¡ME VOY!

MY STAY AT VILLA POSSE HAS COME TO AN END. I have been called to head on over to a place called Rivadavia. I´m still in the same general area of Buenos Aires, so I don´t have to take a ten hour bus ride over to campo, but I am really super excited. I´m going to another walking area, which I´m also a big fan of. I dig walking. Also, in other very exciting news, my new companion's name is Elder Ordenez, and he is a Chileno! Woo! I am incredibly excited. I am literally so excited. Iam not going to be speaking any English! Like, the only time I will speak English is during district meetings, and when talking to all of you. And I am incredibly grateful for that. I´ve got some powerful goals for my Spanish, and I know I´m not just learning Spanish for these two years. I have my entire life ahead of me, and the Lord has called me to learn the Spanish language for a reason. I can´t imagine a better way to learn Spanish than taking away my ability to speak English, eh? Man I´m excited. Every Chileno I´ve met I´ve been a fan of, so I think I´m going to have a good time. But I am way excited to work with the revitalised spirit of a new area! I adore Villa Posse, and as my first area, it will always have a nice roomy space in my heart, but I am way excited to see the outside world and work in Rivadavia with all of my heart, might, mind and strength. WOO. I hope every one is excited about life. I am real excited about life. 

This week we had a sweet Family Night with a member family and invited Angelica (just baptised) and her daughter Eleanora (who wants to get baptised!). We ate Argentine pizza and watched Conozca los Mormones! (Meet the Mormons). Which is really really good. It is beautifully made, and I mostly liked it this time because the voices of the family from Costa Rica weren´t overdubbed in English, since it was the Spanish version. Every one should go watch that movie again, or for the first time if you haven´t seen it. It´s a lot of fun, and there are a lot of really good people doing good things for the world in there. Speaking of Eleanora, she is great. SHe knows she has a testimony, and knows she wants to get baptised. As soon as she drops her little smoking habit, she is going to be incredibly ready. I could not ask for a better example than Angelica for her family. The Familia Aguado is a special family, but Angelica blows my mind. She happily accepted a calling in church as the ward librarian, and is ultimately just killing it, especially sharing the Gospel with every one around her!

The news about my transfer and getting a Latino companion was a great testimony of our Heavenly Father´s love for us. Although He ultimately cares first and foremost about what we need, as the infintely loving Father of our Spirits, He also cares about our just desires! He didn't put us on this earth to just complete our purpose as robots and then head up to Heaven; we're here to have joy! Just look around you! Take time to observe the trees, the mountains, the rain, the heavens both day and night, the innocence of a child. The Lord created this earth for us to enjoy, and He created us to have joy. Be happy with what you have, and take time to count your blessings and give thanks to our Father in Heaven. And if you want more blessings, ask Him humbly. Whether He answers with a yes or a no, He will answer, and as we follow His answers and His commandments, our Father has promised us that we will prosper. I don't have words in Castellano or in English to describe the gratitude I feel as I ponder on my life, my family, and my time as a full-time servant of my Saviour. Gratitude is so important. All that we have is because of our Father´s love for us, and if we complain about what we don't have, why would the Lord want to bless us with more? Remember also that our trials are for our learning, and ultimately always for our betterment. 

I am grateful for all of you, and I am grateful for Jesus Christ. I love you all and hope that every one is content. God bless you!

Chau,

Elder McDonald

We bought some sweet Argentine Nationals conjuntos! Jersey and shorts. Way cool! You'll see better pictures next week.

Noche de Hogar (Family Night) with the best! Familia Gaitan, Angelica and daughter Eleanora and Grace Portilla!

The District: Final Meeting

And chicken coop madness!

GALLINERO PARA EL FIN DE ENERO

HELLO ALL WHAT A WEEK. It was a sweet week. First of all, I got to head all the way over to Capital and do my papers so as to become a legal Argentine for these two years. That was pretty great. On the way back we let our chauffer know that we wanted the scenic route, and so he drove us through Buenos Aires a bit. ´Twas quite a sight to see. Buenos Aires seems like a pretty cool place, so after every one visits the Western part that is a for sure really great place I guess I would recommend checking out Capital. 

