Fatty fat fat fat..‏

hi comrades. things are going well! the Benjamins did not make their baptism, but there is still hope for next month or whenever they are ready! How ever Will Smiths gand daughter, Kyshauna, did get baptized and it was way awesome, she is a smart, and great kid! Im excited for her... i think there is something very important in her life in the future!

I really like my comp this transfer we got along really well.. elder burrows is a way funny guy so we pretty much laugh a lot and get along easy.. it is alot different from when i was being trained but that's a different story..

the Dargans are doing way good, she is always at church.. David is pretty much always at church.. ill come back to that, that's a cool story.. the Smiths or rather brother Smith is usually at church and has only missed one Sunday because of a leg problem.. sister Smith is often not there because she is sick a lot.. but Scotty is doing awesome to as far as i know, Kaylee is always at church, she rocks! Things have gone awesome so far!

I love being a missionary! I am gaining weight.. at least i think i am slowly but surely.. but hey, maybe if i get transferred to a biking area i will lose it and become underweight again.. heh.. hmm.. not a whole lot to talk about.. did i mention it snowed last p-day, that was cool we had a snowball fight.. elder burrows recorded it, so one day you can see how i owned everyone, especially elder burrows.

Our p-days are so short, which is a good/stinky thing.. we don't start p-day until 12pm, and it ends at 6pm, but the time in between is used for shopping for food, and emailing.. so we end up with about 2-3 p-"hours" it is nice though, don't get me wrong!

My earache is pretty much better and yeah im not sick anymore! I am so excited for matubal!(that's matthew for those who don't know) i want some pictures of thems twos!

ha..hmm.. not much else i can think of to write! the weather is still cold.. i am hoping to get transferred and stuff but at the same time i don't really want to.. but we will see this Saturday! Sumter is awesome don't get me wrong.. and i really love it here, and it is actually kind of everyone's favorite place to serve who has served here.. at least i hear. ANYWAY! i would love more emails from the fam... and pictures would be way cool too..! how is pa's leg and arm.. is he getting better? whats the weather like at home. how much longer does sammus have at school? how are becca and tyler? is the ward growing? Anyway love you all! Email me sometime

-elder homeslice mccool

Wolverine is one of the x-men

sorry no letter yesterday, it was not p-day, but today is! i hope everyone is doing way good! we have 4 baptisms set up for this coming weekend for the Benjamin family, and Keshona, Brother Smiths granddaughter! So that's exciting! Well yesterday we fasted as a companionship and as a district to find more people and to help the Benjamins get baptized.. fasting is tough, but we did it and it was funny how quickly the Lord blessed us.. an hour or so after we had ended our fast and ate some dinner, Elder Burrows felt inspired to go to a street we hadn't been to for awhile and just started knocking.. the very first house we knocked invited us in right away.. and that is weird.. we didn't even tell them what we were sharing just that it was a message about Jesus Christ.. we went in sat down and told this mother and her daughter what we share and taught them and extended a baptismal invitation.. after wards as we were way surprised by this blessing, we knocked 2-3 other houses, who were not interested and then came to another house, who likewise invited us in, and we taught a husband and wife and extended a baptismal invitation for them as well.. it was awesome how quickly we saw the fruits of our fast.. the Lord truly pays attention to all of His missionaries where ever they are! But moving on.. it SNOWED last night.. yup.. it wasn't very much or very special but it was cool, we had a sweet snowball fight as a district this morning.. i don't really have any good pictures though.. but if it snows again tonight ill get some grood ones! I am doing well.. Not sick anymore though my ear ache seems to still be there a little bit.. ear infections are horribly annoying!.. So i think there are about 3 more weeks left in this transfer.. I'm stoked to see what happens.. not that i particularly want to leave sumptown, But I am ready for some more missionary experiences! We did knock on this one door a few days ago.. and this man came out a little hesitant perhaps and we told him that we share a message about how our Savior Jesus Christ, has called another Prophet named Joseph Smith.. And man this guy almost acted scared to death, and became honestly pretty childish.. he quickly moved back into his house and said that "we don't believe the same thing we only believe that Jesus Christ was 'the only prophet' and you are teaching about Joseph Smith! We have a pizza to eat!" And quickly ran back inside of his house (why was he so.. afraid??) then as we walked away and laughed about the situation perhaps a little, he yelled out.. "We're praying for you!".. it was just weird.. I mean if he believed that Jesus Christ was the only prophet, who was Moses? who was Noah? what is Amos 3:7 talking about?... Anyway.. that was just a funny experience.. a lot of people may study and read the bible but... they skip the MOST IMPORTANT parts.. I'm not saying this guy was a bad guy, but not really a nice guy.. Welp.. I love you guys!! Keep drinking kool-aid!

