4/16/2018

WOW. Leaving JC was definitely really really weird. I felt so content though. I knew that I had did all that I could have done in that area. Through the grace of God we found much success and also experienced many failures. Some of the best experiences in my life happened in JC. I hope to continue to fly from here. 

I got the transfer call to come to Hendersonville NC!! It is so incredibly beautiful here. To be honest on the beauty scale North Carolina>Tennessee! So so amazing. We are in the most gorgeous mission in the country hands down! My new companion is Elder Molloy from Laguna Beach California!! We are getting along great and I love this guy. We have been out for about the same amount of time and he will probably be my last companion. He loves Spiderman, the beach, and to work hard lol. We will have an awesome time together. Hendersonville is kinda like JC just less people and the ward is a bit less organized. So there is a lot of work to do! 

We had Stake Correlation with our stake President, Mission President, and the STLs in Asheville! President Van Oosetendorp is an awesome stake president. He is a dentist from Mesa AZ actually!!!! Dad he says he has heard of you. We went to dinner with President Pickett and Sister Pickett which was unreal. Two things we are doing with the zone is:

1. In every member visit missionaries will teach about the admonition from President Nelson to minister to to others.

2. Find through the members of the stake! Part members, children of record, etc etc

There is so much to do here. I will write more next week. We had a couple people come to church this week which was sweet. We drive a Toyota Tacoma which is legit! More to come this week with MLC and a trip to Waynesville! 

Elder Mac 

 

 

 

4/9/2018

Howdy family and friends. Long awaited news for sure was transfers. I have been in Johnson City for 6 months of my mission. I will be transferred this Wednesday to a place called Hendersonville, North Carolina!!!! I have been in 4/5 states that are within our mission so far (Virginia, NC, TN, and Georgia). My new companion is Elder Molloy! I have met him before and he seems like a chill dude. 

Words cannot describe how grateful I am to have served in JC. I have grown so much physically, spiritually, and mentally here than any of my other areas combined. I have had my favorite companions I have probably ever had...the members here are people that I will also love and cherish. There is so much that I can say about these people. I have made so many great relationships and I have truly come to feel like I am friends with those whom I serve with. 

The recent  coverts here such as Edna, Brandyn, and Alberto are people that I had the wonderful opportunity to teach are legitamately my best friends. I love them so much and it is going to be hard to say goodbye. The good news about Hendersonville is that it is on the way to the Columbia SC temple and so when they go to the temple for the first time (Brandyn and Alberto) I can go with them!!!! Seriously could not have worked out any  better. The next couple days will be filled with goodbyes to so many people that I love. I suck at goodbyes!

My birthday was awesome. I do not feel 21 at all! Alberto is a professional car detailer and so we detailed our Toyota RAV 4 with him for like 3 hours and then ate Jimmy Johns. Later than night I went to a Mexican restaurant with a member and also with Brandyn! We bought matching rosaries and I bought a Mexican belt to represent my Spanish calling haha. Elder Vellinga has the same belt which is a symbolism of our broship!

Saturday I went to an Alpaca farm at the Mushet's home! Remidned me of Peru back in the day! And no mom I didn't get spit on this time. 

I would like to use the remaining time to talk about what happened on Sunday. That was the most spiritual day of my mission so far. It was fast and testimony meeting so we went to Church in a spirit of prayer and fasting! One of the first people to stand up to give a testimony was Alberto. I was so excited. I have had the opportunity ton see very one of my recent converts bear their testimonies in Sacrament meeting which has really been one of the greatest blessings. He stood there and with purity and sincerity bore his testimony of the Savior. He bore his testimony of how grateful he was to have learned about the message of the Restoration of the Church through the Prophet Joseph Smith and how he knows that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. He said that if it were not for the Gospel or a belief in the Savior he would have perished into a very very dark place. For those of you who do not know about his past, he served two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan 8-10 years ago. He  is only 28 and he suffered majorly from PTSD and physical burdens. He has struggled with addiction and with depression. He is a living miracle of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. While he was bearing his testimony I was bawling my eyes out in the back sitting next to Brandyn on my right and Edna was on my left. One of the purest moments of love I have ever felt. I soon got up to bear my testimony after my good friend Elder Stockinger. I could barely get words out of my mouth as my suit and face were stained in tears and I felt so much love and gratitude for the people here. I testified of that. People were dropping tears like no tomorrow. Wow. So really life changing day for Alberto it was his 1st: testimony, he got married, and baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! We did not go to his wedding because it was very small and private for family but his baptismal service was the most beautiful I have ever been apart of. Alberto asked me to give a talk, baptize, and confirm him a member of the Church. The talk I gave was on baptism and how it relates to the Atonement. I will send my outline on that. Then we went and performed the baptism. It was so beautiful and I felt the Spirit so strongly. Alberto hugged me for like 3 minutes after the font doors had been closed, absolutely bawling his eyes out. I asked him afterwards how he truly felt and he told me "I felt as if I had never set foot on battleground in my life". I testify that the Lord washed away his guilt and sorrow that day. And as I confirmed him a members and gave him the gift of the Holy Ghost, I felt the power of God come upon me as I bestowed a blessing upon him from the Celestial Kingdom of Heaven through the priesthood power. He has such a good life ahead of him with his new membership and family. I am so thankful I got to be apart of that experience before I left. I know that God's hand was in every step of the way for him and for me. What a beautiful day April 8! 