What´s more, on Saturday Elder Stuart and I helped a family build a massive chicken coop! It´s actually a sweet story. We were just walking along on the street and we saw the mother struggling to lift her buçike up, laden with slats of wood. We helped her lift it, and she said, "¡Gracias Élderes!". We were like, "How do you know that we´re called élderes?" and she said she´s been a member for a while but she hasn´t been coming to church at all. Then she said she´s getting the wood to build a chicken coop and we were like, " We´re helping!". And so we built (most of) a chicken coop. A really large chicken coop. But I don´t think a better chicken coop has ever been made by four people who have never built a chicken coop in their lives from Argentine materials and tools. Like it was sweet. We have a follow up appointment on Tuesday with them and we´re are going to finish that chicken coop and it is going to be flawless. She also said she´s going to feed us ravioli for lunch, which is exciting. 

This week was filled with a lot of disappointments, but when does that ever not happen? But then, Sunday, we had two families bring friends to church which was a miracle and that made me feel real great about the week. Both of them are really promising, and both of them have seen the benefits that the Gospel can bring to their lives, both through the example of their friends who brought them, and the Spirit there is to feel at church. I love the focus that the Apostles are putting on the Sabbath day! It really is extremely important, and some thing that the world at large, (Latter-Day Saints included) really struggles with. However, I think that we remember really simply that the Lord thought it was important enough to tell Moses to include it in the Ten commandments, and explain it that it is to be a day set apart from our six other days. I know that as we strive to make the Sabbath day a day set apart for the Lord, the blessings will begin to flow. Some thing that is really important is knowing that even though this life is difficult, and following all of the Lord´s instructions is difficult, we do have all of the Lord´s instructions! We have been given His commandments and are taught by Christ and by His prophets what we need to do during this life, and that makes it simple! Not easy, but simple. And how I love simplicity. It is the best way to learn. 

Oh! Quick scripture recommendation for every one. Book of Mormon, Mosiah 14. Also Isaiah fifty-some thing. It says it in the heading. But it is a super quick chapter that also is super wonderful. It is all about the Saviour and his expiatory work for all of us, and because it´s Isaiah speaking, it is really beautifully written and really powerful. One of my favourites for sure.

Well family, I am excited for the last week of this transfer. I´ve nearly completed twelve weeks in Argentina, and I feel really incredible. I have a feeling that I won´t be staying in Villa Posse, but I know the Lord has a plan for me that is better than any one else´s! However, Villa Posse will always have a special place in my heart. There are a lot of friends here I´ve grown to love and if it´s the same way in all of my other areas I´m going to love a lot more people by the end of my  mission. I´ve experienced so many testiments of Christ´s love here, and I´ve grown to love my Saviour so much more as I work for him and for His brothers and Sisters. I know he has a huge part in this work, and I testify that He lives and he guides this Church as His own Church. He guides our missionary efforts, and He will guide our lives if we let Him. He´s always knocking!

Con Amor,

Elder McDonald

This week we built most of a chicken coop (don´t ask me why they wanted it to be so massive, but it was MASSIVELY FUN)

I got to go to Capital to do my tramites. My papers. Become legal. I don´t know how to say that. It was way cool to see the city and some other areas! Ya´ll are gonna love it when you pick me up! 

HELLO WORLD

WHAT A WEEK FILLED WITH BLESSINGS! I hope all are well and all are happy in this very moment. I indeed am. This Saturday, Angelica got baptised and what a baptism it was. She is literally an incredible daugher of God. Such a good Spirit of service and such a desire to share what she´s learning and feeling. How I have grown to love her and appreciate her example over these last months of her growth in the Gospel of Christ. Seeing her gain a testimony that this Church truly is Christ´s church and is truly led by Christ this day has done nothing but strengthen my testimony. There was such a joyful Spirit around her this last Saturday as she was baptised, and yesterday as she was confirmed a member of the Church and received the Holy Ghost. I know with all of my heart that her decision to entre this path of Eternal Life is blessing her even now, and will continue to be a blessing to her and her family for the rest of her life. We´re already talking with her daughter Eleanora and I know that she has felt the truth of Christ´s message just as her mother has.

