Short but Sweet . . .

November 23, 2014

Hello All –

Everything is going well :) I'll send a letter along with those pictures :) I love you all just trying to work hard. Yeah, I know who the Hague family is. They are super good in the ward here. They have a lot of girls!!! I don’t know who teaches them but I’ll make sure that they are taken care of.

I was just thinking if wouuld be possible for you to send me some of my contact lenses things here in Guam are a lot cleaner tahn in chuuk and I get bored wearing my glasses all the time. Also some of my proactiv stuff and some pictures.

Thanks and I love you!!

Elder MCEwan

Charity & Humility Bring Happiness . . .

November 16, 2014

Hey Family-

So this is going to be short but this week was really good for us :) well actually we had no investigators come to church yesterday, we are still trying to help the investigators to progress, the bishop called us out yestrday for not having had baptisms for a while, and I've just felt super stressed out...but on the bright side, we had an aweseom exchange with the elders down in the southern part of the issland (merizo) and I found the oldest son of my branch president from Mechetiw, we also went on splits with our members Joe and Rico, that guy Joshua (if you remember him) he says he really wants to be baptized and seems to really be trying right now, not to mention Elder Afualo and I also just finished up our second to last zone meeting together last tuesday, and this week on Thursday we are going with President and Sister Zarbock to an interfaith dinner with all the different religious leaders and such here in Guam :D Honestly we had a really fun week, and I learned a ton. I'm really trying to work on being more charitable and humble and seriously it has made all the difference in the world for me. I feel happier than I have felt in a long time, and I'm really trying to not let things bother me that aren't taht important.

We are both doing good, Afualo and I. We just found a whole bunch of Pohnpeian and Chuukese investigators in Harmon and one of the the families that we are going to start teaching is the brother of Richard Kuss (a member that I worked with in Romalum whom I love very much) and I'm super excited. They seem really open to us and really nice people, I'm really pumped to go and see them this week.

Man, this week has really opened my eyes to just what type of person that I can become (that's something else I'm trying to work on is seeing the potential not the current) and it has truly helped me to learn and grow. I'm so gratedful for this time that I have to be a missionary and to be here with these wonderful people. I love this work, I love these ilsands, I love my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and I know now that they love me.

I hope this finds everyone doing well and loving life. Thanks for keeping me and the Micronesians in your prayers :D

Love always,

Elder McEwan

Lots and Lots of Finding . . .

November 9, 2014

Dear Family,

We just had transfers and I’m still here in Guam, serving as a zone leader and I love my area.

Right now we are doing lots of finding as we have quite a few referrals and as a result of that we have found lots of new potential investigators. We’re not teaching as much as we are finding so it’s been kind of slow. We have Am and Marlin (married), Shaniah, Merlinta, Happy Sokono, Mayann and Retipo (married), Roger (less active chuukese guy), Joshua and Ralphie (best friends), and...I think taht's about everyone taht we are really working with rightnow. I really apreciate you guys praying for our investigators and for those we are working with it really means a lot.

We've got thanksgiving coming up soon, as well as about 5 or 6 baptisms this weekend.

I'm doing well, just loving being around these awesome beautiful people. I've really enjoyed serving here in Micronesia and I love this work.

Mom, thank you for those recipes! Also, thank you for helping me to get college stuff straightened out. It really takes a lot of stress off of me.

I’m so thankful that I chose to serve a mission and take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. I know I have changed and grown so much ;). I don't want to go back to the guy I was before I left, but I'm grateful that I knew him ;D!

Love and prayers to you all,

Elder McEwan

Halloween/Harvest Party in Barrigada . . .

More pictures from the Barrigada Halloween/Harvest Party ~ The Pie Eating Contest was definitely a BIG hit!! :)

Brother Hague really got into the "spirit" of the pie eating contest

1st and 2nd Place Winners of the Pie Eating Contest

Senior Couples and a member

Sister Davis preparing in the kitchen

Working Hard in Harmon . . .

November 2, 2014

Hey Family!!

We had kind of a slow week, but super great learning days!!

Hey how was Halloween? You know, no one asked us if we were wearing costumes which i thought was kind of surprising!! We had a great Harvest/Halloween party with the Barrigada Ward. Good job on doing all those lifts, we are going to have fun when I come home!! How are your classes?

Bishop Davis and Barrigada Ward members

Things are going really well with me right now, we are just super busy helping with transfers and zone leader meetings and all that we have to do, but I'm hanging in there!! How was the party? Who is your quorum advisor again? Man, keep working hard and doing what's right!! I'm so proud of you little man!!

So two doctors for Halloween – Dr. Parker and Dr. Dylan?? Nice!! HOw was the carnival? What about the football games? Who are your teachers right now, what classes do you have? Still working for the district I see? TRust me, keep working hard and it will help you so much in your mission!! Man, not a whole lot to tell right now, we have just been busy busy busy but I had an experience the other day with a missionary who is coming home early. I just want to tell you to please keep preparing. GO out w/ the elders when you can, do home teaching, read PMG, all that. I love you brother!! Keep working hard and loving life!!

Elder Ladore BEFORE the pie eating contest

Mom, I'm so glad to hear that you are doing okay!! Man, I miss homemade strawberry and raspberry jam, is it too much to ask for that for Christmas/birthday? How's the vinyl business going? Any more big orders? What about this re-charter business? How did that work out? That's awesome that you are staying busy and having fun!! Thanks so much for trying to help me out with college stuff and all that, it really helps to alleviate stress and worry from my mind. Right now, I have this really awesome part member family that we are trying to get back to working with, the Jimmy Retuyan family, and it's been really sad to watch, because when we first started to meet with them they were doing super good but now that light and enthusiasm is fleeing and it just makes me think about my own family and how grateful I am to have the Mom that I do that encouraged scripture reading and family prayer and all the things that we are supposed to do. You are the best Mom in the world!!

So Dad, any luck on "new opportunities" as you put it last week? Any news on the bsktball team? That's so cool that your High Council position is going so well, I know that those men and women are lucky to have someone like you helping and training them. Dad, I don't know why, but I feel like I just need to tell you that I love you. I only want to make you happy and help you, and I look back and feel sad that I couldn't have done better, but I'm very excited for the future and being able to spend more time with you and family that I love. Hahaha I guess it took being thousands of miles away from my family to realize how lucky and blessed I am to have them. I look around and see all these families in the ward that get to go to movies and picnics and do fun family stuff, and I can't help feeling a little jealous but I know that one day I'll be albe to do that with my own family.

The children love to play musical chairs!

I'm doing really well right now, we actually just concluded our monthly Zone Leader/Sister Training Leader meeting last night, and so we are very excited for the direction that the mission is going in right now. We are working super hard right now in Harmon, we are jst super busy with transfers in a few days. I don't think I'll be going anywhere but we'll see...

Right now we are just trying to find new investigators and all that!! Right now, they're super slow!! We set a goal for 22 baptisms last month and found out last night that we only hit 4... We are just trying to help motivate everyone and get everyone excited right now!! We also just found out who the new AP is going to be since the current one, Elder Petersen, goes home this weeek. THe new Ap is Elder Plocher from Chuuk, I've known him my whole mission. He's super good and I'm really excited to be working with him. That's the news from me this week!!

I love you all so much!! Everyone please know that I pray for you all and want everyone to know that I'm okay and that this Church is true!!

Elder Sean McEwan

p.s. Hey Mom will you get email addresses from Brad Graham and Steve Buffo? I just want to start talking with them about options, specifically Brad so that I can be on time for recertification.