Mateo in MEXICO: He's a deep sleeper, the work moves forward, and Happy Birthday to Katie!

Okay this week was a whole lot better. I struggled a little bit still, but right now I feel so much better and happy.

Satan knows our weaknesses and tries to get us down. But we can’t let him do that.

Something really crazy happened. So every night my District calls me to let me know they made it home... Then I call the Zone Leaders and let them know... Then they call the Assistants and the Assistants let the president know... So that way they know we are safe and sound every night. HAHA. Well on Tuesday night Topilejo lost all phone service. And I was freaking out okay. I knew it was going to end badly. I couldn’t communicate with my District and no one knew what had happened to me and my companion - if we were okay or not... So in the meantime, we were looking for service in our house (because we can’t leave the house past 9) the whole mission was having a panic attack... But I didn’t know this... So, I gave up and just trusted it would all be okay... MISTAKE. Haha. We planned, and went to sleep. So President was worried sick about the missionaries in Topilejo. It turns out that the other missionaries in my District had service in their house! So they were in communication with President. He called them and told them to run to a members’ house at like 11 at night while they were still on the phone with him. As they were running to a members’ house to get a car to look for us, their cell service disappeared WHILE they were on the phone with President. Imagine the chaos - it was bad. So my District went with a guy in his car to find us and see if we were in our house. When they got here we were sound asleep... So their banging on the door didn’t do anything. (We sleep deep) They went to the house of the landlady and freaked her out cause everyone thought we had been abducted. So they got the house keys from her and barged into our house finding us in our beds sound asleep... When they walked in I got up and was so confused.... “like hey... why are you guys here?”.... HAhaha. But I went back to sleep. I was tired. When the other missionaries got back to their house the President and the assistants were there!!! Ah. SO bad - at like 12 at night. They had to drive super far just to find us asleep. Needless to say everyone hates me and wants me dead. But they were understanding and got over it. But I felt super bad and super awkward. I thought I was going to get sent home. lol.

Well that was funny right?

Okay we have lots of great investigators that are finally progressing! yayayayay.

So many miracles happened. So E. and J. are mother and son. They are struggling a whole lot because her husband left the family for another woman and she has been a wreck. She had never progressed before because she never went to church! Her son J. had gone lots of times and had a baptismal date in March but he got depressed because of his dad and we lost contact for a while. But I never lost hope in them. I knew they were going to be baptized some day! We assigned a family to befriend them and fellowship them. They have done a fantastic job. Seriously. They invited them to General Conference and they went! E. was a little bit confused because it wasn’t live... But the prophet’s message hit her heart... J. liked it too. And yesterday they went to church again!!!! AHH. E. was confused because they talked a lot about Joseph Smith and she isn’t used to that... But they liked it. And then after the church they went with the Branch to the Temple Visitors Center!! The Visitors Center is magical and everyone that goes is baptized in their own due time. So we were stoked that they could go. I really hope they felt the spirit there. Also V. went. He is Frenchman who moved here from France. He is a crazy kid and a good man. He also went to church and liked it a lot. He ALSO went to the Visitors Center. We hope he loved it too. This week we are going to invite them all to baptism. We are hoping and praying that they have the desire to make covenants with the Lord and follow Jesus Christ.

I know this is the only true church. I am so happy to be a member of it. I love Jesus Christ and his example. I am so grateful for his Atoning Sacrifice. I am learning to apply it better in my life. I know it is real and I know we need to trust in it. Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers. The mission is super hard, but so fantastic. It has made me understand the Lord’s plan so much better. When you, parents, tell me that you wish I could be home with you right now but that you KNOW I can’t be - that I need to be here – it is just the same as what our Father in Heaven feels. He loves us so much and WANTS us to be in his presence. But he knows we can’t be there right now... We have to be here learning through trials and difficulties. We have to be here and learn to trust in the Atonement of Christ and endure to the end. The mission is the same. We are getting a little glimpse of life inside of our life. It’s like Inception (the movie). haha. I am so grateful for my testimony of this all. I know God loves us and wants to give us a HUGE hug. But right now we are here and we have to trust in the faith we have. We have to gain a knowledge of these things to get through the tough times. LOVE YOU ALL SOO MUCH.

Shout out to KATIE my seester. Hope your b-day is fantastic this weekend. Enjoy it!!

Con AMOR,

Elder Macdonald