April 27, 2015

Blog:
Monday TRANSFERS!! Elder Castillo. No he does not speak Spanish. So that was kind of a bummer. But, he is awesome. It was kind of a P-day to relax as our District does nothing for fun. But, we did get quite a few things out of the way. Also we had an awesome opportunity to give a blessing to a sister that is in the hospital. We also learned that this same sister is the mother of a member in our ward that has asked for less than frequent contact from us as missionaries. We are hoping this is a door opener.

Tuesday was awesome! We met a member whom missionaries have been trying to contact for about six months. He is pretty cool, but I don't know if he is really interested in coming back to church. We then tried to contact a few members while I showed my Companion the area that we cover. Let's just say he is not too excited for some of the hills we have to climb to get to members.

Wednesday was fun. We did some service for a sister as we are going to poison the weeds that are over growing in her yard. The hardest part was she didn't answer the door so no poison... We then visited another member who helped us break Elder Castillo's tire. He had what you call a split valve on his tube and I guess most air compresses don't work with it. So we ended up breaking it. Luckily another Elder had an extra tube we could use. We then, after fixing his tire, rode up another hill :) to get to service for a less-active member. That was fun. We then had to ride our hearts out to get to Eagle City as we were in the foothills so we could go to dinner at Pizza Hut. I really like the food but not the price. We then were asked to help a family that was moving. But by the time we got there it was almost done. So we tried a few other people whom of course didn't open their doors.

Thursday District Meeting. I really don't like most meetings but sometimes they are more fun than usual. This was one. When we returned home we had plans to contact people but then an idea came to mind. Earlier that week we stopped by a family and asked for service; they offered for us to mow their lawn, if we have time. Well we had time. So we mowed it and then they got home and bought us Milkshakes. She said the whole way home from work she was dreading mowing the yard and when she pulled up to her house she said her jaw dropped and her feet stopped hurting so much. It was nice that we were able to help. We then had an awesome Omelet dinner at our ward mission leaders house. And a few visits afterwards.

Friday we went back to cut some more bamboo and this time poisoned it. I am hoping it will work. We then went to lunch as a district. My treat to Idaho Pizza Company. I am just that nice. We then planned our next week and wrote up so progress records to let our ward mission know what we are doing. Lucky for us word is getting out about teaching members, and we had a member ask us to help teach his son who is going to be baptized here in a few months.

Saturday we had more service. We went and cut and stacked wood in the back yard of some non-members. They fed us an awesome spaghetti lunch and held a warhead competition. I won with nine at once and some sour spray. The reward was a milkshake at Doug's Burger Den. We then had dinner with a vegan member who bought us pizza because they were late that day. So one more down. :P

Sunday was awesome! We had ward council that morning so we tried to take a shortcut as we were short on time. While we crested a hill Elder Castillo slipped on the wet grass and bent his back wheels and messed up his brakes and smashed his knee on the pavement. So we get it fixed enough that the wheel will spin and start walking the rest of the way. While we were on the main road to get to the church building a brother stopped by and picked us up and helped us be only a few minutes late to the meeting instead of missing half of it. Right after the meeting the 2nd councilor in the Bishopric pulled us aside and asked if we could speak in Sacrament meeting. So with only an hour or so of prep we gave some talks on faith. Most people said they really liked them and thanked us for what we shared. I have no clue what I said so..." Let the Holy Spirit Guide". We then had our Stake Correlation meeting which went really well. We had a great dinner with a family that loves missionaries. We played some Uno. We then got a ride to another family that we were planning on stopping by as we have no other transportation at the time. Spent some time there talking about missions and how to tell if you should share a Book of Mormon or other church things with your neighbors. Ended the day with a long walk back to our house; when a member picked us up and dropped us off at our house. My companion was very thankful.

Blessing and miracles happen mostly when you don't plan on them. Keep your eyes open and "Count Your Many Blessings".

Good luck and remember D&C 82:10 "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no Promise".

Elder McCallson

        Beautiful skies 

Mowing the lawn

Elder Castillo's turn

 

 

April 20. 2015

Blog:

Monday, ZONE P-DAY was a joke. No one showed up except for my companion and I, another set of elders from our district, our zone leaders, two companionship from the Star stake and a set of sisters. It seems like a lot but two elders didn't even bring p-day clothes and played board games the whole time and we really didn't get an official game of anything going. So it sort of flopped. Although we did have a good dinner. The members forgot they signed up for dinner so they went out and bought Bodacious Pig (A BBQ restaurant) so that was good. The only problem was I wasn't really hungry for pork so I didn't really eat it.

Tuesday it snowed. Well sort of in the picture I tired to use the trampoline to offset the white at it was sunny and raining with high winds all at the same time. It was definitely divers weather. We also tried to stop by some members who just had a baby that Saturday. Two pounds 11 ounces. It was really early. She got sick and it forced her into an early labor. The most amazing thing about it was that the baby had a fully functioning heart and lungs so it was breathing on its own. What a miracle that is. We then taught this awesome family in the ward whom I had never really had the opportunity to meet. It was a blast. There are some really funny people in this ward. We then had dinner with our Elder's Quorum President ,Brother Jamison, and they made this Goulash. I never really liked the idea of goulash but it is really tasty. We ended our night at a members house, who I never realized it until we got there, is a vegan. Well sort of. He eats like a vegan but doesn't have the PETA stance and is doing it to support his mom who had to change her life around.

