Memorial Day

Loved Ones,

Hi folks! How are ya? I want to thank you all for keeping me in the
loop and being so great about writing me and such. It is so sweet (not
in the slang way) to have correspondence with the dear ones in my
life. My heart swells to know that whatever roads I walk, I walk them
in such stellar company. Truly stellar is the right adjective, for you
are all of a heavenly nature in every way. Thank you! I'm going to
warn you that, upon seeing you all, I may follow the example of Ammon
and pass out because my joy exceeds my natural frame. Just be standing
by in the event of such a thing occurring. It is not unlikely.

Last week was great! Getting my birthday package a bit late worked out
just fine because I was able to stretch that celebration out as long
as possible. Brother Burgess, a member here in Bay Shore (he's
awesome), believes in a birthday week, and I must second his opinion.
The package arrived on time, I think, it was just in a different place
than the last one, so I didn't see it until I, on a whim, checked a
compartment and found a delightful surprise inside. It was great to
Spider-Man-out for a bit and bathe in the warmth that comes from
knowing someone loves me. Let me just say that you decorated
everything perfectly. I am such a big Spider-Man fan. Not only is he
awesome, but he's a New Yorker! That's what I like most about him.
Also, he demonstrates the principle of selfless service that we are
remembering and paying tribute to this Memorial Day. Let me just
publicly thank those who have served this country and those who call
it home. We are so blessed to have liberty. Liberty is a companion to
and a component of eternal life. It is important! I'm grateful that
there are those who believed in liberty enough to lay down their
lives. May God bless America.

Last week was excellent. Truly excellent. This past Friday, we had the
opportunity to help out St. Mark's, a local Episcopalian church, with
a project they were working on. This was a great chance to associate
fellow Christians and appreciate what brings us together.
Additionally, we received a gracious tour of the church with its
striking architecture and stunning glasswork. It was gorgeous! There
were beautiful scenes depicted with Tiffany glass. (I think that's how
it's spelled. That's how it sounds.) That was a treat. In other news,
we lived off the fat of the land because people kept providing pizza
for us. Thus we were well fed and didn't even have to use much of our
own food. That happens sometimes. The Lord provides. I was watching a
sparrow drink from a pool of rainwater on the street the other day,
and I just thought of the scripture in Matthew:

"Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap,
nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye
not much better than they?" (Matthew 6:26).

As I think back to the companion situations mentioned, namely pizza
being provided for us and rainwater being provided for the sparrow, I
am grateful that the Lord saw fit to bless us with pizza and not just
rainwater :) To loosely quote Po, the Kung Fu Panda, "I'm gonna need a
lot more than dew and universe juice!" However, joking aside, I
believe strongly in the principle taught in that scripture. I know
that as we selflessly serve, the Lord provides. Would not He support
us as we seek to lift the human family? I testify that He does and He
will!

I spoke with a returned missionary the other day who told me the last
month of his mission was miraculous. He said he just expected awesome
things to happen and they did. I loved that, and I'd like to make that
a reality for the last month of my mission. I've learned that there is
nothing wrong with having great expectations, even though you will
sometimes be disappointed. Occasional disappointment may be something
of a toll that must be paid when crossing the bridge to the wondrous
isle of fulfilled hopes and dreams, but it is well worth it. Faith,
hope, and expectations are connected, and I am seeking to raise my
expectations and increase my faith and hope so that when
disappointments come, I am able to take them with optimism and
confidence, knowing that things will work out when we place faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ.

Loved ones, I love you. I really do! You are in my prayers and always
in my heart. Let's go and do something nice for someone this week!
Maybe it is a smile you'll give or just a "hello". You could do the
dishes for Mom or bake someone a batch of cookies. Whatever it is, it
will make the world a brighter place and make you a brighter person!

Love,
Elder McDonald

Awkward Companion Photos...

Birthday Boy!

Birthday Joy

Loved Ones,

How are you all doin'? Thanks for all the birthday love, everyone! You
all make life grand. Last week was such a good week. I loved it. My
birthday was awesome, too. First, some thoughts. It's kind of weird to
have reached the culmination of adulthood. By the world's standards,
there is really nothing else that is keeping me from claiming the full
and complete adult status. I feel the same, though. Plus, there's so
much more ahead. This milestone is far from a completion. I feel
optimistic about the future, knowing that there is much goodness
ahead. But anyways, I'll tell you all about my birthday. I had a nice
birthday dinner because one of the members invited Elder Hardisty
and I over. They made a delicious gourmet meal, so I was well taken
care of. And, to make it even better, the member's wife and daughter
are not members, and the daughter brought a friend who isn't either,
so we were able to teach a lesson afterward. We taught the doctrine of
Christ using a whiteboard and markers to illustrate the cycle of the
doctrine of Christ. That was such a birthday treat. I love preaching
the gospel! To have a listening ear to share the greatest truths of
all with is a gift worth more than gold. "Woe is unto me if I preach
not the gospel" because I'd be missing out on a whole lot of precious
experiences!

