7.30.12

Family,

Okay, this was a super long week.  SUPER long week.  Tuesday, Elder Chicaiza and I went to Guayaquil for council.  I get to see the Mission President a lot more now.  Then on Thursday, we had a multi-zone conference with the area president, Elder Pino.  This man was so powerful. He is the type of person I want to be like.  You just see him and can tell he is so close to the Lord.  He was impressed with the mission so that was good.  After the conference, we had a special meeting as zone leaders with Elder Pino.  We made a lot of plans and goals to help the mission... (mejorar).  At the end of the meeting he said, all these goals and plans are great, now, in one month show me the results.  That´s what I am talking about.  Anyways, he told us that this next month, on September 2, apostles are coming to the mission.  So I am super excited about that. 

It is so nice to have a companion who knows what he is doing again.  We worked super hard this week and should have baptisms this month.  I have now completed 3 months without a baptism.  That bothers me just about every day.  I hope that these people that we teach will have the courage to actually be baptized.  Elder Chicaiza is going home in 5 weeks so I know he wants baptisms bad as well.  He also hasn´t had one for a couple months.  We know we can do it.  It is a great sector.  We are focused on helping the members (desarrolar) some now. The members need to be more friendly and animated.  If we can fix this, we will defiantly have some baptisms this month.

Anyways, i can´t think of anything else to say.  We are working hard and we have no time to stop.  54 short weeks and I will be home.  Scary huh?  Oh, when that finally hit me… that I was half way done… I started thinking.  The world is a scary place.  I understand why missionaries don´t want to leave their mission.  I don´t want to leave either.  I love what I do.  I love helping people... FETCH (mejorar) their lives and come closer to Christ.  I love my position as a leader as well because I can help other missionaries reach their maximum potential.  The Lord has blessed me in the fact that I am a likeable person.  It is easy for me to get along with the missionaries in my zone and that makes it so much easier to help them. 

Beware of pride.  The world is the way it is because of pride.  Pride always leads to sin.  Another thing that makes the real world scary is that it is full of pride.  Everyone wants to compete to be better than everyone else.  It doesn´t matter.  The most important work on the face of the earth is missionary work.  Don´t waste a single second worrying about your social status, or worse, the social status of other people.  We didn´t have a baptism this week for this reason.  Everything about high school (se centra) (is centered) around pride.  Tell Cam, Gav, and everyone else to forget about it.  Focus on what matters and make sure you have a good relationship with God.  We will feel much better about ourselves this way, than trying to appear ‘cool´ in other peoples´ eyes.

Yeah, so all is good here in Cuenca.  I don´t want to rub it in, but I woke up in 50 degree weather and it is about 70 outside right now ;)

Love,
Elder McRae

7.22.12 Cuenca, Ecuador

Family,

It was another long and demanding week.  The last week before changes is always the hardest because at times, we feel like just waiting to know what happens instead of working.  But we worked a lot with Irma and Silvia since they are our only real investigators at the moment.  Silvia didn´t go to church because she had to work at the cyber that they own because the owner was out of town.  It was annoying but Irma went which means she now has two attendances and should get baptized this week.

Last night, we got all the news on the changes.  I was really freaking out.  Even though sometimes Cuenca can be horrible, I still love it because it is my home.  I have been here over four months and I couldn´t imagine leaving.  So, when the changes came in and said I was staying and my companion was leaving, I was super relieved.  The next bit of news was a bit of a shock though.  Elder Chicaiza got changed to my sector as well as my new companion.  So we are now the zone leaders here is Cuenca.  It is exciting and at the same time scary.  There obviously is a lot of pressure, but like all things, the more pressure the more we grow.  So, I am super excited for my opportunity to serve, and learn, and grow, but I also want to be able to do a good job.

Today is my first day as zone leader and it started out by traveling and making sure everyone got in and out of Cuenca as they should.  Tomorrow, I have to be in Guayaquil for council and Thursday i have to go to Machala because a Seventy is coming.  I don´t know where all this money is going to come from to pay for all this travel but I am sure everything will turn out fine.