Wednesday was slow. We had service with the Despains. I never knew how much a horse could poop until I started to help them. We re-cleaned the place we did last time but this time we had to actually search it out through the weeds and grass that has grown up, We also were able to help finish cleaning up a members yard who is trying to get their house done so that they can sell it. They bought pizza and hot wings (for Elder Garcia), as we were pretty sure he was getting transferred out. We then had a lesson that cancelled on us :(.

Thursday was interesting. We had a great zone meeting in natural light. Meaning our district leader, Elder Lee, my previous companion, wanted to have the windows open in the relief society room instead of turning on the lights. So his companion, Elder Folau, keeps calling him a hippy. It was funny. We, Elder Garcia and I, then went down to subway for lunch and had two members pay for us. How does that happen? One person offers some money to help pay without telling us then as we get ready to pay another member pipes up and offers to pay the whole thing. We then had a few members walk in and sit down with us as we all ate. It was the best! We then went to do service with the Sisters in our district. We picked up dog poop, mowed, edged with a weed whacker, fertilized, and watered in the fertilizer. We also took turns so that one person was not stuck with the same job the whole time. Not only that the neighbor of the Sister we were helping do service for asked if we could mow her front yard as she was having family come into town later that day. So being the AWESOME missionary I am (and humble) we, Sister Birge did it. I just wanted to say thank you mom and dad for all the times you made me work in the yard and all the knowledge you have helped me gain on how to work a lawn mower and edge with a weed whacker. I had to help all of them learn how to start the mower and it is a newer one and has a more electrical start and an engine that makes it move on its own. I was surprised as they just kept pulling the cord and didn't realize the lever that says stop or choke on it and have it on stop but keep pulling the chord. Also that I had to teach my companion how to edge and fix the chord in the weed whacker so that it would come out when he hit it on the ground. To top it off I fell under peer pressure for two Ice Cream cones from the sisters for eating a worm. 2 Ice Cream Cones > Worm. To finish off the day we had dinner with the Hulberts an awesome family that makes some odd foods. This time though they just stuck with some original Mexican, Fajitas. They also just bought a tandem bike and said anytime we want to use it all we have to do is ask. So our next arrival at District meeting is going to be in style!

Friday was more bamboo. The sister we are helping did buy some poison so not only did we pull up some of it. We poisoned a lot of it as it had grown under her fence into her neighbors and the housing complex's land. I am thought going to try and make some bamboo swords to see if I can do it. They are going to be awesome! We had a rushed dinner with a member as they were rushing off to an after school party. Home made Pizza is the best!

Saturday was fantastic. It started with morning waffles with the family we live with. They make them almost every Saturday morning. I was full after three of them. We then did some service for some non-members who we helped move in a few months earlier find some clothes as they are now expecting a baby girl. So we had to dig through the well stacked boxes, we put in, to find the clothes at the very back for the storage unit as they didn't know she was pregnant when they moved up here. The husband then took us out to eat a MickeyRays BBQ where I had the Clucker burger (Beef patty, beacon, and an egg) and a side of mac and cheese. Keep in mind that I am still full from breakfast and have now just shoved a 1/3 lb burger on top. We then met up at the Stake center for the Transfer call. Which didn't come but we did find some cards and played spoons I almost won. We then left as the call hadn't come when planned and did some service for some members shoveling gravel into a front loader to spread it out around a new, back concrete patio they just made. There was a bird that laid it's eggs in the gravel that was already spread so every time we got near it, it would squawk at us and try to lead us away from it's eggs. We then left there and went back to our house and got the call. Elder Garcia is getting transferred Spanish speaking and I am staying here. The funniest part is he is still in the Zone so I will get to see him every other P-Day and at zone meetings. We then left to go to dinner with a member that took us out to Los Mariachi Loco. Some really good Mexican food. I am also trying to bring in the Caso Blanco dip. As most places around here have no idea what it is until I explain it. Then they go to great lengths to melt real cheese into the dip. I also got a burrito and ate it all. By the end of the night I felt as though my insides wanted to be on my outsides and I didn't even want to look at, think about, or smell food. Needless to say that night I kept getting up to the bathroom because I thought I might throw up. I didn't; and I can't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Sunday was full of goodbyes. I spend most of that morning laying down as I was still in pain from the gorging the day before. We then got out to church where just about everyone some how heard that Elder Garcia was getting transferred and wanted to say goodbye. After church we went with some members to a farewell for a sister who is leaving to Alabama or Arkansas, I still don't know who she is but she is going to be awesome. I then realized how grateful I was that I didn't invite the missionaries from my home ward and they wouldn't have known anyone there. But, I guess at the same time they may have been able to get some good contacts out of it... if there were any non-members that came. I am not sure how many were there. But who knows, they may have known more people and gotten out there as most of the people who showed up were members of the Indian Creek ward. We then stopped by some other members who wanted to make sure they said bye. Finally it ended at our ward mission leaders house who wanted to make sure he was the last members he said bye to, other than the members we live with that is.

