Transfers!

Monte Plata

Dear Family,

  
So, as Dad told me, after I was whining a little about staying in Monte Plata last transfer, "Maybe you will stay until you really love the people."  Well, it happened.  About a week ago, I decided that I never want to leave Monte Plata - and then yesterday the call came telling me that I am going to Las Americas in the capitol.  It has some ups and downs I guess.  Some good things are:  I will be on the outskirts of the capitol so I can be a little closer to civilization, Micah won't have to travel far to get to me, and I can be around other missionaries a little.  The bad things are:  it is pretty close to the ocean which means really, really, really hot all the time, with sunburns included.  But oh well, it is supposed to be a really successful area with a lot of baptisms, so I'm pretty pumped for that!  I don't know who my companion is, but I guess we'll see.
  
This past week we had a baptism of a girl named Miranda.  At first we were a little slow to teach her because she was a teenage girl, but after she went to church like ten times in a row and we found out she had family in the branch, we decided to baptize her!  It went really well and here's a photo.

Miranda's Baptism (Elder Sloan, Miranda, Elder McBride)

  
The church is getting rid of the current myldsmail and making us use the new one they set up, so I have to make this a little short so that I can set it up so that I will be able to write home this next week.  But first!  Ok mom, I will send the sd card home with Brother Dickerson.  Whatever you can send would be awesome, but cookies sound nice!  They don't make those here.  Congrats for Alex being on Varsity and Fonzie making a cool Pinewood Derby car.  And, tell Danny to feel better and to wear a helmet!  I love you all and I hope that you enjoy general conference!  The rumor is that there will be two speakers from our area presidency speaking there - so maybe one will be Elder Anderson from back home!  Love you all - take care!  Here are some more pictures.  The baptism ones are not loading for some reason.


Love, Elder McBride

Another pic of my elephant ankle (the day after it happened)

Endless line of palm trees

Elder Sloan with a huge fruit!

One of the GIANT frogs that are here

Elder Sloan

I Almost got Sent Home This Week!

Dear Family,
     It was cool to hear about your experience in Mexico.  Tell the boys that it is a lot like here.  You can't drink the water and the water here is really dirty and yellow - so we only use it for showers.  I forgot to tell you our furniture situation here.  We just each have a white, plastic lawn chair to study and eat in.  We are one of the only places in the mission with a couch!  But the entire bottom of it came out, so it can't really be sat on anymore . . .
     That family I was talking about earlier that was progressing really well.  Well, they didn't show up at church this past week which was a huge bummer, so we are going to have to move their baptismal date back a little.  I might be gone then too because transfers are in a week.  We'll see I guess.
     So, I know you might be wondering a little about the title of the letter by now . . . I guess I'll tell you now.  Haha - nothing bad either!  I can't believe you were thinking I would do something like that! jk :)  So, last p-day, after I e-mailed you, we went with the district to a small town named Bayaguana to play some soccer!  After playing for a while, someone kicked the ball out of bounds, so I ran off to get it.  We were just playing in a dirt lot and I hit this ditch and fell on my left ankle (funny - that's the one I sprain all the time).  I heard a crunch, and then another one when I got up and it hurt pretty bad.  So I got up and walked around, hoping it would get better in a few minutes, but it just swelled up huge to look like a kankle!  I got home and did the whole RICE thing.  Rest, ice, compression and elevation, but it didn't really get any better.  I called the mission president's wife the next day, and she told me to go to the hospital and get an x-ray to see if it was broken.  Did you know that an x-ray here is only 150 pesos?  That is only $3 bucks!  I had the x-ray and everything looked good to me and the doctor said that I dislocated my ankle and he pushed it back into place while I was walking around on it!  He prescribed some powerful ibuprofen and some topical cream for the swelling - because by then it was ginormous and since then I have been giving it some more rest.  I just find it hard to sit there and do nothing though.  I want to go out and work, so we have been for a few hours everyday and it is getting a lot better.  I just don't want to make an injury that could take a week and a half to heel if I rest right - take a month if I don't.  Good side is that I almost finished the Book of Mormon again!