I am excited for a new start band to finish strong!! I love all of you! I love Johnson City!!!! I will miss it but I am excited to start new! 

Elder Mac

 

 

 

4/2/2018

A week I will never forget on my mission. There have been so many changes in the world since I have been on my mission....ranging from the election of Donald Trump to Sustaining a Prophet of God in a solemn assembly. I will always sustain the brethren of the church. They are the leaders chosen to guide God's church.

The spirit spoke to me that living prophets are REAL. Not just some figurative idea or fairy tale, but a real live fact that we can find joy in. This gives me an even stronger witness that I know Christ is my Savior and he loves and cares about us. There are so many amazing things that have happened this weekend. HISTORIC things. 

So many things happened this week. From going to a dinner and having a dance party with Edna and Oduwa eating Nigerian food to going to a rock concert (christian fellowship church). 

It was amazing because an investigator of ours invited us to his church called Grace Fellowship. over 2000 were there and it was a good service; however, attending the priesthood session with Alberto and feeling the difference in the Spirit was a testimony to me that we really do have the fullness of the Gospel and it is available for anyone who is REALLY looking.

That is the problem with Christians in the South; or anymore perhaps. They are awesome people and have great values, but they deny the power of God to be the same yesterday, today, and forever, and they are "content" where they are at because they do not believe God has revealed more. A shame sometimes, but hey we do our best. I love the South and the people and I know that one day every knee shall bow and every tongue shall TRULY confess from their lips and HEART that Jesus is the Christ. 

For conference weekend we were spoiled by the members! For Saturday session we watched it with one of my favorite member families the Fords, and then we went to visit Liz and cleaned her house and car and sent her to tears of joy. Then afterwards we watched the afternoon session with the Westovers and Edna and Oduwa!! Saturday morning we went over to the Wells home for crepes and deliciousness! And then we went with them to Jake the Snakes house and enjoyed that! Seriously the best weekend ever. We also attended priesthood session with Bishop Abbott and Alberto!! I have learned so much and had the best weekend!

This weekend, Alberto Castro, Elizabeth, and her son Peter should be getting baptized this weekend before I leave!! Pray for each and every one of them please!!! They are such amazing people and are ready to receive this covenant with the Lord. 

This is most likely my last week in JC!! Wow.....I have loved it!!! We will go out with a bang!! I love these people individually for who they are and I am trying my best to teach them how to feel and fill their lives with the Spirit of God! Remember that before we can help others we must help ourselves. 

We have to make a conscious effort every day to fill our lives with light. If we let ourselves "go with the flow" and be tossed to and fro, the natural man or woman within us will take over! We must choose to follow God every day! 

Love yall

Elder Mac 

 

 

3/26/2018

Holy smokes this week was absolutely unreal. SO much action. Seriously I have had 0 time to even study this week because of our schedule!!!! Imma jump into it: 

So last week for PDAY was busy signing up for college and that got all taken care of and we played a ton of sports. Today was insanely fun. We played 18 holes of golf for the first time in 2 years for me! I did surprisingly well. Even had a 30 foot birdie putt from the fringe!! 

Unreal. Alberto is doing so well.Seriously love that man. He is progressing towards baptism on April the 7th and also will get married this week!! 

The Jonesboro Elders found a trailer park completely FULL OF HISPANICS! Elder Vellinga and I have been going so hard with Hispanics. We have both always dreamed about teaching in Spanish together! La vida es buena! 

Elizabeth had surgery on her mouth and got all her teeth taken out. We gave her a blessing and she is doing well. Her son Peter will be baptized on the 6th of April! She might as well. 

