July 4, 2016

Hi son! Happy 4th of July!!!

ha happy 4th of july how is it going.

It's a pretty average day...Dad is putting some curbing in the back yard. I painted the front door too! Haha! Not much excitement yet. Later Kaylee and the boys will be coming for a barbecue. Joni and Hayden will be doing horse pulls so we probably won't see them all day. We'll go watch Hayden do his thing tonight though :)

oh wow sounds like a bunch of fun. That is super cool. Hey the commission of a missionary is cool. I have it memorized in spanish. I love it and we always say it here in this mission. But wow it sounds like everything is going well

That is so awesome! I saw it and I thought it was so impressive! I didn't know it is actually a statement that missionaries say though. Cool! So do you think you'll be able to get your temple recommend renewed in the next couple of weeks?

Yeah I will be able to do it when I have interviews with president Boswell. It will be super great. also I will ask him how you guys are going to get to where I am. I was thinking that you guys could go to the temple. Maybe I dont know. but wow time is getting closer and closer

That will be amazing to go through the Lima temple with you :) Is the temple close to the mission home? We should be able to get where we need to go in our broken Spanish haahaha! We want to be extremely flexible so that you can do the things they have planned for your last day.

hahah but I think I might try to come get you guys or something. We will see. but the temple is really close to the mission home. So that should be great. But dont worry about anything. I will try to help you guys a lot. haaha have you guys been studying spanish lately

The first few hours in Lima will be an adventure! But as soon as we get with you we will feel more at ease! Dad says that we've been going to Taco Time a lot so our Spanish should be golden ahahahahaha! Honestly, we don't know any more Spanish than when you left...we're slackers! But hey, we have Google Translate so we're good :)

ok yeah just I want you guys to know the prices that are fair. hahaha because they might say something crazy like 100 dolars. haha but just ask for soles nothing more. But still I am going to try to pick you guys up. haha

I've been reading a lot about what fair prices are for taxis and so I have an idea of what to expect. It would be so cool to have you come get us but we just don't want to interfere with your last day :/ We want that day to be a special one for you and we get to have you forever on xoxoxoxo

haha yeah ok but I will think about it still. hahaha but it will be great and you guys wont interfere with my day. It will be good because we could probably visit some people in that time with you guys. haha but everything is going to be great and the members here have been showing me so many things about machu pichu and things like that. hahaha but it will be awesome.

That sounds like a wonderful plan! Would we need to be dressed up a bit or will our travel clothes be okay? You'll be able to give us some good hints for Machu Picchu. Everyone I talk to about going to MP has said that it is absolutely amazing and breath taking! Or they say it's on their bucket list. Do a lot of people from Lima go there?

Well when we go to machu picchu we will probably be in normal cloths but when we are in lima I am going to have my shirt and tie. You guys can decide or not but I will be wearing my shirt and tie and my plaque. I am going to miss my plaque. haha but yeah there are a bunch that go there and always tell me cool stuff that's there.

okay that sounds good...we might be looking pretty ragged because we'll be coming off a flight that is pretty darn long ahahah! and an all nighter! Has anyone talked to you about getting altitude sickness? I don't think Dad and I will have much trouble with that because we're coming from 4500 ft but I worry a little about you because you've been at sea level for the past two years. You should ask some people about that

Yeah I actually heard that I am going to get sick but I can take pills or something like that. You will have to figure that out with mcklaynes family. hey when does he end his mission. Also it is ok if you guys want to sleep that day. hahaha but I will probably visit some people that day maybe.

That's a good idea. We'll ask them when they get back and we'll have you all taken care of. You're probably young enough that it won't affect you but we're old geezers so it might be us! hahaha! I'm quite sure that there will be no sleeping on the day that I see my son again!!! We'll just kick in the after burners and pull a 48 hour stretch

hahaha but wow I still have a bunch of time left. exactly 28 days left or something like that. haha it is hard not to think about it because it is just wierd. I still am working hard but i just got to fight it out to the end. haha this week I gave my testimony in front of everyone at a multizone conference and it just hit me that these two years have changed a lot of what I think and do. I didnt cry but I could feel the spirit really strong. It was great and these next weeks are going to fly by. haha but probably you guys and I are not going to sleep when we see each other. haha I heard it was awkward when a missionary sees their parents but we will see how it goes. hahahah

I can tell from your letters that you are really focusing on the work. You will be so happy that you did! Endure to the End son and you will have no regrets. But it is totally expected that you are looking forward and understanding that your mission is almost done. I think it's good to make that gradual transition ;) Joshi....no way will it be awkward! (Dad says for mom it won't be but it might be for you) So we'll see! All I know is it won't take long at all for everyone! I'm sure using a lot of exclamation points....I'm kinda EXCITED!!!

hahahah yeah but mom you have got to sleep. hahaha but I am excited too but we will see how it goes. haha but hey just thinking about it, all this time I forgot to write a letter. I am so sorry. I dont think I have time to write a letter. hahah sorry. ohhh and cool scripture in 1 nefi 13:37. love it about enduring to the end. but yeah

I will try and keep calm...I did get a pretty good night sleep last night haha! Dad just told me that he told you I can't sleep because of my excitement...he snitched on me!

hahahaha yeah but just sleep because you need to sleep. hahahaha but yeah sorry I only have like 3 letters left so I will try hard in these next weeks. hahaha but hey is there anything new something crazy that happend

Dad says that he wrote you about the cougar that stocked him on the mountain. He's thinking it might have been a coyote instead. He thinks he needs a hand gun to hike with...not going to happen while I'm his wife! I suggested pepper spray. That should do the trick! We really can't think of anything that has happened that's too crazy. The craziest thing that's happening in the US is that we might have Donald Trump as a president...that would be kind of scary but the other option is Hillary Clinton so I think we're all doomed! Just kidding...but kinda

oh really. oh no but are they just going to run us into the ground. I hope not, i still want to live. ha but yeah dont buy guns dad. they are dangerous. Ohhh I cant wait to tell you all about the things that have happend. the good things and the bad things. hahhaaha but it sounds like the sisters are doing good.

I'm glad you're on board with the no guns thing! Dad sometimes gets silly thoughts in his head hahah! Yeah I'm sure you have some amazing stories to tell us. We will be busy with the sight seeing while we're there in Peru with you but I really think we'll have a lot of time to hear about your experiences. Do you think we should bring the laptop so you can show us some of your pictures because I'm sure you have many more on your SD cards. Does your camera still work?

Yeah it still works but it is your decision. it would be good if you brought something to show you my pictures. But also I think more in Lima we will be walking with out camaras and stuff like that but in cusco everything will be good. haha just a suggestion.

Okay. I think we'll bring it and then in the evenings you can show us and talk about your mission.

oh yes and before I go, I am so sorry for not writing a letter, it was weird because I got a bunch of letters this week. hahah but I love you mom and dad and hope you have a good week. Also say hi to everyone and tell everyone to be safe and get better from sicknesses. haha love you

Love you son! Talk to you next week xoxoxoxx