Week 22: Happy new year!! 🎉🎉

Hey ya'll!! 

So this past week has been a little rough, we are mostly finding and meeting members because the people we are teachings, their records are taking longer to transfer but they are coming! Haha.

So a fun story, on Wednesday we were walking down this street heading to a members house and we saw this guy working on his car, so we stopped and asked if he needed help and he said sure so we go to help him. His name is Tom.  As we are helping him his wife comes out and just starts bashing on us, we talked for a little bit so she goes inside and Tom just starts telling us some stories and life events and then she comes back out to bash us some more, then goes inside and Tom just continues his story😂😂.

She comes out a third time and tells us we are not going to change his faith or get anywhere with him so stop trying! Tom turns to her and say I am just telling them stories😂😂

Moral of the story, Tom is a cool guy with awesome stories haha.

It showed me that no matter how hard things get, God will provide good for you so keep your head up and don't get discouraged.

❤

Elder McVey

Elder Brock McVey

819 Millstream Dr

Reynoldsburg Oh 43068

Week 21: Merry Christmas!!🎄

Hey y'all, so the big news, I got moved into a new area!!!
Not only a new area but my new companion, Elder Green, and I are opening the area. So it is a new area haha.
We are in Reynoldsburg East, we have another companionship in the ward and they are west.
The fun part is we share a car so they get it one week and we get it the other so a lot more walking yay! Haha.
So that is the big news from the week, not a lot happened besides that, 
Lastly I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and that everyone can be safe and remember the true meaning of Christmas is to remember the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ!

I love you all, Merry Christmas!!!

❤

Elder McVey

Elder Brock McVey

819 Millstream Dr

Reynoldsburg Oh 43068

Week 20: Weekly? On Sunday?

HEY YA'LL 

So I am sending this out right now because this week is transfers!!🎉🎊😪😭😂😁

                                

This week has been has been awesome!! A few things that made it awesome:

Christmas Conference - instead of a zone conference we had Christmas conference and it was with half the mission!! So lots of missionaries lol.

It was fun, we got to play games and had an awesome spiritual thought and dinner was so good.

That was on Friday.

Yesterday was an awesome day, we met this girl named Mary who is down to meet with us and she has some family that are members. 

Then with 10 minutes left of the night we decide to go to the bus stop by our apartment and as we get there this guy gets off the bus and sees us and is all, "are you Later Day Saints?" 

So we say ya and he starts talking and it's a good conversation then he talked about doing baptisms for the dead and Elder Thomas and I were all, You're a member!? 

And he is but it's been a long time so we had an awesome conversation with him and as we are talking another bus pulls up at the stop and the door opens and the driver says "Hello Elders" and we were like Whhaaaaaaaatttt? And he says he is from the Reynoldsburg ward and we said that's awesome and then he had to go.😂

So last night was awesome!!!!! And we ended up running back to the apartment so we weren't late😂😂

I just want to leave with how much I love this time of year and for the true meaning of Christmas. 

I know that we have Christmas to celebrate the birth of our savior Jesus Christ and that he came to die for us so that we could return with him and our Heavenly Father and be together with our families for all eternity.

I love you all, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!

❤

Elder McVey

Elder Brock McVey (UNTIL DEC 20, maybe) ☺☺

71 Fitz Henry Blvd

Columbus OH 43214

Week 19: Yo what's up

Hey y'all, so funny story from this week.

Elder Thomas and I were walking down a street and he gets a prompting to go to this door. So we do that and this guy answers and is all happy so we say who we are and that we have a message about Jesus Christ, he says he can't right now because he has a contractor over but we can come back. So we plan for the next day and we hand him a Book of Mormon and he is happy to take it and said it had been awhile since he read it.

It was kind of weird because there was no resistance at all which we are not used to lol.

So that next day we go to his house but we see the Book of Mormon on the porch with a note and it said that he was sorry and he has a copy of the Book and he is Catholic and just wanted to be nice.

So the fact that there was no resistance made sense now 😂

Other than that the week was pretty great. 

The weather warmed up and then got super cold again so that was fun.

Transfers are coming up (Dec 20th) and I'm probably leaving Worthington which is sad because I love it here but I know I will love wherever else I go and that is where I should be.

