Thursday, March 31, 2016

General Conference

HEY,

So as you can tell, I'm super excited for this weekend being General Conference! It's crazy because my third week in the mission field was general conference and now here we are 6 months later and I'm in the same ward jaja I love it. I'm excited for conference because every time that I go into conference with a question, I receive my answer. I have a question and I know that I will get my answer! I invite you to do the same thing and have a question in mind and on paper as you
watch conference this weekend. The answer will be there and that is a promise.

The work is going well right now. We are trying to get the ward excited about missionary work right now and all of the missionaries here are working hard to help out. We have found a couple of investigators that have a lot of potential and that are keeping commitments so that is exciting! Following up on if an investigator has kept a commitment is interesting because their answer either devastates you or it makes you so happy. The commitments and what is done while the missionaries are not there is hugely important for them gaining a testimony. It goes for all of us. What we do when we think
that no one is looking really reflects our true desires and commitment to God. Something that I have been told quite a few times by the spirit is "Be the same person in the dark as you are in the light." This principle applies to everything in life so I'd say that it is a good one for us to all check ourselves on.

A cool miracle this last week was that we were kind of having a rough day and we decided to look someone up randomly. Well we knocked on the door and it was apparently the wrong door and someone else answered. The woman that answered was very happy to see us and told us that her sister is a member in Puerto Rico, that her niece is currently on a
mission but that she herself is not a member. Well we talked for a second and asked if we could share the #hallelujah video with her but she said that she didn't have time. I then asked "well before we leave can we say a prayer with you?" And when I asked that she opened the door and invited us in to pray with her and her mother! We went in and
I said the prayer and thanked God for letting us meet those two sweet women and asked that he blessed them and their families. When we opened our eyes, the woman had tears in hers and thanked us repeatedly for praying with and for them. She then excitedly asked if she could give us juice and then asked if we wanted to try some rice and eggplant that she had made. Well 15 minutes later we found ourselves finishing eating and just talking about the gospel and the joy that it
brings. It was just so cool! I feel so humbled to be able to have things like that happen. Blessings!!!

Well I hope that you have a great general conference weekend. Thomas S. Monson is Gods prophet on the earth today and if you don't believe me, ask God.

Con amor,

Elder Mackintosh



 Celebrating ward member Hideskel's 20th birthday!  We are buddies! 



Standing on the Brooklyn Bridge today, March, 30, 2016 


My own work space. 


Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Cookie Butter!



Hey, sooooo cookie butter is amazing and that's why I titled this "Cookie Butter". Google it. Buy it. Eat it. Thank me later.

Not a ton to report on about the work this week, but I will talk about some things that I keep relearning throughout my mission.

1. You can choose if you are going to have a good day or bad day just by the way that you look at things. My mom believes in this as well so she is probably happy reading this and seeing that I believe it now. (jaja) It's so true though! The stuff that happens in a day doesn't totally decide if it was a good day or not, it really is your attitude. That is something pretty important to understand as a missionary because obviously we aren't going to baptize someone every day. (jaja) Life is good though. We are trying and sharing testimony and the days are good.

2. Praying and studying with "real intent" is the solution. It is so cool to do those two things and really see up close how much God loves you individually. Enough to let your receive personal revelation and guidance. How cool is that?! Answer: the coolest.

3. Obedience brings happiness. I don't think that I have to really explain this one because it is pretty black and white and obvious. God knows more than us. Follow his commandments.

Love you all!

Elder Mackintosh

1. New York Library – today.
2. George Washington Bridge for the 20th time
3. Picture of my friends Sarah and Jordan - the best thing that I have ever received.






Friday, March 18, 2016

Hard Work and Blessings!

Soooooo...

Have you seen the church Easter video? It's so good! Look it up right now. It's called #Hallelujah or in Spanish #aleluya and I have seen it soooo many times because we show it to everyone on the street. It has been so fun! It has really forced me out of my comfort zone and now I just talk to everyone (jaja) it has been cool too because we have been seeing so many miracles.
 

I went on a split with the zone leaders (that means me and my companion Elder Santos and I split up with the mission leaders to be able to contact more people)  We had the longest, funnest, fastest, hardest working day of my mission so far. We taught 12 lessons and got 8 new investigators! What's crazy is that the
"standard of excellence" is 3 new investigators for a week and we ended up with 8 in one day. My testimony just went up big time on setting goals that scare you and really relying on the lord. The night before the split we set the goal to get 8 new investigators and I thought it was crazy but then we did out part, plus had lots of faith, and bam! God helped us get it. Since then we have had some very similar days everyday with my regular companion and I. LOVE IT!
 

I'm going to keep this short and not go into anything else really. Study the Book of Mormon everyday and sincerely pray. It's amazing the things that will happen and the peace that is felt. I love my life! I hope that you have a great week.
 

Love you all.
 

Elder Mackintosh 



I don't remember if I already sent this picture home...

Making a phone call across the street from the temple. 
My companion Elder Crus Santos is always taking pictures. Jajaja

Thursday, March 10, 2016

The Little Things

HEY FROM NYC.

So this week was interesting for a lot of reasons, we saw some amazing miracles. To start off there is this man, and for the sake of not sharing too much, we will call him "Steve".  Steve is one of my favorite people ever. We found him street contacting back in the beginning of December and as he was walking by we just gave him a card and a smile. He stopped and turned around and said, "I'm a member but I'm very less active. I'm going to the gym right now but I will call you." We thought "Well that's great but no one really ever calls us".... 

