Alex mail 02-26-2024: "Rioverde!"

 

What is uppppp everyone?? Hope you all are just doing so good and had an awesome week! And, if not hey, it's a new week - let's make it a great one! This past week had to have been one of the fastest of my mission haha. Mostly because we got to go to a city called Rioverde for a few days to do exchanges with the Elders over there! It was crazy fun and their area is super sick! It's like a 3 hour bus ride from here in San Luis, so we left Monday night, spent all day Tuesday with them, and then came home Wednesday morning!

I got to spend Tuesday with my boy Elder Woods and he's such a stud! He's from Texas and is just a transfer behind me in the mission! Kinda like last week with Elder Hales it was fun to be able to lead and share with him some tips, that have helped me out a ton! His Spanish is super good and we had a ton of fun together! Rioverde is kinda a smaller town but it's crazy green over there which was super pretty! Not as much directly in the city where we were but there were still way more trees than there are over here in Pozos. Kinda reminded me a little of back home, it was super cool! 

Elder Woods and I were able to have some really great lessons with some of their friends and members! They're just a branch over there but the members I met are so awesome! Even though there's not a ton of members, they all seem super devoted to the gospel and the work is going really well over there! We visited this really cool member family, a single mom with 4 kids, and we played Spanish-Scattergories with them and got to teach them some English, which just felt super rewarding! I'm so grateful for the amazing people I've been able to meet so far on the mission and the opportunity I have to serve them! Elder Dominguez was able to do a baptismal interview for their friend Ignacio while we were over there too and he got baptized yesterday! Finished the day off with some fire arrachera (steak) Quesadillas! Also ended up meeting 2 people that spoke fluent English and when we asked how they learned they both said they got deported from the US 😬💀 - so tough, hahaha.

Something that Elder Dominguez and I started this week was speaking only Spanish with each other for 3 hours after food each day. It actually went really well and helped push us in the language! It was cool to see how much I've grown in the language! When I was with Elder Sanchez there were a lot of quieter moments because I couldn't share stories or joke as well in Spanish but this week I've still been able to talk just like normal even in Spanish! Gift of tongues is real people!

We had 3 really cool lessons this week that really stuck out to me, Jose, Jesus, and Jose Juan! Each one of these guys is so awesome and they all just seem so ready to make changes in their lives and accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ! The Spirit in each one of these lessons was so strong as we taught and testified about the atonement of Jesus Christ and the restoration of His church! Hopefully we can keep helping them progress! It's so special to just see the Light of Christ enter into people's lives, I love being a missionary!

We also put a big focus on visiting members and less-active members this week! We met with 2 really cool less-active families and I felt so much of God's love for them as we invited them to come back! I testify that no matter what you've done or been through, our Heavenly Father and Savior are standing with open arms to welcome you back home! They are so ready to forgive, heal, and bless you, all we have to do is choose to come back to them and accept them in our lives!

We had a couple lessons this week with some people who are struggling with some pretty heavy addictions. However, testifying of the freeing power of our Saviors atonement was so, so special. I testify that the Gospel of Jesus Christ truly is freeing. There is nothing else in this world that can bring us more joy or blessings. It's amazing to witness firsthand how the atonement and gospel of Christ can help anyone overcome any problem or addiction they may have, and truly be free! If you feel like you're struggling with anything at all, I invite you to turn to our Savior! I promise you that He will help you, strengthen you, and will never let you go! He knows exactly how you feel and how to help! Thank you all for all the love, prayers, and support, it means a ton! Hope you guys have a fantastic week and feel free to reach out whenever! Love ya'll!

Con mucho amor, Elder McDonald

Word of the Week: Las Ranas (The frogs) we found a fireeee taco and Quesadilla place called Las Ranas, don't ask me why it's named that but it's the best 😂 

Invitation of the Month: 30 Day Fast! Last week of the month! I invite you all to take some time this week to ponder and look back on how much you've grown this past month! Don't dwell on things you wish you had done better, focus on all the good and improvement and then covenant with the Lord to keep going! You guys are amazing!

