Elder Mackey's March 21, 2011 Letter to Dad

Happy Birthday Mandy!!!!!!! Here is the e-mail that I am sending to dad. :)

Hello Daddy,

I don't know why I was having a hard time. Thank your for your letter
and your love dad! I love you very much and I want to make you happy.
I love teaching the Gospel too, in fact we picked up a ton more
investigators. But like you said most of the appointments fall
through. The people are friendly and they are Minnesota nice, or they
don't know how to say no, and they are not interested because they
have there own church. I actually went to a Lutheran church on
Thursday and it was different. They have like 500 hymns. Afterward the
pastor talked to us and he was very nice and did not bash with us at
all. He let me play a song, Savior Redeemer of My Soul from the Joseph
Smith book, and I bore my testimony. The investigators that brought us
I know felt the Spirit but then on the way home they were saying that
our religion is not right. They kept going in circles and its amazing
how they cant see it at all saying that we don't need baptism but we
don't but its not really necessary. The people out here are set in
their traditions and so it is real hard to get them out. We have this
one investigator that does dialysis because he lost both his kidneys
from too much drinking. He went from no church to a denominational
church. We tracted into him and he said that we can come back. We
taught him about the book of Mormon and how you can apply it to
yourself. He like the verses in there a lot. We did Heleman 5:12. He
wanted to bring it to a Bible study class that he goes to. Well we
caught him in his truck and he stopped and he was going to drop us
right there but we asked him what his problems were and he had friends
tell him anti stuff. well we answered his questions and he felt better
about us because it didn't make sense to what they were saying since
we are nice guys and don't teach what they were saying. But then just
yesterday he said that he is fine with his church so he was dropping
us. Bummer. We worked hard this week and we achieved 20 lessons. It
was awesome cuz we got 17 Saturday night and Sunday we had like 3 or 4
scheduled. All of them but one fell through. We had one with a member
so we needed just one more and we had tracting left. So our faith was
put to the test. Door after door and person after person we get
nothing. No interest at all. There was this big hill we were on and we
didn't want to waste all that force we were getting by turning sharp
to where we needed to go to go to the next house. So we went to this
place that we were not going to tract that night and turned around and
we were coming back and caught 4 kids coming out of their car. (God
placed them into our path) We talked to them for a few minuets and
then I asked if we could teach them a short lesson. We taught them
about God and a little about His characteristics and His plan for us.
Taught them how to pray and I asked one of them to kneel down and say
the pray. They all want to learn more but there is one that seems like
he is serious. They are all coming out to play some dodge ball with us
today. We are having a lot of success. We actually had a baptism
Saturday and I comfirmed him on Sunday. His name was Alex and he is a
9 year old. The family is way cool and very humble. Thank you for your
e-mail dad. I love the quotes you gave me, especially the boxing one,
and they will help me through my whole mission. Keep them coming
though. I love quotes! :D I hope you are doing well and that the wall
is getting finished! :) Thank you so much for teaching me how to work
and to work hard. I know I didnt do it all the time but I am now
seeing that it is blessing my life. Please continue to pray for me and
my investigators and also could you pray that I will learn to pray ALL
the time? I love you all!

Love,
Elder David Mackey

Elder Mackey's March 14, 2011 Letter to Mandy

                                                      Cats Love Missionaries

Mandy!!!!

