December 12, 2011

December 12, 2011
Well, I had a nice letter all written out and I was just doing some spelling changes and my computer shut off. Apart, it’s been a little bit of a stressful day I will try to be really quick.
The coolest thing that happened this week was that we went with Pati, (the girl that was baptized last week). We went with her on Tuesday and it was fun to see the look in her eyes. It’s the little glint that makes us different. We had a really powerful lesson and we asked who else she wanted to feel what she was feeling. She immediately said that she wanted her sister to feel what she was feeling. It was cool to see her desires to share the gospel. We were leaving and her sister just happened to be coming back from shopping or something like that. It was another cool lesson. I loved it. Apart from that we are teaching her uncle too. On Saturday we really let him have it. We talked and I finished saying something like, “really you don’t want a life free of addictions? Really you don’t want to be happier than you have ever been? Really, don’t you want everything that you have ever done to be erased? Really?” I remember that he felt like I dominated the lesson. Then my companion piped up and let him have it from the other side. It was super powerful. We came out feeling super energized.
Apart from that Friday was a really cool day too. We had 5 little opportunities to help other people through small acts of service. We came back to one of the houses later and we found a guy that had already drank a few beers. We helped him to see what was going on in life. I remember asking him, why he drank and he said because he said he felt sad. I later asked why he felt sad and he said that that was a good question. His name is Sindulfo and something interesting about him is that his two front teeth have metal stars on them. From what or why I have no idea.
Well I have to go or else it’s going to make everything else late. I had this typed out in the other letter and I really like it a lot so I want to write it on this letter too. I know that Jesus is the Christ. I know that His church was established, but after his death, fell. I know that this same church was restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. I know that he (Joseph Smith) was a prophet because I have read the Book of Mormon and I know that it is true. I know that no man could write it if it was not called of God. That is how I know that this is the only true church on the face of the earth. I have been taught and revealed this by the power of God. And the coolest part about all of this is that I know that whosoever desires to know these things with real intent can by this same power. For those of you, who are not familiar with this power, welcome to the Holy Ghost. It is the most important part of my service. While reading these emails for the past few months I have tried to put in a little message. Every time you have read this paragraph at the end, you have felt something, almost like you could breathe a little bit more. And you liked it. It was something that you enjoyed. This is the Holy Ghost testifying that my words are true. In these next few months that are left, read these last paragraphs and look for these feelings. I know that you will find them. For those of you who have questions I’ll see you in a few months.
Con Amor,
Elder Mackay


The pictures are the baptism of Pati last week, along with Elder Garcia, the church building in Play del Carmen and Pati's family.

November 28 and December 5, 2011

December 5, 2011
Well it seems like it has been a really long week and that a ton has happened. It wasn’t a long week as far as in bad long, just long as in a lot happening. This week I also grew a week closer to the end. It’s crazy to see how much is left. I don’t like it.
To start out, I got the Christmas package this week! (I figured if I wasn’t supposed to open it, it would say something like on my birthday package). Well, I’m wearing one of the new shirts right now. It’s really nice to see how white a new shirt is or can be. Also I got the new watch on. One of the new features that I like is that is the timer. Apart I really like the peppers! It’s about a six or so on the scale mom. It reminds me a lot of nacho cheese. It is what I use to stay awake in my personal studies.
The biggest thing that happened this week was the baptism of Pati. One of the big lessons that we had to finish off the week was the Law of Chastity. My companion and I had it planned out really well and we knew exactly what we were going to say. It can be a little bit awkward trying to teach this lesson to a fifteen year old girl but it turned out being a really strong lesson and it helped her see the reason why. I had the opportunity to baptize her too. I got to use the new pants and tie. It felt good to put on that white clothes again. She was super happy and right after she talked about getting the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was really cool to know that she understood. Also she really wanted to start the process of getting baptized when she saw a baptism before. Now she finally knows what it feels like. It was good.
The big thing this week is a family that we are going to work on. There are three kids and a mom on one side, but the other side is a dad and his son from another woman. We are teaching a few lessons there because there are different levels of what people need. We haven’t really been able to talk to the dad much. He’s not super excited about it yet, but the kids are. I think I talked about it last week when I talked about how we had a lesson with a young girl and four other kids. It’s a crazy deal trying to get everything done. But we are getting there.
Well it’s all cool. This week I had an interesting spiritual experience. We got into a house and we had a talk with a lady. She wasn’t super crazy into it, but trusted us enough. We asked her what was a question that she wanted to know about life. She wanted to know about how come things had to be so hard for little children. I talked to her about how sometimes, we don’t understand why things are so hard. But, they do have good endings if we do what we are asked. I talked about how it was sad how my new niece was born basically without a mother. And also how come she had to end up in an orphanage where there isn’t any food. Why did it have to be so hard for her. Well, it had to be like that so that my brother and sister could make her a part of the family. If it wasn’t for that what she had to go through, she wouldn’t be a part of the family. I would rather that she had to go through it.
Con amor a todos.
Elder Mackay


