Miracles and the Runs... Welcome to the Mission!!!

Warning!!!!! ....this is from me, Carrie and I am preparing you with this warning because Spencer’s first paragraph below probably has more information about his digestive system, than you would ever want to know ....so read on with caution !!

¡¡¡ Hola familia y todos mis amigos maravillosos ¡¡¡

Well this has been one of the craziest weeks of my life!!! Craziest… meaning, it was

hard and rewarding at the same time!! TO

say the least, this week is  best described

as a Roller Coaster Ride. But before I give

ya the details, I would like to start with a question....  Have you ever taken a Gallon of Milk that is full, taken off the lid, turned it upside down (over a sink, hopefully) and listened to the noise it makes?  Well If you have you can think of that and then imagine that sound and me on the TOILET, ALL WEEK!!! I have had the

worst case of the Runs known to mankind this week…  I don’t know how I didn’t have an accident, it was some type of  a miracle or something.  Thursday we left the house of Hermana Genoveva after dinner and about 5 minutes later I was half sprinting to her house to run to her bathroom!! Oh I love PERU!!!  But anyways, sorry if that got a little graphic for ya, haha! I felt it was necessary, and mom you don’t have to send that part to like my Grandmothers or aunts, but I figured the returned missionaries especially from South America would appreciate it, and of course my buddies... haha!!!

So, anyway we finished the week with 3 BAPTISMS!! The theme of the week is MIRACLES.  We had miracles on a daily basis, they almost became normal! Haha just kiddin, but seriously this week was just completely nuts!!!  Hermanos Juan, Javier (they are 14 and 15 yr old brothers, oh and in case you didn’t know this is Carrie talking in the parenthesis, also does anyone remember Spencer talking about an investigator named Jesus in his last emails??) and Jesus all were baptized this week!!! And it was just nuts finding them for lessons, interviews and all that jazz!!! So it started last Monday, we had an appointment scheduled with Juan and Javier to see how they were doing and to see if they still wanted to be baptized.  We went to their house but of course they weren’t there.  Then we went to their aunts house, who is a member and their cousin’s house who are members as well, and they weren’t there… I was so bummed because they wanted to be baptized like 2 weeks ago and now we cant even find them to talk to! But we kept the faith and endured, so like 20 minutes later we went by their house again, but there wasn’t anyone there! As we were walking down the street we turned the corner and we saw this little pack of hoodlums walking down the street about 100 yards away, I said that they looked like Juan and Javier, so we started walking faster and it started looking more and more like them. So we walked a little faster and faster and faster and as we got closer to them, I knew it was them, but they saw us and started to run away (they ran away when the saw the missionaries?  Maybe they don’t like you, Spencer)! Haha, I wasnt having any of that, so we started to chase them down! Haha!!  I was like HEY, HEY!!! and then, HEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYY!!, Calling their names and then we caught up with them and we "GUIDED" them to their house to talk to us!!Hahahahaha!!! It ended up being just a fantastic lesson, FULL of the Spirit and they both said they wanted to be baptized and that they had already told their mom that they were going to get baptized no matter what she said, cause they now knew it was true!!! How great is that! Then we had some other crazy ups downs with Hermano Jesus who also is 15 years old. But I’ll tell ya those stories in 17 months (that statement makes me as a MOM, just a little bit nervous??) haha!!  But another great opportunity was that I got to Confirm Hermano Juan a member of the church. The Bishop gave me permission, and we had to do it later in another ward cause he couldn’t come in the morning to our ward, he had a mandatory meeting at his school. But he almost didn’t come to get confirmed, we were on a wild goose chase to find him again, cause if you don’t get confirmed your baptism isn’t complete and you aren’t an official member of the Church. AHHH!! It was so nuts,we couldn’t find him and so I told my comp, we gotta pray!!! So right there in the street we just walked over to the corner and just prayed we could find him and confirm him.. and of course the Lord Provided us the way, we found him, went to the church, and I got to confirm him a member! Apparently he forgot he had to be confirmed!! Jeez!!!(Just me again, this email was sort of confusing to me?? I am not sure why it was the hardest week ever and I don’t understand why he wouldn’t tell us what happened with the Jesus guy (just a bit concerned about that one??)  Also why were those boys running from him if they wanted to get baptized???, I am feeling a bit confused but I just had a happy thought, I think I will send Spencer some DESITIN in his next package !!!  …….just kidding, well maybe its a good idea, for real???)

Well guys, I gotta go, I was trying to send the pics of the 2 guys, but this computer wont read my camera!!!  Well, love you and this really was such a tuff week, but I could really feel Christ guiding me every step of the way.  And also satan working sosososososo hard to discourage me!!! OOHH the mission, crazy,crazy stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!
Your Son, or Brother, or Pal,

Elder McGHIE!!  LOVE YOU!!!!! 

My new Chilean Son, Elder Encina

HOOOOLLLLLAAAAA FAMILIA y AMIGOS!!!

Como Estamos!!! Well enough with that and on to the good stuff!!! Well there was a slight change of plans, Elder Gaspar left!!! He is in the same zone, but just went to another area...But dont fret, I have another kid!!! He is a Chileno kid!!!  His name is Elder Encina, from Santiago, but yeah i asked him if his house was in the Santiago North mission boundaries to see if he might know J Brown or Alex, but no, he lives in another mission!  So i was slightly worried when i heard my kid was going to be from Chile.  To say the least Chileans dont have a good reputation or name, in Peru haha!! But Elder Encina is really awesome, he looks just like Shrek but in Chilean form, and he is pretty funny!  I was scared because there is another Chilean in my district and he is pretty annoying, every other sentence is about how much better Chile is than Peru and Chile this Chile that!!! Can’t lie I’m not the biggest fan of Chile… AT ALLLLL!!! Sorry, Jordy and Alex… and whoever else likes Chile.  But Elder Encina has changed my opinion somewhat……...  But it’s all good, Elder Encina is pretty awesome and he is helping me a lot with my Spanish, like to pronounce the words the best i can and all that, its a work in progress, i can pretty much talk about anything that has to do with the church and sports but yeah its a work in progress (Sigh) haha!! 

