COMÍ UN PATO

¿COMO ANDAN? I hope all is well up north! Sounds like things are getting pretty heated given the closeness of a certain event in November. About presidents. This week was great down in Arge! Things are always happening here in Ferrari. This last Friday, I laughed a lot. Here's why:

Some time during the beginning of this week, Elder Salmon and I got to know a member of the church who isn't actively attending, and who is also completely crazy. But crazy in a really wonderful way where she's always laughing and talking which makes us laugh and just feel really good. Any ways, we were chatting in her front yard, which happens to be full of chickens and ducks. I commented on the amount of ducks she had, and half-jokingly asked if she eats them. She surprised us with a big old yes, and then surprised us more with the best offer I've received here. She said, "Yeah! I break their necks, and then a take all the feathers off, and then I cook them! You want me to cook you two some for lunch one day?" We obviously obliged, and listened with glee as she described the process of killing and preparing her ducks to be eaten. So we set up our lunch date, and to be honest, I kind of thought that she wasn't atually going to make us duck, given the fact that she is actually one hundred percent crazy. But sure enough, we arrived Friday to a big plate of roast duck and even a bowl of its innards cooked in vinagre. That may have been the greatest lunch I have ever had here. Not for the food as much as for the ambiance. She just killed us with her little comments and jokes. And to be honest, the duck was impressively delicious. Tip for those who want to eat it in the future: Ducks have really thick skin, so I would recommend not only removing the feathers but also removing the skin after cooking. Elder McDonald's food tip of the week!

Other than that, we had a pretty tranquilo week. Our friend Hector is doing really well, even though he couldn't come to church this week because for some reason Mother's Day in Argentina is in October. He always asks us great questions about what he's learning, and really has a desire to grwo closer to the Lord. He has trouble recognising his answers from the Spirit, and I don't think he's the only one. The Spirit speaks to all of us differently, given that we are all different! It's important that we work hard to understand how we can best recognise the Spirit in our lives - that's some thing that I'm working hard on too. But we have countless promises from the Lord that His Spirit is there to help us if we're looking. I love His name: the Comforter. He comforts those who have received Him, especially when no one else is around to do so. How can we keep the Spirit in our lives and keep his comfort? Read 1 Nepi 1:12 and 2 Nephi 32: 8 and 9. Through regular scripture reading and prayer, the Spirit is promised us. Look for It, and when received, don't forget the answer! I love you allllllllll and am so happy to hear that my family well. I'm so happy here. Argentina is beautiful, and those who live here are even more so. Be happy!

Becitos,

Elder McDonald

¿UN AÑOOOOO?

HELLO ALL. Weird news: this last Friday marked a year since I left the comfort of a California home and headed off on this beautiful adventure. That's pretty weird, right? I feel pretty weird, but I also feel really excited that I still have an entire year to work as hard as I can to share this wondrous message.  A year isn't very long, but there's a lot that can be done in a year. 

I hope every one knows that over this past year, I've felt the power of many prayers and much faith. I'm not going to say I don't feel like I've changed and become better, because I have. If nothing else, I can say with a surety that I know that my Redeemer lives, even Jesus Christ. He has not left me comfortless for one step I've taken in this country. And I can testify that He never will. He, along with our loving Father in Heaven, is always always ALWAYS there to lift us and show us the importance of finding joy in all things. But whether or not we feel the love of our Saviour and His help in our lives is our choice. If we aren't looking for it or keeping our selves open to it, we aren't going to feel it. That's just how it is. The Lord will never force us to believe in Him, for that is the adversary's way. He wants us to believe, and to follow and to love Him with all of our hearts (That is His greatest desire for us!), but only we can do that. No one else can do it for us. So when every thing bad happens in our lives, instead of letting your self wonder why God lets these things happen, wonder what you're doing to allow the Lord to pull you out of the hole you've fallen in to. 

I don't have a lot of time suddenly! But I have loved nothing more than being here in Argentina for nearly a year, growing, learning more about the wonderful people here, and sharing the message that I came here to share! This, what I share, is the Restored Gospel of Christ. Christ's Gospel is every one's necessity, no matter the culture or situation. 

I can't write about how much I love all of my family and all who have supported me 'round here. I feel a lot of love though! You'll just have to trust me on that.

