Drew mail 2-15-2021: "The Lord is Advancing His Work"

 

Hi everyone!! How was your week? I hope it has gone well for you!! I just wanted to share that I'm so excited for the things that I've seen this week being developed in missionary work! There have been lots of great ideas and experiences we've had and I don't have enough time to explain all of them, but it's been an incredible experience being able to feel that Heavenly Father is in control. I know without a doubt that this is His work and that He loves His children and wants what's best for them. He's going to give everything He's got to lift up and bless, love, strengthen and change everyone who will come to His Son and trust in Him. I love you all so much and wish you a great week! Whatever I can do for you let me know I'll be praying for you!! 

~Elder McDonald

 

#Missionnotes - Month #20

 

#Missionnotes - Month #20

Upon you my Fellow Servants

Drew mail 2-28-2021: "We all need a little love!"

 

Hi everyone! How are you doing? I hope you all are well and that you have a great week this week! 

We had a great experience of going to another area assigned to us called Ansina. We were able to meet a lot of great people and it's an incredible little town about an hour away from where we normally are.  Before the pandemic started it was a little branch of the church and the area was just opened about 2 years ago. There were quite a few people who were baptized, but in March when all the United States missionaries left, the area started to struggle. Originally some members from barrio Lopez (Lopez ward) brought them to the chapel on Sundays for meetings but then they couldn't do that anymore because of the restrictions from COVID so the members in Ansina were left on their own and haven't had a whole lot of support or church activity in about a year. 

Elder Lui and I found out that we're both going to be staying here for the next transfer so we have a goal of being able to get these people the ability to attend church and begin to nourish them spiritually again and help them feel that love from God that we all need. Each one of us has individual needs and problems, but something we all have in common is that God loves us perfectly and has a plan for us. Nothing that can happen will destroy or change that love and His works can't be changed or stopped. We all need to draw closer to Him and feel of that love so we can keep growing stronger and prepare to live with Him again. I'm looking forward to being able to help these people and I just want to testify that God loves you so much and has a plan for you. If there is anything I can do for you please let me know! I love all of you and am so grateful for everything you do for me and for the help you give to those around you to feel that love from God! Have a great week!! :)

~Elder McDonald

Drew mail 2-1-2020: "It's the Same Work!"

 

Hi everyone! Again… I'm short on time so I just want to share my testimony that I know Heavenly Father is in charge! I know He is working to bless and help His children and that He will give them what they need and guide them according to His will and timing, but we also must accept Him! We must seek Him and be able to follow His will.  I know that as we do so we will be greatly blessed!

We have been able to contact quite a few different people and the majority of them that we have found through Facebook are people who live in other parts of Uruguay, so we have sent them to the missionaries there. I know Heavenly Father is watching over these people and will help them, just like He'll do for you if you let Him prevail in your life! We've seen great blessings and learned lots.  I'm so grateful for everything that has been happening! Thank you for your love and prayers, you are amazing and I'm so grateful for all you do! I love you so much and am praying for you! Have an amazing week!! 

~Elder McDonald

 

Drew mail 1-25-2021: Learning Together

 

Hi everyone!! How are you doing? I hope you have had an incredible week! I want you to know that Heavenly Father loves you so much and is watching over you! Keep working hard and giving your all to Heavenly Father and I know He will bless you! 

This week was a good one! It has been a great experience working with Nacho, the young man who became my companion the past week, and it has been great to learn together and feel his fire and drive to work hard and do good things! It's definitely inspiring and it´s been a great blessing to work and learn together! I just want to share my testimony that I know that that´s one of the reasons why Heavenly Father has given us families and friends, leaders and all those around us! He doesn´t want us to walk this road alone and He has blessed you with the people who can help you in your life to get closer to Him and improve!! He loves you so much and is grateful for all your efforts! I´m so thankful for each one of you and I love you so much! Have a great week, and know that whatever I can do for you I´ll do my best! You are amazing and Heavenly Father loves you so much, have a great week!

Drew mail 1-18-21: "New Companion" :)

 

Hi everyone! I’m doing well and we've had a great week! Last night we found out that we would likely get a young man who is getting ready to serve as a missionary to join with us for a few weeks and help him get ready to serve! Today we got to meet up with him and he is going to be my companion for a little while until the end of this transfer! I'm excited to have another great young man with us, he has really impressed me so far and I'm looking forward to do what I can for him! I want you to know that Heavenly Father loves you so much and is grateful for all your efforts to come closer to Him! It is definitely worth it for every effort you put forth and I promise you'll have help along the way! I love you all and wish you a great week! 😊

~Elder McDonald

#Missionnotes Month #19

 

#Missionnotes  Month#19  "Hear Him" 

Drew mail 1-13-2021: "Finding the Mercies!!"

 

Hi everyone! It's been a great week! I definitely forgot how crazy the humidity here is, but it's been a great blessing for me to be here and to have Elder Lui and Elder Neira as companions, they are amazing! We've been seeing lots of tender mercies and I have been able to learn a lot and have great experiences so far! We have been working really hard to be able to have daily contact with people and get to know them so that we can develop relationships with them and begin to share this message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them. We've met a few really neat people, one of them asked for a Book of Mormon and has been studying and praying and the majority of his family are inactive members of the church and I feel like there's definitely good potential for them to fully have all the blessings God wants to give them! It might take some time, but we'll do our best to help!  We've got lots of work ahead of us, but we're trying to focus on reaching out to as many people as we can! We are making lots of phone calls and using Facebook to find people who want to talk with us by making posts and joining groups and responding to people as much as we can! We've gotten quite a few referrals from media sources and we're trying to schedule visits with them, but it has been difficult because people will keep cancelling or not answer the phone. We're trying to do all of the different ideas and activities we can, and I'm looking forward to the things we're going to try to get going!

More good news is that church meetings in person are going to be starting up again this next Sunday, and I feel like there are lots of good things ahead! We definitely have been seeing tender mercies and lots of great blessings, and I know Heavenly Father will keep doing His work and helping His children as much as they trust and follow Him! I encourage you to really look for the tender mercies throughout this week and that you can know that He is involved in your life and will help you as you make time and give your all to Him! He loves you so much and is grateful for all your efforts to get closer to Him and will bless you for all you do to get closer to Him! I love you all! Whatever I can do for you, let me know! 

~Elder McDonald

Drew mail 1-4-2021: "Best Trio Ever!"

 

 Hi everyone! I wish you all an amazing new year! Its crazy how quick the time has gone by! I know God has great plans for us and will bless you as you choose to give your all to Him and trust completely in your Savior, Jesus Christ this year. It can be a completely fresh start for you.  I know God wants to bless and help you and that He will as soon as you choose to trust and follow Him. 

I'm so thankful to be here with Elder Lui (from Tonga) and Elder Neira (from Uruguay). They are incredible missionaries and I'm learning so much from and with them and we're getting along extremely well. It has been super fun to get to know them and I know we've got work ahead of us but we're going to give all we've got and I'm looking forward to it! If there's anything i can do for you let me know. I love you all!

~Elder McDonald

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