Well I was struggling a lot in the beginning of the week and went on
until near the end. I am just fighting myself and my emotions and its
a tough battle. :( I almost gave up on my mission. I felt like I
wanted to go home because I was just feeling like I don't belong here
and that I am not contributing anything here. Also, I was feeling like
I had no purpose on a mission and that my dream was ruined by
something and that I ruined my mission somehow. :( It was pretty bad.
I went on exchanges on Wednesday hoping to advice from my district
leader and in fact the district meeting was really good that day as
well. After lunch we had a lesson with one of their investigators and
she is awesome! We had it at the church and near the end I asked her
if I could play the piano ( the lesson was on Chasity and I just
didn't really feel the Spirit that strong) and I asked Elder Reupena
(district leader) to sing. It was really awesome and I bore my
testimony and I asked her to be baptized and she finally accepted for
March 26! She said that she was going to actually suprise them the day
before and ask them to baptize her. So the exchange started out really
good for him and me. Everytime I go on exchanges with him he always
seems to get lost and I always end up finding where we need to go.
Well we get lost again and we were trying to find where this address
was. Oh and I forgot to put this in: he has this tiny bike that is
like for Hayden and its really junky. I am in an area that is really
hilly and he takes the really nice bike. So I am always far behind him
trying to catch up and I am working really hard getting really sweaty
in 20 degree weather. So I finally find the house and we past it like
5 times and the address is in huge letters. I am a little frustrated
but I dont act like it cuz I really dont care so maybe I wasnt but I
am now. haha We have dinner and then we tract in this one area. I
kinda critiqued him saying that he wasnt doing what he told us that
morning in district meeting and he told me that I am annoying. So I
stopped talking to him and he doesnt talkt to me the rest of the night
and morning and until we leave. So we leave the area to go home and he
just leaves me in the dust and we are going on freeways (remember I am
on this junky bike) going up and down on hills. So I have no idea
where I am going and I dont know where he is and I just had it. I was
going up this hill and I got off and started to say, "Why am I here,
what is my point, I dont get it, this is dumb, I want to go home but
then I would feel like I am  not strong enough." it was tough. I got
back on the bike and I found the appartment and get in and he was in
the bathroom. I just sat outside cooling off and remember he doesnt
talk to me. I was hoping to have a PPI but we dont and I was just in a
pickle. Thursday I call President saying that I need to schedule to
get drugs because I was almost out and I also told him that I am
thinking about going home. He asked me what was going on and I told
him I just dont feel like I am doing all that great. He told me that I
was doing better than what he thought I would be (because of the
letters from the doctors and my condition I guess) but I just wasnt
feeling that way. Friday, I felt like we should tract in this one area
and the first door we knock on the man, Matt, let us in. He told us he
knows a lot about the church that he shook President Hinkley's hand
and talked to him for a bit. I was thinking, wow that is every members
dream. haha He had a favorite BoM chapter, 2 Nephi 31. I asked him if
we could have a lesson and he said that he was just going out for
dinner and that we go lucky because he usually isnt home. He also said
that the night before he was praying and asking God where he needs to
be and what he needs to do and then we show up the next day. Elder
Steel then tells him that this is no coincidence and that we were led
by God to you. I asked him again if we could just read 2 Nephi 31 with
him and he agreed. The Spirit was so strong. We told him that he needs
to continue to read the BoM and that he know what he needs to do and
that is to be baptized. He said that he knows. We have him say the
closing prayer and it was very angelic. Then Elder Steel invited him
to be baptized and he said he would. First time meeting him!!! :) It
was awesome! He committed to be baptized on April 3 between the
conferences. It was awesome and later that night I saw him in his car
smoking and told him he needs to quite. So I took the pack from him
and he said he is going to start. :D Then after that door the next
door we knocked on (next door I guess) it was a mom of 6 kids who are
looking for a church. We couldnt go in because of the rule of three
but we left her the mormon.org card and gave her our number. Later
that night we got a text from her saying that her daughter was real
excited to meet with us and asked us what a stake was. That was cool
cuz she was checking it out and already doing what we said. Then on
Sunday we had Matt call us and set up the appointment and that was
awesome because he is serious and we know he is committed. Then we
found a less active with 5 children that are not baptized and she
wants to come back. So it was awesome!!!! But I still feel like I dont
contribute. :/ What am I doing wrong? I feel like I am not getting
anything out of studying most of the times and I just dont seem like I
am "treasuring up the word." I feel lazy and now complainy. Im sorry.
I just didnt have my PPI and I need to discuss it with someone. :/ But
I love you Mandy!!! The weather is getting warmer now, we will get
those days were it is very windy (45mph) and its really cold but we
work so hard on our bikes to get to places. I am excited for spring as
well. I am tired of the snow. I really want to see the fall though
with all those colors. :) Thank you for the letter. I loved the
poster! It was nice seeing all the neices and nephews, boy i miss
them. I love my family. I thought the story was hillarious!!! hahahaha
Mandy that is so funny, I am telling my companion about it. haha Well
I need to write my Presidents letter. I will talk to you later. :)
MAKE YOUR MORMON.ORG PROFILES!!!!!!

