New comp, focusing on others, and bed bugs!

SO what’s Thanksgiving? 

Haha - I definitely forgot that it was Thanksgiving until the wife of the mission President said "HAPPY THANKSGIVING" to me and fed us ham. Ham!

So this week was super funny and great and weird. 

My new companion is Elder K. He is from Sandy, Utah, twenty years old, and doesn’t speak a lick of Spanish. But you know what.... neither did I. So at least I know there is hope for him because it’s like people think I'm from Argentina now. He is a really great guy. They arrived here a week ago and we picked them up fresh from the MTC. He seriously has got it so easy because he is living in the same house as 4 Americans and one of them is from his MTC district and they are like bffs. So I am just happy that he has already received many tender mercies since arriving. I really feel like since he got here I actually feel like a missionary that has time and experience. I LOVE THE MISSION. So much. Like now that I can really focus on someone else and their problems, I have forgotten all about mine. I realized that if I serve, love, and focus on other people, I can forget about myself and everything will be taken care of by the Lord. I love it. So glad I finally figured that out. It makes the mission so much easier and worthwhile. I’m glad I got that principle before the year mark. OH YEAH  - WHICH BY THE WAY IS IN TWO MONTHS. Weird. I cannot believe it. Doesn’t Jacob P. get home like now? It is very weird. This time thing is like a trick question #joke. Time isn’t real. So more about my loverly comp. We get along well. I really am glad that he is struggling a little bit because it means I can just focus on loving and serving him. He has been a little bit home sick. He has a true love at home and that makes it tough because he misses her. He doesn’t understand anything. But overall he has been a great sport and he is super outgoing. Everyone here already loves him. Haha it is super funny and sad because now people laugh at him. I remember when I first got here and everyone laughed at me when I tried to talk and I HATED it but now I am that person because once they start laughing I laugh. So I have to stop. But it just brings back good memories. Us gringos know how to make Mexicans laugh. Haha speaking of which.... He was sharing a spiritual thought and Grammy was like "NO INTENDI NADA. jajaja" and I was like “GRAMMY BE NICE”. So I think that people are going to have more compassion for him. This is good. It changes stuff up a little bit and I am just super lucky to have him as a comp. Super humble and willing to work. We got this!!!

So since the new people arrived this week we had to do stuff EVERY morning this week and I was like what the heck. Seriously. One day we went to go get mattresses and then the next we had meetings to train, and then he had to go get his visa, and the next we had something else. SO it was chaos this week. Running back and forth on the metro carrying mattresses and I was like omg. JK that didn’t happen. It would’ve been funny though. We also went to the offices again this morning to get my package, which was in a HUGE box. Super unnecessary. But thanks. I loved the presents. I sneak peeked them and taped them back up and my comp thought that was weird but I was like "what.... I do this every year... why stop now?"

We are living as four people in this house now. Haha CRAZY. It is tiny. But I have been good about it all. It is actually super fun. Elder W. and his comp are funny. His comp is some big football player. A really good guy. It is just a whole lot of fun. But they are supposed to find a new house this week. We will see what happens.

Okay cool miracle. So we went to a baptism for other missionaries in my District. (PS I GAVE MY FIRST BAPTISMAL INTERVIEW AND IT WAS AMAZING I LOVED IT SO MUCH) and so we went so we could teach a short lesson while they were changing clothes after being all wet. SO when we were there the lady was super nice and was crying while she bore her testimony and thanked me for helping her clear her doubts and fears because she had never felt so good like when she got out of the water. It was super touching. But when we were there some 20 year old guy walks in and was like super gangsta in his glasses and I was like who is this chabo and he was like "hey, uh how can I do something like this...." and I was like ummm "TALK TO ME". So we talked to him. His name is C. He has had a rough life and he wants to change it. The Spirit guided him to the church and now he is in the process of talking to us so he can be baptized. I think it will be a challenge to get over a few things but he has lots of faith and a great desire. So awesome! 

We also had other good lessons this week. But I don’t remember them. 

So I will tell a funny story. 

Okay so Friday night we got tacos. And we were running home so we wouldn’t be late in the house and when we approached the house we heard a bunch of chanting and yelling and lights flashing and I was like hmmm… Exorcism? But it wasn’t. it was just a Mary Worship - in our house. No big deal. I mean they only had like 50 people flooding into our house with the gates open and everyone chanting the same recited prayer and I was like “what do we do?” Like I don’t want to be THAT awkward person running through a Mary Ritual. But, if we didn’t awkwardly walk through the crowd to get to the stairs we wouldn’t be able to get home. So I was like uhhh. But we eventually did it. So in the middle of a big Mary Ritual, four white missionaries run through the crowd holding tacos. Talk about that - Only in Mexico - only. 

But despite all of that, one of the women that was there talked to us the next day and wanted to learn more about us. HAhaha. So that’s great.

All is well here. I am losing time. This limit is killing me.

Bed bugs are called chinches. SICK. Some missionaries had to fumigate their house cause their mattresses were infested by chinches. YUM.

I loved the family photos. I loved that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I don’t know what that even is. I can’t believe it is December. I am loving the mission. And I love you all!

Con Amor,

Elder Macdonald

PS. Shout out to Uncle Damon and Uncle Robby!!! I love you guys so, so much! Hope your birthdays are just fantastic! 

District selfies.

My first baptismal interview!

Elder K!