This was a few days after it happened

     So, those were the eventful points of the week.  Kind of a lot more sitting around than I like, but maybe I shouldn't trip anymore, so I don't have to do that . . . hope all of you had a good week and I'll talk to you later!So - I forgot a VITAL part of the ankle story . . . my bad.  It is that if anyone breaks a bone in the mission, they get sent home right away.  Hermana Antivillo said, "If it is broken, come to the Capitol and we will get you on a plane ASAP so that you can get it fixed."  It was kind of scary!

Love, Elder McBride

This is me at some waterfalls.  I know it's cheesy - heheh!

More waterfalls

Aren't they beautiful?

Mom, you said that you wanted a picture of my missionary tag right?  Do you like it or do I have to send another one?!

p.s.  So before I forget - Rockports would be nice yes, but you don't need to look specifically for waterproof ones, but look for ones made for walking instead because there is little difference between proof and resistant, except for the resistant are usually made with the purpose of walking a lot (thick soles) rather than the others.  Size 12.   The shoes don't need to have removable insole.  I am just sticking my orthotics right on top right now because the little green insoles are too thin and they hurt my feet.  Also, the orthotics have flattened out quite a bit, so my feet stay in the shoes just fine.  One more request if possible.  Could you send some more black socks.  I would prefer those kind I got earlier from that missionary store, but if not, just long black athletic socks would be fine.  Quite a few of my other socks got holes from when my shoes were tearing them up - but the bad part in the shoe got worn down quite a bit, so it doesn't happen anymore.  Also, I think I will send my camera card home because it has a lot of stuff on it that I don't want to lose.

A Golden Family

Dear Family & Friends,
    
So this week has been great!  Glad to hear about Ryan's baptism!  Tell him congratulations for me!
Things over here have actually picked up a lot lately!  We contacted this family a few weeks ago and they have been progressing soooo much.  I haven't really been this invested in anyone yet on my mission.  Their progression is my source of happiness.  They are so prepared to hear the gospel and they have been progressing immensely.  Their names are Milvia, Alberto and their daughter Katarin.  They are awesome!  They are all really intelligent, well-educated and not to mention, have a little moolah.  Milvia actually works with the government marrying people - so guess what that means?!  They are married!  Which is a miracle in itself, let alone her helping others do the same.  Last week I was on on intercombial with another missionary here and we taught them a really good lesson.  Afterwards they said that they knew that the church is true.  They said everything we teach is true and they have all prayed about it!  Usually it takes a lot of time for people to actually get around to doing that . . . if they do it at all, but these people are ready.  They always read their Book of Mormon assignments and everything.  They went to church yesterday and hopefully we will be able to baptize them next week!  I'll keep you posted on them.
    
So, for a personal experience . . . I'm not sure if this if funny or sad or both.  Last week I was teaching a leadership training class for the Branch (the Bishop, RS President, Elders Quorum President, and other positions) and I was teaching about love.  How that needs to be the purpose of all that we do in the church.  Kind of like President Uchtdorf's talk in conference.  And I was trying to get the point across that you show love through your actions.  So, I asked the YW President, "how do you know your husband loves you?" and she was like, "I don't know. . . I don't know if he does".  So that kind of threw me off for a sec.  Then I asked another lady the same question and she said the same thing.  She gave me the same answer! :(  I kind of gave up after that and kind of moved on, cuz I honestly didn't know how to respond to that.  I guess that doesn't sound funny in the least bit - but the way it happened it kind of was.  I guess it showed me that the problems in the branch go way deeper than just not understanding how to serve in leadership.  When Milvia and Alberto get baptized - I predict that they will be leadership ASAP.
    
Mom, you said that you wanted to hear about my companion, Elder Sloan.  Um, he is from North Carolina, he comes from a broken family, most of whom are in-active (he was the only one in his house who went to church all throughout high school) and he is good at working with less active members because he had every excuse to be in-active, but he stayed strong.  We get along really well.  He taught me how to cook the traditional Dominican beans to put over the rice which was pretty cool - but yeah, we are a good companionship.

Elder Sloan with kids

     
Anyways, everything is going well here in Monte Plata!  I am really starting to become close to some of the members here now - and I am expecting a lot of success soon!

Love, Elder McBride

Hey Everyone!

Hey Mom,
  
Just to say first off - thanks for the package!  It got to me this week and my companion and I have been chowing down on skittles all week!  Also, I love the new backpack.  Thank you - it's perfect - not too big and not too small!
  