The year mark is quickly approaching.  In one year, I will be home and Cameron will be getting ready to leave.  I don´t know why but I am super excited for that moment.  The mission has blessed my life in so many ways and I don´t know how to express the importance of serving a mission.  But I know it will be an amazing opportunity for Cam and Gav… I also know that we can all receive so many blessings for the 6+ years of missionary service our family will give.  The first presidency said, (oops, I only know the quote in spanish... google translate it.)  ¨No hay obra mas importante que esta, ni hay otra que brinda más satisfaction.¨

I will have a lot less personal time now.  I won´t have a lot of time on P days anymore but this is my new callings so I have to fulfill it the best that I can.

Love,
Elder McRae

7.16.12 Cuenca, Ecuador

Family,

Sounds like you all had a fun weekend on the lake.  Here in Cuenca, we kind of had a crazy week as well.  Tuesday we had to go to Machala for a zone conference.  Machala is hot like Guayaquil and also about four hours away from Cuenca.  It was great to hear from President.  What I noticed is that I am not a new missionary anymore.  I barely knew anyone because they were all so new.  Anyways, we got back to the nice cool, thin air of Cuenca at about 8.  We ate pizza from Papa Johns. 

My companion is doing better.  A little slapping around fixed everything.  And everyone in the house has a better attitude.  I lived a little bit of the Zone Leader life this week.  One of the zone leaders went home to Guatemala because he finished his mission and so our other zone leader was left alone.  He is living with us until he gets a new companion.  So, I was his companion for a week and learned a lot of things about the mission.  Every missionary is where they are for a reason.  I got to participate in a meeting that consisted of Me, Elder Chicaiza, President, and the Stake President to talk about the state of Cuenca as far as missionary work goes.  I learned a lot. 

In my sector, we had a lot of success this week.  We invited 8 people to be baptized and they all accepted.  The problem was, that all of them didn´t go to church.  The people here think the church is boring.  It makes me sad because for my whole mission, I have trusted (I want to say CONFIAR, but obviously you guys wouldn’t know what that means... But TRUST I guess is close enough) in the church to build the investigators’ testimony...  That sentence might not make any sense so if not sorry.  (Siempre he confiado en la Iglesia para fortalecer los testimonios y ánimos de los investigadores)  That is what I want to say, I don’t know how to say that in English.  So I have to find a way to help my investigators enjoy their experience at church.  We have a lot of work to do. But that is good. 

I am super happy to be here.  When we have success with the missionary work, it brings me the most happiness. It has been a great week and I am very excited to work hard this coming week.  I also had the opportunity to study with the mission president this week too.  It was great.  We studied 2 Nephi 9:21-24.  Study it!

I am glad to hear everything is going good.  I will be home in no time...  That is the other thing i realized.

Love,
Elder McRae

7.8.12

Family,

Oh what a week.  It was very long.  Well I am now 20 years old.  I got three packages from you guys including the FULHAM jersey.  It is the sweetest jersey I have ever seen.  However, it is a little tight around the chest so I have made the goal to fill it out right by the time I get home.  But it is way sweet.  The shirt you guys sent will work for when i wear a sweater or my jacket but it is WAY too big.  All the candy and peanut butter is great though.  I also got tons of letters from Sarah and her Family, Dantrell, and Jared.  It was a good birthday.

Thursday, we found a family of 8 people.  When we finished teaching them, they offered us hot dogs.  The easiest way to gain confidence with investigators is to eat their food.  So we ate these two giant hot dogs with everything on them.  I was up all night barfing my guts out.  It was the first time I have gotten sick on the mission.  But by the next day, I was fine. 

Saturday, we helped paint this family’s house… the family that we recently found.  I remembered how much I suck at painting.  My companion and I finished one room in the time the mom finished 2 by herself.  We decided to wash the floors instead and we did a much better job at that. 