Well at about 10:20 at night a couple of weeks later, we get a call from a random number - I answer it and it is Steve! We end up meeting with him a few days later and it goes well, but nothing comes of it.  A couple of months go by of calling him once a week to see how he is doing but not being able to meet up with him.  THEN one day Elder McBride and I are walking home and all of the sudden as we are walking across the road Elder McBride says "Steve!" And the man walking the other way looks up and it is him! We were both in a hurry so that was actually the whole exchange. Time goes on and I end up with Elder Cruz Santos as my companion. The calling once a week keeps happening and we maintain a good relationship. Finally we are able to meet with him but he wouldn't let us share a message. So we just helped him cook and then we ate with him. Well a week later (last weekend) I gave him a call to see if we could meet up. He said "Yes!" and of course I said "Perfect! And then tomorrow we can go to church right?"  And he surprisingly said "Yes." I honestly didn't see that coming... I wasn't planning on inviting him because just the week before he said not to bug him about going to church, that he will come back when he is ready....

Well, Sunday comes around and we pick him up from his apartment. We actually were a couple of minutes late because he wasn't ready when we got there, but hey, we made it to church! It was hard for him to go inside because he had not been in over 10 years.  I wrapped my arm around him and we walked in together.  He even bore his testimony because it was *fast and testimony meeting!   It was such a cool experience. *(The first Sunday of the month is "fast and testimony meeting", members are asked to go without food for at least two full meals and donate the monies saved to the church Fast Offering funds to be used to help individuals and families in need. AND also on Fast Sundays there are no scheduled speakers - it is open mic for who ever feels impressed to stand and bare personal testimonies.)

The reason I share this story is because it was a really special experience for me - it was so awesome to know that God's arms are always open even when we may go astray. I could feel God's love for Steve as I held a crying 60 year old man during the passing of the sacrament.  The message is come back - it may not be easy nor should it be. "That which is received too easily is esteemed too lightly."   

Sorry if this email is long, but I have something else to share as well.

Soooo ever since I have gotten to New York I have been wanting to buy a watch from a street vender. I have tried on many watches, but haven't been able to find the right watch or the right price. Well last Saturday we were waiting for a member to come meet up with us on the street corner so that we could go to an appointment with him. While we were waiting I stopped to look at the watches and talk to the people selling them. I was so close to finally making a deal on a watch that I only half wanted and then I backed out. I was hungry, but knew if I bought the watch I would not have enough money to buy something to eat.  I decided that I would look at one more vender stand. I went to the next stand, and they had the EXACT watch that I was really wanting and looking for and the price too! I bought it and was happy!..... 

Well the next day, in an unusual turn of events, we ended up on the one train that we only ride about once a month. While on he train a man says to me "Sir, where did you get that watch?" I told him and we started talking and then the next thing I know I am giving him a Book of Mormon and he is like a golden investigator with great desires to know more. With confidence I looked him in the eyes and told him that this was the answer to his prayers and desire to know the truth.  I found it so interesting to look back and to see how many little things had to happen throughout the last 6 months for me to buy THAT watch and be on THAT train at THAT time so that I could have a conversation with THAT man. HOW COOL IS THAT?!!!

I love you and once again and I'm sorry that this kinda went long. Thanks for hanging in there with me. jaja..  I will I try and make the next one shorter!

Have a great day!  I challenge you to read the Book of Mormon, pray, and go to church.

Elder Mackintosh

Here's the watch!


My mom sent me a package and I was elated to have NEW shoelaces
jaja - oh the missionary life.


Selfie - Me and Elder Cruz

Friday, March 4, 2016

Humbled!

This week has been amazing...

So something that hit me pretty good the other day is during study time in Preach My Gospel under the "pray to know the truth through the Holy Ghost" section - The first line says "this message of the restoration is either true or it
isn't."  that hit me pretty hard.. I read that during my personal study the other day and it caused me to ponder about it for the next 5 days or so.  Isn't that amazing how simple it is though? No "maybe" or "well some of it is true" NO. It is true or it is not. I have been thinking about the doubts that I have had in my life and also thinking about all of the testimony building experiences. I have come to the conclusion that It is true. The restoration is true. All of it. I just love how simple this is! Sure, some things in the gospel are harder to accept than others but what has helped me just this past week even is just knowing
that The First Vision is a fact. It happened. Because it happened I am here in New York serving the Lord as a member and missionary of his one and true church. HOW COOL IS THAT?! I don't know if that sentence has as big of an impact on anyone else, but it changed me and my perspective and for that I'm eternally grateful.

Today I had the opportunity to go to the temple here in Manhattan. It was a very spiritual and humbling experience. I had questions answered and personal revelation received. Humbling. Something that hit me is how many prayers are being offered for the missionaries throughout the world. My eyes tear up to think about all of the people praying for me and the other missionaries in the world. I thank all of you for those prayers... they push me to keep going in the hard times and make me go faster in the good ones.

Lots of miracles and such happened this week, but I will leave my email with those two paragraphs. Please know that I appreciate your support and even if I am unable to reply to your email, know that I'm grateful for it. Just tell yourself that if I didn't reply it is because I'm telling a stranger about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Love you all,

Elder Mackintosh

Pictures:


Teaching Luis and his mother. Luis was the one baptized in January. He now has the priesthood and blesses the sacrament and has taught the lesson in Elders Quorum. His mother is now very interested in the church.


 George Washington Bridge. The bad lighting is killer to my photography loving heart, but it is what it is... jajaja


The zone from last cycle! We just had transfers by the way and I will be here for another 6 weeks at least still in my first area!