Alex mail 07-21-2025: "I Stand All Amazed"

 

Words cannot describe all of the emotions that I have felt over this last week, and truly over the last 2 years. I am so incredibly grateful for the privilege and blessing I have been given to serve as a representative of Jesus Christ. It's gone by faster than I could have ever imagined, and I have truly grown and changed so much over these last 24 months. I would not trade these experiences and memories for anything. I have truly come to know that Jesus Christ is MY Savior, that His church truly has been restored, that His gospel and atonement truly change lives, and that God really is a God of miracles. 

There's been a phrase that constantly has gone through mind throughout my whole mission. Through both the good and the hard, I've always pondered and felt the words "I stand all amazed" stir my soul. I stand all amazed at the love of my Heavenly Father. I stand all amazed at His patience and trust, especially when He knows we have to suffer and endure trials to become more like Him. I stand all amazed at His ability to magnify our efforts and provide constant miracles, even as a very imperfect and flawed servant. And, I truly stand all amazed at the joy and redemption offered through Christ, His atoning sacrifice, and the plan of salvation. I will stand by Him forever and never fall away, and I will praise His name forever.

It was an incredible last week here in Rioverde. We started off with an amazing Zone Conference on Tuesday, got to share my final testimony with my companions and heard some amazing training from President and Hermana Castro! They are going to do so much good in this mission and the work is going to progress so much! Then we had the miracle of Leticia's baptism on Saturday! Thank you for all the prayers and fasting, I testify that God truly worked miracles in her life to help her be ready to make a covenant with God! She overcame so many trials but the joy we felt seeing her make a covenant with God made it all worth it. Sadly, our friend Abi will need a little more time to get there, but we trust completely in God's timing and know that one day soon she'll also be able to make covenants with her Heavenly Father!

I cannot express just how grateful I truly am for every one of you! You have all impacted my life and helped me keep going every step of this journey and I am so grateful for all the constant love, support and prayers! For those who would like, this upcoming Sunday (July 27th) I will be blessed with the opportunity to testify of Christ and all the experiences that I've had on my mission! All are invited! Love you all and see you soon!!

Love, Elder McDonald

Word of the Week: Misión México Aguascalientes!! The greatest mission on planet earth 🥹

Invitation FOR LIFE: FOLLOW CHRIST!! Do everything you possibly can each day for the rest of your life to follow the Savior! Follow Him, testify of Him, and share His light! I promise you joy beyond anything you can imagine!

**LETICIA THE GOAT**

**Rama Rioverde**

**Mision Funeral 😭**

**Shower Scorpion 😁/ Dragonfly/ Friends!**

**Last Zone Conference**

**Gonna miss la comida!!**

Alex mail: 07-14-2025: "Homestrech"

What is upppp happy Monday! Hope everyone has been having a fantastic summer! I've got one full week left as a missionary and we are sprintinggg this last 100 meters. Another week full of miracles, opposition, and God's hand in Rioverde! I feel like I've experienced every emotion possible haha, but what's kept me steady through it all truly has been my Savior Jesus Christ! My Faith has been tested and strengthened every single day, and I know without a doubt Christ has been walking by our side daily. I'm so eternally grateful for these last 2 years and the conversion to my Savior that my mission has given me! 

Overall, we've been seeing some good progress with our friends and families in teaching! It's incredible to see how while every person's situation truly is unique and different from anyone else, the gospel perfectly applies to their needs. I truly testify that whatever trials or obstacles we might face in this life, Jesus Christ and his restored gospel are the answer! Please keep Celia and her family, Delia and her family, Abi, Leticia, and Gonzalo in your prayers that they can keep progressing in the gospel and make covenants with their Heavenly Father soon! We're hopeful for the baptisms of Abi and Leticia this weekend which would be such an amazing way to finish out the mission! However regardless of the outcome I know Heavenly Father has a perfect plan for every one of us and I'm so grateful to be part of his work!

