This past week was Christmas and I got to view it peruvian style. To put it simply, it is basically nothing until after midnight. As a missionary you will be sleeping in your bed dreaming about sleeping because you are always that tired. Then at midnight you will hear gunshots. You go outside and look out the window and realizer the ENTIRE CUIDAD is using fireworks. It is extremely loud like a war zone and it is absolutely nuts. Also you will eat a ton of paneton, which is bread with fruit in it. literally everyone will give you 6 looves and you realize the first three taste a lot better than the last seven.

Yesterday we finally had companion transfers. My new companion is Elder Navia from Chile. He hasn´t been out very long and we are companions with no responsibilities. I have to lead the area and save soulos but other than that we are just normal missionaries. Good stuff.

I love you all and thank you for your holiday wishes. I wishe you all the best and will email you next year

Hey everyone! Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! as you can tell from that exclamation my spanish is getting much better. This week was pretty crazy as far as missionary life goes. We got to go to migrations so now I am a legal citizen of Perú. Also we had a giant party with half the mission where we watched the live action jungle book. You know you are a missionary when that movie was the greatest thing you had seen for 3 months. 

I am greatful for my Savior, and for this wonderful season. Words cannot describe the sound of horrible and wonderful spanish accents, men and women singing spanish hymns in praise of Him who was sent for us. This will without a doubt be a CHristmas I never forget. I wish you all the best and and wonderful Merry Christmas. Send me a tie.

Elder MacGregor

Beloved brothers and sisters I hope you have all had a wonderful week in snowy Oreghon or whever you are. I got to explain what snow is to people here because they ask me about it all the time. I just say it is like sand that falls from the sky and is cold. That is as far as my spanish permits me to speak. One of the photos is a picture of my zone. as you can see we take the work very seriously and do not permit oursleves to have fun becasue that is immature. We play volleyball on Pdays a lot in a park that we get in for free because we are ´´religious preachers.´´

The next photo is of my desk. This is where the magic happens everyone morning from 8 to 9 am. As you may have observed, it is very organized and clean as an 18 year old sould be. I also ask that you please ignore the ginat bag of cheese puffs towards the top of the desk.

We live on the second floor so we take stairs up to our room. above the staris is a picture of the crucifixtion from the church ´´Señor de los milagros.´´ While it is true that the Savior did die for us, we love to focus on His Ressurection and live He is currently living. My companion and I have gladly demonstrated this by placing several pass along cards so that our neighbors may remember this miracle as well.

In other news, Lima is very hot and dusty.

I can truly say the best part of my day is studying in the morning. It is an hour of unbroken time I can use to strengthn my knowledge and truly appreciate what I am learning. I encourage you all to strudy, just for 15 minutes at some point. It will help you to recognize the Savior in your everyday life and when He comes again.

Also I am invited to ask you all to Light the World

Elder MacGregor

And it came to pass my beloved brethren that we had a very difficult week. Nevertheless our joy was happy in the baptism of another sister. Her son had the wonderful opportunity to exercise his priesthood and it was wonderful to witness. That was without a doubt the highlight of the week.

Now for the ugly.

Every Pday we are required to clean our room for an hour. both of us hate doing dishes. but it had to be done. fourtunatly it was my companions turn to do the dishes so i dodn´t have to worry about anything. We had forgotten that we actually hadn´t even finished the food that we were cleaning so we had to clean dishes with crusty rice and potatoes. no bueno. also our entire room begin to smell of nasty food. I asked my companion if we had any fabreeze and he reached under his bed and pulled out a can of roach killer. I had to explain why we could not spray that all over our room. Crazy indeed is tyhe life of the mission but yetit is a life worth living. hope you guys are hashtag light the world at home

This is why this weeksemail is so short. Ether 12:40

Elder MacGregor

I have decided that to make my entries more spiritual i should write them in the language of the book of Mormon. (Apologies to nonmember who will not understand this next paragraph)

And it came to pass that we spent miercoles contacting referalls from the ward. Verily Verily I say unto you that we did find fruit in our labor. A young family who has made plans to enter the church on the 24 of diciembre. I would that ye should remember that the gospel can bless anyones lives at any time. Howve my beloved brethen, I would exhort yu that this work is not easy, and at times it is very dissapointing.

