (Oh happy day!! Here is a fact that I have learned this past year, missions do get easier and better after the first 6 months and even better when you are at 14 months (cause then he only has 10 months left, which is long enough for him, cause he isn’t ready to come home yet and it is short enough for me cause now I can actually comprehend that he will come home!!=) that is why I said, Oh Happy Day!! Aren’t you so happy I explained that to everyone!!) in my mission just Preachin the Gospel!  I cant believe it is already Christmas and that the year 2011 past by SO fast!  It scares me to think that in less than 1 year I will be home... flip!  I’m having a mini panic attack!  SO to recap the week that past I will just tell you my comp was TRANSFERRED!  I was in splits with one of the District Leaders and my comp called me Friday night and told me he was being transferred, I didnt believe him, but it was true!  So now I am with Elder Vilca, from Tacna Peru!  He is pretty cool, he´s got about 19 months in the mission, and I was in the same district with him in Huanuco.  It’s his first time being a Zone Leader; he is kinda nervous but excited!  SO 1 of the Christmas packages got here!  I’m stoked!  Are you sure you sent 2?  (Oh yes, we did send 2 smaller packages cause I figured that they would get through customs easier than a large package……….I was WRONG!!  The stupid customs people too everything out of my very CARFULLY PACKED boxes and went through everything, I am sure and dumped it all in one box………I AM NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT TO SAY THE LEAST!!  BIG JERKWADS) (I guess that is what I get for actually thinking =)?)  Cause this package was HUGE with a buttload (sorry if that word is offensive to anyone, it is my fault cause I always called my kids: butt faces and I know that isn’t a very nice word but I used it only in the kindest way possible…….not sure there really is a kind way to use that word…..oops…. I just realized that I am not a perfect mother =O????  Now that is a real bummer cause I really thought I was a perfect mom……….just kidding but I did think I was pretty close!!=) of stuff inside!  Just let me know and I can call the office and let em know! 

So I have only worked about 4 days here in my new area, cause the other days i was in divisions or in conferences, so I AM TOTALLY LOST! Haha we are pretty lost in our area to say the least! But hey, we will just keep on going!  We took a bus from one part of our area to one of the other sectors and well we missed the stop by about 10 stops! Haha we ended up backtracking for about 40 minutes, then we finally got to the house we were searching and NO ONE was there... woof  So I was feeling kinda like a complete loser for wasting almost a whole hour searching and backtracking and it was a tuff day, no one was home nor wanted to talk or accept lessons.  The only person that wanted to talk was a flippin Jehovah Witness, and he just wanted to tell me I was going to go to Hell for Celebrating Christmas and My Birthday... LAME SAUCE!!! (I like this expression, LAME SAUCE, I am sooo going to use it!! ) 

…..But we just held our tongues and invited him to our Christmas Activity this Friday...  WOOF!!!   So after such a spiritual experience, we found out one of our investigators that has her baptismal date for the 24th lied to her family and us about attending church and activities so that was a bummer.  So in the street I was just felling down and I saw a teenage walking our way he is like 19 and I felt I should contact him, I just shrugged my shoulder and said, well what have I got to lose... And FINALLY someone was interested and accepted an appointment!  His name is Axel, his grandma is a member and has always been interested!  It’s amazing how just one contact can change everything!  We were so happy afterwards; we were high fiving and everything, haha it’s like we won the super bowl... to say the least things are a little different here in La Molina and a lot richer and tuffer!  So pray from me and I love yall sosososososo much!  I’m so excited to Skype you all this 24th at 9 o’clock in the morning Peruvian time!

I WILL BE MAKING MY PRE PHONE CALL TO TALK TO YOU AROUND 11:30!!!  I WILL ONLY HAVE 3 MINUTES!!  (I think we really got like 50 seconds, The only thing I got to say was, “Are you happy?” and “I love you, BYE, this was all at the same time as the rest of my family since Marty put us all on speaker phone…..I wanted to be the only one to talk to him for once!! Just sort of kidding???) SO I WILL TELL YOU NOW WHAT IS UP SO IT WONT BE SO CRAZY!  I will be skyping you the 24th at about 9:15 in the morning Peruvian time!!  I guess HE doesn’t he realize… that is 7:15 AM, Utahvian TIME??  Wow, maybe he really doesn’t really want to talk to me??.... since EVERYONE  KNOWS that I am soooooo not a morning person!!  AND we are skyping so he will be able to see us with our hair all sticking out everywhere and not an ounce of makeup either cause there is no way that I can get up and make myself look less like a scary pale witch at 6:30 am, NOT EVEN FOR MY CUTE SPENCER!!!!  Well, hopefully the picture showing on his computer will be a little blurry, but our picture of him should be crystal clear!!  (it will probably end up being the opposite, we won’t be able to see him clearly and he will see us VERY CLEARLY!!) =)… Oh well, it doesn’t matter because it is the BEST Christmas present EVER!!! =)