Love,
Elder David Mackey

                                                              The Village People?

Elder Mackey's February 28, 2011 Letter

Oh its OK I was just wondering if I was going to get any mail Monday
but I didnt so no biggy, I just got stuck in a rut of my family doesnt
care about me. :p So you dont think you did good on the bar then? :( I
hope everything went OK and that your brain in still intact...if not
you know where you can get the best brain therapy. :D I love Grandma
and Grandpa!! I need there address so I can send them mail. Tell them
I love them very much and I am grateful that Grandpa taught me how to
work!! Dont forget to tell them please! Could you tell me stories
about Mommy Cindy? I want to hear them. That is very cute about mommy
Cindy being shy. hehe So I bet you are not liking cold because over
here is gets sooooo cold and I freeze to death. For example on Friday
it was like -2 degrees but the wind and the humidity is what kills
you. First we have to bike everywhere and Friday we went really far
and so I got really sweaty and I then we went tracting, at night, and
so all my sweat freezes on my back and just makes me really cold. :/
not fun. The snow just stays everywhere! My blood is too thin. I think
any of Dads kids are desert kids and are like reptiles and like to
bake in the sun. yup thats what it is. :D Now I do remember about my
evil ways back then and I feel bad. :/ But that is whats wonderful
about the Atonement. :D Tell Grandma as well that I am very sorry.
So Friday we biked really far and I had no problems falling. But on
Saturday it snowed in the morning and then after lunch we went almost
to where we were the day before. So it was really cold riding our
bikes out there but then we got really hot. We were coming back and my
companion got ahead of me like 50 yards because I got stuck in a lot
of snow so I just started running. Well I was coming up to an
intersection and there was a ton of snow where the street and the
sidewalk meet so I wanted to just go right through it so I was going
really fast. Well the snow got real hard and icy so instead I went
right over my handle bars in the street. haha My companion saw the
whole thing on the other side. He told me he did the same thing. Then
I got ahead of my companion on this side street and I went for a turn
pretty fast, forgetting that there could be ice, and I just went
straight down and slide. I always manage to fall.

So we got 3 new investigators this week. My companion and I were
pretty bad on Sunday and Monday so we had a bad week this week. We
repented and had an awesome Thursday through Sunday. Saturday we got
in with a potential we tracted into a month ago and he is so prepared
for us. He thinks it all makes sense and loves the Book of Mormon. His
wife is real cool and loves what we teach. She is Jewish and she is
being taught by the Jehovah Witnesses. Hopefully they dont give her
anti-stuff. :/ Then on Sunday we met a referral at President Fireside
and she is so awesome! She knows its all true but has commitment
problems.

I am still being trained by my trainer. I am in this 12 week training
thats part of the pilot program. The letter I received said that I
need to be trained well enough to train a new missionary at the end of
the training. It also kept saying that in the training packet we
received. So I may train soon. I am a little nervous because I am not
good at teaching. I may turn down the calling.
I love you Mandy! :)

Love Elder Mackey

Elder Mackey's February 21, 2011 Letter

                                                           Jabba the Hut Snowman

No one e-mailed me!!!!! Yesterday we had a big storm. It was

awesome!!! We will be getting 10 - 14 inches of snow. Today we are
going around shoveling snow. Its still snowing crazy. We went to
dinner last night and people our here have to shovel their driveway
every so often to stay on top of it. Not so much has been going on
this last week. Our investigator Earl was doing awesome but we were
not able to get in with him lately because he got stuck at work and he
has been sick. He committed to be baptized on March 19 but we dont
think he understands what that means. He was saying that he was going
to get baptized in our church and then on the next day he will be
doing baptizing for others in his church.