So this week was fairly interesting, Elder Encina arrived Wednesday night so Tuesday and Wednesday I was with Elder Gaspar and we had some interesting experiences that I would like to share…. Aka:  GRINGO MOMENTS BABY!!! So first of all we are teaching this guy named Virginio, and he told me he will attend any church where he can just cry out and sing praises to the Lord… I just kinda thought, great we got a Crazy guy on our hands… and to say the least I was right haha! I explained to Virginio that we would like to start with a prayer, but that when we pray in group, one person, prays and we all listen and we pray together like that and in the end if we all agree with what was said, we say, “amen”.  And to say the least, he didn’t care what I said.  So Elder Gaspar started to pray and so did Hermano Virginio.  He started out quietly and then he got louder and louder and louder and before i knew it, he was like on the floor almost yelling, ¡¡¡OHHHH SEÑOR MY SALVADOR; SALVA ME!!!!!! And a lot of other things I just kinda looked at Elder Gaspar like ummmmmm??  WHAT is going on, it was all i could do to keep myself from bursting out laughing. But i held the laughter in.  SO to finish the lesson he said the closing prayer and I said, how bout we all kneel down this time, so that he didnt have to go all crazy, so we all knelt down, and he stood up!!! Haha I just shook my head and he started to pray and after about 5 minutes he fell to his knees in prayer and just kept praying his little Peruano Heart out!!! Haha but he didnt attend church Sunday and i dont think he is very interested, so we might not see much of dear old Virginio, haha!

Another interesting moment was we were walking through the market after a no-show lesson and I was talking with this old guy in the market and then I asked him when we could come by and teach him, he was thinking and said, how bout now? Umm…I thought to myself, You bet you bottom dollar brother, lets go!!!  SO this old guy invites us over and there wasn’t anyone else home and about 3 minutes into the lesson he says, excuse me one second, im going to go and buy us some soda and he just leaves us all alone in the house, he just straight up bails?? Haha!  We could have robbed the joint, its amazing the trust here in Peru ahah, but then he CAME back we proceeded to talk and then he pulls out this Bible and it looked like it weighed about 50 pounds.  He said that he bought from the Catholic church.  He said he paid 1 sole every day, all of last year to buy it, but that he never reads it and wants to learn??? Haha! and this Bible was like the biggest thing I’ve ever seen haha, I mean seriously, it was GINORMOUS !!! So we taught him and we go back for the next lesson tomorrow and we will see if he is really interested or not!

Well EVERYONE, thanks so much for all the support, I hope you got all the pictures, i sent two emails home loaded with pictures so if you didn’t then mom you can log on and snag em!!!

Thanks so much!!! LOVE YOU SOOSOSOSOS MUCH! Till next Monday!

Elder Spencer Marty McGhie!!!

Ps- Im waiting for my package! Haha I need some deodorant,  old spice- pure sport, like 3 of em and a laminated copy of my mission call and D&C section 4, typed up by MOM!!!

LOVE YA BYE!!!



Elder McGhie and Elder Encina

 




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SAME RAINBOW, DIFFERENT COLORS





Spencer LOVES his MOM, thats ME!! :)





Happy Mothers Day to their Pentionsita,
She is really great and they love her and her cooking :)!!




Elder Gaspar and Elder Mcghie

 

Elder Gaspar and Spencer :)!



ISNT SPENCER CUTE !!!  I SURE MISS HIM BUT HE IS DOING GREAT!!!  THIS PICTURE IS OF SPENCER AND ELDER GASPAR BUT I DONT KNOW WHO THE WOMAN IN THE PICTURE IS, SORRY!!!

ELDER MCGHIE AND ELDER GASPAR!

I'm a (missionary) Father!!! haha!! Dont Judge me!!!

Well Howdy there Fam and Amigos!!!

Seems like just yesterday we talked or something?  Oh wait because we did!!! That was so awesome i can’t even describe it! It was sososososososo Great to actually hear your voices and to talk!!! I was just the happiest little camper in the whole wide world!!!  And I only cried like 4 times during the phone call, look at us, we are improving! Haha!! Well i should start off the email by saying that we got a phone call from the zone leaders last night saying we had early changes, and my comp Elder Arnao was going to Lima and leaving tomorrow morning!!! So off he went this morning and here I am, with Elder Gaspar, ¡¡¡MI HIJO!!!(that means “My Son”!!) Haha! Hooray im a dad!.... Well in mission terms, so its looks like I’ll be training Elder Gaspar from Colorado, here in Good old Huanuco (note from Carrie again, sorry, but it took me a while to figure out what they were talking about with them being dads and sons and saying things like “my kid”, I thought they were talking about a young teenager who was staying with them or something?  I am sure you all are way more with it than I am and know that it means that Spencer will be this Elders trainer, but I thought, just incase someone out there isn’t quite up on the missionary lingo and was confused, I would clarify that !!Bye)!!! Looks like 6 more weeks for this guy at least in Huanuco! Haha that means, one fourth of my mission in Huanuco alone! Haha, thats nuts, im pretty happy with it, i wont lie. It isnt 100 percent sure or finalized but it looks like its pretty much a for sure that I’ll be here!!! Its like 95 percent sure.  So that’s pretty awesome news! I can´t lie i was fairly happy to see my comp, Elder Arnao go...... dont judge me!! I love the kid, but its that type of love, that ya love em from a distance haha!! Almost like talking to someone with bad breath, sure ill talk to ya but from about 5 feet away.  So yep there’s the big news, I, Elder McGhie am a dad and my kid is the Best!!! He’s a champ, all he wants to do is work hard, baptize, and obey!!! We are just going to work to death!!! Im pretty sure this is an answer to my prayers.  And if im here in Huanuco for 6 more weeks i gotta start running or something, cause im just a fatty(* note of explaination from me Carrie again (sorry!)……he thinks he is getting fat because he ran into someone he hadn’t seen for a while and they said, “getting a little bit fat, Elder McGhie”?  So now he is paranoid) ! And in six weeks ill be a flippin tank walking around here. Haha!!

