USA USA USA USA USA USA!!!!! DEMPSEYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!! (6-23-14)

Bom Dia Queridos!!!

SO YEAH!!!!  The USA is kicking butt in the Cup.  They beat Ghana last Monday 2-1 and yesterday they tied Portugal 2-2 and they even have the best player in the cup.  They play Germany Thursday (my year mark) and they tied with Ghana.  SO IT IS GOING TO BE GREAT!!!!

But this week was a really good week, but not in the eyes of the LZs (Zone Leaders) and President.  I am still mad about it but the only thing I will say is that all they care about is numbers.  And that is all I will say about that so that I don't get on a soapbox.

But we taught Alex Saturday and Sunday about the Gospel of Christ and chastity.  AND HE STILL HAS NO PROBLEMS!!!!! YAY GOLDEN INVESTIGATORS!!!  And he has come to church 4 times and he goes to institute so the ward basically treats him as a member.  It is sick.  And he agreed for the 5th of July to get baptized.  I just hope that I stay here (preferably with Elder Mayo).  We have transfers the 1st.

We visited people with our LMA (ward mission leader) wich was good.  The people he is taking us to I think have super strong potential, but he doesn't let us talk.  They ask us a question and then he answers it.  It is pretty annoying but it is better than nothing!!!

Well that is about it from Dom Pedrito.  HAPPY MISSION BIRTHDAY TO DISTRITO OTIMO AND ELDER PAGE AND DROLLINGER IN BATON ROUGE!!!!  Eu amo voces !! STAY CLASSY!!!

Elder Mackay

 Elder Mackay and Elder Mayo

 Elder Mackay, Elder Mayo with members of ward

Elder Mackay and Elder Mayo

Eu Quero Servir Uma Missao!!! (6-16-14)

Oi!!!

So yeah, this week has been pretty good, a little slow due to the Brasil game and the fact that my comp got super sick that we could't leave the house for a whole day.  Details are unnecessary.  It was bad.  But he is all better.

Work is pretty difficult with the cup.  Everyone is watching it and I want to watch it with them SO BAD!!!  I NEVER thought I would like futebol but I do!!!  But it is not our purpose to watch the games.  So if I catch a bit here and there that is good for me.

But we had some sweet lessons.  We taught Alex twice, Saturday and yesterday, about the Plano de Salvacao e Word of Wisdom.  And he had 1 question.  How do you get a mission call?  HE WANTS TO SERVE A MISSION!!!!!  And he got an answer that the Livro de Mormon e verdadeiro!!!!!!!!!!  He is a stud.  And we taught a guy name Luciano who is cool.  He had a question about tithing so we taught that and he understood and liked it.

Other than that nothing much happened.  A lot of plans fall through so we visit lots of less actives.  And they are stubborn and we can't figure out their problems with the church!  And they are all RMs (returned missionaries) or past Branch Presidents.  But that is one of the stuggles with missionary work.  And we are working on it.

Well that's all I've got from Dom Pedrito.  Cheer for the USA today.  They play against Ghana.  Stay classy yall.  Eu amo voces!!!

Elder Mackay

A COPA DO MUNDO!!!!!! VAMOS COMECAR!!! (6-9-14)

Bom Dia Queridos,

Well this week has been somewhat slow and action packed.  It rained all day Tuesday.  And what we planned to do was an hour walk on dirt roads, so wisely we went back to the apartment and studied haha.  Everyone says people take pity on you in the rain.  Well that is a LIE.  They leave you to get wetter because they don't want you soaking the couch and getting the floor muddy, plus I don't want to do that.  Haha!  And then on Friday we went to Bage for zone meeting, which was good.  Finally a zone meeting that wasn't about the pattern of excellence.  Now don't get me wrong, I love the padrao de excelenencia, but in the long run numbers don't matter!!!!!  So that is my soapbox for the day.

But we did have some awesome stuff.  The ward is really starting to help with visits and referrals.  WHICH IS AWESOME!!!  We didn't teach a single other lesson, they were all member presents!  And Alex, our 1 investigator progredindo, came to church again yesterday and he is reading and praying and everything!!!!  And he accepted the date of the 28th of this month to be baptized, if he receives an answer by then.  But I know he will.  We taught a sweet restoration lesson Saturday and yesterday he was at the Noite Familiar with Fatima and Leticia and we talked about the Espirito Santo and the First Vision which was legit.

Well that is all I got from this week.  Other than that not much happened.  But on the other hand THE WORLD CUP STARTS THIS WEEK!!!!  I am quite excited to see the US win it all!!!  Eu amo voces e STAY CLASSY!!!

Elder Mackay

Batendo Palmas Por Muitos Dias (6-2-14)

Ola meus queridos!!!