That whole family came to church Sunday, so we finally had full investigators at church.  It was great.  We will see what we can do to help them progress.  Anyways, my companion…  Sunday we had companionship inventory.  He told me everything he doesn’t like about me and everything I need to change.  Then, he told me everything he wants me to tell the other elders to change.  He then asked me if there was anything I wanted him to change.  Then he numbered off about 15 things that he wouldn’t change no matter what.  I was so shocked I didn’t know what to say.  I didn’t say anything.  I was patient and waited until the other elders got home… and then did what my companion wanted me to do.  I told one of the elders what my companion wanted him to change.  He stormed out of the room to go rip my companion is half.  They argued for a long time while I talked to the other elder in our house.  He and I are a lot alike.  Elder Doyle is his name.  We really don’t care what other people do; if something bugs us, we just brush it off and move on.  But my companion wants to change everyone to fulfill his needs.  But he isn’t willing to change anything in himself.  I still have no idea how to handle this.  I think I will just tell the zone leaders to change him.  Because he is driving us insane.  We are trying to be Christ-like and not do anything dumb, because you can imagine what three 20 year old boys from the united states would normally do to someone like this if we were not missionaries. 

Anyways, it is a great lesson on patience...  

Faith is super important.  I learned that this week.  You can’t give up or ever get down on yourself.

Love,
Elder McRae

7.1.12 Happy 20th Birthday!

Family,

I see the world here and I always have the hope that the world back at home is a lot better.  I guess it´s not...How do I make sure these things don’t happen to my kids? 

Anyways, this week was alright.  We found a few new investigators and set a few new baptismal dates.  However, like usual, only one investigator came to church.  I don’t know why no one ever wants to come to church, but they don’t. 

We are teaching a lady whose husband beats her regularly.  She actually isn’t married to him but they have a baby together.  Make right choices or you could be stuck in this situation.  She is super excited to learn and come to church next week.  Her boyfriend is in the military and wants nothing to do with the gospel.  He just wants to drink, smoke, cheat on his girlfriend, and beat her as well.  I have never had the desire to pray for someone to disappear before.  We are going to see what we can do so that she can get as far away from him as possible. 

I gave a blessing to one of the Elders that lives with us.  It was a super spiritual experience.  I remembered how important and how real the priesthood is.  The Lord guided me and I gave him a blessing of comfort.  It also helped me to refocus on what is important.  Yesterday, I offered the pray to dedicate the new home of some members.  I am so thankful that they had enough confidence in me to specifically ask me to do the dedication.  I have so much time here in Cuenca that I really do feel like it is my home.  I am grateful to be here… even if no one wants to listen.  In the testimony meeting, one of the members bore his testimony on courage.  He told a story about when he saw me talking to a couple of druggies in his neighborhood.  He said he looked up to me as an example of a brave person… someone who is not afraid to talk to anyone.  I was thankful that someone was grateful for what I have been doing here.

I saw Spain kill Italy.  BORING.  Tomorrow is my birthday and it is the first time I will receive mail in 2 months.  I have a few packages and a million letters waiting for me.  It will be a great birthday present. 

Everything is great here in Ecuador!
Love,
Elder McRae

6.25.12 Cuenca, Ecuador

Family,

I am in Guayaquil for today.  We had a meeting this morning so I have been up since 2am and won´t be home until late tonight. 

I miss coaching at the cub camp.  And I totally remember Sam.  I actually just bought two jerseys today.  One of Emelec, a team from Guayaquil, and the other is Deportativa de Cuenca. 

So it looks like you had a similar experience that I had.  I am so grateful for our leaders.  I am so glad that President Montalti is my mission president. It really does seam like every time things get too hard to handle, he talks to us. We had the meeting because the mission finished with the lowest number of baptisms in the mission´s history.  He talked about Faith, Charity, Diligence, and Obedience.  As missionaries, sometimes we forget that we also have to live the principles of the Gospel.  We don´t just teach them.  The mission has strengthened my testimony of the little things so much.  The gospel makes sense.  Every little part of it exists for a reason. 

