1/01/2018

Boy was this week nuts!!! Christmas, best gift was being able to serve the Lord at this time. I will be honest though, the holiday cheer out west destroys Tennessee. I got to talk to my family and friends for a little bit. Classic quote from that was, “Hey man, there’s even waves in Shiverpool”. Haha if anyone knows me you know what that means. We had an absolutely amazing dinner with one of my favorite family, the Wells. He is an oral surgeon so we talk a lot about that and they cooked us some fantastic Prime Rib roast. SO RICO. New Years doesn’t really feel like New Years at all out here there wasn’t too many celebrations but we are going to celebrate ourselves!!! We are going to die today from a workout with Jake the Snake.....played basketball this morning with the ward. I am still out of shape but I am coming up on my last 6 months!! Time to work out more. 

We are currently in a Trio right now which is pretty awesome. We have transfers again in 2 weeks..the changes will be super interesting and I am pretty excited for them! We are going to work hard together for the time while it lasts. We are guessing Frederick is leaving and Prueitt for sure is as well, but he will still be my District Leader! 

So many awesome experiences this week! We had a power-up exchange and I got to go with uno de mis hijos Elder Ney!! We had an awesome day. Good to see the guy again. 

My sisters who were with me in the MTC, Sister Yauney and Sister See went home this past week...We got the entire Mexico MTC crew at transfer (Vellinga and Detiege). Glorious day. 

I officially conquered the one full year I would be in the mission field! 

We are still teaching Brandyn Myers and his family that are all on date for January. We are waiting for Angela to get back in time. She should be going to the temple grounds soon! I am honestly so stoked for the holidays to be over. All the college students are gone and our other investigators! 

We also adventured all the way down to Columbia, SC to take my recent convert Edna to the temple for the first time! Her husband baptized her for those who have passed on and then I got to baptize Oduwa and Elder Frederick! Definitely something I will always remember! 

It has been an awesome week for real. Lately I have been gaining a stronger testimony about praying to the Lord with a vision and for help with the goals you set. I know that if we pray daily and with real legit intentions that the Lord will bless us! I hope that we all can develop our own visions of who we want to become for the year 2018!!! WRITE THEM. Somewhere where you’ll always see them. I will give yall my goals next week love yunz les amo Ciao

Elder Mac 

12/25/2017

MERRY CHRISTMAS YALL!!!! I hope everyone is remembering the reason for the season! Johnson City TN is still awesome and the work is going well! We opened all our presents this morning. Love yall! By the way I will be in a Trio for the next 3 weeks!! We had a mid-transfer because of all the missionaries going home! Elder Prueitt (our DL) will be with us! So stoked! Elder Detiege just got called to be a District Leader so he is peacing out!

We had some wonderful dinners last night with Brandyn Myers family and the Mathson family! 

Highlights: I went on an exchange with (straight up my role model) Elder Leavitt one of the APs! Loved it though. Seriously look up to that guy so much. He is such a homie! 

Brandon Myers, his girlfriend Elizbeth, and son Peter are all on baptismal date for next month! Angela will be getting baptized in January as well we just need to schedule with her!

We had a wonderful lesson with Sarah Platt! She told us she wants to become a member of the church! We will set her on date for next week as well! We are just so stoked with everything that is going on! 

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

I am so thankful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I know that he lives and I know that what we teach is HIS gospel and it is what HE desires for all of us to have. I love my family! 3/4 FaceTimes calls down only 1 to go! Love you all:) 

Elder Mac 

1. ZC w/ Sister 

2. Elder Leavitt and FRANK!!

3. Apt

4. Bristol Speedway 

5. Brett

6. Model 

12/18.2017

Hey yall this week was packed full of fun stuff!!! We are doing well the with the work! This area is always been pumping since I got here. It is kinda like. Flame that can just never be doused! We had tons of festivities and meetings this week tambien! Just a quick update on the work..: 

Angela: She is still coming to church and doing really well. Her baptismal date is for this coming weekend but we aren�ft sure she is quite ready. She said she has a ton of questions for us and the next time we meet with her we will have the opportunity to see when she would like to be baptized. She said that she really wants to go to the Washington DC Temple before she makes her commitment! 

Brandon and Elizebeth: these two are absolutely solid! Brandon was being taught by the other elders in our ward but since we took over the entire ward we have started teaching him! He is so solid. He absolutely loves the missionaries and really wants to improve his life. Elizabeth is his girlfriend and he introduced her to us and they both came to church this week! We set Brandon on baptismal date for January 13! 

We have a lot more investigators that are new in which we are meeting with this week! It should be a very momentous week for us:)....

The college students of ETSU are on the way out this semester so things might die down here in JC. Hopefully the energy stays. 

We had MLC this week! It was fun to see some good friends and to receive some wisdom from the leaders of the mission. We talked a lot about visions and setting goals and plans for ourselves and for everyone! I am coming up on my 6 month mark really soon....So I am diligently trying to think about where I want to be and where I want to see myself! 

CHRISTMAS PARTY! We did a skit this week and we lip synced The Chipmunk Song (Me, Sisters See & Hall, Elder Prueitt). It was absolutely legendary. Video has been taken but screen shots will suffice. We had 3 zones roll up! So awesome. My and dad I love y�fall. Definitely saw that Nacho Libre vid tho! 

We had 5 investigators roll up church! Awesomeness. I recently finished Book of Mormon! So stoked. I am going to finish Jesus the Christ this transfer. Hopefully. Just a lot I want to do this transfer. 

