Birdman

3/30/15

hey dad! que tal? 

things are going dad! how are things going for you... this week was a pretty hard week... it was one of those weeks were not many people wanted to listen to the gospel but that is just part of the work... it was quite discouraging for my companion because up until now, things have been diamonds and roses for us and now we are trying to get back up to that level.  but this coming week will be better.  have you not been getting a lot of those pictures that i have sent you? i wonder if my camera has a virus in it... i will resend the photos so you can see all that has happened... missing Hawaii already? this week i for sure felt like Moroni this week when he went out and preached and preached but no one would listen and the lord told him to stop preaching because how hard of hearts they had... the only difference is i cant stop but i could feel the frustration that Moroni had in these moments but it was a good learning experience and it has drawn me more to my knees and caused me to repent even more to try to come even closer to him... but things are always better after the torment.  

this week hermano toledo blessed the sacrament and he was stoked to be able to exercise his priesthood! you could see the grin from ear to ear as he came down from the alter.  we are teaching a family called the family villafuente and the father and his daughter are not members and his wife was less active and now is all for coming back to church and that her husband and daughter get baptized... they are an awesome little family of 5 one that the church needs and we are working hard with them for the 25 of April!!! the daughter already wants to get baptized which is the best part! we are teaching a few other families! one that is really excited to get married so that they can get baptized! and we are teaching another family where the father is looking for the truth and his house is way in the back of a complex thing and it was quite a miracle to find him because they never really come outside and we happened to find them and hopefully they will use their agency in a good way and not resist the spirit of the lord.  

 the classes dad look great! super stoked about them! looks like a good schedule!! almost just like i had the winter semester of last year with all my classes on Mondays Wednesday and Fridays! thanks dad for all your help!!!!     

i am super stoked about Kyle and me being roommates! who else will be with us? will Kyle be in cali when i finish the mission or will he be in summer school? dad i got to be quite honest... did you at this moment just feel like your body was just tired... some days that is how i feel... my mind is not tired but my body is... and its a struggle to get my body moving sometimes haha... its really important to me how i finish and learn everything that the lord wants me to learn right now as a missionary... any suggestions you got for me? that phrase is always in my head... the harder i work... the cuter my wife will be! hahahaha... one thing i have learned is that every missionary should finish how Jesus finished his ministry... even until the death! 

anyways dad, love you and all that you do! you are the man! i miss you mucho! 

your son, 

elder macdonald 

On Sun, Mar 29, 2015 at 11:42 PM, Keith Macdonald <kekelolli5@yahoo.com> wrote:

YO AMAC!!!

How's it going buddy?  There is a lot of white in these pix you've been sending lately.  Congratulations.  I'm sure it is a good feeling helping people come to Christ.  I was thinking about a scripture that is found in Moroni 10: 32 - 34.  I have always found these to be powerful verses.  Moroni i'm sure was very lonely, having lost all of his family and all of his people.  Still, he continued on with the plates to bury them in the hill cumorah.  What a great opportunity we have to invite people to Come unto Christ....and be perfected in him.  I have found that the more we learn of Him and the more we do to be like him... the happier we are.  Conversely, those that ignore his teachings and ignore his example are left in their own unhappiness.  I have spent the last week working on your fall semester figuring out classes and professors that are good.  Here's what I have so far:

Chemistry 105     MWF  10  - 10:50  w accom lab T  Th  9 - 9:50     4 cr
Spanish 321        MWF    9  -   9:50                                                       3 cr
religeon A 211     T  Th  10 - 10:50                                                        2 cr
History 202          MWF   3  - 3:50                                                          3 cr
PD BIO                  MWF  11 - 11:50                                                      2 cr

That is 14 credit hours.  Chem 105 will be a challenge.  The PD bio is a class for health sciences majors...it is on the required list.   the times are as such because I was looking for good professors.  I am going to register these tomorrow night at midnight.  Hopefully you like this.  Don't be afraid of hard classes.  You know how to work hard and that is what it takes.  You have to start taking them now or  you will either take too long or have too many hard classes all at one time.  I hope everything is going well.


Kyle has been at Catalina Island for the weekend on a school trip.  He was accepted into BYU for summer semester .....so he will be spending the summer at BYU.  He will then go to UVU for fall semester.  I have been helping him with his schedule as well.  brutal....anyway.  he is excited about that.  He will be living with you starting fall semester in South Campus Village....You guys have alot to look forward to....  Please don't let me distract you from what your doing.  Finish strong.  Remember...the harder you work the better looking your wife will be..  Ha......................  That was a joke in our mission.  Love to you bud.

DAD

Gringo Elders

3/23/2015

On Mar 23, 2015, at 2:26 PM, Alex Macdonald <alex.macdonald@myldsmail.net> wrote:

hola mi familia! que tal? 

bueno... first thing is first... i am very jealous of the great wavage you guys were able to have.... being able to surf the north shore has always been one of my dreams but i guess i will have to wait just a bit longer to be able to complete that dream.  but anyways, it sure sounded like you guys had a great time and that is what makes me happy... that you guys made treasure that will continue up in the heavens.  but i really, i need some pounders and some good barrels! haha...

