Alex mail 05-26-2025: "Hasta Vernos Con El Rey"

Que ondaaa how was the week? Crazy it's already the end of May I can't believe I've only got 2 months left but I think I'm working harder than I ever have before in the mission! You already know we're leaving it all on the track and sprinting through that finish line haha! We had a ton happen this week it's crazy to think all of it went down in the last 7 days haha but it's been great being so busy and having so much work!

On Tuesday we had Zone Conference down in San Luis and it was soooo good! It was full of some lasts haha, last Conference with President and Hermana Webb, last interview with them, and last time seeing my boy Elder Hunter (while in the mission haha.) But the Spirit was so strong as I was able to reflect on how amazing the last 2 years with these amazing people has been. I could write an essay about all that I've learned from President and Hermana Webb, but I think what has always stood out to me the most is just their pure, Christlike love for everyone they meet. They truly have become like my second parents haha, and since the moment I've arrived until now in the mission, they've just showed me and every single missionary so much love and support! Both of their messages were focused on how we continue to be disciples of Christ our entire lives and how we can constantly expect miracles throughout our lives as we strive to follow the Savior! Then, in my final interview it was so special to be able to get their advice on the next big life decisions and just feel so much joy in reflecting on all I've learned and experienced as a missionary. To finish it off, we surprised them by singing "God Be With You, ‘Till We Meet Again" and I don't think there was a dry-eye in the room haha.  Definitely a Conference I'll never forget!

Also, in Zone Conference, the APs talked a lot about the importance of consecrating our entire lives to the Lord and His work during our short time as missionaries. It’s wild to think it passed that quick, but we finished up our 40 day fast in the mission is week, and so with those two things in mind, Elder Goodrich set out to make this week the most consecrated week of our missions and it brought so many miracles! We met some awesomeeee people and families, had 5 people show up to church on Sunday, and we were able to put a good amount of people on date for baptism! But even more miraculous than the outward results is the change that's taken place in me as a person and as a disciple of Christ! I've seen my nature truly change so much during these past 2 years and while I'm not perfect, I've truly come to find the joy of forgetting myself and serving God's children! I promise as you give your all to Him, He will make you something greater than you could ever imagine! Have an amazing week!

Love, Elder McDonald

Word of the Week: Cascadas de Tamasopo (Tamasopo Waterfalls) we went to visit this place today for P-day and it was soooo sick! Check out the pics below

Invitation of the Month: NOT MY WILL BUT THINE!! How have you consecrated yourself to the lord this past month? Take some time to reflect on how the Lord is changing your nature and recommit to keep consecrating yourself the rest of your lives!

**The Boulevard gang/ Noe from Boulevard/ Mi Grantham, Domingez and Nygren**

**Mi Hunter / Elder Goodrich / La capital del mundo**

**Presi and Hermana Webb// The Edgels 🥹**

**TAMASOPO**

**Fire French Toast**

**TAMASOPO**

Alex mail 05-19-2025: "19 Souls or Clamato"

 

What’s goodddd, happy Monday! Hope it's been another fantastic week for everyone! I don't think I've ever had a hotter week on the mission hahaha, but we absolutely grinding out here in the 105 degree heat! It's been a week full of miracles, Rioverde is booming!

We had intercambios with my boys Elder Dominguez and Elder Burke on Tuesday!  We did a blitz in our area - meaning all 4 of us were in our area and we grindedddd! It was so fun to run it back with my boy Elder Burke, I've been around him and Elder Dominguez for a ton of my mission, and it was so hype just to go out and grind with ‘em! Basically, where the title comes in is after our lunch with the members, Elder Burke turns to us and says "alright combined, we've gotta find 19 people who are ready for the gospel and teach ‘em before the day is over or we're all drinking Clamato." Clamato is basically tomato juice mixed with clam juice hahaha, so you already know we weren't aboutta suffer through that. The whole afternoon we worked as hard as we could, prayed a ton, and saw so many miracles! In the last hour of the day, we ended up finding like 7 super interested people and got our goal of 19! It definitely was the most amount I've ever found in one day and it was so cool to see God answer our prayers and lead us to those ready for His gospel! And, avoiding the Clamato was a nice bonus, hahaha.

We saw a ton of other miracles throughout the rest of the week! Our boy Jose Juan who showed up to church by himself last week is now on date for May 31st! He's so ready for the gospel haha, if he could he'd be down to get baptized tomorrow, he can't wait to get closer to God and make a covenant with Him! Keep him in the prayers that everything goes smoothly as he keeps preparing these next few weeks for his baptism! We also were able to meet so many people who have just been searching for truth! I don't think I've ever had an area where so many people ask US where the church is, and what time our services are, haha! Even with almost 22 months in the mission I still am so amazed at God's goodness and work He is carrying out here with his children in Mexico! Keep looking for His hand, praying for and being grateful for miracles, and keep trusting in His plan! Love you all and hope it's a fantastic week! 

Love, Elder McDonald

Word of the Week: Jathsi (good morning in Maya) met a lady named this, this week haha. She was super nice and ya, her name means buenos días in maya

Invitation of the Month: NOT MY WILL BUT THINE!! It's been amazing to see my nature start to change this past month during our mission wide 40 day fast! What more can you give to the lord and a way to show your love and gratitude and trust in Him?

**Mi Goodrich / Mi Burke/ Sandia/ Pizza time**

**Mexican Roads**

**San Luis**

**Sandia/ "DON'T THROW TRASH"/ Clamato 😭*

**Sports night/ The Boyse pulled up**

Alex mail 05-12-2025: "Grind Time"

 

What's up everybody, how was the week? Hope it's been a great one! Happy Mother's day to all the moms out there! Thank you all for your amazing examples to your families, your constant support and service, and pure Christlike love! Big shoutout to the GOAT - my mom for all you've done to support me and cheer me on every step of the way in my life, especially during my time as a missionary!  I couldn't do it without her and am so grateful for her constant support and love!

