Okay first things first... Birthday shout out to SAMUELIA OSSYPOSSY. If I had your email maybe I would write you a personal super nice email, but since I don't have the pleasure... neither will you. Just kidding Sam. I hope your birthday is wonderful and I thought about you today. I also thought about how you probably laugh when you think of me in these situations down unda. Ps Samuelia Ossypossy is Sam Oslund. Okay the next one is fur my seester Katie. I'll write you something in a few minutes. But happy birthday you old fart!
Next. This week was SO much better. All I needed to do was hang in there and have hope that this could get better. So Tuesday morning we went down to the subway and met up with a bunch of other Elders and a couple Hermanas to go to do immigration stuff. It was a glorious reunion to see Elder B., Elder G., Elder W., and yes... Elder D.! He came down to Mexico a week after us because the doc said his knees are fine. Seriously, I was extremely happy. When we all saw each other we ran and hugged like we hadn't seen each other for years. I just started cracking up instead of talking and asked if they hated it as much as I did. (disclaimer, i dont hate it) And yes. They did. Haha. LOLOL it was hilarious because we could just laugh about how pathetic we all are. But... in all seriousness we could express how this is the hardest thing we have EVER done. Ever. They all felt just as lonely as I had felt, just as homesick, and just as miserable day to day in the beginning. But they also had had glimpses of glory. They too had felt the spirit when bearing testimony, etc etc. So it goes without saying that it was not fun to say bye again. We had to go back to our companions that we can't talk to, and to situations that are nearly out of our control. But we didn't finish all the immigration stuff, so we will see each other again in a week or two. Woohoo. Anyways. It was a mighty tender mercy to be able to talk to people that are going through the exact same thing as me and find comfort in that. We agreed that we are all learning to rely on the Lord for everything. God's plan for each of us is perfect. And if I wasn't going through this, I wouldn't have a testimony of that.
Anyways... this week was pretty normal, which I decided is good. I am getting accustomed to the life of a missionary. I actually enjoy walking up and down the stupid mountain that is so near me. Haha. We had a cool experience where this twenty year old guy came running after us and asked us who we were and what we were about. That made my whole week. It was a testimony to me that we were in the right place at the right time for the spirit to work on someone. Super cool. We are going to teach him this week. We also were looking for a family and while we were predicting which house was which (because in Mexico there is no system of adresses. I think they pick their favorite number and street name and paste it on their front door. en serio) and meanwhile practically 47 dogs starting barking at us and were really annoying and loud and I couldn't help but "baaahh" (this is a dog training tip we learned from the trainer we hired for our new puppy) at them. So I did and as I did a lady popped her head out to figure out what all the commotion was for and she saw me. It was suuupes awk. But I went up to talk to her and we gave her a pamphlet and our number. She was a super smiley Christian lady. I couldn't tell if she was interested or just nice... I will let you know if she calls. But regardless it was super fun to introduce ourselves and give our message to her.
So remember when I broke our toilet top? Well after that happened I thought our apartment was as bad as it could get. Ha. JOKE. My companion opened the fridge and the top piece snapped off so now we have to literally hold the door any time we need something from the fridge. Quite comical. But this morning we cleaned our casa and my comp deeep cleaned the bathroom and now it doesn't look like it came from a horror film. I was extremely pleased and grateful. I have come to the conclusion that our house is really nice compared to what we could have... So yeah I am becoming accustomed to this place. I also really like it now and yeah. So my first opinion of it is no longer valid. Haha.
This week I started to read chapter 6 in PMG (Preach my Gospel). In spanish... And it was remarkable. This is the chapter on Christlike attributes. I realized why I was so stressed and unhappy at the beginning of being Mexico. It was because I wasn't trying to be Christlike. I was constantly thinking about myself and not of others. I was focusing on the negative and lacked patience. So I am really going to work on all of those attributes in this next week. First, I will work on patience and dilligence. I lack a lot of patience with my companion when I should just love him and be so grateful for his patience with me. I am so annoying and ask him twenty hundred and fourty seven questions that probably make no sense. I also need to work on dilligence in the work. This week I started to work with dilligence and the days flew by. The work is so much more enjoyable when you actually work with all of your heart. Funny, huh? I learned so much from the spirit while reading this chapter. So I am challenging you, family and friends to read this chapter and contemplate it. Decide what you can work on in your own life, because we all can try to be a little more Christlike. He is the perfect example. We are suuper lucky to have such a role model.
Well I love you guys so much. I show my picture-book to the families here all the time. I love the pictures I brought of you and my friends. It is fun to show other missionaries and investigators where all my friends have been called. Oh yeah, your question about laundry. We have a washing machine that is owned by the owners of our house. It is super interesting. Haha. I dont think it cleans. But it soaks my clothes and I pretend that is enough. We hang dry all of our clothes on the rooof. It is fun. The weather is actually beautiful. It is pretty warm in the afternoons, but there is always a nice breeze. June and July are the hottest times and also I think the most rainy times. So we will see. It isn't too hot though. I loved what you said about the pioneers and temples, mom. I took so much for granted. My whole life I have lived ten minutes or less from a temple. These people live two hours away, and some people live in countries that don't even have temples. So yeah, be grateful for that temple in Mesa, and Provo. It is such an amazing opportunity to do temple work at such a convenience.
I am so glad the musical was a success. I knew it would be. Nice work MVT kids! OH YEAH. CLARA I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU. Spokane and spanish. What a blessing. Haha. Okay, well I am going to read other emails and send pictures. I think about you guys all day eerday. Love ya.
Con amor,
Elder Macdonald
His roof top in the morning (where he hangs his laundry)
He is allergic to cats: )
Taco break
Before the jump
What are photos without a jumping shot?
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