Alex mail 11-25-2024: "Good old Pueblito Days"

 

Happy Thanksgiving everyoneeeee!! I cannot believe I'm already to the second Thanksgiving of my mission haha, but that's just how time be out here! I hope you guys all have a fantastic Thanksgiving full of good food, lots of time with family and friends, and lots of laughs and gratitude! I always have loved this time of year especially since the world just seems to get a lot happier and have a lot more joy! I hope that each of you can bring that same light and joy to everyone around you during this holiday season! As I've sought to reflect on being grateful this past month, I've become so much more amazed by the goodness of God! I'm so grateful for the miracles that He provides in our daily lives.  For the tender mercies and little moments of joy, and most importantly for the amazing gift of His Son Jesus Christ! There is truly nothing greater in this world than getting to spend all day, everyday teaching and testifying about the wonderful gift of our Savior Jesus Christ and His gospel.  I am so, so grateful to be a missionary!

This week we were in Matehuala for exchanges again, which is always one of my favorite weeks of the transfer! So fun to be back in those good-old-pueblito-days and work in one my old areas! I was with Elder Hales and Elder Nygren, 2 missionaries that have about the same amount of time as me in the mission and so it was just super fun to learn from them, laugh with ‘em, and teach with them! I also got to go to Dr. Arroyo, a pueblito in Nuevo Leon with Elder Nygren and let me tell ya, that place is just your stereotypical desert-Mexico haha, it's so much fun! I've always been amazed at the kindness the people show out in Matehuala.  It's a huge reminder to me of never taking things for granted and always to just look for the good!

We had the baptism of our friend Rosa Elia on Sunday as well!  Thank you for all the prayers for her, I know it made a huge difference! She's so amazing and was so ready for the gospel. It was definitely the fastest baptism I've had, haha.  Elder Hunter and I found her at the start of November and she got baptized just a few weeks later, but it's amazing to see how the Lord is preparing His children to receive the blessings of covenants!

We also had some really good lessons with some of our friends who are struggling with addictions and old habits. It's so inspiring to meet people who truly want to change their lives and see that the gospel is the perfect way to do that! We focused a lot on the power of fasting this week and if you would all like to keep Javier, Erika, Ruth, and Miguel Angel in your fasting and prayers this upcoming week, I know it will make a huge difference! Thank you all so much for everything you do for me, I couldn't do it without y’all! I love y’all a ton and hope you have a fantastic Thanksgiving week!!

Love, Elder McDonald

Word of the Week: Pavo (Turkey) hope everyone enjoys some great Thanksgiving turkey this week!

Invitation of the Month: LIVE GRATEFULLY!! There's no better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than seeking to show our Heavenly Father in all aspects of your lives your gratitude for everything he's given you!

**Rosa Elia's Baptism! **

**Elder Halessss // BLACKLAND**

**Elder Dominguez Struggling // Elder Nygren**

**La Zona inquebrantable**

Alex mail 11-18-2024: "RUN IT BACKKKK?!?!?!"

Howdy, howdy, how's everyone's week been? Hope you all are loving life and enjoying the Christmas season for me, haha we've only got one month left - no time to waste haha! This past week has been awesome and a super great start to the transfer! I found out last Monday night who my new companion would be and,… drumroll pleaseeee... Elder Dominguez!! Yep, that's right, we're companions again haha! We were both super surprised but we're so excited it's gonna be such a fun transfer! He was my second comp back in January, almost a year ago, and here we are again running it back! It's actually made the transition super nice being with someone I already know really well and so we're just gonna grind especially with this transfer being only 5 weeks!

This week was definitely a little weird with transfers, we spent a lot of time in the bus station Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday with receiving missionaries that were coming to San Luis and all the brand new missionaries that just got to the mission which is always super fun! It's really cool to see just all the excitement, energy, and light those new missionaries arrive with! And while I feel like it was just me there a few months ago, it's super humbling and special to now be in a position to help those new missionaries learn and grow and just magnify that light in all they do!