This last week, I was about ready to kick my companion in the head and ask for an emergency change out of Cuenca.  Like you said, you feel like you work and work and work and no one even cares.  Sometimes, it seems like even Heavenly Father doesn´t care.  I have now gone 8 weeks without baptisms and I am working as hard as I can.  My companion, who doesn´t know anything about missionary work, just complains and criticizes everything everyone does.  He whines because the weather is different than Peru, the people talk different, the food tastes different, the buses don’t work the same, the house isn´t the same, his bed isn´t the same, and everything else.  He criticizes and finds the faults in EVERYONE.  He doesn´t like president, the zone leaders, the other missionaries that we live with, and just about everyone else we come in contact with.  And he is never wrong.  I am super patient with him and am teaching him the best I can.  I am teaching him so much better than I did Elder Monroy.  It makes me sad because Elder Otazu can be a great missionary. 

So after a week of pure rejection, I have gotten really discouraged.  I start thinking about all the people I am failing, and if I really have made a difference here or not. Just in time, President called this meeting.  He gave me the boost I needed to go back to work.  I will exercise my faith and go to work tomorrow.  But I have to work smart, and diligently, and as a true disciple of Christ. 

Yesterday a girl named Jessica got baptized in the other sector in my district.  It was cool because I was actually the one who contacted her during an interchange.  Her house was the only house we felt impressed to contact on the whole street.  3 weeks later, she got baptized and confirmed.  She is going to be an amazing member.  She is going through a divorce and has 2 little kids.  Her brother is getting baptized in 2 weeks also.  Her mom is also interested, but she has her hands full right now and doesn´t have a lot of time.  I am sure she will end up getting baptized though.

Yesterday in church I had a weird experience.  There is an LDS group here in Ecuador giving service for 3 weeks.  They are all college girls from Utah, Arizona, California and Oregon.  So, every male member in the ward was drooling over all 25 of them.  At the end of church one came up to me and said she had to ask me something.  Every young man in the ward was behind me watching.  They couldn´t understand because all these girls don´t speak Spanish.  Anyway, she asked me if I had a brother named Gavin.  I said yes, and I was super surprised.  She got all surprised also and then asked if I was from Utah.  I said no, and told her Gavin was 14.  It was a different Gavin she was talking about.  But weird right?  Anyways, when I turned around, I was barricaded by 20 white girls.  They all started asking me where I was from and how long I have been here and where I am going to go to college when I get home.  I escaped with my companion before they could say anything else.  But after that, all the young men in the ward came up to me to ask me what they were saying.  I had fun telling them how the white girls were asking about each one of the young men ;)

Anyways, there is a ton of work to do here in Cuenca.  I look back at how far I have come and how much I have grown in 11 months, and it excites me.  I can see myself becoming stronger and more willing to follow Christ and spread His gospel to all the world.  I have learned a lot of doctrine that has opened my mind and helped me understand the real picture.  It will be fun to talk about it when I get home and share these experiences.  It is too difficult to write, since, as you know, I am basically retarded at writing and expressing my feelings.  It is just a lot easier to say.  Anyways, The church is true.  Christ lives, and this is his church.

Love,
Elder McRae

6.17.12 Cuenca, Ecuador

Family,

I am training again.  My companion is from Peru.  It is hard...

This work was difficult again.  I have been more obedient I have worked harder but we didn´t get any results.  I don´t think they show the games from euro because I haven´t even seen highlights from one.

Anyways, with my new companion complaining about everything i have found out how much i really love these people here in Cuenca.  I have a really good relationship with lots of members, investigators, and even just random people in the streets.  I love when the people from the streets yell out hey Elder McRae!  Even when the people don’t want to listen to us i can still find little things to be happy about.

Anyways, I don´t have anymore time to write.  Elder Otazu used up most the time...

I will write more next week.