This was an awesome week. The work is really picking up, Even if most of what we have been able to do is service I know that we are leaving impressions that really are helping change the lives of members and non-members. Just remember that when people know you are a member of the church they generally use you as the standard to set when they meet other members. So set the bar high. Not a self righteous standard but one that shows that we are set apart as children of God committed to serving Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

I know that all of you who will try to serve with a willing heart will find the help or strength you are longing for from your Heavenly Father. I promise that you will feel His love and know that you are ever watched by a caring Parent who hears your prayers and will ALWAYS answer them. In sacrament meeting one of the youth brought up a good point. "Heavenly Father will always answer your prayers. Sometimes it is a yes, or a not right now, or even an I have a better plan in mind." Remember that Heavenly Father knows you and has a bigger picture than you do.

I love you all,

Elder McCallson

ps. I really hadn't heard anyone say "picher" instead of "picture" until Sunday. It was kind of funny to me as Saturday the family we had dinner with was talking about words that they say that the other person or people think they say funny.

 

 Snow in late April

Two Midgets: Elder Garcia and a famous Sainted Woman born blind and as a midget 

April 13, 2015

Monday was awesome! It was the start of no sweater season. We were able to get around town and get Elder Garcia to an eye exam to get glasses that aren't broken. Although the people feeding us dinner forgot but they made this delicious chicken noodle soup. So that made up for it.

Tuesday was good. The high councilor over missionary work for our stake took us out for lunch to a Mongolian place. It was delicious. Although my eyes were much bigger than my stomach. We then had some other missionaries come and help up do service for a sister in the ward that is about to have a baby. We then had dinner with the Bishop and as we were leaving he got a text from someone saying that Sister Hall (the sister we did service with earlier that day) was in the hospital having contractions.

Wednesday went well. We had lunch with a member who is really coming out of his shell. It has been a real miracle to see what a change the Spirit and Gospel can bring. We then set up some appointments for later, then had dinner with a family that has way too much going on to stay put. It was great though, we had taco soup and it was the perfect mixture of spice and salt. Best I have had so far.

Thursday we were able to get out and help a sister pull more bamboo. I feel bad because for the next few weeks that we are going to help her get rid of it; her backyard is going to look like a brown patch. NOTE: DO NOT PLANT BAMBOO! We were able to get quite a bit but there is still so much work ahead. We had dinner with our ward mission leader. Tamales! Elder Garcia was so happy. He still says that no one makes them better than his mom.

Friday was fantastic. We had a Zone Meeting and it got me fired up to help with the goals that our mission has set. We then went to IPC for lunch and had a great time. We had several of the workers walk up to us and say how surprised they were on how quiet we were. We are PROMISSIONARIES! We then did some more service with a brother in the ward that is residing his house. Clean up crew is more what we were. But hey, work is work; it has to get done some time.

Saturday is a special day it's the day.... that will rain on you all day. We started doing service in the sisters area. By about noon though none of the other people helping us wanted to keep going because they were all soaked. But they fed us lunch so all the missionaries ended up staying. We then biked around contacting a potential investigator and teaching a newish member about the Temple. We then stopped by the church for a baptism which turned out to be a triple baptism for two girls and a boy from the same family. They were all eight and wanted it to be a family affair so the room was packed with cousins and grandmas and grandpas and so many people. They had this awesome sweet pork burritos after that made even the soggy day that it was into a much better day. We then rode to our ward mission leaders house to get some business done. Just to learn that he went to dinner with his brother and completely forgot about us. But it was fun to bike in the rain. So I'm not too caught up about it.

Sunday was good. We had ward council and spent the whole time talking about how we can better help the members of the ward. It was awesome to see how all the auxiliaries really can work together to get things done. Church was great. The Primary President asked if we could help teach in sharing time. We taught about the first vision and how they can share it with their friends. We then made some good visits with the members and have more plans for this week.

There are blessings that we all receive. The biggest thing is if we can find them. Heavenly Father is just waiting to give us all he has we just have to do the work of asking so that we can have the "windows of heaven open" for us.

 

Keep yourself close to the Lord,

Elder McCallson

April 6. 2015

Monday was a zone P-day. We went to this park and played some basketball which I am still no good at. I have been working on it though. We will see if I can get any better. We then played soccer in the which I scored our team two goals and won the game! So I guess I am better at that. I did also learn however that I am not made for running; or at lease not anymore. I felt like I was going to die. We then played Ultimate Frisbee  and that I am good at too. Our/my team won. I was just on fire.

Tuesday was slow. I don't really remember and I left my other planner at home so sorry.

Wednesday picked up a bit. We were able to make some good contacts with some less-active members that usually don't let us in the door. I love this Easter Initiative.

Thursday was our full day. We had district meeting that morning which was awesome. We went to a place called Taco Del Mar and it is like Chipotle but not. As Elder Coleman said in his email there seems to bee a lot of Burrito joints around. Here we have: Chipotle, Taco Del Mar, Café Rio, and a few less known places. I personally still prefer Chipotle. We then had some time to prepare for our Ward Correlation meeting which went very well. We were able to split up with some of the ward missionaries and visit some families in the ward. I also got a package from Elder Coleman in the mail with an awesome red tie. MONDAY TIE!

