Monday, July 25, 2011

Elder Mackey's July 25, 2011 E-mail

WHOA!!!! Mandy are you engaged!? I see a ring on your left hand. haha
just teasing. ;D I dont know the quote. We played basketball this
morning and I just rolled my ankle pretty bad. It hurts a lot. :/ Once
again we had some very crazy storms and then very very hot and humid
days. The teaching has been going pretty well. As a mission we have
been talking about ideas on how we can double the baptisms this month
and consistently. We are wanting to baptize a branch in the month of
August. This week is the week where the whole mission invites 1000
people to be baptized! This week is going to be fun. :D So where is
Val and Mike go? Why are you making baby quilts? The new mission
President got a law degree and maybe he can get a job for you eh?
Whenever I talk to him I always forget to ask him. He is way
legitimate. Dad I never thought you could stay awake for that long!
haha just kidding. What was your favorite part of the trek dad? Did
you do anything else other than move toilets? What is Adam doing
during the summer? I thought he was going down to Argentina.

So we met this lady while she was walking with her 4 year old daughter
back to her place. She lost her food stamp card and she was looking
for it in the grass. We offered to say a prayer for her and she
accepted. We all then looked for it. We found it in 2 min. It was
awesome. Then we taught her a lesson later that night with a joint
teacher. I made some cups for the "cup lesson." It has pictures of the
old and new apostles and some other truths. It was so funny because we
got to the point in the lesson where after the restoration God
restored His Twelve Apostles again to the earth. She gave the funniest
response I have ever had. After I said that she took the cup and she
is looking at both the sides and then says, "Are you for real?" in her
black lady accent. haha She seemed pretty solid but now she is not
keeping her appointments. Another time we met this group of black men
with white girlfriends and the black men were talking with Elder
Truman and I was talking to this other black man with the half black
kids and Elder Truman wanted to say a prayer with the guys and they
said sure so I am just an onlooker and haha I see Elder Truman with
these other 2 guys holding hands in a circle. Elder Truman starts with
the prayer and he pauses to get his thoughts and then the guy next to
him says what he says. Then the guys next to him copies that. haha So
the whole prayer they are saying the same things that Elder Turman is
saying. It was funny because when Elder Truman would say a long
sentence the others would be like how a primary child would be when
there are a lot of words. haha oh man it was fun.

I love to hear the other missionaries in the ward. Thank you so much
Tryon Family for getting those out to me. I also love hearing how your
family is doing. I thought it was funny what you said Rachelle about
meeting the Cadaver in heaven. haha

Thank you all for you love and pray for my ankle please. :D Its
getting fat and ugly. haha But also pray for the people in New
Brighton.

--
Love,
Elder David Mackey

Monday, July 18, 2011

Elder Mackey's July 19, 2011, E-Mail

Dear Family,

Thank you all for your letters!!! I really look forward for checking
the mail. Its weird because I never thought I would care for letters
but they really brighten my day! Thank you so much Sister Johnson for
everything you do for me while I serve. :) Brittany how is the letter
writing going with Elder Mosley? How was the trek? I loved the trek
when I went. Very spiritual. How was the trip up to Boise? Jeremy,
thank you for your e-mails and especially the ones with your blog
postage. Mom your letter came at just the right time! Thank you for
your encouragment. Let me know how the trip goes.  Last Thursday we
went to the temple and it was wonderful. It is a little different with
a small temple but everything is the same. :) Yesterday was a very
very very hot day especially with the humidity. Elder Truman was
really getting effected from it. We had to go in early because he was
getting sick and close to heat stroke. Things are going really awesome
here. So we met with an investigator who has been meeting with the
missionaries since 2008. He was dropped and last transfer I felt like
we should contact him. We started to teach him and he still was
hesitant abut getting baptized and he pretty much was a social
butterfly. Well the last time we met we invited him to be baptized and
he said no. We said then to pray about it and call us to let us know
what his answer is. This morning we got a call from him and he told us
he wants to be baptized!!! He said that after we left his apartment he
felt like he needed to be baptized. I was praying for him every day
and night. Oh this is so awesome!! I think I go through trials which
proceed the miracle. Now I am sick again with the cold. UGH...it is so
hard to work hard.  Just like ether 12:6. We had some Elders in the
singles ward apartment roof collapse from all the rain we had. We got
a ton of rain and there was a lot of flooding. Well I need to get
going. I love you all and give me tips about what I should write. I
know its now been 7 months and I still dont have it down but I will
get it down. haha

