11-25-13

Hello my amazing family!!

 

This week has been great! It’s actually starting to get cold! Not as cold as Bama though, I need to be careful what I wish for, I thought it would be great, but Nah. It’s not very enjoyable after 3 straight hours of riding your bike in 40 degree weather every day. It also rained for the first time last week, which was awesome! But it sucked riding in it because it was so cold.

 

 

 

 

 

Contacts have been great this week. We set our weekly goal for street contacts for 70 and we hit 71.

This week we taught our first solid lesson with Robert. He likes to talk a lot and do things that make it kind of hard to sit down and teach him something. When we showed up for our appointment he was outside doing yard work, so we picked up some racks and helped him out so we could still have some time to teach him. We found out he hadn't read what we left him and we were running out of time, so we decided to just read the chapter we left him the week before, Alma 32. It’s the one that talks about faith. It was amazing!! We had a wonderful discussion on the Book of Mormon and he told us that it makes perfect sense that there would be additional scripture and that Heavenly Father would continue to lead, guide, and communicate with His children today, just as in times of old. He was really excited about it too and said that he was going to show his wife what we had read with him. So that really boosts my spirits about the work in our area, there is progression. It’s the coolest thing seeing someone excited about the gospel and seeing their testimonies grow little by little. It makes me so happy.

Bishop Hymas told me a few things before I left that have stuck with me. I asked him while I was making my decision to go on a mission “Is a mission hard?" He sat back for a minute and then told me "Ya know, it’s only hard, if you make it hard." Such good counsel and it’s so true. If you work it easy, it’s hard. If you work it hard, it’s easy. Another thing that he told me was “You will never experience any other joy in your life quite like the joy you will get from bringing the gospel into the lives of those who have been searching and looking and waiting, and seeing the peace and happiness and direction that comes into their lives because of you. The only things that come close are the day you marry the love of your life and the day you hold your first born child in your arms." It’s un-describable the feeling of joy you get when you see someone come closer to their Heavenly Father. It’s funny how I thought I understood the counsel that people had given me before I came out on my mission, but I really didn't completely understand until I came out here to California and experienced things for myself.

Last week we found out that one of mine and Elder Anderson's past investigators from Fallbrook, Candy, was in the hospital because of heart problems and something that was wrong with her breathing. We were headed back from our Zone Conference and got permission from President Kendrick to go and visit her. She was staying at Palomar Hospital, which in like the nicest hospital in southern California, it looks like a 5 star resort! So we went to visit her and found out that she had been there for a week and was going to have to go through a surgical procedure to have a stint put in. She was worried because she had been in the hospital before but never for that long and never had to have a big procedure such as that. So Elder Anderson and I gave her a blessing. We found out that the surgery went great and that she will be back home this week. She's a hospice nurse, so she kind of flip flopped for a week.

 

 

I'll let yall know as soon as I can the plans for Christmas and how Skype and everything is going to work. I can’t believe I've already been out for almost half a year already. 1/4 of my mission gone, just like that.

Well I love you guys. Stay strong, stay true, and look out for each other while I'm gone, alright?

 
-Elder Daniel

11-18-13

Hey guys!

How is the weather back down south this time of year? Right now in Murrieta it’s about 78 degrees, it doesn't feel like winter at all! It’s crazy! Never thought I would say this, but I actually miss the cold and the rain. Living in this kind of weather gets old after a while, there's not much variety. It’s just perfect all the stink'n time!

So yesterday during sacrament we found out that our ward mission leader is being released, it was completely unexpected. It’s going to be tough losing him, he was really on top of things and engaged with the work in this area. So were going to be training the new one here very shortly. 

So we stopped by Robert last week and he told us he's going through a very tough time financially. The elders who started teaching him before us left a blessing on him and his home, and he ended up getting a lot of job opportunities and work from it. So he's been pretty busy with work and hasn't been able to meet with us and he’s started to lose the job opportunities that he’s had. He also prayed to have a day off from work and he ended up getting, can you guess? Yes, Sunday. So he's taking these things as a sign that there is something missing and Heavenly Father is trying to tell him something. I think we’re going to be seeing a lot more of Robert in the near future. I really think he'll learn to embrace the gospel. He's super friendly and very humble and wants peace and direction in his life, luckily for him we've got all the answers, and more. 

