Like and Army with the Gospel Flag Unfurled

Dear Family,

Thank you for your letters! You only get one more next week so make it
a good one! P-day will be next week on Wednesday. Tuesday is my last
full day of proselyting. It really doesn't seem like the end to me. I
feel like I will be a missionary forever. It's all I have done for the
past 24 months. I thank you for your prayers especially in these last
few moments. It means a lot that you've all been so diligent with your
letters. You're going to have to forgive me, I forgot my camera this
morning at the apartment, so no pictures today. Sorry about that.
Greenie mistake.

I have been thinking a lot this past week about humility. I'm not too
sure what I am going to do my homecoming talk on. If you have any
thoughts, let me know. One of my favorite scriptures in the Bible is
found in the first epistle of John. Though we don't actually know if
John wrote these epistles, the style is his.

 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is
not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say
that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in
us. (1 John 1:8-10)

Frequently we confuse the statement "well no one is perfect" with a
rationalization that we shouldn't even try to improve. Elder Holland
puts it this way:

"Well, that’s just the way I am.” If you want to talk about
discouragement, that phrase is one that discourages me. Though not a
swearing man, I am always sorely tempted to try my hand when I hear
that. Please spare me your speeches about “That’s just the way I am.”
I’ve heard that from too many people who wanted to sin and call it
psychology. And I use the word sin again to cover a vast range of
habits, some seemingly innocent enough, that nevertheless bring
discouragement and doubt and despair." (For Times of Trouble is the
speech name)

Every one makes mistakes (everyone has those days), and we shouldn't
overreact when people fail and disappoint us. I have committed that
mistake too often. Something to work on. There isn't one of us that
hasn't sin. We are expected to sin, but that doesn't make sin okay or
give us a reason to commit transgressions, even minor, over and over
again. The purpose of the gospel is to make bad men good and good men
better. We aren't asked to be perfect, but we are asked to acknowledge
our problems. A problem won't be solved if it remains unidentified. I
have a testimony of repentance and the atonement. No prospective
missionary is perfect. We shouldn't expect young people to be perfect.
The best part about the gospel is that it provides us peace. We repent
and change. We forgive and forget. I've done it. I've taught it. I see
the people that are humble and work on their mistakes and I see the
people that are uncomfortable at the temple or the sacrament table or
with a Book of Mormon in their hands. And I have talked to thousands
upon thousands of people. True colours are shown when religion is
brought up. The atonement is real. Restitution is real and possible.
Forgiveness and freedom from guilt are possible. That is the number
one lesson I have learned on my mission.

This past week was a real break through for teaching Mark. We had a
lesson with him about the temple because he had lot of questions. I
don't know if I mentioned it or not, but the church just made these
new pamphlets to teach lesson 5 of Preach My Gospel. We discussed
baptism for the dead and the endowment. He had a lot of questions
about temple garments which we cleared up. He is really drawn to the
idea of eternal families. Probably the best part about the lesson is
that Sonja, his wife, came in the last 15 minutes and sat in on the
lesson. To add to that, Mark and Sonja did an FHE last Friday!!!!!
He's so close to baptism it's unbelievable. So much prayer and work.
He's going to make it. Whether before I leave or after, he's going to
make it.

We moved apartments last Saturday. Our new apartment is just up the
street and is a lot nicer. Missionaries had been in our old apartment
for about 10 years. Missionaries and yours truly can do a lot of
damage in 10 years. It was a lot of work, but we moved everything. It
was 35 and 90 percent humidity. Nothing like a hot humid day to move
some heavy desks. A lot of the metro missionaries helped out though
which was nice. It took basically the whole day and we were dripping
with sweat and mosquito bites by the end. The only downside is that we
don't have power until Friday, so we took an extension cord and a
power strip and plugged in the fridge and a lamp and one fan for the
time being. (Can I come down and flip it?!).


HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!

See you next week

Love,

Elder McGuire