Friday was hectic. One of our last full proselyting days before Easter and General Conference (General Conference is live broadcasts Saturday and Sunday from SLC where we are taught by our Prophet and Apostles and learn of the Lord's will for us at this time specifically). We were running mad with all the people we were trying to squeeze in before to let them know about Conference. But, to make it better I got a package from home with some awesome recipes and some short sleeve shirts for the hot summer days coming.

Saturday CONFERENCE! I love conference. Not only because it is the closest we as missionaries get to watching tv for a few hours but because there are so many families and talks that are just AWESOME! And the food. We can't forget that part. The morning session we went to our ward mission leaders home and watched it in his basement while his family was gathering for a huge lunch and an Easter egg hunt. So, naturally we invited ourselves to lunch and hunting for eggs. Not really, he invited us so don't worry. Although, I have never seen so many people give out money for Easter. That is definitely a tradition I missed out on... Oh well, xan't change the past. We then got a ride to another member's home, the Moore's, who offered to have us for the afternoon session. This was the first time in a long time that I had shrimp. I am still not a huge fan of it but it is better than I remember. We then went with another member to dinner and the Priesthood session that night. I have to say that the Saturday sessions of Conference were awesome and you should all go back and watch or rewatch them!

Sunday, MORE CONFERENCE, and food. We spent the morning with the members that house us. They are awesome. They had this little Easter egg hunt for us to participate in. Again they gave money in the eggs... The morning session of conference was awesome with the announcement of three new temples! We then tried a last minute effort to invite some of our potential investigators to watch conference with no luck, at least that we know of. Then we went to the afternoon session with another member who fed us lunch and had a whole table full of candy. So thanks Mom for not sending any for Easter. We then ran from there to our dinner appointment totally full by this time to a big Ham and Funeral Potatoes dinner with another member in our ward. I gave an object lesson called three cups and three knives and Brother Earl is the first one to get it in under 2 minutes. He was so excited. It was an awesome lesson.

I hope you all tried to pay attention to the Prophet and Apostles as they spoke. There were so many great insights shared. One of my favorites was of the two brothers that went mountain climbing. The older brother got stuck and asked his younger brother to go find something to help pull him up knowing that there was nothing at the top where his younger brother was. He waited a bit said a prayer and jumped as high as he could. He made it but his hands started to slip when, as it was said, "like lightning in a summer storm" two hands reached out to grab his as they were slipping on the sandy surface. I think that a lot of times we are like the older brother. We tell others to go find help knowing that the only person that can do anything about it is us. But, what I don't think we realize is that there is something, or better yet, Someone who can help. Please remember our Savior Jesus Christ. He is there for you and just as with Peter when he was walking on the water and started to sink because of fear, he will do as he did with Peter and "immediately... stretch forth his hands, and [catch us]."

May you all find the love that our Heavenly Father and Jesus have for you.

Elder McCallson

Tie from Elder Coleman

 Tie from Family

 

March 30, 2015

SPRING BREAK!! OH NO!

 

Monday another P-Day....

 

Tuesday went better than I thought. That morning we stopped by a member's house and helped put in a 10 foot net for their son to kick his soccer ball into so it would stop going into their neighbor's yard. Lucky for us it rained that morning making the ground wet for us to drive these 3 foot holders for the posts into the ground. Most of our other origional plans for this day fell through - people being out of town. It was like it was a vacation time or something ;) We were able to make a really good contact with a member who we hadn't seen in a while.

 

Wednesday nearly went as planned. We had some service planned with our ward mission leader and lunch with a single sister in our ward who is on the depressed side of life right now. We then went to this awesome family in the ward for dinner who has the most hyper children ever. It was fun and made me sort of jelous because I wished I could roll on the floor like they did. But then I realized I may never stop rolling, so that made me laugh. We then were able to contact an investigator who went out of town two weeks ago.

 

Thrusday finally a day that we can relax.... sort of. We had meetings all day. We went to district meeting which was awesome! Then we went out to an all-you-can-eat pizza place, Idaho Pizza Company, and someone paid for us!!! I love being a missionary. After that we got a ride to a member's house who we have been going to to help him read the scriptures. We then invited him to a class that is held on Thursday nights at the church building. HE CAME!! We then had an hour zone meeting, which we were late to because our ride fell asleep and turned off his phone...., on #BecauseHeLives! We got some pass-along cards to help share the message.

 

Friday was slow. By this time everyone was out of town and we had no one really to visit. Except we now have free range on everyone when it comes to these initiatives. So we were able to make some really good contacts with people who normally don't want anything churchy. But, a simple message about Jesus Christ can get you into almost any door. Dinner that night was with a brother who can only make contact with us when his wife is out of town. For some reason she really hates the church but he is there every Sunday. And he also is helping fellowship an investigator we have.