Welp I forgot everything else I was going to put here and I was bad at journaling this week....

So i hope y'all are still awesome and have amazing days. 

❤

Elder McVey

Elder Brock McVey (UNTIL DEC 20, maybe) ☺☺

71 Fitz Henry Blvd

Columbus OH 43214

Week 18: Crazy weather ❆ ☔ ☀

Hey Y'all, 

So this past week we got snow!!! For 3 days, then it was raining a ton!! And then yesterday was 60 degrees again 😂😂

We are supposed to get more snow soon so that will be fun. 

But so at home I was fine with the cold, I like Utah cold, I can deal with that... Ohio cold cuts you to the bone. It is not fun. lol and there is snow, but mostly everything just gets a layer of ice, I tried to open our car door and it wouldn't open Haha, but when it did all you heard was breaking ice.

Also it rained so much the sewer grate flooded lol.

Yesterday I woke up with a sore throat but I was fine going through it, last night we had an awesome lesson with a guy that is really hard to set an appointment with.  Then we sat down with these people that we helped moved her couch and it got deep!! And the spirit was really present. 

Today I woke up feeling terrible, my throat is dead and I got a cold lol.

Besides that everything is going awesome!!

Light the world is here!!! And I know that it is going to be amazing!! 

❤

Elder McVey

Elder Brock McVey

71 Fitz Henry Blvd

Columbus OH 43214

I found pictures on the Ohio Mission facebook page so I thought I would add them here. 

When Brock first arrived in Ohio

 

Kirtland Ohio

 

 

 September's Zone conference

November's Zone conference

Week 17: Thanksgiving week 🍰

Hey y'all, this past week was great!

So it was my first week with Elder Thomas and he is a great guy!

We had Thanksgiving and ended up getting fed twice! Lol mistakes were made....but I have no regrets because the food was so good!! I only died a little from over eating 😂

It warmed up a bit here but it's supposed to cool down again so cool.

Other than that things have been kind of calm, Saturday was the OSU Vs Michigan  game so we couldn't do much.

Lastly it is really starting to look like Christmas here with all the lights lol.

I do just want to say how Thankful I am for everyone supporting me.

How Thankful I am for a loving family and how Thankful I am for this gospel and all the love that I have felt from it.

I love you all, have a great week! 

❤

Elder McVey

Elder Brock McVey

71 Fitz Henry Blvd

Columbus OH 43214

Week 16: New Companion

Hey y'all, so last week was transfers and I am still here in Worthington!!! 

It's awesome here!

I did get a new companion and he is pretty great, his name is Elder Thomas and he is from Saratoga Springs and has been out for a little over a year.

It has been pretty great, a few changes that I'm getting used to but it is still great.

We got snow last week and that was fun to walk in lol.

Also I found my street!!!

That's really all the updates for the week,

I will know more by next week I promise!!!

Thank y'all for your support, I love you all!!

❤

Elder McVey

Elder Brock McVey

71 Fitz Henry Blvd

Columbus OH 43214

Week 15: Transfers

So its transfer week and here is the big announcement:

I am staying in Worthington! 

I am getting a new companion, his name is Elder Thomas, I won't meet him until tomorrow but Elder Paul has told me a little about him and he seems cool so I'm excited.

Other than that this week has been awesome.

We started teaching Amy, who is Lanre's new wife. Lanre is the guy we baptized a few weeks ago, he is doing awesome.

Then we are teaching a guy named Dwayne and yesterday he was asking awesome questions and he brought out a notebook of questions he had while reading, he is progressing so much!!!

Then last week we had zone conference and that is always awesome!

So that's why my week was awesome lol

Starting this coming Monday on the 19th is my new P-day.

I hope y'all are doing great, thank y'all for all the support and I love all of you.

❤

Elder McVey

Elder Brock McVey

71 Fitz Henry Blvd

Columbus OH 43214

Week 14: New P-day

Hey y'all 

So this past week was a weird one.

I feel like not a lot happened but the few things that did were awesome and fun.

1st: we had the last district council of this transfer. 

It was awesome and it was cool being able to hear so many amazing testimonies from the missionaries that are dieing this transfer (going home)

2nd: we had stake conference and it was awesome! You could really feel the spirit so strongly.