We had our zone training meeting last week and at the end the zone leaders showed the video about how missionary work and the atonement are intertwined. I showed it to you before I left, I don't know if you remember. But anyway, there wasn't a dry eye in the room. That message means so much more and I understand it completely now that I'm in the field. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that I’m apart of the most important work on the earth right now. There's seriously nowhere else I'd rather be. I don’t want to think about what I would be doing or where I would be right now if I didn’t go on a mission. Anyone who is thinking about serving needs to just go out there and do it. Spencer told me before I left all the Lord requires is a willing heart, and it’s so true. That’s all He requires, He will help you along the way and use you as a tool in His hands. There’s no real way to truly feel ready to serve a mission, you'll never feel ready until you’re on that plane flying to the MTC.

 Tomorrow we have our zone conference with Elder Packer. Not the apostle, but one of his close relatives. Should be awesome! I’ll let you know how it goes.

 I love you all, I can’t wait to see you guys and hear your voices! Stay strong, stay true, and look out for each other, alright?

-Elder Daniel

 

(Elder Anderson say hi! He leaves for home at the end of this transfer :( and he wont 

be going back to Alabama because his family moved to Utah, so were making the most of 

his last days as an elder.)

11-12-13

Helloooooooo Family!!!

So we had transfer meeting this Tuesday. My Companion is now in Vista and my new companion is Elder Jacobsen from Bountiful, Utah. He's been out for about nine months, he's pretty soft spoken and chill, but he's a really hard worker, he's funny, and he knows how things work. I’m still a little rough around the edges, so I’m glad I have a comp with a little bit of experience who I can learn from. His first Sunday in the ward he got thrown under the bus a little. So one of the youth speakers had an anxiety attack and never showed up to give her talk, so Bishop Nordstrom asked a bunch of people to come up and bare their testimonies on the theme that the talks were on that day. And guess what it was? The Law of Chastity! haha, welcome to Cole Canyon Elder Jacobsen! 

We taught Rhiannon the Plan of Salvation last night at a member’s home. We invited her to be baptized but, she turned it down because she doesn't know how her dad will feel about it, and she said she isn’t ready to make that kind of commitment. Well definitely keep working with her and doing anything we can to help her understand and overcome the barriers that are keeping her from being baptized. It’s been a little tough facing rejection and opposition, not just from investigators, but people we try to talk to as well. I’ve been praying very hard to know what I need to do have success and how to improve the work in this area. I remembered something that I felt very strongly in the MTC when I was going through somewhat of the same thing. 'This work isn't about you at all, it’s about serving others and bringing your brothers and sisters to a knowledge of the truth." That's something I had forgotten for a little while, you get so caught up in the work and comfortable being a missionary going through the motions that you can forget what you came out for in the first place, if that makes sense. I'm begin obedient, I just haven't been as bold and focused on baptism as I could be. I haven't truly lost myself in the work yet. That's when miracles happen, when you forget yourself and focus solely on those you love and care about. It all comes back to truly living as the savior did and following his example. That's all missionary work really is, doing as our savior did. I'm also taken back to a scripture in DC 24: 8. We’re going to be put through trials and hard times, it’s inevitable, but the Lord is always with us and that’s something that we need to always remember. More than anyone, He knows exactly what we’re going through, and He's always there to help.

We started doing service at a sports park repainting fire lane curbs and stuff and guess what was in my sight every time you looked up? A skate park, begging for me to ride it. It was pure torture.

 

(My man Peanut and I, were pretty chill)

 

Yesterday we also started doing service on Sister Dempkey's horse ranch way up on this huge mountain. Cleaning pens, changing water, and feeding the horses. It’s something were going to start doing now every Tuesday. It’s a pretty sweet change of scenery. Her son David, who is autistic, helped us out too. It was a ton of fun.