Man I love the accent here! Some people we talk to have real thick Argentine accents, which a wonderful. Yes, a bit harder to understand, but still way more exciting! Every one keeps saying I speak really well which is bad for my ego, but to be completely honest, whenever any one says some thing like that, my heart automatically turns to a thankful prayer to the Lord. He has blessed me incredibly with the Gift of Tongues during these last three months, and Spanish has been a huge part of my exercising my faith here. At this point, I really want Latino companions. I know that the Lord has me speaking Spanish for a reason, and especially know that if I can perfect my Spanish, I can perfect my teaching of Christ´s Gospel - Especially to Argentine personalities. I had a teacher in the MTC tell me that we should all make a goal of being fluent in six months, and after that, make a goal to speak Spanish better than we speak English. That hit me. And that´s my goal! I know that learning the language and doing my absolute best to perfect it will bring other blessings, and especially help me bring the Lord´s blessings to the people of Argentina in a way that they can understand it as they should. Neither is the language I am learning just for my two years in another county! I know that my knowledge of the Spanish language will serve me for the rest of my life, and, more importantly, help me to serve others for the rest of my life. HOOKED ON CASTELLANO. And hooked on the Gospel in Castellano. The Lord´s work and His glory is moving foward, however slowly it needs to, but always steadily. This Gospel isn´t just for us to feel the Spirit and know that we are going to be saved after we die. This Gospel is for our lives here on earth, and for our happiness here on earth. The best and only way to have a happy, loving and secure family in through following Christ´s teachings and commandments. I testify of that. As we rely on the Lord in all that we do and utilise His teachings in all that we do, he will one hundred percent of the time bless us with joy and with strength. And for that, how much more indebted are we to Him! How many more desires we should have after seeing blessings to work harder for our Father in Heaven and show our gratitude. I know that as we tell our Father about our gratitude and then act on that gratitude, our joy will become full and we´ll need nothing more.

Bless all of you and thank you every one for your love! HALLELUJAH.

CHAU,

Elder McDonald

Apparently Elder Starr had too much asado?

Who knew you could acquire a Rolex watch for 100 pesos (less than $10) in Argentina?

Angelica's baptism!

Angelica's family

The Gospel Brings Joy ALWAYS

HELLO ALL! i HOPE THIS WEEK WAS MERRY AND FILLED WITH JOY FOR ALL. 

We had a solid week this week and I feel really good about it. I love seeing blessings from the Lord! As our Father in Heaven, the Lord wants to bless us. All we need to do is stick to the straight and narrow! This week I´ve been thinking a lot about the blessings of this Church and Gospel. I love reading in the Scriptures because of the incredible works and testimonies of Christ and His love. But even more I love the testimony that the Scriptures provide of the Gospel that Christ gave. This Gospel is such an evidence of God´s love for us - it was created for His children. And what a blessing it is to know that just as in times of old, we have apostles and a prophet guiding our lives today, and helping us understand the Gospel and what we need to do to allow it to guide our lives best in these dangerous times. These times are dangerous, and there is much to impede, but how blessed we are to have modern revelations for the dangers of these modern times! 

This week Angelica had her baptismal interview and I can´t imagine any one more ready than her to be baptised and confirmed in the Kingdom of the Lord. She is already an incredible missionary and the happiness I have from seeing the change this Gospel has brought to her life is incredible. I can´t imagine the miracles she is going to experience in the future - especially when blessed with the guidance of the Spirit! There really is no greater joy than letting others experience the joy of the Gospel that I feel in my life. I´ve not much more time but I want all to know that I one hundred percent love Jesus with all of my heart and I testify that He is the Christ. He is our Saviour, and as we learn of Him, worship Him, and follow His example, our lives will be molded and shaped in to some thing incredible. In to tools in His hands. That is all I want to be is a tool in the Hands of the Lord, because I can´t do any thing on this mission on my own. I love you all and I pray for you all! 

Chau, Elder McDonald

DOS KILOS POR CIEN PESOS

I don´t know how this happened but I took them off and there was just a hole..

Left our keys in the apartment.... I used what I learned from Man Vs Wild and used tree bark to tie two sticks together and fish the keys out of my bag. Thanks Bear Grylls.

BUEN DIA COMO ANDA QUE TAL COMO LE VA

HOOOLLAAAAAAA. I SINCERELY HOPE THAT ALL ARE WELL, ALL ARE HAPPY. And I hope that all are grateful for how the Lord blesses us day by day. I hear that California is being assaulted by El Niño this week! That´s pretty exciting, right? California sure needs it. Argentina doesn´t though! How I love the rain. My companion hates it, and I just don´t understand why. Like I guess you get all wet when it rains and there´s a lot of mud because asphault streets are about as common as neutered dogs around here, but rain is beautiful and I really like water. Maybe it´s just because of how much I like water. 

