So Much Joy!

Loved Ones,

Hey folks! Surprise! I am going to have to be brief, but I want to let you all know that I'm alive and well. Why do the national holidays always fall on Mondays? It really throws things off. I wish I didn't have to be brief, because this week was an eventful one. A family began the rewarding journey on the straight and narrow path to the eternities. More to come on that.

I'm very glad that you guys had such a fun Memorial Day weekend. I'm trying to remember if our family camping tradition was observed on Memorial Day weekend in times past. I thought it was. Am I right, or is it another holiday weekend? I was thinking about that yesterday, and reflecting on the fond memories that were the result. How grateful I am for my family. I quite enjoyed my Memorial Day weekend! I had the opportunity to go to a wedding and then have an investigator be baptized! Ryanne and Felipe tied the knot on Saturday. Weddings are always happy times, but there is even more reason to rejoice because of the special wedding it was. Ryanne and Felipe are very special, and being able to witness the beginning of their life together was a privilege indeed. But the wedding was really just a step towards Ryanne's baptism, which took place on Sunday. A big step, yes, but the baptism was the event that really put everything into perspective. The pure love that it was my privilege to feel during the baptismal service is a memory and a source of strength that I will cherish. I have grown to love Ryanne and Felipe so much, and I am forever grateful that I was able to play my small part in their journey. I unflinchingly declare that the only way to be happy is to turn outward and love others. No pleasure or pursuit will ever outlive the pure love that comes from service and the Spirit. I was pushed to tears during the baptismal service. They were the kind of tears that I love to shed - tears of joy. Honestly, it was such a wonderful experience. I cannot adequately express the joy I felt, but I can invite you all to "come and see". No description will ever be sufficient, but experience compensates for the inadequacy of description. Seek out the pure things of life. I can think of no earthly thing more pure than the event I was able to witness on Sunday. The pure things are the things that bring joy and experience beyond words. I love you all so much, and I hope that you are having a wealth of pure, joyful experiences. I really do want nothing but the most full and lasting happiness for each of you. The gospel of Jesus Christ blesses families. I knew it before, but I know it more now. My knowledge is perfect in this thing. Mom and Dad, thank you for sharing the gospel with me. Thank you for making it the center of our home. Thank you for your love and example. Once again, words cannot express my feelings. My gratitude is beyond expression, but I hope that my feeble words will make it to your hearts. Jacob, Jase, and Mia - I haven't forgotten about you. Thank you all so much for your love and your goodness. I cannot tell you how much strength I receive from your support. I hope that I can measure up to the task placed before me so that I can show my gratitude in deed. I promise each of you that I am going to do my best.

The events I was able to witness this past weekend were a culmination of a process. I have profusely expressed the joy I felt, and I feel I am justified in doing so. But sometimes the peak of the mountain can seem unreachable from the base. Sometimes we wonder how the truly pure and beautiful experiences of life can be a reality for us. The marriage of Ryanne and Felipe and Ryanne's baptism was the result of a lot of little things added together. I wish to point out that little things lead to big things. The Lord works by "small and simple means". Sometimes we want a grand experience or fulness of joy right away. But, as President Uchtdorf's wife taught us, life is not a race. It's a journey. I know that the little decisions we make every day matter. Every choice we make moves us either closer to God or otherwise. Every action has a consequence. The accumulation of little decisions, added together, determine our destinies. I just want to invite all of you and myself to take more thought for the little things that are important. The gospel blesses families, but only if we apply it, and the application of the gospel is a continual round of simple, powerful steps that will always bring happiness and peace. Always. This has been made much more clear to me lately. I know that life can be hard, and sometimes we feel stuck or even abandoned. We are never abandoned, and we're only ever as stuck as we choose to be. The path is clear. What you choose to do now will make a difference. I offer that as my testimony. There is a mountaintop for each of us if we choose to claim it. Please do so. As I said, I want nothing but happiness for all of you. I love you all heaps and bunches. Thank you for being there for me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I absolutely can't say it enough. You are in my prayers, and I do so appreciate the ones you offer in my behalf.

Love,
Elder McDonald

A Happy Birthday!

Loved Ones,

Hello! How are the people I love? I hope all is well. A lot has happened since we last talked. It's been a big week. I'm doing really well, though. This transfer has been exciting so far. I think it's clear to see that the Lord is hastening His work (there will be 80,000 full-time missionaries by July), and I have been excited about that for a long time, but what I failed to consider is that as the work hastens on a large scale, the work will inevitably hasten in individual missions and for individual missionaries. When you pick up one end of a stick, you pick up the other. That has been made clear to me this week. It feels like the New York New York South Mission is starting to sprint. The pace of the work here is accelerating rapidly, and it's really exciting. Along with the excitement comes more work, and the day-to-day has become more demanding, but when the day demands more and you deliver, the reward is more than equal to the demand. I feel honored and privileged to be serving the Lord full-time at this time, and I have come to understand a bit more about what it truly means to serve the Lord full-time. I'm also grateful to be under the leadership of President Calderwood. He has helped me in more ways than I can recount, and I know that he has been called of God to bring about a great work. I hope that I can measure up to the responsibility I've been given as a participant in this work. It is incredible how much the Lord trusts us. I know I would do well to trust Him a little bit more each day.

