Elder McKay

Hi Mom!

Thanks for the updates! It sounds like everyone is doing well with various races, weddings, scouts, etc. When I read your letters it sounds like I'm missing quite a bit, but then again, I also know that I'm accomplishing a lot more personally than I ever did before the mission.

I do not envy you the 17 degree weather. The one benefit I have of being 80 feet above sea level is that the temperature doesn't fluctuate a whole lot. We have gotten down as low as 45 one night, but that was only once. It's still short sleeves weather and we are loving it! Fall is a lot different here though, the leaves just go straight to brown if they change colors at all; no splendid fall colors for us. :(

Well, to be perfectly honest, this week was a big downer. Yesterday afternoon alone, we were dropped by 3 of our investigators who said they didn't want to read anymore or have us come back and we had more of the same earlier in the week. I'm not sure what's happening, but our teaching selection is very slim now. I've tried to keep a positive attitude about it all and think of it as God weeding out the non-elect so that we don't waste our time, but it is still pretty hard to have these people that you know and love tell you not to come around anymore.

Elder Fuller and I have started working with a lot more of the members trying to strengthen them, reactivate quite a few, and encourage them to invite/share the gospel with their friends, but it feels like getting cold molasses to flow out of a jar. Don't get me wrong, there are several gung ho families here that absolutely love missionaries/missionary work, but there are others that get the deer in the headlights look whenever they see the name tag. =P We do have some strong goals and plans that will carry us through the rest of the year though and we are thinking we will have 4 families baptized and 4 reactivated in the next 8 weeks. Woot!

So, more sad news. President Barry called Elder Fuller last night and told him he would be training at the start of this next transfer. Sigh. I have had an absolute blast with Elder Fuller - we are very similar and have a lot of fun, but at the same time, I have never felt more motivated to work urgently than with him. We get a lot done and his love for people just shines through. Lol, he even wanted to have his mom call you and set me up with one of his sisters for after the mission. We've become really good friends which hadn't happened with any of my previous companions - I think he's one of those people that I knew in the pre-existence or something. Anyway, so in another week he'll be gone and I'll have a new companion - my 10th in 7 months! People were already remarking when he came in that I was cycling through companions awfully fast, so if I stay in this same area, our members and investigators will have seen faces of 4 companions with me (not to mention district leaders that come with me on trade offs) within a period of 6-7 weeks!

Thanks for the scripture, Mom. It was well timed, needful, and also reminds me of Jacob 1:19 about answering the sins of the people on our own heads if we do not teach them with all diligence.

Gah! Time's up.

Lovies!

Elder M.