 

Saturday morning was spent pulling weeds... Bamboo that is. And chasing a duck who made her nest in some weeds by a member's house. The afternoon started to get hard as there were a few people who were just returning from Spring Break vacations and were tired. GENERAL WOMAN'S CONFERENCE!

 

Sunday, was Fast Sunday (not as in fast vs. slow...but a Sunday each month set aside to physically fast for 24 hours for a specific reason....a blessing that may be needed on our own behalf or on the behalf of someone else, like when someone is physically sick or maybe when we need a special spiritual blessing, insight or guidance, we petition the Lord for His help and show our faith by depriving our physical bodies of food and water for 24 hours, thus focusing all our efforts on the spiritual strength needed). Two of them this month for this ward because of General Conference next week. For dinner we had this pork roast with a pineapple sause. It was delicious. Later that night we were also able to make contact with another member who I have never met. So that made that day fantastic!

 

I love you all and look forward to hearing from you next week.

Elder McCallson

The Bamboo ROOT I dug out (I hate Bamboo!)

Mama Duck in her nest

The 13 eggs that were under the Mama Duck

 

March 23, 2015

      Monday was a terrific zone p-day. We started by trying to get some volleyball going. It lasted for I think 20 minutes. Longer than usual. Then we ended up playing chair soccer with the whole Zone! Oh, by the way, they combined the Star Zone and Eagle Zone together making our zone one of the biggest in the mission with 15 companion ships. Lets just say that when 30 Missionaries get together things get rough. Especially when you have a few Tongans, a Samoan, and soccer players in your zone. The only real injury was my companion's glasses. He was hit in the face twice.

      Tuesday was full of service. We helped finish cleaning up a members orchard. Scooped some poop (Horse) had Pizza again. It seems like people think we want pizza all the time.... Remember that when you sign up to feed the missionaries.

      Wednesday was more poop. Also some weed pulling. Thanks for the idea to use a screwdriver mom. It is much better when digging in rocks than a spade. We also made contact with a less-active member who loves art. He showed us some of his work and he loves Jesus. I think he classifies himself as Catholic now and he does a lot for the community when it comes to art. He gave us some hands-on tips with clay and let us take some home. So that is how I have been spending free time during lunch.

      Thursday was our District meeting. I can't remember if I already said this but my last companion Elder Lee is still my district leader. Other than that the day dragged on as most of the people we had planned were getting ready to leave for Spring Break.

     Friday, SPRING! Although the weather here has been so warm it feels like it was already. Most people have their fields plowed and ready to plant. Some already have. I was also able to get another Elder to help me, Elder Capps, fix my bike as I have been having problems with the brakes.

     Saturday was more service. We helped a brother in the ward dig up a sprinkler in hopes of finding where it was leaking into his neighbors yard causing a flood in his basement. No luck. So we changed and helped rake his yard and have become very proficient at cleaning and raking. After that we finished our poop project and hopefully don't have to return for it anytime soon. We also learned this day that the Sisters in our district need to move out of their house as that member's son is returning from school, so we had to give up our future home to them. So now our entire district lives in our ward. GO EAGLE 4TH WARD!

     Sunday was slow. We were suppose to have ward council but, there was suppose to be no one in town. So we get to church and it is packed. I mean almost more people than usual. There was a great talk by a sister on Grace and the Atonement. She made people cry. Well at least the Bishop. I love you Bishop. We then had our Stake Correlation meeting which went really well...better than expected. After that we went to dinner and had a dart competition with real blow guns and darts. I WON!

     So as you can tell this week was really awesome! The Lord is blessing us. Thank you for your prayers and your well wishes. I love all of you and hope you never have to deal with as much "crap" as I have. To give you an idea look at the pictures.

Love,
Elder McCallson

Can you spot the POOP?

How about NOW?

Did you spot the poop? "Now that's one big pile of POOP there!"

 or is it "cart of poop"?!

 Horses!

This is how Missionaries RELAX in a hammock

Should I take off my ROSE COLORED GLASSES?

over and out!

March 16, 2015

Monday... another home P-Day. It is hard to get something going when no one else wants to get together. Pizza for dinner is awesome! 

Tuesday was good. We were able to help a brother rake his field and burn it. Well, that is... he used a homemade FLAMETHROWER! Lucky us again Pizza.

Wednesday went slowly. For lunch though we had a member take us to KFC so that made the day a little better. To add on top of that pi (that's for March 14th).... I mean Ribs which was really good.

Thursday was full. We started by helping a member clean out their garage which was a nice change from always being outside. We got Subway for lunch! Right after that we ran home to do more service this time for a non-member not in our area. But, the brother who knows her really well is in our ward. It was awesome to meet her. She really knows the history of Eagle. Right after that we got a ride to dinner where we had you guessed it, General's Chicken. :P

Friday didn't go as planned. But, was still awesome. We started off with nothing to do because all our plans cancelled. Those are the best. But things turned around by lunch because we had district lunch because we had to move district meeting for interviews with president. That was really good. I also was asked to give part of the training. It's funny how it works when your last companion is now your district leader. After that we went and helped some members rake their path to their house. We had this "Missionary Meal" is what they called it. Shredded Chicken covered in cheese and sauce on tortilla chips with lettuce, tomatoes, and salsa.