How is it dissapointing? Well sometimes people turn down invitations, lessons fall thrugh etc. But perhaps the worst thing is when we finish a lesson and the family or person offers us galletas. Galletas translates to cookies, so of course I get very excited. However here, galletas somehow translates into saltine crackers. so instead of cookies we sit in silence and munch on plain saltines without water. But hey if that is my biggest complaint then I am probably doing alright.

OH I am also on my 4 watch in the mission field. The first one I lost in the CCM. The second one broke. I bought it from a vendor. two weeks later during study the back of the watch just fell right off as i turned a page. The third shattered as I was changing clothes. I forgot I put it on my suit so when I lifted my suit up it ell and shattered against the floor. so now I am on my 4th reloj.

Also everyone asks me if I where fake contacts because I have blue eyes.

People here are great and life is good, have a good first day in december everyone.

Elder MacGregor

FIRST BAPTISMS THIS WEEK

Hna Gloria and Hna Sydni. Both of them asked me to perform the ordinance. We spent the entire saturday cleaning the capilla en preparation for their baptism at 4. It started at 5. classic mormon standard time. It really was special to see these marvious people make a covenant with their Heavenly Padre. The ward was so helpful in teaching them too, I know their will be a wonderful handof. Elder Valenzuela and I are now in the work of searching for new investigators..... and we found one! She is pictured below. She accepted the message of the Restoration very well, but is a little nervous about baptism. My companion and I reassured her that it would be okay. At the end of the lesson she asked that we take a picture with her so we politely obliged.

This week is thanksgiving, so I will give you a list of things I am thankful for.

Hot water.  Our shower broke so now it only has cold water. Elder Valenzuela only bathes every other day because of this.

Sleep. They say the Sabbath is a day of rest yet it is the day where we work the hardest. ie are we breaking the sabbath? why can´t we take more naps?

ingles, español es muy dificil pero después dos o tres meses creo que puedo hablar mejor pero ingles es mas facíl enserio.

Food. No complaints

Cars. Feels like I am reliving the 50 miler ery day

Thats is about it, aside form eternal families, the truth of the gospel, the Atonement etc.

Have a wonderful thanksgiving everyone they don´t celebrate that here so I will probably forget to say anything 

Elder MacGregor

Hey everyone!!! Yesterday we had cambios entonces Pday es Martes este semana. Also yes I heard Trump was elected President................................................................................................................................................................... I have had to explain several times in spanish that i represent the church and not Los Estados Unidos. Also people keep telling me that I look like I am 24 years old. WE have two baptisms scheduled for this Saturday, they have completed their interview and everything. I will send photos proximo Pday. We have also found 2 new families to teach. Families are forever. We were given a pamphelt were we are supposed to fill out information hasta nuestros bisabuelos. As I was filling it out I could just feel the ensense of familias enternas. What a beautiful Plan God has created for us. It is our job to help others know that they can be together forever as well. ALso in the house of a recent convert I found this awesome dog that I totally lion kinged because who wouldn´t.

Hasta Proximá semana, Elder MacGregor  

November 7th

Hey everyone! ya boi got bitten by a dog this past week. fortunately it doens´t look like anything major happened. I guess we will find out when i contract rabies in two months. We currently have baptisms planned for all of November with the exception of this week. This ward is growing at a rapid rate. Poeple ranging from the ages of 11-60. The gospel can touch you at any moment of your life. One of my companions had to leave on an emergency transfer entonces it is just Elder Valenzuela and I again. Turns out missionary work is a lot easier when you only have to cover one area. I have also started to teach English clases to help find new investigators. Saturday at 6 en la capilla. This week I learned an awesome things spiritually. The first is that the spirit can guide every prayer you ever make. Much of the time we only stopto listen when we are giving a blessing, but this can happen at any time. WHen you pray, stop and listen and you will learn about something you need to pray for. Have a great week everyone good luck in the election!

