7-28-14

hey mom and dad! how was your weekend? i forgot that this week is the famous week of the family reunion... one of my favorite times of the whole year.  i would be sad to if i had to leave.... it is such a sad moment... that is when you know that you have a great family when everyone wants to spend more time together but we all have to go our separate ways.  but in the next life we will all be together... how awesome! what was the highlight moments of the trip? and iverson almost is family hahaha! i wish i could of been there! how was the surf? any shoulder highs come in? and they sure have laid up a great treasure in heaven and i am proud to be apart of that family.  

but this week was great! we had the baptism of hermana nilda and angie.  it was quite interesting how we found them i am going to tell the story... so we were teaching some other lady with her kids and she had to get divorced to be able to get baptized and here in peru if someone needs to get divorced its really hard and costs alot of money... but we were talking wither asking her if she knows anyone that would be interested in the message of ours.  she took us to the house of hermana nilda and angie... these girls are so so so so shy... like really shy... at the first lesson they barely talked.  but each time we taught them they opened up more and more to the point they were laughing and joking with us.  it was as if they were entirely different persons.  it was a battle to get them to accept to being baptized but after some awesome lessons we had with them they could not deny the spirit that was there each time we taught them.  when it came to their interviews the daughter passed with ease.  the mother had trouble with one of the questions... needed another interview but in the end she passed.  when it came to their baptism which i will send photos next week because i forgot my cable to send the photos... it was a great service! we asked hermana nilda if she was happy and she said that she was very happy... we could see in her face that she felt the spirit and the joy that the gospel brings.  they were both happy for being baptized and could tell Sunday that when they received the spirit that they really had changed.  it was great too see there progress.  now we have the baptism of hermano eddy and hermana charo this coming Saturday.  i am stoked because we are going to baptize each week...  i never thought it was possible but with hard work and trusting in the lord everything is possible and i have really come to realize that.  on the 9 of august we have another baptism as well.  his son is getting ready to serve a mission and the wife of our investigator is less active.  we are stoked because the son was less active too and now he wants to serve a mission.  the father is already ready... his son is going to baptize him the following week! we also have a family that we are waiting for to get married so that they can get baptized as well.  a family of 4... 

some cool things happened this week.  we had a cool training sesh about the atonement and what really happened... i learned how strong of faith that my aunt cindy had in the premortal life.  i always felt so special around her, know i really know why! its crazy the knowledge that i know have about the gospel... it has only made my testimony stronger.  i had some really cool experiences but once again i forgot to put the list down in my agenda... shoot... i am really bad at writing things down.  i need to improve that. is everything going well over there? i heard that the gas prices are really high! you guys should just walk to places like me ;) hahaha... i cant believe that your summer is almost over.. i hope you enjoy it... its really cold over here... we have a leak in our roof so when the water condenses it gets our floor all soaked. i  love my beat up house! today is the independence of peru! its not very celebrated here. kind of sad... i love our independence...

anyways, sounds like everything is good. i am good. eating great. getting a little fat. losing muscle. but gaining a huge testimony. would like to end with a quote that i really like and believe to be true.... the mission doesnt not change us, it improves us and makes us better than we were before. 

love you guys, thanks for all your love and support. you guys are always in my prayers.

love your son, elder macdonald 

On Sun, Jul 27, 2014 at 10:53 PM, Keith & Lori Macdonald <kekelolli5@yahoo.com> wrote:

Yo Alex.

I am at the airport getting ready to fly back to Phx.  It was a great reunion and I'm sad to be going home.  Such fun people to be around.   Having a great family is such a wonderful thing.  I am extremely blessed on both sides.  When you marry someone you marry their family.   I am very blessed there. Iverson was in town so he, Dave, and I paddled out fri and sat.   I also surfed thurs.   Fun but small waves.  I surfed the Weber thurs and fri.  Always fun to surf w iverson & Dave.  Dave is doing very well!!!

During the meeting on the beach I was thinking how stoked grandpa and grandma must be for their posterity.  Talk about laying yourself treasure in heaven.  They have.   Iove you son.   I am proud of your hard work.   The Lord will bless you for it throughout your life.

Love Dad

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TEETER TOTTERS, GOATS, AND A LOT OF WHITE!!!!

August 4, 2014......ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!!

