Expect the Unexpected

Hmm... some questions of late that I want to answer.

My favorite part of the mission so far?  Being a missionary.  I already feel like such a nerd.  I get really excited for things like Study Time and reading the Liahona.  BUT, other than the typical missionary things, there are other favorites as well.  I LOVE the handshakes here.  I have no idea how to describe them, exactly.  Basically, you go in like you are shaking their hand the normal way.  But once you make connection like that, your thumbs act as a revolving point, and your hands continue past the normal position.  If that confused you, I´m sorry.  You´ll have to ask a person that served in Northern Argentina to show you, because I hear they don´t do it in other parts of Argentina.

Yes, at times we do a lot of clapping, but that is usually when we are short on investigators or ran out of backup plans.

This has been a very different week for me, as compared to the previous five in San Vicente.  Top of the list; we had our first baptism of San Vicente on Saturday! (at least, since I´ve been here)  Ceci is a 15 year old girl, whose family owns a local radio station.  Which is kind of funny because often times, when we are passing a house with a radio on, we get to hear her: Makes it really easy to find her!  We had a nice baptismal service (that included a makeshift baptismal font!) and I even provided the music for the program.  We don´t have a pianist in San Vicente, so it was a real treat, I hope.  AND I played a musical number, ¨I Like to Look for Rainbows.¨ (¨Cuando Te Bautice.¨)

This last week I had the chance to participate in my first Divisions.  I went to Oberá, where the rest of our district is, with Elder Planck, our district leader.  I stayed from Tuesday afternoon to Thursday afternoon with him.  He has a month and a half left in the mission.  His Spanish is amazing.  It brings me hope that I can conquer this language eventually.  It was really beneficial to see how other missionaries do thing; it being the first time that I taught with someone other than my trainer.

Which leads me to the ¨expect the unexpected¨ part...  So I can´t remember if I mentioned it or not, but with the new program the Church has, you spend at least two transfers with your trainer.  I was thinking that that meant I would be in San Vicente for at least 3 to 6 months. (I hope you took note that the previous sentence was in PAST tense).  Yep,  I´m leaving San Vicente.  We received a call from the Zone Leaders that, both my companion and I, will be leaving this week. (For all of you RMs out there, you know what that means for the next elders coming in here.)  I am so very sad at the thought of leaving San Vicente on Wednesday.  I have never loved and hated a place more in my life, then I have with San Vicente.  So many memories started here.  I feel a tiny piece of my heart will be left in the muddy streets of San Vicente.  But, the Lord knows best, and that´s good enough for me.

This week, in my studies I´ve been reading the first chapters of Alma, in the Book of Mormon.  Chapter 5 might just be every missionary´s, that is dealing with laziness or some other problem, favorite chapter to read.  Alma holds absolutely nothing back when the members of the Church aren´t doing what they are supposed to be doing.  Very powerful stuff.

Do what you love; love what you do,

Elder McMurray

ps  Mom, I received letters from you all today that have the date 8-7-11.  Thanks!