Just Call Me Owen...

Loved Ones,

Hello! My, how I love you all. I just have the best family ever, and so many wonderful people in my life. I feel like a broken record here, but I just can't resist continually raving about how great you all are. I am lucky. I am also happy, because it sounds like, at least generally, it is smooth sailing for all. Just remember the lesson we can all learn from The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker: you can always create a good wind for your sails. All it takes is a little bit of music. For us personally, this music may be a good attitude, scripture study, or prayer, with music still playing (double entendre!) an important role. If we will always have a song in our hearts, then the wind will follow the example of our happy tunes and fill our sails. I will also quote Buddy the Elf: "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear." Christmas is coming up, but even if it wasn't, who doesn't want a life full of Christmas cheer? 

I enjoyed this past week. It was filled with much fun and laughter and much learning. First of all, I just want to say that I'm grateful that the Lord knows us and is continually blessing us with even the little things that will bring us joy. For example, I love pizza and bagels. I love pizza more than I love bagels, but I love them both. New York City happens to have vast quantities of delicious pizza and bagels. I'm grateful that among a host of other reasons that I have been called to serve here in New York, the Lord found a way to arrange the circumstances so that I can enjoy the little things I love while still being where I need to be. This was on my mind the other day as I strolled down the street, munching on a bagel just after enjoying a slice of pizza from Jr. Bella's (we will go there when you all come). I <3 NY. Speaking of food, I stumbled upon a delicious food invention last week. I was on exchanges, and we were trying to decide what to eat for lunch. The plan was to make grilled cheese sandwiches, and we also had some pineapple in the fridge. It was then that I had a crazy idea. "So crazy, it just might work," in the words of Pistachio Disguisee (spelling?). Elder Jensen cut some pineapple rings, I grilled them, and then put them on the sandwiches before grilling them. It was actually really good. I recommend trying it. I have to share a funny experience from last week. Elder Monestine and I were riding home on the bus, and I struck up a conversation with a guy sitting next to us. We spoke about various subjects, and ultimately, I ended up telling him about the Church and the gospel. It was a long bus ride, so we had a good conversation and continued to get to know each other. As we neared the end of the trip, we started talking about Halloween somehow, and the guy said to me, "You know what you should be for Halloween?" "What?" I said. "Owen Wilson," came the reply. I laughed out loud. I thought you would all appreciate that. 

Yesterday, the mission had a really cool opportunity to go back to the areas where we helped during the clean-up after Hurricane Sandy. The anniversary of the landfall of Sandy is tomorrow, and in honor of it, the community of Far Rockaway organized an event called "Rockaway Rising". Basically, the idea was to make a gigantic human chain around the Rockaway peninsula. So, a good portion of our mission came out to support the event. The pictures on the beach were taken there. It was good to be back in that area and again associate with the people I had the opportunity to help. I can't believe it's been a year since all that happened! I am so grateful that I had that experience. I will ever remember the days of mucking out flooded basements and becoming fast friends with strangers, our instant unity fueled by the power of the human connection that seems to reveal itself in dire circumstances. I am happy to report that at least the community of Far Rockaway seems to have recovered well from the damage. From the destruction of Sandy, I acquired a love of service and greater love for my fellow man that will stay with me forever. That experience was a springboard of sorts for me, and as I've continued to serve the Lord in New York, the lessons and love continue to come. Missionary service is a miracle. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the sure way to happiness. Jesus Christ can come into our lives and "muck out our basements", so to speak. We have so much to learn from Him, and we will always be bettered when we feel the touch of the Master's hand. During church on Sunday, I read "Reverently and Meekly Now". Mom, I want to thank you for suggesting that hymn to me. I want to invite you all to read it and ponder its message. I was touched by the Savior's invitation to use His Atonement. He wants so badly to help us. Sometimes, I try to help people, but find that they are not as willing as they were when, for example, I was offering to help them clean their flooded house, and the problem was very apparent. These experiences have helped me to understand in a small way what the Savior must feel. He invites us to lay our burdens on Him. He is pleading with us to let Him carry our pack, and sometimes even carry us.  As I read the lyrics of "Reverently and Meekly Now", I came to see the Savior as a dear friend more than I ever have. That is because I felt the power of the Holy Ghost testifying to me. "Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto [me], but my Father, which is in heaven." I testify that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, and it is only through His infinite Atonement that we can be truly freed from burdens, care, and sorrow. I love Him, and I'm so grateful for His sacrifice.

