9/2/2014 The magic bus ride

Service activity lowering a roof and demolishing a house.

A young man we reactivated that is putting his mission papers in.  he has the same bday as josh.

Alex's comp, elder Sariah, and elder mac

The public market

bus ride to hear the general authorities speak

9/1/2014

hey mom and dad! 

how are we doing? i could see by the pictures how great the waves were this week.  i could see you dad paddling to get in good position of one of those set waves that were coming in... just know that i am extremely jealous... it looked like a great wave! i am sure there was a great barrel at the end of it... did they call it the best swell of 10 years because how long it lasted or its size? ouch... they lost the first game huh. at least Kyle had an interception!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that is awesome! is he playing safety?? free or strong? I wish i could of been there to see that! i would have gone nuts too! lets hope that he gets more playing time and i hope to hear many more great things from him out on the field.  i hope they have a good year... how was josh's birthday? i cant believe that he is seven.  tell brother curren hi for me! feels like its been forever! and yeah i will find out the next time i talk with president about my release date... i think it will be the end of july... but anyways this week we weren't able to work very much because of changes and everything that happened... on Monday after internet the zone leaders called my comp and told him that he has changes even when he only had 6 weeks before he would go home to his house.  we didn't even see it coming... we thought for sure that he would die in our area... my comp called president about it and they talked about it a little bit but said they would talk more about it in the night time.  as we were waiting for his call we decided to call in advance to be able to break our nerves... as my companion was talking with him it seemed like he wasn't going to change his mind.  then our ward mission leader started to talk on the phone and at the end of the convo, president said that he would ask god again about his decision and would tell us in the morning if he would stay or go.  we didn't get the call in the morning so we had to pack up all the things and go to changes.  as we sat and waited to hear where my comp would go and who would be my new comp.... in this mission we use a screen and display the names and faces and the areas of where we go... as it got to our zone i was waiting for my new companion and what had happened is that president took out our slide and me and my companion looked at each other shocked because neither of us had changes.  we saw president just look at us and smile.  in the end my companion wasn't changed and i will be killing him... we have alot of people to help... it was cool, the other day our investigators were telling us that after hearing our messages how the temptations of satan are trying to tempt them but he told us that he doesn't know where he got strength to say no to the things that people invite him to do that are wrong.  its cool to see how the gospel is the perfect weapon against satan.  we also have another investigator when her and her family were going throught a tons of problems that we arrive at their house with the gospel to help them have hope throughout all the problems that we face in this life.  we also had the chance to listen the presidency of the area which is elder useda who is a 70 and the secound counselor of the obispado of the church... it was an awesome lesson and told us what we need to improve... it was interesting what they told us... one thing is that we have to teach the prayer better, the importance of the sabbath day, and a few more things... i always love being in the presence of general authorities and the spirit that they bring... so awesome...  its crazy how much the mission is changing me and helping my grow my testimony... more and more each day i feel more special that i belong to the church of god... its something that burns inside of me.   i dont know what i would do with out it and never want to lose it... its such a shame of those that take for granted the church like i did before.  i feel so priviledge to have been able to find my testimony in the church and be able to share it with people each and everyday... i hope that everything is going well for everyone! cant believe that steve is getting married next month and ashley this month... crazy! love you all and this family that i have! 

elder macdonald 

Yo Alex,

We are in the car traveling to cbad for Labor Day weekend.  The waves have been pumping in so-cal for several days from a south swell produced by a hurricane out in the ocean.   People are calling it the best swell in 10 years.  I may get some left overs but I chose to stay home and watch kyles first game.   They lost 28-14 to the highly ranked pinnacle.   Kyle played a great game w one interception and 5 tackles.  His int was so sweet.  The pinnacle. QB was on the 20 yd line and he threw to his receiver who was running a post pattern.   Kyle read the play and jumped up and picked it off in the end zone.   He ran it out for 40 yds.   We were going nuts.  Unfortunately red mtn offense couldn't do much.   It may be a long season.   Kyle looks good.  Josh turns seven today.   He's a total stud.   Bro. Curren says hello.  We need to know when you get released.   Hopefully early august or late July.  We need to plan machu pichu way in advance.  More later.

Dad

Sent from my iPhone

On Mon, Sep 1, 2014 at 11:08 AM, Keith & Lori Macdonald <kekelolli5@yahoo.com> wrote:

Yo Alex.

Paddled out at south jetty this morning my my buddy Craig Menden.   It was head high to 2-3 ft overhead on the sets and pure perfection.   I had 3 of the best waves of the summer.  I am smiling ear to ear.   It rivaled the 4th of July when we were out.   Miss your guts !!   Hope everything's good.   Listening to the expendables right now.    Yeah maaan.   Chill.

