1-25

Happy January 25th!

Hope you all had a great week! As you may have looked on the forcast for Riverside California ... yes VERY RAINY! haha, but very very fun! Haha, my shoes that I had puddle jumpin fun in still are a little wet from last Monday! But there is always a consiquence in everything right?I had a very good week though. On Monday the Bro. & Sis. & Susan Yokshas came down for my birthday and took us to a terriaki bowl place FULL and jam-packed with asians! haha we were the only white people in there... & right when we sat down all of the asians left... we might have scared them away... haha Afterward they heard that I did not get a cake so we went to Ralphs and they bought me a cake and put "HAPPY BIRHTDAY HOLLOW LEG" on it... the lady that decorated it was like "my mom has a hollow leg!" hahahaha it was pretty funny! [ps - 'hollow leg' is an inside joke... so just laugh ;) ] The day was really fun! The Yokshas's said that they were coming up Valentines weekend to come down there and hang with you at the house...you'll have to show them our famous 5 crowns!Thanks for the birthday presents everyone! I found the McDonalds... now it's just finding a Chili's somewhere!! AHHHH where is my moten chocolate lava cake???!!!! Oh so I am so mad that I can't find my camera cord to plug into the computer and to put a picture with this - but for my Year Out I burned one of my shirts and finally my tie (which I was supposed to burn @ 6 months). we soaked it in alcohol and tied it to a tree! It looked really cool! Bad traditions of our fathers, but really really fun!Haha, this has been like reunion month haha, Rubi, Yokshas's and then on Saturday me and Elder Williams got to have lunch with Sis. Teter and her daughter Natalie! SOOOOOO fun! [JOSN - which is an acronym I just made up which means Just On the Side Note! Mom, you and Natalie would totally get along... she has a whole bookcase chuck-full of romance novels of guys ripping off there shirts on it! hahaaaa jk] It was real fun to get caught up on all the stuff that has been happening though! Sunshine loves you Bro & Sis Teter and Natalie!We had an awesome lesson with one of our 'getting more active' members. We brought up Lehi's dream and the lesson was so spiritual! It totally went in the direction that the spirit wanted it to. We got a paper and started drawing it out and they were like "the tree is the TEMPLE"! They are both trying to go get sealed together and so the whole lesson was on "holding to the rod" and getting to partake of the fruit of eternal life at the temple!Ya know, almost a year ago when I got out into the field I didn't want to talk to anyone out on the streets. A lot of the times (sadly) I just byed pass them and turned the other shoulder and hoped my companion didn't see them so that we wouldn't have to go out of our way to talk to someone [which has been repented of!] Now I have got a testimony of talking to EVERYONE I see! Really, I talk to people as they are driving out of their driveways and while I am driving and even the drunk & have dead ones. This Saturday we just walked past two of these young 19-20 year old punk/goth kids and I know the thought that I would have had at the first of the mission would be "okay don't get killed Elder McBride.. just walk fast and don't look up..." haha but we didn't do that, we talked to them! One "peaced out" and the other stood by his car literally in awe of what we were sharing about. Haha, his exact words were "Where is your church!?" haha. Sadly he didn't up coming, BUT (said optimistically) we have a return appointment this week! Pray for Julian on Wednesday morning!We had a multizone meeting this past week and it was of course great like always! [oh just a funny PS on the side: the new Elder McBride that came into the mission is in my zone! So I am now "Elder McBride the Older". hah] Anyways, in the meeting we talked about Obedience, which is funny because exactly a year ago if you remember, that is what Pres. Miller had talked with me about before he set me apart! Sister Reeves spoke about our testimonies of the Prophet Joseph Smith.. You know it is funny on how some people just don't have that strong of testimonies of Joseph. I am so thankful that I have such a simple testimony that I don't need proof. Elder Clements bless his heart always needs proof ... maybe that's why I am with him.. to give him some of my simpleness....... or maybe I will come out a genious afterward...hmmm this could help on my math tests in the future...posibilities!!! But really I have never doubted the church or the gospel... I just .. know it's true!!!Well I got to go, Love you all and Have a great week! Thanks again for the bday presents!Oh, & a Special shout out to Brenda Franklin! She is awesome and has a great heart and is truely one of my friends!HOLY COW ... one year from the day I will be on a plane... AHHHHHHPeace,Elder P. McBride