We had 2 really significant miracles happen this week with the gift of healing: 

#1: Brother Parker from the ward had a friend who had recently suffered from a stroke. He took us to the hospital to visit him and when we got there he was in brutal condition. He had so many wires and tubes coming in and out of him and he was out in a coma with stitches in his head. He was like a vegetable. Brother Parker asked us to give him a blessing but his head was so messed up that I couldn�ft even put my hands on his head so I just prayed over him...we left and a couple weeks later (this week) he got news that he is basically completely recovered! Doctors were astounded! I�fm so grateful for the priesthood!! God is good. We will go meet Charlie (the guy) this week! 

#2: the day after we set Brandon on baptismal date he went to the ER with an injured disk in his back and nerve damage in his hip! He asked us that night to come over and give him a Blessings he literally couldn�ft get out of bed nor move and the night before he had seemed completely normal! After the blessing we left and he said that the swelling and pain he was experiencing instantly went away and he was able to come to church! 

This week was insane! Lovin life and just trying my best:) merry Christmas family and friends! Can�ft wait to talk with the fam!!

Elder Mac 

12/11/2017

Title this week is a huge shout out to my favorite Christmas song in the world: All Alone on Christmas by Darlene Love which is in the movie Home Alone 2! Classic. 

IT SNOWED!!! Hahahaha yes. White Christmas! Got some awesome footage! JERRY OF THE DAY!! Snowball fights for days! 

This week was nuts. My boy Elder Martinez went home to Gilbert AZ this week so that was really weird. We had a Zone PDAY last week to celebrate his passing. ‘‘Twas awesome and this Zone is unreal. There’s a pic of that PDAY! 

So...I got sick for the first time on my mission (like bed ridden) and that totally sucked but I was back in action the next day! It was funny because I ran into one of the members from Oak Ridge in Walmart, Brother Phillips!! That was so fun. He is a cop so we got to ride in his car. Took us to a German restaurant downtown! 

Thursday was honestly one of the best nights this week because of two back to back set up lessons we had with Angela, one of our progressing investigators; and also with Haven Kindle who is this super awesome high school girl who is friends with some members. We taught about temples and the law of chastity to Angela and I loved her remarks about how “if it is not God’s way it will never work out as it could or should”. Powerful stuff (Get Smart). Her date will be pushed back to January mainly because of the holidays, but she is on tract for sure! We taught Haven the Restoration which was so powerful for her! You never know how high schoolers out here will take it but she loved it! We’re so stoked for her! More updates later! Teaching Edna about the temple this week aka temple bound soon! By the way we’ve gotten so much good potential 

I’ll be honest we’ve just been having a ton of fun lately hahaha. The work is progressing and Light the World is pretty sweet! It’s the greatest excuse ever to talk to people: “HEY DO U WANT A CHRISTMAS CARD!?”

Here’s some enjoyable pictures Keep lighting the world Familia!! Les amo love y’all 

Ciao Pescao y Murry Christmas 

Elder Mac 

1. District 

2. Crocs 

3. 🕊

4-6: snow tho

7: when u get to a lesson and your investigator is passed out 

8. “Blue liquid crack” 

9. The zone

10. Bro Phillips 

12/04/2017

I feel like once again the weeks are like days and the days are like weeks! Time is flying and miracles are happening!!! 

We had transfer calls this week and Elder Frederick and I wil be staying here in JC!!! We are so stoked! Elder Detiege (my Mexico MTC comp who went home) is going to be in my district!!!! 

We had a baptism this weekend for Edna Omigie! She truly is a miracle in my life and has been so prepared by the Lord to receive the Restored Gospel! She was so happy! We got to be witnesses and when she came out of the water she was crying! Her husband Oduwa got to baptize her! So special! The Spirit was so strong! 

We had our PDAY here in Kingsport with the entire Zone!!! It has been a party! We still have Angela on date for the 23rd and we have so many more promising investigators! I love you all! 

Keep doing Light the World!! 

Elder Mac 

1. WWII Vet (love these guys) 

2-3. Christmas time with the bros 

4. Edna :))) 

5. Edna and Oduwa 

6. ETSU 

 

 

11/27/2017

 

This week was so exhausting I am currently half asleep writing this. We did probably one of the hardest workouts of my life today with Jake the Snake! The guy is nuts. A workout called “Servais”. Took like 2 hours it was so hard. Anyways I hope y’all had an amazing week full of food, family, and friends. Because that is what we got 🙏🏼 

I am so thankful to be a missionary for the Lord here in this area! There is no easy day out here and that is what I signed up for:) It has been a solid week of reflection and gratitude. 

For thanksgiving we have breakfast at Jake Vela’s house and then had a hardcore workout....first time I had squatted using a real rack my entire mission....dowww. I started to write down a list of some of the wonderful experiences I had preceding my mission that I was grateful for. That was sweet. We had two dinners this night and by the 2nd one we were completely full and took a mountain load of food home.... 

Two power up exchanges this week! I reunited with my boy Elder Lovell! He was in Lebanon with me and came over to this zone alongside me. We went to the mall on Black Friday and talked to people. It was insane...shoulder to shoulder walking alongside others. We taught Edna!! 

Edna is on the way to be baptized this Saturday and then after we are having a ward Christmas feast! So stoked

Went on another exchange with Elder Odette from good ole UT. It is pretty cool to see how others do there missionary work. 

I am so fried right now. Like, my forearms are on fire as I type. But hey I left the state of Tennessee for the first time yesterday! Virginia was chill. 

LIGHT THE WORLD INITIATIVE! Check it out on Mormon.org! It is legit. 

Love y'all/ les amo muchísimo 

Elder Mac