The biggest event this last week was a visit by Elder Koelliker of the Seventy. He conducted a mission tour, and so we had an opportunity to learn from him. He knows what he's doing. I learned a great deal from his counsel. Elder Koelliker asked every missionary to prepare two five-minute talks, one on accountability and one on working with members, in preparation for the conference. We were told that he would call on missionaries to give their talks. I prepared talks, but I figured that the odds were pretty slim that I would be called upon. Slim they may have been, but when the two selected speakers were announced, I was one of them. I was called to give my talk on accountability. As I stood in front of the three zones in attendance (so about 60 or 70 missionaries), with Elder Koelliker and his wife and President and Sister Calderwood behind me, my palms became a bit sweaty. It was a little nerve-wracking to speak in a meeting with a general authority. I was careful not to teach any false doctrine. I didn't want to be rebuked by Elder Koelliker. Of course, Elder Koelliker is not one to be afraid of, and I had no reason to be nervous, but it was an intimidating situation nonetheless. I was grateful for the chance to speak, though. I can only imagine what it feels like for a newly called general authority to stand up at general conference and speak with the prophet right behind him or her. In summation, the conference was very good. My stake also had stake conference this weekend, and the session consisted of a broadcast from Salt Lake. President Packer and Elder Perry spoke, along with a few other general authorities. It was a treat to hear more from the Quorum of the Twelve so soon after general conference. I know that those men are called of God. I so respect and admire them. Elder Rasband spoke about the temple, and I was really impacted by his talk. I have gained such a deep testimony of the power of the temple, which is strange because I haven't been in 10 months. I just have had impressed upon my mind and soul the great sacredness and importance of the temple. I know that we have temples on the earth for a purpose, and that they are a source of peace for this troubled world. As Elder Rasband spoke, I knew that I loved the temple, and I felt a great desire to go there. In less than 2 months, my wish will be granted. I'm incredibly excited. I just want to let all of you know that I know that temples are sacred, and that we will be safe and happy if we make the temple our highest goal and greatest priority. The temple truly is "a house of God - a place of love and beauty." It is so important to go to the temple. In this world, we need to "stand in holy places and be not moved."

I'd like to report on my birthday as well. Thanks to you guys, it was a great birthday. I really loved the packages. Elder Holland has been speaking constantly in the car as Elder Legere and I make our way to our destinations. And, I am now well-stocked with socks and goodies and love. Thank you. My district also ensured that my birthday was a happy one. I was blindfolded (with one of the batman masks you sent, I might add) and driven to a secret location by Elder Legere. When I emerged from the car, my district was there to wish me a happy birthday and buy me a burrito from Chipotle. It was a very nice birthday surprise. It really was a great birthday. You wouldn't think that a birthday filled with knocking on doors would be enjoyable, but it really was. I was blessed to find joy in serving the Lord.

Well, I have to close for now. I love you all very much, and I am so grateful to each of you. Please stay happy!

Love,

Elder McDonald

Can you believe I'm still in New York? It is amazing how diverse the scenery is. 

The Festivities!

It rained yesterday. All day. Elder Legere and I tracted yesterday. All day. This is me at the end of the day. (Don't worry - I was posing for the picture. I'm not actually depressed. I just wanted to capture the essence of my bodily condition.)

