There is a first time for everything...
Yes. Do you want to guess? Okay. If you said bucket showers, you are correct. Dingdingding we have a winner. Yes. Yes. I had to do my first bucket shower this week. But guess what? It wasn't even that bad. I actually thought it was kind of fun. Do I want to do it again? No. I have no desire, actually. But it wasn't bad. lol. And it was only one day - so I can't complain. I guess all the water in Tyuheluaco just stopped coming or something. I don't understand.... BUT I am sooo lucky to have running water. Like, I feel so extremely spoiled. So I live at the bottom of the Hills in my area. The Hill areas are sooo poor. NO ONE has running water, except for a couple homes, and they only have it one day a week. When I found that out - I was just like wuuuuut - how come I get water everyday except for when it randomly stops working? I don't know. But yes. It was a humbling and slightly fun because now I can say I did a bucket shower. I am sure I have plenty more in my future here in Mexico, but it isn't too common... knock on wood. I kind of am confusing myself right now. But the point of this was to tell you that I had a bucket shower and it was kind of cold and not enjoyable but it is now in my journal so that's fun. Oh yeah. Also just be super grateful that you have water whenever you want it. Not when you need it. When you want it. HA jerks. jk. LOVE you. En serio.
OKay so this week was like way better. It went fast like the past weeks. OH GOOD NEWS. I got your letter you sent April 2. SO that is just dandy. EERRR it took a month! Yes, it takes a month. I will be looking for my package soon. Anyways.
QUE paso en este semana. Oh good stuff happened. So Tuesday night I asked M. to prepare to be baptized on May 11, and she was gung hoooo! I was super excited because I had the spirit during that lesson which helped my Spanish, she was understanding me well. I said a lot of good things that the Lord needed me to say, and it ended with a baptismal date!!! I mean I am stoked but she has had plenty of baptismal dates in the past so that was kind of lol worthy when my comp told me that this is common. But I am determinded to help/force her (jkjkjkhahahno) help her in this process. I am determined to teach her everything suuuper clear and great and yes. The rest of the week we were able to catch her at good times. But, yesterday we were looking for her and this guy opens the door who lives there (multiple people live behind these gates in seperate rooms or houses, it just depends) and he didn't have a shirt on, he had a HUGE snot booger hanging from his nostril blowing in the wind, and he was super drunk and peligroso. So we asked him if M. was home and he said no, no one is home... And we were like uhhhhh okay, thinking to ourselves "what about you...",but we didn't and just accepted the answer because we didn't want to get in a tussle with him. But I was so entranced by his booger I probably made a wierd face and he saw me and he got super mad and was yelling at me and so we starting like walking/running away and I was super confused because I didn't know what he was saying, but I found out after. I guess he wanted to fight me and was calling me a guerro which is a white person and told me to go back to the estados unidos and yeah. I feel really bad that I looked at his booger in a way that was percieved to be rude... and next time I will be more careful to not look at drunk people because ya. Close call, folks.
This week we also talked to a family about the Atonement to help them with stuff going on in their family and in our favor they had a friend over who was not a member. She was from some other state in Mexico, but I guess she had talked to the MIssionaries like 10 years ago. She thought they were great people but nothing happened. ANYWHO, we were talking about the Atonement and asked a few questions to the non-member and she had amazing answers. She sounded so experienced in studying the Atonement and already had such a testimony about it even thought she hasn't read the Book of Mormon, which really expounds on the Atonement. She was soooo awesome and after she gave us her address so we could have missionaries in her area sent to her. It was super cool. I was jealous because I wanted to teach her and baptize her and have her in my Rama because she has so much potential to do so much good in the church. God is truly preparing people to hear this message. It was really great to see that first hand.
Later that day we had a cita way up in the mountains where the dragons live, I think, so yeah basically it is super far and long and I am crawling by the time we got to the house. But this time we had another companion. It was a super cute little pup and he literally followed us up all the way to the house! I have picures. I couldn't believe he walked the whole way up because he is super small. But Yeah he did. Hahah, but then something sad happened. We got to the house and M. was like eww what is that and I told her it was a present and she didn't like my present and I had to say good bye to the little puppy. Pretty tragic. Now he is out there and lost probably. I think he was lost before, but still. So then we had a lesson with M. and she wants to get baptized and is so ready and has changed so much about her personal life. But she lives with a guy and they aren't married and NOW she doesn't know if she wants to marry him or separate and I was like uhhh why NOW? But she is going to pray about it. Hopefully she figures it out so we can baptize her and get her involved with a calling in the ward.
Another cool story is this. I am planning a wedding. Who would've thunk it!? HA. This Friday is the supposed wedding and I am sooo stoked for this fiesta. So hopefully it actually happens. Because if it does that M. L. is getting baptized on the 11 de Mayo toooo! SO much potential. Baby steps. I feel have to be persistent with these people or else they will lose their momentum. So hopefully we talk to them tomorrow and see how everything is panning out. OKAY.