**Rioverde!**

**Fire Quesadillas/ Tres Leches Cake**

**Just your average government sponsored political chicken & I don't even know how to describe this one 😂**

Alex mail 2-19-2024: "Winter Has Arrived"

 

Hello hellooooo how's everyone doing? I hope it was another super great week for you guys! Another crazy fast week here in Mexico haha and if you're wondering about the title winter finally hit here. And by winter I mean 60 degrees with some rainy days 😂. I know what you're thinking pretty intense stuff, don't worry we're back up to 80 degrees and sunny now haha. It was a nice little break from the sun though, even if it was only was a mini winter 😂.

Elder Dominguez and I have been having a super fun time while working super hard it's been awesome! He's taught me a ton and this week he let me lead in a lot of stuff that we did to keep pushing me and helping me grow! It's definitely been a little tough at times but it's helped me gain a ton more confidence and grow in both Spanish and as a leader! Super grateful for him and this transfer that we get to serve together!

We had a good amount of lessons fall through this week which was a little tough but it's just part of the process! We were still able to have some really powerful lessons, one that really stood out to me was with our friend Eduardo! He was actually our Uber driver one day haha but he's a super awesome dad of 3 little kids. He loves his family a ton and wants to help them all come closer to Christ and we were able to teach him about the restoration and how the Book of Mormon does so! I'm so grateful to be a part of this amazing work and have the opportunity to help families be united for eternity it's so special!

We've also been focusing a lot this week on strengthening the members in our ward and trying to involve them in the work which has been cool! We've had some awesome visits and lessons and a lot of progress with helping them come closer to Christ, as well as receiving help in bringing others unto him! We even got free tacos and Quesadillas from a member who has a taco stand one night which was soooo good 😂. Heavenly Father takes care of his missionaries haha.

On Friday we were able to do exchanges with the other Elders in our ward, Elders Santiago and Hales, and I was able to go with Elder Hales into his area which was super fun! He's from Utah and reminds me a ton of my dawg Quincy, shoutout to my boy Elder Nielson!! He's also a transfer behind me in the mission but his Spanish is super good and we were able to see a lot of miracles and have a ton of fun! It was really cool to be able to give him some advice and tips for stuff that's helped me and be able to push him and help him grow! We had a lesson with their friend Berenice and we were able to schedule a baptismal date for her in March! She's had a lot of concerns about feeling like she needs to be perfect before baptism but we were able to help her understand that baptism helps us keep the commandments and overcome temptations easier! The Spirit was really strong and even with our new Spanish we were able to testify and help her see the blessings of choosing to follow Christ! Super excited for her and it was a huge testimony builder to me and Elder Hales of the gift of tongues and the Lord's hand in this work!

We were able to have interviews with President Webb on Saturday which was amazing as usual! He's such an amazing man and a great example to me! Love getting his advice on how I can improve and keep becoming a better missionary and disciple of Christ!

Church was really awesome on Sunday and Elizeth and Adalberto came again! Good news they now have a plan to finalize her divorce so they can get married in hopefully 3 months! They're super amazing and basically active at this point haha they just can't wait until that special day when they're able to be baptized!

Something I've really tried to focus on this week is sharing my testimony in every possible moment that I can! As I've done so, both in word and in action, I've been able to see so many miracles and feel the Spirit even more in my daily life! I invite you all to do the same! Live and share your testimony in every possible moment that you can and I promise you and those around you will be blessed by it! Love you all so much! Thanks for all the support it means a ton and I'm so grateful for each one of you! Hope you have a super awesome week and never be afraid to reach out if you need anything at all! Cuídense Muchooooo!!

Love, Elder McDonald

Word of the Week: Que Onda? (What's up?) Kinda another slang one here in Mexico haha but just another way of saying what's up to the homies haha

Invitation of the Month: 30 DAY FAST! Can't believe we're already getting to the end of February! Let's finish out the month strong and rely on the Lord to help us grow and improve a little bit each day! I promise he will be right by your side if you just choose to turn to him and seek his help!