So i figure ill share some of the frustrating news from last week.  We had 2 teenagers, Javier and Juan, brothers, their uncles and aunts are all members and cousins, they gave us the referral, so Saturday was supposed to be their baptism, they had received the answer to their prayers and were really excited for their baptism.  Then Friday came along and we went to get them for their baptismal interviews, and they were both gone, which was really strange of them to bail on an appointment.  Turns out that one of them had gone with their mom for the day and the other had a soccer game.  I gotta explain about their mom….. so they all were a happy family, Their dad, mom and the 2 boys, but she had an affair with some guy and then just bailed on the family and started a new one!!! Yeah, pretty messed up, and their dad works far away and is only home weekends so the boys are pretty much on their own (they are 14 and 15 yrs old).  When their mom caught word that they were going to be baptized she came and picked Juan up to go and  spend some time together (LIES!!! WOOF!),when all she just did was trash the church and bag on the church and put a bunch of doubts in his head and told him a bunch of lies! Juan is the younger one and she just destroyed the little guy!!! We found this all out Saturday when we went to get them for their interviews cause they bailed on us Friday, so we got there to pick him up and the other kid was gone! Javier! They said he wouldnt get back till 7 that night and his baptism was at 5!!! Then we talked with Juan and his dad, and their dad was so ticked off at their mom! He isnt a member and doesn’t wanna listen, but he wants his kids to be in the church to grow up right or something, so we just had to bag the baptism cause of their mean mother!!!  I mean seriously, if i ever meet that lady, I’ll give her something to think about

(He really won’t be rude to her, I promise!!)!!  And also they didnt attend church Sunday cause they were with their mom all day for mother’s day! AAAHHHHHH!!! So she probably just made it even worse! We have a lesson tonight with them, and i hope we can fix this mess and they can get baptized this Saturday! Please pray for them and me and my companion! I’m a bit scared cause my new comp doesnt speak Spanish and I have to train him and teach him Spanish!!! I gotta do it all! Pray for my Spanish and that I can do this! I cant lie, I’m kinda scared!!! But with all your prayers and the help of the Lord I know I can do it! Thanks to everyone!!!!!!!!! I love yall, sososososososo much!!! Talk to ya next Monday!
Elder Spencer Marty McGhie!!!

p.s. Sorry mom, no photos today, I have so many to send but I had to help Elder Gaspar figure out how to send his letter to President Leyva and I’m all out of time!!! Don’t worry I’ll make sure to send a bunch next week!!! With much love, from your slightly chubby son... hahahahaha Elder McGhie!!!!! (Isn’t he just the cutest missionary? Don’t answer that question………..I just wanted to tell everyone how cute I think he is, being his mom, who had to haul him up the stairs to his room about once a week and hold the door closed until he could figure out how to calm himself down (he was only like 5 and still so cute too!), I CAN SAY THAT!!! J!!!)(Spencer would not be happy I just said that about hauling him to his room but it is true, and look how amazing he is today J!!!)

HEY EVERYONE, GOOD IDEA FOR YOU……. RIGHT NOW OR WHEN YOU HAVE TIME (BUT VERY SOON), LETS ALL WRITE SPENCER A LETTER!!!  BRILLIANT IDEA ON MY PART J!!!  REMEMBER YOU CAN JUST SEND HIM AN EMAIL AND SEND IT TO ME…… csmcghie@signs.com and I will forward it to him (if emails come from any address other than mine they go in the trash file, I don’t know how but they did that in his mission?), or you can write him a “dear elder” letter at http://www.dearelder.com/, just write to Elder Spencer McGhie and pick the Peru Lima East Mission or you can just write him a letter, put it in an envelope with this address on it:

Elder Spencer McGhie
Peru Lima East Mission
Calle Los Agrologos 368
Urbanizacion Las Acacias de Monterrico
La Molina, Lima 12

And take it to the post office and mail it or someone told me a 2 page hand written letter would make it to Spencer with just one regular stamp * Note is has to be a 98cent stamp to make it to Spencer!!!.  J!!  Sorry to be a pain but I gotta keep Spencer happy and getting letters from all of you make him VERY HAPPY!!!! So let’s all write in our planners to write to Elder McGhie J!!!  Thank you all, you are all wonderful J!!!! Love, Carrie, the pushy mom of Spencer J!!!!!!  THANKS!!! WE LOVE ALL OF YOU!!!!!

SPENCER HAS BEEN ON HIS MISSION..6 MONTHS TODAY!!! :)

IN HONOR OF SPENCER BEING ON A MISSION FOR 6 MONTHS TODAY, HE AND HIS COMP BURNED A TIE IN PERU AND WE BURNED A PAPER TIE (I made it and it looks like a fish?), RIGHT HERE IN GOOD OLD UTAH, IN THE BACKYARD :)!!!  

Pictures of the GRAND EVENTS ARE SHOWN BELOW!!!  It was quite a celebration :)!!!haha!!!


