I get to write Monday this week because most of the palces here are closed both Christmas and New Year's, abnd we wrtie from a public wifi cafe.

It was great to have the call home. You guys seemed to have a lot of fun and are enjoying the moments you can have away from the eagle project. 

It seems movies is the way you guys relax at the end of the day, or is videogames a quick go to?

Are these baptisms for our family or are we using temple names. If they're from our family, I would like to who if possible.

As for me, the only thing I could ask for is this. I know I'm eating my own poor habit of not writing Ian for his requests, but the mission rules just changed for music. It used to just be music off of LDS.org, but now people can have any type of music that doesn't drive away the spirit. So, my request fore the boys is to send me mp3s of music they think I would like out here in the mission. If I think it's inappropriate, I'll delete it, and I'll pass my approvals off to my comp to check too.

Other than that, I can't think of anything else. I still pray for you all, and I hope you guys have a wonderful 2019. I love you!

Elder MacGregor

Well, was church only an hour every sunday the week of Christmas? Everyone says that is an hour only everywhere but I swear that unless it was christmas day we still had 3 hours.

What is your opinion of the new primary structure? My comp likes the new 2 hour stuff and the come follow me program since it mixes the investigators and news with long time converts instead of having gospel principles and doctrine.

I finally had time to write stuff down before my hour at the computer, so here are some stories from the 1st month in Chile.

First, I want to write about some of the great experiences that happen on interchanges. I was able to go to another region of the mission for my first interchange, and some of the weirdest but amazing things happened. One family that we passed by while tracking just straight up invited us in and received most of lesson 1 right then and there. They really liked it, and we gave them a book of mormon. As far as I know, they are progressing well and might be the first baptism for the new year in the sector. You can really tell that some people are chosen and prepared by god to receive the gospel. 

Our first baptism, Juan, also got to recently go to the temple to baptize members of his family. You could tell that he was nervous but loved the experience at the same time.

And now, for a funny experience when my companion nearly got run over by an ambulance. One of our investigator's jobs is to make sure that a hospital garage is not broken into at night. He actually gets to drive ambualnces even without a license. One day, the garage door busted open while me and Elder Lewis were nearby. 

So, we helped him take off the door to put it back on the rail it busted off of. Then, an ambulance in neutral just comes out and stops in the middle of the street. It nearly ran my comp over. So, we put the door back on, open it, and drive the ambulance to the other side to the street. But, as it turns out, our investigator doesn{t even know how to put cars in reverse. So, he put it in neutral and had us push the ambualnce back into traffic. Then, he guns the car back into the garage and busts the mirror on the door, so we had to fix the door AGAIN. But, in the end everything worked out, so it was great.  

--

Elder MacGregor

For my time in the temple, I got to go today, and that was nice. They scooted me and 3 other elders into a sealing room for sealings, and learning it first in spanish was kind of weird. The dude saying the ordianance was also speaking really fast, so much so I only really waited for him to breathe and say amen. Since I'm a missionary I can only be the kids in the sealing ordinances. Family history is something I feel like I'm really going to get into when I get back.

That is a real tender mercy from the lord for you and Aiden. He certainly is one of the most blessed people in the world this week to have the company just donate the brick for his eagle project.

Elder Lewis is really great as a trainer. He knew you 2 moms would talk. We had a good laugh about it all.

Overall, I can't really say I've ever had a bad time here in the mission. As long as I focus on the blessings the Lord has given me, I don't really need to worry about anything else.

Finally, some questions. First, I swear that in seminary I had watched a christmas movie about an old lady that went to the Mormon Tabernacle choir every year, and also organized a christmas pageant. It's super cheesy, but I can't remember the name of it. Can you figure it out? No one else in the mission has heard of it but I KNOW it exists. 

Oh, I sent a photo of wendy's. That's because they have one nearby my house. Guess what's getting business every Pday?