**Finally got Preach My gospel in Spanish! / Donuts with Elder Hales**

**sick wall art**

**Dominguez in shock at all the pastries / Colombian Soda (not Beer I promise)**

**AMAZING Food!**

**Elder Hales playing chess over the phone 😂 / World's largest jar of Mayo 💀**

Alex mail 02-12-2024 "Coming Soon... San Luis Temple!"

 

What's good, what's good everyone?? Hope you all have had a super great week! I've got some exciting news if you haven't heard... the First Presidency of the Church announced that the groundbreaking for the San Luis Potosi temple will be on March 9th!! We're crazy excited about it and I'm praying that it gets done within the next year and a half while I'm still here ha,ha, at least to hopefully see the open house! I know having a temple so close is going to bless the lives of so many families here I can't wait!

This week was really, really solid! Tons of little miracles throughout the week and I'm so grateful to be a part of the Lord's work and see His hand each day helping us out! We had zone conference this past week on Tuesday and it was amazingggg as usual. Elder Dominguez and I were joking that zone conference is more of a holiday on the mission than actual holidays ha,ha because they're always so cool! So grateful to be able to learn from our leaders in the mission and from our Mission President and his wife! A lot of the focus was placed on working with members, because they're truly how we're able to take this work to the next level! For all the members out there reading this I invite you all to consider how you can help out in the missionary work near you! I promise it doesn't have to be anything big and the Lord will be so grateful for your efforts, and he will magnify them! Also having some delicious Texas BBQ at Zone Conference made it just that much better ha,ha,ha.

I got to do exchanges with one of our ZL's Elder Hooley this week which was super run and helped me learn and grow a ton! He's from Utah and been out for about 18 months and is just a super solid missionary! He's a super hard worker but knows how to have a ton of fun doing it which was really cool. Something we really focused on was just always testifying of Christ and His gospel in literally every interaction we had with others and it was a gamechanger! We had a lesson with our friend Cecilia and when we first arrived, she immediately told us that she didn't want to keep meeting because her Pastor had told her that we and others were trying to confuse her and lead her astray. Instead of arguing or trying to prove why we're correct, we simply both shared our testimonies of the Book of Mormon and our Savior Jesus Christ. The Spirit was so strong and all-of-a sudden, she changed her mind, promised to read the Book of Mormon, and pray about it, and then we set up another lesson with her in the future! So amazing to see the power of simply bearing your testimony! We ended our day by getting some fire donuts, had to treat my boy to the best ha,ha.

We were able to contact some really cool families this week! We've really been focusing on making our contacts more personal to the people we meet as well as testifying and it's helped a ton! Super cool to see the revelation on how to improve comes piece by piece and how the gospel truly applies to everyone!

Had a couple funny stories this week, first one was after some of the best member food I've had while on the mission!  Reminded me of a huge American Sunday dinner, it was sooo good. But after we get done eating the dad pulls out of the freezer a bag of crickets and just starts munchingggg on em 😖 . Luckily I talked my way out of trying one ha,ha because they looked so foul 😂 . The other one happened when we were walking home one night. We needed a new mirror for our apartment, so we decided to look in a furniture store real quick and the owner just gave us this huge piece of glass (mirror) for free ha,ha. All we had to do was walk home 45 minutes carrying it which was a grind but hey, we got a free mirror 😂 .

We were able to help Diego set a baptismal date for the beginning of March! He's such an awesome kid, loves primary, and is super excited to make covenants with God and keep learning about Him! Another super special lesson we had this week was with our friends Elizeth and Adalberto! I mentioned these 2 in last week's email but man they're so awesome! They want to get baptized super badly, they only problem is they're not married (like everyone else in this country 😧😒 ) but they're working with some of our members to figure it all out which is awesome! We were able to teach them the plan of salvation and they loved it.  I love helping people realize they can live with their families forever it's so special!

That's pretty much it for this week, love you all and thanks for all the love and support you guys are the best! Always feel free to reach out if you need anything at all - I gotchu! Have a super awesome week, keep smiling, and look for the good every day!

