Elder Jacob Mckee: The water is Nasty!

June 24, 2017

All right, so the divisions have started. Elder Pereira Santos has been traveling this week and I haven’t seen him at all. And I’ve just been hanging out here in Santa Maria, with a bunch of other companionships. And a few that President has told me to follow up on. And we walked a lot this week, but we’re doing well. Next week I’m going to be the one traveling, but I’m still going to walk a ton, because that’s what the mission does. We only worked in our area one day this week, which is normal. Next week it will be better because he’ll have people here working with him while I’m traveling. But he went traveling to places that are really far away so we couldn’t bring one of the other missionaries here to work with me, so I’ve just been hanging out in the other areas, in a trio. But it’s all going well. We’re doing great.

I don’t know if I told you guys about this but when I was coming to Brazil and I was in the Atlanta Georgia airport I bought this bottle of water, then I forgot to drink it while I was on the plane and it was in my bag. It’s the only thing, well it’s not the only thing American that I have, but it’s a good American thing that I have is this water. So, I’ve been saving it and during these last two years every time we got to a special event like a baptism, or my birthday, or when I hit one year, or six month, or a year and six month, I’d open it and I’d drink a little bit. This water is nasty! It’s bolded, but it’s good because it reminds me of home, so that’s my water. And this is my other stuffs. (Video goes to his desk.) Today’s going to be a good day!

So, I’m coming home from a division and I just got off the bus and I’m all by myself and I have to walk about 4 blocks. I never thought I would be so nervous by myself. I think that everyone is going to mug me. And also I realized that I got off 2 stops early. I’ve only got on this bus a few times. So, I’m in the middle of Santa Maria walking all by myself to the chapel to get to the church. But it’s all good. I know the Lord will protect me because it was an accident. I don’t know how I’m going to live when I get home. I’m going to have to have a constant companion with me because I never thought that I would be nervous to walk around by myself. So, our division was good. I was with another 2 American’s. It was pretty funny. We were making fun of a lot of the English stuff or Portuguese stuff that they say. But, I’m happy. I’m a little bummed that I got off 2 stops early and now I have to walk a lot. So, today I was with the 2 Americans. One of the American’s has about 4 months; the other has about 10 months. And I have 23 months and a few weeks. So, one of the people we visited asked how much time we have in the mission and I told her I have 23 months and she said, “WOW! 23 months and you didn’t even learn Portuguese.” And I was like WHAT! And she said, “It seems like you just got here from the United States.” And I thought, “That Sucks.” But she’s 13 years old so I don’t think that her opinion matters very much right now. All right, I made it.

My divisions are all done this week. I am going to the chapel to teach Pricilla about the temple, because next month she is going to go to the temple to do baptisms. WOOO! We are going to the English classes to teach some to Pricilla. I’m with another missionary. My comp is in Sáo Borja, which is really, really far away. And then I’m going to sleep on the floor at the secretary’s house. And then tomorrow at about 12 or 1:00, my companion is going to come. There were a bunch of kids right there, and they were all looking at me and making fun of me because I’m talking in English all by myself. So, I’m going to sleep in the secretary’s house then tomorrow is our p-day. I’m going to email in the morning, but I’m just going to get on for a few minutes, just to respond to the emails, then I’ll get on again in the afternoon and use the rest of my time. So that will be fantastic.

One thing that I wanted to talk to you guys about is that I’ve only got about another 3 weeks on my mission. That is really weird to say. So, I’ve only got another 3 weeks and when I sit there on my email and I’m talking to you guys, it’s like we’re texting. I’m sending one; you guys are sending one back. Afterwards it’s like really, really hard for me to get back, my mind back in the work and I spend a lot of the week trying to stop thinking about home. I’m really trying my hardest and I’m working hard and everything. There is nothing wrong. But I think what I want to do is try and get better. So what I want to do is I’m going to get on in the morning and I’m going to respond to you guys, and I’m going to get off. And then in the afternoon I’ll just respond to you guys again and I’m going to get off. I don’t think I’ll even use my full hour of computer time because I really want to dedicate myself for the next 3 weeks. So, I’m going to do it tomorrow, I’m going to answer you guys. I’m not going to sit there talking. I’ll write it out and everything so you guys can read it as well and understand. But I do love you guys, I just sit there thinking a lot about home for an hour and then I try and get back to work and it doesn’t really work that well. All the other times that we were doing it, it wasn’t any problem, but it’s actually starting to feel real, it’s not feeling, it is. I can’t believe I’m going home in 3 weeks. I don’t know, it’s getting really close. And it’s going to feel a lot more real, a lot realer. And so this is the one thing I’m going to try and do to try and help. But…if it doesn’t really make any different next week then we’ll just email normal. But we’ll see

I love you guys.

Elder McKee

Family Home Evening