Les amo a todos,

Elder McDonald

 We live in an apartment with out a back yard, so I had to improvise with the shirt burning... I just burned a piece. (For those who don't know: burning a shirt is the traditional way to mark the halfway point of a two year mission.)

Una foto Argentina. That's a big ol' milanesa sandwich with lots of mayonesa and chimi churri right there in my hands. 

PALABRAS DE AMOR; PALABRAS DEL SEÑOR

HELLO ALL OF MY FRIENDS. How is all? Man, what a week! More specifically, what a weekend! This weekend we got to watch our beloved Prophet. Apostles and Church leaders help us grow closer to the Saviour Jesus Christ through their inspired words of love. I adored what we heard this last weekend, and feel blessed to know that we have Christ's living Church on the earth today.

I'll be honest, as a missionary, it was hard for me to not enjoy Elder Oaks' talk above the rest. I completely forgot to bring my notes so as to expand further on his inspired words, but I hope all wrote down his 7 things that we can do to better participate in this most important work of sharing Christ's Gospel. I loved the power of his talk and the clarity with which he spoke. It was very easy to see that the focus on Saturday was very much pushed towards missionary work - the MTC choir even sang! There's a reason that it was such a prominent message this weekend, and we all should ponder why and what we can do to follow the Apostolic invitations we received. I loved Elder Oaks': Every member was invited to pray always for opportunities to share the Gospel, and Elder Anderson beforehand promised us that if we do so, the opportunities will come! All should remember that these are invitations from the Lord, and these are promises from the Lord given through his mouthpieces here on earth. I loved one of Elder Oaks' points about never judging who is ready to hear Christ's restored Gospel and who isn't. We never never never know, and our responsibility is to invite! If we invite faithfully and diligently, then we will know we are successful, no matter how many times rejected. How I loved those word!

Second, I really enjoyed President Nelson's talk on joy. It was visible and tangible the joy that he felt sharing his inspired words as well. His scriptural basis is one of my favourite scriptures. "Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy." I testify of those words. I know with out any doubt that our Father in Heaven created us that we might be happy here and in the world to come. We can have joy here! The way has been placed before us, and the Way is Christ. Jesus Christ is joy, and I know that to be true as President Nelson clearly knew it. Seek for more joy every day. Share the Gospel in some way! That brings joy! Serve your fellow man in some way! That brings joy! And all of that makes us love our Father in Heaven even more, and feel more of His love. That brings joy! I love you all dearly, and all of you bring me joy and peace. 

Mil abrazos,

Elder McDonald

Una Semana de Limpieza

HOLA A TODOS. ¿Cómo andan? I hope every one had a wonderful week! The weather here continues to be completely bipolar. This week had beautiful days, kind of hot days, and really cold days. Fun right?

So, for over half of this week we had to work for like three hours a day to get our old pench clean and ready to be given back to the owner. So that was a fun experience filled with many cleaning supplies and whistling on my part. Elder Salmon told me after wards that he was glad we had the experience because it helped him realise that he enjoys teaching people much more than cleaning.. I was in agreement, but it was good to practice my mopping skills. 

Today we did a zone activity and tried having the Olympic games. It went really well unil the kick ball got kicked over the fence twice. After that we decided to just give up and played fútbol the rest of the time. Classic Argentine Plan "B" that always makes every one happy. Luckily, we now live across the street from the church, so every other day we've been playing football as our morning exercises, which is helping my legs/tree trunks be less clumsy. Elder Salmon has played his whole life, so he gives me a run for my money. 

Things are going really well over here in Ferrari! Life is great, isn't it? There are a lot of happy people here, and I love being in areas like this because these people have very little materially, yet such big hearts and such great joy and faith. Isn't it great to meet more people? I'm grateful for the people here and the love I feel from them, and I'm grateful to have had a family with a big heart and who has given me the things that I need. This week we've been focusing a lot on touching on the family better when we share our message or speak to people, because family has a very universal importance. I feel like I've talked a lot about family over the weeks, but it's difficult to stress enough the joy that comes from having a family built upon the rock that is Christ. Work hard to keep building, because if we build upon Christ's foundation, no wind or rain can destroy our work. 