Those are kind of the main points of what happened this week.

Also starting on November 19th my P-days will be on Monday, so be ready for that lol.  

I just want to leave y'all with this: 

"FOOTPRINTS"

One night I dreamed a dream

I was walking along the beach with my Lord.

Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.

For one scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to me and one to my Lord.

When the last scene of my life shot before me I looked back at the footprints in the sand. There was only one set of footprints. I realized that this was at the lowest and saddest times of my life.

This always bothered me and I questioned the Lord about my dilemma.

"Lord, you told me when I decided to follow You, You would walk and talk with me all the way. But I'm aware that during the most troublesome times of my life there is only one set of footprints. I just don't understand why, when I needed You most, You leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you never, ever, during your trials and testings.

When you saw only one set of footprints it was then i carried you"

A poem by Margaret F. Powers

I know that through faith in Jesus Christ we can all get through the "storms" and trials of our lives no matter how hard it may seem, the Savior will always love all of us and be there for us.

❤

Elder McVey

Elder Brock McVey

71 Fitz Henry Blvd

Columbus OH 43214

Week 13: ❤

Hey y'all 

So the past week has been awesome!!

On Saturday Lanre got baptized!!! He is a huge blessing to my companion and I and he is one of the most spiritual people I have met.

 

Then yesterday Lanre and his fiance Amy got married and we got to help with that!! They are some of the most kind people ever!! 

 

  

With those events that is what really took up my last week so this is a shorter email lol.

❤

Elder McVey

Elder Brock McVey

71 Fitz Henry Blvd

Columbus OH 43214

Week 12: Miracle week

Alright y'all, its miracle week.

Here's the story, last Friday we get a referral from these elders in Texas and they tell us that this guy just moved to Worthington from Houston and he has been taught everything and has already had his baptismal interview and was going to be baptized but work made him move here. So we met him and he is the greatest!!! He is the kindest and the most ready guy I have ever met!! His name is Lanre and he is getting baptized on Saturday.

This is a huge miracle because our zone needed 1 more baptism for the month of October to reach our goal and the zone leaders have been praying for it, and then we were given Lanre and the prayers were answered!!!!

We also had a district activity last Wednesday and decorated pumpkins.

Other than that this week has been pretty great, I've realized there are a lot of Arabic people living here and they are all super kind people, we are teaching this family and last night we had Faysal, the dad, read the introduction of the Book of Mormon in Arabic, I've read it a lot but hearing it in Arabic was so cool!!

I just want to leave y'all with my testimony that I know this gospel is true and that Heavenly Father loves every single one of us because if he didn't we wouldn't be here and we wouldn't have this amazing gospel.

I say that in the name of Jesus Christ amen. 

❤

Elder McVey

Elder Brock McVey

71 Fitz-Henry Blvd

Columbus OH 43214

  

  

  

Week 11: Worthington

Hey everyone, so this week has been awesome/terrible

Terrible: I was sick from Tuesday to Saturday all last week so that was not fun.

Awesome: Tai, our person on date, is freaking awesome and her baptism is going to be sweet!!

I would like to thank everyone for all the love and support and I just want to say that I know this gospel is true.

Sorry for the shorter email, not a very eventful week do to sickness.

Oh 3rd thing, I got to give a talk in sacrament last Sunday and it went awesome!

Here are a few pictures of my surroundings.  

❤

Elder McVey

Elder Brock McVey

71 Fitz-Henry Blvd

Columbus OH 43214

     

 

Week 10: Eventful week

So this past week has been pretty eventful.  First off, General Conference was amazing!  And it was so great to be able to hear from our Prophet and apostles. 
I'm pretty excited for the new changes also, lol 2 hour church will be fun, and I'm excited to be able to have that more time with my family.

Also there will be 12 new temples!!! That is pretty exciting!!!

Second, also on Sunday I kind of got an ear infection so my ear has been bugging me since.

What I would like to share with you all is one of the biggest themes I got from General Conference is that no matter what, God and Christ's love will conquer all and that no matter what trial we are going through we can get through it with their love.

