11-17-14 more pictures

 

New Sting Ray Corvette at the Mission office!!

Thanks for the cleats!!!

 

 

 

11-17-14

What’s up everybody!!!!!

Dad, I really appreciate the football updates and keeping me in the loop. I hope I don’t miss another crazy Iron Bowl this year. I always joke with my bishop that we only like each other because we have to since he's a diehard USC fan.

Tyler is going to Portugal?! That’s freaking awesome!! He will be a stud!! Hey, I ran into a lady from Carlsbad at church yesterday and she asked me where I was from and she said, "No way!! I graduated from Grissom High School!!" Once again, very, very small world in the church. And guess what? My first companion, Elder Kyle Thompson, Was just married on Saturday in the New Port Beach Temple! And he's only been off his mission for 6 months!! I think I’m going to give myself a few years of freedom first before I sell my soul to some crazy lady. haha.

How is the weather in Bama? Right now in Escondido it’s a brisk, breathtaking 78 degrees Fahrenheit. We actually have a pot with some sunflowers on our balcony at the apartment because the weather is so stinking nice here even in the middle of November, it’s crazy. Hey mom, I’ve used some Essential Oils the other day. I had a headache at like midnight and so I put like 6 drops of Peppermint on my head, it wasn’t till I started rubbing it around that I realized that a little goes a long way. Then I learned a great lesson about washing your hands after using it too, because I scratched my eye because it was itchy. After that I felt like my head from the inside out was on fire, but I forgot all about the pain that my headache was causing me and was able to  fall asleep after it set in after a while. haha

So we were able to meet with Elder Teh of the Seventy last Tuesday. He was awesome! He was so personable, he took the time to get to know each of us and during all of his presentations he wasn’t just talking to us from the pulpit, but was down in the pews with us getting us all involved in discussion. It was an awesome spiritual drop kick to the face. I don’t think anyone slept the entire time, haha.

This week we were able to teach all of our investigators. Blake, Demetrio, and Nick. They are all progressing and two have dates set for baptism in the next few weeks! I’m stoked for them!!!! And one of our potentials that we met actually came to church yesterday, Miguel (the one we had a lesson set up with, he wasn’t there, then we found him on the street). The work here is rolling along smoothly, but were not letting it make us lazy. We are still thrusting with our sickles with all our might, putting our hands to the plow, and aren’t looking back.

I want to share with you one scripture, 2 Tim 1:7-8. It talks about how our Heavenly Father has not given us the spirit of fear, but has given us power. And to be not ashamed of the testimony of the Savior that is in you. Never be afraid to stand up for what you know to be true, we are not entitled to fear, but power. Remember that.

I love you all, can’t wait to see everyone next month!!!!!!

-Elder Daniel

- Some cool skater kids from the Santa Fe Hills Ward

-ON splits with Jake in his Jeep Wrangler!!!!

-E. Fitzpatrick in the "Dirty Dido"

 

 

 

11-10-14

First off, holy crap!

 Jeffery, I’m so sorry man. That sucks really badly. How the heck did that happen???!? Hope you get a new set of wheels soon man, and hopefully you were able to salvage what you could. Hopefully that day you forgot to grab anything of value and put it in your truck like your skateboards, wallet, and stuff. I'm just glad you weren't in the truck, you can replace a vehicle, but not a Jeffery, there's only one of those. Sounds like y'all had a fun interesting week! As for me, not that crazy. Don't think I can top that. But I’ll try. Here is the highlight reel of my week.
On Monday last week Elder Fitzpatrick locked the keys in the trunk of the Corolla at like 9 O'clock. So we had to spend the night at our District leader’s apartment. I was freezing, it smelt bad because their apartment is all old and moldy, and I slept on the floor only getting about an hour of sleep. Then we woke up went to Vista to get a spare key and taught a lesson at 11 o'clock at the Institute, without having taken a shower. Hopefully we didn't scare our investigator away from our stench.  
On Friday we had a lesson with Blake, a former investigator, I think I mentioned him in my emails a few months ago. We had the lesson at our assistant ward mission leader’s house, Jimmy, with to other cool kids form the ward, Kenny and Justin. We taught him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the spirit was so strong. We were able to set a date with him for the beginning of December, which is awesome because he told us that time last year he was in jail, great way to change that anniversary to something happy to remember. He told us that he has been to a few other churches in the past few months and he says he feels different when he’s not at our church. Like there is something missing. (The Spirit). He said that he actually started reading the Book of Mormon for the first time and feels that it is true! We asked him to say the closing prayer and as he said it he got a little emotional. It is freaking awesome to see the Spirit in action softening people’s hearts.
Over the course of my mission something that I have prayed for just about every night is just to be a blessing in others’ lives. Lately I’ve been getting frustrated with myself. I’ve been feeling like I haven’t been an influence on many people at all and have done a poor job at showing people that I love them, when I really do care. I had an experience last week that helped me understand that this is not the case at all. Elder Cowan, one of my last companions and is now my district leader, wanted to go on another exchange with me this transfer. Which puzzled me because we had already done our exchanges for this transfer. Up until the very end of the exchange I had no idea why I was there, but then he told me. He said that the reason he wanted to go on the exchange with me was to just tell me that he has seen how I have helped certain missionaries out that I have served around in the past that were struggling really bad. He said that he feels that the reason we are serving around each other again is because he felt like he should have told me that when we were companions, but he didn’t. And then this last week received a note from one of those missionaries who is about to go home in about a week. I found out that this missionary was struggling with some things that I had no idea about when she was serving around me. And she just thanked me for being kind to her during those hard times. I’m not telling you all this to boast, but to tell you that Heavenly Father answers prayers through other people. That is how he works, we are his hands. Those were a few tender mercies I received this week.
Tomorrow our mission is meeting with Elder Teh of the 70. He spoke in the April General Conference this year. Should be freaking awesome!!
 

