YAY!!! DONE WITH TRAINING!!!

YAY!!! DONE WITH TRAINING!!! Training is 12 weeks (2 transfers) and I am done!

On Saturday we got a call letting us know that Elder Price will be leaving on Tuesday. We go to the Mission Office on Tuesday and have transfer meetings and I will recive my new companion that day. Then that new companion and I will head back to Castle Rock (the place I have been the last 12 weeks) and work there for at least the next 6 weeks.

Christmas time!!! It's been hard and awesome during Christmas while on a mission!! The hard part is not being able to watch Christmas movies. But we have recived many presents from the ward members which is amazing!!! The Young Women in teh ward got Elder Price and I, each a pair of socks, a mug, and some flavored hot coco packets!!! The activity day girls made us a Christmas sign that we have hung (forgot to take a picture sorry) and the Clarks got us some really good cookies!!! 

Its funny how other religions don't believe that we believe that Jesus Christ is our Savior... We knocked on a door this week and when he opened it he said we are Lutheran and we worship Jesus Christ you should come worship with us on Sunday! (and he gave us the address) we then said we do to! It's here on our name tags! 

He then said well we believe he is the Savior. and we quickly replied yes, we do to! We are actually out today sharing a message that a Savior is born! (showed him the card for the Christmas video) and we then invited him to church and he said good bye.

We also were tracting and had a funny experience! It was my turn to knock the door! I knocked and the door opened! and before I could even say hello. HE INVITED US IN!!! We went in and he said "I love talking religion!" and Elder Price and I thought "oh crap he is going to bible bash us!!!" he then said, " I have a ton of friends that are LDS and I know how hard it is for you guys getting doors slammed in your face all day would you like something to drink?" 

HE WAS AWSOME!!! We shared a message with him and got to know him a bit! He might not take the lessons but he is someone we can visit and talk to!

Merry Christmas everyone and remember the reason for the season. 

Elder Cade Mackin

The Work is Blossoming and a Challenge to all

This week we had zone conference! My Mission President-, President Rehm, the APs(Assistants to the President), and the mission office missionary came and taught us. It was awesome! Below is a Pic of some Elders in our Zone with us.

 

I told you all this already but, the Stake President in the Castle Rock Stake promised us that if we teach 3 lessons a night (Member, Less Active member or Investigator) That investigators will come.

We have been following his council and we have received 3 possible investigators and 1 online referral!  The other 2 PIs(possible investivagors) we have been trying to contact, but they have not been home while we have tracted.

The work is blossoming here and I am getting more and more excited (and tired). 

The Church has put out a new Christmas video! christmas.mormon.org

I would like to challenge everyone reading this to share that video if they already haven't! Share it on Facebook, Email, twitter, or to a friend on your phone!

There are two videos!

One with children reciting scriptures and the other being about what the world would be like if we had no savior!

I know that if you share these videos people (maybe not direct people you know) will come into the fold of our Savior Jesus Christ!

I love you all!-Elder Mackin

Here is a picture of a Christmas Tree an Awesome friend sent to me! Thanks Faith!

 It helps to make our room feel more like Christmas. 

I got to see Elder Franklin!!!!

I got to see ELDER FRANKLIN!!! One of my best friends from Pflugerville. WOOOO!!! 

My mission allows us to go over mission boundaries to shop at the Walmart. That Walmart just so happens to be the same Walmart Elder Franklin shops at! Right now I am serving in the Northern most point in my mission and he is serving in the southern most point. We are literally just divided by a highway. I feel very blessed to have been able to see my best friend while we are serving missions in two separate Missions none the less. This is something that normally does not happen and will most likely not happen for the next 20 or so months. Most likely one of us or both will be transferred to different areas soon. We got to visit for about an hour. It was Awesome! It was great to see my best friend!

This week we also helped out a few members with setting up Christmas! The Cowans are the only picture I got. they are an amazing family! They make me feel like I'm at home!

We also had Thanksgiving! Woo! We ate at the Weirda"s along with the Ware family and the Huber family. We then went to the Tannyhill"s and watched "Inside Out" (we are allowed to watch one Disney movie on Thanksgiving and one on Christmas!- lucky us most missions are not allowed to do this)

We also had a PI this week (possible investigator) who asked us to come back. But when we got there his father told us to go away because he was catholic. :/ We then went tracting at the apartments and got another PI! He said come back later and we did but he was not home. He was very friendly and we hope he will let us in when we get to him! 

I love you all!

-Elder Mackin

Cherish the Word

Last week our Mission was visited by Elder Nash of the 70! 

( A General Authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) 

He spoke with us about how when we are obedient we are blessed. And that we should rely on the Lord. As some of you know I like to ask the question "If you could go back in time and tell give yourself some advice about your mission what would you tell yourself?" I asked this of Elder Nash and he really liked the question. He said "Cherish the Word, Study them, Know the Scriptures so that you can answer questions for Yourself and Others." 


On a  very sad note...I lost my Planner!!! we were tracting and some how my planner fell out of my shirt pocket and is now gone. It stinks! It was a gift to me from the previous Missionary that served in this area.

