Going into the Mission Field: 9/24/13

Note: You can email Elder McRae at: matthew.mcrae@myldsmail.net

September 25th, 2013

First day in California

Hey family,

I'm here! Such an awesome day I have so much to tell you about today and I love it here :) I'm going tracking now and it truly is the coach from Forever Strong! You should watch his i'm a mormon video under Larry Gelwix! Love you all, i'll email you on my p-day and my address.

Elder McRae

September 24th, 2013

Leaving the MTC

Dear Family,

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR JACOB, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!! LOVE YOU BUDD! Hope you are having an awesome birthday and its crazy to think you're already 14 and a Teacher! So awesome.. only 2 more years till you can join Jo-Jo in dating ;) Congrats on your football game both of you two and David in soccer, keep it up you McRae studs.

 

Hey Joseph how's Carter? How's Encore?? I miss Encore so much.. so much fun and awesome! Matt did you finally get my letter? I promise you I sent that like a week ago, hope you got it :p Dear Elder won't work anymore for me so just email me and I'll get my address asap. Dad thanks for your email, means a lot. Mom thanks for the package, my district loved your cinnamon rolls and all the candy you sent me. You are loved here.. especially by me :) haha don't worry about my head it's feeling a lot better. Some things I need is a watch and an alarm clock.. both of them don't work so don't get them at Remingtons. They are no good.

 

I have no more Elder's in my district here and it's just me and two Sisters. Feels really awkward not having a companion and it feels like everyone is judging me bc I'm alone haha but tomorrow California here I come!! Ge-ah-kah, Forever strong  ;p  haha that's cool, Allie said she has an Elder in her ward there too and today I received a letter from my mission president and he sounds very hardcore, kind of like a football coach prep talk he sent to me, but I'm super stoked to finally be in the field.  I'm excited for Matt and do take out his endowments, love that kid. All us Elder's wore our blue BYU ties on game day.. so sad. Come on BYU, pull it together! haha ahh Carter my man. If you see him again tell him I love him and he needs to write me a letter on how he is doing. I'll call you around 5:00 hopefully.   An Elder who I'm leaving with actually has a working cell phone is family sent him just for his airport departure so I might just call you from that just to let you know. Excited to talk to y'all and love y'all. 

 

So this week we had in-filed training which is this forever long 9 hour meeting/prep for the field.. not too bad but long. Saw Amanda here and she gave me a package from Daniel with some ties, a photobook and tiger bars. Such a homie, love him. Literally the nicest person who's walked this planet, always sending me stuff and being his creative old self! haha So jealous about them meeting Elder Holland.. literally my favorite Apostle who's ministered this earth. Also got another awesome package from Allie with a bag of candy labled "The gift of tongues", toothpaste and other toiletries with candy and a talk. She is so awesome. Taught our last time as a companionship and taught our best lesson ever. We have really molded as one mouth piece of the Lord and I love my companion. So awesome to see how far we've come. We have been asked to give 3 blessings to sisters and an Elder and its the coolest experience to see a boy like me use the power of God and help and bless other’s lives. I love serving others and have grown in gaining a testimony in Priesthood power/authority.  We blessed an Elder for his sickness to feel better before he left, literally the next morning all the symptoms were gone. Coincidence?.. I know not. It is God blessing him through me. 

 

That night we had a little fun before everyone left. We did mattress dominos which is so much fun and I wrestled the wrestler on 4 mats put together who's wrestled since 7th grade and went to state in Utah.. I'm proud to say I torched him. Literally went from stacking him, to corkscrewing him, to finally pancaking him causing him to get a bloody nose. Felt bad, but he was a good sport and it was fun to take out everything on him.. out of love ;) haha cool Elder. We then sang "God Be with You till We Meet Again" before Elder Grondel left and then he was gone. Yesterday, it was a pretty laid back chilled day with 4 of us Elders left and 3 Sisters. We had about $5 left each on our MTC card so we stalked up with food to party that night and bought a bunch of stuff.  For class we helped the bran new district coming in with Portuguese and felt like such a bro and realized how far I had come since I've been here. The Lord is amazing and I truly believe in the Gift of Tongues! We Elders all snuggled that night and downed  2 bags of chips with salsa and queso dip and pringles and a bunch of candy.. I ate so much as we were in bed with our bunks pushed together talking about stuff I bolted out of the room and unleashed my super exciting chips and dips we downed. It was disgusting.. but I felt a thousand times better after haha

 

My time here at the MTC has been the most difficult time I've ever gone through, but one of the most fun and rewarding times. This is just like a mini glimpse of how my mission will be and love the relationships I've built with my companion, my district, my branch president, other missionaries, and especially Heavenly Father, my Savior Jesus Christ and the Spirit. I'm soo soo excited to go out and serve tomorrow and love all of you. Michael, thanks for the stories you shared with me about you being a missionary. It makes me excited to share the gospel with literally EVERYONE for now on. Tomorrow I have a goal in giving 2 people pass along cards and talking to everyone I can before I get to my mission field. This gospel is true and brings me more happiness in my life than anything. I love in Mosiah were the sons of Mosiah talk about the very thought of someone not living and having the gospel shakes their very soul and have nothing but a desire to share. I challenge everyone in our ward to step up in missionary work and reach out to everyone. It can be scary, but think of how much you love them and how much their Heavenly Father loves them and how we don't want them to let go of that rod and bring them to Joy, having Eternal Life with their families and loving Heavenly Father. Think about those you promised before this life that you would them bring back to the fold and bring them back to their loving Heavenly Father. My testimony has been strengthened so much and I can't wait for it to continue to strengthen.

 

I love you all and testify that Jesus Christ is my Savior and He is your Savior and through the fullness of His gospel we can find more happiness and joy for the eternities to come and this life here on earth. I've grown to love the Book of Mormon so much here and know with all of my heart that it is the true word of God. California here I come!

 

Elder McRae's Re-assignment

Last Meal "Supper" at MTC