That's all for now, I can't really think of any more to write other than I know God loves you all, and he is always with you even in hard times. Also, watch Mr. Kruger's Christmas. It's the only christmas film we have in the field and it is amazing. 

Elder MacGregor

Yup, I'm already in Chile. 2nd or 3rd week here now.

For my thanksgiving I had cold meat, some Coca cola, and canned peaches, so not as nice as yours. But, It was nice to read the thanksgivign gift you gave me. I still have yet to open any of the Christmas presents, so I'll be able to give thanks in person during the call.

A person working for family history came ot our sacrament meeting. She is there in Chile to see how to make sure that the new family history programs will properly work in all of the world, not just in the USA.  She took this photo.

My ward is the Carri'on ward in the independencia stake, near the bottom of our mission. The biggest nearby roads are Independencia and Domingo Sant a Maria (yes, that's a road name)

As for me, I haven't been bit by a dog yet, though in the area north of me there are suppoesedly tons of dogs, so I'm expecting that at some point. I've already given 3 dates and we have a baptism this week. Teaching haitians and peruvians a lot. One was from Ica (Ian's oasis city), though she's been here for 13 years. My comp nearly gotrun over by an ambulance and I'm learnign all the funny stories of some of the members here.

I have a lot of things to write in my daily journal (which I actually wirte in every day), but I can't think of them right now. Maybe I'll bring it with me to the internet cafe where I right y'all next time.

I love you all and can't wait to hear from you again. After all, Christmas isn't that far away, and It's on my pday too!

--

Elder MacGregor

 Quick email, I don't have much time.

Is keegan sleeping in my room?

Can I have some names that Dad had on his mission?

Were the daily logs the same back then, and when was dad actually out in the field? I want to find some of his old investigadors, but I don't know where to start.

Thanks for the kind notes! I actually have to learn a little creole to since there are a lot of haitians here too. So, theres that.

I'm out of time, but I love you all, be safe! God is with you!

I love it here in the field!

--

Elder MacGregor

Greetings MacGregor Family

We are very grateful to have our newly arrived missionaries serving here in the Chile Santiago North Mission. Attached is a picture of Elder MacGregor with his companion. We also included a photo of him writing his first email home. We love your missionary and we will take good care of him.

Sincerely,

President and Sister Bentley

I finally made it to Chile, after and 8 1/2  hour flight.  The weather here is actually really nice, and I got to meet the mission president.  We currently are having an orientation and I am really excited for the field. Apparently, though, I'm going to have to be very proficient in 4-5 months since at that point most of the senior missionaries will be gone.  I'll have to make sure I'm constantly diligent to prepare myself for any challenge I may have here. We went up the funicular here in Santiago for a devotional, you may want to check it on google maps.  Dad may have actually been on this same things since it's been here since the early 1900s if not earlier.

I haven't met my trainer yet, but mark my words it is going to be a solo Espanol companion.  i hope i'll be able to work well with him.

I'm sure Dad knows this but Santiago is literally a mix of Salt Lake City and Los Angeles and add Spanish.  It'll be hot at times but i think i'll be able to handle it with the Lord's help.

Before I finish i just want to share how much i love all of you at home.  I know we can be together forever, no matter what challenges we may face.

I think my P-days will be Tuesdays so make sure everyone knows that!  I've been preparing for this moment all my life.  I know I AM READY TO SERVE THE LORD.  He loves us al and it is time for me to do what I can to return it.

Elder MacGregor

The days have been running into each other too here, but I think that'll all change when I leave for the field. I leave on Monday a 3 here- get on a bus, and then at around 5-6 have a flight down to Santiago. I have the papers back at my house, so I don't remember the exact details, but you could possibly find it.

Sister Pinster's talk sounds like it was powerful. That's good to hear. The points don't sound too different from missionary work itself. I guess that's what ministering is.