Something fun---

While at a members house I saw a very familiar looking rocking horse! I looks almost like the one my Great Grandpa Morrison made for my Grandmother when she was little back in the 50's.

The White one is the one I saw in Colorado and the Brown one is the one my Great Grandfather made that is in my family room at home.

Here is a pic of Elder Price and I in between meeting Sunday at church.

 I am loving learning from and serving with this guy!

   Love to all! Happy Thanksgiving! Gobble Gobble!

Elder Cade Mackin

What's with all this white stuff??!?

So snow is very fluffy. And cold! I don't know if I like it or not.....

This week I learned how to shovel snow! We shoveled the Walker's drive way (who's house we live in) and then went and helped a non member who was in a serious bike accident and shoveled her drive way. We then also helped another non member. Then went and helped Brother Manchester - the older man who we helped move his couch. And our investigator Susan!

I made a snow angel and a snow angel Moroni!

There is also some kids in the ward who every time they see me, hug me! When we were over for dinner at their house I noticed a ton of Pokemon cards on the ground. I  asked if they liked Pokemon. They do of course. So we talked about Pokemon after our message. Now they keep asking their parents "when is Elder Mackin coming back to eat?"  :) They are really cool kids!

We have also been taking Max out with us to teach lessons with members! He has gone with us twice so far and we hope he can keep going with us till he leaves! He is leaving on Dec 2nd to the Provo MTC to serve in Argentina! He is going to be an awesome missionary!

So this week we went with one of the Keller kids (the kid dressed as Link for Halloween) and we did service! We raked two peoples yards and one of them is very friendly and kept trying to offer us money but we can't except it. So she instead made us goodie bags filled with candy. 

This week we also visited a past investigator.(he has gone through about 6 sets of missionaries) He is not progressing because he will only join if God physically tells him to join or he sees the Golden Plates. So basically he has no faith. But we visit him every so often to check up on him and let him know we still care about him.

On Saturday we were tracting in area 4 of our ward, when Elder Price and I felt like that was not where we were supposed to be. He had the prompting that we should visit the Kendrick family. When we got there David was upstairs but his wife (who we rarely ever get to talk religion with) was down stairs and let us in. We talked with her and then David came down and talked also. Every time before when we are at the Kendricks David is the one who wants to talk religion and that is basically it. He won't progress he just wants knowledge. But Karen I believe is ready. She talked to us and has lots of questions and believes in God. While David only believes in the possibility of a God he won't say there is one and he won't say there is not. 

This past week we had a total of 24 lessons! and we are trying for more! 

I am LOVING serving and teaching!!!!

I love you all!

-Elder Mackin

Below are two different

Pictures that members sent to me via text!!! I LOVE them!

Most lessons in the Zone!

This week was really great!

It snowed!!! I keep bundled up in my sweaters and coat while my companion who is from Idaho goes around in a short shelved shirt !!!

We apparently had the most lessons in the zone! We had about 18 or 19 lessons! This upcoming week is going to be even better! We already have 22 scheduled lessons!!!

We are hoping to get more by doing service with a member kid who went around his cul de sac and said he and the missionaries are going to be serving.  So we hope to share a quick message with each service!

We are also taking a perspective missionary out with us on Thursday and we are going to teach about 4 lessons with him!

We did a lot of member contacting and less active contacting trying to set up lessons with them. So hopefully we will be able to continue the lessons! 

I am loving the work!

I love you all!

-Elder Mackin

Zelda relates to the gospel

Halloween was on Saturday and we ate at the Keller's house!
And they had awesome homemade costumes! They were amazing!!!!(from left to right) Link between worlds Zelda from Skyward sword and Link from Skyward sword!

I was Elder Mackin-cheese (just for the Trunk-or-treat)

When I found out that the Kids were huge fans of the Video game series Zelda! I decided to share a message about the legend of Zelda and relate it to the gospel!

In one of the games there is a pirate. Who later in the game finds out that she is truly a princess. I then said that we are all princes, and princess of a king, our Heavenly Father. Even if you are a mean old pirate or a hero you are a son or daughter of a God. He loves all of us, each individually. and he knows us better than we know ourselves. 

When we got home we received a text from the mom saying that two of the kids at the house were not members of the church. (they were all getting ready to go trick or treating and sat in for the message) she said it was the perfect message!!!!

So in this Mission you stay with your trainer for 12 weeks! So even though it is transfers this week, I get to stay with Elder Price!  The Next Transfer will be December 15th.

We have been able to teach a lot more this week as well! We have been teaching a lot of members and it's great to be busy every night! It's a really weird to change from "Well we are free every night so pick a night and we will be there!" to "Sorry we are booked that day and this day, can we plan for next week?" It's great to be booked! 

Our possible investigator "Susan" we helped this week as well! When we went over to her house and asked if she had read and prayed she said that the print was too small for her to read! So we are trying to find a large print Book of Mormon!  As for the prayer part; well she did it! but she prayed to Jesus... she said "I felt really uncomfortable praying to Jesus so no I did not get an answer." We explained that we don't pray TO Jesus but to our Heavenly Father! We gave her the "Restoration" pamphlet and taught her the way we pray. She was relieved that we pray to God and Jesus Christ "listens in".

