Monday, April 24, 2017

"Nothing is Better than Heaven"


Yo!

This week was seriously fantastic. It seemed like all of our hard work from the last 6 weeks turned into blessing this past week! Woot Woot!

We had an investigator in a restoration lesson that kept saying "nothing is better than heaven." He was saying that while explaining that even billionaires at some point sit there unsatisfied asking questions "will I make it to heaven? Is there a heaven?" And the investigator just kept saying "nothing is better than heaven. Nothing. Heaven is the best." There is something to learn here.

So here is a miracle: we were in district meeting and a senior missionary brought a guy to the door and said "this man would like to know more about the church. Would any of you happen to know a little about the church?" So we stood up quickly and walked out the door with them! We sat down and found out that he had seen the Book of Mormon musical and it had sparked some questions and he figured that he should come find out more. We shared the message of the restoration and it was cool to see him light up and have things click with him. The cool thing is that he came to church yesterday too! He is only here for another 5 days and then he goes back to Denmark where he is currently living but is actually from Finland. We are meeting with him again and will put him in touch with missionaries there. Truly amazing.

We were just really blessed this week with great opportunities to share the gospel. We were finally able to find some new investigators that are actually interested in learning, changing, and progressing. It feels so good to be able to sit down with someone and share the message of the restoration with them for their first time.

On a funny note, I tried to give a guy on the street a high five and he put his hand up but then put it down at the last second and then turned around and went "ohhhhhhhhh!!! Oh!!! Oooooohhhh!" And then walked away. jajaja.  It was pretty funny, especially because he was like a 50 year old business guy. jaja!

Love you all. All is well in NYC. I love being a missionary.

Elder Mackintosh


Elder Pulu made this sign. It says "change"


Roommates.  We went on a split and then took a picture after. 


This is us doing our "Hispanic pose" for the same picture.  jaja


Charity, Peace & Change

April 17, 2017

Yo yo yo,

This week was really great! Everything was fantastic the only thing that wasn't so fun was getting sick. Actually I'm still a little sick but I sound a lot worse than I feel (jaja) so that's good I think. It does make it hard to talk to people on the street because my voice is cutting in and out, super raspy, and sometimes I just start coughing (jaja). Makes Street and subway contacting a lot of fun!

I have had charity on my mind lately because really it is so important. President Monson spoke for a total of like 6 minutes and he talkedabout the Book of Mormon and charity.  Another reason that this has been on my mind is that on Saturday we had an investigator come to clean to the church with us and the ward. It just really strengthens a relationship to serve together! My main thought about charity has been that charity should be the "why" behind our actions. I believe that this has become a part of who I am in a lot of ways and hopefully will become me even more so. At the beginning of my mission I would talk to people because I knew I should and I knew that it was expected of me by others. So it was more of a motivation of fear of being looked down upon if I didn't. But now it has switched to me just wanting to share the gospel because I know that it has brought me joy and I know that it can surely do that for everyone else!  I'm realizing now that love is 100x better of a motivator than fear! As we love God, we will keep his commandments. Just something to think about.

Another funny thing this week was on Saturday night with he Ward. Have you heard of "Mortified"? It is something that they do in Brooklyn where people go on stage and share song lyrics or journal entries that they wrote when they were young. So basically you just go up and laugh at yourself and allow others to do the same (jaja) Anyways, our ward did "Wardified" and it was hilarious! Definitely a good bonding
experience. I love the YSA ward!

Last quick thought: Easter is awesome. My Easter morning studies were special to me. I studied John 20 and "The Living Christ". Definitely recommend those two things!

Love you all! Have a great week.

Elder Mackintosh


If you can't tell what the sign says, it says "peace" and we stood
in the subway station and talked to people about how Christ brings us
peace!




The trio was back together for like 30 minutes!