Love DAD

Sent from my iPho

8/25/2014

hey dad!

 i am sure that this time you wrote the email alot faster this time because you were on the computer and not on your phone! hahahaha... ARE YOU KIDDING ME..... no one told me that you got a new truck.... it would be so nice to send me a good picture of her... i am sure she looks great! crew cab! as long as you dont let kyle drive it... she wont get a scratch or dent on it! hahahaha... and pless tell me what is this ice bucket challenge all about... i hear that it is going viral... have you done the challenge? and wow i am so jealous! i would love to hit up vail.....  but it definitely would be better in the winter time... can you do me a favor... the next time jack johnson plays close by... can you take me instead of mom? i am always getting shafted here.  i got to see my favorite music artist... but i am glad you guys had a good time... i really miss the green and the fresh mountain air... mom didn't send me very many photos either.  i would never doubt that jack puts on a bad show either... just not like him.  but wow youth conference at the lake... sounds like it was a great activity for the youth... how is Kyle doing with the youth and all that stuff... still thinks he is too good for it? yesterday it was oddly hot and if i am here for the summer, i think i will die because of how close we are to equator and its going to be really rough... but i love this area so it will be worth the pain.  and no way... the currens are now back from their mission! that was fast! time is flying... i still cant believe it dad that i am on the downfall... i am now one of the oldies in the mission and it doesn't feel like it is real.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! please give him a big hug for me! i can not believe that he is 7 years old! he is getting so big! i cant wait to see him... and are you serious... Jake is almost 5 10... why do i not believe you... holy cow this is crazy... alot of new info! great to hear all this! and lets hope that josh is not as tall... i now am solid 6 foot maybe 6 1... i think i have grown a little bit! at least i hope that they wont grow anymore. and really Kyle is getting alot of play time! awesome! i hope to hear big things! where is he playing at? position? offense and defense? and wow Jake as basketball captain... awesome! he deserves it... where is he on the court if he is so big now? point still? and that is some great scriptures right there... alot of deep doctrine behind it all... learned some really cool things and the king ben speech is definitely made for fathers and how to direct their families... facing and directing everything towards the temple is something i always remember from those chapters. 

this week we didn't have a baptism... we were going on 4 weeks in a row.. as a district we have achieved 19... we will hopefully end with 27... we have a bet with the president that if we do it again next month that the president will take us to the temple, tony romos to eat and go bowling as a district... you could say that there is alot of energy and animo to do the work and to be able to show the president and the mission that its possible and that it can be done...we have alot of families for the September that we are working with... alot of them that need to be maried but we are going to work so that they can and be baptized.  it sound be a good month... just hope that my companion continues to work hard... i image that it is really hard to focus when you got such little time in the mission. i hope we work hard so that he will be able to say that he did everything he could.   how are you doing dad... how is the work going over there? any cool missionary moments for the fam this week= what ever happened with that buddy of yours? i am loving the work the spanish is getting good each and every day... i had to give another talk last sunday about the joy that brings to me by serving a mission and helping other knows their savior better.  cool to sit down and reflect about it all and all the people that i have helped. going to do it at home as well.  i hope everything is going well... not much new this week! love you with all my heart dad! 

your son elder macdonald 

Hey budddy;

I am sitting at a computer on sunday night just thinking that it has beeen a while since I have been at a computer to say hello.  Usually I am sitting in an airport typing on my phone.  You probably got the email of the new truck I bought.  It is a 2010 toyota tundra crew cab.  It is slightly lifted with running boards and oversize tires with a supercharged engine.  You would love it.  Kyle is all psyched about it.  I traded in our old truck and bought this one. It has 40K miles on it but looks brand new.  Not a scratch or a blemish.  hopefully that won't change.

Mom and I had a great time in colorado.   It is so good to spend time with her.  We flew into Denver and then drove out to Vail.  On our way out there we stopped off to eat and ran into Gavin and Emily Rooney.  Pretty funny to see them there.  We spent the night in Vail and enjoyed the ski area etc....  We got up early and rented mountain bikes and rode the Gondola up and cruised down the mountain on single track.  Your mom was nervous but she did well.  We drove to Aspen the next night and enjoyed that town.  We did some really cool hikes and saw some beautiful country.  Hopefully mom sent some pix.  I would love to go back in the winter sometime and do some boarding.  We went to red Rocks last monday night and saw Jack Johnson.  Red Rocks is the coolest place on earth to see a concert.  It was a top three show that I have ever seen.  He was awesome.


The kids had youth conference this weekend and we had an activity at Saguaro Lake.  I took the boat and pulled kids around in the tube.  It was a fun day.  It was totally freaking hot today.  ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!  that gets old.  steve and Elle Curren returned home from their mission in Hawaii and reported today.  They did a great job.  They are great people..  We had my side of the family over tonight for dinner and that is always a wild time.  Josh turns 7 next week so we celebrated his bday.

Kyle is doing well in football.  He was on the field for most of their scrimage against prescott high school and he did well.  His calve muscles have been really sore so we are working with that.  He is really stoked about this truck.  ha  Jake is getting really tall.  He must be 5' 10" now.  it 's crazy how fast he's growing.  Sorry alex. you will be the shortest.  His coaches named him captain of the  8th grade basketball team.  So, he is practicing with them for now.  He is looking forward to advancing to the office of a teacher in the Aaronic priesthood.  He's a good kid.

I was running yesterday and was listening to King Benjamins speech.....It is one of my favorite pieces of scripture.  I also love Lehi's dream of the "tree of Life".  So awesome.  I miss you every day but am so glad for what your doing.  I hope they keep you with this companion until he goes home.  God bless you son.  I love you so much!

DAD.........................................