This week we taught two kids of our capa investigator Angelica who is super seguro on her baptism. Her whole family is golden, and I think all of them will definitely get baptised and experience the blessings of having an eternal family eventually - especially as they see the change the Gospel is bringing to Angelica. How I love to see the joy that Christ´s teachings are bringing to her life. She has been such an example to me of openly relying on the teachings and Atonement of Christ to help her in the problems she has. That is our message to all, and she´s taking advantage of it! This life is difficult. No one has ever had an easy life here on the earth, but for this, we have our Saviour Jesus Christ, right? How comforting is that? I absolutely know that if we utilise Christ´s Gospel in our lives, the blessings will flow! Through that Gospel, contained in the Book of Mormon we have answers to our questions, our doubts and our problems. It´s kind of like a circle actually, because the answer to all of these things is always Christ. This life is difficult, but we always have Christ right there to help us along. But we have to work at it! We have commandments to follow, and covenants to make with the Lord in order to receive the blessings that he is waiting to pour out upon us. This isn´t a life of laziness, even though laziness is easy! Just as wickedness never was happiness, niether is laziness. There´s work to do, and I absolutely know that if we work for this Gospel, if we work to show our faith and to let others see the joy that our faith brings, we will all be able to experience a joy beyond comprehension in the kingdom of God. 

Woo! Am I stoked on the Gospel or not? It is seriously for every one. No exceptions. I´m also stoked to hear that my family is happy and healthy! I love my family and I love to hear from all of you. Nothing is better than when I feel your prayers and support every day! Next week I´ll send pictures of Elder Stuart and my Man Vs Wild stick we created to fish our keys out of my bag when we locked our selves out of the pench. Until then, chau and God bless you, every one!

Nos Vemos,

Elder McDonald

FELIZIDADES

FELIZ AÑO NUEVO BLESSED FAMILY. I HOPE EVERY ONE IS SUPER STOKED ON THEIR LIVES AND ON THIS NEW YEAR OF 2016. That´s pretty weird, right? Years pass really quickly. We had to come back to the pench early on New Year´s Eve so we didn´t get attacked by any overzealous Argentines, so we took the opportunity to make a sweet Asado Yankee. Which is a barbecue. We bought ground beef, hot dogs, french fries and some killer cidro sin alcohol and killed it on the grill. Since the meat here is some how always more delicious than any meat in the US, I´m gonna be honest and say it was one of the better burgers I´ve had. Then we set off those cool little mini hot air balloon things that are in Tangled. Really popular here. Mine ran in to a telephone wire and burst in to flame, which worried us quite a lot until it went out with out further damage. Also real quick story that isn´t a big deal at all - We may have almost burned the house down trying to make the papas fritas. But like don´t worry about it at all. They were just a little freezer burned so when we dumped them in the boiling oil all the frozen water stopped being frozen and did that cool thing water does when it reacts with boiling oil and set of a beautiful fireball that that may or may not have reached our ceiling. All we wanted was some french fries and we got a bonus of early fireworks! 

But this has been a week and a half, as well as a week of many opportunities to see the Lord´s hand in this work. So my papi Elder Ozcariz Choi left me to guide this area as a missionary still in training. I may or may not have been a little worried, seeing as the last time I guided my area for a day on splits with another missionary we pretty much just got lost. But how the Lord has blessed me this week! My first few days were real rough on the planning side of things, seeing as I really hardly knew where any one lived. But Elder Stuart and I got along all right. As I continued to pray for guidance and trust in my Father in Heaven, the next few days brought about some miraculous situations of me some how knowing where to go most of the day. How grateful I am for the blessings of guidance the Lord provides to those who ask! And not just physical guidance. Heavenly Father is just that, our Father. And as a loving Father, he wants to help us as His children. As we show our desire for His help through faithful obedience to His commandments and faithful prayer, He will always provide us with what we need. 

So Elder Stuart is my new companion! He´s from Fresno, played water polo and we know like a couple of the same people from my short stay in Clovis. So that´s weird. As two Californians, we have some good common ground. He's super chill and also is some how ridiculously fast at learning the area, so that´s nice too. This companionship is also a good trial of my diligence in the language, because it is ridiculously hard to speak Spanish all the time when your companion is a Yankee. But the Lord continually blesses me with learning every day. There are so many things to be grateful for in this life, right? Try and tell me there aren´t. We have lives and families and friends and other loving people who surround us. Also God has given us a beautiful earth that provides really great food and really incredible things to look at with our really incredible eyes. I love to look at the great fields here and the spacious skies. Like Alma said, all things testify of a God. And all things testify of a loving God as well. He didn´t just give us an earth that has the bare necessities, He gave us an earth to wonder at, to learn about, and to appreciate the beauty of. And as for me, I am grateful beyond words to be here in Argentina, sharing this wonderful Gospel of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Love you all immensely and am always grateful for your support and example!

