iPads!

Loved Ones,

Better late than never, right? I'm sorry to leave you all hanging for two days. The libraries were closed Monday, and the week has been jam-packed already. I don't have much time to email right now, so I'll have to be brief. But there is much to report on.

First, let me start with you guys! It sounds like everyone is doing dandy. Mom and Dad, I'm glad you had a good time in Palm Springs. I just thought of the Palm Springs segment in "Soarin' Over California" and how I always flinch when the golf ball comes at you. It gets me every time! I'm glad that you were able to experience the wonder of a Jewish deli. Our Jewish friends know how to do food. I'll be sure to try the lox on my bagel next chance I get. And I'm happy that the housing situation is being resolved hitch-free. I really like the new place from what I've seen. Can we have a sign up front that says, "Welcome to the McDonald Homestead"? A random funny thought: Everyone always gets a kick when I tell them that I celebrated my first birthday on a ranch and share some of the stories from the Boulder days. This gives my fellow missionaries fuel for even more "old McDonald had a farm" jokes. It's all in good fun, of course. I hope that everyone is loving school (you too, Mom!) and work and life in general. Be sure that I am loving you! 

I will now give a rapid-fire report of what has recently occurred. As I've already mentioned, I have a new companion. Holy moly, we are having a blast. Elder Durkin is hilarious. He was born in San Diego, but he's spent the most time in Las Vegas. There is no one quite like Elder Durkin. It's his birthday today, so please send him lots of happy birthday vibes. All in all, we are just having a great time and really trying to work as hard as we can. We are initiating some changes and improvements in the zone and in our personal work under the Lord's direction, and I have felt the power of seeking to more fully serve the Lord with all of our hearts, mights, minds, and strength. That is truly the way to find happiness and to find yourself. It's paradoxical, but true. In other news, I am 96.4% sure that Elder Durkin and I saw Ben Stiller in the neighborhood the other day. We were walking down a street and stumbled upon a film production, and we were told that it was a film with Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts. We were allowed to walk down the street, past where they were filming, as long as we didn't stop. So, we tried to get the best look we could while still walking, and I'm pretty sure that I spotted Stiller in the midst of a scene. So that was pretty cool. Now, for the really exciting news. Yesterday, the missionaries received their mini iPads as the next step in hastening the work of the Lord. What a peculiar thing it was to be given an iPad as a missionary. But, Elder Durkin and I used those wonderful little devices to study this morning, and I give the iPad two enthusiastic thumbs up. The Gospel Library app is amazing, and using it with the iPad allows you to streamline and enrich gospel study in an amazing way. The iPad literally puts everything right at your fingertips. It's great. Now, missionaries can begin to go forth without purse or scrip. All we need is the iPad to preach the gospel. The Lord is truly hastening His work. It is such a privilege to be able to participate with Him in the greatest cause of time and eternity. 

I'm about out of time, but I just want to tell you all that I love you. I really do. I pray for you nightly, and I am very grateful for your prayers for me. I'm sure that it won't be until heaven, when a perfect account of all things is given, that I will be able to see how much I have been benefited by the prayers of those who love me. Until then, I have faith that I am being buoyed up by those prayers, and so I wish to express my deep gratitude, not only for the prayers, but for all the labors of love which I have been blessed by. I testify that God is our Father in heaven. He loves us and wants us to be happy. That is His way - happiness. We should be happy each day, and if we aren't, we need to work things out with God so that we can be. If you don't know where to start, just start with prayer. Of course, you could always ask the missionaries - they can help you! I love you all! Have a great week!