Becoming more African every day

(From a letter mailed home)

Mom and Dad,
Hey, how’s it going? I hope all is well - I read your e-mail today about Dad’s car accident and Shannon’s surgery. . . and I’m worried! You’re in my prayers. . . hopefully this reaches you before Christmas, I’ll try to get this sent off tomorrow after I have district meeting. In a week or two I’ll send another letter that’ll tell you about some investigators that I’ve had & some cool stories I wanna share with you. I’ll try to add some descriptions about the pictures I’ll send on a memory card with those also. It’ll take me some times to write all that stuff down and I don’t have much of it so!

I am becoming more and more African every day. My mannerisms are changing; hand gestures, sounds I make, faces I make; to match the people. I’m still working on speaking more like them. I’m really beginning to develope many habits. For example I noticed today I was talking to Elder Ekaette I asked him a question, naturally saying, “Are you having a pen?” When back home we’d just say “Do you have a pen?” These suttle differences are forming into habits that are gunna kill me when I get off my mission ha ha!

I honestly am enjoying my mission. I loved Elder Kalinja & I love Elder Ekaette. Elder Strong my Zone leader told me something that is maybe the best advice I’ve gotten since my setting apart when all of you spoke. He quoted president Sabey in saying that we should try to look at our companion through the eyes of Christ. We need not to dwell on the bad things, but always think about the good things about our companion. I’m stubborn sometimes, and sometimes I do that and sometimes I don’t. It’s kinda like a type of pride cycle with me; I will love my companion & think about the good things . . . then I’ll begin to think more and more about the things they do that bother me. . . then I’ll realize I’m being stubborn and stop. It repeats.

In retrospect, the times when I was thinking about the bad things of my companions were the days that I was not happy. I would begin to miss home & I’d be less productive in my missionary work. Conversely, those days that I’ve made the effort to think only good thoughts about my companion have been days, filled with the spirit and filled with laughter. I don’t miss home and I feel at home here. I am more productive in my missionary work.

I donno if I’m doing an accurate job in putting this down into words (and I don’t want you to think that I don’t like my companion or that I’m homesick alot) but I can say that when I make the effort to love my companion and only think positive thoughts and not dwell on the things that frustrate me, I’m happy. I’m sure that relates very well to marriage : ) .

Overall, you have no need to worry about me. I feel safe everywhere I go. this is a peaceful, peaceful country; and I love these people. It’s so interesting to learn about their culture – I hope you might get a chance to visit Ghana in August 2011! ha ha it seems so far away! ha ha thanks for everything I love you!!!

Love, Elder MacKay