When in Amazonas...

Hello Family and Friends,

The financial training continues to go well. It's kind of nice knowing before hand when you are going to leave an area, so you don't have that immediate shock from a phone call saying to pack your bags. Fortunately, we have managed to juggle our investigators pretty well in the mix of transfers and the Zone Leader Conference that took place this week. Several people are progressing and really becoming quite excited about church, baptism, and life changes.

The other day when we were walking in the street looking for a reference, we made quite a few contacts in a matter of a few hours and ended up meeting a girl named Hamayana from Parintins. We marked for another day to teach her, not thinking too much of it, and she ended up being one of those people that you find at just the right time who is searching for the truth.

A lot of cool things happened this week. I will begin with the events of Saturday. We received special permission from the assistants to go to the wedding of Jusse Maria and Heraldo in Lagôa Verde. I don't know if you remember Anna Karolina, I think she was the last baptism we had when Elder Guerrette was still here. Well, it was the wedding of her mom and step-father. I remember we used to talk to Jusse Maria about the church and it came to a point that all that was missing (keeping her from baptism) was for her to get married. The other day we were walking down a street in Bairro da União and she was at the bus stop waiting for a ride to take her home from visiting her sisters and daughter. We walked over to her and talked about life and whatnot. Out of nowhere, she invited us to her wedding. At a later time, her sisters, Silvia and Juliana, also invited us to the wedding, so we took it as a "for real" situation and went. It was super cool and they were thankful to have us present. The very next day, on the 11th of October, they were both baptized.

Also on Sunday the 11th was the baptism of Gabriel Martins Nery de Araújo, the brother of Paulino who has only been back from his mission about 3 weeks. With Paulino's help, we have been teaching Gabriel and his mom and he was the first to make all the necessary changes. It was nice to see his brother baptize him. It's a rare occasion when you get to see a ward member or family member perform the ordinance.

So, the party continues here in Alvorada with the Boi Manaus. This week we decided to partake in the food, not the dancing, that occurs before the actual "festa." It reminded me a lot of the farmers' markets in Brea and San Luis Obispo. The food was good and it was a welcomed opportunity to sit down and enjoy the culture and surroundings. We even ran into a few ward members that were trying to take advantage of the once a year festivities. There is one family in the area who really stands out from the others in regards to help, friendship, and hospitality and that is the familia Leite. Being that I'm on my way out of the area, I invited them to dinner with the missionaries at a little street vendor. It was nice to be able to give back to the family who helps out so much. We actually had lunch at their house today and it sounds like they had an awesome time at the festival. This news made my day since they have endured many trials. It was great they finally had a chance to just be free and have fun.

I hope the attached pictures explain themselves. As for the jaguar outfit, it is Boby's, so I decided to take some pictures with it. It's an example of clothing they would wear at a samba or an indigenous dance get-together. The area is going strong and I think the ward is picking up the pace with the missionary work.

Abraço,
Elder Taylor Mackay

Oh Boi (10/8/09)

Hello, this is Elder Mackay once again reporting for duty. This week was a little crazy, but I think I've made it and am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am officially training Elder Murray to be the next Financial Secretary of Missão Brasil Manaus. FYI he is from Minnesota...that's a first, right? So, just to get my companions straight...I've had one from New York, Brazil, Utah, Idaho, Maine, and Minnesota. Contrary to popular belief, I have no doubt that Flores will be his most memorable area for very good reasons. Life in the office has more to it than meets the eye...trust me. Every day you fight mini financial battles that are electronically lost or won. If you're me, you always win, but let's not fool ourselves; there is only one Elder Mackay.

General Conference was really good. I watched all 10 hours of it. There were certainly a lot of good talks. I don't know if I was just a slacker in past years and didn't pay attention, but this past conference was legitimately put together. We were able to have a total of 9 people present to watch conference, many of which stayed for several sessions.

Right now there is a huge party going on that will last for a few weeks in the Sambódromo (Samba Stadium) called Boi Manaus. Here in Amazonas, the bull is almost worshiped (I think it comes from indigenous culture) and at this party there are various dancing groups that dance the "boi," a type of dance which looks like a ritual to call in the rain or sun. In a few more days, I'll have all the music memorized since it blasts through our windows until midnight.

