Drew mail 12-28-2020: "Back at it Again!"

 

Hi everyone! I am so grateful for all your prayers and love! I'm very grateful for everything I've been learning and experiencing! I can't believe it's been more than a week already of being back in Uruguay! 

It has been an incredible experience for me as I've worked to study, pray, write in my journal and make the most of this time. I've been pondering and thinking a lot about the experiences I've had and how I've gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon and of my Savior Jesus Christ. It has been such a special experience as I've focused on being able to give my efforts and time to doing that and I have felt so much love and peace as I've done so! I have recorded the ways I've learned the Book of Mormon is true and thought it would be cool to share a few with you! Almost every single time I read from this book I feel such an incredible peace, love or joy! I've had my mind opened and been able to learn more about and get closer to my Savior from this book and I know it is true! I've had so many experiences testifying about its importance and value and truth for us, when I've felt the Holy Ghost comforting or burning within me, and I've heard many testimonies from others which had lifted me up as well! All these things and more have helped me, but the most important or greatest thing to me is the relationship it has helped me to develop with my Savior. I love Him so much and testify that we can come closer to Him by reading this book than by any other! You can have these same experiences too and come to know for yourself that it's true and as we get closer to the end of the year I invite you to think about what you've learned and why you're grateful for certain people, things or experiences that have happened and express it to them or enjoyed it so you don't forget! 

I'm grateful for what's ahead too! I know good things are ahead as we put our trust in God, have hope and give our all to the Savior. On Wednesday I should be heading to an area called Tacuarembó and will meet my new companions over there! It's an area I haven't been to before, but I'm excited! Thank you again for your prayers and faith. I love all of you so much and wish you a wonderful end of the year and am incredible year like none before, ahead of you! Never forget that God loves you so much and will help you and that you are AMAZING! 

 ~Elder McDonald

 

 

 

Merry Christmas!

 

Hi everyone! Merry Christmas! I am so, so thankful for the great blessings that we get from our Heavenly Father, including the most important and valuable ever... Jesus Christ! I love the Savior so much and am so thankful for everything He does for me. I am learning so much more every day that Heavenly Father loves us perfectly and wants us to be happy, whole, clean and full of grace and His strength. The only way we can do that is through developing a relationship with and relying completely on the Living Savior, Jesus Christ. I know He is the King of Kings, the Messiah, The Only Begotten, perfect, loving, redeeming, healing, righteous, good, kind, powerful, miraculous, Great Son of God. We can get closer to Him and follow Him each and every day and I promise you that as you strive to do so each day to really get to know Him and love Him with all you have and are you will be blessed beyond your imagination. You will be filled with hope, love, grace, strength, healing, guidance, direction, and all the Heavenly help you will need to return to your Heavenly Father, clean and changed to love and rejoice forever with your family. This is the message of Christmas. This is the message of Christ, the King and Lord Jehovah! Trust in Him and love Him with all you have and everything will be made right in His time and way! I love you all and wish you a wonderful Christmas and that you always know He can make more of us than we ever can on our own. Merry Christmas!

~Elder McDonald

Drew mail 12-21-20: "CHRISTMAS IS HERE!!! And... Covid??

 

Hi everyone! I am officially back in Uruguay!! I still can't believe I'm here, but it's great to be back. There are 24 Americans now who came back and it's been really neat to see a few missionaries I knew before. 15 of the missionaries are in my mission and 9 are in the other one. While we were traveling, I got to talk with quite a few people and have some great experiences in the airport.  One of the people was a lady from Uruguay coming back here too! So another miracle, we barely made it into the country before it had been closed down again to tourists. Literally the last plane! 

We got in to Uruguay on Saturday and we had to get tested for Corona again because Uruguay apparently doesn't accept the saliva test that all of us took so we got to do the good-old nose test! It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but it wasn't very fun. I was surprised again by how humid it is! In the airport it honestly felt like we were in the same room as a sauna 😂. We got to see President and Sister Dunford and they loaded all of us up on a big bus and took us over to the place we're staying in. We got assigned into companionships among us and given little districts and my companions were Elder Reeves and Elder Staheli (sounds like Staley - he’s from Saint George area 😉).  I had known Elder Reeves a little bit before - when I was here previously and I talked with him quite a bit in the airport.  I hadn’t known Elder Staheli before now. So we all got together with all those who came back into our mission and we talked with President and Sister Dunford about what's been going on.  We reviewed their goals and discussed how things have changed a bit. We also had some good old Uruguayan meals 👍.  Then got things unpacked and didn't have a whole lot to do from there so we talked, studied and got ready for bed. 

In the morning we were going to do a Sacrament meeting with everyone, but just after we got ready, the President's Assistants knocked on our door and had President on the phone.  He let us know that Elder Reeves tested positive in the airport for Covid and that Elder Staheli and I would need to move to another room and be quarantined in that room until we get tested next Saturday.  It's been weird to be stuck in this room but we've been doing good!  I am really grateful that I'm Elder Staheli's companion right now.  He is super fun and an incredible example!  I know Heavenly Father has blessed me to be with him right now!  We've been doing a lot of studying, listening to conference talks and have come up with some ideas for us to do /things to work on while we wait for more direction.

I'm so thankful to be here and want each one of you to know that I love you so much! I'm so thankful for your prayers and help and I want you to know that whatever I can do for you I will do it! I am praying for you and know that Heavenly Father loves you so much and will give you the help, answers, strength, healing and love you need as you trust in Him and in the Savior, Jesus Christ. I wish you all a Merry Christmas.  I know that you will be able to feel the Savior’s love and power come into your life as you follow Him more fully.  I love you all and want you to know that you are AMAZING!  Have a wonderful week and know you've got prayers and great blessings coming your way! 

Much love

~Elder McDonald

Drew mail 12-7-20: "Give Everything to the Lord! "

 

Hi everyone! I can't believe Christmas is coming up so quickly, for me it feels that this whole year has just flown by! I'm really grateful for this time of year as we've been able to focus on gratitude and more as we are able to focus on the Savior, Jesus Christ. 

I've been thinking a lot recently about the things I've been learning and what I've been able to do and trying to determine what more I can do, or what more do I want to learn and give to the Lord. It's been insane to me how quickly the time has gone by and I can't help but think about what more would the Lord have me do? As I've been pondering and trying to find how I can give more of myself, I've been thinking more about how perfect and loving the Savior is! I've really felt strongly this week that if we choose to follow Him and love Him all our days, one day everything will be made right and He can make more of us than we could be on our own. I love my Savior! I know we can be saved and healed and changed and strengthened and blessed by and because of Him! I want with everything I have to be able to serve Him all my days and keep my focus on Him and have His love, hope, and power in my life more fully. 

As we're focusing more on Christ this time of year, I've been thinking what difference would be in our lives if we kept a laser like focus on the Savior all year. We should be giving our all to Him every day, all year! It's an incredible feeling of love and peace when we dedicate ourselves wholly to Him and I know that as we give our all to our Heavenly Father, we will be blessed and filled with His love and joy! He can do more with us than we thought possible and I know He loves YOU perfectly! I encourage you to be able to give everything you have to Him, not only this Christmas but your whole lives and I promise you will be astonished and overjoyed with the love and change you feel! I know Christ is the Savior and He is here for you! You just have to choose to put your faith in Him and try each day to get a little closer to Him! I love you all and if there's anything I can do for you let me know!!

~Love Elder McDonald

#Missionnotes Month #18

 

#Missionnotes Month #18  of sharing the light of Christ - 

"Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us."  ~Luke 2