Is every one riciculously excited for General Conference this weekend? I cannot contain my excitement, or how weirded out that I am because when we have conference I'll also have nearly a year down here in the South. But nothing makes me more excited than being able to sit down and listen to our living Prophet and Apostles speak with divine inspiration to the world. I'll leave all wit the same invitation President Robertson gave us: Go in to Conference with personal questions! We have been promised many times that as we listen to those inspired messages, our doubts and questions will be answered if we're willing to do what's necessary to receive the asnwers. Maybe your question won't be directly touched upon, but the Spirit will be there to touch all of us if we accept It. All are invited to watch the leaders of Christ's church speak, and I hope all have an opportunity to be touched by what is to be said.

How I love this special people and their hearts of gold. How I love my family, and all of you. 

¡Que tengan una semana bárbara!

Elder McDonald

Zone activity... with just us four because we had to leave early. Haha.

Alfajores.. muy ricos.

The complex! People here love using tarps! Haha, not many people have back yards here, so to make their huge front yards more private they like putting up tarps. It makes contacting houses even more difficult, not being able to see if any one came out or not. Hahaha.

My pench mates!

The baptism!

No Hay Ferraris En Ferrari...

¡BUUEEEEENNN DÍA! How is every one? Well? Fall is rolling in, huh? The weather here is literally ridiculous. This weekend was a blazer until Sunday rolled around and then it got cold again! It blows my mind how indecisive it is. But I arrived in Ferrari, and we had a pretty crazy week. 

My new companion is Elder Salmon, from.... ALABAMA! WOO. Exciting news. Sadly, he's lost much of his accent, but he's still got a good spirit of the good ol' South. He's got a big ol' family of ten as well! I'm excited to keep getting to know him and kill it in Ferrari together. Plus he's played futbol all his life, so I'm ready to get good! Probably not though. Ha.

So, when I arrived, I was informed that we would be moving in two days, which was exciting, seeing as the old pench was pretty awful. Now we live in a giant apartment complex. It makes me feel nice and Yankee living on the third floor and climbing the stairs every day. It's a nice pench, and once the other Elders here from an other area find their own, it wil be nice and spacious. So this week was pretty insane and hectic with all of the moving and organising and every thing that happened. We got to finish it with a baptism though, of a woman named Betty. It was a nice end to a crazy week. This area makes me really excited. There is so much potential and there are so many people to talk to and help here! It is very similar to Villa Posse, just huge. And I already love it and am excited to work with the members here and apply all of the things I've learned up to this point so Elder Salmon and I can destroy Ferrari and bring these wonderful news to all that we can. 

Honestly, so many things happened this week that it makes my brain spin trying to think of what to share with you all, but know that I'm happy and incredibly excited to work as hard as I can here. I am so grateful for all of the examples of hard work and perseverance that I've been given in my life, and every day I learn more and grow. That's why we're here! To learn more and to grow, so that in the end we can be prepared to meet our Father in Heaven and receive the inheritance He has prepared for us. Pray every day for opportunities to serve! Pray every day to find some one who needs your help, because there is always some one who needs it. I think the whole world right know is "passing through a difficult moment" as they say here, and I know that the whole world needs more love, and needs more charity, which is the pure love of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Strive to help some one every day, whether it be a quick kind word, or finding refugees that I'm sure are still arriving and in need of love and help. Even if every one says they don't want your help, it will always feel good to offer it! 

I loooove my family and I love all of you dearly. I love these wonderful people dearly here in Argentina and have family here too. 

Que Dios Les Bendiga,

Elder McDonald

ME VOYYYYY

BUENAS. What a week filled with miracles and exciting news! So, yesterday we got the calls, and I'm leaving Libertad! I wasn't too surprised, to be frank. But I'm going to an area called Ferrari! And what's more, it's right next to my first area, Villa Posse. Iwas literally so excited when I found out I was going to Ferrari. That zone is great, and Villa Posse right next door has many wonderful memories. Plus it has a sweet name. 

