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Mexico, Mexico City South - Spanish Speaking 

Hi familia!

You said if I needed anything to tell you... So naturally, I thought of something I needed. I would really appreciate a WAHL brand haircut buzzer kit thing. I cut my hair last night. LOLOLOL. It was really fun and very liberating, actually, so yeah. Elder Brown said they sell them at Costco. Thanks! And I am not opposed to a jump rope - I think that would be a great thing to have! Thanks for looking out for me. Thanks for the letters and packages. The head lamp is so awesome and hilarious, and my roommates probably hate me but I love it. I really do love the letters you said me everyday, mom and dad. They are a definite boost of my days.

What happened this week... Okay. They didn't have pizza last Friday. I was extremely not happy. You know when you look forward to something that is supposed to be concrete, or not change, stick to a schedule. WELL, the MTC is trying to be hip and not sell pizza on my pday anymore. So that was that. On Saturday I saw Hermana Parry and she was soo stoked about getting her travel plans! Maybe I will get mine tomorrow... or next week. Or idk. My companion got his Visa for Merida Mexico, and he said 50 missionaries are going that Mar. 18 since their visas went through. However there are 20 missionaries whose visas didn't go through. Either I go, or I get reassigned. I think it would be fun to get reassigned for like a month as a slow transition into Hispanic culture, and to say I went two places on my mission. Just kidding. I am not prideful. I am so humble. I rofled at the note you sent me about the definition of pride. I think you made that up to sound like me. It was really funny. But really awkward because I had a self realization and decided to fix myself. Haha. So thanks about that.

So we now have two new teachers. Or masters. (maestros). Hermano M. and Hermano C. I love them both a lot. As a district we had a venting session about the MTC with M. It was what we all needed. We have all felt the same highs and lows, so it was applicable to everyone. We talked about how we hated getting thrown into something and not being taught how to plan, study, or teach effectively until like half way through our MTC experience... The only answer, or feedback, we got from teachers was to follow the spirit and learn from it. That is a very simple thing to say and very difficult to do. To have faith is easy to say, but hard to act on or do. It requires so much even though it is such a simple principle. I have just recently had lessons where I have truly felt the spirit guide my thoughts to meet the needs of my investigators. It is so cool. But it only happens when you really plan and prepare with the spirit... BUT you cannot teach a script because then you aren't following the spirit and you are NOT meeting the needs of the people. Difficult, difficult, difficult, but very rewarding. I am still learning. However, I have experiences that will allow me to look back on and build on. Its still a work in progress. Hermano C. is the funniest Chilean you ever did meet. He talks SO FAST, has the funniest gestures, and his facial expressions are gold. I think the first thing he said to us was Feliz Navidad, but never cracked a smile and I was extremely confused until I learned to appreciate his humor. So yeah. He is Ricardo as an invesigator. And let me tell you Ricardo is a character. We tried to get in the door by saying we were missionaries of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints like 5 times but he was like uisoegnosefinbg in spanish and I was like STOP JUST LET ME IN. In the meantime his old class was watching us and being thoroughly entertained because they had been through this before. But luckily my companion is witty and has common sense. He said Mormon. Ricardo was like OH YAY I LOVE THE MORMONS. And we got in. Everytime we prayed with him he was like having seizures/dancing/and saying amen to every religious word I mentioned. Normally I wouldn't be able to contain my laughter, but I am mature now, right?. Joke? Yeah, joke. The lesson went pretty well. He believes the Bible like no other and probably sleeps with it. So any scriptures that are in the Bible to support the Book of Mormon, or latter day prophet quotes seem to work. I haven't had time to study that yet... My other investigator is Nando. I love Nando. He is the kind of person that is so chill about life, is willing to believe in whatever but hasn't had any reason to believe in anything. So we are applying the gospel to his life and trying to commit him to things that could help his spiritual progression and give him reason to believe in his Heavenly Father and his plan for him. It is so fun. I like teaching him. We got him to "come to church with us" and read some stuff in the Book of Mormon, as well as pray a lot. Success.

Funny story. Okay, well as you may know, I saw Katie and Uncle Sean at the temple. Well afterwards Mack got in trouble because the security guard stalked her home and questioned her. She had a hard night, felt so bad, and talked to her Branch president. Yeah she was kind of a mess. It is funny. So I saw her and she was explaining to me what happened and I was going to grab her hand and say that its all okay in a funny voice... UNTIL she screamed "AHHHH DON'T TOUCH ME IM A MISSIONARY" (lolwutsorryfreakstopscreaming). Right as that happened a line of 50 missionaries simultaneously looked at me with faces of disgust like I was some rapist in the MTC. Naturally, I ran away. I think that added some dramatic effect and made it seem like I really was a rapist caught in the act. Sorry for the visual but it was necessary.

I auditioned for a solo thing to sing at an MTC devotional and made it. So that's cool I guess. I'll tell you how that goes. I went to the doctor about my jaw. He thinks it is just stressed. So I am doing stuff to help that. And it is feeling a lot better. Yesterday I was in a trio because my companion went to SLC to get his visa stuff, and Elder Dixon had physical therapy so I got to leave the MTC. It was so scary. I was like a scared little child lost in Disneyland. The name tag gives people a reason to love you and honk at you, come up to you and ask for INSPIRATIONAL words of wisdom, etc etc. As a missionary there is so much pressure to act the best that I can. I am a representative of Christ. It was cool to get a little taste of that. Also, I loved talking to REAL people. It was soo funny and fun and I miss real people. I love weird MTC people a lot, but I am excited to talk to people on the streets of Mexico City.

So I watched Missions are Forever on Sunday night. It is a Holland talk and super awesome. He was explaining how we are apostles without all the keys. I will never get this schedule or way of life ever again. So I am going to take full advantage of it and love every minute of it. I want my mission to be something I can say I gave my all to. No regrets. I wish I would've studied a little different for the first few weeks but I am learning and constantly changing my ways to get better and better. He also stressed obedience. I have to do this the Lord's way to be successful. I am on his time. The mission is so great. I am learning lots of life lessons that I can keep forever.. Other devotionals or firesides I listened to this week were great. Faith was stressed a lot. I guess I never realized what faith truly is... because I am learning to much more about what it really is. Oh yeah. and I taught a lesson about the Atonement on Sunday for my district. It was the coolest experience. I love teaching now. Weird. Haha... and it is so much easier to do in english. The Atonement is so great. Christ felt every pain and sadness we felt. He is able to fully comfort us when we need it, and he is able to fully cleanse us when we need it. He paid the price of justice. All we have to do is have faith in him, repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. Super easy. We, as humans, make it hard. I am sooooo excited to teach the message of hope the Atonement brings to the people of Mexico. I am way out of time. And I can never think of anything good to say in these emails so sorry.

Have sooo much fun in california. Drive safely. I love and miss you. Paz y bendiciones.

Love, Elder Macdonald Miss McCall Sibling love Cousin love

Posted by Elder Matthew Keith Macdonald at 7:27 AM Mateo's Addresses