So this week was a little slow due to the fact that Elder Sloan got sick.  We went to another town so that he could run a baptismal interview and he started feeling really sick there.  When we got back, he went to sleep - for 2 days.  Well, off and on really, but pretty much 2 days.  He kind of picked a bad time to be sick because we had zone conference and we had to skip out.  I always look forward to that, but had to miss it this time.  Luckily, some elders from the district picked up the mail and brought it to me!  The package and a few letters.  By the way, Greg sent me a letter saying that Elder Scott came to his mission and pretty much gave them a hard talk on how important it is to get married right off after your mission.  I guess he was married 8 days after he got home - 4 of which were driving to the temple!  I just hope Greg can remember to put it off until AFTER the mission!!! ha ha - just kidding!  Also, grandpa served in Uruguay correct?  And is it my imagination, or did he serve with Elder Scott for a little while?  Ok, not exactly sure why I'm talking about someone else's mission now . . . sorry.
     
So about the Brother Dickerson and Micah thing.  Two weeks ago, I had interviews with the president and he basically said, "I don't worry about you Elder McBride, but do you know a Brother Dickerson?"  After that we talked about how he was coming with Micah and stuff and approved it!  It's gonna be awesome!  (BROTHER DICKERSON IS THE PRIEST CHORUM ADVISOR IN OUR HOME WARD.  HE IS A DENTIST AND IS GOING TO THE DR TO DO DENTAL WORK.  HE ASKED TAYLOR'S PRESIDENT IF HE COULD BRING ONE OF THE BOYS FROM THE CHORUM AND LET HIM DO SPLITS WITH TAYLOR FOR A DAY OR TWO)  Micah, if you are reading this, don't bring a long sleeve shirt whatever you do, and if you have any questions, e-mail me or write me a letter!  It should be next transfer I think, so I'm not sure if I will still be here, but I guess we will cross that bridge when we come to it.  And yes, mom, that would be nice of you to send some shoes with Brother Dickerson.  Oh, and my right foot has been hurting a lot lately - so if it continues, then I'll call the doctor here mom.
  
So, yes, the president does know about the branch here.  I think that might be one of the reasons that he sent Elder Sloan over here.  He is really good at working with members and gaining their trust and such, so hopefully we will be able to turn things around a little bit.
  
Sorry I haven't sent pics for a little bit.  I'll be sure to do them next week.  I just don't have the connection cord with me right now.  Thanks for everything!

Love, Elder McBride

Hola

Dear Family & Friends,
    
Sorry - my computer just malfunctioned and deleted the e-mail I was just writing.  I have to take off to the waterfalls in the next town right now, but I'll get back to you tonight.
    
So . . . here I am again.  Since my e-mail was cut off the first time I won't be able to write too long.  Earthquakes in divers places huh/  Thanks for that letter of Matt's.  That was a cool story and he described it really well.  Elder Sloan, (my new companion ) is really cool.  He is kind of like me and probably my first companion that I would have been friends with before the mission.  That has it's ups and downs though.  When you are good friends, it can get hard to keep the eye single to the glory of God - but we are working really hard and we are teaching really well together.
    
The ward here is getting really not the way it should be - so we are trying to help them by starting to visit some of the 200 in-actives!  Good news is that we had 7 in-actives at church on Sunday!  Bad new is that we only had 3 investigators there.  We need to find a way to juggle both re-activating the branch, and still baptize.  I'm trying my hardest to reach the standard of 6 again - but I am a little unsure about bringing those investigators to church when it is the way it is.  I was expecting to be somewhat of a role model for church members before I got to the mission . . . but I never thought that we would be the source of church knowledge and who the branch would turn to as it falls apart.  It's hard.  Really hard, but It's good for me.  My companion and I are having a training meeting this Saturday for the leaders in the branch. It is a little daunting trying to teach all of these people old enough to be my parents and grandparents how to run things, but it needs to be done.  They have next to no idea what they are doing.
    
So we went to the waterfalls in the next area over today!  It is sooooo green over here.  I have some cool pics, but don't know if I'll have time to send them today.  If not, I will try to get them over next week.  Oh, and I don't know if I have mentioned it before, but water straight from the coconut is really growing on me.  Same with pretty much everything they eat here to be honest :)
    
All right - so I have to write the President, but I'll talk to you all next week!  Love you - bye!

Elder McBride