Hey Hey Hey Family!!
Last Thursday was transfers and it was quite an exciting day so let me run you through it. I got all packed up and headed off to catch a van in Ames, IAat 5am. We arrived in Iowa Cityaround 8:30 and all the missionaries were visiting in the foyer as all the new trainers were being gathered in for a meeting with President Jergensen. This is when President Jergensen said "Elder McGinn, come here I need to talk with you." Initially I was scared b/c it isnt always the best thing to be called over like that haha but president told me that all the other Spanish missionaries would be training these VISA waiters who would then be going to Argentina. He told me that he trusts me and wants me to train but said that he didn't know why the Lord had made it so that logistically, I wouldnt make sense for me. Then he told me that he got his answer to that question the day before when Church headquarters in Salt Lake called and informed him that they have a missionary in the MTC that was scheduled to come out to Iowa in April but he is already a fluent Spanish speaker, so he is coming out on Monday, March 25th. So president was like "You ready to train in a week?" I was like a deer in the headlights haha but I told him I'm excited and I went into that trainers meeting with my mind racing haha
Its interesting though because it will have to be in a tri-panionship b/c there are simply not enough spanish areas and he said that I would love the other companion I would be with. Then during the actual transfer meeting, President Jergensen announced that I would go to the Muscatine, Iowaarea to serve with Elder Arellano again hahaha So we are back together again after being apart for a quick 5-week transfer! So I am back with my trainer (my dad in mission lingo) and I will be training (become a dad) in a week from today haha so crazy! In other words, until Elder Arellano goes home at the next April 25th transfer, it will be Grandpa (Elder Arellano), father (me), and son (Elder Kevin Miranda from St. George,UT) hah we are going to have a blast and we will work hard together!!
As for the work, things are going great! We set a baptismal date with Alex for April 20th before I left Perry and just yesterday, Elder Arellano and I set a date for baptism with a girl named Irene for April 13th. She is friends with a girl in the ward and she has simple been prepared to learn and accept the restored gospel! She is very smart and loves to read the scriptures. We taught here the Plan of Salvation yesterday and it was powerful. I think sometimes we forget how wonderful it is to KNOW, not just believe, where we came from, why we are here, and what happens after we die. She loved it and we loved teaching her! The Spirit was strong. We also had 3 other members bring friends to Church with them yesterday and we look forward to working with them. So fyi, 4 missionaries cover the Muscatine Ward, 2 English-speaking elders and 2 Spanish-speaking elders(us). We share a car and I love the English elders! They are Elder Kilpatrick from Snohomish, Washington (I wonder if my brother Tom served there b/c it was in his mission) and Elder Weiss from Logandale, NV, just 45 mins NorthEast of Vegas so we are already good friends b/c we have a lot in common. He went to Moapa Valley HS. They are both great and they had a baptism this past Saturday of a couple from Liberia which is a country in Africa. That country has seen some crazy war problems the last couple years and Muscatine is one of the war-refugee drop off points in theUSso there are a lot of Liberians and they love the restored gospel!
I love you all! We are all children of a loving Heavenly Father & like a perfect father, He loves each of us individually and wants us to be happy. He has given us some "house rules" or "curfews" that we know as commandments. These protect us, guide us, and help us to be happy and feel peace, no matter what we are facing, just like parents set rules and curfews for their children. It is an expression of love that He has shown us a way of life (by living His commandments) that will make us the most happy and give us the greatest peace of mind. Always talk to Him and listen to Him. He loves us :)
Love Elder McGinn
ps Its sweet that the Rebels got a 5 seed in the tourney!!! Go Rebs!
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