Week 7 - Happy New Years!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Well the holidays have now wrapped up for the 2012 year and we are embarking on the year of 2013! For me it is slightly bittersweet, as I will be away from my family & loved ones for an entire year. However, what a blessing it is to be serving our Lord and Savior up here in Canada! It is a unique experience that I hope you all can enjoy vicariously through me. 

New Years was much different for me, as you might imagine! We did have permission to stay up until 12...but we did have to be in our apartment by 6 pm. I sat in the apartment and really just listened to some MoTab, wrote in my journal quite a bit, wrote letters, ate some food (frozen pizza)..haha it was pretty wild I tell ya. Although it was quiet, it did bring me an opportunity that I often never took advantage of; it gave me the chance to really sit back and think about my year, and ponder about how that year has helped me in my life. I was thinking about how much changed in my life in 2012...Who knows what this year will bring! In 2012 some things I thought of were that I received my patriarchal blessing, graduated high school & seminary, got my mission call, my brother moved to California-and then got married, I turned 19, I am on a mission, and my sister got engaged. First holidays away from home! That is quite the change in life! But we believe in change!  It was a year of change undoubtedly for myself. All summed up with I am now on a mission, whereas a year ago I never did think I would go on a mission. How grateful I am to be here serving. It is not easy, there are hard times, times where I do not know how I will be able to keep doing this, however there is that ray of hope that I continually cling onto. All of which is made easier by my building testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

There is a wonderful talk given in the 2012 April Ensign that I read and found it to be of great inspiration. It talked on how that the Atonement did not only allow the sinner to be healed, but how it enabled the Saint to be perfected-an idea that I have never really thought about. I have never been as close to my Savior as I am now and yet there are days where I still feel so hopeless. Once I read this I realized I was not asking for the right things in my prayers, I was not relying on the Atonement as I should. Immediately I found myself on my knees pleading with our Heavenly Father to not change my situation, but rather give me the strength & knowledge to know how I will accomplish this task at hand. I immediately found peace, joy, and hope within my heart. I do not share this with you all to say that I am some awesome missionary rather to challenge you, to invite you, to study the Atonement of Jesus Christ. To rely upon it for all that you do in your lives. Fully utilize the amazing gift that it truly is.

The work has been slow and I often find myself discouraged that the work isn't progressing faster than it is. I am not used to not succeeding immediately at something I put so much effort into. It's a work in progress. However, this week the work is picking up, and things should be back to normal. 

This week we did find some cool stuff though, I guess you could say some of the perks of being in a small town! There is a small bakery that you can get just about anything delicious there for all really cheap! I loved it! The members were so gracious to us this week, just as they have been since I have arrived. You should see the bounty I have from Christmas gifts the members would give us! New Years day a family invited us over for breakfast and to take part in a tradition with their family. We dropped off a shoe and then the elves came and filled it with useful items and treats! The ward up here is very personal, something that is a little different. Everyone likes everyone; they have to since there are not many people at all! ha but it is definitely a cool experience!

Hopefully I will have more to report next week! Until then I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week! I'll talk to you all soon!

Love,

Elder McFall