I love you all. Thank you so much for everything! I don't like to use generalities, but I can't think of a better thing to thank you for than "everything". Have an awesome week! Have fun, and be happy! 

Love,

Elder McDonald

P.S. I must include this conversation between Elder Monestine and I:

Me: "Waldo just ran by us." (I said this after seeing a guy who looked suspiciously like Waldo from "Where's Waldo.)

Elder Monestine: "Who?"

Me: "Waldo."

Elder Monestine: "Where?"

Wings As Eagles

Loved Ones,

Well, hello! How are you all doing today? Simply swell, I presume? Well, good. I am also doing well. Even more so now that I have received word from the wonderful people in my life. I'm very grateful that you all have chosen to put up with me. Thanks for that! It really does mean a lot. To know that there is a group of warm hearts that I can turn to in an hour of need brings peace to my troubled heart and joy to my soul. Thank you for always being so faithful. I'm so sorry that I was not so dependable last week. I ran out of time before I could send out an email to everyone, and I do apologize. 

There is much that I could report on, I'm just not quite sure how to begin. I'll start with interviews with President Calderwood. Those are always great. I learned a lot, and now it's time to apply. Recently, I am learning how to be comfortable being myself as a missionary. That may sound strange, but it is something I've had to work on. I feel like I spent the first year or so of my mission trying to figure out how to be a missionary. Or maybe I should say that I was becoming more converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I will continue to work at that, but now, I feel like I am starting to find out who the "forever changed" version of myself is. I may have already mentioned this, but our mission's motto is "Forever Changed". My goal is to be forever changed while still being myself. Don't get me wrong; I didn't completely lose my personality last year. I just wasn't quite balanced. Now, I am learning how to achieve balance, and, if I'm lucky, inner peace. I find it helpful to do a child's pose on a yoga mat (thank you, Mom) if I'm ever feeling deficient in the inner peace department. I recommend the child's pose. It works wonders. Alas, I digress. Basically, I'm learning how to have more fun and enjoy life more while still being a representative of Jesus Christ. After all, "men are that they might have joy." There is always something to learn, and I am grateful for that. It is actually really fun to see how the Lord guides my life towards the most happiness possible. Sometimes that means wading through a bit of grief, but the happiness would not be sweet unless I had a point of reference. I trust that, no matter what, the Lord wants the best for me, and He works to help me receive the very best. I just need to work with Him. I feel that I am currently at a fork in the road, with change on the horizon. Just as the leaves  are yielding their green to beautiful shades of yellow, orange, and red, my life is on the verge of a shift. It's not anything major, I'm sure, but there will be more opportunities to learn and to grow. I just want to testify of the miracle of missionary service. I gave a talk on missionary work in church on Sunday, and my testimony of missionary work was strengthened as I prepared for it. Missionary work changes lives. I know that. I feel that it is appropriate to replace the words "missionary work" with the word "love" in nearly all cases. So, I would say that love changes lives. What is missionary work other than reaching out in love? As we seek to serve the Lord and serve our fellow man, we are changed, and the world is changed for the better. I am so grateful that I have this opportunity to be a missionary every day. And I'm so grateful to each of you for supporting me in this endeavor. To anyone who says that there are no angels, I say that I know there are. There is a little group of them that is always sending me their love and buoying me up with their kindness. Thanks for being so angelic. 

Guess what? I just received word that my mission will be receiving our shipment of iPads and iPhones in less than a month! How cool is that? These new resources are going to help so much. It's going to be great, and I'm excited. The Lord's work is hastening, and we need to put on our running shoes to keep up! I know that if we do our best, the Lord's promise in Isaiah will apply in our lives: "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." If we will humbly trust in the Lord - wait upon Him - then He will lift us to heights that we thought only the eagles could reach. We are each children of God. We each have divine potential. I pray that we can all tap into that potential and become what we can be. The Lord wants to give us all that He has. He wants to help us every day. I know He will. I know that the message I bring to the good people of New York is true. The gospel of Jesus Christ makes me happy; it empowers me. With God, I am so much more than what I am on my own, or even what I thought I could be. 

