7.7.13 Machala, Ecuador (last email)

Family,

Okay so in one week, I will be coming home.  So I am just sending a quick note on what is up.  I think I will get to email you guys before I leave on Monday so I can tell you a little more about what will be going on.  As of now, I don’t know much about how the whole last day in the mission is.  Okay, I hope it doesn’t get too cold in Uruguay because the jacket you want me to bring home for Cameron… yah - I gave that jacket away.  It is too small and I never used it in my whole mission.  A simple sweater vest works just fine when you are in cold weather.  The best option for a backpack is something that I don’t know what it is called.  It is like a backpack, but it is small, and has a strap that goes around your waist as well.  I am 99 percent sure he can buy it in the MTC.  I never bought one, but they are defiantly worth the money.  

Anyways, it is a very strange feeling that is very difficult to describe that I feel right now.  It is excitement- mixed with uncertainty and sadness.  But, there is nothing to do to avoid it. I am coming home.  Now I get to put everything I have learned to the test.  

Love,

Elder McRae

6.30.13 Machala, Ecuador

Family,

I have gotten all your emails these last few weeks, I just noticed that I never really respond to anything in them.  That is exciting that Sugar is going to have puppies and that Cam went through the temple.  It is important to remember that what he did is real and serious.  So this week has flown by.  I can’t believe how fast it has gone by.  We had two baptisms on Saturday and managed to bring a good number to church.  I live with another missionary who is finishing at the same time as me.  I think we are pretty focused.  A good personal study in the morning is so important.  If I start the day off focused, then I can stay focused throughout the whole day.  The investigators and members are funny.  They always ask if I am super excited to go home and don’t understand when I tell them that if I could, I would stay here forever.  

I am going to keep these emails short, because very shortly, I will be able to give you all very good details personally.  In two weeks it will all be over.

Anyways, everything here in Ecuador is good.  I have yet to find a good cyber that has a good enough computer to send pictures.  I have a lot of cool new pictures to send but these computers are two slow to send them.

Love,

Elder McRae

6.16.13 Machala, Ecuador

Family,

My companion and I are suffering a little bit.  The program isn’t that bad, but it is not enough for Machala.  It is obvious that the focus before we got here was entirely on little kids from 8-10 years old.  We did have two baptisms this week, which was good, and they were both over 10.  Gabriela is 16, and Matilde is 55.  This week we will have a baptism of a 10 year old named Michael.  His parents are both inactive members that we have reactivated. 

The sector is pretty small, and surprisingly difficult.  Like I said, there are tons of little kids to teach but it is very hard to find teenagers and adults that are interested in the message.  But for some reason, I am here and I am just trying to find that out.  I had my last interview with President Montalti before he leaves for Venezuela.  It was great.  He loves the fact that I was born in Scotland.  The interview was pretty short.  He talked about how fast the time has gone by and thanked me for the work I have done.  He told me he loved me and that was about it.  We talked about the zone and some of the problems the zone is having and how we could fix them but it was a good last interview.  He told me to be obedient… not only in the mission, but for the rest of my life.  He said if YOU are obedient YOU will receive the blessings.  And that we obey because we love the Lord.  It was good.  My testimony has grown and matured a lot.  I have a very new outlook on life.

The new president will get here in two weeks. 

Love,
Elder McRae

6.9.13 Machala, Ecuador

Family,

Happy Birthday Abbie!

I got changed again.  Of course! I am sad because I loved my old ward.  The area was super difficult but the leaders knew how to get stuff done so we were having success.  Now President sent me to the opposite end of the world.  I am in the city of Machala.  It is about 4 hours away from Guayaquil.  

The area is a gold mine but the ward leaders have no idea what is going on.  In my last ward, it was great because everyone was a return missionary and endowed.  In this ward, everyone is a new convert and they have little experience.  But everyone is willing to listen to us.  Obviously, I have to help the ward grow though.  I know why President sent me here.  He wants me to finish my mission baptizing tons of people.  In this ward you can have 20 baptisms a month, the difficult part is getting them to endure to the end and stay active.  I have never seen so many black people in my life.  They are really receptive and enjoy a good laugh.  My companion and I really have to adapt fast.  We are both new in the sector.  They took both the old missionaries out.  We were pretty lost for the first week but we are getting the hang of things.  We didn’t have any baptisms this past week but we managed to save 2 for this week.  So hopefully we will have some baptisms this week and be able to get rolling.  I want to finish my mission strong and baptizing.  I am now the oldest missionary in the mission.  (Not in age but in experience)   I am with Elder Saenz.  He was my companion about 8 months ago.  So there was no awkward, get-to-know you business.  We just got up and rolling, right off the bat.  My ward is called La Paz.  (The Peace)  
 

Ecuador lost to Peru this week for the first time in 36 years so the people are pretty bummed.  