It's always funny the day after all the new missionaries arrive, because when I give my presentation, I have to speak in English, which to be honest is a little hard (just the manner of mental processing and putting the words together to form a sentence). As a result, I'm a little mixed up today with the language and I have to catch myself from slipping in an English word every once in a while when talking to the Brazilians.

One cool thing that happened when all the noobs arrived in the Mission Office was that one of them came up to me and asked, "Are you Elder Mackay?" Pointing at my name tag, I said, "Why, yes...I am." He then said, "I have a message for you...Hodges says, 'hi,' and sends you a beijo." What do you know...there is life on the other side. It just so happens that this elder was visiting his aunt's ward and Elder Hodges was there and found out he was going to Manaus and sent the 2 month delayed message. I've got to hand it to the kid for remembering.

This Sunday, we have a baptism planned for Gabriel, the brother of Paulino who just returned from his mission. We have been working pretty hard with the family and it's paying off thanks to his huge help. The other people we are teaching and who are progressing are: Flávia, Karla, Alexandre, Anderson, Ana Leite, Ana Vitória, Tatiana, Adriana, Wellington, Erika, and Marcilene. Wish us luck.

I would like to wish a Happy Birthday to Grandpa Mackay...make it a great year! I'll give you the gift of my presence sometime after the 8th of June (haha).

Abreijo,
Elder Taylor Mackay

(I just made up that word...abreijo is a kiss and a hug together)

Andrews and Friends at His Baptism

From Taylor Mission Pics

The Baptism of Andrews da Silva Bezerra

From Taylor Mission Pics

Red, White, and Burned

I just got back from a zone activity where we had a churrasco...it was pretty entertaining. We started off playing soccer then moved on to volleyball, and then after eating some really salty meat, the activity ended. It was pretty fun. It was actually the first time since I have been here that we were able to escape the office to go to an activity on P-day. After being indoors during the sunniest part of the day for the last 6 months, my skin has become very white, but that all changed today. I am now a nice shade of light red. I haven't had this sunburned feeling for a long time, and with the fire for the churrasco, it was like a mini beach party without the sand, ocean, or marshmallows.

This week went really well and Andrews da Silva Bezerra was baptized as planned. He learned extremely fast and is now helping us teach his cousins, Alexandre and David. We have also planned two ward baptisms that we are teaching since the members aren't taking the initiative and the Bishop isn't the best at scheduling meetings.

So, tomorrow I will learn when I will be training the next Financial Secretary. I'm thinking I will start next week, but then again, maybe I'm doing such a great job I'll be asked to stay. Of course if that is the case, I'll immediately ask for a pay raise and health care benefits along with a nice bonus. A new spring-loaded leather chair with wheels would be nice as well. The big question is whether or not Elder Reis will stay working with me in Flores or if he will return to Alvorada and I will have 2 new companions (the trainee and the new Supplies Secretary)!!!

As for an update on teaching, we are working with the brother and sister of Paulino (a returned missionary in the ward). With the help of Paulino, we have already marked one of the baptisms after only one visit. The brother is 9 and I believe the sister is 17, so it will be a nice addition to the ward. Wellington and Erica are two of our investigators who are difficult to get a hold of because they both work during the day and study at night (except on Saturday and Sunday when only Wellington works). We are helping them plan their wedding since it's not a priority for most people, but they, unlike others, have the desire to get married. We have one BIG problem, though. Wellington is 18 and has 2 children with Erica who is only 16! Bummer...right? Well, in Brazil there is a crazy law that allows minors to get married if their parents give their consent and sign a paper. Given the situation, we aren't going to force anything, but surprisingly their parents are all for it. We'll see what happens.

The upcoming transfer is looking to be a pretty legit working, teaching, and baptizing transfer. One of the things I'm glad I was able to accomplish with my companions, and with a little help from the ward, is that the once dead and dreaded area of Flores, which went without a baptisms for 7 months, is now an area that functions like a well-oiled machine. Is it a hard area? Yes! Is the ward helpful? Rarely...but if you make goals and have a desire to change things, do contacts, pump members for references, and use selective cutting, there is no reason Flores should ever return to its previous state. Funny thing is...looking back on the other areas where I have served, they have all been like this: Compensa, Jardim Botânico, and now Flores. As a missionary, you really don't realize the difference you have made in an area until you leave. It is very rewarding when you run into members from previous areas and they remember your name, ask how you are, and give updates on the ward. That's about all I have for this week so TCHAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!