Most of the rest of the week was spent running to and from lessons, showing Elder Dominguez the area and introducing him to members, and trying to help prepare our friend Rosa Elia for baptism next Sunday! She truly is such a miracle, we found her like literally 2-3 weeks ago through one of our members who knows her husband that lives in Texas. After getting to know her a little bit we realized that she already had a pretty good understanding of the church thanks to her husband, but was also really searching for lots of peace and joy since her mom and son both recently passed away! I can testify that there is no greater joy in this world than being able to help God's children realize that He truly does have a plan for them and that they have the opportunity and privilege of living with their families forever! I've seen it time and time again on my mission, the gospel of Jesus Christ CHANGES LIVES!! If you feel like you haven't felt that mighty change of heart or seen the Lord's hand in your life as much as you would like, I challenge you to recommit now to Christ, His gospel, and His covenants and I promise your life with change forever! Love you all so much and have a fantastic week!

Love, Elder McDonald

Word of the Week: Chile Serrano (Serrano pepper) yeah, the district made me eat one at lunch today and let's just say I was dying for a solid 10 minutes hahaha

Invitation of the Month: LIVE GRATEFULLY!! I hope you've been able to see the difference this month as you've sought to constantly live gratefully! I've noticed that my prayers have become so much more gratitude filled which has been so special!

**Ofrendas del dia de los muertos**

**Elder Dominguez taking a picture of a 'day-of-the-dead' - dead cat 💀//                                        Elder Miller // Elder Hunter 🐐🐐**

Alex mail 11-11-2024: "What a Ride"

 

Buenos días a todossss! Hope you are all doing great and are having a great start to November!  This week was probably one of the craziest I've had in the mission for a while haha, lots of changes coming with transfers and we were super busy as usual, but I wouldn't have it any other way! 

We've got transfers this week tomorrow which is wild I feel like the transfer just started a week ago haha. Sadly, my time with Elder Hunter has come to an end.  It's been a great run together but my boy just had to be too goated and get assigned to be our Mission President's new Assistent! He's gonna kill it, I'm super excited for him and so grateful for our time together and everything he's taught me! Our time together went sooo fast but he's truly become one of my best friends, and by far we saw the most miracles I've seen in our 2 transfers together! Good news is, we'll get to run it back during exchanges this next transfer, so stay tuned for that haha! I'll find out who my new comp is later tonight but whoever it is I know he'll be awesome and can't wait to just keep grinding out here in Boulevard!

We got to spend some time with President, which is always the best! If you remember, each transfer we do a mission-wide trivia game and the District that wins, gets to go to dinner with Pres. and Hermana Webb and we won again this transfer! You already know we ran it back at Chili's haha, it was super good and Distrito Boulevard on top para siempre! We also had interviews with Pres. on Wednesday which was so spiritually uplifting as always! We talked a lot about how we can recognize and act on promptings from the Spirit and I think one of the biggest lessons I've learned on the mission is that we just have to act! Don't worry if it's the Spirit or not, if it's something good and we know we're living worthy of the gift of the Holy Ghost we can trust that we will constantly be guided even if we don't realize it in the moment!

We got to do a couple exchanges this week too which was super fun! I got to go with my boys Elder Magos, Elder Reynolds, and Elder Moulton! I learned a ton from all of them, Elder Magos' ability to connect with and make people feel loved, and Elder Moulton and Elder Reynold’s ability to just jump with 2 feet in and try everything, even just having 5 weeks in the mission! It feels like yesterday that I was in that same spot, but so grateful for the opportunity now to help those younger missionaries grow just like others did for me!

And last-but-not-least, on Sunday, we had the baptism of our friend Sofia! Her mom Beatriz and sister Camila were baptized last week.  Sofia just wasn't able to because of work but she did this week! It's always so special to see and help people make covenants with God! You can see the light-of-Christ in them and it's so awesome to see them light up with the joy of a new life and a second chance! I testify that covenants with our Heavenly Father is the best way and the happiest way to live! You guys are awesome, love you all and have a great week!

Love, Elder McDonald

Word of t he Week: redencion (redemption) this week hunter and I talked in church, and I spoke about Kirstin Yee's talk from General Conference "The Joy of Our Redemption," give it a listen, it was one of my favorites!

Invitation of the Month: LIVE GRATEFULLY!! How have you recognized miracles in your life this week and how have you given thanks for them? Gratitude brings more blessings!