Love,
Elder McRae

6.11.12 Cuenca, Ecuador

Family,
I have a ton to do today so this will be short.  I am glad to hear everything is all good at home.  Yesterday, the change ended.  So this morning I spent all day running around with the zone leaders, trying to get missionaries in and out of Cuenca.  Elder Monroy left and I will be heading to Guayaquil tomorrow to pick up my next greenie.  I am training again.  I am excited to train again because now I know how to do it.  I feel like I made all my mistakes with the first kid so now I can do it 100% right with the next one.  Crazy how much the mission relates to life, right? 

This week I have just been so happy.  Ever since I read your last email, I have been filled with joy.  We worked very hard this week and as a result... nothing happened.  But it doesn´t matter.  The fact that we were working the way we should is what gave me the satisfaction.  Yesterday Ecuador played against Colombia in a world cup qualifier.  So the streets were full of drunk people watching the game.  (Just the kind of atmosphere I love)  We stopped by the Tapia family and watched the last 20 minutes with them and ALL their black family and ALL their black friends.  It was AWESOME!  They were watching outside their house and had a huge speaker so the whole neighborhood could hear.  When Ecuador scored the first and only goal of the game with 15 minutes left everyone jumped up and down screaming and ran a few laps around the neighborhood.  It was great.  Everyone was a little more receptive after the win. 

I would tell you about our investigators, but the truth is, there aren´t any.  A few people like to listen to us but would rather cut their eyes out with spoons rather than go to church.  So… no one is progressing.  Luis Amaguaña is the only investigator that wants to be baptized.  He should get baptized this week. 

I am excited to get my package.  But, just so you know, here in Cuenca we can expect to get mail every 4 or 5 weeks basically.  So even though I have mail waiting for me in the office in Guayaquil, that doesn´t mean I will be getting it anytime soon.  Anyways, all is well here in Ecuador.  There is tons of work to do!

Love,
Elder McRae

6.2.12 Cuenca, Ecuador

Family,

I have realized that I am horrible at expressing emotion. I have so many feelings and thoughts right now but I have no idea how to put them into words.  Your Email was perfect.  It contained everything I wanted to hear. 

First, I am glad to hear that Ms. Hagar got my letter.  I really don´t understand her fear of reading the Book of Mormon, but whatever.  I put a scripture from Jacob in my letter so she at least knows one scripture now. 

As far as selling the house, that stinks.  I was looking forward to coming back from college to watch World Cup 2014.  But one thing I have lost a lot of interest for is useless things like houses and cars and things like that.  Toys, houses, pools, big yards, all that stuff really doesn´t even matter.  There are just so many other things to worry about in life.  So whatever makes the most sense, do that.  Buy the house next to Jared and Kyle.

Happy Birthday, Abbie.

After reading my emails today, I am so happy, relieved, excited, and many other emotions.  I have always seen myself as someone who does not judge and who can forgive easily.  I think of the problems I have had in my own life and it makes it impossible to judge anyone else.  The best thing that you can do is ACCEPT.  There is absolutely nothing anyone can do to change what has been done.  Be a help... not a burden.  FORGIVE.  There is no way we can FORGET what happened.  But FORGIVE and FORGET have different significances.  FORGIVE.  Help. 

My biggest fear for the past 10 months has been ¨What will the people think when i return?¨ What will they see?  When I am giving my homecoming talk will they know I was a good missionary?  My mission president talks about this a lot.  He says a mission president only has to look into the eyes of a return missionary and he knows what kind of missionary he is.  I have been trying my hardest to build the attributes of a powerful human being.  When you told me President Wagner expressed basically his approval of who I was before the mission, I felt great.  He is someone I have grown up admiring.  He has been a role model to me.  Maybe this is not completely right, but a part of me serves this mission with the goal in mind to impress my role models. (Dad, Bishop King, President Hinton, Bishop Call, my Grandpas, and President Richardson)  I think it has helped me to work a lot harder.  What I have realized though, is the way I am going to receive the approval of all these people is by working my hardest, by loving the people, and by becoming a disciple of Christ.  SO this is my goal.  Not the approval… because I know that isn´t right… but my goal is to do my best, and become a true disciple of Christ. 

