FHE

Hey Y'all, transfer week! It was crazy as a lot happened so I'll just jump right into it. 

Monday night we had a legndary FHE, we had a ton of people come to it, Nicole and Jason came and we played chair soccer, Nicole ended up winning the game too, it was pretty sweet, I was super sweaty lol.

Tuesday we had one last exchange with Elder Jones and Elder Loftus, i went with Elder Loftus and we taught JB again, good day overall.

Wednesday was transfer day, crazy as usual, or mission is weird, we do transfers in the most stress\anxiety inducing, hunger games style way as possible. We have to go to transfer meeting and President reads off where everyone is going and what area you'll be in. I stayed in Chippenham for another transfer, but my new comp is Elder Cody Page from Layton, UT. 

He's super sweet, he is coming down from C-Ville YSA up on UVA grounds. 

Thursday we had comp studies with all the Elders in the zone. That night we had a lesson with Nicole and Jason. Unfortunatley they leave at the end of next week to go back home, the semester is about to end and were about to be out of a job lol. 

Friday was MLC all day and saturday we had district leader training, and planned out the rest of the transfer and all of our exchanges.

Sunday was stake conference, I have now been to stake conference in every one of my areas that i've served in, each area has been in a different stake, and now i've been to a stake conference in each, so thats pretty sweet.

The messages that were shared were all about "home centered, church supported gospel study" and missionary work. It was an awesome conference.

Not too much else to add this week, Thanks  Love you all!

Elder McArthur 

 

Hank(member) and JB (flannel shirt)

Elder Page

pics with everyone at FHE and then just Nicole, Jason, and ZolaElder Page 

Christ has Risen!

Well it's official, in staying another transfer in Chippenham! Super pumped about that, not pumped that school is about to be out and VCU will be dead, but we'll see what happens I guess. 

This week was a bit slower for teaching and finding, most of our investigators had gone back home for Easter. 

However we went tabling on campus after Disrict Council on Wednesday and that was really fun, not as high of a yield as usual, but there will be more people this week. 

We made some progress with a girl were teaching, Nicole, she's been meeting with us for almost 3 months now, and it's been the same story for the past 3 months. We finally sat down with her last week and tried to find out where her desires were at, she still wanted to know and learn but just wasn't doing what it takes to find out, so we re-comitted her to reading and praying but this week was still the same story. So we read Alma 32 with her and defined what faith is, and they type of faith she needs to have to find the truth, she told us she's been praying for God to show her the right path, haha she was asking the wrong question! We helped her realize that God put her on this path, and instead of asking him to put her on a path, we helped her see how he had put her on this path and now she needed to find out if this path was THE path. Kinda of a cool experience seeing her realize what she needed to do, and how God was already working in her life. 

Went on two exchanges this week with Bon Air and Manchester, had a couple good wrestling matches and some bomb Mexican food. 

I hope everyone's Easter was awesome! Richmond celebrated by throwing a MASSIVE  block party fight in the middle of the fan (a section of town) I'm sure Christ was stoked everyone was celebrating with bounce houses, corn hole tournaments and various alcohols on the most Holy day of the year.... the Catholic church was packed tho.......☕🐸

Christ truly has risen! We are of all men most joyful, death has no sting and the grave no victory!

Elder McArthur

"Holy Week"

Hey everyone! This week was absolutely exhausting, but well worth it. 

Started if off right with and exchange with my man Elder Jones! Were in the same area so it was just a different companion for a day, but we taught a few sweet lessons, one to their man JB, he's a youth pastor for a non-donominational church, but he's sincere. We found a few sweet people as well. 

Wednesday was district council and a bunch of administrative stuff that wasn't super eventfull. 

Thursday was exchanges in Brandermill with Elder Katoa! This kid has a full ride to USC to play football, he is the first and only person to have their scholarship held to serve a mission. We had an awesome exchange, two baptist ministers set us up. They called and acted interested saying they've always wanted to talk to us and learn, leaving out the fact that they are pastors..... So we met them at the park for a "lesson". This guys opening line was, "So i've been feeling really convicted...... in my faith, about you, and Y'alls church." and it was all downhill from there lolol. They tried to bash and tell us we believe we have to "earn" our way to heaven. What really peeves me though is when we tell them what we actually believe, and that it is ONLY IN AND THROUGH THE ATONING POWER OF CHRIST, that we can be saved, and that even despite all we can do, it is STILL by GRACE that we are saved, just like the scriptures say. They proceed to tell us that thats actually not what we believe. Like yes, please continue to tell us what we believe, thank you.

Friday was exchanges in Farmville with Elder Newton! Another past companion, it was a super fun exchange, we played "Bagstick" only the most legendary game ever invented by missionaries, I will show you all how its done in a few months. 

Hope you all take some time this week to study the last week of the Saviors life to truly make this a 'Holy week'. God lives and loves us, and Christ is our Savior and friend!

Elder McArthur

Spring Has Sprung!

Hey Everyone, once again this week was super good and pretty busy. 

We started off the week with a few days in our own area, which was nice. Spring has sprung, the weather is 10/10, the blossoms and spring air are awesome! Perfect weather to be on campus for. 

Wednesday we had all district council and exchanges with the Midlothian Elders, I went with my man Elder Webb. We had a dandy old time. All district council was good, and we talked all about our zone goal and how were doing, accountability for the whole zone. 

Thursday was exchanges once again with Farmville, Elder Hernandez and Elder Newton, one of my past companions. I went wtih Elder Hernandez who has only been out for all of one transer but you would never know hes a stud. 

How about general conferene though!!!! Man all of us missionaries were getting hyped hearing all of these random rumors about different things that were going to be announced, but...... nothing..... haha but confernce was awesome, a few talks stood out to me in particular. Elder Hollands talk about the sacrament was really good. As well as Brother (formerly Elder) Callisters talk, also Sharon Eubanks talk was one of my favorites. How wonderful to be able to listen to a prophets voice! 

Love, Elder McArthur 

A few gems I found from the MTC lol

photoshop

exchanges

All district council

Hello Everyone

Hey Everyone! This week was pretty busy, it was super good but also tiring. 

We had 3 exchanges this week, started off with the Manchester Elders, I went with my man Elder Palmer. We had to help one of the senior couples close down an apartment, so we drove out to basically the most boonie area in the mission, Buckingham. We helped them move out all the stuff and clean EVERYTHING. On the way back the senior couple took us out to lunch to MOD pizza, the homies at the pizza place hooked it up and said it was all on the house!

Wednesday we had a great district council lead by my man Elder Jones, afterwards we started exchanges with Bon Air, I got to go with Elder Trimmer, we came out together from the MTC, we went tabling on VCU all afternoon and gave out a bunch Book of Mormons, we gave everyone we found to the sisters cause they're struggling with people to teach. We also taught Kashish a sweet Gospel of Jesus Christ. He should be on date soon

Then we had exchanges with the AP's, I got to go with Elder Van Leuven and we drove to a neighborhood and parked, got the bikes out and just talked to every person we saw, we met a super cool presbyterian lady. We probably talked to her for an hour, but she was killing me haha, we had a long deep theological conversation with her and at the end she basically said, "in my book as long as you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior then you're saved" so naturally we told her that's what we believed, and we asked her if were saved. Her response, "well see now I don't know about you mormons" hahahha every day. 

Sunday Nicole and Jason came to church, they picked a super awesome day to come, Elder Dudly, our area 70 came to our ward and spoke, it was amazing he talked all about the last week of the Saviors life, and if we want to grow closer to him then we need to study that particular section of his life. Then he had a Q and A session with everyone. 

Love you all!