**Elder Magossss // Elder Dayley // Sofia's Baptism!!// Distrito poderosisimo Boulevard// La familia Perez //On the grindddd //

#missionnotes #16 "The Waters of Mormon"

 

"The Waters of Mormon"

Alex mail 11-04-2024: "Dia de los Muertos"

 

What's good what's good everyone! Hope y’all had an awesome week and a great Halloween! Our week was awesome this week, everyone in Mexico celebrated Day of the Dead on Friday and Saturday and lowkey, a ton didn't happen for it haha, but it was super sick to see everyone's “ofrendas” (offerings) with all the pictures and memories of their families and the orange flowers like in the movie Coco haha. The best part of the week for us though was on Sunday with 4 baptisms! We had 2 fall-through due to one working and the other only being married through the Catholic Church and not married civilly. 😭   But, we'll get ‘em soon!  However, our friends Adriana, Ximena, Beatriz, and Camila all decided to get baptized and it was such a special day! They each showed a ton of faith in their process of making covenants with their Heavenly father and they are each a huge inspiration to me! There's nothing better than hearing those simple yet powerful testimonies right after their baptism and being a part of their conversion process! I testify that there is nothing more important than making and keeping covenants with our Heavenly Father, He wants us to come home and has given us everything we need to do so!

We also had a meeting in Aguascalientes again this week, which was so good! We talked a ton about how we can help people find their motivation to come to church and receive the blessings of the sacrament! It's so amazing to see people find their own personal motivation and desire to come unto Christ!  I invite each of you to find your own personal motivation and desire to come closer to your Savior, I promise He will be there every step of the way!

We also talked a lot about becoming uncomfortable as missionaries in everything we do. Something I love that Elder Hunter always says is that "Pressure is a Privilege." Sometimes as missionaries and as members of the church we feel a little bit of weight, responsibility, and pressure, but that's a good thing! When we are uncomfortable, we are pushed, and then we are able to grow. I invite you to always seek to be “uncomfortable” in everything you do, never settle for being comfortable with where you are! Love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love, Elder McDonald

Word of the Week: Panteón (cemetery) Everyoneee was going to the cemetery for Día de Los Muertos - haha, actually such a cool tradition how people remember their family!

Invitation of the Month: LIVE GRATEFULLY! How's the challenge going so far? I hope you've been able to see how much the Lord has blessed each one of us, constantly look for the good and give thanks!

**BAUTISMOSSSSSS!**

**Carne Asada Tacos / Dayley with the temu tie game 💀😂**

** Elder North, Elder Summers, Elder Wilson**

Alex mail 10-28-2024: "Don't drink the Coca??"

 

Happy Halloween everyoneeee! It's so weird that it's the end of October because it still feels like July here hahaham but hope everyone has a great Halloween this week! You already know it was another week of grinding this week in good old Boulevard! It's been crazy basically this whole transfer Elder Hunter and I have only had 2-4 days maximum each week in our area due to meetings, exchanges, and other stuff like that so the days we have been in the area we've just been trying to fit everything in! We love it though there's nothing better than being busy in the Lord's work! We've seen the Lord make up the difference for the time we've lost and it's been so special to witness firsthand!

This week was no exception to the hustle and grind haha, because we had Zone Conference on Thursday and exchanges with the APs in Aguas on Friday! Zone Conference was awesome as usual, but this was a little different than normal, and that's where this week's title come in! The first half of the conference was all about health stuff, good food, fitness, mental health and stress, and all that good stuff haha. But the point of the title is that at one point the Doctor lady who was talking about nutrition basically went off for about 30 minutes about how we should never drink Coke because it's horrible for you and we should ask the members to stop giving it to us. Well, if you didn't know, Coke in Mexico is basically water - the people here have it at every meal and on top of that, is super good 😂.  So yeah, let's just say we're gonna keep enjoying the Coca haha! The second half of conference was super spiritual though, the APs talked about the power and necessity of the book of Mormon in everything we do in our lives. Elder Saurez I think delivered one of the most powerful testimonies I have ever heard.  That room was dead silent and the Spirit was so strong! In his words, "We have to learn how to testify with what the scriptures say is our ‘whole energy of heart’. Keep seeking, go become converted and strengthen your testimony until it is impossible to not feel its truth in every single part of your body and spirit, and then testify with that power!"  Then President and Hermana Webb followed up with some amazing talks about the blessings of covenant keeping and helping others receive the blessings of Church! Always so good to learn from them and see all the Dawgs at Conference!

And then, on Friday, we got to go to Aguascalientes and do ‘intercambios’ with the APs in their area! It was super awesome.  I got to be with Elder Suarez and he's a spiritual giant as I just mentioned above!  It was also my first day of work in Aguas - since my whole time in Mexico I've been in San Luis, haha!  It was super fun though, pretty similar to San Luis honestly, but Elder Saurez and I were able to see some cool miracles and I learned a ton from him about how to strengthen my testimony and show pure Christ-like love to others!