Oh Elder Steel and I met two knew investigators and when we taught
them we think they were on drugs or something. They didnt even blink
or move and they were calm. It was funny. They were saying that they
were saved because they accepted Jesus Christ. I said that was part of
it and then said that they need to repent, be baptized, receive the
Holy Ghost, and then endure to the end. They then asked us if we can
baptize and we said yes and then they wanted to be baptized that day.
We told them that there are requirements to prepare them to make
covenants to God and that making a covenant is a serious thing, big,
and its rewarding.

But those where pretty much the two big things that happened this
week. Except this awesome bike crash I had. haha Ok so in our
companionship we love to tease eachother. Since Elder Steel's bikes
brakes can only work on the front he was complaining wishing that his
brakes were working in the back instead. I asked him why and he said
that when you pull the front  brake on ice you lose control and fall.
I was going against him of course saying that he needs to just suck it
up and I dont believe him. (really I didnt believe him anyways) So we
were biking on the sidewalk and right when I got on this like 20 foot

long piece of ice Elder Steel told me to pull on my front brake and so

I did. Right when I  pulled it I went straight down and and stumbling

and hit hard. I was laughing and slipping and it was just funny.

hahaha From right there I told myself that I was always going to

believe Elder Steel. :) I love you individuals of my family!!!! Oh and

I need to send you guys the First Epislte of the Elders to the Dead

Letter Writers.

Love,

Elder David Mackey

     

Elder Mackey's February 14, 2011 Letter to Mandy and Family

Elder Steel, new member and Elder Mackey

Dear Mandy and Family,

Well Mandy I guess I will be sending you the e-mail for the family.
This week was pretty rough but ended pretty awesome!! My trainer went
on exchanges on Wensday so I was left to take charge of the area. I
did pretty well but I ended up losing an investigator. It wasnt my
fault though. :-p I did pretty well at the baptism with my talk.
Everyone really liked that I could play piano and sing. (Apparently a
lot of people cant play piano that well which is kinda weird because I
think I dont play that well or even sing that well) I did a musical
number yesterday and I did the confirmation. I felt like the
confirmation wasnt that good. Well let me explain why...

Monday we lost two investigators, Kristin and her friend Chad. We have
been teaching them for a long time but wouldn't allow us to pray and
one night I just told her that I can not do well with out the Spirit
and that we are not helping you. So we asked her to pray and see if it
was ok if we pray before a lesson. (she thinks we dont pray to the
same God) So next lesson we pray which was awesome cause now she was
progressing but then every lesson she is always treating it like a
bible discussion and it just frusrated me and Elder Steel. She always
trys and make the lesson go over an hour and we get no where or we
think she is getting it but then she asks a question thats way off
topic and doesnt apply. ahhh!!! The last lesson we left all of the
pamphlets and told her thats all we teach and to read them and prepare
with questions that involve the lessons. On Monday we get a call from
her saying that she has all that she needs basicly and that she doesnt
need us anymore. (I dont think she liked us and that she liked the
Sister Missionaries that were before us.) So she dropped us.

Tuesday it was pretty much a tracting day. We did have an appointment
but then she dropped us because her dad didnt want her meeting with
us. She was meeting with us behind his back at the library and we kept
tell her to tell her dad but she would "always forget." She was
awesome though and she was doing pretty well. I called her up to reind
her to tell her dad and he was yelling and so we were not allowed to
teach her anymore. She did say that she was going to read the BoM in
her room still and still pray about it. So that was pretty cool! While
we were tracting, it was a pretty cold day, we knocked on this door,
Mike. We did the normal approach and he seemed like he had a lot on
his mind. He did really want to talk about anything because he had a
lot going on. My companion asked if we can come in and warm up a
little and so he can put on his scarf a little bit better. He let us
in and I started asking him quesitons and he opened up. He has
prostrate cancer that has moved to his bones and he look real tired
and sick. We taught him the second lesson and it went awesome! He said
we could come back but he didnt know when. So we will stop by hoping
to catch him.