Finally we saw a huge miracle with our friend Florencio, this week! We found him a week or 2 ago, and we were finally able to find him again and teach him. While teaching about the Book of Mormon, we opened to 3^rd Nephi 11 and read Christ's first words to the people here in the ancient Americas. We talked about how he truly invited us to come unto him one by one, and the way to do so is through baptism. We then asked Florencio if he had that desire to be baptized as Christ taught and make a covenant with God. He responded, "I mean maybe it's a desire I have, but I feel like it's more like a necessity." He then accepted a date for baptism for the beginning of August and then came to church on Sunday! Please also keep him in your prayers, that he can continue progressing and complete with the true necessity that baptism and covenants are!

Love you all, and never forget the privilege and blessing it is to truly be bound to the Savior through our covenants! Have a great week!

Love, Elder McDonald

Word of the Week: Poncho (poncho haha) finally got a poncho today 👀👀 you already know it's got an axolotl on it haha

Invitation of the Month: FOLLOW CHRIST!! This week in finishing up “My Plan” (goals we set for after the mission) there was a prompt about what I want the rest of my life to look like. Simply put, everything I do will be to follow my Savior Jesus Christ and keep my covenants with Him. True and Everlasting joy comes from following Christ!

**Mi Templo / Mayra Got Baptized!!**

**Poncho 😲/ My Plan 🥲**

**Mango Time/  Chilaquiles/ Coca y Jello??**

**Goodrich celly/ for me Hunter 👀/ Distrito Cardenas**

Alex mail 07-07-2025: "Power of the Priesthood"

 

Heyooooo, happy 4th of July everyone! Hope y’all had a great 'merica day, haha.  We celebrated a ‘lil down here with some sparklers and by hearing some fireworks (but those go off every day in Mexico)😂. We had an awesome week and felt like we were sprinting-in-the-work, just trying to give it our all! Here are the highlights!

On Tuesday we had interviews with President and Hermana Castro, which was so special! They've both got so much energy and excitement for the work and it's contagious! They're going to do such great things here in the mission over the next 3 years and are just keeping momentum rolling with everything President and Hermana Webb were able to accomplish! In my interview with President, we talked a lot about the importance of our authority as missionaries and the power the priesthood truly brings. He invited us to really focus on promising people very specific blessings with that authority and seeking to bless others through the power of the priesthood every chance we have. It was super cool to see that as we put a bigger emphasis on those things this week, we were able to recognize so many more miracles, see the Lord complete those blessings, and help people recognize and feel the Spirit so much stronger in their lives! Never take the priesthood for granted!

Also, on Tuesday after interviews I got to run an exchange with my dawg, Elder Hales, one last time! It's been so cool to see how much we've grown over the past 2 years as missionaries and disciples of Christ! We saw an awesome miracle that night, in finding a less active member and being able to teach him and his non-member family, give him a priesthood blessing, and feel just the immense love the Savior has for them, especially while they've been passing through some very difficult challenges! I'm so grateful for the hope and joy the gospel offers to each one of us!

Other than that, everything has been going pretty well! Abi didn't end up getting baptized this week, just because she had to go out of town this last week, last minute. Keep her in the prayers, that all goes well this week with her baptism! We also have a lot of other people progressing really well.  So, send up lots of prayers that we can help a lot of people make and keep covenants with God these last 2 weeks! I love being a missionary and I love my Savior Jesus Christ! I testify this is His church with His authority, and I know that He has so many blessings waiting for each one of us! All we need to do is turn to Him! Have an amazing week!

Love, Elder McDonald

Word of the Week: Migada (Rioverde Quesadilla) tried one today for the first time and it was soooo good, definitely a must if you're ever in Rioverde haha!

Invitation of the Month: FOLLOW CHRIST!! What can you do this week to more fully devote yourself to Jesus Christ? How can you replace pride with humility and the faith to fully trust and follow him?

**Goodrich found a churro tree/ Migada y crepas**

**La Tierra**

**Exchanges with mi Herrera**

**Grubbin**

#missionnotes #24 "He Lives!"

#missionnotes #24 "He Lives!"