                       SPENCERS PERU CELEBRATION :)
           I cant figure out why this picture turnd on its side when I added it?  So confused?? :)!!

SPENCER BURNING HIS TIE IN PERU,
ANYONE KNOW HOW TO GET THE PICTURES TURNED THE RIGHT WAY???



OUR UTAH CELEBRATION



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WHAT A FUN TIME WE HAD BEING HAPPY AND EXCITED THAT WE LIVED THROUGH 6 WHOLE MONTHS OF SPENCERS MISSION, THE FIRST FEW MONTHS WERE A BIT ROUGH BUT WE DID IT :)!!!! 









The Hair Part is back baby!!! And this time it aint messin around!!!

HHHHHHHOOOOOOOLLLLLAAAAAAA!!!
Well here we are another Monday, and this guy almost has 6 months in his mission, what the heck!!!  So pretty much i got your package and it was the greatest thing this world has ever seen!!! I was as giddy as a little school boy! The package was just fantastic.  I loved my pillow case from Teresa, it is Awesome!  I laughed out loud when i read her letter about Maddie picking out the pink bunny fabric for me!  I do have to say that its really, really AWESOME!!! My comp looked at me like i was nuts haha, he asked me, “why do you have a pink pillow case with bunnies and such things”, I just smiled and laughed and said, “Why? Well why not!” It really is great haha, and the candies were honestly just like eating a piece of Heaven, i took my first bite of a snickers candy bar and i honestly knelt down and just thanked Heavenly Father for that package, my snickers and that I’m from the United States! Dont judge me, that is how much that snickers bar meant to me!!! Of course i gave one of the Snickers to Elder Corbridge and my other Pal Elder Porter, my Gringo Buddies.  And dont worry of course i shared my other candies with my comp and the others, but the snickers and the cookies and cream Hersey’s bars are sacred, i lie not!!! So that was so amazing and it was so nuts to look at a newspaper.  It was actually like, my house and the United States actually exist and aren’t some far off dream land!!! It was just too great!!! I cant lie!!!

And well also I didnt know that we got to do those pre-phone calls either! So when they told me in the morning i got to call home for 5 minutes and schedule the time exactly when im calling, i just about fell on the floor! I got really, really nervous for some reason and immediately went to the bathroom and parted my hair.  For some strange reason it was like an instant reflex, and since then i have to part my hair again, its the only way!!! The hair part lives and is thriving baby!!! And this time its definitely here to stay well at least till November of 2012! hahahahaha. 

But anyway before all of you judge me too much i will continue on, so dad, wow that was like the most amazing thing in the entire world to talk to you on the phone!!! You answered the phone exactly how you always do... Heeeello this is Marty... and i just burst out DAD!!! It was pretty much the coolest thing ever to just talk to ya!!! Cant lie I was kinda nervous before the phone call and to call on Mother’s day, like mom, i didn’t want to like fall back and miss the family all over again, i was a little bit worried but after just talking for 5 minutes, i cant be more excited to call you guys!!! Its going to be the best thing ever! So yes im calling from here at 3 pm which is 2 pm there, i will call so you can see the number and then call me back!!! Wow I’m so stoked!!!

So life is just great, I’m in a trio right now!? Yeah thats right, i have 2 companions, but my other companion is from the States!!! He is from Pueblo, Colorado and we will be in a trio till the next transfers on the 11^th of May.  His name is Elder Gaspar, and he is a visa waiter, his Spanish, well its doing alright, it’s cool to realize that hey, i actually speak some pretty good Spanish!!! But im not content i wanna speak really, really, really awesome Spanish so i will continue on studying!  So we had a baptism, ill send pics, we have 2 more baptisms for the 7th of May,  2 teenagers, Juan and Javier, brothers of 15 and 14 years old.  They are awesome and stoked to be missionaries too in 5 years.  So pray for them if ya will!!! This letter is short cause i wanna send pictures home, Mom tell Kyle I got his dear elder and his package, he is just the MAN!!! I love that kid so much!!! I want his and Daytons MTC addresses to send them letters in the MTC, please!!! But really tell Kyle, thanks so much, it meant the world to me!!! HE IS THE MAN! And tell him fo sho we are living together after the mish at college and WORLD CUP 2014 is totally ON!!! K, I love you all and I wanna send some pics, so thanks so much and i will talk to you SUNDAY at 2 pm, your TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!
With all the love I can muster,

Elder Spencer Marty McGHIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 My baptism, the little girl in white is named Leslie, the cousin of one of my converts, Kevin, and he baptized her, it was the best! We dont really teach little kids ever, but she always attends church even by herself and her dad is member but inactive, so we taught here, but she never got her permission, then Thursday night we finally found her dad and she got permission and was baptized!!! She is so cute! She reminds me of Caroline, how she talks and she always is practicing volleyball! it was awesome!!! My new other comp is the little Latino looking elder right next to me!!!

  Kyle sent me this shirt! Cant thank him enough!!! I just read about Bubba! Thats sososoooso AWESOME! ECUADOR! Tell him congrats! And i love him and he will be the best missionary! And maybe you guys could send big Dayton a tie from our family and some cookies, just a good thought, cause he has to learn Japanese and that well, is really tough! haha, and i really wanna know how Tyson is doing in Canada!!! THANKS MOMACITA, I LOVE YOU!!! Hey and mom, if you could do some great facebook stalking and tell me who won SBO’s this year that  would be awesome!

 Me and my package from home, just as happy as i can be!!! (this is Carrie, I promise those are only the covers of the Sports Illustrated Magazines. Not the whole magazine and I padded the box with old newspapers, I guess that is what he was reading?)  Oh and i sent Ainsley the personal letter that she asked for, today so be on the look out!  Im still having those desires to sometimes drop kick Elder Arnao!!  Oh and its like 90 percent chance I leave Huánuco this transfer, NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!