I love you all so much! Please have an awesome week, and be happy! Know that I love each of you, and you are each important to me. I'm rooting for every one of you. I want you to succeed and to feel successful. Never forget that I love you! Thank you all for everything that you do. Words fall short when given the task of expressing the profound impact that you have had in my life. 

Love,
Elder McDonald

P.S. I owe you one more story! I'm sorry to leave you hanging! I'll send it in a letter!

Riding a Sprirtual Wave!

Loved Ones,

Well, hello there! Is everyone just riding a spiritual wave after General Conference? I just wish we could have a lengthy open discussion about how wonderful it was and about what we learned. What an amazing blessing it is to have living prophets on the earth today. We are so blessed. I absolutely loved every bit of General Conference. I want to hear all about what everyone's favorite talks were and what stood out to each of you. I loved how straightforward the statements of doctrine were. I am very grateful that we don't have to worry about deviating standards of truth in this world that is continually shifting and turning everything upside down. One of the greatest blessings of having a prophet in our day is the doctrinal purity that is maintained as an authorized servant of the Lord is continually working to lead the Lord's Church and the Lord's people in the Lord's way. So much confusion and anxiety is simply swept away as we hearken to the counsel of the Lord. And whether we hear these counsels from the Lord's voice or the voice of his servants, it is the same. This is a bold claim, but one that is more than justified as the Holy Ghost bears witness to us personally that President Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God. I know that now more than ever. What a joy it was for me to hear a prophet's voice! President Monson's talk was definitely my favorite, and I think that I would say that Elder Christofferson comes in second. I love Elder Christofferson, and I felt that his message was of the utmost importance. Plus, his name is awesome. I just can't say enough how much I know that all of this is so true. It just is absolute truth. I love it! 

So, you just received the update on the highlight of my week. Now, on assignment from Dad, I will answer some questions. First of all, if one were wondering what was the most delicious food I had the privilege of eating this week, I would answer by saying that I was able to enjoy a feast in between conference sessions that included homemade tostadas and flan. That was really good. Also, someone brought Papa John's pizza, which is always delicious. By the way, I've recently developed this thing for making bread. I have this odd desire to never buy bread again. I've just been experimenting and trying a few ideas out, and two of the loaves have come out really good! Plus, they're vegan, so that counts for something, right? I thought you might be interested in this, Mom. I want to thank you for teaching me everything I know. Now for another question. If one asked me who the nicest old person I met was, I would say that honor would go to our good doorman named Dave. He's only kind of old, so I'm pushing it, but he is the greatest guy ever. He's the perfect example of magnifying a calling, whatever it may be. He seems to take great care to be the best doorman he can be, and I think that's inspiring. I would love to answer any more questions. I'm trying to be better about keeping track of those so I don't forge to answer. I'm sorry if I have neglected any of your questions. I promise it's not because I don't care. I'm just a bit absent-minded sometimes. I'm working on it! I've learned that there is great power in writing things down. I have to share two stories with you all. Time is short, so my accounts must follow suit. First of all, I want to share the story of themidnight drive through Brooklyn. That doesn't sound like something a missionary would be doing, does it? Well, you are correct if that was your thought. But, sometimes things go awry. Let me explain. Elder Monestine and I borrowed a car two weeks ago for some work we are doing with the ward, so we were able to have a brief break from the public transportation. Don't get me wrong - I love the public transportation. A car is just a lot faster. But anyway, we put together an effort to visit all the less-active members in the ward here, and all the missionaries in Brooklyn came to help us out. The event ended at about 8:30 at night, and some of the missionaries had a long journey home, so the people who had cars gave the sister missionaries a ride home so that they wouldn't be out on the streets of New York late at night. Elder Monestine and I were in charge of taking one companionship of sisters home in the Corolla we were temporarily using. We all got into the car and started for the sisters apartment at about 8:45 probably. All was just fine and dandy. But then, a hiccup surfaced. Elder Monestine's GPS died. You guys know how terrible I am with directions, right? That is definitely a weak area for me. The situation quickly escalated, and the journey home turned into hopeless wandering. For a while, we felt like we would be able to figure it out. We quickly realized that navigating the streets of Brooklyn at night is a lot more difficult than we anticipated. We passed through a few dodgy parts of town and gradually became more and more lost. To make a long story short, we didn't end up getting the sisters home until after 11. I felt terrible. I must say that we were trying to be obedient and get home as soon as possible. We just couldn't seem to find our way. But! It wasn't all bad. Let me tell you, the view of Manhattan at night from the freeways of Brooklyn is stunning. And, at one point we accidentally ended up behind a tour bus and got a first class view of the Brooklyn Bridge. There was much laughter, a little terror, and now there are hilarious memories from the incident. I am now nearly out of time, so I will have to save the other story for next week! Sorry!