LOVE YOU ALL AND HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

 Elder Spencer Marty McGhie
















Some pictures of Spencer at Christmas





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I’ll Go Where You Want Me To Go

Okay, here is Spencer’s Email from December 12^th…. but he was so sad and he also sent us a little voice recording and you could just tell he was trying to be happy but he wasn’t at all successful!! (at least not to my very keen “MOM” radar……….he cant fool me!!=) So, I being HIS MOM, had wanted him to stay in Santa Anita with Wonderful Elder Brown for Christmas and then when he was so sad and it was so obvious in his voice and in his email………….well, I cried pretty much on and off all day cause I just wanted him to have the most amazing Christmas this year and it felt to me like it wasn’t going to happen, so I cried!!!  But of course in his next email he was HAPPY SPENCER again, so I just sort of didn’t send this email out and then when I got his happy email, I decided to attach last weeks to this weeks and I am very sure that this hasn’t made a bit of sense to anyone but me…………..sorry!!  Basically I was trying to tell you why it is a week late being sent to you...Lame Sauce!!  I just had one more realization that I am not the perfect MOM that I was so clinging to…………….bummer again!! =O!!!!  Anyway, here is last weeks email!!  Carrie =)!!!

HEY FAM Y AMIGOS!

So, how’s life in the fast lane?   I sure hope you’re doing great!  So I guess I should start off with the news… Transfers came and took me with them, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!   It’s true, I was SUPER Bummed out, I wanted to stay in Santa Anita with Elder Brown for Christmas SO BAD, but I guess that’s just the way the cookie crumples… ¡PUCHA! (it’s like flip or freak in English)  So I traveled super far to my next area… almost a whole HALF HOUR! YAY!!! Haha   I got transferred to La Molina.  It’s like the richest part of Lima, and my area is about 20 minutes from the MTC here in Bus.  Haha so I will be in practically the same place as I was last year… Go figure eh?  My area is called MUSA and it’s the area where elder Brown started his mission!  QUE LOCO!  So my area is really interesting, I thought it was all going to be super rich but I was a little bit off… Don’t get me wrong there are parts of my area that are ridiculously rich! Like its all intercoms and not doors, then there is a part that is above average, but not crazy rich, that’s where we live and there is a pretty poor part.  So, it’s pretty interesting, but it is REALLY, REALLY, REALLY Safe.  So you can be happy about that MOM (that’s me!), La Molina is like the nicest and safest district in Lima! 

 And I’m now with Elder Huanca (wanka, like willy wonka)  And well he was my zone leader for 3 changes when I started his mission, and now we are Zone Leaders together!  But there is one problem… He is in his last transfer and did not want to finish his mission as a zone leader… woof! HAHA so this should be an interesting transfer to say the least.  He is pretty trunky, but he wants to finish his mission working, that us really all I can ask for!  So please pray for us…  I’m going to need some serious prayers this transfer!!! 

So Saturday one of my investigators with Elder Brown had his baptism.  And well we are neighboring districts, I called President Ardila to see if I could see the baptism, and President Ardila being the Champ that he is let me go see the baptism!  YES!!!  It was pretty awesome to be able to see his baptism and Elder Brown again!  And well a family that Elder Brown and I were teaching together attended the baptism and they all have baptismal dates for Christmas!  How great is that! For the family and Elder Brown!  If someone deserves to baptize like crazy it’s Elder Brown!  So after the baptism when we got back here in Musa, won’t lie I was having a pity party.  In 3 months in Santa Anita we fought and fought and there weren’t many results, and now I got sent to another area where we don’t have anyone, and I have a companion finishing his mission and all our investigators that Elder Brown and I taught are getting baptized!  That was my pity party and I was just sitting there thinking, feeling sorry for myself, and I just took a deep breath and said, well for some reason the Lord wants me to be here in Musa right now.  Got down on my knees and really just thanked Heavenly Father for the time I had in Santa Anita, my time with Elder Brown and the chance I have to serve here in Musa.  Its times like these when you just got to remember this isn´t our time and like the Hymn says, “I’ll go where you want  me to go Dear Lord”… 

I am SO grateful for the Family I have, your example all that you have taught me and still teaching me even if I’m on another continent.  I love ya so much,  I hope you all have the Very Best Christmas you have ever had, because YOU DESERVED IT!   Love you all SO much, I’m trying to send packages home with my pics and letters for friends and fam at home and in the mission field, I can´t promise anything, but I’m going to try!