❤

Elder McVey

My current address is:

Elder Brock McVey

71 Fitz-Henry Blvd

Columbus OH 43214

Week 9: Miracles are amazing!

So today I have a couple stories I want to tell y'all. 

Part 1.

So we have this person we are teaching named Tai and the missionaries have been working with her for a while but she is super flaky and so my companion and I went over and we were going to ask her about baptism and if that's what she wants or if she even wants us to teach her anymore.

When we got over there she answered the door and we started our lesson and we barely talked because she told us how she felt and that she has this feeling that she wants and needs to be baptized (we hadn't even brought it up yet) and it was awesome, so now she is on date to be baptized on October 20th!!!

Part 2

That was on Sunday and so on Monday my companion and I received a referral that these sisters in Cleveland had been teaching over the phone.  He is awesome, the sisters taught him a lot and he said he only feels that spirit when he talks with them or goes to one of our church activities. So the sisters got him on date for baptism for the 20th of October (2) and then finally got out of him where he lives so that the Elders can help him out, and he lives here in Worthington!!!

I feel these are answers to prayers and miracles because this last week has honestly been the hardest week (mentally) I've just been down alot so for these 2 things to happen is awesome and I do feel that it was our Heavenly Father helping us out.

My current address is:
Elder Brock McVey
71 Fitz-Henry Blvd
Columbus OH 43214

Week 8: Yay!! More updates

Hey y'all, so some updates. 

Last week was super hot and now it's rainy again and the other day my companion and I got caught walking in a downpour and got soaked it was kind of fun.  Yesterday morning it was a downpour again and we had just planned to walk so we thought we would be walking in it, but once we got out it was barely raining and it didn't downpour again until we got back inside so I am extremely grateful for that break. 

Let me tell y'all about this family that we are teaching, so his name is Dwayne and he is super solid and an awesome guy.  The missionaries from the past taught him everything and he even went to a baptism, so that was huge!! But then he wasn't keeping commitments so they had to drop him.  A couple weeks ago me and my companion went back to meet him and he excepted us with open arms. We started teaching him again and then his son came home and he wanted to learn too so now we are teaching him and his son.  They are just awesome, our lessons never actually go as planned but that is because they have questions and we answer them, but every lesson we have with them you can feel the spirit in the room and we end up having awesome lessons.

The rest of our time is mostly trying to find people to teach, and that is fun unless you are walking in a downpour 😂

I just want to thank everyone who is supporting me and say that I am extremely grateful for all of you and I am so grateful for this gospel and I know that it is true.

My current address is:

Elder Brock McVey
71 Fitz-Henry Blvd
Columbus OH 43214

Week 7: Update from Columbus

Hey y'all, so this last week has been eventful but at the same time kind of not eventful, so some eventful things that happened. 

One of our people we are teaching now wants to be baptised so that's awesome🎉🎉

Yesterday we met a crazy lady (kind of bipolar) so that was kind of fun 😂 she did give us water so that was awesome.

The members here are great and keep us fed.  One of the members made us lettuce wraps because I said I could handle some spicy.  It was beef with a Korean sauce that was spicy and delicious.  

Other than that the week has been chill.  It was rainy on Monday but now it is back to being HOT.

The mission has been great though and I do feel I have learned so much and that my love for this gospel and my testimony has grown.

I don't really know how to end this email, but if anyone wants to talk or ask questions you can email me anytime I can only respond on Wednesdays when I have WiFi though.

Week 6: Updates from Columbus

Hey y'all. So to be 100% with you, this past week was not that active and not a lot really went on other than a couple things.

So first, I have been in more rain in the past 3 weeks then I think I have had in my entire life. The streets here have flooded and cars have gotten stuck in puddles. It has been kind of entertaining 😂 because you would walk out for 5 seconds and you are suddenly drenched. But I have always loved the rain in a way and having this much rain has been fun especially after we had all the heat the week before where it was almost 100 everyday plus almost 100% humidity so that wasn't fun but the rain was.

Really other than that the week has been good and and a little relaxed.

I am so extremely grateful to have this opportunity to be with the people in Ohio and to be serving the Lord. 

I have learned so much and I love this gospel and I know that this is the true gospel of Jesus Christ and that Joseph Smith was a prophet and restored it to the earth and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. 

