Monday, August 12, 2024

Alex mail 08-12-2024: ""THE GOAT Elder Hooley🥹"

 

What is gooddddd everybody?? Hope everything is going well, and you are all enjoying the last few weeks of the summer!! Shoutout to everyone who's gotta start school again this week... that's tough hahaha. The heat has come back this week in Matehuala but it's all good it won't slow us down one bit! We had a crazy packed week and just seemed to be running from lesson-to-lesson haha, it's those kind of days that make the slow ones worth it! Let's jump into the highlights!

Now to explain this week's title, this past week I had to say goodbye to THE GOAT, my lifelong Zone Leader Elder Hooley 😭.  He's been my zone leader my entire time in Mexico, so basically the past 8 months! In the past year as a missionary, he has been one of the missionaries who has taught me the most about being a true disciple of Christ, how to truly love the work and love the people, and how to give our all every single day like it was our last! I got to do my last exchange with him on Tuesday and the day went by just way too quick haha! I learned a ton from him as always, especially about the importance of being loving and direct and helping people understand the ‘why’ behind everything we ask and invite others to do! We had a ton of fun and saw so many miracles teaching and trying to share our message with everyone possible! Even though he's going home this week he'll be someone I look up to for the rest of my mission and I hope I can be the same example he was to me for the other missionaries around me this next year!

After our exchanges this week, Elder Smullin and I decided we were going to put it into practice, focusing daily on testifying of the importance of the Sacrament, Baptism, and the Atonement, helping them see why they personally need these things, and being direct and loving in all we do! As a result, we saw a ton of miracles from it, including setting 3 more baptism goals for some of our friends for this month! One big lesson I've learned this past year is that the gospel is too important and this work too necessary to beat around the bush! We should never be afraid to open our mouths and be direct in testifying of pure truth! As we do so the Spirit will testify with us and we'll be able to work miracles as instruments in God's hands! 

Finally, we were able to meet and teach some super amazing families this week! I think teaching families is my favorite thing on the mission, because the gospel is centered in the family! There is nothing that brings me more joy and happiness than knowing I will live with my family forever and knowing that I'm helping others do the same! If you want to be happy, center your life and your family on the gospel of Jesus Christ! It's not complicated, we just have to choose to do it! I promise any sacrifice it takes will be so, so worth it in the end! Love ya’ll tons and hope you guys have a week full of miracles! Keep smiling and keep laughing, hasta luego!

Love, Elder McDonald

Word of the Week: Taller (Workshop) I think we taught more people in workshops and stores this week than any other point in my mission haha, but hey however we can get ‘em the gospel!!

Invitation of the Month: LOVE INSTEAD OF JUDGE!! How'd week one go? I felt like I did a little bit better at trying to catch myself and just show love in moments when I normally would've been quick to judge, and I noticed I was happier for it! I know each of you can be too!

**Elder Hooley 🐐 /Classic Elder Dayley - Dayley slumped / **


**Yolanda's  Baptism**

**Weekly Risk Nighttt / Found a lizard**

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