 

Semana Santa

Hoooollllaaaa!

I´m sure by now mom is having a total freak out cause she hasn’t gotten an email from me yet today(FREAKING OUT IS SORT OF AN UNDERSTATEMENT!!!..THIS IS CARRIE BY THE WAY J!!)!  It’s because we had a little conference with President Leyva, well the leaders did, the District Leaders and The Zone Leaders, so I was in splits with the other district leaders companion and so, it was a great morning!  We had breakfast, I got like 3 hours of personal study and we had a solid companion study and i got to take an hour nap!!! I was so dang happy!!!

Well to start out, let’s just say that, Easter in Peru is not at all like Easter in Utah!  Haha, so Easter is a whole week long here.  No one has school or works, they call it the Semana Santa, or The Holy Week and pretty much it’s just like spring break or something?? haha.  Except for the part where they actually reenact the crucifixion of Christ? Yeah here in Huanuco, they have like actors and they actually like beat em and spit on them? I dont know how you could do that when the person is acting as Christ and then they spit on them but I guess that is how Christ was treated so they want to make it real???  Ohhh the Catholics in Peru, i just don’t get it!  But anyways so Thursday they all stop selling meat, so my pension made us fish, it was alright, but then she asked me if i wanted soup, i said, Well, Why not, I love me a good soup... but this was no- good soup! It was a soup of fish eggs!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!! And yes you know i ate that whole darn thing!  Just smiling and acting like it was just the best thing i had ever eaten.  It wasnt too bad, it was just the thought that i was eating fish eggs... AAAHHHH, well my exclamation key stopped working, but just imagine a whole crap load of exclamation points there.  It was easily one of the weirdest things I have eaten, but hey…. Welcome to Peru (with exclamation points).  Well this has been a pretty well, I cant lie… hard week, but I’ve learned a lot.  This week was just a weird dream almost.  I cant lie i read Ainsleys email about her graduating and it was late at night before my prayers.  I cant lie, i was just balling in my prayers.  I haven’t cried in quite a while, and it just all came out.  I think something  just hit me this week, with my struggles with my comp, our struggles in our area, (we had no investigators

progressing) and just reading the letter that my big sis, is graduating from college, just hit me like a bag of bricks.  I just realized wow, i have almost been a missionary for 6 months?  What the heck, and my mission is one forth over almost, i dont know, i was just thinking of all our good times, me and Ains and i just broke down, I was never supposed to get old, i mean what the heck im turning 20 in like 4 months, and then i read Collins letter about him graduating and all that and getting ready to go to BYU and i was like WHAT THE HECK is going on in this world.  It seems like yesterday i was with Ainsley and she was driving me in Lola to baseball practice or just hanging out.  And what happened?  Yesterday i was with Collin and all my buddies just hanging out being a kid, a year ago it was me at the student government inauguration, I dont know it just all hit me all at once and i just was in shock, but all is well now!  I’m just back to work again.  Well, enough of me being a baby i have to tell you about our service project Thursday.... CONSTRUCTION IN PERU IS NUTS;   My pension is building the back of her house, which we destroyed for her, like a month ago, but this time we got to lay the roof!!! It was so awesome and so nuts, i have to send you the pics.  We just had one machine and we had to fill up our buckets from the little cement machine, put it up on our shoulders, hike up a homemade step ladder on the side of the house and then pour the cement.  Their insulation is foam with cracks for the wiring to go through!!! Pretty much the most nuts thing ever, it was dang hard but so awesome.  It was such a crazy experience.  I was just comparing it to when we laid cement in our house in Utah, with wheel barrows a giant truck to pour the cement compared to what we did here so awesome!!!!! Well im going to bail out here so i can send ya the pics!!! I GOT MY PACKAGE!!!! Hooray!!!! and the office called and they got the package from Kyle so I’ll get it next week, I haven’t had a chance to open the package yet it, but im so excited!!! (hey,the exclamation mark is working again!!!!) Love you so much fam! The mission well is dang hard, but the change i can already see in myself is amazing.  I have grown so much, and i just dont know what to say, other than I LOVE THE MISSION!!! And please pray for me! I would send you investigators to pray for but there arent any.... woof!!! Well love you sososososososososososo much! You’re always in my prayers, Con mucho mucho mucho Amor! (With very, very, very much love, thast what Marty said it meant in English!)

Elder Spence Marty McGhie!






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Who´s got 2 thumbs and a Foot Fungus... ¡¡¡THIS GUY!!!

Well good morning my dear family and friends! Another Monday is here, Hooray!!!  So I figured that the title of my email would get your attention haha, yes its true i have something terribly wrong with my feet! Haha i have had like this big white stuff on my feet, it just looked like blisters, and we have neighbors that are elders too, they are both Latinos, i asked one of them what the heck was  on my foot and showed him, he told me it defiantly was a fungus!!! AHHHHH!!! I guess that explains why my feet smell FEASO (meaning: really, really bad in English)!! I guess i have become immune to smelling things, my sense of smell is pretty much destroyed, i mean i love Peru but its definitely a 3^rd world or Ïmproving¨Country ß (Carrie here, not sure what those dots mean, maybe they are supposed to be quotes?) or whatever it’s called these days, and in the streets it definitely doesn’t smell great.  So yeah, i am now the foot fungus kid that can’t smell anything, Yeah For ME!!!! (he also is a little bit strange too!!) Haha that other elder had some foot fungus destroying cream, so i have been using it every morning and night and it seems to be helping! Now don’t go judging me, i shower every morning, and i even now floss my teeth and use Listerine! Yeah thats right, you heard it, I am a FLOSSER!  In the words of Caroline, this club definitely CANNOT handle me right now (for those of you, like me that don’t know what “this club can’t handle me now” reference is, they are lyrics to a song that Spencer and Caroline loved and would always sing it really loud while driving in Lola, Spencers green Van)!!!

