Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Real Life Is Found In The Temple

Hi everyone!

This week was just great! Ups and downs of course but life is honestly great. Sunday was a pretty big day because Brother Gomez was able to bless the sacrament for the first time! Other great things that happened were Jevon getting his temple recommend and also being ordained a priest! It is so cool to see these people progress in the gospel and to know that we were able to help them progress. It is very humbling to be a part of this amazing work. I sure love these people.

This morning was special… we have been doing some family history work for the last couple of weeks in preparation for today because today we took Jevon to the temple for his first time ever! We got to his apartment to wake him up at 7:30 so that we could leave by 8, but when we got there he was already up and halfway ready! He was really excited to go to the temple. The best part of the morning of course was being at the temple. We took some other youth from the *ward to do baptisms and confirmations for the dead  and that was pretty great already! Well to make it even more amazing, Jevon was baptized and confirmed for his father today. The spirit was so strong during the baptism and confirmation of his father. Jevon was so happy that his father would now have the opportunity to accept it. I'm just grateful that I have opportunities to participate in such eternal and real things. The temple is real life. The things that happen in the temple are eternal and all of the things of the world are just temporal. The temple is real life. We are eternal beings.

Yesterday I had a very special and spiritual moment happened. I am not going to share it right now but I just want everyone to know that this is the Lords work. The gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored. The priesthood is here. We are able to perform saving ordinances. There was more before this life on earth and there will be more after. I know that Joseph Smith saw our Heavenly Father as well as our brother Jesus Christ. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and I know that President Thomas S. Monson is the living and true prophet here today. The spirit has testified of these things to me and I know them to be true.

This is my last week as a teenager (turning 20 on Sunday) and I am so happy that I am out here on a mission in New York.

Love you all!

Elder Mackintosh

*Ward:  A geographical boundary designated for Mormon congregations.  Typical size is 300-500 members.
Stake: A grouping of 7-9 Wards.

Manhatten Temple trip this morning - August 31, 2016

Walking the streets of Manhattan on our way to the temple! 
Jevon, William, and I.

Saturday, August 27, 2016

The Spirit Testifies of Truth

Hellooooooo,

It was a great week here in New Rochelle, NY! This week was actually pretty calm compared to the previous week. Life is seriously great.

This week I want to share my testimony about two things. I know that the Priesthood (the authority to act in the name of God) has been restored to the earth. I also know that the Book of Mormon is he word of God and it truly brings peace to our souls.

A week and a half ago we were called over to give a woman a blessing. She has been very sick for most of her life and was especially going through a rough patch at the time. We were able to give her a blessing of health and as well we were able to give it in Spanish, her native language. Nothing miraculous seemed to happen then but the next day she was able to come to church for the first time in a VERY long time! Then the following week she felt pretty good and actually had a good week, and then Sunday morning she woke up not feeling very well and passed away.  She was an amazing woman and I'm positive that she is more comfortable now. The Priesthood blessing allowed her to partake of the sacrament one last time and then to have a pretty good last week here on earth. She was grateful for the blessing and I'm grateful for the reality of priesthood power. I'm humbled to be a holder of the priesthood.

About the Book of Mormon being the word of God; it is! When I have questions or I am in need, I pray. When I don't feel an answer while praying, I turn to the Book of Mormon and 100% of the time I learn something and my prayers are answered. The peace that is felt while reading the Book of Mormon is miraculous. The Spirit testifies of truth and I promise you that I feel the Spirit when I read the Book of Mormon. It is true. I love it! I testify of it all of the time and I do so out of sincere love and hope that people will read it and find the joy and peace that I find.

Love you all!

Elder Mackintosh


Elder McBride and Elder Mackintosh picking up the new incoming missionaries at the airport. 









This is a picture from the roof of my apartment building! I know it doesn't look cool in the picture but it is a pretty great view.







Wednesday, August 17, 2016

We Grow In Times Of Trial!

Hi everyone,

I'm grateful to be able to write an email today! I'm grateful because this morning I dropped some missionaries off at the airport that had completed their two-year mission and are heading home. I am sitting here in New York right now and I'm grateful for that. I love Utah of course and I sure love everyone there, but this is where I need to be. The Lord called me to New York and I'm grateful that I still have lots of time to continue to work here.

So this week was crazy… it was transfers week! I'm still in the same area with the same companion and the same assignment. The craziness was all of the planning that we had to do and all of the work that went into transfers. It was hard but it was very rewarding! There is no way that I would have been able to do something like that with the abilities and knowledge that I had before the mission. The Lord knows when we are ready for things and something happens when we can look at it and say; 
"Thank you Lord for allowing me to go through this. I didn't think that I could handle something like this.. I didn't think that I was strong enough... Thank you for trusting me and for believing in me."  
I have learned that it is important to look at trials (opportunities) like this! It is positive and it is true. God gets us through the hard times and we come out stronger.

I have grown a lot and especially recently. I'm grateful for that.. I love the Savior.

This week we were able to set a baptismal date with this sweet man named George. I love George! He is the greatest. He has great desires to progress and to get closer to Christ. There is a cool story behind it and I know that we were guided to him at this time because he is ready for the gospel. Please pray for George!

I love you all! I just want to bear a quick testimony that I know that the Book of Mormon is true. The bible is the word of God and the Book of Mormon is as well. The Book of Mormon brings me strength and very real revelation. The Book of Mormon brings peace to my soul. This is all real. PLEASE read the Book of Mormon. It will change your life.

Elder Mackintosh
 This family are Investigators from my last area, they drove to my new area to visit me! Wahoo! (I don't know why people don't smile... Jaja, they are friendly, I promise)


 A member randomly gave us Leis. jaja




 We drove outside of the mission today and got a sweet view of
the city. This picture doesn't do it justice... Is was so cool in person!

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Pineapples and Toothpaste

Hello!

So to start off, this week was awesome. So many miracles and just some seriously great things happening. People are changing! I love it. Repentance is awesome.

So with that being said, change has been on my mind a lot lately. Like true change. Like a change in your heart and not just in your behaviors. I have been thinking about this a ton because I hit my year mark last week and that has really caused some reflection. Am I a different person now than I was when I left my house on Aug. 5th a year ago? YES. My desires have changed, the way I view life has changed, the way I view people has changed, and overall change is taking place. That is so cool! I hope that in a year from now I can look back on who I am now and be amazed with how much change will have happened by then as well.

With change I have learned that there is a difference in correcting a behavior for a short amount of time and actual lasting change. Anyone can correct a behavior, but for your heart to be changed and for you to have a lasting and real change, you have to allow the Savior to do it. I know that this is true as I have seen it throughout my life. Changes are possible in whatever situation that you may find yourself in. We are agents for change. We are able to "act for [ourselves] and not to be acted upon." It's so cool! I know that through the atonement, all that is unfair is made fair. We just have to let Christ change us. This is true and I will say it to anyone because I have seen it personally. This is true.

I love you all and I hope that you change and have a great week!

Elder Mackintosh



Pineapples and Toothpaste  



Celebrating my one year mark



This is a pic of me meeting my trainer Elder McBride for the first time on September 16  last year. (He is also my current companion) 



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