Honest Abe

Loved Ones,

Hello! How is everyone? I hope that life is a bliss complete for one and all. Judging from the news and the pictures, I'd say that you all had a pretty splendid week! That makes me happy. I feel like I have some catching up to do since I provided practically no information last week. I'll do my best to give a faithful account.

This last week has been quite the challenge, but that is a good thing because when times are tough, I end up learning a lot. Similar to my experience with training, the increase in responsibility that came with being called as a district leader was more than I anticipated. Sometimes it can be tempting to think that it all is just too hard out here, but I've found that the Lord knows exactly how much we can take and how much adversity we need in order to grow. God always will come through for us when we feel like we just can't move forward any longer as long as we don't lose faith. I'm grateful for this opportunity I have to continue to learn and grow. I have to say that I was a bit disheartened upon first learning that I would be staying put for another transfer, but I realize now that I was being very selfish, and I thought that I knew what I needed better than the Lord does. I'm realizing that there is definitely more that I need to learn, and the convergence of experiences I'm having now seem to be the perfect schooling. I've found that the more I focus on what I want, the less effective and less happy I am. The only way to be happy is to work with God. Fighting against Him really doesn't make any sense. Why row upstream when your destination is downstream? Sometimes I feel stuck, but most of the time that's just because I'm rowing against the current. I know with all my heart that if we put our trust in God, mountains can be moved. The new members of my district are great, and we've all started getting along swimmingly. There is an elder named Elder Cobbley who just came out (he's 18), and an elder by the name of Elder Kang who is nearing the end of his stay in New York. It's a privilege to have more opportunities to serve. It seems like an opportunity to serve is really what leadership positions are all about in the end. Jesus gave us a perfect example of that. I'm grateful to have more service opportunities. I crave service now, and I sometimes find myself longing for the days of daily hurricane clean-up. But alas, I shouldn't long for days gone by. The future is a beautiful mystery just waiting to unfold. Speaking of the hurricane clean-up, Elder Hooper played at a concert in the Far Rockaway area (where we cleaned up) yesterday. They basically taught the Restoration through music. The program was really cool. I didn't actually get to see it because I went on an exchange so we could still cover an appointment, but apparently it went really well. I very much look forward to visiting that area.

So, big news: I was finally able to use the family relation to Tom Hanks though Abraham Lincoln in a meaningful and completely justified manner. I was excited. Elder Hooper and I were tracting, and we entered into a lovely conversation with two elderly women on the doorstep. They are avid O'Reilly fans (Grandpa would have gotten along well with them), and they were talking about his book about Abraham Lincoln and some program on Abraham Lincoln that was on TV recently. They said that Tom Hanks narrated it because he is apparently a relative of Abraham Lincoln. I got really excited and basically said, "He is! I can confirm that! I'm related to Tom Hanks and Abraham Lincoln!" It basically made my night. I'm a weirdo, I know. But, often it's the little things that bring me joy. I also need to tell you guys how much the new Lower Lights cd is rocking my world. Has everyone listened to that yet? I love it. My personal favorite is "Let My People Go". Thank you so much for sending that! The EFY cd's are awesome as well. I needed some new tunes. Muchas gracias. I also love the "more cowbell" shirt, and I wear it with pride. You guys are the best. I'm not sure why I'm so lucky. Mom and Dad, I think that you would be flattered to know that one of my zone leaders keeps asking me if you guys are vampires because you look so young. He refuses to believe that you're not. So way to be looking "fresh, clean, and jiggy wit' it", in the words of my former roommate, the great Elder Gregory (now home).

Well, life is definitely rolling forward. Time just seems to fly by out here. I can't believe that it's almost March! It is a little scary to think that I'll have been out for a year before I know it. That thought makes me want to do all I can to savor every day. I really do feel so blessed for the wonderful experiences I've been able to have so far, and the opportunity to be serving my Lord during this exciting time. I'm grateful for all that I'm being taught and for the situations I'm placed in that are perfectly tailored to my needs. Recently, my testimony of the enabling power of the Atonement has been strengthened a lot. I'm starting to learn that we can't accomplish the things we need to or become the people we need to be without the grace of Jesus Christ. If we trust in the Lord and "lean not unto [our] own understanding", then His grace is sufficient for every one of us. There is so much more that I have to learn about the Atonement and about living life in general, but I do know with certainty that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and that He suffered and died for me. I know that through His grace, I can be more than I can be on my own. There's something very powerful that begins to happen when I acknowledge that I can't get by without the strengthening power of the Atonement. I know that God will lead us along if we will just trust Him and come unto Him. He will make our weaknesses strengths, and He will ultimately lead us to eternal life and happiness if we do what He has asked. God doesn't ask us to do things just because. He loves us. I know that's true. I have felt His love, and it is the sweetest feeling that I can ever hope to have. It fills me completely and brings me a joy that cannot come from any other source. God asks us to do certain things because He knows they will bring us happiness, and He wants us to be happy. I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the path to happiness. I know that my Redeemer lives. I love Him, and I'm grateful to Him. I love my Heavenly Father, and I know that He loves every single one of us. I love my family, and I'm so grateful that I am able to take this journey with you all.

