Elder Jon Daniel: 6-23-14

What is up everybody!!!!!

Last week on Wednesday I hit my year mark, the mission has go by like a dream. This time next year I will be back in Huntsville. Crazy, won’t think about it too much, maybe it will go by slower hopefully. It’s weird going to transfer meetings, looking up at the greenies fresh from the MTC and realizing that I was there once, not really knowing what I was getting myself into, all wide-eyed and tired, and now Im on the other side now sitting in the pews as a seasoned mission vet as one of the guys they look up to.. Can’t believe Chandler is already headed out he's going to Bakersfield right? I haven’t been able to give out any CTR rings, I keep forgetting, but I will I promise. I hope you guys are all having a great summer. It sounds like you are.

This week I was able to go on two exchanges. The first one I went on was with Elder Wilkins, one of my Zone Leaders. I learn so much from him every time I am able to serve around him. He heads out of here in two transfers and so he is doing everything he can to make the most of his time left here in the mission. He asked me how I could help him help the zone be more diligent. During my studies I read the story on Enos. After he was forgiven of his sins and his prayer was answered, he began to have a sincere desire for the welfare of his brethren. I compared that to our zone. We have to have a desire to serve and love all those we come into contact with and we do that by having a firm testimony in the savior's atonement and having a love for the savior. When you have those things your desire to be as diligent as you can be on your mission will increase.

I was also able to go on exchanges with Elder Parker, he was one of the elders that I started my mission with back in the MTC. We were able to teach a Hispanic man named Carlos they had met a day before. We taught an awesome lesson on the restoration on the curb outside his house and he loved it! One of his buddies from work was there too, but he kind of gave us the cold shoulder when we showed up, Carlos asked him if he wanted to join in but he pretended that he could only speak Spanish, (they use that trick all the time all the time). I saw he had a skateboard and he was messing around on it with Carlos's kids in the drive way. As we were leaving I asked if I could show them all a couple of tricks, he gave me his board, I did a kick flip and a tre flip (in church shoes) and they all got super excited, Carlos said that made his day. Carlos's friend even started to talk to us after, in English. haha.

We hit 113 contacts this week, more than usual and got 4 referrals for the Spanish elders and the YSA elders.

I gotta split,

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

Your friend, big brother, and son,

-Elder Daniel