Love, Elder McDonald

Word of the Week: Grillos (crickets) let's just say I'll always remember what this word is 😁  gotta stay on the lookout the rest of the mission ha,ha,ha

Invitation of the Month: 30 DAY FAST! How's it been going so far everyone? It definitely hasn't been easy but I love being able to see little changes and growth each day and I've definitely felt the spirit a little stronger each day! We got this, it's all about improving!

Te Amo Dino! / Basically Every Address in Mexico (center) / Costco & Nike 

We found rootbeer! Money dessert! / First Churro in Mexico / Texas BBQ at Zone Conference* 

Book of Mormon in Mayan / Our Mirror sunset pic / that cat followed me to mexico *

*The Zone!* 

#missionnotes #7

 

Alex mail 2-5-2024: "Run da Hood!!!"

How we doing everybodyyyy?? Hope you guys are all doing great and had a super fun week! This week's been crazy! Crazy busy, crazy fun, crazy fast, and everything else haha but I'm loving it! It's also wild I'll hit my 6 month mark this upcoming Wednesday! Can't believe I'm already 1/4th of the way through the mission and I know it'll just get faster from here on haha. Super grateful though for this opportunity to serve and love the people of Mexico!

If you're wondering about this week's title haha it's because I got to do an exchange with my boy Elder Grantham while Elder Dominguez was in Aguas for a few days for a meeting. His area is definitely the hood of downtown San Luis haha let's just say you know it's bad when the street the church is on is called Grita de Dolores which means "scream of pains" 💀 😂. But it was super fun and we saw a ton of miracles! And don't worry nothing bad happened the Lord protects his missionaries! We had a ton of lessons which was super cool and my favorite thing about serving in more sketchy or poor areas is that there's so many people who are humble, looking to change, and want the hope that God and Christ offer. It's so amazing being able to help bring them to Christ and find joy again! It was also a huge confidence booster for me and Elder Grantham with our Spanish! He's got one transfer less than me in the mission but the gift of tongues was definitely with us! We were able to have all of our lessons and contacts be a success with the language and even had a 30 minute conversation with a kinda crazy catholic grandma with a ton of questions 😂. It definitely helped me realize just how much my Spanish has grown and how many miracles are truly around us each day! Also had some fireeee carne asada tacos with the elders quorum which was so hype!

A lot of the rest of the week was spent trying to visit friends and call people to see who's really interested and try and narrow down our focus which has been super helpful. Member meals have been fire as always! Only had to give some foul soup to a stray dog once hahaha don't worry tho the member wasn't there it's fine 😂. On the plus side we got Chick-fil-a sauce one day which was soooo good.

Had some awesome lessons this week! We met with Tania and her boyfriend Jose  and had to lay down the law a little bit about the importance of marriage, hopefully they decide to get married so they can keep progressing! Keep them in your prayers if you don't mind! Also had some really good phone-calls with this dude named Erik who speaks super good English haha. When we first called him he asked if we could talk in English, Dominguez and I looked at each other and were like "oh here we go again" but then homie starts speaking in basically fluent English 💀 😂. He's super awesome tho! Definitely was wack teaching in English again haha but he loves all that we've taught and wants to get baptized! Only sad thing is he doesn't live in our area so we had to pass him off but all good the elders where he's at are studs!

We also met 2 really cool people this week, Adalberto and Eliset! They've had a crazy past and some wild experiences but they have a ton of faith in Christ and want to come closer to him! We were able to give them both blessings which helped them a ton and excited to help them keep progressing!

That's pretty much it for the highlights this week, love you all and hope you guys have a fantastic week! Let me know if there's anything I can do for you guys or if someone needs some extra prayers I gotchu! Thank you all for all the love and support they make such a difference! Hope you all have a great week and Les amo mucho!

Love, Elder McDonald

Word of the Week: Güero (white boy 😂) Mexicans here use this one instead of gringo usually haha but I get called this one like 5 times a day it always makes me laugh 😂.

Invitation of the Month: 30 Day Fast! I hope you all had a great fast Sunday yesterday and the chance to think of something you want to improve this month! Remember growth and change is a process so take it one day at a time and I promise the Lord will help you each day!

**Downtown San Luis**

**Fire Carne Asada**

**Sweet Bread & Chick-Fil-A peach shake juice**