Monday, October 19, 2015

Columbia, the great outdoors!

Hey friends and fam!!!!
This week has been a blur because we've done a lot and had some really edifying experiences. First off we went to Columbia clothing employee store which is crazy cool!!! You have to get passes to get in and luckily the members I live with had passes; anyway everything is half off so I bought some souvenirs :)))) We went to a tramp park on Monday don't worry my backs fine, we just did dodgeball and foam pits, and plus I'm not that crazy to do any flips that could end badly. It was super fun I got to get my zone a lot better which is good because unity is the key!!! We taught Mo on Monday night and we watched mnf while we ate it was funny because she's super passionate about it so we just had to watch haha we did a lesson during halftime though. Mo is a dry Mormon meaning she goes to church does everything right she just hasn't been baptized!! It's funny her only concern is member missionary work and how not to force people to accept our message. Haha she practically is a member, we taught her again on Saturday but at a FHE at the Cornelius's who are AWESOME!! They remind me of home they have a lot of kids and they are messy haha super cool sister Cornelius is a convert who originally Buddhist and her dad is a Buddhist priest so she helped mo with her questions too!

We went tot the Caracci's a lot this week they are literally the greatest people ever! They all were baptized 1-3 years ago and truly are converted to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Chris so the dad and he has had a rough life but the gospel has blessed him so much and he tells us that all the time, he is getting the Melchizedek priesthood soon which we are happy to hear! We go to the Caracci's 2-3 times a week and if we don't have a dinner they just say come on over!! Haha love them lots!!! 

Wednesday we had zone conference and I enjoyed it but it was a 9 hour meeting/training. I love President and Sister Ballard they are the mission parents out here, and since he's got some apostolic blood in the family so he lays down doctrine simply and powerfully. Basically makes you repent right there and start new again! Haha super cool guy glad he's the pres. Our theme was becoming master teachers, so we focused on how Jesus taught because He was the master teacher and if we teach like him the fonts will be flowing with peeps! 

I notice personally how Jesus Christ taught, normally people asked him the question and he taught using what the people knew. Like in galilee he taught using rural things like animals when in Jerusalem, he used money, trade, inheritance, which is a big-city theme. Christ used the scriptures and bore testimony, and gave service to all no matter who they were. He healed the sick, the dead he raised. He bled in gethsemane and died on Calvary for you and me. If there's anything I can testify of it is Jesus Christ. I know He Lives, and He LOVES all of us so much! We called him older brother before Earth, our Savior who breaks our bonds of sin and grief today, and our advocate to Heavenly Father in the world to come. I know this because I have personal experiences that have developed my faith, even though it's hard. My favorite scripture story in the New Testament is in Matthew ch 14 v.22-33. Read it and figure out why :)) how will you hold on to Christ?

Quick Shoutout to my cousin elder Nate Smeds!!! This is random but I've been thinking a lot about ya Nate, I admire the things you've done on your mission and your life. Your super smart and when your a doc you'll have to fix me up physically and emotionally like on Grey's Anatomy!! Haha I have a missionary in my zone that looks and acts a lot like you too haha! I love you Natey Boy!!!!

Love, Elder McDonald

Ps. Hand written letters should come soon

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