So now I’ll just give you the Down Low on what happened this week in the Field! So we didn’t have any baptisms, but worse not ONE of our Investigators that are progressing came to Church this Sunday!!! Zip, Zilch, Zero, NADA! Ugh, that means that all of their baptismal dates are now in need of change cause you gotta attend church to get baptized, at least 2 times and a baptismal service... WOOF! But yeah its alright, so if your wondering about my companion, dont fret he still doesnt get up on time, but what can a man do!!! Im trying, and ill keep trying, but i cant complain too much, he is a really hard worker in the field, and we are really working, so that is great.

Well lets see, I really do not know how to describe my companion. Haha i found out he was in the Army this week? Umm that was about the last thing i would have every guessed that my comp did? He was in it for a year and a half, then bailed or something, i was shocked.  So he was in the army, but the other day he asked me if ever in my life i had seen another dude that i thought was good looking and liked???????? AHHHH!!! I looked at him and said …UMM WHAT!????! TO make sure i understood him, he then said, yeah like some other guy you saw and you thought yeah he is good looking i want to be like him or something like that? I cant lie i just about ran back to my room, packed my bags and got the heck out of there!!! I mean what kinda question is that??? Mom, im kinda of scared, I cant lie hahahaha!!! but really thats just a little bit on the weird side! And then after dinner we were walking and he told me a story of how he used to love to paint his sisters fingernails and toenails??? He told me he would spend a half hour on each finger! I’m sorry i just laughed out loud and once again asked the question, What in the Sweet Death are you talking about!? He asked me, well you have sisters right, havent you ever painted their nails or done their hair? I looked at him in horror, and said, UUUUMMMM NOOOO! JAMAS (that means never ever, ever, ever in English) Well maybe when i was 2 years old my sister painted my fingernails (don’t judge me i had no choice, i was a confused young lad!)! Of course i did not tell my comp that, i don’t want his fuzzy little foreigner mind to get the wrong idea.  So yes i might be living and preaching the gospel with the weirdest, strangest (and maybe gay) missionary that I have ever met!! And all I can do about it is just try and smile and work haha.  So please once more, i ask for some serious prayers for me this week!!!

So dad, i must thank ya right now for the talk you sent me by Elder Bednar.  It honestly hands down has CHANGED my life.  And i dont say that with the least bit of drama or sarcasm. That talk totally changed my view on everything.  Life, the mission, how i go about doing things.  Honestly, it was an answer to my prayers! I was doing exactly what Elder Bednar said, only using the Atonement to repent or when i am in need of something, and the rest of my personal obedience, when im trying to love and serve my companion, when im trying to just lose myself in the mission work.  I was just trying to do that through pure grit, and personal strength and self control... But it doesnt and shouldnt be that way!!! The enabling power of the Atonement is not just for sinners to become good people, no it’s really for all of us, trying to improve, trying to really change, and become better.  I have to tell you that I have felt the Healing and Enabling Power of the Atonement in my life this week.  Dad i know you were inspired to send me that talk.  It has completely changed my prayers and really my everything! I was having a rough week, i mean, you know I am loving the mission, but i hadnt really figured out how to just kinda let go of everything in my old life and just really lose myself in the work.  And its just my desire from the depths of my very soul to just lose myself and love the work.  I wanted to get to the point where my number 1 desire is to wake up at 6:30, to study and to really to preach the gospel.  But, I’m too weak to do it by myself.  But i have found how i can do it! I was praying all wrong, I was praying for a change in the situation, not in myself, that is what the talk by Elder Bednar that dad sent me, helped me realize, that I dont need to do it by myself.  I can become strong and blessed to have these desires be my number 1, thought hope and dream, through the power of the Atonement.  I have felt and seen this change within me this week.  Mosiah 3: 19 really is the key, a saint of CHRIST is the opposite of the natural man.  Someone who willingly submits to what the Lord has given him or the situation, the Lord sends us.  Thank you sosososo much for that talk dad!! I love you so much FAMILY!!! Ainsley is about to graduate! I cant believe it! I was so happy to receive part of that dear elder from Liney last week!!!  Liney you can use my sweatshirts whenever you darn well please!!! I love you little sis!!! Ainsley, good luck at graduation!!! I hope all goes well!!

Love yall,

Elder Spencer Marty McGHIE!!!

Ps mom, i need more of those ctr rings in Spanish, they are a hit!!! Everyone wants them,  all of my converts too! HAHA CHEVERE!!!( Meaning awesome or cool in English)!! Oh and i heard a David Archuleta song playing in the streets the other day! So i contacted the people and told them he is Mormon and my little sister knows him!!! HOW COOL IS THAT!!! David A in Peru!!! (HELLO?..Caroline really doesn’t know DAVID A.???)

Mom in my next package i want my Armies of Helamen, mommas boy shirt, and a cool copy or printed out typed up of D &C section 4, like you do on printshop, and please laminate it!!! LOVE YOU MOM!

Pss, how is Kory doing?  I need his address.  Also I need Challis’s address too!! And mom send Keaton my mailing address, tell him i love him, but he cant email me at this address, he has to email you!!! Thanks love ya!!!! Sorry no pics today... oops…. haha! Love you!!! Tell Brandon and Staples congrats for their mission calls and Bubba I’m way fippin jealous he got to see MESSI; send all my brothers my love and finally Collin wrote me! Ill respond to that next week!  Oh and tell Kyle there is a package at the mission office for me but it hasn’t been delivered to me yet!!