We also saw some crazy miracles in our area the few days we were there! We met a ton with our 6 friends, who we're hoping to get baptized this next Sunday, and they're all doing super good!  Before we taught them about the Word of Wisdom, 3 of them had drunken coffee for much of their lives, and were super worried about being able to let go of it.  However, every single one has dropped it like it was nothing and it was such a cool testament of their faith!  It's amazing to see how much the Lord is willing to help His children and pour out blessings into the lives of those who seek to keep the commandments of God! One of my favorite scriptures to share is in Mosiah 2:41, and I want all of you to consider the "blessed and happy state of those who keep the commandments of God!" I testify that there is nothing but joy and blessings awaiting you as you give your all to Him!

Love you all and have an amazing week!

Love, Elder McDonald

Word of the Week: Noche de Brujas (Witches night - aka Halloween) hope everyone gets some good candy this week! 

Invitation of the Month: LIVE GRATEFULLY!! Can't believe it's already November and Thanksgiving time but here we are haha! This month I want to invite you all to live gratefully in everything you do! Always seek to uplift and rejoice in the blessings that God has given us, I promise it will change your life!

**Suarez Cheffed up 👀 / Elder Smullinnnn/ Elder Johnson (los gueritos) / Guatemal Boulevard gang/ Elder Burk had me dying 🤣/  Elder Canulll/  Hermana Brown (Went to High School together) / Elder Hales aka Superman / Matehuala Fam/ Sanchez comps lol/ Trip to Aguas **

Alex mail 10-21-2024: "Nuevo Leon!!"

 

What a weekkkkkk!! Hope everyone is doing great! It was another wild week down in Mexico! haha Never thought I would be literally running to the next lesson trying to fit everything in but that's where we're at haha and we're not gonna complain! This has definitely been the most amount of miracles I've ever seen on my mission and it's moments like these that make all the tougher times so worth it! Being on the frontlines of the Lord's work preparing the world for the Savior's return is truly the greatest thing in the world!

This week, Elder Hunter and I were back up in Matehuala for exchanges for a few days and it was so awesome! Matehuala will always be a favorite area of mine it always feels like home each time I'm there! I got to go on exchanges with my Dawgs Elder Hales and a brand-new missionary, Elder Lamb! I've been around Elder Hales for a lot of my mission, but the last time we went on exchanges was back in March when I was in my first area in Mexico in Industrias! It was really cool to see how much we've both grown in the last 6 months, going from being able to hardly speak Spanish, haha to now being able to speak with anyone and teach and testify a lot more with the Spirit! I've always been inspired by Elder Hales’ humility and ability to feel joy in the work and we had a super awesome day together! And then with Elder Lamb I got a little taste of what whitewash training would be like haha, let's just say I was tired by the end of the day 😂.  However, even though Elder Lamb only has about 2 weeks in the mission, he did super good leading the area, following along with lessons, and did amazing testifying of Christ and his gospel! We had a ton of laughs, and I learned a ton from his example of confidence and desire to be all-in! Anddd to explain this week's title; on exchanges with Elder Lamb we went to a little town (Pueblito) in their area called Dr. Arroyo, which technically is in the state of Neuvo Leon, not San Luis! So yeah, I can say I've served in Neuvo Leon now, haha!

We saw a really spiritual experience this week that I want to finish with: with our friend Karla in teaching! We just barely started teaching her and she's always been pretty reserved, but as soon as we started talking about baptism and the gift of a complete remission of sins and the promise of eternal life, she really opened up and just started crying. She told us how her dad had recently been killed, and she was having a lot of doubts if God really existed and if she would ever see her dad again. The spirit was so strong as we just testified of God's plan for us and the reality of Eternal families! Then to top it all off, she came to church on Sunday for the first time - it was so special! I testify that Eternal Families are not just a possibility, but a reality and a promised blessing for those who make and keep covenants with God!

I love you all tons and hope each one of you has a super great week! Hasta la próxima!

Love, Elder McDonald

Word of the Week: Pan de Muerto (Death Bread) don't let the name fool you it's actually a super good dessert here that they make for Day-of-the-Dead haha!