I don’t have a lot of time to write more.  We had meetings this morning so I will fill you in on the rest next week.  

Love,

Elder McRae

5.27.13 Huancavilca, Ecuador

Family,

I have never worked harder in my mission than I did this week.  We had stake conference and we wanted to bring as many people as we could.  So we spent almost all day of each day passing by people to invite them to the conference.  We only taught them for about 10 minutes about the Sabbath day and keeping it holy and then moved on.  We brought a good group to church.  But of course, on the way to conference, the van that we rented to take people, got a flat tire and we had to send people to the church in 3 taxis instead.  But everyone made it and it was a great conference.  

Elder Valderrama spoke.  He is a 70 from Bolivia.  He is 36 years old!!!!  He is a 70!  He was a stake president at 28.  He gave an amazing talk and even spoke with a few of our investigators.  Jose R, my convert, received the Melkesidec priesthood yesterday as well. So, my companion and I are excited to see the fruits of our labor this week pay off in June, my last full month of work.  The goal for June is 8 baptisms. 

Love,

Elder McRae

5.20.13 Huancavilca, Ecuador

Family,

This week we are focused on stake conference.  We want to bring lots of people to the conference and hopefully be able to put a few baptismal dates after the service.  Barcelona beat Emelec again this weekend.  (el classico)  Emelec never beat Barcelona in my two years here so that kinda stinks. 

 

There has been a lot of changes to the missions that are kind of weird and they make me feel really old.  There are now sister leaders in the mission which, I guess, is cool.  We are also aloud to write anyone we want.  That doesn’t really matter that much to me, since I am just trying to stay focused until the end of my mission.  I received a couple emails from other missionaries and basically told them not to bug me for 8 more weeks.  I even got an email from Senaka.  It was nice that she remembered me, but I told her basically the same thing… that I was happy for her choice to serve a mission and that I would write her in a couple months.  The mission’s end comes very fast.  I have to take advantage of every second it.  

 

Before my mission, I couldn’t tell anyone that I loved them or that I appreciate them - not even my own family.  But every day, I tell a bunch of Ecuadorians that I love them. I have learned to love people.  Not just Ecuadorians but all people.  It is a lot easier for me to say, ‘hey, I really appreciate everything you do, I love you and I want you to know that I love you.’  I knew I would love the people I served but I didn’t know I was ever going to be able to express it so easily and comfortably. 

I don t have much to talk about, and there really isn’t much to say besides that I love my mission and I want to finish strong.  Like you said, leave it all out on the field.  

 

Love,

Elder McRae

5.12.13 Huancavilca, Ecuador

Family,

The soccer player`s name that we spoke about on the phone is Nasuti.  He plays for Emelec.  Everyone says I look just like him. After talking yesterday, I decided to start writing down a lot of the things I have learned in these last two years.  I started writing this morning and have already written eight pages of unorganized knowledge that I have attained in these 21 months.  I think if I take fifteen minutes at the end of each day to write, I could fill up this little journal and be able to give it to Cam when I get home.  

Well, like you say, I don’t really have much more to talk about.  We ate in the mall today and bought our groceries for the week.  We are probably going to go home now and sleep.  My companion LOVES going shopping with me...  It is a little like going shopping with Dad.  I asked him a bunch of times if he REALLY needed a pack of 32 colored pencils.  And when we went to buy soap, I picked out the cheapest one.  He told me that that soap sucks and that we should buy the more expensive soap.  I told him any soap is better than just the water we have been using to wash the dishes the past 2 days.  Then, when I picked out the cheap water, he said the same thing and I told him that it was better than drinking out of the toilet and he just kept laughing the whole time.  

Anyways, this week, because of mother’s day, we didn’t bring a lot of people to church and so we won’t have any baptisms this week.  But, my companion and I have had two baptisms this month so far, so my companion is very happy.

Love,

Elder McRae