Merry Christmas everyone! Feliz Navidad! Meli Kelikimaka (hawaiian)!

This Christmas has been a blast...literally. Fireworks went off like crazy last night. 

One of our investigators had come to church last week and is looking to really know if it is true. Last week he could only attend for one hour, but he said he would make plans to attend all three hours to really see what it was like. He turned off his phone so that no one would call him for work and he told his boss that he would be busy for most of the morning. He came to church, only to find out it was only one hour this week! He laughed and we used the opportunity to have him talk to the bishop. It was good to see him apply his faith, and he was blessed in a way he may not have been normally.

Also we ate a ton of Turkey. Literrally, a ton. 

I know the Lord lives. He was born in a manger, the humblest of all places. Can you imagine being one of the shepherds seeing the Lord at His birth? Sometimes I wonder if I could look at the baby Jesus, and recognize Him as the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind. 

Because of HIm, we can repent and grow. What a gift.

Because of Him, the end doesn`t exsists. What a gift.

Because of Him, I will see you again someday. What a gift.

Elder MacGregor

Hello everyone!

This week has been the best. We have had a TON of spiritual lessons. The spirit has spoken in abundance, and i want to share one of the most powerful phrases I have heard. ``My companion has left his family, his counrty, I have left my work and my studies to be with you today. I would not do this if I was here to trick you. I would not feel good with myself. I am here before you today to testify that I KNOW that this is true, and I know it will bless your life.``

I testify to anyone reading this. I know the gospel is true. If the mission was longer than 2 years, I would go longer. I love it. The poeple here are so wonderful. This Christmas season I hope you are all happy and safe. 

A missionary Chrsitmas is the best Christmas.

Much love, Elder MacGregor

Feliz Navidad! Meli Kelikimaka (that is hawaiian, shout out to Tutu and Grandpa)

This week has been a good, solid, missionary week. Yesterday to #lighttheworld we are supposed to share our favorite scripture in social media. What did you share? I would like to share one in Mosiah. Imagine te power of a prophet of God as he testified of the Savior. Mosiah 16:9 ``He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light thatis endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a lifewhich is endless, that there can be no more death. ``

I testify with Abinadi that Jesus is the light of the world. Because of Him we can be forgiven and find a fulness of joy.

Here is a quote I have from a conversation this week. One Elder asked a member of the ward if dinosaurs existed,

``Brother **** did the dinosaurs exsist?``

``Look Elder, are you going to talk to people about dinosuars or Jesus Christ?``

Despite what I know all of you are thinking, I was not the one who asked this. 

I hope you are all lighting the world and having a wonderful Christmas season.

Elder MacGregor

Hey everyone!

This week has been a week for the Pioneers! That is to say we walked and walked and walked and walked. But I still stand by my statement that a mission is way easier than tubing upstream on a river. I hope the young men still aren`t doing activities like that. Maybe a 50 mile hike uphill both ways should be the next activity.

I had a eye opening experience this past week. During a large part of my mission, I have always thought ``burning`` people with the scriptures was a lot of fun. Someone would say somehting or a misionary would do something, I open my scriptures and BAM wickedness destroyed! I always loved the sound of my triple opening up because I would always know someone was about to get it.

That changed this past week.

We met a young girl, 22 years old with a son of 2 years. Her partner had left her, her mother had left her, and she was about to get kicked out of her apartment. No job, no income to care for her son, and she has been sick this past week so she had not even food to eat that night. The only thing she knew is that she believed in God. I remember opening my scriptures, it was the same sound of the pages, normally signalling that someone was about to get burned, but this time the objective was 100% different. 

I was searching for a scripture to give this girl hope.  

Ether 12:4 ``Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might withsurety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the righthand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh ananchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.``

``whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world``

If you belive in God, you have the surety. The 100% chance surety, that things will be better. In spanish it comes across as you have the right to hope for a better world.

Part of believing in God includes believing that the situation will improve, no matter what the situation is. By believing in God you can be without a doubt that things will be better and it will all work out.

There is an indescribable joy that comes from giving hope. I testify that it is much more rewarding to give hope rather than burn. Much more rewarding. I invite you all to search fro a scripture that could give hope into someone else`s life.

Elder MacGregor

PS I hope everyone is #lighttheworld everything

#lighttheworld