Rainy Day In Sun City Does anyone Else find that a little strange‏? Email - February 21, 2011

dear family and friends,

well, It's been a good week. elder soMmers and I have been finding a lot of people to teach. the only down Side to thiS is that we biked in the rain for two daYs straight.  by the way, biking in rain isn't fun at all it actually hurts a little, but sOmething happened becaUse we decided to bike sTill.

 

we were in heritage lakes a section Of our area that is liKe 5 miles from Anything else. yeah we biked there when we aRrived there we decided to stop and talk to this lady who was hanging out at her car.  we started talking and she ended up telling us her life story. if you were A missionary you know this happens a lOt.

we seem to have this persona where either people hate us or feel we need to know everything about them. This lady lives in her car with her dog and is just trying to make it by, but can't seem to do it.  life seems to be harder when you don't have the gospel in your life. 

 

well i almost died this week due to Bro. Fortune ( i wasn't too happy) i was riding my bike when he called so i stopped and almost got hit by a car, because i thought it was really important it was about if they had bunk beds in the MTC. 

 

I just want everyone to know that i love you all and think about you a lot; hope life finds you well and that you know that no matter what life brings you, there is nothing that can stop you. trust me i have seen people change their lives, anything is possible.

--
Elder Zachary David Daniel
p.s. if your reading this Kara use your super smart skills to figure out the message!!!

 

FUTURE LIFE Email - February 7, 2011

Dear Family and Friends,

 

Normally when I begin to write I have already preplanned what I'm going to say.  Sometimes I talk about a crazy thing that's happened or something horrible I went through. After reading through my previous e-mails I've noticed a few things. The mission isn't easy, anyone that says it is didn't work with all there heart, might, mind and strength. I've watched people accept the Gospel and prosper and I've watched people deny it and suffer sometimes knowingly, other times not so much.  I have been watching a brand new missionary who grew up in a life where all is well and there is no "real" problems.  We are now going into houses where people live in sin that's incredible. I know what your thinking "Elder, How can you be so harsh?" these People are doomed to a path of destruction.  They are walking down a road of cruelty and pain, only to find more and more at every turn.  When they think they are out of it, they look and see how much pain they've been through and how much they still have to go through. This sometimes seems unbearable to me.

 

I have seriously considered what it will be like to go home.  Will I fall into the trap of sin and become as it has been titled "Less-Active"?  Will my testimony fall and crumble?  Is it built on a sure foundation? It may seem scary, but I am scared; it's almost been 7 months that I've been in California and it seems like a few weeks.  Will the entire mission fly by and I go home feeling like I haven't truly learned the secret of staying active? 

 

I have learned that in order to stay active there are things I need to do. I'm going to put this into effect day ONE that I come home.  I knock on doors all day, I see families that upright hate each other, they have no sure foundation, and that scares me.

 

The few things I've learned to staying active is this:   1. Go to church weekly no matter if you hate your ward or whatever, once you miss a Sunday its easy to miss more.   2. Go to a LDS school so you can surround yourself with members.   3. Marry someone more converted to the gospel than you.

 

That's what I have for now.  I have to get going.  Meaghan I am creating something for you it might take a few months but it's a work in progress.

 

I send all my love. 

--
Elder Zachary David Daniel