It's even cooling here in Mexico. Though, its only to like 60 degrees, so I'm walking without a sweater while my companions are all double or triple layering. I find it kind of funny since I though Utahns had a cold tolerance too.

I'll be gone in Santiago before thanksgiving, so I guess its up to me and my trainer if we want to do anything. Frank's potatoes were always great at Thanksgiving.

I can't say that I've had a down time here, but the Lord certainly helped me with my companion. But, I know the Lord will provide.

Elder MacGregor

Hola Padre!

 Things here have really been speeding up. I can talk a lot about spiritual things and do the lessons in Spanish *though not without lots of uhhs and umms.) but they don't really do anything about how to operate in the "real world" (AKA I still don't know the words for food and whatnot). I think they may start teaching us that though. It hasn't rained that much either since that Giant storm. It apperantly flooded the Gordon B Hinkley auditorium, so that's something.

Actually the days here are starting to blend together after week 1. When people say "Just get to Sunday" they really mean it. Now the days are flying by. I can't think of anything to put in my journal sometimes. I guess I have to find the Lord in more places haha.

If there are some typos in here, it isn't because my English is slipping. The computers here don't act like the way they do at home, where you can add letters in a word. Here they delete the letter after, and I don't want to retype whole paragraphs :V

I've sent some photos as well. Some show the Temple here (angel moroni is actually holding the gold plates at the Ciudad de Mexico temple, only 1 of 5 in the world), others the crazy closeness of drivers, others just of living quarters and my district. My companion is the tallest one, Elder McDaniel. Actually my district had a MacGregor, a McDaniel, a McDonald, and a McGuire, so when the teachers want to write up "Elder so and so" on the board they just put "Elder Mc..." It's pretty funny to us. *In the photo of the 3 guys in our room, the one sitting is my Companion and the one on the right is McDonald.

Finally, I just wanted to confirm Ian's assertion that pokemon is huge here in Latin America. Our spanish workbooks are three red books, so everyone here calls them Charmander, Charmeleon and Charizard depending on the size.

I know the Lord is blessing you all, and that he loves you. Don't worry about the struggles you have now, because the lord will provide when needed.

GM

Hola!

This week has been absolutely crazy. I finally figured out my companion for the six weeks here and he is great. The other companionship in my room are amazing as well, and I would send pictures but I'm not allowed to until my P-day.Yes today is Friday, but my actual p-days are Thursdays starting next week (sorry if I didn't mention that!)

The weather down here is crazy though. I\m not sure if they mentioned it in the videos you talked about but I swear the CCM has sudden storms almost every day. Once when we were walking to the cafeteria for dinner, the roads were quite literally rivers, an I got my first pair of wet socks. Sorry mom, but I had to pull out my second bag to get my raincoat- so much for *wait half a year* plan!

Learning Spanish hasn't actually been as difficult as I would have thought. I can definitely feel the Lord's influence as I study. I definitely am not the best, but that doesn't matter as I know that I will know what to say when the time comes. Just as in all things, the Lord provides opportunities for us to grow in many ways. My companion has been struggling for a day or so and I have had plenty of chances to help him remember words or phrases.

Finally, Ian was right about the Connor McGregor thing. All of the Latinos and Latinas (native Latin American Missionaries) here read my name and immediately ask if I'm related. Don't worry though, he's my uncle and will beat you up if you make fun of my Spanglish.

That's all for now, I'll write on Thursday. I still haven't lost anything yet either, Keegan.

Love you all

GM

Hola Familia!

I made it to the CCM safely, and as such they have us all write an email. :V

The flights were fine, and I even got some sleep in for both flights. All was well until the bus ride to the CCM. I didn't lose anything, but driving in Mexico is even crazier than my habits.

My branch in the CCM is 4 and my district is B. My P-days are |Thursdays at the CCM, so that is when I can write home.