The work is good here.  Luis Amaguaña is going to get baptized this week.  Two of my converts Diego and Elizabet are doing amazing.  They went to the temple to do baptisms for the dead and are super excited to be sealed.  In 10 months, I hope to be in the temple with them to see them get sealed together.  I can´t think of a more happy moment.  The ward is good.  We had a combined lesson on the role of a husband and the role of a wife.  GOOD STUFF!

Anyways, Prayers are the cause of Miracles.  I hope you all learned that this week.

Love,
Elder McRae

ten months buddy boy!

Family,
I saw the highlights of the US game.  The US did look good. 

This week I had a funny experience.  But it helped me a lot.  I was put in the role of Father this week.  One day my companion snapped at another missionary that we live with because he was bugging my companion.  I could tell my companion was upset even before the whole scene.  I felt exactly like Dad.  When my companion and I left the house, I asked him about what was up.  He responded exactly how I would have responded.  He told me that the other Elder made him mad.  I took the role of the Dad.  I told him I didn´t really care about that, I wanted to know why he was upset before he snapped at the other elder.  He told me there was nothing wrong… like a typical teenager would say.  I then told him about how I felt.  We started talking about our feelings and having a heart to heart talk.  The look on his face was great.  It was the exact same look I would give Dad if he wanted to talk about how I was doing or something like that.  So the conversation went exactly like mine and dad´s conversations.  Most of the time, when I have those heart-to-heart’s with Dad, I am just hoping something happens so that the conversation ends.  My companion looked like he was hoping the same thing.  I didn´t feel completely comfortable, but I kept pushing because I wanted to help him out.  I would ask a question and then divert my attention to something else as if I didn´t want to hear the answer.  I think I know why dad does that.  It is more of a nervous thing.  The last thing I wanted was for my companion to think I was preaching to him.  I wanted him to know that our relationship should just be open and easy.  So we talked some more and I shared my experiences of the mission and the things that bring me happiness.  By the end, it all ended okay, but it was just funny to see that mine and Elder Monroy´s relationship is a lot like mine and Dad´s relationship.  We could talk for hours about football or play tennis or golf or watch tv, but when it came time to talk about life and things like that, it was just uncomfortable.  However, the problems got solved and at the end of the conversation, I was glad we had the talk.  I think Elder Monroy felt the same.  Glad it was over but he could see that it helped.  And it helped me out too.  I felt a lot better afterwards. This is my little experience for the week.

Hopefully we can have a baptism this week.  We have to work a little harder.  Training is HARD.  The new missionaries don´t understand everything yet so it is hard to get them to do things right.  But we are growing.  Our obedience is getting better.

I am super grateful to be out here.  I have tried to have a more positive outlook on everything. 

Love,
Elder McRae

5.20.12 Cuenca, Ecuador

Family,

Dad said he bought a Clint Dempsey jersey but was afraid to send it.  Send that with Sister Thurber.  I can´t think of anything I need.  Maybe if you can find an investigator who has some time to go to church you can send him.

This week was tough.  We lost a day of work because i was in Guayaquil and then the rest of the week we didn´t make any progress.  No one has a TRUE desire right now.  So we are working hard to find someone who is willing to change their life.  We taught a great lesson this week to a man named Sebastian but he didn´t end up going to church.  As a district leader, I take a lot of heat.  My sector should be a prime example of how a sector should be, and so far we have had three weeks of little progress.  So the zone leaders have been hounding me.  This makes it a lot harder to focus on people and not numbers. 

The other sector in my district had a baptism this Saturday though, so that was good. 

I can´t think of more to say.  I am stressed out.  Don’t worry about how much weight I have lost, I know I am not sick.  I am perfectly healthy. 

