November 5, 2010

November 5, 2010
So this week has gone by really fast and slow at the same time. Time is a weird concept. I can't believe its Friday already but then again it seems like this week has taken forever. Because we were supposed to be gone already we get some "added bonuses". One of those is that we don't have to go to so many meetings (which make everyone in the district happy) and we get to go to the temple like three times a week! It’s so cool to teach a lesson literally only about an hour after going to the temple. With all our time there its also helping us grows even closer as a district.
Another cool thing that we get to do is study lesson three in the MTC. The lesson is titled "the gospel of Jesus Christ". Our teachers have shared some way cool stories about this lesson. Usually in the MTC we only study the first two. Our teachers are being "progressive investigators" for us to practice on. It’s about as close as we’re going to get here. Josue is the one we've been working on lot with. He knows that a good thing or feeling will come from God. We went a little further with that and taught him about the Holy Ghost helping him. He had a drinking problem and we committed him to follow the word of wisdom. (all of this is happening over a few lessons). He said that since he doesn't have any drinking buddies any more that he's kind of feeling alone. We told him about how if he is baptized and keeps the commandments that he can always have a companion. He had the desire and then we committed him to be baptized. The only thing he says that is holding him back is that he doesn't know if the Book of Mormon is true yet. More praying and reading. I think we have another lesson with him later tonight.
Another cool thing this week is we had M Russell Ballard for Devotional on Tuesday. It was such a good talk! He talked about being a master communicator and that is really the secret to teaching in a mission. This is our third apostle in a row and its just so crazy how much they know. After wards everyone comes out with glazed eyes and can't walk in a strait line. The hardest thing this week is just getting through a day and not wondering what it could be like. A lot of times I get teaching a lesson then afterwards I would wonder how much good it would have been for a real investigator. Also it’s really hard to ask a person who's pretending to be an investigator how they feel. If it was a real investigator it would be a real answer, but since this is made up its hard to take those things for granted. Hopefully pretty soon we'll be getting our visas. Every time we're in a lunch room and we hear a beep, our whole district stops and hopes for our district leaders name (Tyson Fuller) to be said. When it finally does its going to be crazy. It'll happen though. The weather here's been pretty nice too all the sudden. Last week we had one night where we got maybe a half an inch or so in great big flakes. If it would have been colder it would have stuck more. This week we haven't gotten any rain or any snow. Just nice warm days.
Yes mom I did get the package with my camera and stuff it in. The brownies aren't gone yet I’ve been pacing myself. I've gain six pounds at the MTC! I don't know where it all went though. The MTC really is great though. I just want to be in Mexico with the culture, people, food (even the spicy stuff) and doing the things that every young man that is a member dreams about. I want to see the light spark, and then beam in the eyes of an investigator. A teacher came and substituted one time. He's a Mexico native! He said and made it very clear that we need to challenge most of the investigators in our area to be baptized on the first or second lesson. They people there are from such humble circumstances that they are really teachable. Also a lot of them can't read so it'll be interesting to see how that hurdle goes over. Can't wait to Go!
Know that whoever reads this email, I love you, and hope that you have the success that God intends you to have.Be happy, Keep the Commandments and Endure,
Elder Mackay