 This one says change

Inspired Questions

April 10, 2017

Hey fam,

The weather is prime right now in NYC and I'm sooooo happy to be comfortable in a short sleeve shirt!! Woot Woot! Seriously it is amazing. Sorry for those of you that got snowed on in Utah. jaja

We had a super sweet experience yesterday with "George" that I wrote about last week. He is an investigator that has been meeting with missionaries since Christmas and has had 3 different baptismal dates. Well last night we had "George" over at a Members house that has been fellowshipping him. The lesson started a little rough and the thought went through my head "say his name, pause, and then ask whatever comes out of your mouth." So I did that and then everything changed. We began to ask inspired questions and he began to respond by the spirit. Every sentence seemed guided by the spirit and every silence full of deep feelings from the spirit. The member talked about what the baptismal covenant is by quoting; Mosiah 18 and then he invited Julio to be baptized. The Spirit flooded the room even stronger and we were silent for about 10 seconds and just sat there feeling. Then the words blurted out of George’s mouth saying "yes!" It was amazing. We then knelt down and he prayed for the date. We looked at the calendar and he said, "I have been thinking about the last week of this month. I didn't know why but I felt like something would happen then and I guess it might be my baptism. That weekend has just been on my mind lately." It was amazing. Asking inspired questions and listening.

So it was a seriously great week. Also we had Stake Conference yesterday and it was my 5th one as a missionary! Crazy! It was super spiritual but something hilarious happened. While the spirit was strong someone stood up to speak and said "my fart... my heart is full." And it just made me laugh so hard! It was bad because it was such a serious moment but the slip of words just hit my funny bone. jaja. My fart is hull.

Love you!

Elder Mackintosh




Did companion study on top of our member’s roof by the temple! Soooooo rad. I love NYC




Panoramic of the top of the roof



We came up with some questions and then had a member design and create posters for us to use to find people to teach. Here are a couple of them!

Hey Hey Hey

April 3, 2017

Hey Hey Hey!

This week was stellar. We had some great success and it was just awesome. I always was able to go on a split with Elder McBride and that was sooooo awesome! We served together as companions for 10 months out here and now we are in the same zone! It really was great to be back together again. He is a missionary and friend that I really look up to. Also, we set a baptismal date with someone while together! So that was great too!

General conference was fantastic. On Sunday morning we had a lesson with an investigator that we will call George. The Lesson went really really well and the spirit was extremely strong. We talked a lot about baptism and the feelings of the Spirit. I said the closing prayer and as we know it down I had the thought to pray in Spanish as he is from Mexico. I prayed in Spanish and the spirit came flooding into the room, it was a really powerful moment. We felt to assign him to say a prayer, read 3 Nephi 27, and say another prayer. Then during conference he texted us and we had the feeling to respond by telling him to get online and watch conference right then because the speaker that was speaking was speaking to him. He listen to the rest of the session and as we talk to him later that evening it was cool because he recognized that multiple speakers quoted from 3 Nephi 27! He said he felt like the Apostles were talking to him! It really was an incredible experience and I just simply testify that as we follow promptings of the spirit, amazing things happen. Miracles continue to happen everyday.

Also a funny thing that happened this week: we have realized that if we simply say "hello" or "how are you?" or "have a great day!" then most New Yorkers just ignore us. So we have figured out a better way. As we say these things to them we tap them on the arm and then they immediately think that they know us because no stranger would do that randomly in NYC! So about 99% of the time this works fantastic. But. Sometimes it doesn't. Elder Cottrell tapped this man on the arm and said "have a great day!" In response this man hit him in the chest and said "you too. Now why do you guys think that you can go around touching people?" Uh oh jaja he wasn't very happy with us especially because the exact same thing happened with the same man about 2 months ago except I was the one to touch him that time! We apologized and tried our best to remember his face so that that never happens again. (jajaja) NYC is awesome.

Love you!

Elder Mackintosh
 #PrinceofPeace #CheckItOut


P.S. Oh and I just realized that I failed to tell the "I just want to get out" story! jaja. Basically what happened is we got to the 34th St. Train Station. We got off our train and everywhere we looked there was pornography. Normally when we see pornography we point at it while simultaneously looking away and saying out loud "that is pornography." So that the other person doesn't have to see it. This time unfortunately that didn't work because it was seriously everywhere. We decided to just look at the ground as we walked and I said "I just want to get out of here! But I don't know where the exit is and I can't look up because there is pornography." Then out of the corner of my eye I saw an exit and we hurried not knowing if it was the one that we needed but only knowing that we didn't want to be in that place any longer. So yeah I just wanted to tell the story because pornography is bad and I want to remember the story so that I can use it in a talk one day. jaja. Lots of good life lessons can come from this story!



 Roommates walked by us on the street and took a live shot (jaja) I look jolly





Last second efforts to get people to come watch conference!




Top of the Empire State Building today!




Got to see Jocy from my last area!