Elder MacGregor

This is the first week where I have started to feel confident in all my work. Also we have started having minor earthquakes. we went street contacting one night and ran into a man who knew the bible VERY well. It is very difficult to bible bash in spanish let me tell you. He would not accept. the Book of Mormon. As we parted ways, I couldn´t help but smile. How blessed we are that we have the fulness of the gospel, and know how the Book of Mormon and the Bible work together. Truly what Elder U. said at this past conference is true: We do walk a path of diamonds, but treat it as if it were mere pebbels. We know where we are going after this life, we know how to get there. And the beauty of the Atonement is that ANYONE can get there. Sins become 100% white in Christ. I cannot even begin to comprehend the beauty of that. SHort message this week becausse the internet man is scamming us on our time. Much love Elder MacGregor

This week we commited an older woman to baptism. She is 60 years old and very sweet. Last night the ward heald family home evening in her house and everyone bore their testimony. I shared that I hope she could feel the love I have for her and this gospel through my poor spanish. I said that I have only known her for 2 weeks or so but that I was really happy with her decision to be baptized. I then said that Heavenly Father has known her her whole life, and that He loves her way more than I ever could. It´s true. Our Father loves his children. Oh, I finally got sick on the two month mark exactly. Yesterday was probably the longest day on my mission so far. Also one of the Elders from the other ward had to go home temporarily becasue he has skulliosis. His companion is working with us and we are a trio working in two areas. Elder MacGregor, Elder Valenzuela, y Elder Huaman. Believe it or not it is a little hard to focus when there are three missionaries and not just two. We are busier than ever and go on splits with members almost every day. Pictures this week are of the ocean and of Lima. This city is huge, puts Hillsboro to shame. That is all for this week, hope everyone is doing well chao chao

Elder MacGregor

Missionary work is hard. Very hard. I have never felt so isolated in my entire life, yet I have never felt so loved. This ward is incredible in faith and works. The absolute best part of my day is when the children run up to me and ask me to speak in english.I can do that very well. Oh also I can send pictures. Elder Valenzuela had been joking with me about it corupting my SD card. He thinks he is so funny. I also really love doing service. Just walking up the street and seeing someone who needs help so youjust go and help them. Here peole drive moto taxis. They are little 3 wheeled buggy things. anyway we were walking and we saw some peole `pushing one up a hill. we dropped our stuff and told them to get inside. There were two women and a baby. WE told them to start the car and we will puch you up the hill and give you the boost to start the engine. When I say we said I really mean Elder Valenzuela told them. Anyway we ran and pushed this mototaxi up a hill. while we were pushing it started and they kept driving. Best feeling in the world. Next week I will share some food stories becasue that is all anyone is ever interested in.I would just like to testify of service. there really is no better feeling thatn doing something random like that. I look back and feel horrible for all the potential opportunities I probably missed becasue I was playing Pokemon GO. Also Missionary work would be easy if I could speak english. Love you all have a great week

Elder MacGregor

Wow it has been the most insane 5 days of my entire life. We are a walking mission and we a required to make 15 contacts a day. i know how to say ´´My name is Elder MacGregor, and my companion wants to share something with you.´´ We get alone just fine. He is pretty funny and we get a lot of work done together. Life is so much more fun when you are busy. We teach about 2-3 lessons every day. People are very receptive and loving. It is a lot of reactivation as opposed to baptisms. We invite them to come back to church and remember the blessings they have received. It has only been 5 days since my last email so I don´t have too much to say, except for that I know this church is true. I see it more and more every day. Much love to everyone at home,

Elder MacGregor

I didn´t think I would have time to do a weekly email but I guess I do so here it is.......... I am finally in the field! I am finally a real missionary! 

My new companion is Elder Valenzuela. Her is 19 and from Equador, very funny yet quite. I have only been in the field for 20 hours but that is enough to say I know everything about being a missionary. Last night we taught a less active family. Everyone called me Elder Americano, but they said my Spanish was very excellent. I got to share the first vision in Spanish and then Helaman 5:12. They asked me to chose someone to say the closing prayer. I chose on they youngest girl, I think she was 6-7 years old. I did not understand her prayer, but her is what I do know. Moroni chapter 8 is true. Little children are alive in Christ. You could hear the innocence in her voice. It was so sweet and powerful. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum I hate dogs. They are awful. All they do is bark and Elder Valenzuela throws rocks at them. Also I am emailing form an arcade. I can´t send pictures because if I insert my SD card it will get corrupted. I am super happy to be out here and finally start working for real. Nos vemos!