How have you all been? What is new on the home front? Have you had to
defend the homestead from any invaders? Hold down the fort. Jacob,
congrats on the Legoland job! That's so sweet! Can you find all their
insider secrets so that we can be Lego masters? I have been freaking
out after hearing about Uncle Mat and Aunt Terri's call to be mission
president in Mexico! That is so exciting! What would that be like to
have someone call to set up an appointment with an Apostle? I would be
a nervous wreck! They will do such a good job. With that in mind, I
want to invite you all to watch Elder S. Gifford Nielsen's conference
talk from last October. He'll actually be coming to our mission next
month. But in the talk, he asks us what it might be like if the
prophet called us. He then explains that the prophet has called each
of us to take an active role in the work of salvation. More
importantly, Jesus Christ has called us and is laboring with us in the
vineyard. I testify of the joy that comes from being involved in the
work of salvation. The work of a disciple of Jesus Christ is
wonderful, rewarding, and fun. There is no greater work in this world.
So Mat and Teri received a formal call, but we all have been called as
well! Let's "labor on the family farm", shall we? We can all thrust in
our sickles together and lay up for ourselves treasures in Heaven. I
have found a lot of fulfillment and peace as I've sought to be a
worthy witness for Jesus Christ these past few days. I've also found
inspiration from watching the Bible videos. Those are so good. They
help me to visualize what it means to follow in Christ's footsteps.

Elder Hardisty and I are finding people to teach! We have started
teaching an awesome couple who have been looking for God in their
lives. The man's name is Aladdin! How cool is that? Unfortunately, his
girlfriend's name is not Jasmine, but that's ok! We also met two
really cool elderly gentlemen who restore cars, and they showed us
some of their work. It was awesome! They were working on some cars
from the 30s, and they made them look brand new. There are so many
wonderful people around here. It is a privilege to be among them and
associate with them each day.

Well, I love you all dearly. Thank you for your support, your love,
and your prayers. I feel that my life is a mosaic to which you have
each added a piece or two (or many). I can't thank you all enough! I
love you, I love you, I love you!

Love,
Elder McDonald

The Food Pod

Loved Ones,

Hello! I'm so happy right now! What a wonderful treat to see your
smiling faces! You are all such awesome people. From Mia's superhuman
hula hooping right up to Lulu's good looks, each of you are great.
Plus, you're living such cool lives! I am honored to be a member of
the family. Thanks for letting me hang out with ya'll :)

This is going to be a good week. I can feel it. Not for any particular
reason, but just because. I've found that it is not the events that
determine the quality of our lives, but the tiny patterns of thought
and attitude we choose to follow in each moment of every day. Those
little things make a very big difference. So, in following good
patterns of thought and attitude, I hope to not only have a good week,
but a successful one as well. I hope everyone else is feeling great at
the start of the week. Let's wage war against the Monday blues! Being
able to email my family every Monday has certainly changed my
perspective on Mondays.

Elder Hardisty and I spent some good quality time searching for those
who want to know the truth last week. We were able to increase our
efficiency ten-fold by creating what I have termed "the food pod". It
is a large Tupperware which we fill with various food stuffs that
serves as our dinner for the day. That way, we can eat out on the
road. It's great! Besides that, we're having tons of fun as we serve
together in this most choice part of the vineyard.

I'm going to get right onto something I neglected last week. I asked
you all if you were lovers of the cause of Christ. When someone asked
W.W. Phelps how Joseph Smith was able to endure so much, he answered
in Joseph Smith's own words, saying something like, "I am a lover of
the cause of Christ." When I learned this, it really impacted me, and
I had to ask myself, "Am I a lover of the cause of Christ?"
Furthermore, I wondered just exactly what it means to love the cause
of Christ. I'm not sure I fully know yet, but I do have a strong
desire to truly love the cause of Christ and let that love lead me to
selfless service and unflinching devotion to my Savior Jesus Christ. I
have a long way to go, but I know that line upon line, precept upon
precept, I can inch towards that goal. It will come largely by
following patterns that I mentioned earlier. I believe that God is so
much more concerned about patterns we follow than singular actions or
events in our lives. Of course, a single action or event can alter the
courses and patterns of our lives for good or for ill, but I feel that
the measure of our character will ultimately be made manifest in the
patterns we have chosen to make a part of us. Some of the most
important patterns are prayer and scripture study. I know those make
the biggest difference. So, let's all work together to love the cause
of Christ and establish patterns of righteousness in our lives. Those
are two very related pursuits.

I love you all heaps and bunches! You guys really are the best. I mean
it. Thank you so much for all you are doing. Don't let anyone tell any
of you you aren't awesome.

Love,
Elder McDonald

Cinco de Mayo

Loved Ones,

Greetings! Just to warn you now, this email will be short. Elder
Hardisty and I put together a little barbecue for the zone, so I have
very little time. I wish I had more, and I'm sad that I can't give you
all the time that you deserve! The missionaries all looked pretty
happy, so the sacrifice was for a good cause. We even had a small
barbecue fire that needed to be extinguished to add to the excitement.
It was really fun, though. We played Mafia, but we modified it to be
Star Wars themed. Good times. Elder Hardisty and I have actually had
some deep conversation about Star Wars and the gospel. It was intense
:) There are some solid gospel connections. Check it out.

Happy Cinco de Mayo! I hope everyone is doing well! The work moves
forward here! It is really exciting. I am learning so much and having
a blast as I labor in the Lord's vineyard. Talk about a good work
environment!

Guess what? I got sunburnt! I think you would have had to be a part of
this past New York winter in order to comprehend the joy that this
sunburn brings me. The small things in life go a long way.

I want to just share a quick testimony about personal revelation. I
know that God hears our prayers and will always answer our questions.
It may take time - even years - but God always answers. I know that
from personal experience. I also know that if you seek knowledge and
understanding, The Lord will provide. Through the power of the Holy
Ghost, we really can know all things.

I love each of you so much! Thank you for being such a wonderful
family. I'll see ya'll Sunday ;)

Love,
Elder McDonald