So Saturday was a baptism for other missionaries in my Zone and so we went to that at 10 in the morning. Ten minutes before it started Elder Lopez and I arrived. Yes, and get this. Right when I walked through the doors an Hermano from my ward asked me to sing a special musical number. I guess I mentioned to him that I was in choir at BYU so he took that as a "hey i really want to sing special musical numbers at every baptism so just tell me five minutes before and I'll be good". But I can't really say no to anything as a missionary... So I sang Todo esta bien, which is Come, Come Ye Saints in Spanish. It actually went suuper well. I was pleased and felt lucky for that opportunity. Fun stuff.
After the baptism Elder L., B., R. and I were on the micro and guess what song came on... CALL ME MAYBE. HA. It was suuper funny because we, as missionaries, naturally started singing along but replacing all of the words with missionary words like baptism, and Preach My Gospel, and Libro de Mormon. Everyone was looking at us wierd but secretly loved it, I think. But yes that is actually pretty common. American music ALWAYS plays on the buses, and I am ALWAYS on the buses going from cita to cita so I hear some great uplifting music such as California Girls, Toxic, Call me Maybe, and Gangnum Style eerday. No worries. I am holding up:)
Anyways that was my week. Oh wait, we had Stake Conference and it was crazy because there were so many people and no room and yeah it gave me a headache. But it was good. Afterwards a crazy little lady came up to me and was talking to me in really rocky english. I think she really wanted to practice. So she saw me crack my fingers and gave me a half hour lecture about how that is bad, but how I need to be massaging my hands everyday because it relieves stress and I should also clean my house because she said cleaning is good for the soul. I told her I agreed and then she told me that cracking fingers gives people stress which gives you acne and she was referring to an American Elder with really fair skin and he has red and irritated skin, I think... But she told me to be his friend and tell him that he should stop being stressed because his acne will go away and I was alll nooo you tell him! PS he isn't stressed. So yeah that was super interesting and fun and all. The people here sure are great. I am serious. I LOVE them. And I love Chinampas!
I have an Hermana making my pants longer by unhemming them because she is a seamstress - for a living! She did a really good job and I am stoked about that. All is well in Zion #chinampas.
Love the letters from you guys. Thanks for everything. I am so glad you got the letters!! Hope you have a wonderful birthday pap! You are the BEST. Glad you enjoyed the letter. Love you all so much and I pray for you all the time. Thanks for all the prayers and support. I LOVE the letter you sent April 2. It was super heartwarming and good and yes. LOve love. Paz y bendiciones.
Con Amor,
Elder Macdonald
PS It's the Climb by my girl Hannah MONTANA is playing. Keep the faith, it's all about the climb. YAAAaaaaaAaAa.
PSS Tell Boo and Rae I love them too and am proud of them! My clothes are working. My black shoes are more comfortable to walk in then my Eccos. SO I like the Bostonians. I think my clothes should last the year. I hope. Who knows. I am starting to see wear and tear on the back of my pants, but barely. I should be good for a little while longer. Time is flying by. Before we know it It will be Christmas. Ahhh. Haha. I haven't worn my Ray bans yet, but I will soon maybe. Who knows. I am not afraid to wear nice things here. People are not sketchy. They seem really nice and I haven't had any scary experiences except for the drunk in the email I just sent. But it RAINS alot here and it is starting to be the rainy season until September. sooo yeah. Find out if my shoes are water proof. I hope my backpack will be okay in the water. I carrry my umbrella with me every day because we never know if it will rain. I will love the diagram about the apostasy and the restoration because I have a hard time explaining the apostasy and understanding everything and explaining it simply. So yes try and send that soon! Love you so mucha and am grateful for your help and support. Oh and I haven't gotten the package yet. But hopefully this week or next. Who knows. Transfers are this Tuesday and we aren't changing. But I will be trainging in 6 weeks - I am almost positive of that. So that shall be interesting. That is going to come soo fast. Love youuu.
PSSS I forgot to write in my blog about my reading. Sorry! I read Matthew and Mark this week and just love it. So much. The similarities between 3 Nephi 11, 12, 13, 14, etc and Matthew 5, 6, 7, aka the Sermon on the Mount are sooo cool. I love reading about Christ. It is my favorite. Also read Alma 26:22. It is a great scripture to think about with missionary work because of the blessing I am promised for doing 4 things. The blessing is bringing souls to repentance or baptism or christ. It is super cool. But yes, I am really gaining a love for the scriptures. Like so much. Who would've thought. I hated to read before. But I never want to stop reading in the morning. Anyways. Love.
Cute puppy
Cute elder
Our dog Scout's uncanny look alike in Mexico
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