Love and thanks to all of you!!! Peace !

Hay Carumba... haha!!

Well hello there fam and friends another week has come and gone, and of course as usual, what a roller coaster ride it was!  Well wow I can honestly say my patience has never been tried harder than this last week. So my companion well he is a a good guy.  But definitely the weirdest person i have ever met in my entire existence on this earth.  Holy Cow.  So my comp is a great teacher and a hard worker when he is awake! O woof, he cannot get his butt out of bed to save his life.  Apparently the Lord really wants me to learn patience during my mission cause its definitely not one of my strengths and its just getting hammered.  My comp doesnt want to go to bed ever he just keeps talking and talking and referring to Preach my Gospel every 5 seconds.  Haha so we never get to bed on time, but i still get up so im just so tired and then he just sleeps in till flippin 7:15 AHHHHHHHHH!!!!! So difficult!!  So one night we were walking back to our room and i said man im so tired lets try to actually go to bed on time tonight.  And he said, well you cant go to bed till i go to bed its a rule.  I said yes your right but we really should try to get to bed at 10:30 as it says in our schedule, so we can get some sleep.  Then he started to get all butt hurt.   He then told me since i get up 10 minutes before 6:30 i am breaking the rules? HAHAHA He tried to convince me that i cant get up till exactly 6:30, i said no thats definitely not a rule, but i was breaking a rule without getting up at the same time as my comp... because he sleeps in till 7!!! I then told him no we can definitely get up before 6:30 to do exercises and such, but we definitely CANNOT sleep in past 6:30.  He then got Royally Butt Hurt cause i was calling him out on sleeping in for the 50th time this week.  He tried to convince me that it was different and not really a rule and he told me we should look at the missionary handbook to see what it says.  I said POR FAVOR lets take a gander and see what the handbooks says, it says we have to be up at the latest 6:30 at the same time as our comp.  But he realized that he was wrong before i could whip out the handbook and stopped me and said Elder McGhie, how much time in the mission do i have? (1 year) And then responded to his own question and told me, Now Elder McGhie i think i know the handbook and the rules by now.  I laughed out loud and said, Wow that is great comp you have been a missionary for a whole year and you STILL CANT GET UP ON TIME!!!!!!! Hahahahahaha to say the least VICTORY was mine, and oh it was SO SWEET!  But yeah he still doesnt get up on time... ugh, but he definitely is almost the spitting image of Steve Erkle and laughs just like him.  And in the middle of our planning session he just screams at the top of his lungs for like a good 5 seconds and proceeds to laugh hysterically (just like Steve Erkle) for like 5 minutes.   I just try with all i have to smile and try and laugh.  Sweet Death, i mean honestly will everyone receiving this letter please pray that i can have the patience not to kill my comp.  I seriously thought, i have now learned why he has never had a companion for more than 1 transfer - for his whole mission.  Haha but yeah thats the mission right, lots and lots of experiences! ;)  Moy Bien sorry i really just had to get that off my chest, if it made any sense I’ll be happy!!

So, this week we did have 2 more baptisms! YEAH!!! We had the baptism of Hermana Carmen and her son who is 12.  Her husband is a member and was inactive for about 7 years but he is definitely re-activating and the baptism of his son and wife was a huge step! I have pictures to send.  I honestly cant explain the feeling of baptizing someone.  I got in the Baptismal Font and it was freezing cold, but honestly i never feel the cold of the water.  The spirit is so strong and its honestly like my chest is on fire it just has this warm burning great feeling right in my chest and i know for a fact without a doubt it is the Holy Ghost.  And its in that moment when all the frustration, all the home sickness, all the doors not opened, all the people that just laugh in my face when i try to contact them and they just yell GRINGO! And run away, its really in that moment when all the frustration of companions and everything hard just melts away.  Im so blessed to have this gospel in my life its unbelievable.  And really the baptisms are amazing but that’s not all, maybe the very best part of the day is before i go to bed i can get on my knees and just talk with my Heavenly Father and knowing that i did everything physically possible to talk to people to teach with the spirit to love my comp and all others, its when i can kneel down and express my gratitude to my Father in Heaven knowing he is listening.  That is an experience i can have every day, i just got to go and work and try my very best.  And it'll all work out. Cause there won’t always be baptisms, but my Father in Heaven and his son the Lord and Savior is ALWAYS going to be there.  Sometimes we just got to get on our knees and ask.  I would like to issue a challenge to everyone reading this, probably you are already doing this but if not, please just try it, it will change your prayers.  First of all Kneel down, not on your bed but on the floor, secondly pray out loud, find a private spot and really just have a conversation, and 3rd at least once a week in one of your prayers, dont ask for anything just give thanks.  And if you do these things i promise you will see a change in your life and your prayers.  Love all of you, sorry if i just got crazy preachy on all yall, or if i sounded just like my dad... hahahaha but its true!!! The Gospel is True, LIVE IT!
Love ya!
Elder McGhie

O yeah remember the church songs that we always listened to when i was little, like Have you received his image in your countenance and How could they not believe? Those are the choruses of the songs and my comp has them in Spanish i all of the sudden heard those songs and i was paralyzed and like 10 thousand memories of my childhood came flying into my head! I cant lie i was a little trunky in that moment but hey just thought you would like to know and its a good memory for the fam too! And great songs! Well random i know but love you!!!

Carmen, Vidal her son and Lady her little girl and her husband Edgar and my ward! The guy with the glasses kneeling down is my Bishop John Bravo!

 Carmen and her son Vidal and her little girl named Lady and her husband Edgar.