Elder MacGregor

Hello Brothers and Sisters!
I bet you thought this blog would never get another update, but here we are. I am Elder MacGregor's younger brother, and I will be serving in the Chile Santiago North Mission. I leave for the CCM (the MTC in Mexico) tomorrow and am taking over the blog for my own updates.
I am excited for this opportunity to serve the Lord and to the spread the gospel. I know that there may be challenges ahead, but I cannot wait for the amazing spiritual experiences that will come from the mission to bless me throughout my life. I know that God has sent us out in the latter days to restore the gospel to all ends of the earth, and am ready to thrust in my sickle and do the work I am called for.

-Elder MacGregor (the younger, I guess)

Hey everyone!

I am entering the last week of my mission. 

I know that God lives, and that Jesus Christ is our Savior. He knows our suffereings, and our rejoicings. In the mission I went several places I have never gone before, both temporally and spiritually. In most cases, the only person who went with me was the Savior. I testify that He did not leave me alone. He will never leave you alone either. 

I close my writings with this testimony.

I know Jesus Christ is the living Son of God. He is the Messiah, our Savior, our Redeemer, the good shepherd, and a true friend.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder MacGregor.

Hey Everyone! 

This past week we went to the temple! I learned a lot this time. It is funny because whenever I go, I go with a question. That question is never answered, but I learn something else completely different.

I want to share a piece of knowledge that I have learned over my mission.

I have come to realize that our job as missionaries is to be sure that people gain testimonies. When they do, they also seem happier. I saw this last week with one of our investigators. The first lesson we had together, she seemed very skeptical and like she didn´t trust us very much. However, this past Tuesday we stopped by to do daily contact, and she seemed a lot happier. She laughed a lot more and made a lot more jokes. She also joked at one point that everyone is a child of God, even people from **** (she named a country but I have censored it here). While it was funny, it made me realize that she actually has come to believe and have faith in this restored truth. Her baptism will be a fruit of her testimony. What matters as a missionary is to make sure that people have testimonies.

Read, Pray, and attend. There is no better formula.

I love you all. I have a great week.

Elder MacGregor

Hey everyone! 

This week has been a week of connections. First of all, a little geography lesson. I am currently serving in a ward that is super close to my first area. Imagine starting your mission in the Glencoe ward and now you are in the cornell ward. That is basically what is happening to me. They are close but in this case it is a diferent stake. However, Yesterday my first ward mission leader came to visit me! Hermano Mauricio. He is the greatest man on earth, and a true disciple of Jesus Christ. 

Also, when I started the mission I was actually in charge of 2 wards for a few weeks. We taught an investigator named Luis. I only taught him titihing, then Elders got sent to the other ward and finished his lessons. This is a picture of him now. He is going to serve in the Argentina Rosario mission this Wednesday.

Last Pday the zone ate tacos and watched a movie. Here is a picture of me and the taco man. He is from Venezuela and makes the best tacos every. 5 soles, which basically means $1.30. Better than a big mac.

Here are a bunch of pictures of dogs.

Yesterday was the first sunday since they divided the ward. It was one hour earlier and there where less people, but there was still a lot of faith, and an abundance of the spirit. What a blessing to see the Lord´s church grow on earth today.

I know that this work is divine. I know that God Himself runs it. I also know that He works aloneside us.

Elder MacGregor

Hey Everyone! 

Just a small report this week. Our ward got divided! I am serving in a ward called Villa 2, and yesterday it was split. It is now Villa 2 and Bolivar! It is very exciting to see the growth of the Lord´s church today. In less than 200 years from the first vision, the church of Jesus Christ has become worldwide. How wonderful. 

D and C 65:2 ¨from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth.¨

Have a great week! The pictures are from the beach #safe the sea

Elder MacGregor

Hey Everyone! 

This past week I offically had my last interview with President McGinn! It was to renew my teple recommend. I just want to testify that the questions to be worthy of a temple recommend have new meaning now than they did two years ago. I invite you all to strive to be worthy of a temple recommend.

