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Loved Ones,

Oh man! I don't think I've ever done so much consecutive manual labor in my entire life. I'm super tired, but it's awesome! This past week was full of a lot of service again. The focus for what we're doing now has typically been tearing people's houses apart since everything was damaged by flooding. Yesterday, the group I was working with spent more than 5 hours completely gutting someone's house. It was crazy! It's a fantastic way to get some aggression out. There's no stress that can't be alleviated by beating down a wall with a sledgehammer. Chopping big pieces of wood with an axe is also an excellent remedy. I think that I'd like to join wood chopping competitions at some point. I would be completely stress free. But I digress... Yesterday was a really special experience because the man who owns the house that we gutted is in his 80's and needed a lot of help. He was so grateful and visibly touched by the service. He is also a veteran, so we had the chance to do a good deed for him right around Veteran's Day as a silent thank you for his service. It makes me so happy to serve people. All the counsel that President Monson gives us on service is, without a doubt, inspired. I know that when we turn our hearts outward and live life with a deep love for God and for mankind, we will be richly blessed far beyond the measure of what we've sacrificed. I'm so grateful for the continual stream of experiences that the Lord is blessing me with on my mission. I'm constantly given opportunities to learn eternal truths that have already changed my life in ways I can't adequately describe. It is true that no matter what we do, we will always be unprofitable servants. We can never give more than we get, because the more we serve God, the more he blesses us. Our righteous actions and the blessings we receive will always correlate in an positive and infinite way, with us always receiving so much more than we could ever give. The chance I've had to increase my testimony of service has also helped me to see the great blessing that it is to give missionary service. I just absolutely know that being on a mission is the exact place that God wants me to be. When I think back to the moments when I was unsure or nervous about serving a mission, it honestly scares me a bit to think of what I would be missing out on if I had chosen not to serve. We all have so much potential, and God knows exactly what we need to do to unlock that potential. I know that if we keep His commandments and listen to the words of His servants, obeying with exactness, that we will "mount up with wings as eagles" (Isaiah 40:31). I think that one of the most important things is to remember who we all are. We are children of God. We have divine potential. If we can always remember that, then temptations seem absurd. I really love the scriptures in Moses chapter 1, verses 12-16. Satan tempted Moses, and Moses shunned these temptations by remembering who he was. He remembered that he was a son of God, and that made all the difference. Check those scriptures out -- they're really cool. Though we sometimes forget our potential and forget who we are, God never does and He never will. That's why we will always be blessed and happy if we follow His plan. It's a perfect plan and it can create perfect people. I know that if we serve God, we will be blessed. I love the gospel! It's the coolest thing ever. Normally, a statement like that would be exaggerated and dependent on personal opinion, but I feel very confident in saying that it is literally the coolest thing ever. 

Guess what? I experienced my first New York City snowfall! Last week, a blizzard blew in and added insult to injury right after the hurricane. It was kind of funny to tract while it was snowing. Some people just gave us that look like we were completely crazy. It snowed a decent amount, actually. There was snow on the ground for like 3 days. What made it even more exciting was the fact that a lot of the public transportation was down because of the hurricane, so there was a lot of trudging through the snow amidst the blizzard. It made for some good times and good memories. I need to give you guys a quick update on Qua. It's been really cool, because his girlfriend, Nicolett, has sat in on the lessons a few times, and they came to church together with their son! They're starting to work with each other on living the gospel, and that's really exciting. Elder Tremble and I gave Qua the challenge to live the Word of Wisdom and quit smoking last night, so it will be interesting to see how he does. We promised him that he could quit smoking through scripture study and prayer, and I know that he can do it if he puts in the effort. It will be so special to see that family unite in the gospel. 

It sounds like everyone is doing well! I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week. Crazy! It's that time of year! My roommates and I have already started singing Christmas hymns in the morning before studying. I love you all very much, and I hope that it is a lovely holiday season for everyone. I just received the package Grandma and Aunt Christie sent. It was awesome! Thank you guys so much. You're the best. The support I receive from everyone I love is so helpful. I can't thank you all enough. I'm so grateful to have such amazing people in my life. Without you all, I don't know what I'd do. Actually I do know -- I'd cry. Thank you all so much for everything. I love you all. May each day be filled with bliss for each of you.

Love,
Elder McDonald