Growing Up

Loved Ones,

Why, hello there! First of all, I love you guys. I hope that is clear. It was so good to see your faces thanks to the wonders of Skype. I definitely liked that better than the phone call. It was much easier to communicate. It makes me happy to see everyone doing well, and it is pleasantly surprising to see how much everyone is growing up! It turns out that life outside of my missionary service does not become encapsulated in a bubble, immune from the progression of time. Alas, change is good as long as it is good change. I'd say that the change has been good on all accounts. It really was so nice to hear all of your perspectives on our life in progress straight from your mouths. There are few things sweeter than the voices of those I love. Speaking of our life in progress, I woke up to a sight this morning that caused me to drift into a moment of pondering and reflection. The new World Trade Center tower has been steadily climbing throughout my time in New York, and it is nearing completion. This morning, the rising sun stretched its light out from the horizon and let it fall on the glass surface of the World Trade Center. In a perfect confluence of the angle and intensity of the sunlight, the shiny surface of the tower took on the appearance of fire. A beacon of light was created that was intense enough to travel the miles to my apartment window while still being too bright to look at directly. I thought about how the steady progress in the construction of the new World Trade Center has been, in some ways, a companion to my progress as I've served as a missionary in New York. As I looked at that burning tower, I felt a connection with it. We've been growing up together, and we still have a climb ahead of us. Just as the World Trade Center is not complete, I readily acknowledge that I have a long way to go. But, that does not change the fact that there has been progress, and I have gained great joy in it. I'm grateful that the Lord has taken the time to lovingly build me up. He has been and continues to be the perfect architect and builder. The same Being who created this perfectly beautiful world is still actively creating bright presents and futures for every one of us. If we will let Him, He will take us to heights far greater than we could hope to achieve by our own power. The sight of the World Trade Center illuminated by the sun's rays also caused me to reflect on the illumination I received yesterday as I spoke with my family and was touched by the bright, warm light of love. This morning, both the World Trade Center and I were brighter than we normally are. One by virtue of the powerful light from the sun, and another by virtue of a light that I feel is far more powerful. I want to thank you for your love. This climb would be rather empty if love wasn't my companion, and I assure you that your love is loved and returned. You guys are the best.

This past week was really excellent. Elder Legere and I have found new people to teach, and the people we've been teaching are doing well. There were some fun times as well. A family in the ward invited the missionaries over for an authentic Filipino meal on Friday, and that was quite the experience. The food was really unique, but good. They served several whole fish, bones and all, and I found that enjoyable. I felt like I was in "Cast Away" just eating a fish right out of the ocean. It was great until I accidentally swallowed a fish bone. The family became very concerned when I told them, and they said that I needed to either swallow a banana, eat a ball of rice, or have a cat scratch at my throat. I chose to eat a ball of rice. That seemed to do the trick. I'm not entirely sure what would have been accomplished by allowing a cat to claw at my jugular, but I suppose they know their stuff. For the grand finale, they presented a dish to us called balut (I'm not sure what the proper spelling is). Perhaps you have heard of such a thing. Basically, it is a duck egg. That doesn't sound all that exciting unless you learn a little bit more about this duck egg. Inside this egg is a partially developed duck fetus that has been hard-boiled along with the remaining yoke. So, when you crack open the egg, an alien-like creature is essentially staring at you, and the next step is to eat it. Personally, that's not the logical connection that I would make, but apparently it is a popular dish. Eat it, I did, and it wasn't as bad as it sounds. It just tastes like a standard hard-boiled egg. The texture of the fetus was a bit disturbing, but I held it down. Elder Stauffer was sitting next to me, and his bite nearly came back up again, but ultimately none of the missionaries were sick. There was a lot of laughing, perhaps to keep from crying. It was a lot of fun. I was grateful that the Balgos family gave us a cultural experience.

I have had something on my mind lately that I'd like to share with you all. One of the gifts from my mission thus far has been a deeper understanding of what the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ means to me. I have been thinking a lot about this lately, and especially about the Prophet Joseph Smith. If I may, I would very much like to share some of the thoughts I've been having. I have developed a great love for the Prophet Joseph Smith. I know that he is the Prophet of the Restoration. I willingly and anxiously testify that that man was called of God to perform a great work, and I know that he truly lived up to that calling. I had that testimony tried by a man I spoke with on the street the other day, and I am so grateful that I was able to stand by the Lord's servant Joseph Smith and say with conviction that I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet. I look to him as a friend, and when the man on the street declared him to be a deceiver, I knew with all my heart that he was the exact opposite, and I let that man know! The witness of the Holy Ghost is something that I cannot and will not deny. This knowledge is significant and sacred to me because of the deeper understanding that I've gained of the Restoration. It's difficult to express, but I composed a poem that helps me to do so. I thought I'd share that with all of you.

My Loving Father had a gift to give,

He sent His Son, who died that I might live.

And lest I wander here, below,

The Prophet gave his life that I might say, "I know."

I'm grateful that the Prophet Joseph Smith was willing to die so that I could have a true and complete understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and access it fully in my life. I know that my witness is true.

I love you all and I am grateful for the light you bring into my life. Thank you so much for your prayers and your support. I will do my best to live worthy of such great blessings.

Love,

Elder McDonald

The whole zone.

Pre Balut

Post Balut

Close up...

Raccoon Encounter

Sharing a granola bar

Running from hissing raccoon.

Looks like a package they all appreciated!

The lady on the Special K box needed to cover up. I helped her out with a Sharpie. 

Hidalgo!

Hooray For The Sunshine!