Love,

Elder McDonald

The Same, But New...

Loved Ones,

Hello! Sorry to leave you all hanging on all the news. Those darn holidays keep falling on Monday. And, yesterday was crazy busy, so I couldn't  send out an email. I can't spend much time emailing today since it's not a P-day, but I do want to let you guys know that I'm alive and I figured I should tell you where I am. So, I'll get right to it. I am writing this email to you from my current area which is...drumroll...Williamsburg! I didn't leave! I was quite surprised. I think that I'm just going to end up being here my whole mission. I feel that the Lord is trying to teach me something. I felt like I was ready to leave, but there is obviously more I need to learn. I've been called to serve as the district leader here, so there is a bit of newness to keep things interesting. I'm also still with Elder Hooper for this transfer. So, that's the news!

Another thing that is very cool just happened yesterday at transfer meeting. The first group of 19 year-old sister missionaries and 18 year-old elders arrived! I was so stoked to see them all. There was a lot of excitement in the air. I consider myself very blessed to have the opportunity to serve a mission during this incredible time period. Amazing things are happening, and it's only going to continue to get better. I love you all very much, and I'm grateful for your support. I'm doing my best to serve so that I'm worthy of such great help. I will email a lot more on Monday, I promise! I don't like not being able to say everything I want to! Have a great week!

Love,
Elder McDonald

It's A Small World After All

Loved Ones,

I'm sorry for the sporadic email schedule. Someone needs to tell the guy who watches Chinese martial arts movies on the library computer that it's more important that I talk to my family! But that's okay. He doesn't mean any harm. And it is pretentious of me to think I'm more important. I'm not, really. But Chinese martial arts movies vs. family? I think we all know who the victor is. Chinese martial artists vs. family? Unfortunately, I'm not so sure about that one. I would hope that you guys would be able to prevail, though. Anyways, it was so good to hear from everyone this week! Thank you for all the letters and the wonderful package. I love that package. I will be wearing my "more cowbell" t-shirt quite often, I assure you. Good find. And thank you for the cd's, Mom! I'm so excited to listen to the Lower Lights second volume. I love them. You guys are the best. For reals. Thank you very much.

This week was so good! Matt was baptized, as scheduled. Elder Yates, my district leader, referred to Matt as a "golden investigator from heaven", and he is completely right. It was such a huge blessing to be able to teach Matt and welcome him into the branch. Matt is someone who has embraced the gospel and let it change his life, and it's so special to see that happen. Having Matt's confirmation next week will be a great way to end my stay in Bushwick should I be leaving this transfer. In anticipation of the possibility of some of the missionaries leaving, President Frandsen (the branch president) invited Elder Broadbent, Elder Yates and I to bear our testimonies in sacrament meeting on Sunday. I kept thinking about all the missionaries I've seen bearing their testimonies before getting transferred over the years, and it was a bit surreal to join their ranks. I have grown to love this branch and the people in it so much. I don't think there will be another branch that I'll be more excited to introduce you guys to after the mission. It has been a huge opportunity to serve here. I am impressed by how at home I feel amongst people who are 3,000 miles away from my home. It's been wonderful.

The last segment of The District that you guys watched is not included on the missionary's version of The District. I think it is for good reason. A segment entitled "Coming Home" would, most likely, make us start "trunking out of [our] mind[s]" in the words of Elder Van Pelt ("The Best Two Years"). I'm sure it is very poignant. I look forward to watching it at some point. I'm glad you guys got to watch The District, though. It's so good. It is very honest about missionary life with all its ups and downs. I have one question: did you guys spot The Neuter Scooter in the first episode? I was quite amused to see it make an appearance. It's quick, so you have to keep an eye out. I realize that the majority of you reading this will be confused and maybe even a little disturbed by my reference to such a thing as a "Neuter Scooter", but I thought that those who know what I'm talking about would find it funny. After all, I do have a picture with the infamous vehicle in my photo album. Thanks for sending that one, Mom. It's fun to see all the things from back home in The District. It makes me miss the San Diego Temple. What a beautiful place San Diego is. It sounds especially appealing in the aftermath of the blizzard that I had the pleasure of experiencing just last week. Despite the cold, it was actually quite beautiful. And, there were some opportunities to help people shovel snow, so I was able to have that experience. We didn't have to stay inside for the blizzard. It really wasn't that bad. We always hope that people will have sympathy on us and let us in when the weather is fierce, but it doesn't seem to work too well. But alas, all is well.