This past week we got to have a training with Elder Godoy from the Seventy. He talked a lot about how we are to become like God. He gave us time to ask questions and I asked, ¨As President of the area, how have you come to better know your Savior?¨His response was intersting because he said, ¨Through my difficulties.¨ He then explained that through difficulties, service, and the scriptures we come to know the Savior. 

So for those of you who are trying to get to know the Savior, come to know Him through your difficulties. He knows them, and in fact, He knows worse. It wasn´t His fault that He had to suffer them either. He did as we should do: Serve. I kow that if we serve, we really do come to know the Savior. One can GO on a mission, another can SERVE a mission. I am constantly striving to SERVE in my mission. After all, I was called to SERVE. 

Here are pictures of the zone this transfer. Villa El Salvador. Also here is a picture from the training with Elder Godoy.

Hey everyone! 

To start with... the pictures. This is the zone from the last transfer. And the other picture are my shoes. I have used the same shoes my entire mission. They´re basically indestructable.

I have two great stories to share this week. The first is Sunday morning. My companion and I had a meeting with our mission President and the Stake president to talk about the missionary work at a stake level. When the meeting concluded, we called oe of our investigators to make sure she was home because we were going to pick her up for sacrament meeting. She lived a little far, so we planned to be there an hour ahead of time. President McGinn then told us that his folloup meeting had fallen through, and he now had some free time. ¨What are your plans now Elders?¨ We told him we were goin to pick up an investigator and he said ¨I am at your service, let´s go in my car!¨

President took us in his car to pick up investigators. I was just praying in my heart the entire time ¨Heavenly Father, please let them be home please let them be home please please please please¨

They were home. We got to the building earlier than anticipated, so we took a tour of the chapel. It was an awesome experience.

The other experience was Monday morning. There were transfers in the zone so my companion and I had to be ready to receive and send off misionaries at the chapel. We got a new sister in the zone and her and her companion got in a taxi. Right before the taxi drove off the engine caught fire. 

It wasn´t super dangerous but it caught us by suprise. One of the Elders then said (in english) ¨Only in Perú do you stop at taxi and then immediately the engine explodes¨.

I want to close witha  scripture, D and C 84:88 ¨  I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my ^cSpirit shall be in your hearts, and mine ^dangelsround about you, to bear you up.¨

I know this promise is real. I saw it this week. I know God loves us, and is present at every circumstance. 

Have a great week!

Elder MacGregor

Hey Everyone!

This week we had a multizone! We talked a lot about testimony. Remember your testimnony is your most precious gift. 

WIth that, I would like to give my tstimony of the Book of Mormon. It is the perfect tool for anything. Read it. I know it is true, and I know and I have faith that if you read it, you will know too.

Here is a handful of pictures.

I hope all the fathers had a happy fathers day. I love my Dad. Many of you think he is a great guy but..................................... He is even better when he is with us.

Happy Fathers day.

Elder MacGregor

Hey everyone!

I got a llot of pictures this week. We had a meeting with all the zone leaders in the mission. We coordinated so that we could wear the same tie!

I want to share a funny sory about our pensionista. Her name is Hermana Borjas. She is 60 years old, and has been pensionista for 30 of them. I call her mama Borjas. Let me just start by saying you need ot be careful what you say to her.

During lunch on Sunday she was telling us about the picture pir mission President took with her and how she had a picture with the last 4 or 5 mission presidents. She then said that he told her to take good care of his hijos misioneros. (missionary sons)
Well........ later that night I got bit by a dog.
We stopped by her house to wash up because it was close. You would not believe how much she took to heart ´´take care of my hijos misioneros.´´ Soap, water, alcohol, disinffectant, hot chocolate, cake, and I can´t evern remember what else. She definitely took that messge to heart.

Anyway. That has been our week. Also it has started to rain a little here and everyone is freaking out and I keep going in a short sleeve shirt because here ¨rain¨ is just a smail drizzle. It does NOTHING to me. I am immune hahaha

Have a great week!