--
Love,
Elder David Mackey

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Elder Mackey's July 12, 2011 E-Mail

Elder Mackey and ... Trevor!!??!!!
WOW!!!

Those pictures are crazy! (dust storm) I never knew it was as bad as the middle
east! So we met our new mission president, President Clements, and his
wife and daughter yesterday so our p-day was pushed. But we are going
to the Temple for the first time out here on Thursday so I am pretty
stoked about that. I really need a spiritual refreshing. It was really
crazy to see Trevor last Wednesday. I was not expecting that. We
walked in and we were staring at Jenny wondering who she was (cuz her
face was hidden by the plant) and why she was recording us. Then BAM!!
"hi Dave!" It was awesome to see him and Jenny. I seriously think they
should get married. Trev, even the Dewitt's say that you two should as
well. I hope I look good because I weigh 200lbs. That is a ton of
weight!

We had a baptism last Thursday! His name was Kaich Ogul. He was part
of a part member family and we just asked him to be baptized and he
wanted to the next day but we had to wait to set things up. I had my
first exchange and he taught me more than I taught him. I feel so
inadequate for this calling. My companion just biffed on his bike like
three times today. It was pretty funny. Well I really dont have
anything else. I love you all.

--
Love,
Elder David Mackey

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Elder Mackey's July 5, 2011 E-mail

Dear Family,

Thank you for the happy Independence day! It was just another regular
P-day for the missionaries. We didn't have to go in early. July 4 is
big here as well. There are parades every where and everyone has
fireworks. I so wanted to hold a bottle rocket or play with some fire
crackers. Gotta stick to the rules. We have been listening to Ed
Pediger (or something) "Missionaries to Match the Message" when we go
to sleep and it is just so awesome!!! Thank you so much Lauren! One
quote that really sticks out to me right now is "faith is the power,
the Spirit is the Key, Obedience is the price, and Christ is the
reason." I have really been focusing on trying to be obedient. There
was another quote a missionary said at Zone FHE last night over the
phone "obedience brings blessings, exact obedience brings miracles." I
want to be apart of the miracles happening in this mission! Last month
we got 58 baptisms, which is breaking the record! This month we are
trying to reach 60! We have a baptism happening this Thursday. His
name is Kaich and I am so excited! He is so awesome. He is part of a
less active family who are trying to do what is right. The work is
going really good. Being District Leader is tough because its new but
its real fun I guess. I have my first exchanges tomorrow. I have one
question/ advice, how do I improve my study?

Julia, Thank you for the letter and the pictures of Havisupi. It looks
so much fun! I love the one with Adam jumping off the fall with
Charles Hancock with his funny face. hehe When will Adam put in his
papers? I hear that Daniel is leaving soon? I will write you a letter
next week. Yesterday was pretty crazy. I didn't get any letters out.

So for the 4th of July we played basketball from 7am to 10:30. My
companion sprained his ankle so he was gimping around. We then went
with our investigators to a place where they were playing whiffle ball
and volley ball and having a hot dogs and stuff. It was pretty fun.
Thank you for your love! I feel it everyday! Especially you Adam!!
Write me an e-mail! I want to know whats going on in your life. Sam I
will get you your 11 dollars. Ask dad for it. haha :p

--
Love,
Elder David Mackey