I love yall!   Until next week!

Elder Spencer Marty McGhie.

Ps… My pics wouldn’t load, sorry and please pray for Elder Biliter, he is with Elder Arnao, my second companion, the really, really hard one... And you already have pics of Elder Huanca, when we took a bunch of pics at the temple with Elder Porter, Rojo, Corbridge, and all them he is in those pics! CHAU!

 

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Some Old pics from a while ago with his new comp in them!!





Okay here are these missionaries names from our left to right:
Elder Porter, Elder Huanca, Elder Zarate, Elder Corbridge,
Elder Rojo (Spencers trainer), and Spencer or Elder McGhie =)

 

The same people as above only being "Spencerish" or in
other words, weird like Spencer (but only in a good way) =)



La Mano del Señor! Google Translator said it means........The Hand of The Lord

What’s up FAMILY  Y AMIGOS!!!!!!

I hope all is well, I am very anxious to see how you are all doing and what is going on… I know you feel the same so lets get started!!! First off I gotta tell you about Ricardo.  He is THE MAN! I think I told you a little about him last week,but really he is amazing!  He has 3 tumors in his body and the doctor said he has some where from 3 months to a year to live and he is just unphased!!!  He just says he knows he is going to beat it because he is changing his life!!! The first time we met him we were on splits, I was with elder Udall and we entered his apartment and it was just one little room with a giant poster of a half naked lady… woof.   So I decided to tell him how it is without fear and just trust in the Lord…  So we got to talking and he said he really wanted to change and become a man of God again.  We read Mosiah 3: 19 that talks about the natural man, pornography.  We told him if he really wanted to change his life he would start now and take down the poster… what did he do….. he immediately ripped it off the wall!!!  O YEAH!  10 POINTS FOR GRIFINDOR!!!  It was awesome, and he is a true champion and going to get baptized this week!  Please pray for him, there is a lot of opposition, but I know he can get through it!

         

Next story, yesterday we had a stake activity, a Door Knocking activity, Elder Brown and I with 2 other companionships headed out with a bunch of youth and young single adults to knock doors… It’s a good way to help missionaries get new investigators and excite the members, but the results are usually rather small.   I went with 2 teenagers, one is 13 the other 17, it was their first time going with missionaries to preach or knock doors, so they were rather nervous and I was too because the first time preaching is like a first impression, they are going to start forming their opinions and expectations for their missions and missionary work…  Well, we had about nothing for an hour.  I started to get a little panicked and saw they were a little disanimado ( I don’t know what that is in English).  So we knock on a door and I see some guys shadow, I wave and then he just bails… I was like umm ok, so we knocked again and he didn’t come to the door, so we knocked a little bit louder and he answered the door… I knew he was gold when he opened the door and had a hat on that said ¨Say Yes to JESUS!¨  haha!!  I gotta get me a hat like that, but anyways, he let us right in…  Turns out he is from HUANUCO! And he lived by my first area! He had moved to Lima about 2 years ago but all his family is in Huanuco…  we started talking, turns out his parents and sister were members in Huanuco… SCORE!  So we went to Helaman 5: 12 and we talked about the verse, I asked him how can we build ourselves on the rock of Christ?  He said, well we could be born again, like through a baptism… I just about fell off my chair flat on my face!!! The 2 youth looked up like WHAT THE HECK! I then invited him to be baptized on Christmas…HE ACCEPTED!  Flip it was AMAZING!  We left his house in awe, I looked at the 2 youth and we just started high fiving like crazy!!! 

         

I just keep learning again and again that this is the LORD´s work and He knows all!!!  I’m so grateful to be here working in Peru, what a blessing it is!!! We took some investigators to the Christmas devotional yesterday and it was awesome.  I had a weird and rather scary thought , that at the next Christmas devotional, I won’t be a missionary in Peru, I will be at my house or maybe in the conference center! AHHH!!!   This time is flying by!  I gotta give it all while I can!!!

LOVE YA, AND THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!!! 

BYEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Spencer Marty McGhie!!!!!!!!! 



So, I should tell ya why my thumb is purple in this

pic... I smashed it in a door like 2months ago...

YES! 10 POINTS FOR GRINFINDOR!

Were definetly the words that came out

of my mouth... haha but its growing back...



 this is the first mcdonalds i had eaten since

i got here in Peru...brought back

serious memories with my bro COLLIN! 

I want a letter from that kid!

Love ya,enjoy!

Elder MCGHIE!

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