Thank you all for all you do. I just want to say that I know that Heavenly Father loves each of you. I know that. If you're ever feeling lonely, or sad, or hopeless, just offer a sincere prayer. I testify that help will come in one form or another. Help always comes. I love you all so much! 

Love,
Elder McDonald

Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice!

Loved Ones,

Hello! I am happy right now because of the wonderful people in my life. So thanks for being there, wonderful people. I am so grateful for all the light that you shine into my life. If it gets much brighter, I'm going to need sunglasses. But that is a problem I would love to have. That way, I can be happy and stylish! Ya! Honestly, though, thanks for your continual support. I have occasion to lean on it often, and I'm glad I can always count on it being there. As always, I'm glad to hear that all is well. I realize that you aren't going to report on bad days you have, so I'm probably getting a highlight reel of your lives, but that's OK! The good outweighs the bad. Of course, don't hesitate to share any of the struggles as well. I love to include you all in my prayers. Praying for others is one of my greatest sources of comfort, as strange as that may sound. I've found that when we turn outward and focus our prayers on the needs of those we know, the warmth of love comes into our hearts, and the world feels like a better place. And that is not to mention the great power in prayers of faith. Let's not forget that Alma the Younger in the Book of Mormon was literally saved from destruction as a result of his father's prayers on his behalf. Prayer works! You just have to try it.

Is everyone excited for general conference, or what? I can't believe that it's that time again. I just realized yesterday how soon it is. What a great blessing it is to hear from a living prophet of God. I think that sometimes I take that for granted, and I want to try harder to show the proper appreciation for this miracle. General conference is such a treat, and I know if we will take the time to listen closely, we will receive counsel and direction from our Heavenly Father. We are living during exciting times, and we need the counsel of prophets and apostles more than ever. If everyone just took one thing away from general conference and applied it into their lives, can you imagine how much humanity would benefit? I believe we would see monumental strides in the right direction. Though all will not hear a prophet's voice this weekend, we can do our small part to work towards such an ideal by listening attentively and then applying what we learn. I wish I could watch conference with my family, but I know that the blessing we receive from doing the right things far outweigh anything we sacrifice. Do you all have any fun plans? Though I will miss the post-priesthood session In-N-Out stop, I will be well taken care of, as the elders quorum president is hosting a pre-priesthood session feast. It's gonna be big. 

This last week was so good! It was extremely busy, and abounding in blessings. It is such a joy to have people to teach. There is nothing like teaching the gospel. It just feels good to share something that is so important. The family that Elder Monestine and I are teaching all came to church on Sunday, much to our delight. I look forward to their future progression. Elder Monestine and I also had our most productive week ever in terms of teaching. I know that there are tons of people out there who are looking for the truth. We just have to trust in the Lord's timing. I learned a lot last transfer, even though the success was minimal. Heavenly Father wants the best for us. He will always give us the very best if we just stay patient and stay faithful. I know that! Sometimes, life is hard even when we do what is right. If only it was easy for us to see that such times of adversity are really opportunities to grow and ultimately receive more joy! If we can step back and see the big picture, then the world looks a lot brighter. I give my witness that hard times work together for our good, and adversity lasts for but a moment. The sun always rises. And when the sun rises, we can't just sit back and relax. That's when we need to work harder than ever. It's easier to work in the light than in the dark, though sometimes, working in the dark teaches us lessons that wouldn't come if the sun never set. So hang in there! 

I love you all so much! Thank you for your prayers. 

Love,

Elder McDonald