I am in the mission field now alive and well.  I met the mission President and his wife.  They are both very incredible and have wonderful testimonies.  President McGinn shared his testimony about our work and about the premortal life.  I realized we have already beat our adversary once and we are here to do it again.
I hope you guys had a wonderful General Conference.  Elder Renlund's firecracker story really made me think about how imperfect I am.  I am fortunate that because of the Atonement we do not live forever in our sins, and we can be allowed to improve.
Since coming our here I have realized how spiritually damaging the world can be.  Be careful.  On a happier note, I am out of the CCM! I was the first one packed up too.  I know mom would be proud of me.  I start proselyting later today.
I have a family home evening activity for you.  Read 3 Nefi 11 and then watch the movie Testaments.  It is a wonderful movie that truly shows the love of Christ.  I love you all so very much.  I will find out specifics of where I am serving later today and will let you know.

Much Love- Elder MacGregor

Last week in the CCM!! I go into the field next Tuesday so I think I get scammed out of a Pday next week so this will be my last email for a while. Once again there is not too much happening here except for study of the Spanish language and the beautiful language of the gospel. I cannot express enough how excited I am for General Conference this coming Saturday. The Prophet himself is sending us off into the field! Anyway to close I would just like to testify of the reality of the Gift of Tongues. I have memorized scriptures in Spanish faster than I ever have in English, including the last two paragraphs of the introduction of the Libro de Mormón. If I was a fool I would say that is just coincidence. God loves his work, and He will move it forward by small and simple means if we devote ourselves to Him. Just keep the commandments and be obedient. I have been blessed so much form the one month I have been here, I would not trade it for anything. Much love to you all, my next email will probably be great because it will be from the field!!!

Elder MacGregor

1st time proselyting in the field- I do not know Spanish

This past Saturday we finally got the opportunity to go proselyting in the field. We traveled to Lima South, which is my mission so that is pretty cool. Anyway the important thing to take away from proselyting is that there were dogs EVERYWHERE!! Seriously, I saw at least 20 dogs just chillin all around the city. 

Elder Thatcher and I got paired with a more experienced missionary and together we taught an older woman. She was as tall as my hip, but also made me realize I do not know any Spanish. I can't even remember what was said because I did not understand any of it. The senior companion had to nudge me an whisper ''share your testimony.'' So I did. I talked about how I knew this life could be tough, but if we continue to press forward in faith every day, keeping the commandments and loving one another, we will be happy not only in this life but in the next. At least that is what I wanted to say I hope that is what she understood. We also talked to another lady who was younger and taller. She was very nice and invited us in, but once again I cannot tell you what we talked about because I have no idea.

We ended our proselyting in the chapel where the ward provided all the missionaries pizza and soda. When they handed me my piece the only thing I said was ''La inglesia es verdad.'' They all thought that was really funny. No pictures this week unfotunately, we weren't allowed tot take any while proselyting and there isn't much more to take at the CCM. Just 13 days until we go to the field and are missionaries for real. Cannot wait.

Elder MacGregor

New Missionaries

Just another week here at the CCM. They cycle in new missionaries every three weeks so all the missionaries who were here for 3 weeks left to the field yesterday. One of them, Elder Nichols, looked EXACTLY like John Green. He declined to take a picture but trust me I asked him to say ''Except for the Mongols'' at least three times. Today is the first day that all the new missionaries come in and they look so young. I remember when I was their age. 

I think I have finally adjusted to this missionary lifestyle. It is no longer painful to wake up at 6.30. Three weeks left and then I will be in the field, then I will have some real stories. Also Elder Thatcher and I got our hair cut today, and by that I mean we got destroyed by the barber. I actually don't think I look that bad. I have a mirror selfie with a giant camera for reference. 

