Fasting for a Family

Hey everybody!

We had to give our transfer council to our mission president today for all the missionaries in the zone, so I dont have much time at all :( Im so sorry but I will write a lot better letter next week!

Real quickly, I will tell you that we are struggling finding people to teach, but that today we are fasting so that we can find a family to teach today. The gospel of Jesus Christ blesses family and brings peace into the home! Please pray for us and again I will write and nice long letter next week :) Love you all!

Elder Seth McGinn

Tacos & Tornados

Hey hey hey familia!

So last night, we were at the familia Santana's house eating some sabroso carne asada tacos when the tornado alarm went off in Des Moines! They turned on the news and lo& behold, there was a crazy storm heading right for us and there were tornadoes spotted outside of town. So we went down to the basement, pretty sure that the tornadoes and all the bad stuff was going to be north of us. As we got down to the basement, the 4 young Santana kids were pretty scared so we all knelt together and said a prayer. By the end of the simple prayer for safety and comfort, the kids were calmed down and we all decided to read from the scriptures while we waited for the tornado alert to pass. We turned to the Book of Mormon to read about when Jesus Christ came to visit the people living in the Americasafter His resurrection in Jerusalem. As we read together about Christ coming down, comforting and healing the people, and blessing their children, the Holy Ghost or peace/love of God was very strong that we all felt so happy and peaceful, even though it was super windy and rainy upstairs! It was a wonderful experience that I won't ever forget and I know the scriptures like the Bible and especially the Book of Mormon, have the power to give us peace and comfort during troubling times Just like when Christ calmed the winds and the seas when He was on a boat with His apostles, His words in the scriptures can calm the storms in our hearts and minds as we read & ponder them :)

(ps 5 tornadoes touched down in Ames, IA!!!)

Also, we had the opportunity teach this 10 year old African boy named Godgive! We played a little basketball with him and his friend in the dirt then sat down on some rocks to teach them about the Plan of Salvation, which is God's plan of happiness for each of us. It was sweet because we drew out the plan (pre-earth life, earth life, spirit world after death, and kingdoms of glory) in the dirt with a rock haha the Spirit was strong and the boys loved the lesson! I felt like I was serving in Africafor an hour haha well, I gotta go but I love each of you! The Plan of Salvation is centered on Jesus Christ and His Atonements. This is taught by all the prophets in the scriptures and we can read and learn for ourselves. This knowledge gives us each inner peace, a happiness for life, and hope for a bright future. I love you all!

Elder Seth McGinn

ps Remember to SMILE :)

Families are Forever

Hey everybody!

Things are going great here in Des Moines :) It was absolutely wonderful to Skype the family last night and talk/see everybody. I love you and miss you all! The peace & joy of knowing that we will be a family, together FOREVER, gives me the motivation and enthusiasm to keep working hard each day so that others can learn this same truth for themselves and their families!

I love my mother and she has taught (and is still teaching) me the most important lesson we can learn: how to love others unselfishly and unconditionally. Her example of love is seen to everyone around her and it has especially helped me love and serve the other missionaries and people in Iowa. If Christ taught anything, He taught that the first and great commandment is to LOVE one another. This principle is taught primarily in families and that is why they are so important! Thank you Mom :)

I love my dad too! He has taught me the second most important lesson we can learn: how to show our love through our ACTIONS. He works, and serves, and labors so hard all because he loves. He has taught me that even though I was reluctant to go out and "work" haha He showed me that love leads to action and diligence. I understood this most when he told me just before I left on my mission by saying "Teach the way you play soccer...with a love for the game." This has helped me so much! When you love something, you invest your heart into it and he has shown me how to put my heart into the gospel of Jesus Christ!

I love my parents and also my brothers and sisters! Thats plural because my brother (in-law) Tom and my sister (in-law) Lindsay are just as much my brother and sister as are Ian and Layne. I love them so much!!!

Ian told me to talk more about what I do in my emails and the truth is that this is what I do! I am helping people create relationships of love and trust with their families, good friends, and most importantly, their Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. He lives and loves us. We should strive to acquire His attributes of love, patience, loyalty, and diligence. This will bring us so much joy because in the end, the greatest product we will ever creat in this life is ourselves! Our families help us cultivate ourselves and we help them. Ultimately, we are to live together forever in happiness :) I love you all and invite each of you to be grateful for your families and to find ways to love and serve them!

Love Elder Seth McGinn

Elder Seth McGinn

IowaDes Moines Mission

Snow in May

Que tal everybody?!!

That is what the Spanish is like here in Des Moines, or should I say that is what the Spanglish is like haha and yeah, we got like 2 inches of snow here the other day....it was crazy!

Well I have to be really quick today so I will jump right into it. On Saturday, Elder Neil L. Andersen visited our mission!!! It was so sweet as we got to meet and hear from an apostle. All I can really say to sum that wonderful meeting up is that Jesus Christ lives and He loves us. It is a spiritual experience unlike anything else to hear a special witness of Jesus Christ bear his personal testimony of the reality of Jesus Christ. I felt the Spirit of the Lord very strong the whole meeting and I too, know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that He lives. He is anxiously engaged in each one of our lives and He wants us to succeed and be happy! I also know that the Book of Mormon is the best way we can learn about and become closer to Christ. It is true! I love you all and sorry for the super short email :/ Mom and Dad- I am way excited to Skype next week so bring your questions ;) haha love you!