9/29/14 addition

forgot to mention a cool story that happened this week! there was a less active women that had been struggling lately and didn't know what to do with her life, about all the churches, her kids, just all the normal stuff that we worry about... however she gave a prayer and asked god for help.  that same day we arrived at her house as an answer to her pray.  she told us that she know that it was an answer to her pray.  i was filled with the spirit to know that we had been guided directly to her to help her out that day.  its awesome being guided by the spirit and helping out our brothers and sisters here on earth.  love being an instrument in the hands of the lord! happy birthday dad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

9/20/14

hola padreeee! como estamos? how was holding down the rainy fort? i can not believe how much it is raining down there? seems like it is getting out of control down there! i'm sure it was some good moments out on the razor after the good rainfall.  i would expect por lo menos that you went out to ride! hahaha... ouch to ucla we lost too... embarrassing... hows longbow treating you? good condition? on what hole did you lose it? and are you kidding me? they lost again? i'm sure that their hopes for the playoffs are now over... how ridiculous... chaparall is a really good team and rm should of won... i hope they fire the coach staff seriously.  i feel bad for kyle.  and describe to me this monster hit? they do probably have the tough schedule in all of Arizona from the names that i am hearing each week too but still.  and really jakes team lost to poston? sounds like he put the team on his back with those 3 pointers... he must have really improved on his shoot these last few weeks... awesome.  what position is he playing right now? 3 or 4...  and good at least there was one win in the family. is he just loving soccer or like to play other sports! haha because he kicks but in soccer! what happens when he puts in the goal? haha... wow i am dying over here about josh! is there a photo now? did he put the mohawk like he wanted for such a long time! and wow i would of dyed to have that peach cobbler... htere is a member here that made us peach cobbler the other week and i was in heaven. by the way! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!!!!! they next time it is your birthday i will be at home! crazy thought no? and yeah it has been a struggle with my companion lately... i am not the only one.  the whole district has been struggling because he has been acting like a drama queen about some things and it has caused some good problems but not they are resolving but he only has one more week left.  it was weird i cool if he stayed but when we got the call i knew it was right but that whole story happened and yeah it just went downhill.  i am just struggling because he is making me trunky and that is thing i didn't want.  but i gotta break out of it and just keep doing what we were doing before so we continue have the results.  oh you should send me some vidoes of the boys playing.  but yeah its been rough not just for me but alot of other missionaries and we knew that it was time for him to head out but yeah its over and i just gotta fight it out... but that is sure true. i have learned many lessons that is for sure.  and Seth is coming over to the mission... hope he is ready.  he will learn tons.  and for the people that we are teaching, it all seems everything went down hill when the problems started with my companion.  i have learned if you are not united with your comp and the district the lord will not help you at all.  but we have some families that are married that we have found, the hardest thing here is that they all work until super late so it is extremely hard to find the families.  the jobs over here just kill them.  but we have a father how is just the stumbling block for his family to progress and be baptized in the church so this week we are going to do everything possible to find him and help him understand that doctrine.  and jake can use my board as long as i can look at some new ones when i get home? ;) i cant get rid of this surfing itch.  sucks... everything is getting better poco y poco... hows kyle doing with his testimony and the church? doing family home evening and reading the book of mormon with him? hows the job? kyle hasn't crashed the gti yet still? anyways stoked to get a new comp and a new change... i could be training a gringo in a few weeks.  that will be really interesting.  anyways padre! te amo mucho! tell josh that its not much more time that he has to wait! miss ya alot dad! 

elder macdonald 

On Sun, Sep 28, 2014 at 11:29 PM, Keith Macdonald <kekelolli5@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hey Alex;

