Happy New Year!!!!!
Where did 2013 go?! It was a great year, lots of great
things happened, the only thing that stinks about it is it went by waaaaay too
fast. As of now I'm still in Murrieta, it is the farthest north our mission
goes and borders the Riverside Mission. I’m half way through my 3rd transfer
here, and a transfer cycle is 6 weeks, so I’ve almost been here for 4 months
now. I’m thinking I’m leaving the area after this transfer. I've been here for
a little bit. Thanks for all the Christmas gifts you guys!! It was so great to
see all of yall!! You guys are growing up way too stink'n fast!!
Things are starting to pick up here a little bit since
the holidays are winding down. We actually picked up a new investigator this
week while we were on exchanges, her name is Mindy and she seems super solid.
I've been thinking a lot about the work here. I’ve felt like my entire mission I’ve
been working so hard teaching people and helping them to progress towards
baptism only to be transferred out of my area or we've had
no one to teach and have been working super hard with members or through
talking to people on the street and not have any results from our
efforts of finding people. And It is been a little discouraging, but then
I remembered what you told me about your visiting teacher in New
Jersey who helped you find your way back to the church. I realized that if
it wasn't for her, I probably wouldn't have grown up in the
church, I probably wouldn't have met all the amazing people in my
life that I have, I probably wouldn’t have learned all the things I know now, I
definitely wouldn't have been an eagle scout, I
probably wouldn't be the person I am today and I probably wouldn’t be
serving a mission right now writing you this email from southern California. I
remembered some very specific revelation I received while I
was at the MTC. I was praying very hard to know why I had made this decision in
my life and why I was there, I didn’t know what I had gotten myself into.
I received a very clear impression that I was here to bless the lives
of others, to help them, to bring them back, to help them find their Savior, to
ease them of their pain. No matter how unprepared or inadequate I
felt. I realized it is not all about baptizing people, but it is about helping
others come back to their Savior, whether that be through helping
investigators, recent converts, less actives, or whoever it may be. I have the
amazing opportunity to influence future generations, just like your visiting
teacher in New Jersey did for us.
I hope everything back home is going smoothly. Jeffery
said it was getting pretty nippy down there, heard you guys are having weather
in the single digits. Stay warm ya hear!!
Alright, Well I love all you guys, stay strong, stay
true, and look out for each other while I’m gone okay?
-Elder Daniel
Page 11 in the white handbook says elders need to shave everyday...)
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