Week 5: 1 down, 23 to go 😊

So I have now been away from home for a little bit over a month, it's kind of gone by faster than I thought it would. 

But this last week has been awesome,

A really cool story happened!!

So my companion and I were walking around handing out cards and talking to people about the gospel. There was this woman sitting on the bench waiting for the bus so we thought perfect let's talk to her. So we started talking to her and it was going good and she seemed like she was receiving our message well. Then when her bus came, she stopped and waved it by and then broke down crying. 

Elder Paul and I then sat down and talked to her and she said she had been having a hard time because she is a single mom and her family doesn't help out a lot and she had already taken a bus and got off at the wrong stop so that's why she was waiting at the one by our apartment. So we taught her about the gospel a little more and about the restoration and then the next bus came so we got her number and she said we could have another lesson sometime.

Later we started texting her to set up a return appointment but when she sent us her address, she wasn't actually in our area. This part was a little frustrating for Elder Paul 

and I . . . bummer.  So we referred her to the sister missionaries in that area and told her that, and she was fine with it. But we thought bummer, she was cool and we wanted to teach her.

This is where it gets good, the next day we get a text from the sister missionaries after they had a meeting saying our referral is awesome and she started reading the Book of Mormon and just felt extremely better about her life after talking to us and that she is now on date to be baptized!!

I just wanted to share this story with you all because I think its really cool, and I know that God blesses us. Even though she missed her bus stop it turned out good in the end, she met us and we planted a seed of Faith and the sister missionaries helped it grow.

I am extremely grateful for the gospel in my life and I know it can bless others like it has blessed my life.

❤

Elder McVey

Week 4: 1st week in Ohio

Hello everyone!

So some updates.
1. I can't talk on Tuesdays anymore because that was in the MTC so my new P-day in Ohio is Wednesday.
2. I am now in Ohio 🎉🎉🎉 it has been great the past week being here.
There are not any mountains so that is a bummer but it is so green and there are so many trees!!!  There are trees everywhere, and squirrels to.  there are so many squirrels here and they get so close to you because they are used to people.    There are also so many bugs.  However, not mosquitos surprisingly, I have not seen a lot of those.  There are a lot of crickets and cicadas, cicadas are the most annoying things ever. 
3. So my area is the Worthington ward and it is the entire town of Worthington.  It is just north of Columbus and it is a really cool town.  The buildings all look colonial and it is cool.
4.  I also have family here!  The ward I go to now is the same ward that my cousin and his family that lives here goes to so it was really cool to see him on Sunday.  
5.  My trainers name is Elder Paul, he is from Arizona and he is a real cool guy.  He really likes music and artsy stuff like that.  
6.  On Thursday we went to the Kirtland Temple and learned a lot of that history.
7.  I also have been doing more family history.  BYU has a relative finder online and it uses your family tree.  It shows you famous people you are related to.  Here is a few screen shots.

 

 

So I do not actually have any pictures to send this week because I didn't take any or haven't gotten the ones that were actually taken of me yet so sorry about that.
But for my first week here it has been great.  I have met so many really cool people, both members and non-members, and some people that were not as cool, lol.
But this place is really cool and I have loved it. 
Something I want to share with you guys that happened in the MTC and I didn't think about sharing it last week but I will this week.  
So while in the MTC there was a weight room that we could workout in. It was nice and it had ten tv's that would repeat whatever was put on them.
One of the tv's just repeated the "Joseph Smith, The Prophet of the Restoration".  It is a great movie and y'all should watch it.
Because it was on repeat all the time, I got to watch it a lot.  It made me realize that all of the opposition that Joseph had in his life, and all of the people trying to stop him, I feel that it would not have been as bad as it was, unless Lucifer or Satan had his hand in it.  And if he had his hand in it then he must have really not wanted it to happen.  So to me having this realization helped me to know that this gospel has to be true and that Joseph Smith was truly a Prophet.  I leave this with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.  
That is all I really have to say, if y'all want to talk or have questions then feel free to email me.  
I love you all and I know God loves you all to.  

Best call ever . . . .