How's it going buddy!  Mom has been in boston all weekend on a girls weekend so I have been holding down the fort.  We had a massive rainstorm again yesterday where it rained buckets for the afternoon.  Great for the thirsty desert.  Another tough sports weekend for the Macdonald household.  ASU lost to UCLA on thursday night in a route.  ASU was in the top 20 but will definitely fall out now.   I lost to McBride on Friday in golf for the first time in a while by 2 strokes.  Kyle's football team build a 27-7 lead on Chaparall midway through the 2nd qtr but ended up losing the game 27-31.  Kyle had a great game on special teams and defensively.  The play calling for Red Mtn continues to suck and their offense kind of sucks or at least the plays they are calling for them suck.  it's hard to know.  I feel bad for Kyle and the defense because they are pretty good.  Sports writers for the AZ Republic call Red Mtn the best 0 & 5 team in the state.  OH well.
 Kyle laid a monster hit on one of the Chaparral receivers in the 4th qtr.  It was awesome.  Jake's basketball team lost in the semifinal game to Poston.  We had a lead on them at half time.  and did well through the 2nd half but lost it in the last few minutes of the game to a kid who got really hot.  Jake had 5 3-pointers and played a really good game.  He was pretty emotional when they lost.  I think he had 18 points and a lot of rebounds.  The bright spot of the weekend was little Josh scoring 3 goals at his soccer game.  He is a little player.

I was sitting next to josh at church today when i noticed a long lock of hair on his shoulder.  I asked him if it was his and he said that he was tired of having long hair so he cut it.  I then noticed that he had hacked off the back of his hair.  I'm sure Mom won't be happy about it.  oops!  We went over to Heather & Ryan's house for dinner tonight and had a wonderful dinner with steak, squash, potatoes, salad, and yummy peach cobbler.  It was for my bday. 47.................yipee!!!  so freaking old.  Anyway, I get to work for my bday.

Sorry to hear that you are struggling with your companion right now.  I'm sure it is hard for some of these guys to go home to nothing...or not much possibility for education.  I was wondering why you petitioned the president to stay with him and send him home.  I know you guys have had a good companionship and got a lot accomplished and I'm sure it is hard to let that go.  Don't beat yourself up over that.  It is not always going to happen that you understand the mind and will of the Lord.  He knows we won't be perfect there.  How is the teaching of the families coming along?  Seth Robinson gave his farewell speech today at church.  I think he goes to Mexico City for his MTC and then into your mission.  He's an interesting kid.  I'm starting to get the itch to snowboard again.  I'm considering letting Jake use your board..  Are you ok with that?  I hope all is well.  We sure miss you alot.  Josh was just asking about you again.  It is hard for him to
 understand why you have to be gone so long.  TAke care.

LOve...........DAD

9/15/2014

oh and could you pick out some sweet ties and send me some? got some sweeeeeet peru ties for you and my bros! send pics next week! love you! 

On Mon, Sep 15, 2014 at 11:29 AM, Alex Macdonald <alex.macdonald@myldsmail.net> wrote:

yooooooo mi padreee como estas? im surprised you didn't go with mom up to my birthtown! i still remember when we went back that one time to Seattle when that one kid told me that i looked like the rapper Eminem! do you remember? haha... but i'm sure she will tell me all about it! why is kyle playing all these really great teams? did he really get called as captain of the team? good for him... hope that his cockiness doesn't get in the way.  sure proud of him tho and what he is doing.  how are the coaches? crap? hope they get their act together then... i feel like rm has great players just got to get the coach staffs together.  and are you serious! 40 points? i wish i could watch them play... kills me! and wow i am surprised to hear that josh didn't have any goals this week but love the pictures that i saw of him play... if he was here he would love it... there are kids always playing in the streets soccer between to rocks and just laughing and having such a great time... its just so awesome to see everyday how these people have such little but in the end they are so happy.  it always makes me think of the scripture in Jacob.. search for the kingdom of god and you will be rich with riches.  they might not have alot of money but at least everyone believes in god here.  just so cool to see the different life style and how it is changing me on what is really important in life. how was it out on the lake with all the deacons? i bet that was a mess! hahahaha... and i imagine that Jake was putting on a good show! what happened to heather?? she as well is hurting? and awesome! go cards!! how are the suns doing? sucky still? and yeah i will send some more pictures of the house... i am really bad a taking pictures and i hardly took any this week... sorry... sure hope that you can get some sweet waves... dad in your mission, what was the hardest part? what was the thing that you wanted to improve the most? alot of things run through my mind, not to mention i am killing my companion and he has got to the point of not wanting to do much... i am dying because i have so much desires to work hard but i cant because he is just focused about his house... i don't want to kill another missionary... it stinks.  i am struggling to keep my desires alive for these 3 more weeks... the only thing that is keeping me going is the family of 4 that i found a week ago... they are married as well which for us is a miracle... not to mention this family is already extremely united and don't have a religion really in their lives.  its funny because everyone here says that they are Catholics but they know nothing about it... they say it to say it.  but yesterday i went to their house with a couple from the church... it was an awesome lesson because we were laughing together and the spirit was there really strong when i was speaking with them about how amazing it is to have a family for eternity and the hope that the gospel brings to families.  at the end of the lesson they told me, we are going to church even if my roof falls.  they are super excited and their excitement makes me happy and keeps me going... i hope to baptize this family on the 18 of October.  that is  the date that we are going to put down because in this mission they have to come to church 3 times and stay for all 3 hours to be able to be baptized.  and don't worry i will talk to the pres real soon about my release date and everything... do you guys plan on going to another countries as well? if there is one thing that you have seen that you would like me to learn, what would it be? this last year dad you are going to see some great things.  our president has challenged us to baptize families each week and i know i can do it.  i will do it.  there is alot of leaders in the mission that are finishing there mission and i know the lord and the president expect alot from me... i could be training a gringo in these up coming weeks... sure hope not but just telling you the possibility... i would love to hear some of your tactics that you used in your mission and what really worked for you! we have some other people that we are teaching but its just really hard with a comp that is trunky and going home but i got some big plans and not going to let it get in the way... how is everything at home? improving? i sure miss you guys alot! cant wait to see you dad.  thanks for writing me every week! sure means alot to me! love you forever dad.

love your son, elder macdonald 

On Sun, Sep 14, 2014 at 9:34 PM, Keith Macdonald <kekelolli5@yahoo.com> wrote:

Yo Alex;

It's Sunday night and I just wanted to say hello.  Mom asked Thursday if she could go to Seattle for the weekend to visit her friend Kristine Hawkins....so I said...what the heck.  have a good time.  So she left friday morning and just got home a  couple of minutes ago.  The weather was good and I'm sure she'll tell you about it.

Kyle had a game on friday night against Westview all the way over in avondale.  They are a top 10 team in the state and they ran over us in the second half.  It was 13-12 at half we were up but they put together some good drives and our offense couldn't keep up.  Kyle was made a captain this week and played a pretty good game.  Their team is just sruggling right now.  I really don't like their play calling either.  too conservative.

Jake's basketball team played Taylor Jr. High and won by 40 points.  He had 8 points but he also had like 6 assists.  I thought he played a good game.  Their team is really good and hopefully will go undefeated.  His soccer team played friday night but got beat.

Josh's soccer team also got beat on saturday morning.  they lost 0-3.  I was not at the game as I had to take the boat to Saguaro Lake to help the deacons pass off the motor-boating and water skiing merit badge.  The water was rough and it was windy and crowded.

Heather is home and recovering.  It is hard for her to not pick up her babies....but she seems like she's in good spirits.

The Cardinals are 2-0 as they beat the New York Giants this week.  They could be pretty good this year.

In answer to your question the truck doesn't get very good gas mileage but it sure drives nice.  It sounds like you are doing well.  Send us some more pictures ....maybe the outside of your house/apartment.  I was hoping to go to C-bad next weekend to get some waves but I just have too many things going on.  I smoked McBride on the golf course by 4 strokes shooting a 41 & 40 for 81.  I sure miss you and are proud of what your doing.  I'm not sure why your mission president would get mad at you for requesting a release date.  that just seems like normal planning to me.  Love you Bud!

DAD