Chau,

Elder McDonald

Papas REALLY REALLY REALLY fritas!

Yay for sparkling apple cider!!

We had a sweet Asado Yankee for New Years because we had to return to the pench earky. WOO.

                       

FELIZ AÑO NUEVO

HELLO LOVED ONES. MAN ISN´T LIFE GREAT? It was such a privilege to be able to talk with my family on Christmas Eve! I am grateful and joyful that all are healthy and happy. I´m so grateful for my family, and have a wonderful peace in my soul knowing that I can be with them for eternity! There is no happier work than I have here in Argentina helping families receive this opportunity for eternal joy as well. 

Before I talk about Christmas festivities, I want to get things started with a story. Every one loves stories, and I haven´t had a good one to tell yet, I don´t think. Last week, Elder Ozcariz Choi and I were talking to a family and one of their friends was there with us. He shook my companion´s hand and then looked looked at me and asked, "Are you a Yankee?" I responded in the affirmitive and told him I´m from California. His eyes lit up and he immediately walked up to me, shook my hand really hard (that kind of hand shake where you use both hands, you know), got really close to my face and whispered, "Obama said that he´s going to help our president" Not entirely sure how to respond, I told him that that is great. He talked about what Obama said for a time and then shook my hand really, really hard another like five times before we left. So every one! Argentina has nothing to fear.

Also, my papi is getting transferred! Normally you have one trainer for twelve weeks but I´m getting a new one. His name is Elder Stewart. From California! I don´t know him at all! But I´m excited! Elder Ozcariz Choi was an incredible example of obendience and diligence to me, and I am grateful for his training. He is a wonderful missionary! Here´s to changes for a new year eh?

CHRISTMAS! This week was grand. On the twenty-third, the entire mission headed up to capital to go to the Buenos Aires Temple, and that was wonderful. How I love the Temple and the incredible peace and joy that always abounds within its walls! After that, we all took a giant pictures, ate milanesa sandwiches and headed to the mission offices. There we had a nice little Christmas devotional and President and Sister Robertson´s family put on a Nativity act for us all. So I got to coninue the family tradition of acting out the Nativity every year. It was just as wonderfully funny as always. After all of that, we were serenaded by a little mission choir during a video presentation about Christ and the importance of following His example during our mission work. There was a little segment of Elder Holland´s Feed My Sheep talk. Holy smokes, I forgot how incredible that talk is. It is such a wonderful example of the Christ´s loving character. After Christ was resurrected, He found Peter and company fishing again. Just as He had done at the start of their calling to the Holy Apostleship, he asked them to cast their net and just as before it was filled. As Elder Holland related the story of Christ´s thrice-asked question, "Do you love me?", I thought about how any normal man would have been annoyed, if not angry with Peter for after all that had happened, returning to his old work after Christ died, thinking it was finished. But Christ, always loving and ever-patient, calmy taught Peter that there was work and always will be work until the end. Could there be a better example than our Saviour´s? That talk was a wonderful reminder that with all the love I have for Christ, I should have a better desire to feed His sheep. That is the best way we can show our love for our Saviour is by bringing others unto him. I promise that as we focus our efforts on that, our love for others will grow, our love for Christ will grow, and the love we have for Him will as well.

I got some wonderful asado for Christmas almuerzo and got to spend it with families that I love as well. Christmas was in the four hundred and thirty thousand degree air. I love all of you and am ever-grateful for your prayers and support! This is the Lord´s work!

CHAU,

Elder McDonald

Our mission trip to the Buenos Aires temple!

Ward Christmas Cena!

Los Dos Carloses! The one with the knife is an AWESOME investigator.

Familia Discepoli! My favourites, I think. Such Argentines.

Elder O.C. and I on the tracks!

Familia Gaitan Christmas almuerzo! Wonderful family.

Carlos making some interesting thing that was interestingly delicious.

Familia Colque! Awesome investigators.

The homemade oreos do not work too great with Argentine ingredients. But they were still relatively delicious. Nothing compared to yours!

Made them with two families. Carlos with the better batch!