Invitation of the Month: FOLLOW THE SPIRIT!! How have you learned to better recognize and act on the promptings of the Spirit this month? I think a big part of it for me is just trusting that I truly am being guided by the Spirit, and not being afraid to act, God will always lead us step by step! 

**Elder Edgel keeping the mission updated 💀😂 & locked in/ Pompasos (salsa infused tortas)/ Dayley struggling**

**Saira and the family of goats / Boulevard squad**

**Little Caesars run/ Elder Moulton took a fall/ Dr Arroyo ice cream**

**Elder Halesss / Elder Lamb**

Alex mail 10-14-2024: "Gorditas"

 

Howdy, howdy. How's everyone doing this week? Hope everyone is having a great October and enjoying the fall weather! It's started to get a little cooler in the mornings and nights here but still hot in the afternoon. Haha. I still don't believe it's October! I'm writing from Matehuala this week. We're back up for exchanges which will be super fun! So awesome to be back in an old area but more stories to come next week! Elder Hunter and I have just been having so much joy in the work these last few weeks it's been awesome! The Lord has blessed us with so many miracles and each day I'm just more and more amazed at His hand in this work! I can truly testify that this church, this gospel, and this work truly are JOY!! If you want to feel true and lasting joy, follow Jesus Christ! It's that simple!

This week started off by celebrating Elder Hunters birthday on Tuesday! My dawg hit the big 20, he's an old man 🫣😂.  For those of you who don't know haha there's a tradition here in Mexico where the person whose birthday it is, gets their face slammed into their birthday cake on the first bite haha. The members we ate with on Tuesday brought a cake and let's just say, I gave Elder Hunter a biggggg face full of cake🤣 check out the pics below to see, haha.

Got to go on exchanges with my boy Elder Dayley this week in Boulevard-2! Dayley and his comp share the ward with us so we're always around ‘em but it was awesome to spend a full day with my boy!  We went to work and just grindeddd all day but had a ton of fun doing it! We saw some really cool miracles and found some amazing people! We focused on just seeking to be charitable in all we did and even though we met some crazy people who had absolutely no idea what they were talking about and just tried bashing, we kept it cool, haha and just sought to love and testify and it was really cool! I promise that no matter how difficult it might be, as you seek to replace contention and frustration with charity, patience, and understanding, I promise that the Lord will be with you and help you grow and become more like Him in more ways than you can imagine!

Finally just wanted to share one of the coolest miracles of my mission that happened this last week! This is also the reason for this week's title, “gorditas” haha. So, basically gorditas are a type of food here, they're pretty much mini-Quesadillas, and we have a lady we're teaching who makes and sells ‘em for her work. We've been teaching her for probably a month, but she hasn't been able to come to church since she sells on Sunday and it's her busiest day. On Tuesday we stopped by her house, and she basically told us she wasn't super sure about the church or getting baptized, not because she doesn't like it or doesn't feel like it's right, but because none of her family is very interested and she doesn't want to be the only one who joins in her family. On Tuesday when she told us this, we just shared our testimonies of the church, of baptism, and of the power of prayer and invited her to pray that night, asking Heavenly Father directly if she should be baptized regardless of what her family decides. We came back on Thursday, asked how her prayer went, and she said "yeah, I prayed just like I do every day. But this time I asked Heavenly Father if I should be baptized and I got my answer. I know this is the true church and I will be baptized regardless of what my family decides". As you can imagine, our jaws basically hit the floor haha, it was sooo cool! I testify that the power of prayer is real and that if we truly have a desire to follow God and receive guidance for our lives, He will always deliver!  She came to church on Sunday and told her family that from now on, she won't work on Sundays so she can come to church! Eloisa truly is an inspiration of faith and trust in the Savior, and I hope we can all be a little more like her!

Love you all and hope you guys have a fantastic week!! Feel free to reach out if there's anything I can do for you, I gotchu!

Love, Elder McDonald

Word of the Week: Mordita (Bite) this is what they chant during your first bite of birthday cake right before they slam your face into it 😂!

Invitation of the Month: FOLLOW THE SPIRIT!!  How's it gone so far trying to listen to and act on the promptings of the Spirit? I promise that no matter what situation you find yourself in, as you seek to follow the promptings of the Spirit you will be guided in all you do!

**Happy Birthday Elder Hunter 🥳💀**

**Sock tie game / Exchanges with Dayley**

**Alfredo and Mireya the goats!**