We have also been asked to ask everyone sending mail, to please use the full name (ex: Elder Cade Mackin.) do not just put "Elder Mackin"

I'm excited for the possible snow coming this Thursday. But also glad we have been given a car for the upcoming weather.

I'm LOVING serving the Lord!

Love to all,

 Elder Cade Mackin

Dreadful news :(

BLUE BELL IS NOT COMING BACK TO COLORADO!!!!

 

The people at Kingsupers (Local Grocery Store) told me that the Blue Bell ice cream factory in Colorado shut down FOREVER when the blue bell famine hit the world.

 I cried when I got in the car and Elder price looked at me funny.

This is a sad day for Colorado. I wish I could get some on the black market.... 

Any ways, good news! I have a Possible New investigator!!

We were serving her on Tuesday and when we got there she said, "Why don't you tell me what you guys believe and why you are serving!! " It's really cool! We found she struggles with feeling that she can repent so we gave her a Book of Mormon and asked her to read Enos and to pray to know if the atonement is real. we are hoping to go back on Tuesday and serve again and she said she would think about taking the lessons!! Super excited!!!

Being from Texas Leaves changing color is a new experience for me, I am loving it!

We also had a meeting as a Zone at the Stake Presidents house! He talked about the urgency of missionary work and that we should have 3 lessons a night with either members or investigators (investigators come first). Our bishop said that we should have a dinner, a second desert, and a third desert meeting (deserts do not need to happen but teaching does). So we have been doing that! It's been a lot more fun to go and teach lessons then to go home and sit around!

 We also broke up the 5 PMG lessons and made 14 of them! That way we can focus on fewer points for a larger amount of time with members!

I love you all!

-Elder Mackin

PS I member gave me a #10 can of church cannery hot cocoa- my favorite!!!!! Yeah!

Batman!

This week was pretty good!

We have been busy serving both members and non members. We used a members metal detector  to help a non member we tracted out to find his sprinkler heads that have gotten buried over time. He is starting to warm up to us and having us over again.

It's interesting how love works on a mission. Missionaries tend to adopt certain family's and well I just want to adopt everyone!!!! Everyone here is amazing! There is one family that we have been doing service for and Elder Price and I are pretty sure he is Batman.

 Reasons being

1. When I asked him if he had a book shelf that lead to a secret room he said if he had one he wouldn't tell me.

2. There is a big black tarp that looks like it could be covering the Batmobile.

3. I haven't seen him and Batman in the same place at the same time.

4. He sounds like batman.

So. I am pretty sure I met Batman on my mission. ;)

Teaching opportunities:

We have been teaching lessons and devotionals to member families every day.

We get to teach the temple prep class - I'm excited for this.

We have been asked to teach the Mission Prep Class to the Priests- this will be fun!

I am definitely here for the members of this ward!

I Love you all!

-Elder Mackin

Sidewalk Chalk Plan of Salvation

This week has been tough.

Last Tuesday Elder Price and I did not feel well and we stayed in for the day. Which was really boring.

Wednesday we felt a lot better and we went service tracting, This is where we tract in Pday clothes and offer service to people. We got a friendlier response but no one had service for us to do. (except Borther Manchester who is an old man in the ward and always appreciates us helping).

Thursday we tried it again but everyone was at work or was on the phone because they work from home.

Friday we had Zone training! Which was really boring... (everyone told me that zone trainings are not usually like that) 

I have found out that I only have 99 weeks left and there are 100 scripture masteries! So I am going to be deeply studying all 100 (I did the first one last week) during my mission!

We did hike Castle Rock which was nice.

There is also a new Family in our ward, The Dwires! They are an awesome family and the wife is a new convert of a year. She has not had the new member lessons (the regular preach my Gospel lessons but done again for new members) we are going to be teaching them! Yeah! Someone to teach!!!

We are trying lots of ideas to spread the gospel since we have no investigators. So we went to the park and drew the Plan of Salvation with chalk on the sidewalk.

We will keep studying and praying for inspiration on what Heavenly Father wants us to do.

I Miss you all and love you all!

-Elder Mackin

Hiking on P-day!

Hey everyone!

This week went by pretty fast! We have stopped tracting because it does not work here. President walker (a councilor in the stake presidency) is encouraging us to do service in the morning and then have 3 meaningful lessons a night. (with members or hopefully someday investigators).

Elder Mackin's name tag!

Conference was pretty awesome! The first two sessions were my favorite! Elder Bednars talk on apostles was amazing! I can't wait for next conference!!! 

 Today my companion (Elder Price), 4 Sister missionaries and I went on a hike and MAN is it pretty here! We also found a Golden Eagle! (which is my favorite animal and also my animal companion in D&D) Super fun! 

Sister Scharf

Elder Price, Elder Mackin and the 4 Sisters enjoying the view on their P-day hike!

I love you all!

-Elder Mackin

Later a second email came through clarifying some thing- one of the Sisters- Sister Scharf had a better zoom on her camera- the awesome Golden Eagle was a turkey vulture! LOL!