Hey Everyone!

I am sure you were all waiting for a lovely email on Monday and are surprised to receive it on Saturday but that is because I got transfered............ to the office. I am currently the main secretary of the Perú Lima South Mission, which means whenever any missionary has a compliant they call me. Also I proselyte less. I have found that I get a lot of time to look up conference talks and such which is pretty awesome. 

This week I just want to say that I have noticed how much the Lord really cares about your personal life. I have found that fellting thoughts, things that I do not pray for, are still answered as if they are a prayer to the heavens. One example is that we stopped by the temple earlier today. I starting to think about how cool it would be to see people from my older areas stop by, but it was just a fun thought. 5 minutes later the entire YSA from my first area came into the temple grounds and went crazy ´´ELDER MACGREGOR!!!´´ Even though I didn´t pray for this and it was just a thought the Lord answered it even stronger than I could have imagined. Also I found my camera charger so now you guys will want to read my email again because there are pictures. (but now the pictures are just of me sitting at a desk).

I love you all so much and I am thankful for the plentitud of blessings the Lord has put into my life.

(as health secretary I get to sign all my emails like this now)

ELDER MACGREGOR

Misión Perú Lima Sur

Secretario Personal del Presidente

Secretario de Salud

Hey everyone! This week is pretty short because we did a lot of walking also I lost my camera charger so I probably wont send fotos for a really long time which is sad because I know it is the only thing you guys look at. Anyway this week the best part was a family history lesson with a recent convert. We let the sister missionaries teach and then we bore our testimonies about family history. It was really interesting for me becasue it made me realize that even though I have never met my great great grandma, I will be able to meet her in the heavens. Sometimes we are given plain and precious truths but dont really understand what it means in our lives. I know that there is so much I really dont know and I am excited to learn. Love you all have a wonderful St. Patrick´s day

Elder MacGregor

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK........... sitting in a bus for 16 hours.

This week we got trained by Elder Falabella of the Seventy. I got to shake his habd and everything. Which means I only have 68 left to go....... We got trained in Lima so we had an 8 hour bus ride form Ica one day and an 8 hour bus ride back the next. On the bright side I got to read a lot of Jesus the Christ and get enlightned. Perhaps the most profound thing I read was the difference between happiness and pleasure. Happiness is looked backed on, and the same feelings emerge as they did in the moment of happiness. Pleasure is often looked backed on with some regret or discomfort. Happiness does not require repentance.

With that I would like to share a happy experience. We round two new investigators this week and they seemed really receptive. One of them was interested in spiritual gifts, particularly the gift of tongues. The other was WAY interested in eternal families, we gave him a book of mormon and he started to read it immediately. Needless to say we have a new hope for missionary work here in Perú.

Love, Elder MacGregor

OPENING AN AREA

Elder Miranda and I are opening and area in Ica! there are not a ton of investigators so far. we got one day to go out in street clothes and look to see how it was. It is a lot of desert. We are the first missionaries in the history of the church to proselyte there it is pretty awesome.

just kidding. this is the huacachina the biggest tourist trap in all of Perú. Lots of Germans.

This week I would like to testify of the benefits of working. 1 Nephi 16:29 says that when we are diligent and with faith the Lord will bring great things to happen. This week we were challenged to put two more baptismal dates even though we were going to lose a day of prodeylting because of training. I will admit I did have my doubts. However, by the end of Sunday we realized that we had not only put two more dates but had found 4 new investigators and had a baptism! Honestly I was blown away by what was accomplish and truly know that by small steps great things come to pass.

Also I got sunburned and it is february.

Elder MacGregor

FUN FACT; ICA IS CALLED THE CITY OF THE ETERNAL SUN

and I can testify of that. It is so hot that when I open my sunscreen it all slides right out of the tube immediately so I have had to stick to keeping it in the fridge to cool it down so I can use it without making a giant mess. No major stories to share this week except for here they don´t have church basketball. They have church soccer and it is probably the most violent thing you have ever seen. 

I have began to write down a scripture every day in my daily agenda to ponder that I read during scripture study. My favorite this week has been 2 Nefi 4:28 Here Nephi puts his confidence in the Lord forever, admits that he is not perfect. I love this verse because it tells him to wake up, and to not worry about being trapped in sin, because there is a Savior, who suffered for even him. I know that He suffered for me, and for you too. Despite our imperfections, flaws and sins, we need not be discouraged because there is one who has it already taken care of if we turn to Him.

Elder MacGregor

Wow Ica is very hot, yet farther away from the equator than my last area? someone explain that to me. This week the bishop asked me to share my testimony in front of the ward so I shared my favorite missionary scripture from DC. DC 15:6 says that if we are faithful in bringing people unto Christ we will rest WITH them in the kingdom of the father. I love this because it means that I will see the people I teach in the celestial kingdom, assuming I endure to the end (which is a pretty safe assumption). ANd because of the Atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, salvation is possible for all of us. This week we did a lot of service cleaing up damages from flash floods and I saw a pack of goats! The first seen wildlife besides dogs.

I would also love to testify of eternal families. Valentines day is the anniversary of my loving parents, who I am forever greatful for their testimony of the Savior and HIs church. I could never repay them for the love they have shown me, especially when I didn´t want to pay attention. Truly I can say that I have been born as Nefi, with parents who truly love the Lord.

(Also tomorrow is valentines day so if anybody has any love notes to send me now is the time)

Elder MacGregor

THE TRANSFER.

This week I got transfered to the south in ICA, official tourist attraction of Perú. My new companion is Elder Miranda and I can already tell based on these last 24 hours it is going to be a fun transfer.

Many have heard about the new missionary schedule, here that means WE GET TO WAKE UP AT 7!!...... if we are serving in Lima. This means that this past week I did get to wake up at 7 every day but now that I am in the south it is 6:30 again everyday, I think the Lord is trying to tell me something.

This week I really understood what it means.. I´ll go where you want me to go dear Lord, over crazy sand dunes or surprise flash floods.

At least that is the Ica version of the song.

Love you all have a wonderful week.

Elder MacGregor

This is from mom's personal email, but I thought I should share: The ward missionary and his wife and so so so so so happy and their house is literally nothing. The gospel has physically enlightened

their faces and everything and here I am having everything I have ever wanted and I still complain.