Wensday it went ok, that the day that Stacy, one of our investigators
dropped us. We had a lot of hopes for her but I went in and asked her
if she read the BoM and she said that it was hard for her to read it
and think of it as a trure book or something. I thought it was a dumb
question. She was stuck on the fact that Joseph Smith had many wives
and that was wrong and also he found gold plates somewhere in New York
was bizzare. Plus that there is no more need for prophets because
Christ came down and did it all for us. It was a not a good lesson and
we just asked her to read the BoM and pray about it and that we will
pray for her and she said that she will pray for us for help. :/
Whatever.....(i didnt say that)

Thrusday we met with one of our investigators who is from Peru and
know ok english. Her "mate" is austrian and know german, spanish, and
snglish. We only met with him once and he is the kind of person that
wants proof. We brought a Brother from the ward that knows spanish and
he pretty much did a lot of the talking but it went awesome! We
challenged her to be baptized and she wasnt sure but she wants her
family to be united. In a nut shell her husband isnt the family man
kind and likes to play the game WOW. Ask the brothers about that game.
So she will pray about it and we will see on Thursday what she thinks.

Friday was Awesome! So we had an appointment with a black kid who
lives in kinda like "the square" in phoenix I guess. We were going to
have the lesson in the lobby but there were people there that did not
like us so we were thinking of a place to  go when this ex-marine guy
came out to get his mail and he was cussing everyother word and I was
thinking in my mind, "oh man this guy is going to beat us up!" He was
saying some degrading stuff about the Church and came up to Marcus,
the black kid, and was asking him if "these cats are givin him
trouble." I think my companion or I said that we were just thinking of
a place to share a message to him. Aaron, the ex-marine, then said
that we should have our lesson in his place. Marcus started to follow
him so we started to follow. In my head I was thinking and saying
prayers, "Oh man this guy is going to kill us. We are so dead. Please
help us." I was trying to feel if the Spirit was prompting me to
leave, and I think I was hoping haha, but I didnt feel bad or
anything. We went into his room and there was beer everywhere because
they had a party I guess and it smelt like chew. He was cussing
every other word looking for his dip and talking to us and about
"religion" in general. We were doing pretty well and I asked if we
could sit down and he smoked a cig and got his nicatine in him and he
stopped cussing. Marcus left and we didnt even teach him but we left
Aaron a BoM and challenged him to read and pray about it. He told us
he wasnt going to join but that he would. So we stayed alive! Right
after that we felt like we needed to visit a less-active member who
acts just like Jimmy. It was weird, he looks like him, acts like him,
and it was just weird. He even is the same age. We stopped by and we
asked if we could share a 5 min lesson. He let us in and we started
with a prayer. Elder Steel started with the scriptue Chr 28: 10,20.
Saying that we need to do it. I then gave him the scripture Phil 4:13
and said that we can do it through Christ. Then I felt prompted to ask
if he wanted a blessing. The Spirit was sooooo strong! He said he
wanted one and he asked if I could be the voice. The Spirit guided me
in what I needed to say and it was just what he needed to here. That
he needs to do it and dont slack off so to say. He was very emotional.
it was just awesome!!!!

Saturday we got a new investigator who is awesome!!!! He is a short
black guy who has big muscles. He is a decon in his church but he
needed some good words from us or something. We shoveled his driveway
when he was at work and so he was touched by that. It was funny
because while I was praying he will say "thank you Jesus" or "uhh hmm"
or "prais the Lord." it was a long day but the lesson was so good. :)

Sunday I was voice for the confirmation and I felt like it was so bad.
I did not feel the Spirit guide me like I did on Friday. I feel so bad
that I didnt give that good of a good blessing. :( I did a nice job
though on the musical number and people came up to me saying that they
never thought that I would play the piano let alone sing. It was a
good day though. Elder Steel and I stayed up talking about what
President told him and me before we came together. We are staying
another transfer which is awesome! What is interesting is that
President told Elder Steel that this assignment is going to be the
most important assignment in his mission and that he needs to be
patient. Hmmm.....he and I are still thinking about it. But its
interesting. Also to know that he has gotten a transfer call every
transfer except this one. :o Well I need to go. I will talk to you all
later.....I love you very much and thank you. Oh I fell a few time
walking and Elder Steel thought it was so funny. I will beat him up
after the mission. But then he fell on his bike which was funny. Big
gulp eh? Welp see ya later!!!! And yes I am getting better talking.
The shoes are great! I love them. I got to learn how polish and also I
need to learn how to keep my bike up. (any ideas orrin?) Good luck
Mandy! Philipians 4:13 - You can do ANYTHING through Christ, who
stregthens you!!
Love,
Elder David Mackey