Love,
Elder McRae

5.14.12 Cuenca, Ecuador

Family,
Thinking of home, like I said yesterday, is weird.  It feels uncomfortable at times.  Anyways, today we have a lot to get done.  Tomorrow at 2am, I have to go to Guayaquil for a meeting.  I wrote a letter for Ms. Hagar so you can tell her she can plan on getting a letter in 3 or 4 weeks.  Anyways, that is about it.  It was good talking to you guys, I still can’t believe I was talking to Gavin. 

Oh, you want me to write a letter to the ward.  What do you want me to talk about??

Love,
Elder McRae

5.7.12 Cuenca, Ecuador

Family,

Before I forget… call me Sunday at 5pm Ecuadorian time. 

Okay,  This week was one of the fastest weeks of my life. I can’t believe that I am writing again.  On Tuesday, I was working in the sector Las Americas, Wednesday I had an interview in Los Alamos, and Friday we spent all day searching for a baptismal candidate in Los Alamos.  So we didn´t do a lot of working in our sector.  This is the life of a district leader.  I actually love doing interviews.  It is my favorite part I think.  I can always feel the spirit working within me.  I think it is a moment so important that God can´t afford to have it done wrong.  I can always feel him guiding me and putting words into my mouth for me.  I love that feeling. 

When we actually were in our sector, we made a lot of phone calls.  We have a few referrals from other missionaries but we don’t know where they live and they never have time to listen to us.  So we are constantly calling them to find out when we can pass by.  We will see how that goes. 

Yesterday, we taught a student who is here from Haiti.  It is funny because my native tongue is not Spanish, his Native language is not Spanish, yet we can communicate to each other by using Spanish.  He is preparing to be baptized.

Anyways that is everything new.  The Tapia Family is doing great.  Michael bore his testimony yesterday.  We have to focus on finding new people.

I heard Scotland plays the US at the end of this month.

I will talk to you guys Sunday at 5pm.

Love,
Elder McRae

Letter to Abbie

Abbie,
Sounds like everything is going good in Arizona.  I fully expect to come home not knowing who you or Gavin is. I don’t have anything to report.  We knock on a lot of doors and they don’t answer or they close them in our face.  It is great.  Actually this past week was crazy.  We spent basically the whole week working in other people´s sectors.  I had to do 3 interviews for this week and I have to do 4 more Wednesday.  This is the life of a missionary. 
Love,
Elder McRae

4.30.12 Cuenca, Ecuador

4.30.12 Cuenca, Ecuador

Family,

I loved reading this email.  I love hearing about Dad and Gavin in

uncomfortable situations.  The lady giving her baby to Dad is too

much.  Gavin couldn't have even thought something like that up.  That is

awesome.  Mario is coming home in a couple weeks??? there is no way...

That has to be impossible.  That is crazy.

Changes are supposed to be today.  We didn't get a call though so

either we didn't get changed or they just haven't finished

organizing everything yet.  Today we found out that Manchester United

plays Manchester City at 2:30.  Luckily for us, Mondays, we are

allowed to eat at KFC which happens to have a huge HD TV showing FOX

Soccer Channel 24/7.  So we will just happen to go eat at KFC at 2:30

today.

Nothing crazy has happened this week.  We did a lot of contacting.  I

felt like i was serving a mission in Sweeden or something.  We found a

few new people though that we hope can progress in the gospel.

This sunday was conference, only in Ecuador, we didn't catch a lot of

it because we were running around like crazy trying to get people to

come to it.  But, we did catch the end of it.  Richard G. Scott was

speaking (in spanish) about the importance for the man to have a good

wife.  He shared a few stories that were great and i thought it

totally applied to Ecuador.  Of course it applies to everyone also.

He talked about how if it wasn't for his wife, he would not be in the

position he is in today.  So i will keep that in mind these 15 months.

I am super grateful to be out here on a mission.  There is no other

place on earth that i could be that would help me grow like i am now.