I love you all, let me know if there is anything I can do for you.

-Elder Daniel

 

-The Esco Zooooone!!!

- Made our own beards in the spirit of No Shave November

-This is Jake, just got his call to Indiana Indianappolis Mission

 

 

 

 

11-03-14

How's everyone doing this beautiful Monday morning!

How was everyone’s Halloween and weekend?
This last week was grand! We had two missionary booths and were able to set a baptismal date with Demitrio!!!
The Booths on Palomar are a lot of fun and we give out about 40 copies of Book of Mormon a day and other pamphlets and cards and stuff, and we will usually get at least a few referrals a day from them. So tons of seeds are planted from them, we get the word out to people (college kids) about who we are, what we do, and that were not weird.
Halloween was on Friday, it’s weird though, I almost forgot it was Halloween. It didn’t feel like it was any kind of holiday at all. Holidays are incredibly different as a missionary.
We had a lesson with Demitrio on Saturday night. He was feeling really sick so we were able to explain to him what the Priesthood is and how Priesthood blessings work and then proceeded to give him a blessing. We taught him about the gospel of Jesus Christ and how living it would give him strength to overcome the trials that he is facing in his life. He has been though and is going through a lot. When we got to the point where we explained baptism he was anxious to set a date with us. We set a date for the 23rd of November. I’m excited for this guy. This is exactly what he needs in his life. It’s going to bless him in so many ways. I wish that everyone understood that, sometimes even we as members forget. We have the fullness of the gospel, eternal truth, the Priesthood of God, and if you just live it and do what Heavenly Father wants you to do, you will have nothing to worry about. It’s so simple, but sometimes it’s not the easiest path to follow.
I love the work that I am engaged in, I wish you could feel the joy that comes from seeing the light of the gospel in someone’s eyes for the first time, and seeing those people become what Heavenly Father wants them to become. Seeing others happy and knowing that you were the cause of that reaction, brings me happiness that can’t be found anywhere else.

Gotta go,

I love you all, and I mean it,

-Elder Daniel

Palomar College Missionary Booth

 

-Emilio and E. Fitz

-Pink Hippy Beard Guy

-We even saw Jesus!

 

-My beard I grew for Halloween..

 

 

10-27-14

Helloooooooo Everyone!

That's crazy Britny is getting married! Holy crap! Hope Walter's truck isn't completely dead. Cars suck sometimes. I didn't get my cleats yet, they should be here this weekend. Mission mail is super slow, it usually sits in the office before anyone gets it.
Last week we weren't able to meet with Demitrio, his work schedule is crazy. He works on Camp Pendleton and is out there for most of the week. But tonight we are meeting with him. He told us that he wants to talk about baptism that is something he's interested in doing. So hopefully we will set a date with him tonight!!!!! I’m stoked!!! We picked up a new investigator last week, his name is Miguel, and he was a referral from the Spanish sisters (Hermana’s). We actually had a pass off lesson with the Hermana’s on Wednesday and he wasn't there so, E. Fitzpatrick and I decided to just go street contacting since it was the end of the night and we actually ran into Miguel on the street and taught him there! haha. We should be meeting with him this week to teach him more. We were able to go to Ramona for church on Sunday. All the YSA's in Carlsbad, Murrieta, Escondido, and Vista had a combined camp for the weekend. Our first counselor in the bishopric spoke and one of the things he said stuck out to me. He said, "Life is all about service. That is what we are here on this earth to do is to serve others. Everyone around us. Life happens around us, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't mean much if we haven’t lost ourselves in the service of others or kindled relationships that will last." I thought about it, and honestly serving everyone around me all the time hasn't been something that has been my forte. We get distracted and lost with the temporal cares of the world and we also become selfish without even realizing it sometimes. So that is something that I want to work on. I want to look back on my life and know that I was a friend that I was genuine with my dealings with everyone around me, and I was a blessing in others’ lives. That’s what brings you true joy, nothing else. It’s the antidote for just about anything.
E. Moolenbeek emailed me and said that he and E. Christiansen have an appointment with Daylon and they are going to start teaching him! Isn’t that freaking awesome!!! I told you he was serving in the Vista 10th ward now right?

I love you all,

Your son, big brother, and friend,

-Elder Daniel

 

- San Diego Temple, the best place on the planet.

- Happy Halloween! (lead singer of Neon Trees tie!)