Loved Ones,

Hello and good morning! It's May! I love May. I hope that everyone has had a wonderful May thus far. Happy birthday Mia! I can't believe you're already 6! How are you growing up so fast? Have you been eating a lot of spinach? I want you to know that I love you and I miss you. I hope you have a fantasmical birthday! And another exciting event is approaching! I believe that I will be able to see some of your beautiful faces in a few short days. I'm working on finding a friendly member who will let me use their iPad to Skype. I will do all I can! I'm so excited to vocally express all my love and appreciation and hear the voices that I so adore.

This week has been great! Honestly, it has. I have learned so much, and I am very grateful for that. My study journal that I write down insights and experiences in has become my most cherished possession. One of the greatest blessings of missionary service is the constant growth and learning. I wonder if God is more generous with revelation with his missionaries, or if I'm just better understanding what I need to do in order to receive my Heavenly Father's direction. Maybe it's a combo of both. At any rate, I am very grateful for the opportunity to pass through this experience and collect the pearls of wisdom and experience that I encounter along the path. They are of great price, and I mean that in at least two ways. Elder Legere and I are getting along really well, and we are able to teach each other a lot. The weather has been beautiful, and I got sunburned for the first time in too long. Who would have thought that I would ever crave a sunburn?

I had the wonderful opportunity last week to return to the Rockaways and don my yellow vest once more for a day of clean-up efforts. The sun was shining, and I felt sunshine-y both on the outside because of the bright yellow I wore, and on the inside because of the warmth that comes from service. It was good to return to that part of New York that will always hold a special place in my heart. There is no better way to develop love than to serve. And there is no better way to be happy than to love. So, service leads to happiness. It's a fool proof pattern. In the past, I haven't appreciated service as I should. There were so many great opportunities for service in scouting and in the Church that I didn't recognize as opportunities to develop greater love and be happier. Now, I want to provide service whenever I can, because my heart has been changed. That is one of the blessings I received from my service during the clean-up of Hurricane Sandy. God provides a huge opportunity for us when he trusts us enough to give us the chance to serve His children. God perfectly understands the principle of delegation. He knows that the service of our fellow beings is a blessing. He knows that we get more than we give when we serve. And, not only that, but many needs are met by the loving service of others. So, two birds are killed with one stone. God is very good at killing multiple birds with one stone, figuratively speaking, of course. I'm confident God would not kill any real birds with a stone. But it is very interesting to look at a commandment He gives or a principle He teaches and see how that commandment or principle infinitely benefits those who follow it and accomplishes multiple purposes simultaneously.

I've been taught a great deal about true happiness recently, and I'd like to share a bit on the subject, if I could. I feel that service makes us happy because we forget ourselves, if only for a moment. Jesus taught us that if we will lose our lives, we will find them. I testify that that is a true principle. In missionary work, and I think life in general, the only way to truly be happy is to forget yourself. The only way to be happy in missionary work is to work! I've been taught that principle by experience. When we pursue pleasure, which is always selfish, we will ultimately be left feeling empty if we don't do what it takes to find true happiness. The world does not understand happiness. This society has become a factory for pleasure that is given the label of happiness. That is the definition of false advertising. The world has a lot of options for happiness, but they all lead to one result: emptiness. A teaching from the Prophet Joseph Smith helps me to understand true happiness and its source. He taught that we must "cheerfully do all things that lie in our power." (D&C 123: 17). I think this is a wonderful admonition, but it is not so much the teaching as the context in which it was given that impacts me. Joseph Smith penned those words in a place called Liberty Jail. Elder Holland has already pointed out the tragic irony in that name. This jail was a place of horrors. Perhaps the most painful suffering of the Prophet Joseph Smith's life was endured during his time in Liberty Jail. But, in the gall of bitterness, Joseph Smith was able to confidently talk about being cheerful. How in the world did he maintain such optimism in such terrible circumstances? I believe that the answer is, at least partially, that Joseph Smith understood what true happiness is. He understood that pleasure is not requisite for happiness. There was certainly little pleasure to be found in Liberty Jail, but happiness was still within reach. In an email that I wrote months ago (though it seems like weeks), I quoted James E. Talmage in a discussion on happiness. I want to quote Brother Talmage once again, and I will put his words in quotations in order to give credit where credit is due. But, I want to state very clearly that the following words have become my own: "True happiness is lived over and over again in memory, always with a renewal of the original good; a moment of unholy pleasure may leave a barbed sting, which, like a thorn in the flesh, is an ever-present source of anguish. Happiness is not akin with levity, nor is it one with light-minded mirth. It springs from deeper fountains of the soul, and is not infrequently accompanied by tears. Have you never been so happy that you have had to weep? I have." I testify that to find true happiness, we must be baptized, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and keep our covenants. "In this there is safety, in this there is peace." I love you all, and it is love that makes me happy. I want for you to be happy as well.

Love,
Elder McDonald