Sorry but this post is from Brock's mom 😊
Oh my ❤ !!! I had the best 24 minute phone call this morning.
I know Brock mentioned that he would be leaving the MTC at 4:45am today but I didn't really undestand why.  I assumed there were missionaries with earlier flights.  Nope
They were dropped off at the Front Runner in Provo, took that to the Trax station in Salt Lake, and continuted to the Salt Lake City airport.  He should be arriving in Atlanta soon.  He has a quick layover and then will continue to Columbus Ohio.  I forgot to mention "they" = 17 missionaries headed to Ohio. ❤
He mentioned they will be having a late dinner and will be staying the night in the mission home.  So he will meet his compainion tomorrow.

Here is one last picture of his district from the MTC

He mentioned that his Tuesday Night Devotional speaker was Elder Christopherson and this week it was broadcast to all the MTCs.  He also mentioned that he has been singing in the MTC choir this last week and it was fun to sing during the broadcast.🎶

Brock said that he is really going to miss the MTC but is looking forward to being in the mission field.  Also he said it felt a little strange to be outside of the MTC.  Oh how I love that kid man of mine. ❤

Week 3: Final email from the MTC

Well this is it...

I check out of the MTC tomorrow at 4:45 in the morning. I'm not excited about waking up that early.

I am excited because I feel I am actually ready to go and serve the people of Columbus Ohio the best that I can, and I know that our loving Heavenly Father will be helping me through every trial or complication I have.

I am having mixed feelings about leaving the MTC. I have loved my experience here and I feel it has helped me grow so much. But I know I am ready to go and do the Lord's work.

I have had the greatest teachers ever while here and our last class was awesome.

I actually don't know what to talk about in this email, I've said that about the last two but this time I actually mean it.

Leaving the MTC is so much bigger than I thought it would be at the beginning.  
All I can say is for those soon heading to the MTC or those planning on serving your mission, make the best of your MTC experience. The classes may feel long but I promise if you focus on them and try to get out of them the most that you can, you will be blessed more than you could know.

I ran in to this guy last week.  So good to see Steven

I promise this, and I also promise that God loves us all and this gospel truly is the greatest gospel.

I would not be serving my mission or going somewhere I have never been for two years if it was not.

I love you all and I know God loves you all to.

Week 2: Legend of the Knoogeyman

When at the MTC, we are supposed to be in our residence at 9:45 p.m.  What the Elders and Sisters do not tell you is why.

My companion Elder Van Ausdal and I were talking to our teacher Brother Jenkins a little late after class because Van Ausdal had a question and I waited for him.  When he was done, I saw the time and saw that it was almost 945 and we had to get to our residence.

We were walking as the time came and I looked down the walkway and there I saw, standing there was a little pink leprechaun. I thought nothing of it so we kept walking. As we kept walking, we heard the sound of the little pink leprechaun footsteps but when we looked, no one was there. Finally, there was a blur and the last thing my companion and me heard before blacking out was in a high-pitched whisper "knuckle knoogey".

All right all seriousness now. That was a story that my roommates and I thought of one night to be funny. But now for my second email of my whole mission yay 🎆🎆

The MTC really has been amazing and even though the past two weeks have felt like months, it really does feel weird to know that I only have a week left here.

I would like to thank everyone who has sent me emails, letters or packages and I promise I am not ignoring you I am only allowed to send an email on Tuesdays. 

I have loved my classes, my teacher Brother Jenkins is amazing, and one of the most spiritual and greatest people I know.

The elders and sisters in my district here are all the funniest and greatest people, and I feel so blessed to serve with them.

Last week we had our first TRC meetings, that's where we teach a lesson and meet with a person we are teaching. We are not allowed to say investigator anymore. So person we are teaching. We do not know if they are actually members or not.  We are only told not to worry about it, so we are supposed to just teach them as if they are not members. 

The TRC my companion and I taught name is Cache and he is a pretty cool dude and I was kind of sad after our last visit with him because we could really feel the spirit and it was great.

I really do not know what else to talk about. If you have any specific questions or just want to talk you can email me whenever and I will be able to answer on Tuesdays before 6 o'clock. 

I love you all and I am so grateful to be serving the lord.

(brock.mcvey@myldsmail.net)