I have never doubted my testimony yet i can still feel it growing.

A lot of the things that i used to think were important, i can now see

how they really don't matter so much.  I am thankful for that

opportunity to grow.

As for my birthday, yeah the candy and stuff always arrives just fine.

 I can't think of anything i need.  Just those pictures that i

mentioned last time.  Maybe a new long sleeve white shirt.  I only

have one of those.  And if you buy any clothes, remember that i have

lost a ton of weight.  As a matter of fact, i had to nail a new whole

in my belt the other day.

Anyways, all is well here in Cuenca.

Love,

Elder McRae

4.23.12 Cuenca, Ecuador

Family,

As a reply to your question ¨How is time flying in Ecuador?¨ my

responce is my favorite phrase, ¡HABLA SERIO!  It is going by so fast

it is making me sick.  For example.  Every 6 weeks are changes.  At

the end of this week the change will end.  That means i only have 2

changes left until i hit the year mark.  13 weeks and i will be half

way done.

Anyways, this week was great!  Ines, the mom of Jackson, Brayan,

Michael, and Genesis, got BAPTIZED.  A little girl named Cristina also

got baptized.  It was such a great night.  Jackson was going to

baptize his mom but for some reason at the last second she got scared

and wanted me to do it.  We couldn't convince her to let her son

baptize her so i quickly threw on Jackson's baptismal pants and did

the ordinance.  I didn´t bring extra garments or a shirt or anything

because i wasn´t planning on doing a baptism.  So i got to spend the

rest of the night in wet garments and a wet shirt.  It was another

adventure.  I was super happy though.  I always have wanted to baptize

a big black lady!  My next goal is baptize a 7 foot black man.  He

would be too tall for the font so we would have to do it in a river.

:)

The next day, Sunday, they got confirmed.  Also, Jackson gave a talk.

It was AWESOME! This family has so much charisma that they have no

problem giving a talk after being a member for 4 weeks.  Brayan has

to give a talk in 2 weeks.  After Jackson talked, the bishop called me

up to talk.  I had no idea i was giving a talk.  the second speaker

just didn't show up.  I talked about missionary work of course.  It

was fine.

So how did the Liberty Tennis team do this year?

Next time you send a package, if you could, talk to grandpa and send

pictures of me playing football and soccer.  Lots of people want to

see pictures of that.

i can't think of any stories to tell.  I don't pay a lot of attention

to cultural things.  While my companion is taking pictures of giant

Catholic buildings or statues, i am just looking for a place to eat.

But if music counts as culture i am into that.  There are lots of

songs i think are awesome and for sure will listen to them when i get

home.

anyways,  that's what's new here in Ecuador.

Love,

Elder McRae

4.15.12 Cuenca, Ecuador

Family,

The time really flies by doesn't it?  I was in priest quorum with Brian, Sam, and Ryan and they are already coming home.  Keep me up to date on everyone's calls.  

I got all the packages you mentioned so yeah keep ´em coming.  

Ines, The mom of the Tapia Family, did not get baptized this week.  She just has to work a couple issues out and she will be ready.  The desire is all there.  Jackson blessed the sacrament this week and Brayan passed it.  They also both went to the youth conference saturday.  I love seeing my converts progressing in the gospel. Michael and Genesis also have a part in the primary program.  So the Tapia family is doing great.

I am in Guayaquil right now.  Our bus back doesn't leave for a couple more hours. Today we had consejo de líderes.  I think that translates to Counsel of Leaders.  Me and the zone leaders were awake at 1:30am in order to leave Cuenca at 3 am to get to Guyaquil in time.  It has been a long day. We had a 5 and a half hour meeting with president about lots of different things.  I learned a lot.

Tell Jared i got his letter last week and sent him one back.  

I can't think of anything else to say.  I am so tired it is hard to think.  Oh and tell Abbie i never had Mrs. Lime.  I was in PI so i didn't have her for English. But i do remember who she was.  

Love,

Elder McRae