May 10th ...so close - May 5, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

It has been a pretty exciting week for me. I got my brand new companion Elder Loomis. He is from West Jordan, Utah and he came straight out of high school. He likes to ride dirt bikes and after his mission he's planning on doing an ROTC program. He is a great elder and ready to get to work. He picked up talking slow so fast (sounds kind of funny when you say it that way). He teaches well and he's not afraid to talk but at the same time he's not overpowering. I think I'm going to have a good time working with him. I just hope I train him well. So far so good but I have to learn to let him take the reigns a little by little as well as give him enough instruction for him to do well.

While I'm training Elder Loomis, being a District Leader is training me. I'm starting to feel the effects of leadership stewardship take it's toll but luckily I have good Zone Leaders who are a great help. We even got a new zone leader last week from Bangalore, Elder Singh. He was actually my District Leader in Hyderbad so I'm very happy to see him again. Another added responsibility is now I'm in charge of the petty cash for the Rajahmundry branches. That means I have to reimburse all the eletric bills, travel charges and whatever else the missionaries and church maintence need. I also got charged this morning to be the church auditor for purchasing new cycles. Elder Linton, the senior missionary who is in charge of mission finances, gave me some good advice. He said that in all of his callings he has had a lot of problems as well as seen many others have problems with theirs. He then said that it is better to look at these problems as challenges where you make a plan and you initiate as quick as possible so that you solve it and get on with your life. Problems are things that don't get solved right away and you stress and worry about them and they sap all of your energy away.

Well that's definitely the way I have to look at it because among all my usual missionary problems I also now have to figure out how we're going to live in our new apartment. We moved in yesterday and we have to water for the washer, no A/C, and no church maintenance people to help us. Regardless we are going to get these challenges solved today!

As for missionary work I am very happy with the work we accomplished with as little time as we had. We were able to set Anand with a baptism date for May 24th. Anand is Hindu but he wants to start a new life in Jesus Christ...it doesn't get much simpler than that. He is from Karnataka so he is a foreigner to Rajahmundry so fellowship will be a huge key in his conversion. He also has a wife and two kids who are eligible to be baptized as soon as we meet with them more and teach them as well. The house he lives in is very small but he doesn't mind. From the very first day we met him he has told us that family is more important than money and that as long as he has his family and they are growing well then he is happy. I just want to let you know that the Lord does put people in our path who are ready to hear the gospel.

Another success has progressed very fast. Last week we met a brother named Efraim. We found him in his home studying the bible. We briefly shared the Restoration with him and after his first question was '
What is the difference between Heaven and Paradise?' It was a little off topic but it was a question we were definitely able to answer it. The next day we came with a Book of Mormon and gave him the answer through the book of Alma. He was impressed and he said he would study the Book of Mormon. We followed up with him the next day and then he came to church the day after. He stayed for all three hours and took vicarious notes on the Sunday School lesson of the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ in former times. We met him on Tuesday and we challenged him with baptism. He was hesistant at this point because he had been baptized before (he even showed his certificate) but luckily the member we brought with us had the same concern and was able to offer support. He said he would pray about it and we'll meet with him again on Saturday so I'll let you know how it goes.

If you remember Manikiyum and Sagar they are still slowly progressing and Sagar overcame his Chicken Pox so we'll seem him this Sunday at church. But he wants to push his baptism date back because he feels he is not quite ready for May 24th. We're going to meet with him tonight to give him strong encouragement and explain that God will bless him to be prepared. Manikiyum last week fell down the stairs at church and had cut up her face a little bit and now she's fearing coming to church. We'll also have to encourage her as well.

I am very excited for this Sunday. I think there will be a little change in plans about when I call. I think I'll call you early Mother's day Morning. Hopefuly you have afternoon church but I am allowed to call on Saturday and tell you when I will call so that you can be ready and so I'll go ahead and do that. Just be ready for a Sunday morning or evening call. I also just got word that I received your package in Bangalore so I'll get it couriered to me by tomorrow I think.

By the way Paige I love what you did to Blake's room.

I love you all a million mother's day calls,

Elder Curtis Mackay