This week was a great one, we absolutely grinded! Elder Goodrich is a contacting machineee haha.  Every time I'd go to turn to talk to someone he was already there, goin’ to work, he's a dawg haha. We found a ton of people that we're now teaching, which has been hype since we didn't have anything when we first got here! We're starting to get into the groove of things as we've gotten to know and work with more members, explored more parts of the area haha, and just done our best to share the good news of the gospel with everyone we meet! It's been so cool to see the Lord bless us with little and big miracles constantly.  I know He's constantly present in this work and His hand truly is guiding us every step of the way!

Two of the coolest miracles that we had were when we met and taught our friends Denise and Pedro! We met Denise on one of our first days here and we were finally able to go back to teach her last Friday! We went with our recent convert Victor, and he's such a dawg.  We talked a ton about the Plan of Salvation and how much of a blessing and gift it is to be able to make covenants with God while here on the earth! Victor shared something really special, he said how if someone had told him before his baptism that in a few weeks all his pain, suffering, loneliness, and sadness would all go away, he would've acted on the invitation to be baptized so much quicker. With tears in her eyes Denise then said how much she wants those blessings in her life, and we were able to put her on date to be baptized in the beginning of June!

A few days later we were able to meet with our friend Pedro! He actually was in teaching with missionaries 2 years ago but just lost contact. However, he reached out to us and told us how he's been searching for more peace and more guidance from God in his life! We were able to explain the blessings of living the gospel and then able to put him on date for the beginning of June as well! God truly is working miracles here in Rioverde, on Sunday we had 2 completely random people just come to church on their own seeking for God's help and to come closer to Him! I love being a missionary and I love that our loving Heavenly Father truly is a God of miracles! Have an amazing week!

Love, Elder McDonald

Word of the Week: Tepache (fermented pineapple juice) don't worry we had the non-alcoholic kind haha, it actually wasn't half bad.

Invitation of the Month: NOT MY WILL BUT THINE!! We've been focusing a ton in the mission on what consecration to the Lord truly means and something that really stood out to me is the complete desire to give everything we have and are to the Lord and His work! That desire is completely motivated by our love for the Savior and for His Atonement and truly changes our natures! How can you be even more consecrated to Him this week?

**Zona Idahooooo!/ Rioverde**

**Train time/ Chinese Buffet**

**Dysney 💀😂/ Mango Tree**

**San Luis temple 😲/ Goated recent converts**

**Pastor torta/ Enchiladas de Rioverde/ Keep the commandments**

#missionnotes #22 - Dino-ites "I will go and do"

Dino-ites

"I will Go and Do"

 

Alex mail 05-05-2025: "WILD Week"

 

Como estamossssss happy Cinco de Mayo haha! They don't even celebrate it here in Mexico but hope y’all get some good Mexican food to celebrate for me! It's been an absolutely wild week haha, but it ended up being a great one!

So, to start off like I mentioned last week, I was originally assigned to open the new area of San Felipe last Monday. Well, on Tuesday while I was getting packed, I got another call from Pres. and he told me that since we didn't end up getting two brand new missionaries from Africa like he had planned on, we actually wouldn't be able to open up San Felipe after all, since we don't have enough missionaries in the mission😭.  But it's all good because my new area has been lit, Rioverde in San Luis!! It's crazy, at the start of my mission, I actually went to Rioverde on exchanges - back when I was in Industrias with Elder Dominguez and I loved it! Me and my comp Elder Goodrich are splitting the area, so we basically still are starting from scratch haha, but we're hyped to be here.  The members of the branch are hyped to have 4 missionaries for the first time in a long time! It's the hottest area of the mission during the hottest time of year💀😂 but we aboutta absolutely grind these next 6 weeks! I know this is exactly where the Lord needs me and my comp and that He's got so many people prepared to receive His gospel here in Rioverde!

Overall, the work has been good.  It's been a lot more different than normal since when we got there, we had absolutely no one in teaching haha, so we truly got to start from scratch which has been hype! All day we've just been going around, visiting all the members we can, praying a ton haha, and we've seen a ton of miracles! We found some really cool people within our first day here and we're excited about all the good that's on the way! We hit some trials with not having a working chip for our phone and no electricity in the church on Sunday haha, but we've just turned it all over to the Lord and it's been amazing to see His hand through it all! I think this past week has been a great lesson on humility for me and I'm grateful for these experiences that truly teach me how to rely more fully on the Lord! When trials come your way, smile, give thanks to God for the opportunity to grow, and just keep pressing forward! Hope y’all have an amazing week!

Love, Elder McDonald

Word of the Week: La Huasteca, doesn't really have a translation haha, but that's the name of the region in the south of San Luis where we're at, it's a lot more jungle and green - it's hype!

Invitation of the Month: NOT MY WILL, BUT THINE!! This month as we've been focusing on our 40-day fast in the mission, I want to invite you all to look for ways every day to completely and more fully submit your will to your Heavenly Father! I promise that through the desire to increase in humility, faith, and trust, He will bless you forever!

**Rioverde!!**

**Ciudad Fernandez / Elder Goodrich**

**Our Warehouse church/ Oxxito/ Pizza spending spree/ Fire aguas**

**Trio poderosisimo/ Mi Burke y Dominguez/ The Goats from Del Valle/ **

**Lety and Marileth/ Salvadore**