Saturday we had high hopes for. But, rain ruins almost every plan you make when they consist of outdoor service. So right before it rained we were able to help a member clean up his orchard that was just pruned. Almost all our plans when south from there as we walked around in the rain trying to contact people. Dinner again pizza. But things turned up as the rain stopped and we were able to hop on our bikes and get out to some members and get some work done.

Sunday a day of rest for everyone but missionaries. Had our studies, had lunch, went to church. Dinner was roast and potatoes. Tried to stop by to visit some people and they actually answered their doors this time. That was a blessing. Then off to bed. Hmm maybe it was more restful that I thought.

It has been fun to see and read all of the cool things that are happening keep me up to date. I hope all of you are enjoying the weather that is on the way. I know we are.

 

Elder McCallson

I can ride my bike without hands, and text, too!

I think this weighs more than my companion

I am Heavy Weapons Guy and this is my Weapon

it's a reference from a game, so hope you get it!

 

 

 

March 9, 2015

Blog:

      Monday was awesome!! We played capture the flag as a Zone. The best part is no one got hurt too seriously. A poked eye, some head trauma, and a bloody nose were all the injuries to show for it. And I only caused them... well some of them. Okay I ran into one of my teammates who was running towards me to get back into the game and ran into them giving them a bloody nose. But it was their fault. They stuck some tissue in their nose and played the rest of the game. The game after that my whole team but me was tagged and they had their whole team in because you can't protect the flag and keep them from getting people out of jail when you are the only one in. So one of them ran for the flag and I got him right before he crossed the line so my flag was now just a jump from crossing. So they thought they could go for it and I went for the eye... no he bent down as I was going to tag him and his face got in my way. I think people just like getting hit in the head or something. The best part is these two stories happened to the ones who were going home last Saturday; so I had to leave them something to remember their missions with. :)

     Tuesday was exchanges with my district leader, who went home. But not either of the stories from Monday. I missed him... but it all worked out because he and both of the sisters in our zone all collided and he got a swollen nose. So all's well that ends well. But back to exchanges. I had a car for the day. It was so nice. But there is also a draw back. We sat in the car because we ran through all the people we had planned to visit that day in about an hour or so. I forgot how awful that is when you are able go through everyone because you can get to their house in a few minutes instead of walking all the way. By dinner though people were home... how interesting it's like they worked that day or something... anyways we had dinner with this awesome family. Fried Chicken! aweyeeah! We then exchanged back only 24 hours.

    Wednesday was slow. Just about no one was home that day either. After lunch we went and...you guessed it... raked more tumble weed! FUN! But really we only did that for an hour then had a better offer to help a recent convert's grandfather move. We were so excited to do something else. We got there with 10 other guys from the ward and guess what?...the only thing they needed moved was a bed.... an air mattress at that. So the member we got a ride with took us out to dinner - CHIPOTLE! No, he offered, I didn't ask for him to take us there. After that we were asked to help teach the Teachers (young men ages 14-15) about planning and teaching a lesson. So we came up with this awesome idea and we totally rocked it.

     Thursday was Zone Meeting, Weekly Planning, and Ward Correlation. For lunch our zone leaders took us to a members house and we had a huge grill-out it was pretty awesome. Then onto weekly planning which is not as awesome; and to top it off our dinner cancelled on us. We then went to our ward mission leaders house for a ward mission meeting aka Ward Correlation. That was fun though.

    Friday I don't quite remember what we did that day. We tried to contact people but of course no one was home so we went and did something.

     Saturday though was my day to tan.... err, I mean, my day to help others. It is also the day we said goodbye to three of the missionaries in our zone. RIP Elder Merrill, Elder Ysla, and Sister Heaton; enjoy your time in the land of Eternal P-Days. TRANSFER CALLS!! We started the day by helping Old (Young) McDonald on his farm. Waiting for the call as it had not yet come. We then started to bike to do some more service when the call came. And who would have guessed it, we couldn't get the whole message to play. So we had to ask someone else what happened so they sent us the call. We both are staying for another 6 weeks. We then went to rake more tumble weed, this time we finished it. NO MORE!!! I'm so happy! We then went out to dinner to celebrate the occasion with CHIPOTLE! This time I did ask! Also chick-fil-a. This has been a pretty good week.

 

     Sunday we had our ward council meeting where we finally "passed" our ward mission plan! We are so ready for this! I am pumped. Church as usual...except a less-active and his non-member wife/girlfriend ( not sure which) showed up to church and stayed for all three hours!

     I am excited to see where the rest of this week will take us. I am excited for this next transfer and know something big is coming. I don't know what it is but it is coming. Life has been good. Prayers are coming true and miracles are happening. Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers of encouragement. They truly do bless the lives of all those you pray for. I am a living witness that there is power in a pure prayer.

 

I love all of you,

Elder McCallson

March 2, 2015

     This week was good. I decided I wanted to try a new way of writing these things. I will try to keep them interesting and informative. I will also try to share even some of the less interesting things of the week.