Choose your love and love your choice... yeah maybe in November of 2013 (or way later than that! this is his mom :)!!!! haha

Buenos Dias!!! Que Tal? (Marty says it means how are you)

Well first off i will start by saying conference was just AMAZING!!! For the first time in my life i listened to every talk and took like a billion notes... haha how great is the mission or what! So first off im going to tell you dont worry im still in my same area! HORRAY! And i have a new companion! Haha o boy =) he is one of a kind, but really pretty awesome! So im going to describe him the best i can and i just have to clarify first i cant complain cause really all he wants to do is work and be obedient! But i gotta tell you about him, He is one of a kind to say the least haha.  So his name is Elder Arnoa (Are-now) he is Peruano from the city of Tacna, which is very close to Chile or so he tells me.  He is almost black but has a mole right in the center of his forehead so he looks like he is from India haha... Anyway so first off,  he is 24, has a girlfriend that is serving a mission in Mexico. So he really, really, really likes to talk and talk and talk.  He reminds me a lot of Steve Erkle, kinda laughs like him and he is the District Leader and he is freaking out and terribly nervous, its seems more like he is district leader but im the senior comp, haha he is really nice, really goofy, and well pretty funny.  He is just one rare bird.  I thought we were going to have problems the first day cause everyone groaned and told me sorry when they heard the announcement that he is my comp, but really i love the kid he is great, a little over the top but hey thats fine by me!!! For example the first morning i got up at 6:20, (yes that’s right its a miracle i know, 10 minutes early, im almost a morning person now!!!)  But he slept till like 7am and  i was like woof  i have to do this all over again.  But that night he asked me if there was anything he needed to improve and i just told him straight up, get your  butt outa bed (But with Amor) haha and I’ll be darned now he gets up! He really is quiet the character, a talking machine! But he teaches awesome and i can learn a lot from him! Its sorta a test of my patience, he is kinda “captain obvious” and when i ask him a question instead of  just answering the question he talks about the question and everything else possible like im 10 and then answers, i just grin and say thanks haha... Our first morning he tried to teach me how to tie my tie haha i was just laughing  and said yeah dont worry, i know how to tie my tie, my friend.  He is the king of cologne and deodorant; he uses about 4 different ones in the mornings and irons his clothes everyday!  I  couldnt help but laugh, he really is great, dont take the comments wrong they are with love, i just had to give you guys the down low! But yes that is my new comp! Ill send ya some pics too!  Alright now wasnt conference the BOMB!  First off all i only cried a little bit, when the Mo Tab was singing “The Spirit of God”! And one other time, during Elder Nelsons talk when he had that picture of  his grandson, then he paused and just looked me right in the soul and said,” in a little while that little boy will go through the temple, then he will go and serve a mission.”  I dunno it just hit me like a ton of bricks that the little kid was and is me!

I dunno,  alright dont judge me for being a softy! He also said then that little kid will go and get married... ummm yeah that definitely isnt me quite yet!!! Haha, what was up with that?  Like every talk was about getting married! Haha it made about half the missionaries in my district trunky especially the one with 20 months already! When President Monson in Priesthood started talking about that we just kinda laughed, i just shook my head and thought, well this talk definitely is NOT for me for 20 more months.  It was pretty funny! So we got to listen to almost all of conference in English! Funny story, so the first session of conference we got there and there wasnt the feed for English. So i was just thinking o yeah its alright i can watch it in Spanish and enjoy... WOOF!!! Conference in English is 10000000 times better!.. in Spanish its just not the same at all! Its not their voices, and there is no emotion! So that first session of Saturday was just not the same!  But the stake president hooked us Gringos up with English and we got to watch the rest in English!!! It was AMAZING! Just us four gringos with our own television and room and English! Yeah i know im spoiled and a baby but hey i have no problem admitting  it! So yeah conference was awesome and apparently with all those talks on marriage, ill get home in November of 2012 and be married before conference of April 2013... Or NOT! Haha!!  But it was such a great conference! I loved the talk by Elder Anderson in Priesthood about Missionaries for sure! I also really enjoyed the talk by Elder Scott about his wife, that was so LEGIT!  It was great to see good old Utah again! And mark my words family, April of  2013 we are going to the Sunday Morning session or a session together in the conference center!!!  All the talks were fantastic, the quote that i have in my mind is the one from Elder Anderson, “Its not what you can get from your mission, Its what you can GIVE!!!” Oh and of course the other one from Elder Scott, Serve an Early mission, then get back and get married! Umm... can anyone say that is terrifying to think about! haha but yeah i have a long time until i have to worry about that! As of now im just here in Huanuco Amarilis in my area Paucarbamba just preaching the Word!!! Love ya fam and friends, thanks for the letters and all the support!!  I’m always here, just waiting for packages!!! HINT HINT!

LOVE YOU GUYS!

Elder Spencer Marty McGhie!!!

The pic is taking forever to load so im just going to write you a little message while im waiting! So mom i really did feel really close to the fam while watching conference, i felt united! We were hearing the same words from the Prophet and the other Gen Authorities! I really kinda teared up thinking about you guys sitting in the house watching but its okay! we will watch together again really soon! !!! Oh and what day do Dayton, Kyle and Jake enter the MTC exactly? And if ya dont mind, instead of sending me just one big package, every now and then, how about sending  a lot of smaller ones??? haha sorry im a baby i just need some packages filled with lots of love with just weird things and crazy stuff and notes on napkins (like in my sack lunches from Altara) haha!!! Oh and please send me next week,  the quote that is framed in my room from Patriarch Stenneck!!! Love ya !!!

Spencer and his new companion, ElderArnoa, he is from, Tacna, Peru

Spencers own words: Title of the Picture: Personal
 Study, Lehi´s Dream... haha im so funny!