On Mon, Aug 4, 2014 at 11:20 AM, Alex Macdonald <alex.macdonald@myldsmail.net> wrote:

hey madre!!!! como estassss :) estas en arizona ya?? no puedo creerlo.... solamente un mes tambien... que triste ;( but at least  you were able to enjoy it.  and awesome i would love those sunflower seeds! and yes i got one of your packages... the one full of candy!  thank you mommy;) i am still waiting for the other one! how was spending time with the iversons? and really, your best friend is here right now? awesome! in almost one year, you will be following her.  i cant believe that i almost have one year here in peru... i don't know where the time went mom.  yeah there is time where it is boring and rough... but right now the time is just flying... we have an awesome district and i have an awesome companion.  i couldn't ask for anything more except for more time with my companion and with this ward.  it is awesome.  and wow the boys start in two days... i can not believe it... i am excited to get back to my studies at byu and continue... really excited.  and wow Kyle got a 28, that is better than me!!! what a stud.  i can not believe it.  i think hes got a great chance if he applys for summer term and if he participates in extra curricular activities like i did.  and what are some of the stuff that brad said? hahah that makes me laugh... he is such a great kid.  i am not going to lie... i miss you guys alot! i wish i could see kyle jake and josh grow up.  but i wouldn't change it for the world of what we are doing here right now... the lord is just throwing us families to baptize and families that are less active with family members that are not members and we are helping reactive and baptize these families.  it is awesome to see the blessing from the lord and how he is helping us so much as a district! we have 25 baptismal fechas for this month.... we are on coarse to break the month record as a district if everything goes well.  i wrote Curtis the other day but he never responded! i don't know why... on saturday we baptized a couple named eddy and charo.... eddy did not believe in god... didn't have faith ... when we first got to his house he did not even want to listen to us... he would go hide himself in his room and wouldn't come out... we slowly earned their confidence and in 6 weeks, they were baptized.  the other crazy part of this little family is that they could only meet on Sundays.  it was the only day that the father would rest from work.  he would come home really late at night and would leave in the morning for work.  i dont know how that the lord did it when we only met once a week, but he sure helped us... i had the privilege of baptizing eddy.  as i was saying his name and the the words for the baptismal sentence, eddy said that he heard a small voice come from above, calling his name.  he told me that he felt something so special that he could not describe it.  he told me that he never expected something like it before.  every time i baptize someone, i am filled with something that warms my chest...its like a glass being filled more and more.  is something i cant describe either but it was a great experience for me and my companion.  one that i wont forget... my companion says that this was the hardest man he has had in his mission that was a struggle to baptize... and my companion is known for baptizing alot so that is saying something... but with the help of the spirit, anything is possible and the lord will always touch their heart.  i am really happy to hear that the attitude of Kyle has changed. i hope it continues and that he doesn't fall back down in the same boat. we have another baptism this week which i am stoked about! his name is carlos! he is a father of a family that was less active.  his son has now put in his papers for the mission and we are working on the mother right now... yeah the father is ready for his baptism... already passed his interview.  we have found some more people which is awesome! the lord is really helping us out here in the dunes of peru! and you are you kidding me mom... that cuts deep to the heart... can we go to jack johnson when we get home? pleaseeeee ;) hahahaha... anyways madre, disfruta el calor! la clima aqui es lo máximo! te extraño muchismo! te amo! 

love your son elder macdonald 

On Mon, Aug 4, 2014 at 9:21 AM, Lori Macdonald <klmac4@aol.com> wrote:

Wow how exciting all these baptisms amazing !  Just drive in at 1130 last night from cb ...two full cars loaded w stuff ...sad to wake up to hot temp and no ocean...had a great month in cb and missed you every day !  Next August .  I will send sunflower seeds and few it get things this week ..have you received anything from dear elder I sent two packages weeks and weeks ago will texted Lilliana this am I missed her last trip to Peru I was in cb and couid not get a package to get to deliver . My friend any is in Peru right night picking up her son so excited to here about there trip ...life is good school starts in two days have don't no school shopping ..josh is going to be in shock when he starts school again . He said last night he was going to miss Carlsbad ...he loves those trains and our bike rides to the village . We don't do that at home and no train..I need to take him on a long train ride somewhere maybe Grand Canyon or Canada ?  Excite to hear about these baptisms and all the work you are doing ?  We all missed you Emily and Scotti like crazy !  Brad and Danny talked about you the whole week ..brad misses you like crazy !  Katie , Jordan and Laura were missing you too ! I will send a few photos and video over this am ...josh I need to help him write you a letter this am but everyone is sacked out !  I hope we can catch ya w jake ! Jake is growing up fast cute kid !  Kyle got a 28 on act which is solid but gpa 3.5 or 3.6 will not cut it for Byu so hoping he might get in for next summer ?  His attitude has changed this past week and I am hoping he wants to finish out his senior year strong !  He is a great kid w a good heart just needs some encouragement.  Life is going fast one year almost for you next week ...have you talked to Curtis since he has been home ..going to jack johnson next weekend w dad will pick up a concert shirt for you and send it to you !  Keep smiling ...good luck any other treats besides sunflower seeds ?

Love ya mom

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