-elder mcdrew

Out of time..

hey mom i am running out of time, but i love and miss you.. i got the christmas packages from everyone and they are great... thank you so much!! I miss ya! thank you for that spiritual thought too! i love you mombo!!

Vanilla toothpaste.....

is awesome! try it sometime its way good! so the work has still been slow and tough for elder burrows and i lately, we just have not been finding people and our teaching pool is dwindling, but i know if we work hard and have faith in the Lord he will lead us to them, or them to us! not really anything super exciting has happened recently, but we are stoked for the Benjamin family! I really cant think of much to report on.. sorry about the money situation with my debit and credit card.. i am excited to see whats going to happen this next transfer! transfers are fun.. my new years goal is to be the best missionary i can be! to find, teach and baptize, to follow "My Purpose" to the very end! Well.. sorry for this boring email.. heres a list of name i have been called to make it more exciting
Elder..
McCurry
McCarthy
McMurphy
Murphy
McJones
Mercury
McMullin
McCray
and there's probably more but that's all i can remember so far.. also i heard someone say the otherday that "the bible is in your heart". usually we get "church is in our heart" but i had never heard the bible one.. also this funny guy said.. "i didn't thought about that" so really that's the excitement for this last week.. and when it gets down to it the most exciting thing in the work is teaching! preach my gospel says, nothing happens in missionary work until you teach!.. and really that is the very best part about missionary work.. i wish we had an appointment every hour of the day.. anywhoo! love yall! thank you for your emails!

