Mexico, Mexico City South - Spanish Speaking

Monday, July 29, 2013

Training is the best, baptisms, and miracles

So this week was a pivotal change in so many different aspects. 

First of all my new companion is Elder R. He is from Hawaii and went to BYU Provo too. He is 18, almost 19, and we are already practically best friends! So that is great. He was in Las Vegas waiting for his visa for 6 weeks and he already speaks Spanish really well. He only needed to go to the MTC for 2 weeks. So he speaks way better than I did after 2 months on the mission. I am super lucky to be his companion and have the opportunity to train him.

I LOVE TRAINING. It is the best thing that has happened to me on the mission. Maybe it is because Elder R. and I can relate a lot and we just get along so well, but I also just have felt such a desire to serve him as a companion and I feel so much more love and charity as a Senior Companion. It was super scary going into the changes but once we had a training meeting they said some really special things to us as trainers for the new Americans. They told us to remember that the Lord has called us to be trainers, not the President. They also told us that this is the most important calling every change - to decide who will train. When they told us that, the Spirit testified to me that I am training because the Lord has prepared me to do so. He trusts me to train an amazing missionary who will eventually train more missionaries and have so many callings of responsibility in the mission and the church in the future. It was super cool and I really felt super comforted from the Spirit. It was also so great because my best bud Elder W. is training an American too. The two of us have only had like 3 changes in Mexico and the least amount of time than any other trainers, so we felt a little discouraged at first. BUT we are ready to serve the Lord and do his will. The Lord has blessed us to learn so much in these 4 short months that we have been in Mexico, 6 in the mission, and to really make a difference in some new missionaries life to become better missionaries. I already know I am going to learn so much more than I ever have because now I am putting in to practice all I have learned. I don't have any other missionary to rely on. But I do have the Atonement of Jesus Christ which is the strength I need to accomplish this. Time to truly live by example, because that is the only effective way to help someone learn.

My Spanish is being challenged and I love it. I mean I am basically fluent. Fluent meaning I can comfortably talk to everyone and understand and reply without too much trouble. I just have to learn more words and perfect what I now know. It is such a blessing to have learned another language. I can't imagine teaching the Gospel in any other language. Spanish all the way bby. Sometimes I say somethings confusingly but I just have to be vigilant to know when I confuse some people. I hope I can get permission to start an English class in the ward here because everyone wants to learn English. They demand I start one. Ha, PATIENCE PPL PLZZ. I love the ward I am in right now. They are great and super welcoming. And the great thing about my name is no one can forget it if they try. Hamburgers to infinity and beyond (McDonalds). ha, suckers. 

OKay so we had a baptism this week and it was super special. It was super special for me because I started teaching her my first week. It was also super special because I got to let my new companion baptize "my" convert. It was suuuper cool to see Elder R. feel so excited about this work and have a baptism his first Saturday in MEXICO. We went early that day to clean the font and there were ants infesting the whole place so I freaked out and didn't know what to do so I drowned them with cleaning supplies and they died and it was fun. So then later that day we got to come back and guess what?! My investigator from Chinampas was getting baptized. So I got to go to her service and see everyone from Chinampas. They are like my family and I love them so much. Seriously the Lord just keeeps giving me tender mercies and blessings, and I have learned alot of it has to do because of my obedience. He wants to try and see if we will follow his guidelines because when we do we recieve the right to his unending blessings. It is something so cool. So Elder R. and I are really working on being super obedient and always being enthusiatic and being an example of Jesus Christ and it is the most important thing that we could possibly do as misisonaries. 

So this week was amazing. Like miracles. I was seriously so tired because I had seen so many miracles. So many people came up to US to talk to US and ask US if we could teach them more about the gospel. God is truly hastening his work. Like this is furreals. It was miraculous. We have so many new investigators because God was preparing them and wants them to talk to us. We are being prepared to be worthy representatives to teach the gospel. In my experience I haven't seen us finding new people to teach, rather God is putting us in certain places at certain times for his children to find us. The last days are here and the work is hastening. So many people are being prepared to meet us as representatives of Jesus Christ to help them become closer to their Savior and find out the everlasting joy that can take place in their lives if they accept Him. I mean, I didn't do anything. All I can do is be obedient and love the Lord. God will bless me accordingly and put people in my place when I am ready to help them. It is something kind of backwards but so perfect at the same time.

So I just want to testify that the Lord loves each and every one of us. He knows us perfectly. He knows our pains and sicknesses. He knows our trials and difficulties. He knows our sins. He knows how to love us perfectly to help us become like him. This plan is so perfect and so merciful. We cannot repay our Savior Jesus Christ what we truly owe him. It isn't possible. But he loves us so much and offers us his sacrifice. He did his part. We just have to do ours - love him, repent, and endure to the end. The key is we have to find His way. And the ONLY way is through His Church and the Leaders He has called to guide us. We have it so easy if we just humble ourselves and invite the Spirit to testify of his love. So just do it, please.

This church is true. Like, it just is. So if you don't know, pray about it. And once you know, keep working to follow the example of Jesus Christ and live his Gospel. We need His Gospel. If we didn't have His Gospel our life would have no purpose because it would have an infinite end. That would just be pointless if you ask me. 

I love you family and friends so much. I am loving the mission and loving the tender mercies that are helping me become a Disciple of Chirst. I hope you have a fantastic last few days of summer and keep up the fun in the sun. haa. so dumb. Love me. And Write me. 

Sea feliz, sea mormón.

Con Amor, 
Elder Macdonald

PS - next week I officially have 6 months and it is weird. That's all.

Piggy

My old District before the changes!

Elder G. Toros 4 lyfe. haha. High school is so dumb, but when you go to the same mish as someone from your high school you get all excited and life is happy. 




So this was a really crazy accident. I think the car fell out of the sky and squished the Wicked Witch. Like fur reals.

Cleaning the baptismal font is what missionaries do best. 1-800-MISSIONARIESCLEAN

Elder R. is a STUDD. 

She got in dat AGUA. Yeah she did.

Her daughter (member) thanked me and started crying because we started teaching her mom. After a quick month her mom was ready to be baptized. Those tears were so gratifying. 


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