Hey Hey Hey

 

What is going on everybody?!

Its been another wonderful week out here in Muscatine and the weeks are really starting to fly by. Its already been 7 months! I cant believe it. Sometimes, days are slow and things are tough. Time seems like its not moving at all! Then I look back and I'm amazed at how long it has been! Its crazy to think that it has been a full year since I came back home to Vegas from school at BYU. But the work moves forward :) Irene's sisters, Karla and Judy, are loving it every time we teach them and they are way excited for their baptism scheduled for April 24th which is the night before Elder Arellano goes back to Des Moines to fly home to California! Its crazy!

Also this week, we started teaching a young guy named Jimmy! We just saw him outside his house and starting talking to him. He said we could teach him a lesson so we taught him about the restoration of Christ's original Church. He listened very sincerely and all of his comments were essentially "Yeah, it makes sense!" or "I think I know what you're saying!" haha it was fun to teach him and by the end of the lesson, he told us he was excited to start reading the Book of Mormon and to pray about the things we had taught him. He even made the wonderful connection of realizing "I will just do what Joseph Smith did...pray to God and ask Him if this is right. He won't lead me down a wrong path and I feel good about all of this." It was so sweet and we are going to try to meet with him again today! I love you all so much and hope that you know how much our Heavenly Father loves us. He knows us perfectly and knows the challenges and difficulties that we face each day. He, like any good father, wants us to talk with Him about the things going on. He wants to help us help ourselves! No father is going to do everything for his child, but he is going to do everything he can to help his child do things for themselves, because he knows that is how they truly grow, learn & experience joy for themselves! So lets pray to Him. Even if you dont know or dont believe He really is there. Kneel down and ask Him, sincerely, to let you know if He exist and if He loves you and cares for you. I promise you will receive an answer to your prayer, whether it be through a feeling of warmth and comfort or through the kindness of another person who loves you--you will receive an answer, so pay attention! I love you all and am grateful to be able to have known you and made memories with each of you! Life is a journey and its all about finding true joy in the journey with hope for what lies at the end of the journey. Elder Holland, an apostle of Jesus Christ, has a saying that I just love. He says, "They say a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step...so watch your step." haha Be careful and watch what you are doing with your time- its precious. I hope that we can all remember those things that matter most to us (our families, friends, and PEOPLE in our lives) and not get to preoccupied or hung up on the THINGS in our lives. I love you all and hope you have a great week!!!

Love Elder Seth McGinn