Guadalajara: 10/8/12 + iguana soup?!?!

IM GONNA SERVE A MISION WITH MY LITTLE BROTHER!!!

the chupacabra hunting continues in the backwoods of apatzingan


first and foremost I need to comment on the new announcements that were made at this weekends general conference...just like every other member out there haha. Connor! I'm so stoked for you man! youre gonna be able to leave for your mission this may! aaaaahhhhhhhh!! I never imagined being able to serve a mission the same time as my little brother...its pretty crazy to be honest. 

elder nielsons hump day celebration!

not only to just him, but to all of the young men out there who usually have to wait a year to go on their missions. I'm pretty sure its because there going to be opening up China here pretty soon, so all you young men out there, start practicing up that mandarin Chinese I hear its pretty hard. but anyways so I'm gonna save the rest of my thoughts about the new policy change and my excitement for Connor in a letter to my family, so sorry other folks out there but there is other things that I'd like to talk about this email. 

scorpion we found in the chapel it was a nasty sucker

so conference was absolutely amazing. talk about being just loaded with personal revelation for two days straight, it was so sweet. i hope that you all were able to receive some great advice for your lives also. im so grateful too for the power of modern technology and that were to see conference here in mexico. and I loved singing we thank thee o God for a Prophet and being to think how special it was that in all over the world from salt lake to apatzingan michoacan to wherever else in the world was singing that song, and how truly fortunate and blessed we are to have a Prophet of God. im humbled and happy each time that I look at my call letter next to my bed and see a little picture of him that I have and knowing that that man called me here to be a missionary, and how much he, Christ, and my Heavenly Father must love me to let me come here to have the best time of life and to be blessed immensely. I know hes a Prophet of God and I love him. 

the scorpion after we found it haha

also how cool was elder nielsons talk where he kept saying..."just ask the missionaries!". it personally made me as well as probably every other missionary feel special and also make us realize that we need to step our game up. every person in the world that saw that talk now knows that those kids in white shirts and ties can help them with whatever they are in need of...its an amazing thing don't get me wrong but were gonna have to step up our game and make sure that were even more prepared now. 

the scorpion after we found it haha

which kinds of leads me to another thing...how much I LOVE the scriptures. it's amazing how in the span of my mission I've gone from being a kid that never picked the scriptures up to read them to never being able to put them down. it's so much fun! I know imagined that I'd be able to spend an hour worth of study time studying and pondering over 5 verses or whatever it may be! 

i personally like my ties with a little meat on the bones haha elder nielson prefers his with not as much

it's been such a blessing for me to be able to grow in my testimony of the scriptures...and it's one of those things that I've noticed is an even bigger blessing to those people I teach. I remember one thing dad always talked about and told me was how we need to develop the talents we have and search for, discover, and perfect those other talents of ours. because each of us is loaded up to the brim with talents and skills that our Father in Heaven has given us, we just need to put in the effort and time into finding them and perfectioning them. and well studying from the scriptures has helped me to accomplish just that.
happy birthday to elder o!

it's funny how I never really thought that a knowledge of the scriptures was a talent, but now I know otherwise. being able to be in a lesson and to be able to receive revelation about what scriptures can be read to address this specific person is so cool. the atmosphere and spirit of the lessons reach up to a whole new level when we're able to incorporate the scriptures and allow the spirit to testify not only of the words of the scriptures but also testify of the words that come from us the representatives of Christ. I've come to notice that the most spiritual lessons I've had are always those where we turn to the scriptures and read from them and allow the spirit to testify to these people of the truthfulness of these things. 


elder ontiveros' birthday party! (i look super guano i think in this picture haha and elder nielson is hiding

for example just yesterday we were in a lesson with an investigator, and we were reading in 2 nefi 31 and 32 and it was amazing to just see the Book of Mormon come alive in this kids hands and sit there as he shared with us his thoughts about this verse and what it was trying to say here and then hearing and watching him basically receive a testimony of the Book of Mormon right before our eyes. it was so cool too because he was so stoked after we said the prayer to end the lesson that he said he wanted to go with us to our other lessons! 

iguana soup before

and then above all that it was so amazing watching this kid that isn't even a member sit down in this lesson and share with some of our other investigators things that hes learned from the scriptures and how hes received his answer that he needs to get baptized and that this book is true and so are the teachings of the missionaries. it was unreal...and i remind you that this kid is not even a member. the only problem with him though is that his mom is a TJ and so were its a little hard getting permission from her to let him get baptized, were actually going to talk to her with him tonight about it, wish us luck haha. but it's just such a blessing really to be able to have the scriptures in our lives. and the best part is thats it's never too late to sit down and to get to know them a little better. I did it and I've happier than ever because of it :) 

iguana soup during
oh and actually one more real quick story! I ate iguana this past week...it was so weird. I never knew they were such boney little creatures haha (check the pictures I sent home) eating them was a pain in the butt haha because I had to pick all the meat off the bones because if I didn't I'd just end up messing up my mouth and getting stabbed and stuff. but ya it was pretty interesting haha, it wasnt that great but now I can say that I ate iguana haha! not too many people can say that haha I'm be letting you all know the next time I eat something funky. 

iguana soup after

anyways I gotta go now friends so sorry but I love you! I hope that you all were able to enjoy conference likewise and I would love to hear what you all thought of it and what you learned! so feel free to shoot me an email or a dearelder and let me know, I'd love it. have a great week!


opening up my early birthday package! i was gonna wait till the 29th but it was too hard haha

much love from mexico,
     Elder Maccarthy

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