So this week has been quite long and in the end we got 2 new investigators!!!  One of them we met clapping doors, and his name is Luiciano, and he has one of the best houses I have seen in Brasil!  And better yet he had some sweet questions and seemed really interested.  And better yet we think he is married LEGALLY!!!  So that was sweet.  And the other guy is named Alex.  We met him at church yesterday.  He is friends with Leticia, a recent convert, and she gave him a Book of Mormon.  AND HE IS READING!!!  And he came to church with her!!!  And he lives in our area, but we are going to teach him at Leticia's house for now.  It is easier for him to go there then for Leticia and her mom Fatima to go to his house.  So this week is going to be legit.  In other news I went back to the good old south side of Dom Pedrito for an exchange last week.  I went with the greeny from Paraguay.  That was interesting.  He still talks WAY more Spanish than Portugues and I still don't understand him very well.  But other than that it was good.

Well I am sorry about the shortness, but we literally knocked doors all week so not much in the way of stories.  But we had our weekly Noite Familiar with Fathima and Leticia and some other sweet members.  AND ALEX WAS THERE TOO!!!  But Elder Mayo and I made chocolate chip cookies for it and Leticia and Fatima and the 2 other sisters gave us both permission to marry.  So yeah, I guess I am ready haha!

Well that is all from almost Uruguay.  I love yall. And stay classy!!!

Elder Mackay

P.S.  E por enquanto, my camera is broken so no pictures :(

BARBARIDADE TCHE!!!! ESTA FRIO!!! (5-26-14)

Oi guris!!!

Well this week was a really long one.  A lot of batendo palmas and no one answering.  Those weeks are always the hardest.  But we met with a ton of members and less actives this week.  One of these members, Carol, will always make us eat dinner with her.  She is legit.  But we did have one investigator lesson this week.  Her name is Carla, and when Elder Mayo found her she already had a Book of Mormon and she may be already legally married because she lives in a super sweet house, and she is awesome.  After our lesson she gave us this bread that is super sugary and that has goiaba jelly baked inside.  I think that goiaba is guava in English, but I don't know for sure.  But it was awesome.

Also for one of our Almocos we had a churrasco.  Which was Glorious!!!  That is a Brazilian BBQ and I don't know how, but the meat tastes SO GOOD!!!  The only thing they put on the meat is salt.  BUT IT IS GLORIOUS!!!  And Elder Smith, we did not copy you hahaha  I read that email today haha!

And I do have one funnyish story.  So one night we were walking home and we see a lady walking towards us.  So being the great missionaries that we are we say hi.  Well what we heard was a very deep reply of "oi".  THE LADY WAS ACTUALLY A DUDE!!!!!  I guess here in Brazil when you are gay and the more girly type you literally cross dress.  So now both my mind and Elder Mayo's are scarred.  But it was kinda funny haha.

Well that's all I got from Brasil.  The world cup is arriving ever so much closer and HAPPY 11 MONTHS TO ME AND DISTRITO OTIOMO!!!!

Eu amo voces and stay classy.

Elder Mackay

Transfers baby (5-19-14)

Bom Dia!

Well this week was a crazy one.  I was transferred to the other side of Dom Pedrito with Elder Mayo and we still had to go to Bage to stay with the zone leader who was staying where he was.  He couldn't be alone so we stayed with him.  And we did nothing but stayed in the apartment.  So that was Tuesday.  Then Wednesday we came back to Dom Pedrito with a noob.  Elder Sosa, he is from Paraguay and his Portugues is TERRIBLE!!!  Partly because he speaks Portunhol.  Thanks to Louisiana I can tell very clearly when he is speaking Spanish and when it is Portugues.  But yeah, it is SUPER hard to understand him.  But he is pretty chill.

As for the work it was really slow this week.  We tracted a lot and no one answered the door, except for Rerold (Herold) and we taught him and it was sweet.  He accepted baptism and is letting us come back!!!  So that was the diamond in the rough for this week.  And Elder Mayo and I get lost a lot!  He only has 4 weeks in this area and it is a HUGE area.  So yeah.  But it's all good.  I smell good things for this 7 week transfer.

But Elder Mayo and I are getting along great.  He is my first American comp since Elder Drollinger in Louisiana so that is super sweet.

Well that's all I've got for this week.  And we use a different LAN house so I can send pics!!!!!

Well I love yall.  Stay classy and may your swords ever be sharp.  PEACE!!!

Com muito amor,

Elder Mackay

P.S.  Oh and I gave my first talk in sacrament meeting about missionaries and members working together.  It went pretty well.

 Darth Tarsus (me as a sith lord that Elder Mayo drew)

 My first district in Dom Pedrito

My current district