Mateo in MEXICO: Life is hard and then you get a chance to learn...

So this week was tough. It was tough in the emotional aspect. I don’t know why cause I don’t normally deal with these problems. But it was different. I felt like everyone was possessed with some kind of devil and out to get my comp and me. We decided that some French man gave us a curse. He said that everyone in Topilejo is crazy and super rude and strange... And we responded... "no everyone here is so kind and helpful and interested in our message". Right after that appointment, everything changed. LOL. So I am very convinced he put a curse on us. Because after that... we were mocked, made fun of, laughed at, etc every day until I couldn’t take it any longer. It was so strange. I have never felt so humiliated before in my life. Maybe I was just extra sensitive.. but I had never experienced stuff like this before. I know now that God really puts us in those types of situations to help us get over our fears and to try to understand Jesus Christ and the humiliation he was put through. It’s not easy. But it really does make one more humble. I understood that everyone has the right to accept or reject our message, but I never believed that some people are truly just mean. So maybe I'll have the proper experiences to write a Taylor Swift song or something. It’ll be on the top ten, I’m sure of it. I don’t really want to go into details because I am just trying to forgive and forget what happened. I am also trying to stay positive and keep loving everyone. I learned a lot, AND I still need to learn a lot. Just remember that adversity is something inevitable in this life. Even when you are trying your hardest to keep the commandments and be good... Adversity can come in sickness, in humiliation, or in sin. But there are ways to overcome any type of adversity when we truly trust in the Lord. I know that he knows us. The good thing is he knows we can overcome anything thrown at us. We have to trust in him if he trusts that much in us. The atonement covers it all. But that doesn’t give you the excuse to look for adversity... Only gives one the hope to overcome the adversity that naturally comes on its own or through natural consequences.

Although it was hard, it was also good. We saw miracles on Saturday. I got to the point, at the end of the week that I didn’t want to contact anymore because all that came from it was bad.... But I knew God was testing me... and so I kept contacting. And Saturday we saw results. I contacted two grandmas and 20 seconds into the contact they invited us to their homes! That doesn’t usually happen... And after we taught the first lesson with them, they accepted baptismal dates. I was just laughing inside cause I knew God was just having a good time with me. It was a miracle - a true golden contact. Obviously we have to keep up with them so that they actually get baptized... But if they even don’t get baptized it was still enough for me because they were two extremely kind human beings and I felt loved by them and by God after that lesson. So I got excited after that! Then we found another kid and taught him something and put a return date. It was another miracle. I know that I can never give up. Even when I really want to.... Haha... Because in those moments I have to always remember that God is trying me. He is trying my faith, my patience, my character, my obedience, my everything... He knows that I can overcome it... He just wants me to exercise my agency and do it. Even when it’s hard... So my invitation to you all is to not give up. Never give up. Especially when you want to give up... DON’T DO IT. The adversary knows when we are experiencing adversity. He knows our weaknesses and our frailties. He knows our anxieties, and our doubts. He magnifies them in time of adversity. He is rude just like we imagine. He doesn’t like us. He doesn’t love us. And he does not want us to succeed. So prove him wrong. Weak things can and will be made strong through the atoning power of Christ. Even though it never may get easy to have adversity... we can still have the hope that acts as a anchor in times of trouble. I know that it is true. Not easy. But true.

L. will not be getting baptized because her husband decided to buy a house instead of get married and now they don’t have money. She didn’t come to church either. I am worried about her... So hopefully we can get her excited again about this stuff. The adversary is working on her in times of adversity.

The good of the week... A family came to church all by themselves. I was super happy for them. I don’t know if they liked it. I had a member invite them to the Visitors center tomorrow. I hope and pray that they can go. They just need to have confidence in themselves that this is a good thing. eeep.

R. and P. are still my favorites because they are just fantastic. They have struggled adversity more than I can imagine. But they have overcome it all. God will bless them. They are inviting people to the Gospel, and even when they are declined, they keep on going. What an inspiration.

I need to amplify my vision with the work, with the investigators, with the missionaries around me, and with everything. That is a goal we have as a Zone. The Lord has put much trust in us... All we have to do is prove that we are up to the challenge.

OH OH OH. I met an Israelite woman and she is so cool. haha. She was so convinced that she was going to baptize us. They hold services in their house. I contacted her because she had an interesting hat on and I wanted to know why. And she invited us in and all over their walls were writings in Hebrew. I was like “WOW CAN YOU TEACH ME HEBREW?”. And then she got all mad because I’m preaching the gospel and don’t know Hebrew. hahahaha. And I apologized and told her that one day I will learn. SO I am now committed. One day I will learn. Their beliefs are that of the Jews... except they believe in Christ and the Jews don’t. I had a major respect for her. Anyone that truly loves God and professes it through any religion falls well in my book. Maybe I’ll be baptized some day. haha

Fasting is starting to become something I actually like... only took 12 years. Or 2 of actually doing it.... lol.

Well I think that is all. Sorry if it was depressing. I fell into depression and wanted to dye my shirts black. But I withheld.

I love you all. I love everything about mission work even though I am bad at it sometimes. Haha so just keep loving those awkward missionaries because your son is one too!

Con amor,

Elder Macdonald