So, this Saturday, Elder McCollum and I went by a young man named Carlos we had met a few days before, and after searching a few minutes for the keys to his house, he let us right in. As we got to know him, we found out he has family and friends who are members of the Church, and had learned a bit about the Church. He goes to an Evangelical church and has kept strong in his faith in Christ through many difficulties in his family. As we spoke and as he told us about him self and his expereinces, it was clear that the Lord had been preparing him to receive the Gospel. And as we taught the message of the Restoration of Christ's Gospel to him, he sat and listened intently with his cute little baby in his lap. After explaining the Book of Mormon and the promise it contains so that we can know it's true, we asked him what it would mean for him if the Spirit tells him the Book of Mormon is true, and he said, "Well, I guess it would mean I'd have to change it up a bit!" He accepted the invitation to read and pray, and upon knowing it is true, told us he would of course be baptised by some one holding the Priesthood. 

Meeting Carlos was a beautiful lesson that the Lord is truly preparing the hearts of many of his children to receive the fulness of Christ's Gospel. I know that that's true, and I've seen it happen over and over again here and back home in the USA. I felt like I should mention that story to all and invite all to remember that the Lord loves all of His children dearly, and is preparing many of them to find joy in the Gospel. Keep that in mind always, and never stop looking. And never tell your self that some one you know would never accept to hear these good news - you never know who is prepared! Keep praying and keep looking for those that need your faith and the Lord's help through you! 

I love you all muuuuuchhooooo and am excited to let every one know how things go over in Ferrari! Be happy and choose the right!

Um abrazao,

Elder McDonald

EL DOCTOR DEL PERÓN

BUEN DÍA. Friends, family, I thank you for all of the wonderful emails I received from you this week. My time is short, so If a response didn't come today, be sure that one will come the following week. This week was wondrous, and we ended with a wondrous visit to our wealthy friends Mario and Beatrice, who have a museum on their property. I'm sure you all remember. Due to my short amount of time, I'm probably going to dedicate this email to that visit and the stories that came out of it.

So, we sat down, and began chatting about how their week was, and they said it was fine except that a friend of theirs is sick and just got out of a coma. As we spoke about that, it was some how brought up that Mario was the doctor of the Perón family. As in the presidential family. Isabel Perón. He was the family doctor. Our mouths megan to hang open when it got to that point. THEN, he decided to go on about all of the crazy corrupt South-American government situations he was dragged in to because of that relationship. He told us all of this very openely, so I'm trusting that by talking about this I won't be assassinated in a few days. Once, he and his wife had gone out quickly to investigate the why of a missing friend. He went to some sort of place to ask around and get information, and ended up wih a gun to his head and he and his wife stuffed in separate vehicles. He told us that they were taken to the same facility, some place called the Poso de Bamfield (that's how we understood it). When he got there, he was taken in and as he arrived he saw some one in there who was a bowling buddy. His bowling buddy took one look at him and flipped, yelling that he was the doctor to the Perón family and why on earth had they brought him here? His wife in the meantime was taken out of the facility and told to find her way back on foot. She wandered around hiding under cars in all of the abandoned car lots that were there for fear of being follwed until she found a highway and waited. A bus finally arrived and she jumped in front of it to stop it (all dirty from hiding and running). She asked the bus driver where she was and he said the highway was called the Camino Negro. Apparently he recognised her as some one who had ascaped from this facility and told her she could get in if she hid at the back of the bus. So she finally arrives back at the Perón household and tells them that her husband is at this place called the Poso de Bamfield. So the chief of police also flips and tells his people if they don't go get him they're dead. So they get him, and he returns, and all is well. Every one asks him if he was treated badly and he just tells them "No, no, they treated me fine." so he didn't have to get more involved. So by that point our mouths were wide open. We may have been drooling. There are more details and every thing but I don't have time! The important part is that this couple is pretty incredible, and afterward we had another very honest coversation about faith and the Plan of Salvation. And we spoke about how with all that they've been through and all of the science that has surrounded their lives, trying to start believing in some thing they can't see is difficult. But they told us that they admire our faith and the happiness we and others have a lot, and that they would pray and try to increase their faith. It was an incredible conversation. And what a testimony it was again that even some one who has millions of dollars and friends in such high places needs more than just that, and feels that there is more than just that, especially after going through governmental kidnapping experiences. I know that God lives and is our Father, and that He wants all of His children to return to Him. All of them. And He has provided the way to do that! It's been given to us, and if we humble our selves before Him with a desire to know if it's right, he'll answer our prayers too.

How I love my life and this opportunity the Lord has given me, and how I love my family here on earth. Until next week!

Elder McDonald