We went on basically a 3 days road trip Thursday, Friday, and Saturday! We went and worked with the Greenville Elders for Thursday. I spent the day with Elder Battad. We had an awesome day in the beautiful country and had some very spiritual conversations. I love getting to bro out with the Elders. We slept on couches that night and woke right up and got on the road towards Knoxville and went on exchanges with the APs Elder Hancock and Sharp. I came out with Elder Hancock and Elder Sharp and I go home together. Sharp is awesome, he will play football for Oregon St post mish. Elder Vellinga on Friday night got to baptize a lady he was teaching before he came to Johnson City! Her names is Becky Cooper! It was beautiful. I got to be a witness for it. After that we ate at Pey Wey with the APs and parties. Life es buena. After all that we went to a baptism in Greenville that Sister Hall, the STL I have been serving with for 6 months, had been working for a really long time to get! Super spiritual weekend. 

We have been meeting with Debra Stone since December and she is working towards being baptized again. She has concerns with stress-correlated smoking and has a hard time around people. We really felt the Spirit as.  We testified of the Atonement of Jesus Christ that can help her overcome her weaknesses. 

One guy I can never stop talking about is Brandyn. Seriously the dude is my best friend. No one can get us to shut up when we are around each other! After Elders Quorum he had really felt the Spirit when a man in the Quorum expressed some weaknesses. Brandyn came up to e basically in tears and asked what he could do to help him. I have never seen him do that or anything too similar before, but I know that the Spirit is with him. Such an awesome dude. 

This week will be crucial in helping people get to the font and finding new people and helping others progress and dropping those who do not want to. We love the work. We are so tired every single day! Giving it our all. I love my comp Elder Vellinga. People think we are brothers. WE ARE!:) Love yall. It was Elder Vellinga’s Birthday on Thursday while we were in Greenville! 

Elder Mac 

3/19/2018

ayyyyy muchachos y familia. This week was insane I hope yall had an awesome St Pattys Day. I got pinched like 30 times because I wasn't wearing green but I guess I just enjoy attention too much. Nah I decided to wear Alex's wedding tie because I got to baptize someone who is like a Brother to me. So much fun yet so much tribulation this week. As it says in Alma 17, "they had many afflictions; they did suffer much; both in body and mind.....but they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently that they might know the word of God...and they have given themselves to much prayer, and fasting...and when they taught they taught with authority and power... 

Update on Alberto Castro!!! He has decided that he wants to get baptized on April 7 (best bday present ever). After considering the powerful message we left with him last week he had the feeling that God wanted him to get baptized as soon as possible. Bishop Abbott will marry them soon!! 

We moved Brandyn into his apartment last week and then let him know that Satan was going to unleash his wrath and whirlwinds upon him this week, and that when he faces these trials he will need  to rely upon the Lord. randyn is such an example to me of keeping the faith and having a positive, happy attitude on life. He has mastered optimism. He committed to give up vaping and did really well this week. The blessings of him keeping the Law of Chastity were insurmountable. For those of you who are reading this......I have been teaching Brandyn since November of 2017......such as grind but so worth it!!!  Anyways but since he has moved out he has been avoiding relationship problems that were unnecessary and doesn't have to constantly deal with kids that technically aren't really his to handle anyways. Stress gone. 

It all started on Sunday. Brandyns girlfriend Liz broke up with him right in front of us (she is still investigating the church and her and her son have baptismal dates for April 6)...it was a haymaker though... Dated for 2 years. He was so strong and moved past that real quick. He always kept telling me "dude I got you" when we would talk about him getting baptized in a few days. He then got really really sick and we went over and gave him a blessing and the next day he was feeling way better. However, because he got sick he missed work so he would basically have to work overtime until the day before his baptism. Nonetheless, he endured well! Then I got sick!!! More sick than I have ever been on my mission.....and I was supposed to baptize him! It was just nonstop action. I went on a power up with my past companion Elder Prueitt and also with Elder Farnsworth and Elder Nixon. That Thursday I worked all day but it was miserable...and then I worked all day Friday until 4:30 then decided to go home while Elder Vellinga took some of the other elders to go do Brandyns Baptismal interview etc etc. I immediately fell asleep for 4 hours. SO nice. Brandyn did really really well with his interview and from then on we were smooth sailing to the service. 

The service was beautiful and very spiritual. I got to baptize Brandyn. It felt like I was baptizing Alex or Jake or even one of my uncles or something like that. So so proud of this dude. I love him with all my heart and the Lord will bless him and he stays faithful to the church. He can bless so many peoples lives. We hung out with him for a couple hours after the service! A lot of members were there who had supported him on his way to this covenant. 

The next day I was still feeling under the weather, but I had the opportunity to confirm him as a member of the Church. So many wonderful promised blessing were given to him through the Spirit such a finding someone to marry in the temple and doing family history work for his loved ones who had passed on. He has almost no immediate family members, but gained so many! He was shedding some tears as he took the Sacrament for the first time renewing his covenant he had made with the Lord. 

Most of yall will probably meet this guy in the future. Flying him out to California someday!! We will be planning a temple trip soon! Love yall 

Elder Mac