 

(My new comp, Elder Jacobsen and David in his cowboy gear)

 

Whelp I'm out of time. Speaking of time where has it gone? I've almost been out 6 months in December, Holy Moses!! 

I love you all. I pray for you all the time. Stay true, remember those who sacrificed so much for this gospel, and always look out for each-other.

 -Elder Jon Daniel

11-4-13

FAMILY!!!! How are ya!!!

I love hearing about everything that you guys are doing back home! It looks and sounds like Halloween was a blast, I love yall's costumes. Ant, yours was super cool dude!

Looks like Adeline is having the time of her life right now too. I keep forgetting that you’re a teenager! I already mentioned this before, but you guys are growing up way too fast! Slow it down!! haha. I hope everything goes well with what you decide to do with the house. Hey guess what, the youth in my ward are going to the Gilbert Arizona Temple open house for their youth conference, how stink'n cool is that! I wish I could go so badly, at least I was able to see it when I drove Grandma Gwen home in February.

So this week has been pretty sweet. The work is progressing, I can see it and feel it! We were able to meet with Rhiannon this week at a member’s house and we taught her the Restoration. She is progressing a little slower than others, but we’ll continue to work with her. She's not a member, but she goes to mutual every Tuesday, a bunch of her friends are LDS, and she goes to all the dances and youth conferences. She even went to trek. So were going to get her baptized, it’s just a matter of time. We didn't really get to see very many other people, my companion was sick a couple days this week and Halloween was this week also. We have been teaching a lot of the members this week as well.

 

We went on exchanges with the zones leaders this week. I went with Elder Roundy. He really showed me how to plan and the importance of planning. He showed me things I never even thought of before. It’s funny how you think you’re doing amazing, when you’re really not, haha. We also had a ton of fun. It was a great exchange. Learned a lot. The next day after exchanges, I used what he had taught me when we planned for the day and the results were pretty crazy. We don't usually have very many contacts during the day just because of how small our area is and it’s a bedroom community too. But people just kept falling in our laps one after another, we had 23 contacts that day, which doesn't sound like a lot, but for us and our area it’s a ton. So that was one small miracle. It’s cool to see how the Lord places people in your path when you plan and act faithfully.

 

I've also been praying for people to teach, who are seeking for the truth and for healing. On Friday when we were on exchanges we got a call from some elders in another area that there was a lady at the church who wanted to talk to us. So without delay we rode our bikes over there at the speed of light. We got there a little early and we were locked out of the church and she showed up a couple minutes later. Her name was Kim. We got to talking and we found out that she is going through a very hard time psychologically and financially. She's bipolar, has extreme anxiety, and is about to lose her house. As we were talking I just felt so terrible, I wanted to help her so bad. We told her we would get in touch with our bishop. Then the next day we saw her in a restaurant and she mentioned that she might come to church. So on Sunday we looked everywhere for her and couldn't find her. And we just assumed she wasn't there. So we got up and bore our testimonies because it was fast Sunday, and let me tell ya, it’s still scary getting up there even when you’re a missionary, but you feel amazing afterwards. I don't know why but I felt like I should bare my testimony of the book of Mormon so I did. The coolest thing happened after sacrament. We found out that she had shown up a little late and she sat in the back, I felt terrible that she sat by herself because of her anxiety, but we got to talking with her and she said "can I get a copy of that book you were talking about?" and luckily I had three copies in my bag that I have been lugging around this entire transfer because are contacting hasn't been too shabby. So now she has a book of Mormon and a seed has been planted. Another small miracle.

We have transfers on Tuesday. My companion is leaving and I’m staying. I’m gonna miss him. He's got a great work ethic. He's a country boy from Wyoming, so we both can relate to working hard with our hands and getting things done. I hope my new companion is ready to trust in the Lord and work hard, because we’ve got a lot to do. I'll let you guys know how that goes next Monday.

Well I’ve gotta go buy food so I don't starve during the week, haha.

Thank you guys for all your support and love, I can feel your prayers in my life every day.

Stay true and look out for each other alright? :)

 - Elder Daniel

Washington District is the best!

Elder Adams and I from our hike this morning, overlooking Murrieta CA