Elder MacGregor

Hey Everyone!

This week has been incredible, and in fact, my companion and I have a testimony of not letting any opportunity pass by. Last week we received a refferal from the Hermanas in another ward. We were unable to have an appointment last week, so we found them this week. It is a wonderful family that is incredibly preapred, and they are working to get married as well. What a blessing. However, this is not the best part of the story. When the Hermanas sent the address, they sent a wrong address. As a result we went to several wrong houses, yet we contacted the people anyway. That is how we found Lis.

Lis is INCREDIBLY ready for the gospel. She gets off work late, so we can only have appointments on weekends. The day before we had sent an appointment with her, SHE called US to confirm. The funny part is that she called us Friday at 11:45 at night! My companion and I had no idea who was calling at this hour, until she told us she was confirming the appointment. We looked at each other and we asked, ¨Who on earth calls at 12am to confirm an appointment!¨ We couldn´t stop laughing. Miracle.

I hope you all are have a great week. I will I know. This week we are receiving a visit from Elder Stevenson from the 12 Apostles. This will be the 3rd Apostle I will see! AWESOME!

also at the mall they let us draw on the wall so my copmanion and i drew the plan of

Much love,

Elder MacGregor

Hey everyone!

A funny thing about Peruvians.... they are ALWAYS building something! There are always bricks and sand because people are adding to their houses. SO 9 times out of 10, we are helping in constuction. Here is a picture of some construction we did. We already finished so it is actually just a picture of the zone. 

I hope you all have a great week! Keep reading the Book of Mormon. Also, tell Aiden Happy Birthday!!!!

Elder MacGregor

Hey Everyone!

This week we had transfers. I have a new companion named Elder Marzo (March in spanish). He is from Argentina and is my first companion from Argentina. 

I hope you all told your mom how much you love her. I mean I hope you told her today. Don´t tell her just on Mother´s day. Tell her everyday. 

I want to tahnk my mom for having a strong testimony in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. No, I did not want to read scriptures every morning at 6 am when she made me. I am eternally grateful for it. 

I know that this is the work of the Lord. He guides it. He doesn´t take a vacation. He is actively working. I invite you all to look where he is working in your life. I testify he is working in mine. 

Elder MacGregor

Hey Everyone!

This week we had transfers. I have a new companion named Elder Marzo (March in spanish). He is from Argentina and is my first companion from Argentina. 

I hope you all told your mom how much you love her. I mean I hope you told her today. Don´t tell her just on Mother´s day. Tell her everyday. 

I want to tahnk my mom for having a strong testimony in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. No, I did not want to read scriptures every morning at 6:45

am when she made me. I am eternally grateful for it.

I know that this is the work of the Lord. He guides it. He doesn´t take a vacation. He is actively working. I invite you all to look where he is working in your life. I testify he is working in mine. 

Elder MacGregor

Hey Everyone!

I want to start today by asking a question I ask all the people we contact on the streets, ´´If Jesus Christ was here right now, and you could ask him something, what would you ask him?´´

It is a very effective question that helps you to get to know what people´s needs are. Her are some of the questions your average Peruvian will ask:

´´Why is there so much wickedness today?´´

´´Where are we going?´´

´´Why are there so many churches?´´

´´Why did Adam and Eve sin?´´

´´I wouldn´t ask him anything, but I would ask fro forgiveness?´´

´´Don´t you young men know that Jesus is a spirit, so he can´t appear and I can´t ask him anything.´´

´´I don´t beleive in God so that question doesn´t apply to me.´´

´´When will he come again?´´

As you can see, some of these aren´t questions, but as members of his restoared church, we are able to answer almost all of them. What a blessing.

I ask you the same question,  If Jesus Christ was here right now, and you could ask him something, what would you ask him?

Have a great week, 

ELder MacGregor

PS- we broke our key.