anyways today was the day of changes and i will be staying here in puente piedra it looks like one change more with my companion! i'm pretty happy about it.  my companion is good, we have people that are progressing in the gospel and i have more time to teach my converts more doctrine and about the importance of the gospel.  and i cannot believe that i am only facing such little time... i remember yesterday when i had started and when i said goodbye to all my brothers... time flies when you are having fun and on the lords errand.  this week elder riveros and i had our baptism of hermano jhonny... the way people spell their names is quite weird...but it was an awesome baptismal service...  about three weeks ago we came to church and to our surprise there was a man sitting down on one of the benches and one of the members were talking to him... he had been invited by other missionaries to go to the church that was closet to his house and meet the elders that were in his area... that Sunday we got to know him and we started teaching him... we taught him the first lesson and invited him to be baptized and he said yes! as the weeks went on, we continued teaching him and preparing him to get baptized... just like every investigator that missionaries have, when you invite some to get baptized, its like signing a contract with satan saying that you are ready to go to battle with him.  the trails he had were quite interesting... many people tried telling him that the mormon church isn't true and that is a sect and all that kind of garbage but in the end, hermano jhonny was defending the church and why its the true church and he even went on to bear his little testimony about how the book of Mormon is like the bible and that they go together.  jhonny remained strong to his decision and his willingness to show his faith to Jesus Christ by wanting to follow his example... when it came to his baptism, as the talk finished, he asked if he could offer a pray right before he got baptized by himself in the chapel when everyone left... as he waited for everyone to leave, it was quite a humbling experience watching him get on his knees and pray to our heavenly father right before getting baptized.  this experience had never happened to me before and its one that i will never forget.... he was praying and repenting up until the day he got baptized and that is a strong lesson that i had learned. that we must always have the humility to repent each and every day for our mistakes... even the little ones that seem harmless.  when both the learner and the teachers learn, that is when you know the spirit is present.  

we have some other families that are listen to our message and this week we have plans to invite them to get baptized and it should be a fun week! 

anyways dad, i am very worried about my classes and stuff because i don't have the time to be able to look at who are the good professors and all that kind of stuff... i will do my best but if you could help me out with it as well i would really appreciate it... all i am thinking dad is doing the generals and getting back into the groove of studying before getting into the heavy stuff... so if you just help me sign up for the rest of my generals, that will be alright with me for now... and i will look into the Spanish class because it would be awesome to get those quick easy credits... the problem is dad is that i can not call from here to byu at all to get consults about things... that is the bad thing... my plan as of right now, is have a little beach time in cali, see some returned missionary buddies in az and then head back up to start my schooling and look for a job.  that is what i feel is the right thing? what do you think? anyways, i know you are a busy man but if you could help me with a few of my classes i would really appreciate it papi! and DAD I NEED TO KNOW IF I AM FLYING TO SAN DIEGO OR PHOENIX when i finish the mission... the mission office needs to know soon! 

any questions for me? i hope everything is going well! i sure am loving every moment of the mission and how its changed me and my perspective.  love this gospel and love joseph smith.... thanks to him, he has opened the door so that we can come to know ourselves better.  i hope you look for the opportunities to shout his name to those who have never heard it.

love your son, 

elder macdonald 

On Sun, Mar 22, 2015 at 10:40 PM, Keith Macdonald <kekelolli5@yahoo.com> wrote:

Dear Alex;

How's it going Elder Mac?  We had a great trip in Hawaii and enjoyed alot of surfing, body boarding, Ted's Pie, Pounders, The PCC, and zip-lining at Keana Farms.  It was a great trip.  I will expand upon this stuff:  We spent the first night in Waikiki doing some surfing and enjoyin the crowded city scene.  The surf was small but glassy and fun. We got up the next day and did some hiking at Manoa Falls and also did the hike to Makapu lighthouse.  We did some bodysurfing at Makapu Beach which had some crazy big waves and a monstrous shorebreak.  It was fun!  We then went to Turtle Bay and stayed in one of the condo's.  We spent time surfing at Turtle Bay.  I will send some pix.  The waves were especially good and we had fun.  We also did some body boarding at Pipeline which was really a high light.  The waves were coming in with some pretty good sets so we were able to get some barrel rides and got pounded pretty good.  We spent time golfing after 3 pm
 and that is always fun.  There is nothing like Hawaii.  Its just a great time.

I got home to overgrown yards and to a green pool.  I spent the day yesterday doing yard work and getting the pool back to a nice blue shade.  Max McBride gave his farewell today and he leaves Wednesday.  He is going to Denmark.  He gave a nice talk.

Did you get Transferred?  You are down to 4 months.  sweet!  You need to take time to get your classes scheduled for next semester.  If you are confused....contact your mission presidents's wife...her own daughter just went through the process and she can help you.  I think your mission president has filled out his part of the ecclesiastical endorsement but you need to fill out your part if you haven't already done it.  I think you are basically just registering for Fall 2015.  You will also need to take some time to plan your schedule.  If you need to get permission from the President to do that then get it.  I would register for whatever classes you need to to get the Spanish credits from your mission.  If you are confused about that call or email a counselor at BYU and set up an appointment.  You probably also need to finish some GE.  You need to be thinking along the lines of what you want to do with your life after your mission.  I don't want to
 distract you from your work but you do need to take some time to think about these things.  A little planning now will save you problems in the future.  I will send you some pix from Hawaii.  Kyle shot a video of us riding a wave together that's pretty fun.  Love you son.  Love the picture of you on the rip stick giving the shaka.  awesome.  Do some push-ups so you get some muscle.  I am going to give your smallest surf board to bugs.  He wants to start surfing.  Aloha..............DAD