I have a funny story for you guys. It's not really a story, but I thought you might think it amusing. In elder's quorum last week, we played "two truths and a lie" to get to know each other better. we split into groups of three and each shared our truths with one lie. Here's what I said: My favorite cereal is Grape Nuts; my favorite ride at Disneyland is "Small World"; I've broken three bones in my body. Jensen Clifford was in my group and he said that clearly I was lying about Grape Nuts and "Small World" because "No one under the age of 60 likes Grape Nuts and no one over the age of 3 likes 'Small World'." Everyone in the group agreed with him. Those of you closest to me know that I have never broken a bone in my body. Man, were they surprised. I think I definitely lost all my street cred. That's alright. It's inevitable that everyone I know will eventually come to realize what a goober I am.

Mom, I thought that the lesson you learned from the Book of Mormon is really important. I never really thought of that aspect of the story of Alma and Amulek, so thank you for sharing. I totally agree with you that we have to realize and remember that a life of discipleship is not an easy path. Elder Holland gives a really good talk about that. He basically says that it would be foolish to imagine that we can avoid pain and trials as we follow Christ, because His life was full of harsh trials. He ties it in to missionary work by saying "Missionary work isn't easy because salvation is not a cheap experience." I know that all the difficulties we face will be for our good in the end. How can we appreciate Jesus Christ's Atonement for us if we don't suffer a little bit ourselves? I believe that it is during the darkest days that we can come to appreciate the Atonement the most and receive the most strength. We have to go through the fire to be refined. It is so important to keep our faith when we are going through the refining fire. If we lose hold of our faith, then that not only makes the trial more difficult, it also prevents us from gaining all the experience that the emergence from the difficulties brings. If we let go of our faith, we don't learn the lesson that we should have, and we end up with less than we had before the trial commenced, having suffered in vain. It doesn't make sense to do that! Keep the faith.

I love you guys so much. Thank you for everything. I hope that everyone has a really, really good week. You all deserve it.

Love,
Elder McDonald

Groundhog Day!

Loved Ones,

Hello one and all! I hope everyone is doing well! Did the groundhog predict more winter or spring? I didn't hear. Judging by the weather here, I'm guessing the groundhog didn't even come out of his den. I bet he stayed inside and drank a mini cup of hot cocoa with super mini marshmallows. That's what I would have done. But, despite the cold, the Lord's work moves forward. I know I haven't even come close to the pioneer level yet, so I have nothing to complain about.

This week was packed full, and I quite enjoyed it. Matt didn't get baptized, but he has a date set for the 10th. We decided that it would be better for him to get to know the branch a bit before he became a member. He's so solid. It's really incredible to see how prepared he is for the gospel. I'm very grateful that Elder Hooper and I have the opportunity to teach him. I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but the missionaries have been putting together a branch cultural party for the last month or so, and the long-awaited party was on Saturday. We were trying to use the party as a way to get members involved in missionary work. The idea was for them to bring their friends. In the end, there were not a lot of non-members there, but the party went really well. It was a good way to build branch unity. The theme of the party was a celebration of the cultural diversity within the branch. It was cool to try everyone's cultural dishes and hear about the different heritages we all have. This branch is something else. I'm going to miss it a lot when I get transferred, which is probably real soon. I've grown to love the members, and there are some really cool people that I look forward to staying in contact with. It's been a privilege to be in this area.

Something interesting has happened recently: I've started to develop a lasting love for missionary work and being a missionary. I've always enjoyed it, and I've always had a deep belief that I was doing the right thing, but I will admit that I haven't always loved all the tracting and such. That has been something that I've done because I know that's the only way to fulfill my calling fully. But recently, I've just been feeling a love for what I'm doing, even if it does involve knocking on doors endlessly and getting turned down a lot. Today, I had the great privilege of watching "The Best Two Years" with my zone. It was good to finally watch it after thinking about it so much. I feel like I've referenced it a lot in these emails. Anyway, what that has to do with what I'm saying is this: as I watched the movie, I just felt a sense of joy for the opportunity to be involved in this work. As I watched people doing pretty much exactly what I'm doing now, it put it into perspective a little bit more. It wasn't just today, though. I've been feeling this love for the work and my love for the people of New York building over this past transfer. I'm grateful for that. Love is at the heart of everything (is that a pun?). I love being a missionary!

So, I don't have a lot of time, unfortunately, but I have a few things to tell you guys. First, as you guys have been watching The District, you know who Elder Christensen is. But, can you guess which General Authority is his father? Here's a hint: look to the Presidency of the Seventy. The other thing I want to tell you about is an awesome Mormon Message that darn near brought tears to my eyes. It's called "Earthly Father, Heavenly Father" and it's incredible. I recommend it highly. It made me very happy. Those Mormon Messages are fantastic. They're getting really good lately.

I wish I had more time! That's all for today, though. I hope that everyone is having a great week so far. I love you all so much, and I'm so grateful for your prayers and support.

Love,

Elder McDonald

Pictures of the new place!