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!