     

      Monday we emailed, shopped, and stayed around our house for 4 hours. Yeah, what a blast!! What an awesome P-Day. I love not having a car and living in the foothills ;)  No, it was fun to just relax for a bit and not have to worry about: What are we going to do?  How are we going to get there?  or Do we need a third male? (For those of you wondering about this last question...Missionaries, even though they are in sets of two, must have another male, 18 or older to accompany them to a "single adult female's home, just for precaution's sake)

 

     Tuesday was a little better. We did service all day. 7 1/2 hours of digging holes for a fence and getting and pouring gravel to fix a road. I do have to say it was awesome to get out of the Pros clothing and put on a good old pair of jeans and a t-shirt and get a little dirty moving posts and railroad ties.

 

      Wednesday we had a rare event called Leadership Exchanges. Instead of just within the Zone; this time multiple Zones get together and exchange. My comp for the day was Elder Glover. He had the Pics of us and I have to get them from him... If I ever see him again. He is a "visa waiter" on his way to Brazil. We raked more tumble weed and road our bikes all over our area. That night we also helped the Deacons (young men age 12-13) with a little "mission" activity they did. They all got a "call" to a mission and had to prepare a 30 second info speech and a food unique to their area. There was a lot of food! It was awesome!

 

     Thursday was weekly planning. I have no clue what I will ever do without weekly planning. It is long at times but it really helps us get a perspective on how we need to better work and what things we need to get done that next week.

 

      Friday was probably our slowest day. There was really not much planned for Friday because we had done all we could think of trying to leave stuff for Saturday. MY FIRST BIKE WRECK. Nothing really good to report on that thought. I am alright! I just had to buy a new wheel and tube for my front tire. No scratches, scars. or ripped pants. I was sort of disappointed. :P

 

     Saturday!! We had this thing called Family Discovery Day. It was with a group call RootsTech. You can find it on lds.org.  It was all about family history and the power it can bring to us. I did a little indexing and Ancestry. I would invite all of you whether in the Church or not to look into your past...they are just waiting to help us and it is our job to find them.

 

    Sunday was awesome! We had a Regional Conference with Elder L. Tom Perry. It was fantastic! There was some serious rebuking that went on as they talked about repentance, charity, and our purpose in searching for who the Lord wants us to be.

     I still am not a fan of BBQ chicken. I don't know what it is... I just really don't like the flavor of BBQ. But it was good.

 

     I am looking forward as this is the last week of the transfer. I am wondering how this next one will go. There are so many people going home this transfer and the next one that there are going to be a lot of changes. Who knows maybe I will start to cover two whole wards!! :P

 

I love you all,

Elder McCallson

 

                                                               Blue Skies

Ok, You're Joking, Right?!

Kids in a Candy Store

 

February 23,2015

    This week was good. Our Priests (young men ages 16-18) did a "mini mission". We set up appointments with people we are teaching and let them go out, two by two, and they taught very well, I might add.

     Service, Service, and more Service. I think I may get more tan being on my mission than even before.

     I never truly appreciated the hard work that comes with working with my hands until it is the only thing you can do to change up a day that seems the same as the ones previous. Remember Mosiah 2:17:  And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

     There are powerful blessings that come from service. Some are only obtained through losing yourself in the service of others. Please, if you are feeling down and out or if you know not what to do, serve those around you and you will feel and know what you have been searching for.

 

Elder McCallson

February 17, 2015

Blog:

    This week not much happened. I just realized all the things we have the opportunity to do to reach members. Look at the pics if you want to know what I am talking about.

    We had a wonderful Zone Conference and I was chosen to give a talk. It was hard mostly because I just get uncomfortable speaking in front of so many people. But I know that I am getting over it. This time my mind didn't go blank like it usually does. I was still shaking so bad I couldn't read what I wrote or turn the page as fast as I would like to.

    Other than that, I just have to keep learning patience. I found that maybe the Lord is trying to teach me that as I am working to come closer to Him and understand His will. There is a plan for everyone, a plan that will help you be happy and we are the only ones that thwart the plan and cause bumps. Yes, there are people who can throw things your way and make it seem as though there is little hope, but know that the Lord and our Heavenly Father are always watching out for us.

I love you all,

Elder McCallson

 

                                                   Over the River

                                                  Through the Woods

                                                   Up Hills...Both Ways

                                                  So Many Geese

 

February 9, 2015

Blog:

Hey, you there, sitting reading this message. You should pat your head and rub your stomach.

    

    This week was great. We had the opportunity to go to the Temple and feel of the Spirit that is there. It is amazing to me to see how much difference there is in how I view the Temple. There is great work to be done.

     For those of you who are not members that read this blog, the Temple is the House of the Lord on the earth. It is a place where those who are worthy go and make promises to God to be faithful and obedient to the commandments He had given us. We don't hold Sunday meetings there. Those buildings that we do meet in on Sundays are called Meeting Houses.

    This week was full of walking, riding, and walking. Something that we are not allowed to do is ride horses. But, I wish we could in this area. Just about every farm here has at least 2-3 horses walking the land. I think I will ask my mission president about it.