Elder Mackey's February 8, 2011 Letter to Mandy

Hi Mandy,
I am doing great! We had a baptism yesterday for a nine year old. It
was awesome!! In church she was so excited and couldnt wait. I did the
baptism talk and im doing the confirmation this Sunday. I was so
happy, and I didnt think I would be happy. It was weird, I was happy
because she was so happy and excited and she was coming closer to
Chirst. Maybe I dont Fully understand it but it was cool.

Ya they call it white washing an area. There use to be sisters here
but they went to the singles ward because a set of missionaries were
covering but it was to much for their area. (they were the zone
leaders) So wer are not opening it up really. Our Investigators are
not progressing though. It kinda is frustrating because I dont know
what we can do to keep having people progress but ya. I'm just
training though so I feel I dont know anything. :/

I stopped memorizing for 1- My companion knows all the scriptures or
he memorizes them faster and then takes over when I am trying to
memorize them and then it is just dumb and 2- I am just learning right
now and I have to finish this certification thingy. Mom told me that
they were having a party for mom Cindy. Did you not like it? I just
wrote in my journal that it was her birthday and I said happy birthday
and I thought about her during the day. Man I bet when I get back
there will have been like 20 new neices and nephews. Crazy nuts. I
know Shirley will be a great mom. She is for me when I spend the
night. :)

Here they do salt the road so on the main roads they are kinda snowy.
Just on the sidewalks and the surface streets and the trailor parks is
where they dont really care. Some of the members dont even shovel
their driveways. Oh after I told you about how we try and avoid those
who are shoveling their driveways, that whole week we were shoveling
drivways. haha It was also hard because it would melt because of the
sun and then freeze and turn into rock hard ice. Haha maybe I will
consider putting dog collars on my wheels. :p

I love you too Mandy! keep praying for me. :D

Love,
Elder David Mackey

January 31, 2011 Letter to Mandy and Airport Pictures

AMANDA!!!
It has been a long time. Ya I only liked the MTC for the classes and
that was it. They were all spiritual and very uplifting BUT my
district was too dramatic and like my choir in high school. I loved my
teachers to death though and it was awesome! Also I loved my branch
presidency cuz they were so loving and fun. :) The work here is Apple
Valley is pretty good. We have a baptism this Sunday and I am giving
the talk on baptism and I am doing the confirmation. :o first time for
me. We do tons of tracting and we got 6 new investigators the week
before last and 4 this last week. The members feed us every night so
its real nice. The only thing is we have only got one referral out of
the ward and actually we got it for them. :/ Wow that is a unique name
for a ward...Stewahona...hehe that is way cool that you are being
productive now a days. :p The youth are fun and the most important in
the church right now so you have a big calling. The youth here went on
a camp out (which is crazy with all the snow here) and the day they
went out was the most coldest of the winter so far, -30. They were
lucky and had cabins nearby though. That is crazy that Ju and Kev are
ward Missionaries. We use ours all the time or try to. They are very
important in letting elders get in to single ladies homes and also for
fellowshipping. Good luck on the bar. I will pray for you as much as I
remember. ;) I love you very much Mandy! I have shoveled probably my

own driveway once and two or three others driveways. I try to stay
away from that. We only tract those whoes driveways are already
shoveled so we dont have to do them. hehe just kiddin. :) Talk to you
later. :) Let Lauren know that I am not holding out on her.
Love Elder David Mackey

DECEMBER 15, 2010 AT 6:30 A.M.

SKY HARBOR AIRPORT

 

 SEE YA IN TWO!!!

 THE FAM