November 28, 2011
What a crazy week! It’s been long because we have been in the wheelchair the whole week, but it’s had its rewards. One is that we have found some really cool people to teach. Two is that we have been able to see the progression on my companion’s foot and three is that I don’t have any trouble falling asleep at nights. Although twice I have accidentally woken up in the night thinking that it was already six. I pray and then make sure that my companion is up. When he’s not up I wonder why and go over there to wake him up. On second look at a clock, I realize that it’s about one in the morning and I roll back into my hammock. We just laugh though. This week has been interesting to see how we have managed to get along; its part of the enduring. We are getting where we want to go, things are just taking us a little longer with the chair (I started to write in Spanish right there).
This week we have a cool story. We are teaching a family of four (named Dauri the mom, Alexis the oldest daughter, Yael a boy and Hemli the youngest daughter). Every time we go over there the kids get more and more excited. The last time we went over there, there were Alexis and four kids under the age of 10! It was a really cool lesson though. And when we finished the lesson, every one of them prayed! We came out of that lesson so happy and content. Also that same day we found a lady and her neighbor that we contacted (well actually they contacted us) in the street. It was a cool lesson and we set a baptismal date. The lady that had contacted us is already been baptized we haven’t been able to find her records. They show a lot of potential and could be a sweet story, but they didn’t go to church. The member is doing a great job of inviting all her neighbors to listen to us.
We have a baptism this week! Her name is Pati. She is ready, we just need to finish two more commandments and then everything is set. It’s been really nice to have someone almost ready for my “son” to practice on. We really enjoy because she never has objections. Everything is going well with her.
The other important people that we are teaching is a lady named Claudia. I have already talked about her but it is always fun to teach them. They get really frustrated and depressed when they try their hardest all week and don’t find work. It’s nice though to remember that story when I couldn’t find work. Remember that day mom when I was looking for work and I couldn’t find it and I wanted to throw in the towel? Well, I now know why I had to pass it. So that when people in the mission would be passing through that same trial, I could look them in the eye and pass them that same counsel. Do you remember mom? I sure do.
Well this week has come to an end. I remember the first day that I pushed my companion the whole day in the chair. I came back and I had a purple spot on each hand. It was from the pushing the wheel chair and it had marked my hand. Not to mention that I could hardly feel my legs and that my whole body was sweating (I had just pushed my companion for about 20 blocks). But then I realized that this is what I came to the mission for. I came to struggle and to give it my all. I am so grateful for this opportunity to learn and grow and I say to all who have an exhausted soul or mind: this is what we came to earth to do. We knew it was going to be hard, but we came to earth to grow. We will look back on these experiences with a great smile saying, “Good thing I passed that, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to pass the next trial.” Or, “Good thing I passed that because I learned that…” these are for our benefit and this is what our Heavenly Father knows we need.
Con Amor
Elder Mackay