   

    There is something important that I want you to commit to do for yourself right now - this very moment you are reading. I want you to think! I want you to wonder and ponder on how you can help you and your family become better. Now with that thought... I want you to think of a way that you can do it. I want you to become the best person you can and the best family you can so that others will want to know what makes you, YOU!  This is something that I have been doing as I have been reflecting on how can I have others ask what makes me different. Other than wearing a suit and tie everywhere and have a name tag... What about me do people want to know why I am that way.

I know that you will come to find things in your life that will help you change to become better.

In the words of Walt Disney: "Keep Moving Forward"

 

Elder McCallson
                                          My MTC District together again

                                         Me and Shawn

 

February 2, 2015

Dear Reader,

     This new area is awesome. Hard, but good. There are days when we have next to nothing to do because the ward is so active; they have reached out to the Less Active members, or the fact that if you aren't a member you know one who is and you are content. It has been an awesome experience for me to learn patience. I know that it was inspired by my Mission President to send me here.

     Who knows when I get done with this area I may even have a six pack..... or not. Food is awesome.

     Sorry there are no pictures this week I left my camera charger at my last apartment and just got it today. So hopefully by next Monday I will have some to send home of all the wonderful emptiness that is my area. No but really, everyone out here owns land. On the land are these four basic things, horses, dogs, trucks, and guns. The last one you don't really see but I know they have one. It has been a lot of fun getting to know how different the culture is between here and Kansas and here and the city.
     Service is how we pass the time. Anything. We helped a member destroy a fence and build a new one. It was hard work but fun. We actually saw the sun for about 5 hours one day. I know that sounds weird but here in Idaho, those of you who lived in the valley know, are inversions. Clouds of water, pollution, and other things cover the sky for days at times. I heard last year they had one that lasted 30 days. A lot of the missionaries started to get depressed so they would save their miles so they could travel to Idaho City, in the mountains, to see the sun. I hope I never have to go through one of those.

     I am looking forward to this upcoming conference and am excited for the opportunity to hear from the General Authorities of the Church.

      We are going to the Temple today. I never really realized how awesome it is to do something different until all you do everyday is the same and then once every three months you get to do something out of the ordinary. Also I never really appreciated the Temple and the strength and help it gives to not only me but to recent Converts to the church. GET THEM THERE!

     I look forward to your letters and emails in this upcoming week.

 

Elder McCallson

January 23, 2015

Dear Blog,

     TRANSFERS!! Yes this time I did get transferred. I am in Eagle now. I am excited to see what new things I will get to learn from the members in this area. I am also looking forward to the new experiences and people I will get to meet and learn from.

     This week was a little slow. A lot of service for both members and non members. We helped someone who's house caught fire move their things into a storage unit. The next one was helping move some freezers, stoves, microwaves, and dishwasher. That was a pain.
    

     On Saturday, we were pleased to have Elder Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles visit the Mission. He spoke a lot about how important it is to read and pray and pay tithing. I think that is what we all need to remember. Something I learned is that Sister Nelson is a boss. She brought up some good points. If you had a Pre-Earth DVD player and could have 10 minutes to watch your time in the Pre-Mortal world what would you want to watch? Out of all the time that we spent up there preparing to come down to get a body to make our own decisions; what would you want? Would you want to see the last 10 minutes before you came down? Or would you want to watch one minute every eon or so. With all that time we were up there what would you want to remember?

 

Elder McCallson

                                    Elders Lee and Smith (Old Companions)

                                      Elder Garcia (New Companion)

 

January 20, 2015

Letter,

     Not much has happened this week. We are coming up to a Mission Conference and have a special guest speaker. Elder Nelson. I guess that is some pretty big news though.

     There is still so much that I need to learn I have found. I guess that is always true. I guess that sometimes it hits me in waves. Like I know I am a missionary but sometimes when you are walking down the street you have this realization that you are a missionary. It is kind of weird sometimes and almost freaks you out.

       That and when people honk or yell out at you for anything really it hits me that someone is really always watching you even if all they know is what they "know".

      I am looking forward to this next transfer. My time has come. I think...

      I really have grown attatched to this area and will now have the opportunity to move on and work in a new area. Who knows, with such small stakes and wards I could move right across the street and be in a whole new zone stake and ward. It is kind of rediculous how they organized the areas up here.

Anyway I love you all,

Elder McCallson

January 12, 2015

Dear ...,

      I have no clue what to write. This week has just flown by and it feels as though I just wrote a letter home.

     This week has had a lot of minor changes. The Mission President combined two areas and made our companionship and another a companionship of three Elders, the Elders we lived with moved out of the apartment, and we found three new investigators. I guess those are the largest changes this week.

      The work in this area is picking up right as I am about to be transferred. But, so I am told, this is how it almost always works. Right as you start to gain momentum in an area you get moved on. Oh well, it is no big deal to me.

      The cold weather is determined to stay. It doesn't bother me but it does make it hard for us to make street contacts when there is almost no one out side because it's cold. I guess that is why we have tracting and referrals.

     Other than that, not much is happening in my life. There never seems to be enough time for anything. I now understand the saying "forget yourself and go to work". As I have been trying to forget things and work harder on finding and teaching about Christ and His atonement, time has been fleeting.

Elder McCallson