Since my time at the CCM, my favorite word has become ''duende'' and my favorite phrase is ''¡Que en el mundo!''Here I have a picture of the Lima Temple. It is humble against the large and noisy city, but it truly is very powerful and loving. Our district has set a goal to improve our charity since we are now the older ones here. I will let you know how it is going by next week, but as for right now I have talked to several new Elders so already I have made some progress.

2nd P Day

School is starting this week back home? Wow I´m glad I´m having so much more fun here than I am there. Just kidding we spend around 8 hours in the same classroom every day an it is starting to give me cabin fever. We spend a few hours every day learning spanish and then switch into preparing to teach lessons. For physical activity we play soccer all the time and it is a ton of fun but also I am terrible at it.
I will admit that missionary work is very difficult. You are tired all the time but you know what you are doing is right. Already I have been wondering why I ever needed a phone in the first place. A mission also gets the most fun when you completely lose yourself in what you are doing. Last night we had a devotional about changing and preparing our hearts, and that´s when I realized that just going through the motions of being a missionary is no bueno. You need to actively study spanish, study the scriptures, and that is when the joy of sharing the gospel comes. We teach these ´´investigators,´´ and every time I love testifying of what I know.
Your testimony gets stronger each time you share it, I know that is true. I also know that the Atonement is real. Jesus Christ, our elder brother, really did suffer for all of us so that we might repent and be clean again. If you every have any doubts about the gospel, live it like you don´t and I promise the Lord will bless you.
 Also everyone here reminds me of someone else, for example my companion is exactly the same as Caleb Calder. Also I have a picture here with Elder Lara, I´m sure you guys can guess who he reminds me of. There is a picture of my dorm it really isn´t that interesting.

And finally, here is a picture of my district during personal study. 5 of the 12 missionaries are asleep. The chruch is true.

1st P Day

                          For everyone who was expecting a lovely email on Monday I apologize for the delay. P day is Wednesday here. I don´t even know where to start except for that I slept on the plane ride here and it went about as well as sleeping on a plane does. We got to the MTC (here it´s called the CCM, Centro de Capacitacion Misional). There is supposed to be an accent over the o but I can´t figure out how to work this Spanish keyboard. I know all the questions I´m going to get are about food so here is what it is: lots of chicken and rice and bread at every meal. There is yogurt every morning. They have several flavors of juice, all of which are mediocre. There are about 150 missionaries, most are Latinos. We are divided into missionaries who know Spanish and are here for three weeks and missionaries who are learning Spanish and are here for six weeks, which is where I am. However, in the bathroom I was ashing my hands and saying how much I hated asparagrus in Spanish and one of the teachers asked if I was in the three week program. He said my pronounciation was very good. So if someone could tell Señor Ricardo I owe him a big thank you that would be much appreciated. Honestly it´s really hard just trying to explain everything because I don´t know what is important to say and what really doesn´t matter. My companion´s name is Elder Thatcher and his favorite phrase in Spanish is ´´Me llamo Rexburg Idaho´´. Everyone says the first week here is the longest in your life but it´s not true. The longest week of my life was when Sloan had us go tubing on a river with no current. If I could survive that then I know a mission can´t be that hard. Just kidding this is ridiculously tough work and I have started to realize that I am entering the big leagues. I really miss all of you but I have truly met wonderful people here. They all have such powerful testimonies of the gospel and really make me want to share and exercise my own. If there are any typos in this it is because I have had to start speaking in Spanish all the time and it´s just starting to blend together with English. ¡Hope you all are doing very well and are excited for school!

Made it!!!!

Hola padres, estoy en la CCM. We got here around 2 am this morning and I fell asleep around 3:45. I got my name tag and it's pretty awesome.

Not going to lie it is very intimidating around here but I know after a few days I'll get the hang of it. Hope my brothers liked their presents. CCM is spanish for MTC by the way. Anyway life is good the church is true. jajajaja

                       Te amo, Elder MacGregor

T-minus 11 hours

Well this is it! I get set apart to become a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -Day Saints in 11 hours. Believe it or not, right now I feel at peace. Yesterday I was very worried if I could leave behind the wonderful friends I've made and people I've met. Yea I teared up once or twice but now it's just about moving on. If I was leaving for college I would have the same feelings I do now. I am very excited and I have no idea what is in store for me in Peru.