I Love It Here (7-16-13)

Tudo bem minha familia e meus amigos,

Things are going well still.  Portugues is still coming along well.  I have the Primera Visao (1st Vision) memorized and verses 1-5 of D&C 4 memorized all in Portugues.  I don't remember if I have told you all this yet but we got 2 new investigators.  They are played by our teachers.  But it still kinda feels like we are teaching the people.  It is pretty cool because we can get through most of the lessons without pausing to think of how to say it in Portugues.

Elder 'longi has gotten letters so he doesn't need to you write letters.  His parents sent him gummy bears. We have quite an impressive stash of food & soda.  Elder Bigler is from Provo so he is getting tons of packages of food & caffeinated soda.

I saw Sister Hansen (Sadie) & Elder Eliasen (Clark).  I am sorry for the spelling.  It is so hard for me to spell & it is even harder with Portugues in my head.  But it was super awesome to see them again.  I also see Elder Moomey a lot.  But he is leaving in 5 days or so.  I am very excited for him to go to Belgium & the Netherlands.

More & more missionaries have been getting their visas.  But it is only sisters that have been getting them.  So my visa may be coming soon.  I kind of don't want my visa till I finish here.  I like my district too much and I kind of don't want anyone else in the district to get their visas.  I have heard that when the wold cup stuff that is going on right now in Brasil that the visas will start to come a lot.  I have also heard that they might start getting through in like August or September.  But it is whatever.  The joke between the other district that got here when we got here is that they will get their visas.  They are in our branch and the sisters in that district are going to Portugal and the Elders are going to Mozambique with one going to Angola.  But we don't care because we just say that we are going to 2 missions and that our visas will come.

Well I don't have much else to say.  I love it here and how you always feel the Spirit here.  Thank you all for the prayers for me and please, keep the stream of letters flowing!  Ti amo!  I love you.  Tchau!

Elder Mackay
de Otimo

The days have messed together (7-9-13)

Dear Family & Friends,

I suppose that this is going on my blog so I shall just title it as Family and Friends.

The days have messed together & I don't know what day it is half the time. Portugues is still coming along.  I don't have an issue learning words, I just can't say them right.  I am really trying to do Falar Sua Lingua (speak your language) and that is really helping.

I've seen more people that I know here than I expected.  I've seen Elder "Mark" Moomey several times & I saw Elder "Payton" Macdonald before he left.

Portugues I have come to learn is a pure language, with it you can understand Spanish, Italian, and French but they can understand you.  It is jolly good fun to use this against the Spanish speakers.

I still love my district.  One in particular, Elder 'longi,  I really get along with. He is hilarious.  He wrote a song because he still hasn't gotten any mail and it is hilarious.  I shall write the lyrics right now.

Ahem,

Nobody loves me but me.

The nights are lonely, the nights are so sad,

I got no letters from my mom or my dad.

And I'm crying inside.

Because nobody loves me but me.

I sit here and wait for an email or 2,

I get a message, no emails for you.

And I let out a sign (sigh).

Because nobody loves me but me.

I got a girl waiting, said I'd write you everyday.

The girl never sent any letters my way.

But I still feel fine.

But nobody loves me but me.

(Guitar Solo)

Aint got no postage, aint got love.

Then I receive revelations from the heavens above.

God says hear ye.

Nobody loves you but me.

It is so funny when he sings it cause he gets choked up.

So the investigator we were teaching, Joac, agreed to be baptized.  So we don't teach him anymore.  Which is good because he is our teacher now.  And his name isn't even Joac!  It is Felipe Messias.  But he is super cool & a really good teacher.  He also gives all the Elders a hearty Brazilian hug at the start & end of class.

Well that is about all that has happened this week.  I miss you all and I would like to receive letters from my friends!  Letters from my family is great!!  I'm still in America so it is cheaper than when I'm in Brasil!!  Tal to you all in a week!

Love,

Elder Mackay

Modo de beste

(Beast Mode)

We sing lots of hymns (7-2-13)

Minhn Familia,

So this week has felt like an eternity it is crazy!  We have already taught Joac, our investigator 3 times & we teach him Wednesday & Thursday.  I have learned so much Portugues in this week I have been here.  We sing lots of hymns and it is super awesome.

My district is super awesome.  Elder 'longi is a Tongan from Portland & he is hilarious.  He likes taking selfies with his camera.  Everyone is super cool in my district.  My companions are still pretty cool too.

The Sunday Devo was pretty awesome.  Brother Swenson spoke & he is the new Pres of the Brazilian MTC.  He was hilarious & talked about how to make your mission great.  It was really great.  There is a devo tonight that we are going to go to.  It should be pretty great.

You should put DearElder on the blog.  DearElder.com is basically a snail mail email hybrid.  You to to the webiste & typer my mailing address and it send me and email & they print it out and send it to my mailbox.  So you should put that in my blog.  And it is free.  This doesn't mean that I don't want written stuff because I do want them.  But DearElders will be good too.

Well that is it for now.  Love you!

Elder Mackay

Didn't understand a thing! (6-27-13)

Minha Familia,

That means my family, btw.  It is the second day at the MTC and I am so tired.  And all we do is sit in the classroom all day it seems like.  But they are just shoving so much stuff into your brain that it makes you sore & tired.  The first day here was crazy, our teacher spoke nothing but Portugues.  I knew some languages did that, but I guess it is all of them.  I didn't understand a thing.  Most people have some Spanish background so they can pick up some stuff.  But I have a German background & there are no similarities.  The hardest part so far is the pronounciation.  I just killed that spelling.  It is just so foreign that it is hard for me, especially the nasal sounds, like nao which means no.  But I'm picking up quite a bit, which is good because we have a real investigator to teach tomorrow.  In Portugues.

My companions are super cool.  I have 2 because Elder Smith, we say it like Smich because that is how Brazilians will say it, had a companion but he never showed up yesterday.  My assigned companion is Elder Richardson, we call him Hicharson for the same reasons.  He is super nice & very enthusiastic about the gospel.  My district is super cool too.  There are 13 of us & most are going to Sao Paulo East.  4 are going to my mission & 2 are going to Santa Maria.  There are 2 sister companions & they are super cool, just like the Elders.

I am really learning a lot, especially in Portugues.  Pretty soon we will know enough to follow speak your language.  But my favorite phrases are Que Isso?  What is this? & Bem fildo...good job.  I know it is the Lord helping me with this.  And He knows I need it.

I am also super excited to get to Porto Alegre.  There is an Elder on my floor, Elder Canterelle, who is from Porto Alegre.  And that is where Elder Smith & Richardson are going to so he was telling us how much he loves that area & what to expect weather-wise and kind of what to expect from the people.  I learned that lunch is the biggest meal of the day there & that Nalgene water bottles are super expensive.  I am so wanting my visa to come soon.

Well that is all that I have for now.  I miss you all & love you all!

Elder Mackay

Super Crazy!

Ola,

I don't know if you have gotten my letter yet because I sent it last week.  I think that I will just write you letters and tell you how I'm doing at least while I'm at the MTC.  It is super crazy here and I don't have lots of time.

Here are a few pictures for your enjoyment.  I shall write you all another letter today and send it off today or tomorrow.  Love you all and miss you.

Love, Elder Mackay