Abraço,
Elder Taylor Mackay

A Piece of Paradise

From Taylor Mission Pics

We Love You, Elder Mackay!

From Taylor Mission Pics

Elder Mackay and Elder Reis Heading to the Lakes

From Taylor Mission Pics

An Amazonian Version of Mirror Lake

From Taylor Mission Pics

The Expert to the Rescue

From Taylor Mission Pics

Another View of Paradise

From Taylor Mission Pics

Elder Mackay Baiting the Line

From Taylor Mission Pics

Where are the Fish?

From Taylor Mission Pics

A Long Walk...Indeed!

From Taylor Mission Pics

Elder Mackay Feeding His New Friend

From Taylor Mission Pics

Elder Mackay and Elder Reis Fishing for Tucunaré and Piranha

From Taylor Mission Pics

Let's See...Who Will Get Bit First?

From Taylor Mission Pics

Gone Fishing

Soooo...almost all went as planned this past week. I've just been a little occupied with some packages we have been trying to send to Rio Branco and Porto Velho. The boat that was supposed to arrive here a week ago to take the packages still hasn't arrived. The process to ship by airplane is a lot more expensive and complicated, but it has become our only option given the situation.

This past Sunday was nothing short of crazy with all the running around we did to help our investigators make it to church. Marivane was confirmed (we arrived just on time) and it was also the homecoming talk of a missionary who returned from Rio de Janeiro. He is the only member in his entire family and is really excited to get to work. I think he's a little too optimistic with his initial thoughts of activating his entire family but that makes things easier for us.

We have been teaching a group of friends: Andrews, Anderson, David, Flávia, and Karla. All of them are actually really cool and willing to talk to us, which is surprising because generally speaking religion isn't a priority for teenagers. Andrews, whose father was already baptized and actually knows a ton about the gospel, will be baptized on Sunday with the presence of a large chunk of the ward, family, and friends. The teaching is going a lot better now that the conference season is over and everything has settled back down.

As Financial Secretary, you get asked a lot of questions, but the question that beats them all is the ever so popular, "Mesada caiu?" to find out if the $$ will fall on the established dates (7th and 22nd of every month). Just when I would rather not answer the phone or begin to think the questions are annoying, I have to put myself in their shoes. In the normal mission field, you've got to walk to the bank or in some cases, like in my last area, take a bus. It is nice to have a confirmation before you make the jihad to the banco.

One of the neat things that took place last week was a lunch we had planned with a family in our ward who lives at Kilometer 22 on the highway to Itacoatiara. They were glad to see us since it is a rare occasion missionaries visit due to the fact they live out of the city. After lunch, we were invited to go on a fishing trip on their property. Their property is amazing...one of those as far as the eye can see properties with areas possibly unexplored by civilized man. After we grabbed a few sticks, hooks, and pieces of bread, we marched off to a few small lakes that have tucunari and piranha (both relatively small fish). Being that I am not a fisher, I went along more for the journey and to know the wildlife of Amazonas. I'm not going to lie...my shoes got filthy, but that's what the shoeshine kit is for. Right? As you can see from the pictures, it was very green and the water was a little less than welcoming, so we were thankful for the mission rulebook. We did, however, roll up our pant legs in an attempt to lure in a few fish, but we still didn't catch anything. Unfortunately, I won't have any cool stories about how I got bit on the leg by a piranha...although I tried. The weather and air were very clear...maintained by nature rather than mankind. It was a long walk out to the lakes and a long walk back. Once we arrived back at the house, we drank some suco and had a visit from one of the horses that roams freely on the property and decided to stop by for its daily dosage of salt. They never have to buy food for the horse because there is so much vegetation it will never go hungry.

On the way back to the office, we caught a bus that took two hours before it passed by. It just so happened to be a party bus. A nice, little crowd was passing around shots of alcohol and chanting, "...drink, drink, drink." Fortunately, nobody messed with us, but it was just one more reminder for me that I wasn't in the United States anymore.

In two weeks, I'll be sitting here with my new companion, teaching him the ways of Financial Secretary. I have an idea of who it could be, but it's still up in the air. Wish me luck and thanks for all the support.

Abraço,
Elder Taylor Mackay

Elder Mackay and Elder Reis at the Baptism of Marivane

From Taylor Mission Pics