Mmm, being sick..‏

So yup, ive been sick probably this whole past week, it stinks! stuff like a sore throut, mega synus problems and headaches and just last night i think i have an ear ache/infection.. but its funny cause when you go out and do work when you are sick you actually feel "suddenly" better when you are sharing the gospel, and then right after wards feel sick again, the Lord truly blesses missionaries! But as for right now, yeah.. i feel like junk. alot better than before but this ear ach is awful.. i cant hear very well out of that ear its like swollen inside or something.. you cant see anything is wrong but man i sure can feel it.. so thats me, but im still cool. New years was just another day of course! so not much to report on that, on new years eve though, we were on "lock-down" by 6pm.. which makes perfect sense epsecially here in sumter.. so the district, wasted all that extra time and played a nerdy game of hero-clix.. but in my own deffence that game is too difficult and complex and i just dont really have the complete drive to learn how to play it.. so im not that nerdy!.. soooo Elder Burrows and I really get along great, its a different companionship now.. its not all about training and stuff and we are really just good friends, where as becuase of my pride elder jones and i's companionship was tough becuase it always seemed like a trainer, trainee companionship.. which was also a struggle becuase i was older than him.. but Elder Jones was deffinently who the Lord wanted to train me.. he taught me alot and he is an amazing missionary and a good friend too.. Elder Burrows and I just laugh at stupid things alot and find and teach together really.. so it feels less like a senoir and junior companionship.. ill try and send a picture home.. Oh something kind of exciting happened recently, when elder burrows drove the car into an "invisible" ditch on the side of the road and the car got stuck.. we were on our way to meet a less active family who was interested in becoming strong in the church again and the Father/Husband of the family actually came out and towed the car out of the ditch.. it looked pretty crazy and elder burrows was in the driver seat the whole time.. you had to be there, basically it didn't look very good for the car as it was being pulled out of the ditch.. but it still runs fine and stuff.. sooo... i wonder if i will get transfered this coming transfer in february.. i really dont know, elder burrows thinks i will stay in sumter for at least 6 months.. which is weird to think about... this has been the fastest 6 months ever! and to think i only have 3 more sets.. of 6 months to go is really weird! I wonder if time goes by tons faster for me than for you guys? let me know? I'm sure it does.. from morning to night in a day seems like a dream almost.. and p-day to p-day is weird too.. I'll admit for some reason i've been really "trunky" this week.. i have this thing where i am so excited for the future and next part of life.. school, career and stuff like that and of course one particular person..heh.. but at the same time i have felt the other side of it and that is, i love missionary work! all i want is to find people the Lord has prepared and just make sure they get baptized and stay active, and move on to the next prepared family! I really love the work, it is an amazing blessing to have the opertunity to bear my testimony EVERYDAY! and yesterday i decided to bear my testimony at church, which is kind of different, you dont often see missionaries do that.. but it was a great blessing to do so.. and we had 13 investigators there too so that was a pretty cool opertunity to bear testimony of the restored gospel in front of members and non-members! I really love the work and I really love my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ! I just love life!.. tahts not to say there are no rough times becuase, missions are way difficult and demanding, but they are much more rewarding.. as i bore my testimony, looking at the ward, i saw Kaylee White.. a way cool 13 year old we baptized 2 weeks ago and I was just filled with joy! Her eyes were watering a little bit and it was an awesome spiritual moment.. these are the moments on a mission I would do anything for.. To bear testimony and to share of that spirit with a recent convert.. it was a cool moment as our eyes met (who knew a 13 year old girl could be so cool) I felt the spirit and so did she.. it was one of those "THIS IS WHY I AM HERE!" moments and I cant help but feel love for this little sister of mine! .. Yeah, I truly love the work! That was a tender mercy, and moment I hope to never forget! And the work keeps going! We are planing baptisms for a few people on the 24th of January, the Benjamin family, 3 awesome people! a Mom and her two daughters!..And Sister Sims, a relative of Crystal Isaac. We still see Brother Newkirk (my first baptism..) I love that guy! He is one of the strongest converts! He is so awesome! After my mission I want to come right back up here and see him and his family! So! How is the rest of the family! Will dad have to get surgury becuase he tore his MCL? that sounds horrible! Any picutres of Matthew's "friend"? Welp.. I think thats about that for now! I love and miss you all!

Its'a me'a!‏

hey team family!, its your captain, captain cool.. it was way good talking to everyone on Christmas! i hope all is still well! not much to report on today, except for today turned out to be p-day after all.. so our planning yesterday is KIND of void.. but umm.. scotty's baptism this last weekend went off awesomely! the word continues and we are hoping for some baptisms next weekend... possibly one this weekend.. but we'll see!.. scotty is going to be living with the member who helped make it all happen, Phil buonforte, they are awesome scotty is going to have an awesome life with crazy fellowship in Utah, he is also hoping to go to byu at some point as far as i know... someone will have to let me know if bryce ever gets the opportunity to teach new member lessons or anything like that to scotty, cause that would be awesome! his last name is daughrity.. hmmm cant think of much else to write! i know it was a short email but i love and miss everyone and hope all is well!

p.s. brother newkirk is way awesome, and such a strong convert, that was my first baptism.

-elder mcmurry

Calling Home...

woohoo! hey mom and dad, i will be calling home on Christmas day, probably sometime between 10am-1pm my time.. i don't know when my comp is planning on calling so i will call in that time frame! and that is based on my time or.. Columbia south Carolina time.. so i dont know what time it will be there.. but we can talk for a whole hour so.. woohoo!

mom thank you so much for your email, i love and miss you and dad a lot! tell becca yes i have done the baptizing before and it was awesome, also i don't need anything at all.. if she insists, i would take 1 tie.. and tell sarah thanks 100 million for her letter too.. and ben too.. and i hope to see more pics of the family and i love you all and merry Christmas and talk to you in a few days!

oh and i did get sams package and sarahs too and i love the ties, they rock.. also if anyone shipped something to me from ups or fedex or something i will hopefully get it tomorrow! but those go to the mission office before they get to me and i can only get them at meetings.. (so postal service is best sometimes).. but with transfers hopefully i will get them tomorrow!